297 results match your criteria: "Centre for Communicable Diseases[Affiliation]"

Genetic characterization of measles virus circulating in Iran, 2021-2023.

BMC Infect Dis

January 2025

Department of Virology, School of Public Health, National Measles Laboratory (NML), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Measles, an ongoing public health concern, demands continuous molecular surveillance and virus characterization for elimination. Despite Iran achieving measles elimination status in 2019 through robust molecular testing and vaccination, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global vaccination efforts, leading to increased measles-related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to overview measles virus serological and molecular traits in Iran from 1st January 2021 to 30th April 2023.

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Background: After three years with no local transmission of malaria, an outbreak occurred in Iran in 2022. Key malaria control methods in Iran are including indoor residual spraying (IRS), long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs), and prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria cases. Anopheles sacharovi is one of the main malaria vectors in Iran.

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Article Synopsis
  • * 81% of the 5,143 pediatric cases occurred during the Omicron period, with fewer children needing intensive care compared to pre-Omicron times (11% vs. 14%), but no notable difference in mortality rates was found.
  • * The findings emphasize that many hospitalized children had pre-existing health conditions and indicate a surge in healthcare-associated COVID-19 cases during Omicron, although overall disease severity appeared to decline.
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Background: Smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (SPPTB) is a significant public health concern in Iran. This registry-based study aimed to investigate the incidence rates of SPPTB in Iran from 2018 to 2022.

Methods: The study analyzed SPPTB cases using the Spatial Lag Model to investigate the spatial distribution of SPPTB incidence rates, income inequality, and delayed diagnosis across the provinces of Iran and mapped the results using GIS maps.

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Background: A systematic review on acceptability, feasibility, equity and resource use was conducted as part of updating recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada on prenatal screening for (CT) and (NG).

Methods: Information sources, including MEDLINE® All, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL (January 2003-January 2021) electronic databases were searched for studies that assessed acceptability, feasibility, equity and resource use of screening for CT or NG in pregnant persons aged ≥12 years. The Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-Randomized Studies was used for quality assessment and a narrative synthesis was prepared.

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Background: Anopheles stephensi, a malaria-transmitting mosquito species, has developed resistance to various insecticides such as DDT, Dieldrin, Malathion, and synthetic pyrethroids. To combat this issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests using Actellic®300CS and Icon®10CS for Indoor Residual Spraying to tackle pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes. The aim of this research project was to evaluate the susceptibility of An.

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Shiga Toxin-Producing Strains from Romania: A Whole Genome-Based Description.

Microorganisms

July 2024

National Centre for Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control, National Public Health Institute, 050463 Bucharest, Romania.

The zoonotic Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) group is unanimously regarded as exceptionally hazardous for humans. This study aimed to provide a genomic perspective on the STEC recovered sporadically from humans and have a foundation of internationally comparable data. Fifty clinical STEC isolates, representing the culture-confirmed infections reported by the STEC Reference Laboratory between 2016 and 2023, were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis and sequences were interpreted using both commercial and public free bioinformatics tools.

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Background: Despite significant reductions in recent malaria cases and deaths globally, the persistence of this health concern necessitates a shift from traditional top-down approaches. Consequently, malaria control initiatives increasingly focus on empowering local communities through community-centred strategies. Therefore, this scoping review protocol systematically explores diverse community knowledge approaches adopted in malaria programmes worldwide and their associated outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • - During summer 2023, Europe saw a small uptick in mpox cases after a major outbreak in 2022, marked by peaks happening at different times in various countries!* - The demographic makeup of the new cases was similar to those from previous reports, maintaining the same trends.
  • - All collected case sequences from this recent resurgence belonged to clade IIb, highlighting the need for ongoing control efforts to eliminate mpox in the region.
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In Romania, influenza vaccination uptake among healthcare workers decreased over time despite access to the vaccine being constantly improved. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the knowledge and attitudes of Dental Medicine and Medicine students towards recommended vaccinations for healthcare workers, focusing on influenza vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the entire 2021-2022 academic year.

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Testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) using dried blood spot (DBS) specimens has been an integral part of bio-behavioural surveillance in Canada for almost two decades, though less is known regarding the use of DBS in surveillance of other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI). A systematic review was conducted using a peer-reviewed search strategy to assess the current evidence regarding the validity of STBBI testing using DBS specimens. Eligibility criteria included studies reporting use of DBS specimens for STBBI testing with either commercially available or "in-house" tests in populations 15 years of age or older.

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Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world, causing major public health problems in developing countries. The rate of TB incidence in Iran was estimated to be 13 per 100,000 in 2021. This study aimed to estimate the reproduction number and serial interval for pulmonary tuberculosis in Iran.

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Treponemal point-of-care tests for syphilis.

CMAJ

May 2024

Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control (Chittle), Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Chittle), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; National Microbiology Laboratory Branch (Sandstrom, Tsang), Public Health Agency of Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Sandstrom), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health (Cox), School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que.

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Botulism is a priority disease worldwide because it has a very severe course of evolution that can lead to death. This paper aims to describe the main epidemiological characteristics of botulism cases confirmed in Romania over 14 years (2007-2020). We performed a retrospective study using the publicly available national surveillance data and reported to the National Institute of Public Health.

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Mpox across countries from Central and Eastern Europe - 2022 outbreak.

Travel Med Infect Dis

May 2024

Victor Babes Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Bucharest, Romania; Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The study examined socio-demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, and outcomes of mpox patients across 14 Central and Eastern European countries.
  • Nearly all of the 154 diagnosed patients were males, primarily men who have sex with men (MSM), with a significant proportion also living with HIV, who engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors.
  • The findings suggest a need for effective contact tracing and vaccination strategies to manage mpox outbreaks, as the majority of cases presented favorable outcomes despite some complications.
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Background: In 2018, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) published a systematic review to calculate the risk of sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the context of antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 2022, PHAC commissioned the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) to conduct a rapid review of evidence published since 2017. We undertook a meta-analysis of relevant studies from these two reviews.

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Background: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (N/R) (Paxlovid) was introduced in Canada in January 2022. This was the first oral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral therapy that was deployed on a large scale in Canada. Since N/R was a new therapeutic option to reduce severe outcomes in high-risk populations, clinical and implementation questions were raised about its real-world utilization and impact.

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Antimicrobial susceptibilities of in Canada, 2021.

Can Commun Dis Rep

September 2023

National Microbiology Laboratory Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB.

Article Synopsis
  • Gonorrhea is a major public health issue in Canada, being the second most common bacterial STI, and the Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme has been tracking its antimicrobial resistance since 1985.
  • In 2021, Canada saw a 9.9% increase in gonococcal cultures submitted, revealing growing resistance to cefixime and identifying one ceftriaxone-resistant isolate, despite no significant changes in ceftriaxone resistance overall.
  • The monitoring highlights a significant public health threat due to rising antimicrobial resistance, underscoring the necessity for ongoing surveillance to inform effective treatment options.*
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Background: The co-occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) has emerged as a significant public health challenge. This study investigated the epidemiological factors and treatment outcomes of TB in individuals based on their HIV status in Iran.

Methods: The current study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that focused on new patients diagnosed with TB in Iran between 2018 and 2021.

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Background: COVID-19 vaccine booster doses restore vaccine effectiveness lost from waning immunity and emerging variants. Fractional dosing may improve COVID-19 booster acceptability and uptake and will reduce the per-dose cost of COVID-19 booster programmes. We sought to quantify the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of a half-dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) booster relative to the standard formulation.

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Measles is targeted for elimination since 2001, with a significant reduction in cases recorded worldwide, but outbreaks occur periodically due to immunization gaps. This study analyzes the evolution of vaccination coverage rates (VCRs) in Romania, a EU country with large measles epidemics during the last two decades, including an ongoing outbreak in 2023. Vaccination against measles has been part of the National Immunization Program since 1979, initially as a single dose, and from 1994 onwards it has had two doses.

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Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for COVID-19 across Canada has not been well-described. We studied trends for patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome who received ECMO.

Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study using data from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program across four different waves.

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We conducted a multicentre hospital-based test-negative case-control study to measure the effectiveness of adapted bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines against PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron XBB lineage-predominant period in patients aged ≥ 60 years with severe acute respiratory infection from five countries in Europe. Bivalent vaccines provided short-term additional protection compared with those vaccinated > 6 months before the campaign: from 80% (95% CI: 50 to 94) for 14-89 days post-vaccination, 15% (95% CI: -12 to 35) at 90-179 days, and lower to no effect thereafter.

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