Correlation Between Etest and Reference Broth Microdilution for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of .

A three-center study was performed to see if Etest gradient diffusion minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methodology correlated with reference broth microdilution (BMD) for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of against six antimicrobial agents known to be usually effective against . This study was performed to assist in the decision-making process for possible deployment of the Etest method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of into several regional public health laboratories in the United States. Three laboratories each tested a challenge set of 30 genotypically diverse isolates collected from 15 different countries.

Rift Valley Fever Virus Exposure amongst Farmers, Farm Workers, and Veterinary Professionals in Central South Africa.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging arboviral disease of public health and veterinary importance in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Major RVF epidemics were documented in South Africa in 1950⁻1951, 1974⁻1975, and 2010⁻2011. The number of individuals infected during these outbreaks has, however, not been accurately estimated.

Cost Effectiveness of Universal Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Era of Direct-Acting, Pangenotypic Treatment Regimens.

Background & Aims: Most persons infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States were born from 1945 through 1965; testing is recommended for this cohort. However, HCV incidence is increasing among younger persons in many parts of the country and treatment is recommended for all adults with HCV infection. We aimed to estimate the cost effectiveness of universal 1-time screening for HCV infection in all adults living in the United States and to determine the prevalence of HCV antibody above which HCV testing is cost effective.

Public Health Emergency Response Lessons Learned by Rapid Deployment Force 3, 2006-2016.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the uniformed US Public Health Service created an updated system through which its officers participated in emergency responses. The Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) concept, begun in 2006, involved five teams of officers with diverse clinical and public health skill sets organized into an incident command system led by a team commander. Each team can deploy within 12 hours, according to a defined but flexible schedule.

Complete Anopheles funestus mitogenomes reveal an ancient history of mitochondrial lineages and their distribution in southern and central Africa.

Anopheles funestus s.s. is a primary vector of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV Prevention Efforts and Incidence of HIV in Uganda.

Background: To assess the effect of a combination strategy for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the incidence of HIV infection, we analyzed the association between the incidence of HIV and the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and medical male circumcision in Rakai, Uganda. Changes in population-level viral-load suppression and sexual behaviors were also examined.

Methods: Between 1999 and 2016, data were collected from 30 communities with the use of 12 surveys in the Rakai Community Cohort Study, an open, population-based cohort of persons 15 to 49 years of age.

Hepatitis B Vaccination, Screening, and Linkage to Care: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Background: Vaccination, screening, and linkage to care can reduce the burden of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, recommendations vary among organizations, and their implementation has been suboptimal. The American College of Physicians' High Value Care Task Force and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed this article to present best practice statements for hepatitis B vaccination, screening, and linkage to care.

The Usefulness of Individual-Level HIV Surveillance Data to Initiate Statewide HIV Partner Services: Experiences From Hawaii and New Mexico.

Context: Partner services are a broad array of services that should be offered to persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and that are based on a process through which HIV-infected persons are interviewed to elicit information about their sex and needle-sharing partners. Human immunodeficiency virus testing of partners can result in a high yield of newly diagnosed HIV positivity, but despite this yield and the benefits of partners knowing their exposures and HIV status, partner services are often not conducted.

Objective: We sought to determine the newly diagnosed HIV positivity and benefits to 2 health departments that conducted demonstration projects that focused on statewide HIV partner services.

The Number of Interviews Needed to Yield New Syphilis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Cases Among Partners of People Diagnosed With Syphilis, North Carolina, 2015.

Unlabelled: Compare syphilis investigation yield among patient groups using number needed to interview.

Goal: To increase investigation efficiency.

Study Design: Retrospective review of North Carolina 2015 syphilis investigations, using the number of cases needed to interview (NNTI) and the total number of cases and contacts needed to interview (TNTI) to compare yield of new syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus diagnoses between patient groups.

Potential Economic Benefits of Paid Sick Leave in Reducing Absenteeism Related to the Spread of Influenza-Like Illness.

Objective: Most U.S. employers are not required to provide paid sick leave (PSL), and there is limited information on the economic return of providing PSL.

MATERNAL PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTING FOLLOWING AN EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING PROGRAM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LEGACY FOR CHILDREN.

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of maternal perceptions of parenting following participation in Legacy for Children (Legacy), an evidence-based parenting program for low-income mothers of young children and infants. To further examine previous findings and better understand participant experiences, we analyzed semistructured focus-group discussions with predominantly Hispanic and Black, non-Hispanic Legacy mothers at two sites (n = 166) using thematic analysis and grounded theory techniques. The qualitative study presented here investigated how mothers view their parenting following participation in Legacy, allowing participants to describe their experience with the program in their own words, thus capturing an "insider" perspective.

Evaluation of the Families Matter! Program in Tanzania: An Intervention to Promote Effective Parent-Child Communication About Sex, Sexuality, and Sexual Risk Reduction.

The Families Matter! Program (FMP) is a curriculum-based intervention designed to give parents and other primary caregivers the knowledge, skills, comfort, and confidence to deliver messages to their 9-12-year-old children about sexuality and practice positive parenting skills. A pre- and post-intervention evaluation study on FMP outcomes was conducted with 658 parent participants and their preadolescent children in two administrative wards in Tanzania in 2014. There was an increase in the proportion of study participants (parent-preadolescent pairs) that had positive attitudes toward sex education.

Nicotine, Carcinogen, and Toxin Exposure in Long-Term E-Cigarette and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Users: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Given the rapid increase in the popularity of e-cigarettes and the paucity of associated longitudinal health-related data, the need to assess the potential risks of long-term use is essential.

Objective: To compare exposure to nicotine, tobacco-related carcinogens, and toxins among smokers of combustible cigarettes only, former smokers with long-term e-cigarette use only, former smokers with long-term nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use only, long-term dual users of both combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and long-term users of both combustible cigarettes and NRT.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Cryptosporidium canis in Two Mexican Toddlers.

Cryptosporidium canis is reported for the first time in 2 toddlers in Northwestern Mexico. The 2 toddlers (33 and 34 months old) were symptomatic at diagnosis, presenting diarrhea and fever, and 1 case presented chronic malnutrition. Both toddlers were HIV-negative.

Update on Incidence of Herpes Zoster Among Children and Adolescents After Implementation of Varicella Vaccination, Antelope Valley, CA, 2000 to 2010.

Background: Changes in herpes zoster (HZ) epidemiology are expected with childhood varicella vaccination. We reported previously that during 2000 to 2006 HZ incidence decreased 55% in children <10 years of age, while among 10- to 19-year olds it increased by 63%. We update the analysis with 4 additional years of data.

Pathways to Program Success: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of Communities Putting Prevention to Work Case Study Programs.

Objective: To examine the elements of capacity, a measure of organizational resources supporting program implementation that result in successful completion of public health program objectives in a public health initiative serving 50 communities.

Design: We used crisp set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to analyze case study and quantitative data collected during the evaluation of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program.

Setting: CPPW awardee program staff and partners implemented evidence-based public health improvements in counties, cities, and organizations (eg, worksites, schools).

Centralized Data Management in a Multicountry, Multisite Population-based Study.

Background: A centralized data management system was developed for data collection and processing for the Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA) study. ANISA is a longitudinal cohort study involving neonatal infection surveillance and etiology detection in multiple sites in South Asia. The primary goal of designing such a system was to collect and store data from different sites in a standardized way to pool the data for analysis.

Zika Virus Infection with Prolonged Maternal Viremia and Fetal Brain Abnormalities.

The current outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has been associated with an apparent increased risk of congenital microcephaly. We describe a case of a pregnant woman and her fetus infected with ZIKV during the 11th gestational week. The fetal head circumference decreased from the 47th percentile to the 24th percentile between 16 and 20 weeks of gestation.