Association between Congenital Zika Syndrome and hospitalizations during early childhood: a nationwide cohort study.

Background Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) has been linked to a wide spectrum of abnormalities. However, differences in hospitalization patterns between children with and without CZS have not yet been investigated. Methods We compared rates of hospital admissions for all and specific diseases, proportions of admission causes, and total length of hospital stay (LOS) between children with CZS and those without the syndrome.

Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and subsequent risk of lower respiratory tract infections in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review.

Background: Pregnancy represents a critical window of vulnerability to the harmful effects of air pollution on health. However, long-term consequences such as risk of having lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are less explored. This systematic review aims to synthesize previous research on prenatal exposure to ambient (outdoor) air pollution and LRTIs in childhood and adolescence.

Nasal and Pharyngeal Mucosal Immunity to Poliovirus in Children Following Routine Immunization With Inactivated Polio Vaccine in the United States.

Background: Although polioviruses (PVs) replicate in lymphoid tissue of both the pharynx and ileum, research on polio vaccine-induced mucosal immunity has predominantly focused on intestinal neutralizing and binding antibody levels measured in stool.

Methods: To investigate the extent to which routine immunization with intramuscularly injected inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) may induce nasal and pharyngeal mucosal immunity, we measured PV type-specific neutralization and immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, and IgM levels in nasal secretions, adenoid cell supernatants, and sera collected from 12 children, aged 2-5 years, undergoing planned adenoidectomies. All participants were routinely immunized with IPV and had no known contact with live PVs.

A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a public order and safety training facility in England, June 2021.

Background: The public order and safety (POS) sector remains susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks, as workplace attendance is typically compulsory and close physical contact is often needed. Here, we report on a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with an attack rate of 39% (9/23), which occurred between 19 and 29 June 2021 among a cohort of new POS recruits participating in a mandatory 18-week training programme in England.

Methods: The COVID-OUT (COVID-19 Outbreak investigation to Understand Transmission) study team undertook a multidisciplinary outbreak investigation, including viral surface sampling, workplace environmental assessment, participant viral and antibody testing, and questionnaires, at the two associated training facilities between 5 July and 24 August 2021.