Publications by authors named "Mieke Fraser"
Background: The evolving proportion of the population considered immunologically naive versus primed for more efficient immune memory response to SARS-CoV-2 has implications for risk assessment. We sought to chronicle vaccine- and infection-induced seroprevalence across the first 7 waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada.
Methods: During 8 cross-sectional serosurveys conducted between March 2020 and August 2022, we obtained anonymized residual sera from children and adults who attended an outpatient laboratory network in the Lower Mainland (Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley).
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to quantify and describe the increase in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) cases in British Columbia between 1988 and 2011, identifying significant outbreaks during the period 2003-2007.
- A significant surge in annual AK incidence was noted, rising from 0.029 to 0.200 cases per 100,000 population during the outbreak years, driven in part by a specific recalled contact lens solution and poor hygiene practices among users.
- The results indicate that while the incidence has since returned to near-historic levels, there is a critical need for better education on AK risks and proper contact lens use to prevent future outbreaks.
In 2009, an expansion of West Nile virus (WNV) into the Canadian province of British Columbia was detected. Two locally acquired cases of infection in humans and 3 cases of infection in horses were detected by ELISA and plaque-reduction neutralization tests. Ten positive mosquito pools were detected by reverse transcription PCR.
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