Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology

Following the confirmation of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) cases in Rotoon and Lobuluyat (Juba County, South Sudan), a rapid qualitative assessment was conducted through community awareness sessions (n=254) and focus group discussions with mothers and caregivers in Mangateen IDP settlement, Al-Sabah Hospital, and surrounding high-risk areas. Key barriers to polio vaccination included absence of nearby health facilities, transport costs, irregular facility operations, intermittent outreach (with some areas last served three years ago), poor health education, and inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Despite strong community trust in vaccines and willingness to seek care for paralysis, systemic delivery gaps and missed households during campaigns enable silent cVDPV transmission. The brief recommends immediate establishment of temporary vaccination posts, retraining of campaign vaccinators, door-to-door mop‑ups, distribution of water treatment kits, and long‑term WASH rehabilitation plus community‑based acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. Equity‑focused interventions addressing these barriers are critical to interrupt sustained cVDPV circulation in Juba County.

This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed national surveillance data on suspected measles and rubella cases in Bangladesh from January to December 2023. Data were collected from all eight administrative divisions and included demographic, laboratory, and epidemiological variables. Of 7,061 suspected measles cases, 6,309 samples were tested, with 3.38% laboratory-confirmed. Rubella IgM positivity was highest among children aged 5–14 years. Confirmed measles and rubella incidence rates were 1.45 and 0.99 per million population, respectively. Laboratory performance and investigation timelines showed high efficiency, with 98% of results reported within four days and investigations initiated within 48 hours. The findings highlight ongoing transmission in certain regions and emphasize the importance of strengthened surveillance and improved vaccination coverage to achieve measles and rubella elimination goals in Bangladesh.

Plasmodium to adapt rapidly to drugs and to or immune system's efforts to render it ineffective. With billions of parasites circulating in a single human host, Plasmodium species are poised to resist immunological and chemotherapeutic attacks. With the aid of mosquito vectors, a single infected can transmit to hundreds of other individuals within months, far outstripping the infection rate of HIV or tuberculosis. The aim of this study is to identify the challenges in malaria diagnosis and elimination among in-and-out patients of Kaltungo General Hospital, located in a local government area of Gombe state, Nigeria. It is a semi-urban community hospital which covers over 40 rural areas and serves as a secondary health facility for 15 Primary Health Care centers (PHCs) around the area. Findings show that 70% of the challenges in malaria diagnosis and elimination is due to the life-cycle of the causative agent, Plasmodium; the most common in this rural area being Plasmodium falciparum, 20% was due to the failure of early diagnosis as a result of the attitude of the community who do not come to the hospital until the case is near death, while 10% was also found to be due to the cost of treatment. Despite efforts by successive governments to provide malaria drugs and treated nets, sharp practices among health workers and non-adherence to drug usage has made the diagnosis and elimination of malaria a herculean challenge. Four-hundred and forty-five (445) patients were diagnosed during the period of this study representing 60% of both in-and-out patients in the hospital. 345 representing 77.5% were diagnosed as positive for P. falciparum (Positive =345; +100, ++245) while 100 representing 22.5% turned out as Not Seen (NS).

Disinfection of surfaces by ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation is gaining importance in diverse applications. However, there is generally no accepted computational procedure to determine the minimum irradiation times and UV-C doses required for reliable and secure disinfection of surfaces. UV-C dose distributions must be comparable for devices presently on the market and future ones, as well as for the diverse surfaces of objects to be disinfected. A mathematical model is presented to estimate irradiance distributions. To this end, the relevant parameters are defined. These parameters are the optical properties of the UV-C light sources, such as wavelength and emitted optical power, as well as electrical features, like radiant efficiency and consumed power. Furthermore, the characteristics and geometry of the irradiated surfaces as well as the positions of the irradiated surfaces in relation to the UV-C light sources are considered. Because mercury (Hg) lamps are competitive with UV-C light-emitting diodes, a comparative analysis between these two light sources based on the simulation results is also discussed.

Th e International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]) are a set of legally binding regulations for all World Health Organisation (WHO) Member States. Th ey aim to harmonise the protection of public health while avoiding unnecessary disruption of trade and travel through the development of eff ective global alert, surveillance and response strategies for all priority public health events. Th e IHR(1969) were used by WHO Member States to guide international prevention and control of infectious diseases until June 2007. Th e IHR(1969) obliged WHO Member States to notify the WHO of cholera, plague and yellow fever outbreaks in their territories. In addition, the IHR(1969) included requirements for health and vaccination certifi cates for travellers from infected to non-infected areas; deratting, disinfecting and disinsecting of ships and aircraft; as well as detailed health measures at airports and seaports in the territories of WHO Member States [1]. Rapid globalisation and the emergence of new diseases and hazards in the 21 st century rendered the IHR(1969)

In 2000, the OzFoodNet network was established to enhance surveillance of foodborne diseases across Australia. OzFoodNet consists of 7 sites and covers 68 per cent of Australia's population. During 2001, sites reported 15,815 cases of campylobacteriosis, 6,607 cases of salmonellosis, 326 cases of shigellosis, 71 cases of yersiniosis, 61 cases of listeriosis, 47 cases of shiga-toxin producing E. coli and 5 cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Sites reported 86 foodborne outbreaks affecting 1,768 people, of whom 4.0 per cent (70/1,768) were hospitalised and one person died. There was a wide range of foods implicated in these outbreaks and the most common agent was S. Typhimurium. Sites reported two international outbreaks; one of multi-drug resistant S. Typhimurium Definitive Type 104 due to helva imported from Turkey, and one of S. Stanley associated with dried peanuts from China. The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health conducted a national survey of gastroent...

The assessment of red fox population density is considered relevant to the surveillance of zoonotic agents vectored by this species. However, density is difficult to estimate reliably, since the ecological plasticity and elusive behavior of this carnivore hinder classic methods of inference. In this study, red fox population density was estimated using a non-invasive molecular spatial capture-recapture (SCR) approach in two study areas: one in a known hotspot of the zoonotic cestode Echinococcus multilocularis, and another naïve to the parasite. Parasitological investigations on collected samples confirmed the presence of the parasite exclusively in the former area; the SCR results indicated a higher fox population density in the control area than in the hotspot, suggesting either that the relationship between fox density and parasite prevalence is not linear and/or the existence of other latent factors supporting the parasitic cycle in the known focus. In addition, fox spotlight co...

Blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing animal disease surveillance by enhancing data integrity, early detection, and response capabilities. Blockchain's decentralized ledger ensures secure, transparent data sharing among stakeholders, crucial for disease monitoring and supply chain management in veterinary health. AI, through machine learning and natural language processing, analyzes diverse datasets to predict outbreaks and monitor disease spread effectively. Integrating IoT sensors further enhances real-time monitoring of animal health parameters, facilitating early intervention. These technologies enable proactive measures such as automated data sharing and predictive modelling, essential for mitigating disease risks and optimizing resource allocation. Challenges include interoperability, data privacy, and regulatory compliance, necessitating standardized frameworks and collaborative governance. Despite these challenges, the synergistic application of blockchain and AI promises to transform global animal health surveillance, supporting a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health for enhanced public health outcomes.

Animal movements contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and are driven in part by environmental conditions. We investigated the links among the environment, animal movement, and infectious disease dynamics in waterfowl, which are among the primary wildlife hosts of avian influenza viruses. By combining telemetry data on 4606 individuals from 26 waterfowl species with data on land cover, weather, and vegetation, we found that waterfowl moved less in areas of higher land cover heterogeneity and higher human population density. Moreover, predicted waterfowl movement distances were weakly but positively correlated with distances between detections of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild waterfowl, suggesting that environmental conditions might contribute to the spread of this disease via their effects on bird movements. By considering wildlife movements alongside other drivers of infectious disease dynamics, such as livestock production and human mobility, we move closer to predicting outbreaks and informing interventions.