Increase of pertussis cases in the Vallès region, Catalonia, Spain, September 2023 to April 2024.

We describe a pertussis outbreak in the Vallès region of Catalonia, from September 2023 to April 2024. Incidence was high in children aged 10-14 years compared with previous outbreaks. Limited impact in newborns could be explained by the high vaccination coverage during pregnancy and at 11 months of age in 2022, at 85% and 94.

Viral dynamics in patients with monkeypox infection: a prospective cohort study in Spain.

Background: Monkeypox DNA has been detected in skin lesions, saliva, oropharynx, urine, semen, and stool of patients infected during the 2022 clade IIb outbreak; however, the viral dynamics within these compartments remain unknown. We aimed to characterise the viral load kinetics over time in various parts of the body.

Methods: This was an observational, prospective, multicentre study of outpatients diagnosed with monkeypox in two hospitals and two sexual health clinics in Spain between June 28, 2022, and Sept 22, 2022.

Evaluating the Accuracy of Self-Collected Swabs for the Diagnosis of Mpox.

We evaluated the accuracy of patient-collected skin lesions, oropharyngeal, and rectal swabs among 50 individuals enrolled in a study of mpox viral dynamics. We found that the performance of self-collected samples was similar to that of physician-collected samples, suggesting that self-sampling is a reliable strategy for diagnosing mpox.

Correction: Characterization of intra- and inter-host norovirus P2 genetic variability in linked individuals by amplicon sequencing.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Characterization of intra- and inter-host norovirus P2 genetic variability in linked individuals by amplicon sequencing.

Noroviruses are the main cause of epidemics of acute gastroenteritis at a global scale. Although chronically infected immunocompromised individuals are regarded as potential reservoirs for the emergence of new viral variants, viral quasispecies distribution and evolution patterns in acute symptomatic and asymptomatic infections has not been extensively studied. Amplicons of 450 nts from the P2 coding capsid domain were studied using next-generation sequencing (454/GS-Junior) platform.

Assessment of clinical symptoms in household contacts of confirmed pertussis cases.

Objectives: We assessed the value of the clinical symptoms included in the case definition of pertussis in household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases.

Methods: A prospective epidemiological study was made in two Spanish regions. Household contacts were identified for each confirmed case reported during 2012 and 2013.

Factors influencing the spread of pertussis in households: a prospective study, Catalonia and Navarre, Spain, 2012 to 2013.

We aimed to investigate transmission rates of pertussis in household contacts of cases and factors associated with transmission. A prospective epidemiological study was conducted in 2012 and 2013 to determine the incidence of pertussis among household contacts of reported cases in Catalonia and Navarre, Spain. An epidemiological survey was completed for each case and contact, who were followed for 28 days to determine the source of infection (primary case) and detect the occurrence of secondary cases.

[Campylobacter and Salmonella acute gastroenteritis: epidemiology and health care utilization].

Background And Objective: In Catalonia the current surveillance systems do not allow to know the true incidence or the health care utilization of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) caused by Campylobacter and Salmonella infections. The aim of this study is to analyze these characteristics.

Patients And Methods: Descriptive study of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections reported in 2002 and 2012 in Catalonia, Spain.

Characteristics of pertussis outbreaks in Catalonia, Spain, 1997 to 2010.

In Catalonia, pertussis outbreaks must be reported to the Department of Health. This study analyzed pertussis outbreaks between 1997 and 2010 in general and according to the characteristics of the index cases. The outbreak rate, hospitalization rate and incidence of associated cases and their 95%CI were calculated.

Pertussis epidemic despite high levels of vaccination coverage with acellular pertussis vaccine.

Introduction: We describe the pertussis epidemic, based only on confirmed whooping cough cases. We have analyzed data on the diagnosis, epidemiology and vaccine history in order to understand the factors that might explain the trends of the disease.

Methods: A descriptive study of the confirmed pertussis cases reported during 2011 in the Vallès region (population 1,283,000).

[Adherence and effectiveness of the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection with isoniazid for 9 months in a cohort of 755 patients].

Background And Objective: The effectiveness of the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection depends on its efficacy, the adherence to treatment and patient's risk of tuberculosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the adherence to treatment with daily isoniazid for 9 months, its effectiviness and equivalent adherence with daily isoniazid for 6 months so that treatment can be as effective as with daily isoniazid for 9 months.

Patients And Method: Cohort of 755 contacts of patients with lung confirmed tuberculosis with latent tuberculosis infection treated from 1986 to 2004, classified according to risk of tuberculosis disease into converters (high risk), frequent and non-frequent contacts.