The presence of fever in adults with influenza and other viral respiratory infections.

We compared the rates of fever in adult subjects with laboratory-confirmed influenza and other respiratory viruses and examined the factors that predict fever in adults. Symptom data on 158 healthcare workers (HCWs) with a laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus infection were collected using standardized data collection forms from three separate studies. Overall, the rate of fever in confirmed viral respiratory infections in adult HCWs was 23·4% (37/158).

Determination of steroid hormones in bovine milk by LC-MS/MS and their levels in Swiss Holstein cow milk.

Synthetic and natural steroid hormones have attracted some attention in recent years as endocrine active substances (EAS) that interact or interfere with the endocrine system. Endogenous hormones occur naturally in food of animal origin, among which bovine milk represents an important source. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of steroid hormones (oestrogens, androgens, progestogens and glucocorticoids) in cow's milk samples from three farms in Switzerland.

The impact of temperature and humidity measures on influenza A (H7N9) outbreaks-evidence from China.

Objectives: To examine the non-linear effects of meteorological factors on the incidence of influenza A H7N9 and to determine what meteorological measure, and on which day preceding symptom onset, has the most significant effect on H7N9 infection.

Methods: We applied a zero truncated Poisson regression model incorporating smoothed spline functions to assess the non-linear effect of temperature (maximum, minimum, and daily difference) and relative humidity on H7N9 human case numbers occurring in China from February 19, 2013 to February 18, 2014, adjusting for the effects of age and gender.

Results: Both daily minimum and daily maximum temperature contributed significantly to human infection with the influenza A H7N9 virus.

An eight-year study of Shigella species in Beijing, China: serodiversity, virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistance.

Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of serotypes, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Shigella spp. in Beijing, China, from 2004 to 2011.

Methodology: Real-time PCR assays were used to detect virulent genes, and the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to evaluate antimicrobial resistance.

Quantifying the risk of respiratory infection in healthcare workers performing high-risk procedures.

This study determined the risk of respiratory infection associated with high-risk procedures (HRPs) performed by healthcare workers (HCWs) in high-risk settings. We prospectively studied 481 hospital HCWs in China, documented risk factors for infection, including performing HRPs, measured new infections, and analysed whether HRPs predicted infection. Infection outcomes were clinical respiratory infection (CRI), laboratory-confirmed viral or bacterial infection, and an influenza infection.