{"title":"Impact of temperatures on malaria incidence in vulnerable regions of Pakistan: empirical evidence and future projections.","authors":"Syeda Hira Fatima, Farrah Zaidi, Javeria Rafiq, Dinesh Bhandari, Asad Ali, Peng Bi","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000111","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a major health challenge in developing countries, with climate change intensifying its impact. Pakistan is among the most vulnerable nations. This study examines the relationship between temperature and malaria cases in two highly affected districts, Bannu and Lakki Marwat, to inform climate-adaptive interventions.We analyzed monthly malaria cases (2014-2022) from the Integrated Vector Control/Malaria Control Program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, combined with gridded meteorological data from Copernicus ERA5-Land. Time-series analysis using distributed lag nonlinear models and quasi-Poisson regression was applied to assess the associations.The findings suggest that as temperatures exceed 22.4°C, malaria transmission increases by 9 to 10% for every 1°C rise in both districts. In Bannu, up to 39.8% of reported malaria cases could be attributed to heat, while in Lakki Marwat, 54.1% of cases were attributable to heat. Under high emission scenarios, heat-related malaria cases could increase by 0.8 to 3.5% by the 2060s. Relationship between temperature and malaria transmission is complex and is influenced by environmental factors such as precipitation and humidity.Given Pakistan's limited healthcare infrastructure, addressing climate-driven malaria risks is urgent. Recent severe floods and malaria surges highlight the need for climate adaptation measures and strengthened healthcare systems to enhance community resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"e33"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11869077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Global climate change and seasonal variation of cellulitis in hospitalized children: a 30 year retrospective study.","authors":"Orli Megged, Allon Raphael, Amalia Burstyn, Noy Deri, Shepard Schwartz, Rachel Eisenberg, Ori Toker","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000032","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cellulitis, a common subcutaneous infection, is influenced by host, pathogen, and environmental factors. Previous studies have shown seasonal patterns in adult cellulitis, suggesting temperature as a risk factor. This study investigated seasonal patterns in paediatric cellulitis in Jerusalem's semi-arid climate. A single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed medical records of 2,219 hospitalized children under 18 with cellulitis between 1990 and 2020. Demographic, clinical, temperature, and humidity data were collected. Results revealed a significant sinusoidal pattern for limb cellulitis (LC) but for other body sites, with summer peaks and winter nadirs (<i>P</i> < 0.01). August showed the highest incidence, tripling that of February. Age groups 1-6 and 6-12 demonstrated the largest seasonal differences (<i>P</i> = 0.004, <i>P</i> = 0.008). Over three decades, paediatric hospitalized LC cases increased by 71% (<i>P</i> < 0.001), correlating with rising temperatures. Elevated ambient temperature seven days prior to diagnosis was a risk factor for LC development (OR = 1.02, <i>P</i> = 0.03). This study highlights the cyclic seasonal pattern of paediatric LC, peaking in summer. The significant increase in cases over time, coupled with rising temperatures, suggests climate change as a contributing factor. These findings could inform public health strategies for cellulitis prevention and management in children.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"e24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11869086/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Mário Nunes da Silva, Fredi Alexander Diaz-Quijano
{"title":"The yield of tuberculosis contact investigation in São Paulo, Brazil: a community-based cross-sectional study.","authors":"José Mário Nunes da Silva, Fredi Alexander Diaz-Quijano","doi":"10.1017/S0950268824001675","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268824001675","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The strategy of tuberculosis (TB) contact investigation is essential for enhancing disease detection. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the yield of contact investigation for new TB cases, estimate the prevalence of TB, and identify characteristics of index cases associated with infection among contacts of new cases notified between 2010 and 2020 in São Paulo, Brazil. Out of 186466 index TB cases, 131055 (70.3%) underwent contact investigation. A total of 652286 contacts were screened, of which 451704 (69.2%) were examined. Of these, 12243 were diagnosed with active TB (yield of 1.9%), resulting in a number needed to screen of 53 and a number needed to test of 37 to identify one new TB case. The weighted prevalence for the total contacts screened was 2.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7%-2.9%), suggesting underreporting of 6021 (95% CI: 5269-6673) cases. The likelihood of TB diagnosis was higher among contacts of cases identified through active case-finding, abnormal chest X-ray, pulmonary TB, or drug resistance, as well as among children, adults, women, individuals in socially vulnerable situations, and those with underlying clinical conditions. The study highlights significant TB underreporting among contacts, recommending strengthened contact investigation to promptly identify and treat new cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":"153 ","pages":"e20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11795444/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joshua Hayes, Seung Soo Lee, Jason Carnevale, Daniel Shamir, Marc Bohbot, Andrew G Kirk, Miltiadis Paliouras, Mark A Trifiro
{"title":"Performance and functional assessment of the Kimera P-IV point-of-care plasmonic qPCR prototype for ultra rapid pathogen detection of <i>chlamydia trachomatis</i>.","authors":"Joshua Hayes, Seung Soo Lee, Jason Carnevale, Daniel Shamir, Marc Bohbot, Andrew G Kirk, Miltiadis Paliouras, Mark A Trifiro","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000081","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Current standard microbiological techniques are generally very time consuming, usually requiring 24-72 h to establish a diagnosis. Consequentially, contemporary clinical practices implement broad-spectrum antibiotic administration prior to pathogen detection, prompting the emergence of extremely dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, lengthy test-to-result turnover times can greatly exacerbate the rate of disease spread. Rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostics has quickly gained importance since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; accordingly, we have developed a rapid four-channel POC plasmonic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) machine (Kimera P-IV) to respond to the deficiencies in infection control. Utilizing gold nanorods (GNRs) as nano-heaters and integrating vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) to replace traditional Peltier blocks, the Kimera P-IV has also incorporated quantitative real-time fluorescent monitoring. Using <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> genetic material to evaluate the rapid thermocycling performance of the platform, we have generated positive amplicons in less than 13 min; however, to achieve these results, several biological reagent considerations needed to be taken into account, specifically primer design. The device can achieve a limit of detection (LoD) of <10<sup>1</sup> DNA copies, a PCR efficiency of 88.3%, and can differentiate positive from negative results with 100% accuracy. Moreover, it can also analyze <i>C. trachomatis</i> DNA spiked urine samples via a simple dilution, suggesting that a separate nucleic acid step may not be needed for diagnosing infections. In conclusion, the operation of the Kimera P-IV prototype places it in a unique position of POC devices to revolutionize infectious disease diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"e27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11869076/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prospective study of peripartum group B streptococcus colonization in Japanese mothers and neonates - ERRATUM.","authors":"Emiko Yoshida, Jun Takeda, Yojiro Maruyama, Naoko Suga, Satoru Takeda, Hajime Arai, Atsuo Itakura, Shintaro Makino","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000020","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000020","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":"153 ","pages":"e19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11795436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143046010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nea Koskela, Julia Butt, Birgitta Michels, Kari Syrjänen, Seija Grenman, Tim Waterboer, Stina Syrjänen, Karolina Louvanto
{"title":"Risk factors associated with IgG seropersistence to Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium.","authors":"Nea Koskela, Julia Butt, Birgitta Michels, Kari Syrjänen, Seija Grenman, Tim Waterboer, Stina Syrjänen, Karolina Louvanto","doi":"10.1017/S095026882500007X","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S095026882500007X","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143028222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sophie L Campman, Anders Boyd, Janke Schinkel, Liza Coyer, Charles Agyemang, Henrike Galenkamp, Anitra D M Koopman, Felix P Chilunga, Jelle Koopsen, Aeilko H Zwinderman, Suzanne Jurriaans, Karien Stronks, Maria Prins
{"title":"SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination status in six ethnic groups in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May to November 2022.","authors":"Sophie L Campman, Anders Boyd, Janke Schinkel, Liza Coyer, Charles Agyemang, Henrike Galenkamp, Anitra D M Koopman, Felix P Chilunga, Jelle Koopsen, Aeilko H Zwinderman, Suzanne Jurriaans, Karien Stronks, Maria Prins","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000056","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We studied severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination status among six ethnic groups in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We analysed participants of the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting cohort who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies between 17 May and 21 November 2022. We categorized participants with antibodies as only infected, only vaccinated (≥1 dose), or both infected and vaccinated, based on self-reported prior infection and vaccination status and previous seroprevalence data. We compared infection and vaccination status between ethnic groups using multivariable, multinomial logistic regression. Of the 1,482 included participants, 98.5% had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (<i>P</i> between ethnic groups = 0.899). Being previously infected and vaccinated ranged from 41.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 35.0-47.9%) in the African Surinamese to 67.1% (95% CI = 59.1-75.0%) in the Turkish group. Compared to participants of Dutch origin, participants of South-Asian Surinamese (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.31, 95% CI = 1.50-7.31)), African Surinamese (aOR = 10.41, 95% CI = 5.17-20.94), Turkish (aOR = 3.74, 95% CI = 1.52-9.20), or Moroccan (aOR = 15.24, 95% CI = 6.70-34.65) origin were more likely to be only infected than infected and vaccinated, after adjusting for age, sex, household size, trust in the government's response to the pandemic, and month of study visit. SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination status varied across ethnic groups, particularly regarding non-vaccination. As hybrid immunity is most protective against coronavirus disease 2019, future vaccination campaigns should encourage vaccination uptake in specific demographic groups with only infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"e23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11822580/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143022864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L Hannah Gould, Emily Colby, Andreas Pilz, Gordon Brestrich, Kate Halsby, Patrick H Kelly, Jennifer C Moisi, James H Stark
{"title":"Lyme borreliosis awareness and risk perception: a survey in 20 European countries.","authors":"L Hannah Gould, Emily Colby, Andreas Pilz, Gordon Brestrich, Kate Halsby, Patrick H Kelly, Jennifer C Moisi, James H Stark","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000068","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268825000068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An estimated 129000 cases of Lyme borreliosis (LB) are reported annually in Europe. In 2022, we conducted a representative web-based survey of 28034 persons aged 18-65 years old in 20 European countries to describe tick and LB risk exposures and perceptions. Nearly all respondents (95.0%) were aware of ticks (range, 90.4% in the UK to 98.8% in Estonia). Among those aware of ticks, most (85.1%) were also aware of LB (range, 70.3% in Switzerland to 97.0% in Lithuania). Overall, 8.3% of respondents reported a past LB diagnosis (range, 3.0% in Romania to 13.8% in Sweden). Respondents spent a weekly median of 7 (interquartile range [IQR] 3-14) hours in green spaces at home and 9 (IQR 4-16) hours away from home during April-November. The most common tick prevention measures always or often used were checking for ticks (44.8%) and wearing protective clothing (40.2%). This large multicountry survey provided needed data that can be used to design targeted LB prevention programmes in Europe.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"e29"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11869079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143022863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ellen Heinsbroek, Eleanor Blakey, Alex Simpson, Neville Q Verlander, David R Greig, Frieda Jorgensen, Andrew Nelson, Amy Douglas, Sooria Balasegaram, Claire Jenkins, Richard Elson
{"title":"An outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> serotype O103:H2 associated with unpasteurized soft cheese, England and Wales, 2022.","authors":"Ellen Heinsbroek, Eleanor Blakey, Alex Simpson, Neville Q Verlander, David R Greig, Frieda Jorgensen, Andrew Nelson, Amy Douglas, Sooria Balasegaram, Claire Jenkins, Richard Elson","doi":"10.1017/S0950268824001523","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0950268824001523","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In July 2022, a genetically linked and geographically dispersed cluster of 12 cases of Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC) O103:H2 was detected by the UK Health Security Agency using whole genome sequencing. Review of food history questionnaires identified cheese (particularly an unpasteurized brie-style cheese) and mixed salad leaves as potential vehicles. A case-control study was conducted to investigate exposure to these products. Case food history information was collected by telephone. Controls were recruited using a market research panel and self-completed an online questionnaire. Univariable and multivariable analyses were undertaken using Firth Logistic Regression. Eleven cases and 24 controls were included in the analysis. Consumption of the brie-style cheese of interest was associated with illness (OR 57.5, 95% confidence interval: 3.10-1,060). Concurrently, the production of the brie-style cheese was investigated. Microbiological sample results for the cheese products and implicated dairy herd did not identify the outbreak strain, but did identify the presence of <i>stx</i> genes and STEC, respectively. Together, epidemiological, microbiological, and environmental investigations provided evidence that the brie-style cheese was the vehicle for this outbreak. Production of unpasteurized dairy products was suspended by the business operator, and a review of practices was performed.</p>","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":"152 ","pages":"e172"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11822579/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lordrick Alinaitwe, Martin Kimari Wainaina, Salome Dürr, Clovice Kankya, Velma Kivali, James Bugeza, Christopher Joshua Aturinda, Ashiraf Lubega, Anne Mayer-Scholl, Jolly Justine Hoona, Peter Bahn, Jens Andre Hammerl, Kristina Roesel, Elizabeth A J Cook, Martin H Richter
{"title":"Molecular detection and typing of pathogenic Leptospira species from livestock and small mammals in Uganda.","authors":"Lordrick Alinaitwe, Martin Kimari Wainaina, Salome Dürr, Clovice Kankya, Velma Kivali, James Bugeza, Christopher Joshua Aturinda, Ashiraf Lubega, Anne Mayer-Scholl, Jolly Justine Hoona, Peter Bahn, Jens Andre Hammerl, Kristina Roesel, Elizabeth A J Cook, Martin H Richter","doi":"10.1017/S0950268825000044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268825000044","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11721,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}