A Non-Randomized Trial Investigating the Impact of Brown Rice Consumption on Gut Microbiota, Attention, and Short-Term Working Memory in Thai School-Aged Children.

While dietary fiber has been shown to influence the composition of gut microbiota and cognitive function in adults, much less is known about the fiber-microbiome-cognition association in children. We profiled gut microbiota using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and evaluated cognitive function using the Corsi block-tapping test (CBT) and the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) before, during, and after the dietary intervention of 127 school-aged children in northern Thailand. While we found that Sinlek rice (SLR) consumption did not significantly alter the abundance of gut microbiota or the cognitive performance of school-aged children, we did find age to be associated with variations in both the gut microbiota profiles and cognitive outcomes.

The fecal microbiota of Thai school-aged children associated with demographic factors and diet.

Background: Birth delivery method and breastfeeding practices contribute to microbiota colonization. Other factors including diet and demographic factors structure the gut microbiome assembly and diversity through childhood development. The exploration of these factors, especially in Southeast Asian children, remains limited.

Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Three Zoo Elephants and a Human Contact - Oregon, 2013.

In 2013, public health officials in Multnomah County, Oregon, started an investigation of a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak among elephants and humans at a local zoo. The investigation ultimately identified three bull elephants with active TB and 118 human contacts of the elephants. Ninety-six (81%) contacts were evaluated, and seven close contacts were found to have latent TB infection.

The Lao Experience in Deploying Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Vaccine: Lessons Made Relevant in Preparing for Present Day Pandemic Threats.

The Lao PDR, as did most countries of the Mekong Region, embarked on a pandemic vaccine initiative to counter the threat posed by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Overall, estimated vaccine coverage of the Lao population was 14%, with uptake in targeted health care workers and pregnant women 99% and 41%, respectively. Adverse Events Following Immunization accounted for only 6% of survey driven, reported vaccination experiences, with no severe consequences or deaths.

An epidemic of dengue-1 in a remote village in rural Laos.

In the Lao PDR (Laos), urban dengue is an increasingly recognised public health problem. We describe a dengue-1 virus outbreak in a rural northwestern Lao forest village during the cool season of 2008. The isolated strain was genotypically "endemic" and not "sylvatic," belonging to the genotype 1, Asia 3 clade.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus enteritis outbreak following a wedding banquet in a rural village - Kampong Speu, Cambodia, April 2012.

Introduction: Foodborne outbreaks are common in Cambodia, but only a few investigations documenting the etiology and source have been conducted. In April, we learnt of 49 acute diarrhoea cases in a village following a wedding banquet. We undertook an investigation to identify the pathogen, source and mode of transmission.

A quarterly update on food- and waterborne diseases in Europe--summary of data for the third quarter of 2007.

This paper highlights findings from the first quarterly report on food- and waterborne diseases produced by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In the past such reports had been generated by Enter-net, a Europe-based international surveillance network for the enteric infections. The quarterly reports are an important surveillance tool for the network participants and other public health professionals to use in order to identify emerging trends and changes taking place in a shorter interval than one year.

Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 associated with raw milk consumption in the Pacific Northwest.

In late 2005, health officials in Clark County, Washington noted a higher than expected number of Escherichia coli cases among residents and sought to identify a possible common source for infection. In order to identify risk factors, health officials conducted a retrospective cohort study and an environmental site investigation using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify and prevent future cases from occurring. Several lines of evidence supported raw milk as the cause of infections: 1) all ill persons drank raw milk from the same cow share; 2) illness was associated with an increasing amount of milk consumed; 3) E.

Human Listeria monocytogenes infections in Europe--an opportunity for improved European surveillance.

The 2006 Community Summary Report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was published recently with the latest trends and figures on the occurrence of zoonotic infections and agents, antimicrobial resistance and foodborne outbreaks in the then 25 European Union (EU) Member States and five non-EU countries. This article seeks to expand further upon reports of human listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes infections) and changes in the epidemiology of this disease, in order to inform of important developments as they relate to an opportunity for the establishment of a formalized listeriosis surveillance network in Europe.