Publications by authors named "P T Duff"
This focus article was prepared by Paul Duff of the APHA Wildlife Expert Group, with support from David Everest (APHA Pathology Department), Lucy Martindale (APHA Surveillance Intelligence Unit), Alex Barlow (Wildlife Network for Disease Surveillance), Mara Rocchi (Moredun Research Institute) and Antonio Lavazza (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Italy).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetection of cancer early, when it is most treatable, remains a significant challenge because of the lack of diagnostic methods sufficiently sensitive to detect nascent tumors. Early-stage tumors are small relative to their tissue of origin, heterogeneous, and infrequently manifest in clinical symptoms. The detection of early-stage tumors is challenging given the lack of tumor-specific indicators (ie, protein biomarkers, circulating tumor DNA) to enable detection using a noninvasive diagnostic assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The Mercy Halo Ovarian Cancer Test (OC Test) is a new screening method that detects ovarian cancer by analyzing proteins found on tumor-associated extracellular vesicles in blood, aiming for both high sensitivity and specificity.
- - In a study involving 397 women, the OC Test showed impressive results: 97% specificity and sensitivity for high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), and it also identified 73.5% of non-HGSC ovarian cancer cases.
- - Compared to the conventional cancer antigen 125, the OC Test resulted in fewer false positives among patients with non-cancerous conditions, indicating its potential for effective ovarian cancer screening.
Post-pandemic increase in invasive group A strep infections in New Zealand.
J Infect Public Health
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Aotearoa New Zealand has seen a rise in invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections since October 2022, especially among children and marginalized communities like Māori and Pacific peoples.
- The study analyzed national surveillance data from 2017 to 2023, finding that iGAS infections decreased during COVID-19 restrictions and surged once those restrictions were lifted, showing a moderate correlation with acute respiratory infections.
- The trends in New Zealand reflect a similar global increase in iGAS, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and response strategies as iGAS will become notifiable in late 2024.