Search results for "outbreaks"

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…

An outbreak of HBV and HCV infection in a paediatric oncology ward: Epidemiological investigations and prevention of further spread

2003

Hospital-acquired hepatitis B (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infections continue to occur despite increased awareness of this problem among the medical community. One hundred six patients were infected in a haematology oncology ward for children, over the time period 1996 to 2000. Serum samples from 45 such patients and 3 from infected medical personnel were used for nucleic acid amplification. HBV core, as well as HCV core and hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) nucleotide sequences, were analysed by phylogenetic tree analysis, in order to characterise the epidemiological pattern of viral transmission on the ward. Samples from 32 patients were positive for HBV-DNA or HCV-RNA by PCR. Ten patients were p…

The international Ebola response: heroes and bystanders in the chronicle of an epidemic foretold.

2014

The Deadly Quartet (Covid-19, Old Age, Lung Disease, and Heart Failure) Explains Why Coronavirus-Related Mortality in Northern Italy Was So High

2020

Since its outbreak in China at the end of 2019, the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was characterized by both easy spreading and high mortality. The latter proved to be way more elevated in the North of Italy -with a peak of 18.4% in region Lombardia and even 31% in the city of Bergamo and surrounding county- than in the rest of the world. In an attempt to conceptualize the reasons for such a dramatic situation, four key elements have been identified: COVID-19 itself, old age, lung disease, and heart failure. Their harmful combination has been named “The deadly quartet”. The underlying risk factors, among which a lot of them are distinctive features of the population in northern Italy, …

Identification of Cpgp40/15 Type Ib as the Predominant Allele in Isolates of Cryptosporidium spp. from a Waterborne Outbreak of Gastroenteritis in So…

2006

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium sp. isolates from a waterborne outbreak of diarrhea in France were analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing of the Cpgp40/15 locus. Ninety-one percent of the isolates were Cryptosporidium hominis type Ib. The results of this study and those of studies of other outbreaks suggest that the type Ib allele is the predominant allele associated with waterborne cryptosporidiosis.

Outbreak of IMI-1 Carbapenemase-producing colistin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae on the French island of Mayotte (Indian Ocean)

2018

International audience; The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the Southwest Indian Ocean islands is poorly known. Here we describe an outbreak of colistin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae harbouring blaIMI-1 in the French overseas department of Mayotte. Between October 2015 and January 2017, all isolates of imipenem-non-susceptible E. cloacae at Mayotte Medical Center and University Hospital of Reunion Island were screened for carbapenemase production. Positive isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and all β-lactamase genes were identified by PCR and sequencing. Resistance profil…

Waterborne Norovirus outbreak at a seaside resort likely originating from municipal water distribution system failure

2018

AbstractIn May 2016 a Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreak involved a high school class visiting a seaside resort near Taormina (Mascali, Sicily). Twenty-four students and a teacher were affected and 17 of them showed symptoms on the second day of the journey, while the others got ill within the following 2 days. Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, and 12 students required hospitalisation. Stool samples tested positive for NoV genome by Real-Time polymerase chain reaction assay in all 25 symptomatic subjects. The GII.P2/GII.2 NoV genotype was linked to the outbreak by ORF1/ORF2 sequence analysis. The epidemiological features of the outbreak were consistent with food/waterbo…

Trends of influenza B during the 2010–2016 seasons in 2 regions of north and south Italy: The impact of the vaccine mismatch on influenza immunisatio…

2017

Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for respiratory infections, representing globally seasonal threats to human health. The 2 viral types often co-circulate and influenza B plays an important role in the spread of infection. A 6-year retrospective surveillance study was conducted between 2010 and 2016 in 2 large administrative regions of Italy, located in the north (Liguria) and in the south (Sicily) of the country, to describe the burden and epidemiology of both B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages in different healthcare settings. Influenza B viruses were detected in 5 of 6 seasonal outbreaks, exceeding influenza A during the season 2012–2013. Most of influenza B infections were found…

A Cross-Country Examination on the Fear of COVID-19 and the Sense of Loneliness during the First Wave of COVID-19 Outbreak

2021

The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear o…

Transmission of hemagglutinin D222G mutant strain of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

2010

A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus strain carrying the D222G mutation was identified in a severely ill man and was transmitted to a household contact. Only mild illness developed in the contact, despite his obesity and diabetes. The isolated virus reacted fully with an antiserum against the pandemic vaccine strain.