Publications by authors named "Hilary Kirkbride"

Article Synopsis
  • The study examined non-travel cases of enteric fever in England from 2012 to 2021 to better understand carriers and prevent further transmission.* -
  • Non-travel cases were found to be older, often asymptomatic, and less likely to be of Indian or Pakistani ethnicity compared to travel cases.* -
  • A significant portion of cases had unidentified sources of infection, highlighting the need for improved surveillance questions to track travel history beyond the typical 60-day window.*
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Objectives: To explore the feasibility of linking data from enhanced surveillance patient questionnaires from each enteric fever case in England with genome sequencing data, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, from the corresponding isolate of typhoidal salmonellae.

Methods: After linking data we interrogated the merged dataset and assessed the utility of passive surveillance data to match and monitor antimicrobial treatment regimens in enteric fever patients with the AMR profiles of the infectious agent.

Results: A high proportion of cases were given antibiotics (n = 1230/1415; 86.

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There is limited research on whether inequalities exist among individuals from different ethnicities and deprivation status among enteric fever cases. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the enteric fever incidence rates, ethnicity and deprivation for enteric fever cases in England. Additionally, it was assessed if ethnicity and deprivation were associated with symptom severity, hospital admission and absence from school/work using logistic regression models.

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Enteric fever (caused by serovars Typhi and Paratyphi) frequently presents as an acute, undifferentiated febrile illness in returning travellers, requiring timely empirical antibiotics. Determining which empirical antibiotics to prescribe for enteric fever requires up-to-date knowledge of susceptibility patterns. By characterising factors associated with antimicrobial resistance in cases of .

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Using laboratory data and a novel address matching methodology, we identified 734 cases of coronavirus disease in 88 prisons in England during March 16-October 12, 2020. An additional 412 cases were identified in prison staff and household members. We identified 84 prison outbreaks involving 86% of all prison-associated cases.

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Background: The UK, like a number of other countries, has a refugee resettlement programme. External factors, such as higher prevalence of infectious diseases in the country of origin and circumstances of travel, are likely to increase the infectious disease risk of refugees, but published data is scarce. The International Organization for Migration carries out and collates data on standardised pre-entry health assessments (HA), including testing for infectious diseases, on all UK refugee applicants as part of the resettlement programme.

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In December 2014, Ebola virus disease (EVD) was diagnosed in a healthcare worker in the United Kingdom after the worker returned from an Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone. The worker flew on 2 flights during the early stages of disease. Follow-up of 238 contacts showed no evidence of secondary transmission of Ebola virus.

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Between 2000 and 2015, 904 cases of acute Q fever were reported in England and Wales. The case dataset had a male to female ratio of 2.5:1, and a median age of 45 years.

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During the summers of 2015 and 2016, the United Kingdom experienced large outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in travellers returning from Mexico. As the source of the outbreaks was not identified, there is the potential for a similar outbreak to occur in 2017; indeed 78 cases had already been reported as at 27 July 2017. Early communication and international collaboration is essential to provide a better understanding of the source and extent of this recurring situation.

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Background: We describe trends of malaria in London (2000-2014) in order to identify preventive opportunities and we estimated the cost of malaria admissions (2009/2010-2014/2015).

Methods: We identified all cases of malaria, resident in London, reported to the reference laboratory and obtained hospital admissions from Hospital Episode Statistics.

Results: The rate of malaria decreased (19.

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Involuntary migration is a crucially important global challenge from an economic, social, and public health perspective. The number of displaced people reached an unprecedented level in 2015, at a total of 60 million worldwide, with more than 1 million crossing into Europe in the past year alone. Migrants and refugees are often perceived to carry a higher load of infectious diseases, despite no systematic association.

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Cyclospora cayetanensis was identified in 176 returned travellers from the Riviera Maya region of Mexico between 1 June and 22 September 2015; 79 in the United Kingdom (UK) and 97 in Canada. UK cases completed a food exposure questionnaire. This increase in reported Cyclospora cases highlights risks of gastrointestinal infections through travelling, limitations in Cyclospora surveillance and the need for improved hygiene in the production of food consumed in holiday resorts.

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