Objective: Previous analyses reported an unexpected decline of mean age of death of Austrian male lung cancer patients until 1996 and a subsequent turnaround of this epidemiological trend after the mid-1990s until 2007. In light of ongoing changes in smoking behavior of men and women, this study aims to investigate the development of mean age of death from lung cancer in Austria during the past three decades.
Materials And Methods: This study used data about the annual mean age of death from lung cancer, including malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, between 1992 and 2021 obtained from Statistics Austria, Federal Institution under Public Law.
Background: We previously showed that anticholinergic (ACH) medications contribute to self-reported neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in elderly people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). The current cross-sectional study further evaluated the effect of ACH and sedative drugs on neurocognitive function in PWH who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation.
Methods: A medication review was performed in PWH enrolled in the prospective Neurocognitive Assessment in Metabolic and Aging Cohort within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.
The WHO categorized vaccine hesitancy as one of the greatest threats to global health worldwide. Vaccination of elderly persons is of increasing relevance, given that they represent a growing segment in the population and considering the burden diseases pose to them. Many factors leading to vaccine hesitancy are related to inadequate communication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth care workers (HCWs) are exposed to a high risk of infectious diseases at work, and of transmitting these to their patients and colleagues. Medical students constitute an important, yet neglected, group within HCW because of their contact with patients in the course of compulsory or voluntary practical training courses at health care institutions. The aim of this study was to determine the current vaccination status of medical students at the Medical University of Vienna and assess their attitudes towards occupationally indicated mandatory vaccinations for doctors and other HCW.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 21st Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) - a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians, ecologists, and epidemiologists - was held under the theme "TBE - record year 2018″. Several key topics in the field of TBE were extensively discussed, among them current epidemiological developments in different countries, expansion of risk areas, virological and clinical aspects, importance of awareness, traveling and mobility, and latest news on TBE vaccination. The main goals that have been achieved by the ISW-TBE so far are, among others, an increased awareness in endemic and non-endemic countries, an increase of vaccination rates in various countries, getting TBE acknowledged and established as a travel-related risk, and building contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In the Austrian population approximately 350,000-400,000 cases and 1,000-1,200 deaths are observed during an average epidemic, which puts influenza-related deaths on top of the list of vaccine-preventable cases of death. In face of extensive vaccination recommendations, the current vaccination rate of the general population of about 6% is one of the lowest worldwide. The objective of this study was to provide an update regarding the use of influenza vaccination in Austria over the period 1982-2015.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 20th Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) - a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians, ecologists, and epidemiologists - was held under the theme "ISW-TBE: 20 years of commitment & still challenges ahead". On the occasion of the 20 anniversary of the ISW-TBE several key topics in TBE were extensively discussed, among them current epidemiological developments and investigations, expansion of risk areas, clinical aspects and cases, traveling and mobility, and latest news on TBE vaccination. The main goals that have been achieved by the ISW-TBE so far are, among others, an increased awareness in endemic and non-endemic countries, an increase of vaccination rates in various countries, getting TBE acknowledged and established as a travel-related risk, and building contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 19th meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) - a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians and epidemiologists-was held under the title "TBE in a changing world". Key topics within virology, current epidemiological developments and investigations, expansion of risk areas, clinical aspects and cases, traveling and mobility, vaccination rates, and latest news on vaccination were presented and extensively discussed. Over the past four decades, TBE has become a growing public health challenge in Europe and parts of Asia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWien Med Wochenschr
June 2019
Vaccinations belong to the ten most effective public health achievements worldwide. While immunization programms for children are installed in Europe, vaccinations for adults are not established. However, adult vaccination is extremely meaningful: increasing age means a higher susceptibility to infectious diseases, health problems and multimorbidity will increase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 18th meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE)-a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians and epidemiologists-was held under the title 'Tick-borne encephalitis-still on the map'. The conference agenda was divided into six sessions: 'National Implementation of EU notifiable disease status', 'Virology', 'Epidemiology and Risk areas & Poster Walk Epidemiological Update', 'Clinic', 'Environmental Factors' and 'New Findings and Diagnosis'. Key topics such as 'TBE as a notifiable disease-results of the third European survey', 'TBE vaccines over the years', 'Overview of flaviviruses', 'TBE virus phylogenetics', 'Current epidemiological developments and investigations', 'Clinical aspects', 'TBE in veterinary medicine', 'Laboratory diagnostic', 'Occupational risk', 'Allergy, obesity, and vaccination' were presented and extensively discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been a growing public health problem in Europe and other parts of the world for the past 20 years. In 1999, in order to encourage the control of TBE, international experts created a new body: The International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE). This Working Group has been composed of internationally recognized scientific experts from tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv)-endemic and non-endemic regions with extensive personal expertise in the field and a high level of commitment to improve the knowledge of TBE and to increase the public awareness of TBE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCent Eur J Public Health
September 2015
This paper describes a paradoxical situation in Austria. The vaccination rate against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in the general population is 82%, which is the highest worldwide, whereas the vaccination rate against influenza is about 8% and is among the lowest worldwide. A high awareness of TBE among the Austrian population achieved by an annual social marketing programme and the wide use of effective and well-tolerated vaccines have led to a successful containment of that disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWien Med Wochenschr
July 2015
TBE is a public health problem well under control in Austria because of a mass vaccination programme. There have been 50-100 registered cases per year for many years, the vaccination rate of the population is currently 85 %. Special attention has to be given to the "older" generation 40 plus as this is the segment of the population where the majority of cases are observed annually.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 17th meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE), a group of neurologists, general practicioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians, and epidemiologists, was held under the title "Tick-borne encephalitis as a notifiable disease--status quo and the way forward". The conference agenda was divided into three parts on the first day: "Epidemiology & Risk areas", "Poster Walk: Epidemiological Update in Europe", and "News in TBE Research". On the second day, a World Café Working Session took place where the participants could choose three tables out of six to join for discussion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 16th Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) - a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, paediatricians, and epidemiologists - was held under the title "Tick-borne Encephalitis - a Notifiable Disease, a Review after One Year". With the inclusion of TBE in the list of notifiable diseases in 2012, an important measure was established to continue improving the level of evidence on TBE in Europe to better help guide policies and methods to lower the burden of this disease. The conference agenda was divided into six parts concerning Travel Medicine, Epidemiology & Risk Areas, Poster Session with an Epidemiological Update in Europe, Interactive Debate, Cases, and Social Communication and Recommendations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and acceptability of a short screening test battery for mild neurocognitive deficits.
Methods: HIV-infected individuals with a suppressed viral load were examined at the University Hospital Basel with a screening test consisting of a questionnaire and selected cognitive tests, administered by trained nurses, followed by an in-depth neuropsychological examination. Test acceptance was evaluated with a questionnaire.
Background: Austria's position on influenza vaccination is unique. Generally it is recommended for everyone, and specifically for those over the age of 50 years and all children between 6 months and 5 years. However, the vaccination rate among the general public is one of the lowest in the world (<10%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vector-borne disease that is primarily transmitted to humans by infected ticks and causes infection of the central nervous system. Clinical presentations range from meningitis to encephalitis with or without myelitis, and infection may result in death or long-term neurological sequelae. TBE is endemic in regions of at least 27 European as well as in some Asian countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 15th Meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE)--a group of neurologists, general practicioners, clinicians, travel physicans, virologists, pediatricians, and epidemiologists--was held under the title "Tick-Borne Encephalitis--a notifiable disease". With the inclusion of TBE in the list of notifiable diseases, an important measure was established to continue improving the level of evidence on TBE in Europe to better help guide policies and methods to lower the burden of this disease. Due to differences in diagnosis, case definition, and reporting in European countries, the overall epidemiology and burden of TBE remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToday, the risk of getting tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is still underestimated in many parts of Europe and worldwide. Therefore, the 14th meeting of the International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW-TBE) - a group of neurologists, general practitioners, clinicians, travel physicians, virologists, pediatricians, and epidemiologists - was held under the title "Tick-borne encephalitis: an underestimated risk…still". Among the discussed issues were: TBE, an underestimated risk in children, a case report in two Dutch travelers, the very emotional report of a tick victim, an overview of the epidemiological situation, investigations to detect new TBE cases in Italy, TBE virus (TBEV) strains circulation in Northern Europe, TBE Program of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), efforts to increase the TBE vaccination rate in the Czech Republic, positioning statement of the World Health Organization (WHO), and TBE in dogs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article examines the impact of the Spanish flu at the microscopic level. Main question was if the pandemic killed more people in a selected mountain village than the total men of the village who were being killed during the First World War. Other topics are the reaction of the local government on the flu and which prophylaxis was ordered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe compared the performance of the Meso Scale Diagnostics electrochemiluminescence (MSD) multiplex assay for t-tau and p-tau(231), originally developed for measurement of brain cell extract and tissue cultures, with the established standard method, the Innogenetics ELISA for total and p-tau(181). The methods were also clinically evaluated with 120 samples from our mono center population. The established Innogenetics ELISA procedures have been well optimized to measure patient samples in the normal and pathological range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWien Klin Wochenschr
November 2011
Wien Med Wochenschr
July 2011
The International Scientific Working Group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis (ISW TBE) held its 13th Annual Meeting in February 2011 to discuss epidemiological developments, news in TBE research, initiatives of the European Union, vaccination-immune response, clinical cases and TBE consequences, awareness of TBE prevention and the role of the ISW TBE to break vaccination fatigue. TBE may be considered a complex system, characterized by an intricate interplay between tick biology and socioeconomic conditions. The same may be said about vaccination behaviour.
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