Publications by authors named "Julie Self"

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) cases and deaths in the United States fluctuated substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed multiple data sources to understand the factors contributing to these changes and estimated future TB trends.

Methods: We identified four mechanisms potentially contributing to observed TB trends during 2020-2023: immigration, respiratory contact rates, rates of accurate diagnosis and treatment initiation, and mortality rates for persons with TB disease.

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Breakfast consumption is positively associated with academic achievement and diet quality among students, whereas skipping breakfast has been linked with poor mental health. Data from CDC's 2023 nationally representative Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used to describe how often high school students ate breakfast in the past 7 days and the associations between skipping breakfast every day (ate breakfast on 0 of the past 7 days), experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, school connectedness, and self-reported grades. Prevalence estimates and corresponding 95% CIs were calculated, and t-tests were used to identify differences within demographic groups (e.

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Article Synopsis
  • Research revealed a total of 1766 ocular tuberculosis (OTB) cases in the US from 1993 to 2019, making up 1.6% of all extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) cases, with a significant increase observed during the last decade.
  • Patients with OTB were generally older, more likely to be US-born, and had higher rates of diabetes compared to those with other EPTB forms, while being less frequently HIV positive.
  • OTB cases were often not lab confirmed, primarily relied on interferon gamma release assay tests for diagnosis, and highlighted the need for further research to improve understanding and treatment of OTB.
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Importance: Despite significant progress made toward tuberculosis (TB) elimination, racial and ethnic disparities persist in TB incidence and case-fatality rates in the US.

Objective: To estimate the health outcomes and economic cost of TB disparities among US-born persons from 2023 to 2035.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Generalized additive regression models projecting trends in TB incidence and case-fatality rates from 2023 to 2035 were fit based on national TB surveillance data for 2010 to 2019 in the 50 US states and the District of Columbia among US-born persons.

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Background: Despite an overall decline in tuberculosis incidence and mortality in the USA in the past two decades, racial and ethnic disparities in tuberculosis outcomes persist. We aimed to examine the extent to which inequalities in health and neighbourhood-level social vulnerability mediate these disparities.

Methods: We extracted data from the US National Tuberculosis Surveillance System on individuals with tuberculosis during 2011-19.

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Background: Elevated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates have recently been reported for racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States. Tracking such disparities is important for assessing progress toward national health equity goals and implementing change.

Objective: To quantify trends in racial/ethnic disparities in TB incidence among U.

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  • The study investigates how breaking down racial and ethnic data impacts the understanding of tuberculosis (TB) among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations in the U.S.
  • Analysis of data from 2001 to 2020 showed that TB incidence was significantly higher in non-Hispanic AI/AN alone individuals compared to the overall AI/AN group.
  • Differences in health risk factors were noted between non-Hispanic AI/AN and multiracial/Hispanic AI/AN individuals, indicating that not including the latter in studies could lead to misleading conclusions about health disparities.
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We fit a power law distribution to US foodborne disease outbreaks to assess underdetection and underreporting. We predicted that 788 fewer than expected small outbreaks were identified annually during 1998-2017 and 365 fewer during 2018-2019, after whole-genome sequencing was implemented. Power law can help assess effectiveness of public health interventions.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines racial and ethnic disparities in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment outcomes in the USA, using data from 2003 to 2019 to highlight differences along the TB continuum of care.
  • - Researchers analyzed national surveillance data to identify how various racial and ethnic groups, classified by US Census standards, experienced TB diagnosis (like diagnosis after death) and treatment results (such as treatment discontinuation and mortality during treatment).
  • - Findings revealed that non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and American Indian or Alaska Native individuals faced higher risks of adverse TB outcomes compared to non-Hispanic White individuals, indicating persistent disparities in TB management and care.
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Little is known about co-occurring tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 in low TB incidence settings. We obtained a cross-section of 333 persons in the United States co-diagnosed with TB and COVID-19 within 180 days and compared them to 4,433 persons with TB only in 2020 and 18,898 persons with TB during 2017‒2019. Across both comparison groups, a higher proportion of persons with TB-COVID-19 were Hispanic, were long-term care facility residents, and had diabetes.

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  • The study analyzes Salmonella infections in US infants from 1968-2015, focusing on the characteristics of gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and meningitis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella.
  • Out of 190,627 cases, gastroenteritis was the most common, followed by bacteremia and a rare occurrence of meningitis, with higher incidence rates observed in boys and certain racial groups (Black and Asian infants).
  • The research highlights significant hospitalization and fatality rates linked to these infections and stresses the need for further investigation into risk factors and prevention strategies.
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Incidence of reported tuberculosis (TB) decreased gradually in the United States during 1993-2019, reaching 2.7 cases per 100,000 persons in 2019. Incidence substantially declined in 2020 to 2.

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Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem, especially among people experiencing homelessness (PEH). The Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis issued recommendations in 1992 for TB prevention and control among PEH. Our goal was to provide current guidelines and information in one place to inform medical and public health providers and TB programs on TB incidence, diagnosis, and treatment among PEH.

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During 1993-2019, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States decreased steadily; however, during the later years of that period the annual rate of decline slowed (1) until 2020 when a substantial decline (19.9%) was observed. This sharp decrease in TB incidence might have been related to multiple factors coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, including delayed or missed TB diagnoses or a true reduction in TB incidence related to pandemic mitigation efforts and changes in immigration and travel (2).

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We analyzed a pharmacy dataset to assess the 20% decline in tuberculosis (TB) cases reported to the US National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS) during the coronavirus disease pandemic in 2020 compared with the 2016-2019 average. We examined the correlation between TB medication dispensing data to TB case counts in NTSS and used a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model to predict expected 2020 counts. Trends in the TB medication data were correlated with trends in NTSS data during 2006-2019.

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Problem/condition: Each year, approximately 500,000 immigrants and tens of thousands of refugees (range: 12,000-85,000 during 2001-2020) move to the United States. While still abroad, immigrants, refugees, and others who apply for admission to live permanently in the United States must undergo a medical examination. This examination identifies persons with class A or B conditions.

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Most COVID-19-associated hospitalizations occur in older adults, but severe disease that requires hospitalization occurs in all age groups, including adolescents aged 12-17 years (1). On May 10, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include persons aged 12-15 years, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended it for this age group on May 12, 2021.* Before that time, COVID-19 vaccines had been available only to persons aged ≥16 years.

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Serotonin is an important signaling molecule in the periphery and in the brain. The hydroxylation of tryptophan is the first and rate-limiting step of its synthesis. In most vertebrates, two enzymes have been described to catalyze this step, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) 1 and 2, with expression localized to peripheral and neuronal cells, respectively.

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Tuberculosis (TB) disease incidence has decreased steadily since 1993 (1), a result of decades of work by local TB programs to detect, treat, and prevent TB disease and transmission. During 2020, a total of 7,163 TB cases were provisionally reported to CDC's National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS) by the 50 U.S.

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Homelessness is associated with a multitude of poor health outcomes. However, the full extent of the risks associated with homelessness is not possible to quantify without reliable population data. Here, we outline 3 federal, publicly available data sources for estimating the number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States.

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To examine shelter characteristics and infection prevention practices in relation to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection point prevalence during universal testing at homeless shelters in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 testing was offered to clients and staff at homeless shelters, irrespective of symptoms. Site assessments were conducted from March 30 to June 1, 2020, to collect information on shelter characteristics and infection prevention practices.

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Objectives: Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB). We estimate area-specific rates of TB among PEH and characterize the extent to which available data support recent transmission as an explanation of high TB incidence.

Methods: We estimated TB incidence among PEH using National Tuberculosis Surveillance System data and population estimates for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuums of Care areas.

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