Development and Implementation of a Public Health Event Management System, Nigeria, 2018-2024.

Event management systems (EMS) are key tools for epidemic intelligence, integrating surveillance signals and incident response, although international standards to inform development are lacking. We describe the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) SITAware, a software capable of operating with low internet bandwidth to generate notifications, reports, and spatiotemporal dashboards and provide event-level data for real-time accountability and postevent learning. SITAware was enabled by local institutional ownership, co-created at low cost, and integrated into existing workflows.

Rapid implementation of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing to investigate cases of health-care associated COVID-19: a prospective genomic surveillance study.

Background: The burden and influence of health-care associated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections is unknown. We aimed to examine the use of rapid SARS-CoV-2 sequencing combined with detailed epidemiological analysis to investigate health-care associated SARS-CoV-2 infections and inform infection control measures.

Methods: In this prospective surveillance study, we set up rapid SARS-CoV-2 nanopore sequencing from PCR-positive diagnostic samples collected from our hospital (Cambridge, UK) and a random selection from hospitals in the East of England, enabling sample-to-sequence in less than 24 h.

An outbreak of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in a neonatal intensive care unit: use of a case-control study to investigate and control it and lessons learnt.

Aim: To describe the investigation and management of a meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreak on a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the lessons learnt.

Methods: This was an outbreak report and case-control study conducted in a 40-cot NICU in a tertiary referral hospital and included all infants colonized/infected with gentamicin-resistant MRSA.

Intervention: Standard infection-control measures including segregation of infants, barrier precautions, enhanced cleaning, assessment of staff practice including hand hygiene, and increased MRSA screening of infants were implemented.

Unrecognised Outbreak: Human parainfluenza virus infections in a pediatric oncology unit. A new diagnostic PCR and virus monitoring system may allow early detection of future outbreaks.

Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) are significant causes of both upper and lower respiratory tract infections with type 3 (HPIV3) causing the most severe disease in the immunocompromised cohorts.  The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiological nature of a cluster of cases of HPIV3 in a pediatric oncology unit of a major teaching hospital. In order to determine whether the activity observed represented a deviation from the norm, seasonal trends of HPIV3 in the surrounding geographical area as well as on the ward in question were analysed.

Transmission of toxigenic by a fully immunised resident returning from a visit to West Africa, United Kingdom, 2017.

In early 2017, a United Kingdom (UK)-born person in their 20s presented with a skin ulcer on the foot 3 weeks after returning from Ghana. The patient had last received a diphtheria-containing vaccine in 2013, completing the recommended course. MALDI-TOF of a cutaneous swab identified .

National outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 linked to mixed salad leaves, United Kingdom, 2016.

We investigated a large outbreak of O157 in the United Kingdom (UK) with 165 cases between 31 May and 29 July 2016. No linked cases were reported in other countries. Cases were predominately female (n = 128) and adult (n = 150), 66 attended hospital and nine had features of haemorrhagic uraemic syndrome.

Excess Mortality Attributable to Clostridium difficile and Risk Factors for Infection in an Historic Cohort of Hospitalised Patients Followed Up in the United Kingdom Death Register.

Methods: We compared time from hospital admission to death in a probability sample of 100 Clostridium difficile infected cases and a probability sample of 98 non-cases admitted to an English teaching hospital between 2005 and 2007 with follow up in the UK national death register using survival analysis.

Results: Clostridium difficile infection was associated with a 50% increased risk of death (Hazard Ratio 1.51 (95% CI: 1.

Use of linked electronic health records to assess mortality and length of stay associated with pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 at a UK teaching hospital.

Effective use of data linkage is becoming an increasingly important focus in the new healthcare system in England. We linked data from the results of a multiplex PCR assay for respiratory viruses for a population of 230 inpatients at a UK teaching hospital with their patient administrative system records in order to compare the mortality and length of stay of patients who tested positive for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 with those positive for another influenza A virus. The results indicated a reduced risk of death among influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 patients compared to other influenza A strains, with an adjusted risk ratio of 0·25 (95% confidence interval 0·08-0·75, P = 0·01), while no significant differences were found between the lengths of stay in the hospital for these two groups.

Whole-genome sequencing to identify transmission of Mycobacterium abscessus between patients with cystic fibrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Increasing numbers of individuals with cystic fibrosis are becoming infected with the multidrug-resistant non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) Mycobacterium abscessus, which causes progressive lung damage and is extremely challenging to treat. How this organism is acquired is not currently known, but there is growing concern that person-to-person transmission could occur. We aimed to define the mechanisms of acquisition of M abscessus in individuals with cystic fibrosis.

Surveillance of community genital Chlamydia trachomatis testing in the East of England, 2008-2010.

Background: Widespread testing for chlamydia is expected to result in a reduction in prevalence. In 2008, coverage indicators introduced by the Department of Health (DH) required collection and submission of all tests performed outside of genitourinary medicine clinics. No mechanism existed to collect community-based tests conducted outside of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme.