Western Pacific Surveillance and Response最新文献

{"title":"GOARN training: supporting field epidemiology trainees to upskill for public health emergency response.","authors":"Yasmin Lisson, Keeley Allen, Tony Stewart, Amy Elizabeth Parry","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.5.1102","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.5.1102","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11089281/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140917269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feral pigs as a reservoir for zoonotic and transboundary diseases in the Western Pacific Region.","authors":"Andrew M Adamu, Cadhla Firth, Bruce Gummow, Roslyn I Hickson, Andrew J Hoskins, Paul F Horwood","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1114","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1114","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10982950/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140337071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of vaccination on COVID-19 severity during the second wave in Brunei Darussalam, 2021.","authors":"Chee Fui Chong, Muhd Syafiq Abdullah, Pui Lin Chong, Rosmonaliza Asli, Babu Ivan Mani, Natalie Raimiza Momin, Justin Wong, Noor Affizan Rahman, Jackson Tan, Vui Heng Chong","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.992","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations have been shown to prevent infection with efficacies ranging from 50% to 95%. This study assesses the impact of vaccination on the clinical severity of COVID-19 during the second wave in Brunei Darussalam in 2021, which was due to the Delta variant.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients included in this study were randomly selected from those who were admitted with COVID-19 to the National Isolation Centre between 7 August and 6 October 2021. Cases were categorized as asymptomatic, mild (symptomatic without pneumonia), moderate (pneumonia), severe (needing supplemental oxygen therapy) or critical (needing mechanical ventilation) but for statistical analysis purposes were dichotomized into asymptomatic/mild or moderate/severe/critical cases. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to identify risk factors associated with moderate/severe/critical disease. Propensity score-matched analysis was also performed to evaluate the impact of vaccination on disease severity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study cohort of 788 cases (mean age: 42.1 ± 14.6 years; 400 males) comprised 471 (59.8%) asymptomatic/mild and 317 (40.2%) moderate/severe/critical cases. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed older age group (≥ 45 years), diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity and vaccination status to be associated with increased severity of disease. In propensity score-matched analysis, the relative risk of developing moderate/severe/critical COVID-19 for fully vaccinated (two doses) and partially vaccinated (one dose) cases was 0.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.69) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.46-0.82), respectively, compared with a control group of non-vaccinated cases. The corresponding relative risk reduction (RRR) values were 66.5% and 38.4%, respectively. Vaccination was also protective against moderate/severe/critical disease in a subgroup of overweight/obese patients (RRR: 37.2%, <i>P</i> = 0.007).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Among those who contracted COVID-19, older age, having diabetes, being overweight/obese and being unvaccinated were significant risk factors for moderate/severe/critical disease. Vaccination, even partial, was protective against moderate/severe/critical disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10987314/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140859237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inaugural meeting of Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network partners from Australia.","authors":"Cassandra Dearing, Kieh Christopherson, Peta-Anne Zimmerman, Sharon Salmon","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.5.1137","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.5.1137","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10948339/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140176778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiology of and programmatic response to tuberculosis in Solomon Islands: analysis of surveillance data, 2016-2022.","authors":"Manami Yanagawa, Ben Gwali, Henry Kako, Noel Itogo, Lia Tanabose, Fukushi Morishita","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1106","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1106","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To identify progress and challenges in the national response to tuberculosis (TB) in Solomon Islands through an epidemiological overview of TB in the country.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive analysis was conducted using the national TB surveillance data for 2016-2022. Case notifications, testing data, treatment outcomes and screening activities were analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The number of case notifications was 343 in 2022, with an average annual reduction of the case notification rate between 2016 and 2022 of 4.7%. The highest case notification rate was reported by Honiara City Council (126/100 000 population) in 2022. The number of people with presumptive TB tested by Xpert^® rapidly increased from zero in 2016 to 870 in 2022. Treatment success rate remained consistently high between 2016 and 2022, ranging from 92% to 96%. Screening for HIV and diabetes mellitus (DM) among TB patients in 2022 was 14% and 38%, respectively. Most patients (97%) were hospitalized during the intensive phase of treatment in 2022; in contrast, during the continuation phase, the proportion of patients treated at the community level increased from 1% in 2016 to 63% in 2022. Despite an increase in household contact investigations, from 381 in 2016 to 707 in 2021, the uptake of TB preventive treatment (TPT) was minimal (7% among eligible child contacts).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This epidemiological analysis in Solomon Islands reveals both notable achievements and challenges in the country's TB programme. One major achievement is a potential actual reduction in TB incidence. Challenges identified were potential underdetection of cases in rural areas, suboptimal community-based care, and insufficient contact tracing and uptake of TPT. It is crucial to address these challenges (e.g. by optimizing resources) to advance the national TB response.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10982956/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140337070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Letter to the Editor: Pathogens detected from patients with acute respiratory infections negative for SARS-CoV-2, Saitama, Japan, 2020.","authors":"Yuzo Arima, Yuuki Tsuchihashi, Osamu Takahara, Reiko Shimbashi, Takeshi Arashiro, Ayu Kasamatsu, Yusuke Kobayashi, Katsuhiro Komase, Takuri Takahashi, Kanako Otani, Fangyu Yan, Taro Kamigaki, Kiyosu Taniguchi, Motoi Suzuki","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1135","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1135","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140159208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High SARS-CoV-2 attack rates in areas with low detection after community transmission established in Port Vila, Vanuatu, April 2022.","authors":"Florita Toa, Wendy Williams, Chaturangi Yapa, Matthew Cornish, Melissa Binihi, Caroline van Gemert","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1078","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>On 4 March 2022, the first community-acquired case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported in Vanuatu, with community transmission occurring subsequently. It was expected that the number of notified SARS-CoV-2 cases would be an underestimate of the true infection rate of this outbreak; however, the magnitude of underreporting was unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide a population-based estimate of SARS-CoV-2 infection shortly after the first reports of community transmission, to understand the level of underdetection and undernotification in Vanuatu and thus to inform ongoing prevention and response activities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional SARS-CoV-2 prevalence study in two geographical administrative areas in Port Vila, Vanuatu in April 2022. All residents in selected areas were eligible. Trained teams conducted demographic and behavioural interviews and collected nasal specimens. Specimens were tested by polymerase chain reaction. The primary outcomes were the rates of SARS-CoV-2 attack (point prevalence) and cumulative attack, underdetection, notification and household secondary attack.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 252 people from 84 households participated. Among 175 people who had a sample collected, 91 were SARS-CoV-2-positive (attack rate 52.0%). Most cases had not been detected before the study (underdetection rate 91.5%). More than half of previously detected cases were notified (notification rate 65.2%).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Within the first few weeks of community transmission, more than half of participants in the selected areas had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, most infections had been undetected. This study provides important information about the rapid spread of novel infectious diseases in Vanuatu.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944822/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140159207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Delays in health seeking, diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis patients in Mongolia: an analysis of surveillance data, 2018-2021.","authors":"Larissa Otero, Tsolmon Boldoo, Anuzaya Purevdagva, Uranchimeg Borgil, Temuulen Enebish, Oyunchimeg Erdenee, Tauhid Islam, Fukushi Morishita","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1074","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Early diagnosis and treatment of infectious tuberculosis (TB) is essential to the attainment of global targets specified in the End TB Strategy. Using case-based TB surveillance data, we analysed delays in health seeking, diagnosis and treatment among TB patients in Mongolia from 2018 to 2021. We calculated the median and interquartile range (IQR) for \"diagnostic delay,\" defined as the time from symptom onset to diagnosis, subdivided into \"health-seeking delay\" (time from symptom onset to first visit to a health facility) and \"health facility diagnostic delay\" (time from first health facility visit to diagnosis), and for \"treatment delay,\" defined as the time from diagnosis to start of treatment. We also calculated \"total delay,\" defined as the time from symptom onset to treatment start. Based on data for 13 968 registered TB patients, the median total delay was estimated to be 37 days (IQR, 19-76). This was mostly due to health-seeking delay (median, 23 days; IQR, 8-53); in contrast, health facility diagnostic delay and treatment delay were relatively short (median, 1 day; IQR, 0-7; median, 1 day; IQR, 0-7, respectively). In 2021, health-seeking delay did not differ significantly between men and women but was shorter in children than in adults and shorter in clinically diagnosed than in bacteriologically confirmed TB cases. Health-seeking delay was longest in the East region (median, 44.5 days; IQR, 20-87) and shortest in Ulaanbaatar (median, 9; IQR, 14-64). TB treatment delay was similar across sexes, age groups and types of TB diagnosis but slightly longer among retreated cases and people living in Ulaanbaatar. Efforts to reduce TB transmission in Mongolia should prioritize decreasing delays in health seeking.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140159205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hepatitis B virus infection on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands: a seroprevalence, knowledge and attitudes study.","authors":"Melaia Lawanivalu, Anaseini Ratu, Glorine A Jeadrik, Masoud Mohammadnezhad, Aneley Getahun Strobel","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1042","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>A study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among children and their mothers on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands two decades after routine vaccination was introduced in the 1990s. Mothers' knowledge and attitudes towards HBV disease and vaccination were also assessed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Results of a national seroprevalence survey conducted in 2016-2017 and antenatal records were used to determine the prevalence of HBV seropositivity in children aged 6-8 years and their biological mothers. The associations between demographic, social and vaccination-related factors and seropositivity were explored using Fisher's exact tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HBV seroprevalence was 0.3% in children and 6.8% in their mothers (during pregnancy). Coverage of timely HBV vaccination was 90.3% for the birth dose and was significantly associated with factors related to place of residence (<i>P</i> < 0.001), place of birth (<i>P</i> < 0.001) and number of antenatal visits (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Maternal attitudes towards infant vaccination and antenatal screening were largely positive (95.8% and 96.7%, respectively) despite low vaccination rates (20.9%) among mothers. Knowledge levels were low for disease complications, treatment and transmission.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Prevalence of HBV in children and mothers residing on Kwajalein Atoll in 2016-2017 was lower than the national average for the Marshall Islands. Timely birth dose administration appears to have been effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV in this setting and should be promoted in remote settings where antiviral therapy is not available. Provision of out-of-cold-chain HBV vaccines should be considered to improve access in remote settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944823/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140159206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A test-based strategy for early return to work for health-care workers with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave, Brunei Darussalam, 2022.","authors":"Alice Lai, Ashish Trivedi","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1051","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This paper summarizes and evaluates a test-based strategy for early return to work for health-care workers (HCWs) with mild coronavirus disease in Brunei Darussalam during the Omicron wave in February 2022 and compares the characteristics of HCWs by how long it took them to return to work.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The early return-to-work strategy involved testing on day 3 of infection with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and with a rapid antigen test on days 5 and 6 or days 5 and 7. Data about infected HCWs were extracted from the Ministry of Health's public health surveillance database. Percentages and proportions were used for descriptive statistics, and Pearson's χ² test and the paired <i>t</i>-test were used to compare return-to-work patterns with demographic factors and vaccination status of the HCWs, as well as between cycle threshold (Ct) values and occupational groups of HCWs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 15 February to 15 March 2022, a total of 1121 HCWs were notified as being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Of these, 175 (15.6%) were able to return to work on day 4 of their infection, 153 (13.6%) on day 6 and 268 (23.9%) on day 7; 525 (46.8%) required 10 days of home isolation. Statistically significant associations were observed between return-to-work periods and occupational group (<i>P</i> < 0.01) and Ct value (<i>P</i> < 0.01), but not between return to work and age, sex or vaccination status.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This test-based strategy ensured a balance between mitigating a shortage of HCWs and enabling them to return to work early without compromising their safety and that of their patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944824/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140159204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}