Publications by authors named "Julie M Cleaton"
Background: Rabies is a viral disease of animals and people causing fatal encephalomyelitis if left untreated. Although effective pre- and post-exposure vaccines exist, they are not widely available in many endemic countries within Africa. Since many individuals in these countries remain at risk of infection, post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors are crucial in preventing infection and warrant examination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To describe rabies and rabies-related events occurring during 2018 in the United States.
Animals: All animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the United States during 2018.
Procedures: State and territorial public health departments provided data on animals submitted for rabies testing in 2018.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to estimate dog populations and vaccination coverage in a Haitian commune by conducting sight-resight counts after a rabies vaccination campaign.* -
- Surveyors used laminated collars and wax marks on dogs and documented their characteristics to compare sightings on consecutive days; discrepancies were noted in identifying dogs, but overall population estimates were similar.* -
- Despite a loss of vaccination marks in some dogs, the findings suggest that with better identification methods like photography, more accurate population estimates and vaccination coverage can be achieved.*
OBJECTIVE To describe rabies and rabies-related events occurring during 2017 in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of passive surveillance data. ANIMALS All animals submitted for laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the United States during 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOBJECTIVE To describe rabies and rabies-related events occurring during 2016 in the United States. DESIGN Observational study based on passive surveillance data. ANIMALS All animals submitted for rabies testing in the United States during 2016.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * To boost awareness and participation, 600,000 text messages were sent to dog owners in Gonaives and Saint-Marc, with significant positive feedback on the effectiveness of the reminders.
- * Results showed that text message recipients were twice as likely to participate in one-day vaccination events, suggesting that SMS alerts can effectively increase participation in vaccination campaigns in resource-limited areas.
Background: Taiwan had been considered rabies free since 1961, until a newly established wildlife disease surveillance program identified rabies virus transmission within the Formosan ferret-badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) in 2013. Ferret-badgers occur throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, but their ecological niche is not well described.
Methodology/principle Findings: As an initial feasibility assessment for potential rabies control measures, field camera trapping and pen assessment of 6 oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits were conducted in Taiwan in 2013.
The paucity of traditional epidemiological data during epidemic emergencies calls for alternative data streams to characterize the key features of an outbreak, including the nature of risky exposures, the reproduction number, and transmission heterogeneities. We illustrate the potential of Internet data streams to improve preparedness and response in outbreak situations by drawing from recent work on the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea. We show that Internet reports providing detailed accounts of epidemiological clusters are particularly useful to characterize time trends in the reproduction number.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOBJECTIVE To describe rabies and rabies-related events occurring during 2015 in the United States. DESIGN Observational study based on passive surveillance data. ANIMALS All animals submitted for rabies testing in the United States during 2015.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Detailed information on patient exposure, contact patterns, and discharge status is rarely available in real time from traditional surveillance systems in the context of an emerging infectious disease outbreak. Here, we validate the systematic collection of Internet news reports to characterize epidemiological patterns of Ebola virus disease (EVD) infections during the West African 2014-2015 outbreak.
Methods: Based on 58 news reports, we analyzed 79 EVD clusters (286 cases) ranging in size from 1 to 33 cases between January 2014 and February 2015 in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.