Search results for "OUTBREAK"
showing 10 items of 812 documents
Legionella pneumophila pangenome reveals strain-specific virulence factors
2010
Abstract Background Legionella pneumophila subsp. pneumophila is a gram-negative γ-Proteobacterium and the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, a form of epidemic pneumonia. It has a water-related life cycle. In industrialized cities L. pneumophila is commonly encountered in refrigeration towers and water pipes. Infection is always via infected aerosols to humans. Although many efforts have been made to eradicate Legionella from buildings, it still contaminates the water systems. The town of Alcoy (Valencian Region, Spain) has had recurrent outbreaks since 1999. The strain "Alcoy 2300/99" is a particularly persistent and recurrent strain that was isolated during one of the most signifi…
Identification of sapovirus infection among Japanese infants in a day care center.
2005
A total of 921 fecal specimens collected from 44 infants in a day care center in Tokyo, Japan during June 1999 to July 2000 were tested for the presence of sapovirus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Of 88 fecal specimens from infants with acute gastroenteritis, 2.3% (2) were found to be positive for sapovirus. Twenty-two of 833 (2.6%) fecal specimens collected from asymptomatic infants were also infected with this virus. Another interesting feature was the demonstration of high incidence of sapovirus infection (95.5%, 21 of 22) identified in a single day care center, which was not due to viral shedding after the latest acute gastroenteritis. Sapovirus was subject…
Genotyping of a nosocomial outbreak of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009
2011
Background: Epidemiological surveys have revealed outbreaks of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 in several different contexts. Molecular characterization of the influenza virus could help to provide a more accurate description of these outbreaks. Objective: To genotype pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 isolates from an epidemiologically defined nosocomial outbreak. Study design: We sequenced the neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) influenza A (H1N1) 2009 genes from ten HIV-positive patients involved in an epidemiologically defined outbreak in the Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CMID) Department. Sequences were aligned to search for specific genetic features of the involv…
Source Detection in an Outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease
2006
Spatial statistics have broadly been applied, developed and demanded from the field of epidemiology. The point process theory is an appropriate framework to analyse the spatial variation of risk of disease from information at individual level.
Brotes de gastroenteritis aguda vírica en residencias de ancianos: Sistema de Detección por Umbral de Prevalencia (SiDUP)
2009
Javier Buesa Gómez (Javier.Buesa@uv.es) Se describen las intervenciones llevadas a cabo en una unidad de epidemiología local, durante varios años, relacionadas con la epidemiología de la gastroenteritis por norovirus en residencias de ancianos de Castellón. Desde varios brotes acaecidos en un mismo geriátrico, hasta el estudio de los casos esporádicos que determinan la situación endémica en varias residencias. Este trabajo se centra en el análisis de esa situación endémica de síntomas digestivos en periodos de silencio epidémico y la propuesta de un método sencillo para detectar el inicio de brotes de GEA de transmisión progresiva (persona-persona) que hemos denominado Sistema de Detección …
Research note: The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on scientific work in German sociology
2021
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific work is highly affected by the governments’ measures taken to reduce the spread of the virus. With closing colleges, universities, and kindergartens, scientists had to adapt to new forms of working procedures. Immediately after the peak of the first COVID-19 wave in Germany, we surveyed in professors and postdoctoral researchers in the field of German sociology in May 2020 to investigate how their work is constrained by these measures. In this research note, we present the results of this survey. They show that the position in the sociological field as well as demographic factors affect the degree to which sociologists feel constraine…
Response: Frailty Assessment in the Covid-19 Pandemic
2020
Dear Editor, We would like to thank Ng Cheong Chung and colleagues for their important comment on our recent manuscript demonstrating the ability of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) to predict the need for mechanical ventilation and duration of hospital stays in German patients with COVID-19.1 The authors raise important points and we take the opportunity to respond herein.2 Frailty is a complex condition that is characterized by the loss of functional reserve as well as a decline in cognitive function. The development of frailty in a patient is multifaceted—including body constitution and even …
Impact of mobility restrictions on active aging; cross-sectional associations and longitudinal changes parallel to COVID-19 restrictions
2021
Background: Meaningful activities can be done in or around home, but opportunities for participation and active aging decrease when moving in smaller areas. Active aging refers to having an active approach to life in line with one's goals, ability and opportunities. In adults over 75 years with different baseline neighborhood mobility levels, we studied active aging scores two years prior to and amid COVID-19, when governments restricted mobility of residents to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: AGNES cohort data were collected in 2017-2018 and spring 2020. Individuals were queried about their will, ability, and opportunity, and extent of doing 17 activities, and subsequently, item, comp…
Glochidial infection by the endangered Margaritifera margaritifera (Mollusca) increased survival of salmonid host (Pisces) during experimental Flavob…
2021
AbstractCo-infections are common in host-parasite interactions, but studies about their impact on the virulence of parasites/diseases are still scarce. The present study compared mortality induced by a fatal bacterial pathogen, Flavobacterium columnare between brown trout infected with glochidia from the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, and uninfected control fish during the parasitic period and after the parasitic period (i.e. glochidia detached) in a laboratory experiment. We hypothesised that glochidial infection would increase host susceptibility to and/or pathogenicity of the bacterial infection. We found that the highly virulent strain of F. columnare c…
No influence of oxygen levels on pathogenesis and virus shedding in Salmonid alphavirus (SAV)-challenged Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
2010
Abstract Background For more than three decades, diseases caused by salmonid alphaviruses (SAV) have become a major problem of increasing economic importance in the European fish-farming industry. However, experimental infection trials with SAV result in low or no mortality i.e very different from most field outbreaks of pancreas disease (PD). This probably reflects the difficulties in reproducing complex biotic and abiotic field conditions in the laboratory. In this study we looked at the relationship between SAV-infection in salmon and sub-lethal environmental hypoxia as a result of reduced flow-through in tank systems. Results The experiment demonstrated that constant reduced oxygen leve…