Publications by authors named "James Meek"

Importance: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection can cause severe illness in adults. However, there is considerable uncertainty in the burden of RSV-associated hospitalizations among adults prior to RSV vaccine introduction.

Objective: To describe the demographic characteristics of adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed RSV and to estimate annual rates and numbers of RSV-associated hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and in-hospital deaths.

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Background: While the estimated number of U.S. influenza-associated deaths is reported annually, detailed data on the epidemiology of influenza-associated deaths, including the burden of in-hospital versus post-hospital discharge deaths are limited.

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Problem/condition: Seasonal influenza accounts for 9.3 million-41 million illnesses, 100,000-710,000 hospitalizations, and 4,900-51,000 deaths annually in the United States. Since 2003, the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET) has been conducting population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations in the United States, including weekly rate estimations and descriptions of clinical characteristics and outcomes for hospitalized patients.

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The COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) was established in March 2020 to monitor trends in hospitalizations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-NET is a geographically diverse population-based surveillance system for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations with a combined catchment area covering approximately 10% of the US population. Data collected in COVID-NET includes monthly counts of hospitalizations for persons with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who reside within the defined catchment area.

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Among adults, COVID-19 hospitalization rates increase with age. Data from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network were analyzed to estimate population-based COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates during October 2023-April 2024 and identify demographic and clinical characteristics of adults aged ≥18 years hospitalized with COVID-19. Adults aged ≥65 years accounted for 70% of all adult COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, and their COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates were higher than those among younger adult age groups.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to identify barriers that prevent people from consistently using four common tickborne disease (TBD) prevention measures, including tick checks, insect repellent application, showering after outdoor activities, and pesticide use in yards.
  • - An online survey with 1883 respondents from high Lyme disease areas in Connecticut and Maryland revealed that forgetting and concerns about safety or convenience were the most common reasons for not following these prevention measures.
  • - Key findings showed that many people were unaware of specific measures, found them too troublesome, or were concerned about the safety of chemicals for themselves, pets, and the environment, highlighting the need for better public health messaging.
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  • Pneumonia is frequent among adults hospitalized with confirmed influenza, but the impact of how quickly antiviral treatment is given on severe outcomes is not well understood.
  • The study analyzed data from over 26,000 adults hospitalized between 2012-2019 to see how the timing of antiviral treatment (given on the day of admission vs. later) affected 30-day mortality rates.
  • Results showed that those who received treatment later (days 2-5) had a significantly higher risk of death compared to those treated on the same day of admission, emphasizing the need for prompt treatment.
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Retransplantation has been the primary treatment for hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) in patients with orthotopic liver transplant (OLT); however, because of scarcity of grafts, endovascular revascularization via mechanical thrombectomy offers an alternative to retransplantation should it provide similar long-term benefits. Data regarding a series of 8 patients with hepatic artery thrombectomies across 10 procedures (1 early HAT and 9 late HAT) utilizing stent retriever and/or suction catheter were collected. All had technically successful restoration of flow with stent placement of the anastomotic stenosis in 8 cases.

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  • The study investigated the characteristics of healthcare personnel (HCP) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from April 2020 to December 2021 to inform protective measures for this workforce.
  • Over 7,500 case-HCP were analyzed, revealing that a significant proportion of certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, and home healthcare workers identified as non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic, with many residing in areas of high social vulnerability.
  • Findings suggest that tailored infection prevention strategies should be developed according to HCP roles and social vulnerability to effectively reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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  • The study aimed to identify predictors of multiple recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (mrCDI) in adults at the time they first present with an initial CDI (iCDI).
  • Of 18,829 patients with iCDI, 4.7% developed mrCDI, with older age, recent hospitalization, chronic hemodialysis, and nitrofurantoin use being significant risk factors.
  • Findings suggest that patients at higher risk for mrCDI may benefit from early interventions to prevent further recurrences, potentially improving clinical management strategies.
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Using statewide surveillance, we describe candidemia in Connecticut during 2019-2020. Mortality was high among individuals with candidemia, and the readmission rate was high among survivors. Mortality and readmission were associated with hospital-onset candidemia.

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  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can severely impact infants and older adults, but there's limited knowledge regarding its effects on pregnant women.
  • A study analyzed RSV hospitalizations in women aged 18-49, comparing pregnant and nonpregnant women across different time periods to assess severe outcomes.
  • Results showed that pregnant women had fewer severe RSV cases, with no deaths reported among them, and more asymptomatic pregnant women were found during the pandemic due to changes in testing.
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Severe outcomes were common among adults hospitalized for COVID-19 or influenza, while the percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations involving critical care decreased from October 2021 to September 2022. During the Omicron BA.5 period, intensive care unit admission frequency was similar for COVID-19 and influenza, although patients with COVID-19 had a higher frequency of in-hospital death.

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Background: Influenza is a substantial cause of annual morbidity and mortality; however, correctly identifying those patients at increased risk for severe disease is often challenging. Several severity indices have been developed; however, these scores have not been validated for use in patients with influenza. We evaluated the discrimination of three clinical disease severity scores in predicting severe influenza-associated outcomes.

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Adults aged ≥65 years remain at elevated risk for severe COVID-19 disease and have higher COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates compared with those in younger age groups. Data from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) were analyzed to estimate COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates during January-August 2023 and identify demographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years during January-June 2023. Among adults aged ≥65 years, hospitalization rates more than doubled, from 6.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in older adults. In May 2023, two RSV vaccines were approved for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in adults aged ≥60 years. In June 2023, CDC recommended RSV vaccination for adults aged ≥60 years, using shared clinical decision-making.

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Background: Influenza burden varies across seasons, partly due to differences in circulating influenza virus types or subtypes. Using data from the US population-based surveillance system, Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET), we aimed to assess the severity of influenza-associated outcomes in individuals hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections during the 2010-11 to 2018-19 influenza seasons.

Methods: To evaluate the association between influenza virus type or subtype causing the infection (influenza A H3N2, A H1N1pdm09, and B viruses) and in-hospital severity outcomes (intensive care unit [ICU] admission, use of mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO], and death), we used FluSurv-NET to capture data for laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalisations from the 2010-11 to 2018-19 influenza seasons for individuals of all ages living in select counties in 13 US states.

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Context: In the northeastern United States, recommendations to prevent diseases spread by black-legged ticks ( Ixodes scapularis ) and lone star ticks ( Amblyomma americanum ) often rely on individuals to use personal protection or yard-based strategies. The 4-Poster deer treatment stations (4-Posters) suppress tick populations by treating deer hosts with acaricide, potentially offering a community-wide approach for reducing tick-borne diseases in endemic areas. The 4-Poster deployment logistics in mainland community settings are not well documented but are needed for future public health tick control efforts.

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The 4-Poster Tick Control Deer Feeder (4-poster) device applies acaricide to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and can reduce populations of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which transmits the agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus disease in the Northeastern United States. While 4-poster devices have the potential to provide community-wide management of blacklegged ticks in Lyme disease endemic areas, no recent study has assessed their acceptability among residents. We conducted a survey of residents from 16 counties with high annual average Lyme disease incidence (≥ 10 cases per 100,000 persons between 2013 and 2017) in Connecticut and New York to understand perceptions and experiences related to tickborne diseases, support or concerns for placement of 4-poster devices in their community, and opinions on which entities should be responsible for tick control on private properties.

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Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) are among the most concerning antibiotic resistance threats due to high rates of multidrug resistance, transmissibility in health care settings, and high mortality rates. We evaluated the potential for regional genomic surveillance to track the spread of -carrying CRE (KPC-CRE) by using isolate collections from health care facilities in three U.S.

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Background: We sought to determine whether race/ethnicity disparities in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes persist in the era of vaccination.

Methods: Population-based age-adjusted monthly rate ratios (RRs) of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations were calculated among adult patients from the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network, March 2020 - August 2022 by race/ethnicity. Among randomly sampled patients July 2021 - August 2022, RRs for hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality were calculated for Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) persons vs White persons.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory virus codetections in children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 from March 2020 to February 2022.
  • Out of 4,372 hospitalized children, 21% had additional respiratory virus codetections, which were more common in younger children (under 5 years old) and associated with a higher likelihood of severe illness and ICU admission.
  • Findings suggest that codetections with viruses like RSV and rhinovirus/enterovirus could worsen the severity of illness in children under 5 years old who are infected with SARS-CoV-2.
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Background: Bacterial and viral infections can occur with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but prevalence, risk factors, and associated clinical outcomes are not fully understood.

Methods: We used the Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), a population-based surveillance system, to investigate the occurrence of bacterial and viral infections among hospitalized adults with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2020 and April 2022. Clinician-driven testing for bacterial pathogens from sputum, deep respiratory, and sterile sites were included.

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Background: COVID-19 is associated with cardiac complications.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with acute cardiac events during COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among adults.

Methods: During January 2021 to November 2021, medical chart abstraction was conducted on a probability sample of adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection identified from 99 U.

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