The effect of lockdown on melanoma stage in Devon, UK.

We performed a prospective analysis of Breslow thickness in melanoma before the COVID-19 pandemic and after. It shows that there is a statistically significant increase in melanoma thickness, and ultimately melanoma staging, since the pandemic began.

Enforcement of science-using a Clostridium perfringens outbreak investigation to take legal action.

Background: We report an outbreak of Clostridium perfringens in a care home in North East England.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was used to investigate this outbreak. Faecal samples were obtained from symptomatic residents.

Identifying areas and risk groups with localised Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in northern England from 2010 to 2012: spatiotemporal analysis incorporating highly discriminatory genotyping data.

Background: Information on geographical variation in localised transmission of TB can inform targeting of disease control activities. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of TB attributable to localised transmission for the period 2010-2012 in northern England and to identify case characteristics associated with spatiotemporal-genotypical clusters.

Methods: We combined genotyping data with spatiotemporal scan statistics to define an indicator of localised TB transmission and identified factors associated with localised TB transmission thus defined in a multivariable logistics regression model.

A cluster of four cases of meningococcal disease in a single nuclear family.

A cluster of four confirmed cases of meningococcal disease was seen in the same nuclear family across a 15-week period. The cases were three siblings and a parent and all recovered well. The first case was confirmed by meningococcal PCR only but the subsequent three cases were due to indistinguishable strains of serogroup B (B:NT:P1.

An ongoing outbreak of heterosexually-acquired syphilis across Teesside, UK.

Prior to 2006, diagnoses of heterosexually acquired syphilis were rare in Teesside (an area in the north east of England, UK). Since 2006, there has been an increase in such cases, with 24 cases diagnosed in 2006 and 22 in 2007. There was a marked reduction in cases in 2008 with six cases reported, but a large increase in diagnoses in 2009 (34 cases).