Salmonellosis outbreak associated with the consumption of food at a wedding in an urban restaurant in Kazakhstan: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: From June 13-16, 2022, a regional epidemiological department in Kazakhstan reported an increase in acute gastroenteritis cases among people who consumed food from a wedding at a restaurant. An investigation was initiated to determine factors associated with acute intestinal infection and prevent further illness.

Methods: The investigation team conducted a retrospective cohort study among people who consumed event food.

TB treatment delays and associated risk factors in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 2019-2021.

Background: In Tajikistan, where there are about 8,000 cases annually, many new cases are being diagnosed with severe disease, indicating a delay in receiving care. We aimed to estimate the proportion with delayed care and the main factors contributing to delayed care.

Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, we conducted a study that included all people aged over 15 years who were newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB in Dushanbe from 2019 to 2021.

Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antibody among previously vaccinated healthcare workers in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Healthcare workers (HCW) have high occupational risk for hepatitis B and Uzbekistan held two HCW vaccination campaigns in 2015 and 2022. Hepatitis B antibody testing (anti-HBs) after Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination is recommended by the U.S.

Corrigendum: Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence among primary care providers in Kazakhstan, March-April 2021.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.

Therapies for people hospitalized with COVID-19 and alignment with national clinical guidelines in a large hospital, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2020-2021.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines were continually changing during the COVID-19 pandemic to reflect the best available evidence for a novel virus. In Kazakhstan, the national clinical guidelines for COVID-19 patient care were regularly modified and it was not known if and to what extent these guidelines were being followed in practice.

Methods: We conducted a sub-analysis of data collected from an observational study among people hospitalized with COVID-19 in a large infectious disease hospital in Almaty in four cross-sections of increased COVID-19 incidence: T1 (1 June-30 August 2020); T2 (1 October-31 December 2020); T3 (1 April-31 May 2021); and T4 (1 July-26 October 2021).

COVID-19 pandemic and other factors associated with unfavorable tuberculosis treatment outcomes-Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2018-2021.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced the availability of tuberculosis (TB) services, such as detection, diagnosis and treatment, around the world, including Kazakhstan. We set out to estimate the COVID-19 pandemic influence on TB treatment outcomes by comparing outcomes among people starting treatment before the pandemic (2018-2019) and during the pandemic (2020-2021) and to determine risk factors associated with unfavorable outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among all people newly diagnosed with drug-sensitive pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB at least 18 years old who initiated treatment from 2018 to 2021 in Almaty.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence among primary care providers in Kazakhstan, March-April 2021.

Introduction: Vaccination is a critical public health intervention, and vaccine hesitancy is a major threat. Globally, confidence in COVID-19 vaccines has been low, and rates of routine immunizations decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because healthcare providers are a trusted source of information on vaccination in Kazakhstan, it was vital to understand their knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to both routine and COVID-19 vaccines.

Effectiveness of four vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2021: retrospective population-based cohort study.

Background: In February 2021 Kazakhstan began offering COVID-19 vaccines to adults. Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections raised concerns about real-world vaccine effectiveness. We aimed to evaluate effectiveness of four vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Outbreak of acute gastroenteritis associated with drinking water in rural Kazakhstan: A matched case-control study.

We conducted an outbreak investigation from June 3 to 15th in a rural village in northern Kazakhstan, after surveillance showed an increase in gastroenteritis. Cases were residents who presented for medical treatment for diarrhea, fever (>37.5 °C), vomiting, or weakness from May 14 to June 15, 2021.

Factors Associated with an Outbreak of COVID-19 in Oilfield Workers, Kazakhstan, 2020.

From March to May 2020, 1306 oilfield workers in Kazakhstan tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We conducted a case-control study to assess factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The cases were PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2 during June-September 2020.

Universal Access to Xpert MTB/RIF Testing for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Uzbekistan: How Well Are We Doing?

As per national guidelines in Uzbekistan, all presumptive tuberculosis patients should be tested using the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosing tuberculosis. There is no published evidence how well this is being implemented. In this paper, we report on the Xpert coverage among presumptive tuberculosis patients in 2018 and 2019, factors associated with non-testing and delays involved.

Treatment Outcomes of Isoniazid-Resistant (Rifampicin Susceptible) Tuberculosis Patients in Uzbekistan, 2017-2018.

Tuberculosis patients "resistant to isoniazid and susceptible to rifampicin (Hr-TB)" remain neglected, despite a high burden and poor outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 6 month regimen consisting of levofloxacin, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide (LRZE) to treat Hr-TB. In contrast, Uzbekistan uses a 9 month regimen (LRZE plus a second-line injectable in the first 3 months).

Strategies for active detection of tuberculosis in Ukraine: Comparative effectiveness amongst key populations (2014-2018).

Introduction: Ukraine has gaps in Tuberculosis (TB) service coverage, especially in key populations (KPs). We compared effectiveness of three different strategies for active TB detection among KPs and their linkage to TB treatment during three time periods.

Methodology: The KPs included people who inject drugs (PWID), sex workers (SW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and groups at-risk of TB (ex-prisoners, Roma and homeless).

Primary healthcare centers engagement in tuberculosis treatment in Ukraine.

Introduction: We assessed the influence of a result-based financing (RBF) model, which included incentives for Primary Healthcare facilities on TB treatment outcomes.

Methodology: We compared TB patients > 17 years and their treatment outcomes among those who did and did not benefit from RBF-model in 14 districts of Odeska oblast, Ukraine in 2017. Log-binomial regression was used to examine factors associated with being included in RBF-model.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis RD-Rio Strain in Kazakhstan.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis RD-Rio strains are still rare in the former Soviet Union countries and Asia. We describe a strain in Kazakhstan that belongs to the RD-Rio secondary branch, which is endemic to northwest Russia and eastern Europe. Although RD-Rio strains are frequently multidrug resistant, this heterogeneous branch included only drug-susceptible isolates.

Tuberculosis among migrants in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Twenty-two first-line, two second-line and one tertiary health facility in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Among migrants, a marginalised population at risk for acquiring and transmitting tuberculosis (TB), we determined the proportion with TB among all registered TB cases. For those registered at primary-level facilities, we then reported on their demographic and clinical profiles and TB treatment outcomes.

Assessment of the quality of anti-tuberculosis medicines in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2014.

Setting: In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a survey of the quality of four anti-tuberculosis drugs in the former Soviet Union countries. Kazakhstan had the highest proportion of substandard drugs.

Objective: To assess the quality of anti-tuberculosis drugs used in Kazakhstan in 2014.