Publications by authors named "Rivka Rich"
Article Synopsis
- Continuous monitoring of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) in Israel revealed that between 2019 and 2022, there were 158 reported cases and 12.9% of sewage samples tested positive for HAV RNA, with a notable peak in 2019.
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in HAV cases and positive sewage samples during 2020, likely due to lockdown measures affecting virus transmission.
- The predominant sub-genotype identified was IB, with small clusters of transmission among various community groups, emphasizing the need for combined clinical and environmental tracking for effective HAV management and vaccination efforts targeting at-risk adults.
Following the report of an excess in paediatric cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology by the United Kingdom (UK) on 5 April 2022, 427 cases were reported from 20 countries in the World Health Organization European Region to the European Surveillance System TESSy from 1 January 2022 to 16 June 2022. Here, we analysed demographic, epidemiological, clinical and microbiological data available in TESSy. Of the reported cases, 77.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince December 2019, over 1.5 million SARS-CoV-2-related fatalities have been recorded in the World Health Organization European Region - 90.2% in people ≥ 60 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Universal vaccination has significantly reduced hepatitis A (HAV) cases in Israel, but sporadic outbreaks still happen, highlighting the need for improved surveillance.
- A comprehensive HAV surveillance program was implemented in 2017-2018, analyzing 146 human cases and 240 sewage samples, revealing that most cases involved unvaccinated individuals, particularly among men, including a notable number of men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2017.
- Genetic analysis showed that different HAV genotypes were predominant each year, with findings suggesting a connection between genetic sequences of cases and sewage samples, indicating ongoing viral circulation and the potential for better tracking through combined clinical and environmental data.
Ensuring HIV care to undocumented migrants in Israel: a public-private partnership case study.
Isr J Health Policy Res
November 2019
Background: Undocumented migrants in Israel, mostly originating from HIV endemic countries, are not covered by Israel's universal healthcare coverage. We initiated a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to handle this public health and humanitarian challenge. The PPP venture included the Ministry of Health (MoH), pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and specialized HIV clinics, the Israeli HIV Medical Society (from the Israel Medical Association), and non-governmental organizations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Commercial sex shares a role in HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) transmission. Men who pay for sex (MPS) may transmit HIV/STI to other populations which are low-risk. This study aimed to test our hypothesis that MPS engage in high-risk sexual behaviors associated with HIV/STI transmission more so than non-MPS.
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