Publications by authors named "Amy Rubis"
Fever is not considered a typical presentation of pertussis. We characterized fever among 7840 pertussis cases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance with cough onset from 2015 to 2022. Ten percent of cases had a reported fever.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bacterial and viral respiratory coinfections are common, but the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among pertussis cases has not been estimated. We examine the prevalence and temporality of SARS-CoV-2 infections among pertussis patients and describe pertussis clinical severity among patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 coinfections.
Methods: Confirmed and probable pertussis cases among individuals with cough onset between January 1, 2020 and February 15, 2023 were identified through surveillance in seven Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance (EPS) sites.
Background: To protect infants aged <2 months against pertussis, the United States recommends Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis) vaccination during each pregnancy. Data are limited on the strategy's effectiveness against pertussis in infants aged ≥2 months.
Methods: Pertussis case infants aged 2 to <6 months with cough onset between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2014 were identified in 6 US states.
Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a severe illness that can have devastating effects; outbreaks are uncommon in the United States. Vaccination is the preferred control measure for IMD outbreaks when a defined population at risk (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious illness caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, often leading to meningitis or septicemia.
- There are six main serogroups (A, B, C, W, X, Y) responsible for the majority of cases, which can spread through respiratory droplets and secretions from infected individuals or carriers.
- Vaccination is available to prevent IMD, and giving antibiotics to close contacts of infected people is vital to stop further infections.
Background: An increased pertussis burden has been demonstrated among Hispanic or Latino and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants. However, data on potential disparities among other age and racial groups are limited.
Methods: We analyzed pertussis cases reported through Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance from 2010 to 2017.
Article Synopsis
- In 2020, the CSTE revised the pertussis case definition, recognizing PCR-positive cases as confirmed, regardless of cough duration, to improve case reporting.
- The evaluation showed that 9.5% of reported cases in Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance were newly classified under the updated definition, leading to an estimated additional 582 cases nationally.
- The change in definition allowed for better tracking of pertussis cases, even during a significant decline in reported cases due to COVID-19, enhancing opportunities for public health measures.
Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is a rare but life-threatening illness that requires prompt antibiotic treatment for patients and antibiotic prophylaxis for their close contacts. Historically, N. meningitidis isolates in the United States have been largely susceptible to the antibiotics recommended for prophylaxis, including ciprofloxacin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersons with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk for bacterial infections, and previous publications document an increased risk for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in particular. This analysis provides evidence that PWH face a 6-fold increase in risk for IMD based on Active Bacterial Core surveillance data collected during 2009-2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRisk Factors for Serogroup B Meningococcal Disease Among College Students.
Open Forum Infect Dis
December 2023
Background: College students are at increased risk for invasive meningococcal disease, but which students are most at risk is unclear.
Methods: US meningococcal disease cases in persons aged 18-24 years during 2014-2017 were included. Patients were classified as undergraduate students or other persons.
Background: Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for pertussis is recommended for household contacts of pertussis cases in the United States within 21 days of exposure, but data on PEP effectiveness for prevention of secondary cases in the setting of widespread pertussis vaccination are limited. We implemented a multi-state evaluation of azithromycin PEP use and effectiveness among household contacts.
Methods: Culture- or PCR-confirmed pertussis cases were identified through surveillance.
Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) can cause meningitis and other serious invasive disease. Encapsulated Hi is classified into six serotypes (a-f) based on chemical composition of the polysaccharide capsule; unencapsulated strains are termed nontypeable Hi (NTHi). Hi serotype b (Hib) was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children in the pre-Hib vaccine era, and secondary transmission of Hi among children (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * From 2008 to 2019, the incidence of NTHi was notably high among infants under one year and older adults, with significant risks for preterm infants and pregnant women leading to pregnancy loss.
- * The findings indicate a need for improved monitoring and targeted prevention strategies for NTHi infections, especially in vulnerable groups.
Article Synopsis
- - The NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax) COVID-19 vaccine uses a recombinant spike protein nanoparticle combined with a Matrix-M adjuvant, aiming to protect adults aged 18 and older from COVID-19, with two doses administered three weeks apart.
- - The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization for this vaccine on July 13, 2022, and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued an interim recommendation shortly after its authorization.
- - The vaccine demonstrated a notable efficacy of 89.6% against symptomatic COVID-19, although rare cases of myocarditis or pericarditis were reported, and further updates on its use are expected as more data emerges.
Interim Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for Use of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines in Children Aged 6 Months-5 Years - United States, June 2022.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
July 2022
Article Synopsis
- The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for young children, allowing 2 doses of Moderna for kids 6 months-5 years and 3 doses of Pfizer for those 6 months-4 years.
- The ACIP issued interim recommendations for vaccination to help prevent COVID-19, confirming both vaccines met immunobridging criteria by comparing antibody responses in children to those in adults.
- No significant safety issues were found in the vaccines, and the ACIP noted that the recommendations are provisional and will be updated with new data; vaccination is essential for protecting this age group.
Background: Recently, several invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) outbreaks caused by Neisseria meningitidis have occurred among people experiencing homelessness (PEH). However, overall IMD risk among PEH is not well described. We compared incidence and characteristics of IMD among PEH and persons not known to be experiencing homelessness (non-PEH) in the United States.
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