Yael Gozlan, Itay Bar-Or, Hadar Volnowitz, Efrat Asulin, Rivka Rich, Emilia Anis, Yonat Shemer, Moran Szwarcwort Cohen, Etti Levy Dahary, Licita Schreiber, Ilana Goldiner, Orit Rozenberg, Orit Picard, Michal Savion, Inbal Fuchs, Ella Mendelson, Orna Mor
{"title":"Lessons from intensified surveillance of viral hepatitis A, Israel, 2017 and 2018.","authors":"Yael Gozlan, Itay Bar-Or, Hadar Volnowitz, Efrat Asulin, Rivka Rich, Emilia Anis, Yonat Shemer, Moran Szwarcwort Cohen, Etti Levy Dahary, Licita Schreiber, Ilana Goldiner, Orit Rozenberg, Orit Picard, Michal Savion, Inbal Fuchs, Ella Mendelson, Orna Mor","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.6.2000001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.6.2000001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IntroductionUniversal vaccination of toddlers has led to very low hepatitis A (HAV) endemicity in Israel. However, sporadic outbreaks still occur, necessitating better surveillance.AimTo implement a comprehensive HAV surveillance programme.MethodsIn 2017 and 2018, sera from suspected HAV cases that tested positive for anti-HAV IgM antibodies were transferred to the Central Virology Laboratory (CVL) for molecular confirmation and genotyping. Sewage samples were collected in Israel and Palestine* and were molecularly analysed. All molecular (CVL), epidemiological (District Health Offices and Epidemiological Division) and clinical (treating physicians) data were combined and concordantly assessed.ResultsOverall, 146 cases (78 in 2017 and 68 in 2018, median age 34 years, 102 male) and 240 sewage samples were studied. Most cases (96%) were unvaccinated. In 2017, 89% of cases were male, 45% of whom were men who have sex with men (MSM). In 2018, 49% were male, but only 3% of them were MSM (p < 0.01). In 2017, 82% of cases and 63% of sewage samples were genotype 1A, phylogenetically associated with a global MSM-HAV outbreak. In 2018, 80% of cases and 71% of sewage samples were genotype 1B, related to the endemic strain previously identified in Israel and Palestine*. Environmental analysis revealed clustering of sewage and cases' sequences, and country-wide circulation of HAV.ConclusionsMolecular confirmation of HAV infection in cases and analysis of environmental samples, combined with clinical and epidemiological investigation, may improve HAV surveillance. Sequence-based typing of both clinical and sewage-derived samples could assist in understanding viral circulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2021-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7879502/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25362160","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}
Lin T Brandal, Trine S Ofitserova, Hinta Meijerink, Rikard Rykkvin, Hilde M Lund, Olav Hungnes, Margrethe Greve-Isdahl, Karoline Bragstad, Karin Nygård, Brita A Winje
{"title":"Minimal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from paediatric COVID-19 cases in primary schools, Norway, August to November 2020.","authors":"Lin T Brandal, Trine S Ofitserova, Hinta Meijerink, Rikard Rykkvin, Hilde M Lund, Olav Hungnes, Margrethe Greve-Isdahl, Karoline Bragstad, Karin Nygård, Brita A Winje","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.26.1.2002011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.26.1.2002011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An intense debate on school closures to control the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing in Europe. We prospectively examined transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from confirmed paediatric cases in Norwegian primary schools between August and November 2020. All in-school contacts were systematically tested twice during their quarantine period. With preventive measures implemented in schools, we found minimal child-to-child (0.9%, 2/234) and child-to-adult (1.7%, 1/58) transmission, supporting that under 14 year olds are not the drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7791599/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39129973","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}
Danique Rm Vlaskamp, Steven Ft Thijsen, Johan Reimerink, Pieter Hilkens, Willem H Bouvy, Sabine E Bantjes, Bart Jm Vlaminckx, Hans Zaaijer, Hans Htc van den Kerkhof, Stijn Fh Raven, Chantal Bem Reusken
{"title":"First autochthonous human West Nile virus infections in the Netherlands, July to August 2020.","authors":"Danique Rm Vlaskamp, Steven Ft Thijsen, Johan Reimerink, Pieter Hilkens, Willem H Bouvy, Sabine E Bantjes, Bart Jm Vlaminckx, Hans Zaaijer, Hans Htc van den Kerkhof, Stijn Fh Raven, Chantal Bem Reusken","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001904","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In October 2020, the first case of autochthonous West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease was diagnosed in the Netherlands with a presumed infection in the last week of August. Investigations revealed five more cases of local West Nile virus (WNV) infection. The cases resided in a region where WNV was detected in a bird and mosquitoes in August 2020. Molecular analysis was successful for two cases and identified the presence of WNV lineage 2.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678035/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38621155","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}
José Lourenço, Robin N Thompson, Julien Thézé, Uri Obolski
{"title":"Characterising West Nile virus epidemiology in Israel using a transmission suitability index.","authors":"José Lourenço, Robin N Thompson, Julien Thézé, Uri Obolski","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.1900629","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.1900629","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BackgroundClimate is a major factor in the epidemiology of West Nile virus (WNV), a pathogen increasingly pervasive worldwide. Cases increased during 2018 in Israel, the United States and Europe.AimWe set to retrospectively understand the spatial and temporal determinants of WNV transmission in Israel, as a case study for the possible effects of climate on virus spread.MethodsWe employed a suitability index to WNV, parameterising it with prior knowledge pertaining to a bird reservoir and <i>Culex</i> species, using local time series of temperature and humidity as inputs. The predicted suitability index was compared with confirmed WNV cases in Israel (2016-2018).ResultsThe suitability index was highly associated with WNV cases in Israel, with correlation coefficients of 0.91 (p value = 4 × 10- 5), 0.68 (p = 0.016) and 0.9 (p = 2 × 10- 4) in 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. The fluctuations in the number of WNV cases between the years were explained by higher area under the index curve. A new WNV seasonal mode was identified in the south-east of Israel, along the Great Rift Valley, characterised by two yearly peaks (spring and autumn), distinct from the already known single summer peak in the rest of Israel.ConclusionsBy producing a detailed geotemporal estimate of transmission potential and its determinants in Israel, our study promotes a better understanding of WNV epidemiology and has the potential to inform future public health responses. The proposed approach further provides opportunities for retrospective and prospective mechanistic modelling of WNV epidemiology and its associated climatic drivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678037/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38621156","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":"Author's correction for Euro Surveill. 2020;25(45).","authors":"","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.201119a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.201119a","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678034/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38623323","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}
Sybille Welker, Sébastien Boutin, Thomas Miethke, Klaus Heeg, Dennis Nurjadi
{"title":"Emergence of carbapenem-resistant ST131 <i>Escherichia coli</i> carrying <i>bla</i><sub>OXA-244</sub> in Germany, 2019 to 2020.","authors":"Sybille Welker, Sébastien Boutin, Thomas Miethke, Klaus Heeg, Dennis Nurjadi","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001815","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The dissemination of carbapenem-producing Gram-negative bacteria is a major public health concern. We report the first detection of OXA-244-producing ST131 O16:H5 <i>Escherichia coli</i> in three patients from two tertiary hospitals in the south-west of Germany. OXA-244 is emerging in Europe. Because of detection challenges, OXA-244-producing <i>E. coli</i> may be under-reported. The emergence of carbapenem resistance in a globally circulating high-risk clone, such as ST131 <i>E. coli</i> is of clinical relevance and should be monitored closely.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678038/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38621153","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}
Corinna Pietsch, Dominik Michalski, Johannes Münch, Sirak Petros, Sandra Bergs, Henning Trawinski, Christoph Lübbert, Uwe G Liebert
{"title":"Autochthonous West Nile virus infection outbreak in humans, Leipzig, Germany, August to September 2020.","authors":"Corinna Pietsch, Dominik Michalski, Johannes Münch, Sirak Petros, Sandra Bergs, Henning Trawinski, Christoph Lübbert, Uwe G Liebert","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.46.2001786","url":null,"abstract":"Following a distinct summer heat wave, nine autochthonous cases of West Nile fever and West Nile neuroinvasive disease, including one fatality, were observed in Leipzig, Germany, in August and September 2020. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close relationships in viruses from humans, animals and mosquitos in eastern Germany, obtained during the preceding 2 years. The described large cluster of autochthonous West Nile virus infections in Germany indicates endemic seasonal circulation of lineage 2 viruses in the area.","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7678033/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38621154","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":"Job vacancies at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).","authors":"","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.2011051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.2011051","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645974/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38675875","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}
Uffe Vest Schneider, Mona Katrine Alberthe Holm, Didi Bang, Randi Føns Petersen, Shila Mortensen, Ramona Trebbien, Jan Gorm Lisby
{"title":"Point-of-care tests for influenza A and B viruses and RSV in emergency departments - indications, impact on patient management and possible gains by syndromic respiratory testing, Capital Region, Denmark, 2018.","authors":"Uffe Vest Schneider, Mona Katrine Alberthe Holm, Didi Bang, Randi Føns Petersen, Shila Mortensen, Ramona Trebbien, Jan Gorm Lisby","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.1900430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.1900430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BackgroundPoint-of-care tests (POCT) for influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were implemented in emergency departments of all hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark in 2018.AimTo establish whether POC testing for influenza viruses or RSV is based on a valid respiratory symptom indication, whether changes in patient management based on a positive result are safe and whether syndromic POC testing may benefit patients with influenza or RSV.MethodsSamples from 180 children (< 18 years) and 375 adults tested using POCT between February and July 2018 were retested for 26 respiratory pathogens. Diagnosis, indication for POC testing, hospitalisation time, antimicrobial therapy and readmission or death within one month of testing were obtained from patient records.ResultsA valid indication for POC testing was established in 168 (93.3%) of children and 334 (89.1%) of adults. A positive POCT result significantly reduced antibiotic prescription and median hospitalisation time by 44.3 hours for adults and 14.2 hours for children, and significantly increased antiviral treatment in adults. Risk of readmission or death was not significantly altered by a positive result. Testing for 26 respiratory pathogens established that risk of coinfection is lower with increasing age and that POCT for adults should be restricted to the influenza and RSV season.ConclusionPositive POCT resulted in changed patient management for both children and adults, and was deemed safe. POCT for additional pathogens may be beneficial in children below 5 years of age and outside the influenza and RSV season.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645972/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38675873","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}
Charlotte Victoria Eley, Anita Sharma, Hazel Lee, Andre Charlett, Rebecca Owens, Cliodna Ann Miriam McNulty
{"title":"Effects of primary care C-reactive protein point-of-care testing on antibiotic prescribing by general practice staff: pragmatic randomised controlled trial, England, 2016 and 2017.","authors":"Charlotte Victoria Eley, Anita Sharma, Hazel Lee, Andre Charlett, Rebecca Owens, Cliodna Ann Miriam McNulty","doi":"10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.1900408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.44.1900408","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BackgroundC-reactive protein (CRP) testing can be used as a point-of-care test (POCT) to guide antibiotic use for acute cough.AimWe wanted to determine feasibility and effect of introducing CRP POCT in general practices in an area with high antibiotic prescribing for patients with acute cough and to evaluate patients' views of the test.MethodsWe used a McNulty-Zelen cluster pragmatic randomised controlled trial design in general practices in Northern England. Eight intervention practices accepted CRP testing and eight control practices maintained usual practice. Data collection included process evaluation, patient questionnaires, practice audit and antibiotic prescribing data.ResultsEight practices with over 47,000 patient population undertook 268 CRP tests over 6 months: 78% of patients had a CRP < 20 mg/L, 20% CRP 20-100 mg/L and 2% CRP > 100 mg/L, where 90%, 22% and 100%, respectively, followed National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) antibiotic prescribing guidance. Patients reported that CRP testing was comfortable (88%), convenient (84%), useful (92%) and explained well (85%). Patients believed CRP POCT aided clinical diagnosis, provided quick results and reduced unnecessary antibiotic use. Intervention practices had an estimated 21% reduction (95% confidence interval: 0.46-1.35) in the odds of prescribing for cough compared with the controls, a non-significant but clinically relevant reduction.ConclusionsIn routine general practice, CRP POCT use was variable. Non-significant reductions in antibiotic prescribing may reflect small sample size due to non-use of tests. While CRP POCT may be useful, primary care staff need clearer CRP guidance and action planning according to NICE guidance.</p>","PeriodicalId":520613,"journal":{"name":"Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":19.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645970/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38675871","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}