BackgroundFollowing the 2022-2023 mpox outbreak, crucial knowledge gaps exist regarding orthopoxvirus-specific immunity in risk groups and its impact on future outbreaks.AimWe combined cross-sectional seroprevalence studies in two cities in the Netherlands with mathematical modelling to evaluate scenarios of future mpox outbreaks among men who have sex with men (MSM).MethodsSerum samples were obtained from 1,065 MSM attending Centres for Sexual Health (CSH) in Rotterdam or Amsterdam following the peak of the Dutch mpox outbreak and the introduction of vaccination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn early May 2022, a global outbreak of mpox started among persons without travel history to regions known to be enzootic for monkeypox virus (MPXV). On 8 August 2022, the Netherlands reported its 1,000th mpox case, representing a cumulative incidence of 55 per million population, one of the highest cumulative incidences worldwide. We describe characteristics of the first 1,000 mpox cases in the Netherlands, reported between 20 May and 8 August 2022, within the context of the public health response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Influenza vaccination, besides protecting traditional risk groups, can protect employees and reduce illness-related absence, which is especially relevant in sectors with staff shortages. This study describes current knowledge of influenza vaccination in teachers and estimates its potential impact.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the considerations for and impact of influenza vaccination of schoolteachers (grey and scientific literature up to 2020 March, complemented with interviews).
In May 2022, monkeypox outbreaks have been reported in countries not endemic for monkeypox. We estimated the monkeypox incubation period, using reported exposure and symptom-onset times for 18 cases detected and confirmed in the Netherlands up to 31 May 2022. Mean incubation period was 9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Migrants are not routinely screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Netherlands. We estimated the prevalence and determined factors associated with HBV, HCV and/or HIV infections among undocumented migrants and uninsured legal residents.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, undocumented migrants and uninsured legal residents were recruited at a non governmental organization (NGO), healthcare facility in the Netherlands and were invited to be tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBcAb), HCV-RNA, and anti-HIV antibodies or HIV antigen at a local laboratory.
There is limited knowledge about the effect of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) carriage on health-related quality of life (QoL). With this study, we explored whether LA-MRSA causes infections or affects health-related QoL in pig farmers. This prospective cohort study surveyed persons working on 49 farrowing pig farms in The Netherlands for 1 year (2010-2011).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith the ultimate aim of containing the emergence of resistant bacteria, a Dutch policy was set in place in 2010 promoting a reduction of antimicrobial use (AMU) in food-producing animals. In this context, a study evaluated strategies to curb livestock-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA). Fifty-one veal calf farms were assigned to one of 3 study arms: RAB farms reducing antimicrobials by protocol; RAB-CD farms reducing antimicrobials by protocol and applying a cleaning and disinfection program; and Control farms without interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis prospective cohort study describes carriage of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in household members from 49 farrowing pig farms in the Netherlands (2010-2011). Of 171 household members, 4% were persistent MRSA nasal carriers, and the MRSA prevalence on any given sampling moment was 10% (range 7-11%). Working in the stables (of which 98% was MRSA-positive, prevalence ratio (PR) = 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol
January 2017
Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is highly prevalent in pigs and veal calves. The environment and air in pig and veal calf barns is often contaminated with LA-MRSA, and can act as a transmission source for humans. This study explores exposure-response relationships between sequence type 398 (ST398) MRSA air exposure level and nasal ST398 MRSA carriage in people working and/or living on farms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are indications that livestock-associated MRSA CC398 has a reduced human-to-human transmissibility, limiting its impact on public health and justifying modified control measures. This study determined the transmissibility of MRSA CC398 from livestock veterinarians to their household members in the community as compared to MRSA non-CC398 strains. A one-year prospective cohort study was performed to determine the presence of MRSA CC398 in four-monthly nasal and oropharyngeal samples of livestock veterinarians (n = 137) and their household members (n = 389).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur purpose was to determine the dynamics of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) carriage and its determinants in persons working at pig farms, in order to identify targets for interventions. This prospective cohort study surveyed 49 pig farms in the Netherlands on six sampling dates in 1 year (2010-11). Nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected, as well as environmental surface samples from stables and house.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) emergence is a major public health concern. This study was aimed at assessing risk factors for persistently carrying MRSA in veal calf farmers and their family members. We also evaluate the dynamics of MRSA environmental load during the veal-calf production cycle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a worldwide problem in both hospitals and communities all over the world. In 2003, a new MRSA clade emerged with a reservoir in pigs and veal calves: livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA). We wanted to estimate the incidence of bacteraemias due to LA-MRSA using national surveillance data from 2009 in the Netherlands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to determine the long-term carriage rates and transmission dynamics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pig farmers and their household members. During a 6-month period in 2009-2010, 4 pig farms in Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands, respectively, were studied for the presence of MRSA. The proportion of persistent carriers was significantly higher among farmers than among household members (87% vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Since 2003, a new clade of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belonging to clonal complex (CC) 398 and associated with animal husbandry has emerged in the Netherlands. The purpose of this study was to determine the dynamics of carriage in persons with direct contact to livestock.
Methods: A 2-year prospective cohort study was performed in which the anterior nares and oropharynx of 137 livestock veterinarians were sampled for the presence of S.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
November 2012
Background: Studies frequently use nasal swabs to determine Staphylococcus aureus carriage. Self-sampling would be extremely useful in an outhospital research situation, but has not been studied in a healthy population. We studied the similarity of self-samples and investigator-samples in nares and pharynxes of healthy study subjects (hospital staff) in the Netherlands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo determine whether persons living in areas of high animal density are at increased risk for carrying livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA), we used an existing dataset of persons in the Netherlands with LA-MRSA carriage and controls who carried other types of MRSA. Results of running univariate and multivariate logistic regression models indicated that living in livestock-dense areas increases the odds of nasal carriage of LA-MRSA. We found that doubling pig, cattle, and veal calf densities per municipality increased the odds of LA-MRSA carriage over carriage of other types of MRSA by 24.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We describe the impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in two neighbouring regions in Europe with a comparable population size, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in Germany and the Netherlands.
Methodology/principal Findings: We compared the occurrence of MRSA in blood cultures from surveillance systems. In the Netherlands in 2009, 14 of 1,510 (0.
To estimate the proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from humans that were sequence type (ST) 398, we surveyed 24 laboratories in 17 countries in Europe in 2007. Livestock-associated MRSA ST398 accounted for only a small proportion of MRSA isolates from humans; most were from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Austria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis
January 2011
Bio-Rad MRSASelect™ medium was evaluated for its ability to recover methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from nasal samples of pig farmers and their household members. In total, 257 samples were inoculated on Bio-Rad MRSASelect™ medium with and without broth enrichment and on bioMérieux MRSA ID with broth enrichment. A sample was considered to be positive if at least one of the media grew MRSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Recently, livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CC398 has been discovered in animals, livestock farmers and retail meat. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the spread to persons not in direct contact with livestock in areas with a high density of pig farms.
Methodology/principal Findings: With a random mailing in 3 selected municipalities in The Netherlands, adult persons were asked to fill in a questionnaire and to take a nose swab.
Livestock-associated MRSA has been found in various animals, livestock farmers and retail meat. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of nasal MRSA carriage in pig slaughterhouse workers. Three large pig slaughterhouses in The Netherlands were studied in 2008 using human and environmental samples.
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