Publications by authors named "MEEK J"

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Pteronarcys californica, also known as the giant salmonfly, is the largest stonefly species in the western U.S., but its populations have significantly declined and are locally extinct in many rivers, especially in Utah, Colorado, and Montana.
  • Previous studies have looked at ecological conditions for its survival, but there's a gap in genetic research due to limited genomic resources.
  • This study presents a new, comprehensive genome assembly for P. californica, showcasing a large genome size of 2.40 gigabases and highlighting significant multi-species genomic variations and trends that could aid in understanding the species' genetics and conservation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Bedsharing is common but advised against by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is unknown if breastfeeding physicians bedshare more or less than the general population.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of bedsharing among physicians, their reasons for bedsharing or not, and whether bedsharing was associated with a longer duration of breastfeeding.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for pain assessment has the potential to address historical challenges in infant pain assessment. There is a dearth of information on the perceived benefits and barriers to the implementation of AI for neonatal pain monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from the perspective of health care professionals (HCPs) and parents. This qualitative analysis provides novel data obtained from 2 large tertiary care hospitals in Canada and the United Kingdom.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Here we use population genomic data (ddRAD-Seq) and ecological niche modeling to test biogeographic hypotheses for the divergence of the island-endemic cactus species Cereus insularis Hemsl. (Cereeae; Cactaceae) from its sister species C. fernambucensis Lem.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The fatty acid composition of Western Australian commercial pasteurised milk was profiled using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 31 fatty acids (FA) were identified in the milk samples. The majority of FA were medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) with 6-13 carbon atoms and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) with 14-20 carbon atoms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Prevention programs that target resilience may help youth address mental health difficulties and promote well-being during public health crises.

Aims: To examine the preliminary efficacy of the (RYP).

Method: The RYP was delivered remotely from a US academic medical centre to youth in the community via a naturalistic pilot study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dendritic cells (DCs) are essential in antitumor immunity. In humans, three main DC subsets are defined: two types of conventional DCs (cDC1s and cDC2s) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). To study DC subsets in the tumor microenvironment (TME), it is important to correctly identify them in tumor tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF