Contact tracing indicators for COVID-19: Rapid scoping review and conceptual framework.

Background: Contact tracing is one of the key interventions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic but its implementation varies widely across countries. There is little guidance on how to monitor contact tracing performance, and no systematic overview of indicators to assess contact tracing systems or conceptual framework for such indicators exists to date.

Methods: We conducted a rapid scoping review using a systematic literature search strategy in the peer-reviewed and grey literature as well as open source online documents.

A One-Health Quantitative Model to Assess the Risk of Antibiotic Resistance Acquisition in Asian Populations: Impact of Exposure Through Food, Water, Livestock and Humans.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major threat worldwide, especially in countries with inadequate sanitation and low antibiotic regulation. However, adequately prioritizing AMR interventions in such settings requires a quantification of the relative impacts of environmental, animal, and human sources in a One-Health perspective. Here, we propose a stochastic quantitative risk assessment model for the different components at interplay in AMR selection and spread.

Monitoring COVID-19 where capacity for testing is limited: use of a three-step analysis based on test positivity ratio.

In an effort to monitor coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many countries have been calculating the ratio of cases confirmed to tests performed (test positivity ratio - TPR). While inferior to sentinel surveillance, TPR has the benefit of being easily calculated using readily available data; however, interpreting TPR and its trends can be complex because both the numerator and the denominator are constantly changing. We describe a three-step process where the ratio of relative increase in cases to relative increase in tests is accounted for in an adjusted TPR.

Impact of vaccines on antimicrobial resistance.

Drivers Of Antimicrobial Resistance: Antibiotic use drives the development and spread of resistant bacterial infections. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a prolific global issue, due to significant increases in antibiotic use in humans, livestock and agriculture, inappropriate use (under-dosing and over-prescribing), and misuse of antibiotics (for viral infections where they are ineffective). Fewer new antibiotics are being developed.

Community-acquired pneumonia and Gram-negative bacilli in Cambodia-incidence, risk factors and clinical characteristics.

Background: In Western settings, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) is relatively rare. Previous studies from Asia, however, indicate a higher prevalence of GNB in CAP, but data, particularly from Southeast Asia, are limited.

Methods: This is a prospective observational study of 1451 patients ≥15 y of age with CAP from two hospitals in Cambodia between 2007 and 2010.

Serotype Distribution of Clinical Isolates before the Introduction of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Cambodia.

Childhood vaccination with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced in Cambodia in January 2015. Baseline data regarding circulating serotypes are scarce. All microbiology laboratories in Cambodia were contacted for identification of stored isolates of from clinical specimens taken before the introduction of PCV13.

Systematic review of electronic surveillance of infectious diseases with emphasis on antimicrobial resistance surveillance in resource-limited settings.

Background: Electronic surveillance of infectious diseases involves rapidly collecting, collating, and analyzing vast amounts of data from interrelated multiple databases. Although many developed countries have invested in electronic surveillance for infectious diseases, the system still presents a challenge for resource-limited health care settings.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review by performing a comprehensive literature search on MEDLINE (January 2000-December 2015) to identify studies relevant to electronic surveillance of infectious diseases.

Antimicrobial policy interventions in food animal production in South East Asia.

call for concerted multisectoral measures through stronger policies to combat antimicrobial resistance

Developing a situation analysis tool to assess containment of antimicrobial resistance in South East Asia.

discuss the development of a tool to assess how programmes tackling antimicrobial resistance in South East Asia are faring

Progress towards antimicrobial resistance containment and control in Indonesia.

A pilot programme to evaluate Indonesia’s antimicrobial resistance containment plan shows that progress is on the right track, but substantial strengthening is needed, say

Using information technology to improve surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in South East Asia.

argue that investing in information technology surveillance systems to detect trends is an essential first step in tackling antimicrobial resistance in South East Asian countries

Antimicrobial resistance communication activities in South East Asia.

There is an urgent need to raise public awareness of antimicrobial resistance in the region, say

Risk assessment for antibiotic resistance in South East Asia.

assess the risk of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in South East Asia and suggest it is the highest of the World Health Organization regions

Seroprevalence and Transmission of Human Influenza A(H5N1) Virus before and after Virus Reassortment, Cambodia, 2006-2014.

Thirty-five human influenza A(H5N1) cases were reported in Cambodia during 2013-2014 after emergence of a clade 1.1.2 reassortant virus.

Environmental contamination and risk factors for transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) to humans, Cambodia, 2006-2010.

Background: Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus has been of public health concern since 2003. Probable risk factors for A(H5N1) transmission to human have been demonstrated in several studies or epidemiological reports. However, transmission patterns may differ according to demographic characteristics of the population and local practices.

Human Rabies in China, 1960-2014: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study.

Background: Rabies in China remains a public health problem. In 2014, nearly one thousand rabies-related deaths were reported while rabies geographic distribution has expanded for the recent years. This report used surveillance data to describe the epidemiological characteristics of human rabies in China including determining high-risk areas and seasonality to support national rabies prevention and control activities.

Genetic diversity of human rhinoviruses in Cambodia during a three-year period reveals novel genetic types.

Acute respiratory viral infections are a major cause of morbidity during early childhood in developing countries. Human rhinoviruses are the most frequent cause of upper respiratory tract infections in humans, which can range in severity from asymptomatic to clinically severe disease. In this study we collected 4170 nasopharyngeal swabs from patients hospitalised with influenza-like illness in two Cambodian provincial hospitals between 2007 and 2010.

Preparation for malaria resurgence in China: approach in risk assessment and rapid response.

With the shrinking of indigenous malaria cases and endemic areas in the People's Republic of China (P.R. China), imported malaria predominates over all reported cases accounting for more than 90% of the total.

Preparedness for malaria resurgence in China: case study on imported cases in 2000-2012.

Malaria is the most important parasitic protozoan infection that has caused serious threats to human health globally. China has had success in reducing the morbidity and mortality of malaria to the lowest level through sustained and large-scale interventions. Although the total number of malaria cases declined gradually, the burden of the imported malaria cases mainly from Southeast Asian and African countries has increased substantially since 2000, posing a severe threat to public health in China.

Surveillance and response to drive the national malaria elimination program.

The national action plan for malaria elimination in China (2010-2020) was issued by the Chinese Ministry of Health along with other 13 ministries and commissions in 2010. The ultimate goal of the national action plan was to eliminate local transmission of malaria by the end of 2020. Surveillance and response are the most important components driving the whole process of the national malaria elimination programme (NMEP), under the technical guidance used in NMEP.

Epidemiological and virological characteristics of influenza viruses circulating in Cambodia from 2009 to 2011.

Background: The Cambodian National Influenza Center (NIC) monitored and characterized circulating influenza strains from 2009 to 2011.

Methodology/principal Findings: Sentinel and study sites collected nasopharyngeal specimens for diagnostic detection, virus isolation, antigenic characterization, sequencing and antiviral susceptibility analysis from patients who fulfilled case definitions for influenza-like illness, acute lower respiratory infections and event-based surveillance. Each year in Cambodia, influenza viruses were detected mainly from June to November, during the rainy season.