We used cross-sectional data from 226 patients with monkeypox virus to investigate the association between anatomic exposure site and lesion development. Penile, anorectal, and oral exposures predicted lesion presence at correlating anatomic sites. Exposure site also predicted the first lesion site of the penis and anus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Canadian Arctic communities have experienced sustained syphilis transmission, with diagnoses rates 18-times higher than the national average. Remoteness from laboratory facilities leads to delays between syphilis screening and treatment, contributing to onward transmission. Rapid diagnostic tests can eliminate treatment delays via testing at the point-of-care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis, with Enterobacterales including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae playing significant roles. While international travel to low- and middle-income countries is linked to colonisation with AMR Enterobacterales, the clinical implications, particularly the risk of subsequent infection, remain unclear due to limited data. We aimed to characterise E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prolonged diarrhoea is common amongst returning travellers and is often caused by intestinal protozoa. However, the epidemiology of travel-associated illness caused by protozoal pathogens is not well described.
Methods: We analysed records of returning international travellers with illness caused by Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp.
Background: Chikungunya is an important travel-related disease because of its rapid geographical expansion and potential for prolonged morbidity. Improved understanding of the epidemiology of travel-related chikungunya infections may influence prevention strategies including education and vaccination.
Methods: We analysed data from travellers with confirmed or probable chikungunya reported to GeoSentinel sites from 2005 to 2020.
Background: Tegumentary leishmaniasis is often subject to limited funding, underpowered studies, and a paucity of high-quality interventional studies. Intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) has been increasingly used to treat cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis (CL and ML, respectively) despite the lack of well-conducted interventional studies. We conducted a systematic review to consolidate the descriptive evidence on the efficacy and safety of L-AmB in treating CL and ML.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem/condition: During 2012-2021, the volume of international travel reached record highs and lows. This period also was marked by the emergence or large outbreaks of multiple infectious diseases (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dengue virus is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes and is an important cause of illness worldwide. Data on the severity of travel-associated dengue illness are limited.
Objective: To describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes among international travelers with severe dengue or dengue with warning signs as defined by the 2009 World Health Organization classification (that is, complicated dengue).
Objectives: We evaluated the field diagnostic accuracy of a syphilis rapid test (RDT), using serum and whole blood by non-laboratorians in two Canadian Arctic communities.
Methods: We implemented a multisite prospective field evaluation wherein patients were screened by an RDT containing treponemal and non-treponemal components (Chembio DPP® Syphilis Screen & Confirm) between January 2020 and December 2021. Venous whole blood and serum were collected for rapid testing and compared with laboratory-based serology reference testing using a reverse sequence algorithm of treponemal and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) testing.
Background: Viral respiratory tract infections (VRTI) are extremely common. Considering the profound social and economic impact of COVID-19, it is imperative to identify novel mechanisms for early detection and prevention of VRTIs, to prevent future pandemics. Wearable biosensor technology may facilitate this.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: International travellers frequently acquire infectious diseases whilst travelling, yet relatively little is known about the impact and economic burden of these illnesses on travellers. We conducted a prospective exploratory costing study on adult returning travellers with falciparum malaria, dengue, chikungunya or Zika virus.
Methods: Patients were recruited in eight Travel and Tropical Medicine clinics between June 2016 and March 2020 upon travellers' first contact with the health system in their country of residence.
Purpose Of Review: Strongyloidiasis is a soil-transmitted helminthiasis, a neglected tropical disease that affects 300-900 million individuals globally. Strongyloides stercoralis is associated with cutaneous, respiratory, and gastrointestinal clinical manifestations. Chronicity is due to an autoinfective cycle, and host immunosuppression can lead to severe and fatal disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmong the limited quality and quantity of evidence on vaccination use in individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, a new guideline, developed with a rigorous methodology, provides useful support to clinicians and patients in making health-related decisions. Most recommendations are conditional, serving as a call to action for further research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: International travellers may seek care abroad to address health problems that arise during their trip or plan healthcare outside their country of residence as medical tourists.
Methods: Data were collected on travellers evaluated at GeoSentinel Network sites who reported healthcare during travel. Both unplanned and planned healthcare were analysed, including the reason and nature of healthcare sought, characteristics of the treatment provided and outcomes.
Increasing numbers of travellers returning from Cuba with dengue virus infection were reported to the GeoSentinel Network from June to September 2022, reflecting an ongoing local outbreak. This report demonstrates the importance of travellers as sentinels of arboviral outbreaks and highlights the need for early identification of travel-related dengue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Monkeypox, a viral zoonotic disease, is causing a global outbreak outside of endemic areas.
Objective: To characterize the outbreak of monkeypox in Montréal, the first large outbreak in North America.
Design: Epidemiologic and laboratory surveillance data and a phylogenomic analysis were used to describe and place the outbreak in a global context.