Publications by authors named "A Smith-Palmer"
IntroductionFood-borne disease outbreak investigations use epidemiological, microbiological and food chain evidence to identify the implicated food and inform risk management actions.AimsWe used Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) as a model pathogen to investigate the success of outbreak strain isolation from food or environmental samples during outbreak investigations, and examined the factors influencing the chance of isolation.MethodsWe searched for reports of food-borne STEC outbreak investigations worldwide in peer-reviewed and grey literature in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: We aimed to assess the effects of risk-based travel restrictions on (1) international travel frequency, (2) SARS-CoV-2 case importation risk, (3) national SARS-CoV-2 incidence and (4) importation of SARS-CoV-2 variants into Scotland.
Design: Population-based surveillance study.
Setting: The study utilises SARS-CoV-2 community testing from February 2021 to May 2022 in Scotland, UK and spans the introduction of the UK's 'traffic light system' policy in May 2021.
Article Synopsis
- Over the past 20 years, the frequency of human infections caused by the E. coli strain O157 has been 2.5 times higher in Scotland compared to England and Wales.
- A study combining cattle survey data and human clinical cases from 2014-2015 found that certain strains of O157 are more prevalent in Scottish cattle and humans, particularly the Stx2a+ strain PT21/28.
- Whole genome sequencing revealed that most O157 diversity in human cases stemmed from cattle, with significant strain differences indicating localized transmission within Scotland.
A scoping review of risk factors and transmission routes associated with human giardiasis outbreaks in high-income settings.
Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis
February 2022
Article Synopsis
- The flagellated pathogen causing giardiasis is a major cause of gastrointestinal illness globally, often under-reported in higher income countries due to the misconception that it is mainly travel-related.
- A review of literature found that contaminated water and contact with young children were the main transmission pathways, while food handlers were involved in most food-related outbreaks.
- This study highlights existing knowledge gaps, particularly concerning zoonotic transmission and the need for advanced molecular typing techniques to enhance understanding of the pathogen's epidemiology.
Whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 has occurred at an unprecedented scale, and can be exploited for characterising outbreak risks at the fine-scale needed to inform control strategies. One setting at continued risk of COVID-19 outbreaks are higher education institutions, associated with student movements at the start of term, close living conditions within residential halls, and high social contact rates. Here we analysed SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences in combination with epidemiological data to investigate a large cluster of student cases associated with University of Glasgow accommodation in autumn 2020, Scotland.
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