Discovery and Genomic Characterization of a Novel Hepadnavirus from Asymptomatic Anadromous Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus).

The alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) is an anadromous herring that inhabits waters of northeastern North America. This prey species is a critical forage for piscivorous birds, mammals, and fishes in estuarine and oceanic ecosystems. During a discovery project tailored to identify potentially emerging pathogens of this species, we obtained the full genome of a novel hepadnavirus (ApHBV) from clinically normal alewives collected from the Maurice River, Great Egg Harbor River, and Delaware River in New Jersey, USA during 2015-2018. This previously undescribed hepadnavirus contained a circular DNA genome of 3146 nucleotides. Phylogenetic analysis of the polymerase protein placed this virus in the clade of metahepadnaviruses (family: Hepadnaviridae; genus: Metahepadnavirus). There was no evidence of pathology in the internal organs of infected fish and virions were not observed in liver tissues by electron microscopy. We developed a Taqman-based quantitative (qPCR) assay and screened 182 individuals collected between 2015 and 2018 and detected additional qPCR positives (n = 6). An additional complete genome was obtained in 2018 and it has 99.4% genome nucleotide identity to the first virus. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms were observed between the two genomes, including 7/9 and 12/8 synonymous vs nonsynonymous mutations across the polymerase and surface proteins, respectively. While there was no evidence that this virus was associated with disease in this species, alewives are migratory interjurisdictional fishes of management concern. Identification of microbial agents using de novo sequencing and other advanced technologies is a critical aspect of understanding disease ecology for informed population management.

Inclusion of Drinking Water Source and Testing Questions into Electronic Medical Records: Advancing Environmental Medicine and Public Health Outreach in New Jersey.

Chronic arsenic exposure is associated with adverse health outcomes, and early life exposure is particularly damaging. Households with pregnant people and young children drinking from unregulated wells in arsenic-prevalent regions are therefore a public health priority for outreach and intervention. A partnership between Columbia University, New Jersey government partners, and Hunterdon Healthcare has informed Hunterdon County residents of the risks faced from drinking arsenic-contaminated water and offered free well testing through a practice-based water test kit distribution and an online patient portal outreach. Encouraged by those successes, Hunterdon Healthcare incorporated questions about drinking water source and arsenic testing history into the electronic medical record (EMR) template used by most primary care practices in Hunterdon County. The new EMR fields allow for additional targeting of risk-based outreach and water test kit distribution, offering promising new opportunities for public health and environmental medicine outreach, surveillance, and research.

Active forest stewardship benefits priority birds in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Fire suppression has negatively impacted thousands of acres of private and public lands in the United States. As a case study, the New Jersey Pine Barrens (NJPB) are a disturbance driven ecosystem that is experiencing serious ecological implications due to a loss of traditional forest thinning activities such as harvesting for forest products or thinning for wildfire fuel-load reduction measures coupled with a long-standing philosophy of fire suppression and dormant-season prescribed burning. Dense closed-canopy forest conditions, dissimilar to historic open-canopy forests of the NJPB, have reduced abundance and diversity of certain flora and fauna, including regionally imperiled breeding birds. In recent years, active forest stewardship (e.g., thinning, clear-cutting, and burning) has occurred on private and some public lands within the NJPB; however, the impact of such management on breeding birds is unclear due to a paucity of research on this subject within the NJPB. During 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2017, we conducted repeat-visit point counts (n = 1,800) for breeding songbirds across 75 control and 75 treatment sites within the NJPB to assess the influence of forest structure at three strata levels (groundcover, midstory profile, and canopy) on breeding bird communities. Specifically, we constructed a hierarchical community abundance model within a Bayesian framework for Bird Conservation Region (BCR) 30 priority upland birds (n = 12) within three species suites: Forested Upland, Scrub-Shrub (or Young Forest), and Grassland. At the community level, we found a negative relationship between bird abundance and live tree basal area. At the BCR 30 suite level, we found no relationship between Forested Upland suite-level abundance and any of the measured covariates; however, we found a negative relationship between percentage of woody groundcover and Scrub-Shrub suite-level abundance, and negative relationship between horizontal visual obstruction at 2 m above ground level and Grassland suite-level abundance. Furthermore, the two latter species suites exhibited a strong negative relationship with basal area. We recommend active forest stewardship that specifically targets opening the canopy to achieve basal areas between ~0-15 m2/ha via selective thinning, shelter cutting, and small-scale clear cutting. Mechanical treatment and prescribed burning would produce such conditions and have the added benefit of reducing fuel loads across this ~4,500 km2 landscape as well as assisting in carbon defense strategies for the region.

Willingness and ability of existing mosquito control and public health agencies in New Jersey to assume responsibilities for management of ticks and tick-borne disease.

We conducted surveys of New Jersey mosquito control and public health agencies to determine their willingness and ability to expand or create and maintain publicly funded tick and tick-borne disease (T/TBD) management programs. Nearly all (86%) of 21 county mosquito control agencies (MCAs) completed the survey, while only 25% of the 102 health departments (HDs) responded, probably reflecting traditional agency responsibilities. Although few of either group had formal programs, many were engaged in T/TBD-related activities. Many MCAs rated their ability to assume T/TBD responsibilities as high or moderate, while most HDs rated their capabilities as low. With the exceptions of lack of sustainable funding and possible legal constraints, the groups differed regarding perceived barriers to program creation and maintenance. Both groups envisioned comprehensive programs emphasizing public education, but program priorities differed between the groups. MCAs were willing to include most program activities, while HDs felt that some activities should be the responsibility of other agencies. MCAs were generally more familiar than HDs with tick control methods and while both groups would include control in a comprehensive program, both would limit control to public lands. Estimated program costs varied widely, probably reflecting responding agency size and complexity of envisioned programs. These results in a state with a system of existing agencies staffed by highly competent professionals suggest that more than simply additional funding (e.g., established guidelines for tick control and surveillance) is needed to create a network of practice necessary to address the growing incidence of TBD.

The first record of an established population of Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey, USA.

Amblyomma maculatum Koch, the Gulf Coast tick, is expanding northward from its original range in the southeastern United States. In 2013, its most northern collection was in Delaware. Amblyomma maculatum has since been found in Connecticut, Illinois, and New York. It is the vector of the human pathogen Rickettsia parkeri, the causative agent of R. parkeri rickettsiosis. We report the first finding of an established population of A. maculatum in Salem County, NJ, with a R. parkeri infection prevalence rate of 23.8%. Our finding of A. maculatum is consistent with other recent findings in the northeastern United States in that specimens were found in open areas devoid of tree canopy. This discovery demonstrates the importance of tick surveillance in order to identify expanding tick populations and the pathogens they may transmit.

The Impact of Combined Sewer Overflows on Pharmaceutical and Illicit Drug Levels in New York/New Jersey Waterways.

Pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse are organic micropollutants of emerging concern in both surface and groundwater worldwide. These compounds are considered to be pseudo-persistent because of their continuous release into water systems. The presence of these compounds in the environment at any concentration poses a potential risk to nontarget organisms. The main sources of these contaminants are wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The primary goal of our study was to identify and quantify a panel of 28 commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals (mood-altering drugs, cardiovascular drugs, antacids, antibiotics) and high-prevalence drugs of abuse (cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, cannabis) in river water samples collected from 19 locations in the Hudson and East rivers in New York City. The second goal was to investigate the possible source (WWTP or CSOs) of these micropollutants. Samples were collected weekly from May to August 2021 (n = 224) and May to August 2022 (n = 232), and placed at -20 °C until analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The most frequently detected analytes in 2021 were metoprolol (n = 206, 92%), benzoylecgonine (n = 151, 67%), atenolol (n = 142, 63%), and methamphetamine (n = 118, 53%), and in 2022 the most frequently detected were methamphetamine (n = 194, 84%), atenolol (n = 177, 76%), metoprolol (n = 177, 76%), and 2-ethylene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (n = 159, 69%). Measured concentrations ranged from the limit of detection (0.50-5.00 ng/L) to 103 ng/L. More drugs and higher concentrations were detected in water contaminated by Enterococci (>60 most probably number) and after rainfall, indicating the influence of CSOs. The presence of drugs in samples with little to no Enterococci and after dry weather events indicates that WWTPs contribute to the presence of these substances in the river, probably due to a low removal rate. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1592-1603. © 2024 SETAC.

Impact of environmental pollutants on pediatric brain tumor incidence in New Jersey.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between environmental contaminants and brain tumor incidence in adults has been thoroughly explored but research into how these contaminants affect pediatric brain tumor (PBT) incidence has not been explored. Children, typically having more limited geographical movement and thus more consistent environmental contaminant exposure, might offer more reliable insights into which environmental contaminants affect the incidence of brain tumors. The present study is the first to focus on exploring whether a possible association exists between the incidence of PBTs and exposure to environmental pollutants in New Jersey (NJ). METHODS: Linear regressions were run between PBT incidence and the concentration of air quality pollutants such as Ozone (O3), Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5), Particulate Matter 10 (PM10), and Carbon Monoxide (CO). Similarly, linear regressions were run between PBT incidence and Elevated Blood Lead Levels (BLL). RESULTS: The study observed a significant positive relationship between O3 and PBT incidence (ß = 0.34, p = 0.028). However, the relationship between PBT incidence, and environmental pollutants such as CO (ß = 0.0047, p = 0.098), PM2.5 (ß = -0.2624, p = 0.74), and PM10 (ß = -0.7353, p = 0.073) were found to be nonsignificant. For elevated BLL, nonsignificant relationships with PBT incidence were observed at 10-14 µg/dL (ß = -39.38, p = 0.30), 15-19 µg/dL (ß = -67.00, p = 0.21), and 20-44 µg/dL (ß = -201.98, p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a possible impact of O3 on the incidence of PBTs in NJ. In contrast to the significant links found in prior studies of adult brain tumors, the associations between PBT occurrence and particulate matter were not significant. These findings highlight the importance of further investigating how environmental factors, especially O3, relate to PBTs.

Depression Literacy and Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Self-Rated Mental Health Among Korean Americans.

OBJECTIVE: Depression literacy (DL) is increasingly recognized as an important predictor of mental health outcomes, but there remains a noticeable lack of scientific inquiry focusing on Korean Americans in this area. In addition, women are known to be more susceptible to depression, potentially affecting their DL and depressive symptoms differently than men. This study aimed to explore two primary objectives: (1) the potential role of self-rated mental health (SRMH) in mediating the association between DL and depressive symptoms in this population, and (2) whether gender differences exist in the presence and magnitudes of these mediation effects. METHOD: Data were drawn from a survey with 693 Korean Americans aged 18 and older residing in New York and New Jersey. The PROCESS macro was used to test the mediation effect of self-rated mental health on the relationship between depression literacy and depressive symptoms in men and women. RESULTS: Self-rated mental health was found to mediate the relation between depression literacy and depressive symptoms in women but not in men. CONCLUSIONS: Providing evidence-informed, culturally tailored and gender specific depression literacy education and programs for the KA communities may be an important strategy to reduce depressive symptoms in this group.

"You and Me Do It for the Love of Teaching": Exploring the Expansion of Clinical Training Opportunities for Midwives.

PURPOSE: To better understand the barriers and facilitators to precepting midwifery students from across the healthcare ecosystem in New Jersey. BACKGROUND: Growing the midwifery workforce is a crucial step to alleviating disparately poor perinatal health outcomes and expanding access to care. Difficulty recruiting and retaining preceptors has been identified as a barrier to graduating more midwives. METHODS: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 individuals involved in different stages of the clinical training process: midwives, physicians, and administrators. Transcripts were coded using the tenets of qualitative description and thematic analysis. Analysis was guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. RESULTS: The following themes were identified and organized within the domains identified by our conceptual framework. Evidence: (mis)understanding the benefits of midwifery care and impacts on patient care. Context: the time and energy it takes to precept and practice considerations. Facilitations: developing the next generation of healthcare providers and the quiet and ever-present role of money in healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study support the importance of approaching midwifery precepting as a multifaceted endeavor, one that necessitates the full support of individuals within many different roles in an organization. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: Getting buy-in from various levels of the healthcare ecosystem requires a flexible approach but must include a targeted effort toward showing the value of midwifery care in terms of patient outcomes, satisfaction, and cost.

Evaluating Firearm Violence After New Jersey's Cash Bail Reform.

Importance: Reducing the pretrial detention population has been a cornerstone of movements to end mass incarceration. Across many US cities, there are ongoing public debates on policies that would end pretrial detention due to the inability to afford bail, with some raising concerns that doing so would increase community violence. Objective: To evaluate changes in firearm violence after New Jersey's 2017 bail reform policy that eliminated financial barriers to avoiding pretrial detention. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study used synthetic control methods to examine changes in firearm mortality and combined fatal and nonfatal shootings in New Jersey (2014-2019). New Jersey was chosen because it was one of the first states to systematically implement cash bail reform. Outcomes in New Jersey were compared with a weighted combination of 36 states that did not implement any kind of reform to pretrial detention during the study period. Data were analyzed from April 2023 to March 2024. Exposure: Implementation of New Jersey's cash bail reform law in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Quarterly rates of fatal and nonfatal firearm assault injuries and firearm self-harm injuries per 100 000 people. Results: Although New Jersey's pretrial detention population dramatically decreased under bail reform, the study did not find evidence of increases in overall firearm mortality (average treatment effect on the treated, -0.26 deaths per 100 000) or gun violence (average treatment effect on the treated, -0.24 deaths per 100 000), or within racialized groups during the postpolicy period. Conclusions and Relevance: Incarceration and gun violence are major public health problems impacting racially and economically marginalized groups. Cash bail reform may be an important tool for reducing pretrial detention and advancing health equity without exacerbating community violence.

Long-term suppression of turfgrass insect pests with native persistent entomopathogenic nematodes.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) can control several important turfgrass insect pests including white grubs, weevils, cutworms, and sod webworms. But most of the research has focused on inundative releases in a biopesticide strategy using EPN strains that may have lost some of their ability to persist effectively over years of lab maintenance and / or selection for virulence and efficient mass-production. Our study examined the potential of fresh field isolate mixes of endemic EPNs to provide multi-year suppression of turfgrass insect pests. In early June 2020, we applied isolate mixes from golf courses of the EPNs Steinernema carpocapsae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, and their combination to plots straddling fairway and rough on two golf courses in central New Jersey, USA. Populations of EPNs and insect pests were sampled on the fairway and rough side of the plots from just before EPN application until October 2022. EPN populations increased initially in plots treated with the respective species. Steinernema carpocapsae densities stayed high for most of the experiment. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora densities decreased after 6 months and stabilized at lower levels. Several insect pests were reduced across the entire experimental period. In the fairway, the combination treatment reduced annual bluegrass weevil larvae (59 % reduction) and adults (74 %); S. carpocapsae reduced only adults (42 %). White grubs were reduced by H. bacteriophora (67 %) and the combination (63 %). Black turfgrass ataenius adults were reduced in all EPN treatments (43-62 %) in rough and fairway. Sod webworm larvae were reduced by S. carpocapsae in the fairway (75 %) and the rough (100 %) and by H. bacteriophora in the rough (75 %). Cutworm larvae were reduced in the fairway by S. carpocapsae (88 %) and the combination (75 %). Overall, our observations suggest that inoculative applications of fresh field isolate mixes of endemic EPNs may be a feasible approach to long-term suppression of insect pests in turfgrass but may require periodic reapplications.

Assessing reliability of naïve respondent-driven sampling samples by using repeated surveys among people who inject drugs (PWID) in New Jersey.

INTRODUCTION: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is widely used to sample populations with higher risk of HIV infection for whom no sampling frames exist. However, few studies have been done to assess the reliability of RDS in real world settings. METHODS: We assessed the reliability of naïve RDS samples using five rounds of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance - People Who Inject Drugs surveys in Newark, New Jersey from 2005 to 2018. Specifically, we compared the distributions of time-insensitive demographic characteristics in temporally adjacent RDS samples with Monte Carlo Two-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test with 100,000 replicates. The distributions of time-sensitive demographic characteristics were also compared as sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The study showed that repeated RDS samples among people who inject drugs in the greater Newark area, New Jersey were reliable in most of time-insensitive demographics and recruitment homophily statistics. Sensitivity analyses of time-sensitive demographics also presented consistencies in most of temporally adjacent samples. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, RDS has the potential to provide reliable samples, but demographic characteristics of RDS samples may be easily biased by homophily. Future studies using RDS may need to pay more attention to potential homophily bias and consider necessary diagnostic procedures and sample adjustments.

Brief Parent-Child Substance Use Education Intervention for Black Families in Urban Cities in New Jersey: Protocol for a Formative Study Design.

BACKGROUND: Substance use continues to remain a public health issue for youths in the United States. Black youths living in urban communities are at a heightened risk of poor outcomes associated with substance use and misuse due to exposure to stressors in their neighborhoods, racial discrimination, and lack of prevention education programs specifically targeting Black youths. Many Black youths, especially those who live in urban communities, do not have access to culturally tailored interventions, leaving a critical gap in prevention. Since family is a well-known protective factor against substance misuse for Black youths, it is essential to create sustainable and accessible programming that incorporates Black youths' and their families' voices to develop a suitable prevention program for them. OBJECTIVE: We aim to understand the cultural and environmental level factors that influence substance use among Black youths and develop a prevention program to increase parent-child substance use education among Black families. METHODS: This study will take place within urban cities in New Jersey such as Paterson and East Orange, New Jersey, which will be the main study sites. Both cities have a large population of Black youths and this study's team has strong ties with youths-serving organizations there. A formative, qualitative study will be conducted first. Using the first 3 steps of the ADAPT-ITT (Assessment, Decision, Adaptation, Production, Topical Experts, Integration, Training, and Testing) framework we begin the development of an intervention for Black families. Three aims will be described: aim 1, collect qualitative data from Black parents and youths aged 11-17 years from parent-child dyads (N=20) on the challenges, barriers, and facilitators to communicating about substance use; aim 2, adapt a selected evidence-based intervention for Black families and develop a family advisory board to guide the adaptation; and aim 3 assess the feasibility of the intervention through theater testing, involving the family and community advisory board. RESULTS: This study is part of a 2-year research pilot study award from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse. Data collection began in May 2023, and for aim 1, it is 95% complete. All aim 1 data collection is expected to be complete by December 30, 2023. Data analysis will immediately follow. Aim 2 activity will occur in spring 2024. Aim 3 activity may begin in fall 2024 and conclude in 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This study will be one of the few interventions that address substance use among youths and uses parents and families in urban communities as a protective factor within the program. We anticipate that the intervention will benefit Black youths not only in New Jersey but across the nation, working on building culturally appropriate, community-specific prevention education and building on strong families' relationships, resulting in a reduction of or delayed substance use. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55470.

Comfort levels and experiences of middle school and high school age children in anatomical donor-based anatomy outreach sessions.

Many health professions schools host anatomy outreach sessions for high school students that utilize anatomical donors. However, teaching with anatomical donors for younger learners is uncommon. This study aimed to assess the comfort levels and experiences of students who attended the anatomy sessions as part of summer programs at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Younger learners (students entering grades 7-10; n = 25) and older learners (students entering grades 11-12; n = 33) completed pre- and post-session surveys about their comfort using a 5-point Likert scale. Before the sessions, most students felt comfortable or very comfortable learning from isolated organs (µ = 2.7, SD = 1.3) or full-body donors (µ = 2.4, SD = 1.4), even though most have never been to an anatomical donor lab before. After the sessions, the comfort level significantly increased for both isolated organs (µ = 3.3, SD = 1.1; p = 0.02) and full-body donors (µ = 3.1, SD = 1.2; p = 0.004). For isolated organs, there was no significant difference in the comfort level between younger and older learners before (p = 0.50) or after (p = 0.56) the sessions. Similarly, for full-body donors, there was no significant difference in the comfort level between younger and older learners before (p = 0.95) or after (p = 0.75) the sessions. Most students expressed that the experience was unique and positive. In conclusion, most students entering grades 7-12 felt comfortable learning from isolated organs and full-body anatomical donors prior to the sessions and felt more comfortable after the sessions. With this, anatomy outreach programs that utilize anatomical donors could be expanded to include younger learners to provide more dynamic teaching experiences for students of various ages.

The influence of primary language on postoperative stroke outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Language barriers have the potential to influence acute stroke outcomes. Thus, we examined postoperative stroke outcomes among non-English primary language speakers. METHODS: Utilizing the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database (2016-2019), we conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults diagnosed with a postoperative stroke in Michigan, Maryland, and New Jersey. Patients were classified by primary language spoken: English (EPL) or non-English (n-EPL). The primary outcome was hospital length-of-stay. Secondary outcomes included stroke intervention, feeding tube, tracheostomy, mortality, cost, disposition, and readmission. Propensity-score matching and post-match regression were used to quantify outcomes. RESULTS: Among 3078 postoperative stroke patients, 6.2 â€‹% were n-EPL. There were no differences in length-of-stay or secondary outcomes, except for higher odds of feeding tube placement (OR 1.95, 95 â€‹% CI 1.10-3.47, p â€‹= â€‹0.0227) in n-EPL. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative stroke outcomes were comparable by primary language spoken. However, higher odds of feeding tube placement in n-EPL may suggest differences in patient-provider communication.

Hepatitis C Exposure Diagnosis and Testing in Infants Born to Hepatitis C Virus-infected Mothers.

BACKGROUND: There has been a 5-fold increase in the number of cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among pregnant women, which is potentially associated with the increase in opioid use. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of infants born at a tertiary urban hospital in New Jersey, from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2021, who were born to mothers with a prenatal diagnosis of HCV. RESULTS: Of the 142 mothers with a prenatal diagnosis of HCV, 114 (80%) infants had a diagnosis of HCV exposure in the electronic health records. Of the HCV-exposed infants with follow-up data at 24 months of age, 52 (46%) were tested, with 34 of 52 (65%) receiving adequate testing. Infants documented as HCV exposed were more likely to be born to a mother with nonopioid drug use in pregnancy ( P = 0.01) and have a higher birth weight ( P = 0.03). Of tested infants, those with a higher number of well-child pediatrician visits ( P = 0.01) were more likely to receive adequate testing. Trends showed more polymerase chain reaction testing than antibody testing for those who were inadequately tested. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of infants born to HCV-infected mothers were either not identified at birth (20%) or did not receive adequate testing on follow-up (35%). Further work needs to be done to improve documentation of HCV exposure at birth and follow-up testing to avoid missing congenitally acquired HCV.

Enhancing Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Surveillance in New Jersey: Optimized Collection of Culiseta melanura.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) causes the most clinically severe neuroinvasive arboviral disease in the United States. The virus is endemic in eastern and Gulf Coast states and the Great Lakes region, causing cases annually. To detect EEEV circulation in its enzootic cycle before the virus infects humans and other mammals, mosquito control agencies in New Jersey have conducted mosquito surveillance using a series of permanent wooden resting box sites since 1975. We conducted 2 field studies, 1 evaluating resting traps and 1 evaluating efficacy of CO2 lures, to optimize collection of Culiseta melanura, the primary enzootic vector of EEEV. Resulting mosquito samples were subjected to molecular analysis to determine EEEV infection rates. Corrugated plastic boxes trapped more bloodfed Cs. melanura than other resting trap types (resting boxes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] resting traps, or fiber pots) and were similar to resting boxes in total number of female Cs. melanura caught. Further, non-baited CDC light traps were more successful in trapping host-seeking Cs. melanura than those baited with dry ice, a CO2 lure. The EEEV RNA was identified in Cs. melanura, Aedes vexans, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and Uranotaenia sapphirina. Our findings indicate that corrugated plastic boxes and non-CO2 baited traps could improve detection of Cs. melanura. Mosquito control agencies are encouraged to periodically assess their surveillance strategy for EEEV.

Comparison of COVID-19 Symptoms in Correctional Health Care Workers During the Initial and Omicron Surges.

There is a dearth of medical literature that characterizes the experience of correctional health care workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed a retrospective chart review of the results of an ongoing universal SARS-CoV-2 testing program for New Jersey correctional system HCWs and describe their presenting symptoms, perceived exposure, and demographic characteristics during the initial (March 15, 2020, to August 31, 2020) and Omicron (March 1, 2022, to August 31, 2022) COVID-19 surges. Analysis included 123 eligible records. In both surges, nurses had a high proportion of infections and cough was the most commonly reported symptom. Fever was more than twice as commonly reported in the initial surge. During the Omicron surge, nasal symptoms predominated (39.5% [95% CI: 28.4-51.4]) compared with the initial surge (8.5% [95% CI: 2.4-20.4]). Perceived exposure source was predominantly work related during the initial surge and multiple other sources of exposure were identified during the Omicron surge. Ninety-six percent of HCWs received a COVID-19 booster shot by February 2022. The reinfection rate was less than 10% for our initial cohort. Presenting symptoms correlated with the circulating variant. Mass vaccination of staff, the lower virulence of the Omicron variant, and possibly prior infection likely contributed to the milder illness experienced during the Omicron surge.

The effects of social support and self-efficacy on hopefulness in low-income older adults during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Social support and self-efficacy play a significant role in improving positive psychological well-being in marginalized older adults. However, to date, there are few studies identifying the relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the effect of social support and self-efficacy on hopefulness in a majority Black sample of marginalized low-income older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study used baseline data from a clinical trial designed to increase COVID-19 testing in Essex County, NJ, United States. The dataset involved participants 50 years old or older. We conducted: 1) cross-sectional descriptive/frequency statistics to understand the sociodemographic characteristics, 2) multivariate linear regression to investigate the direct relationships between social support subscales or self-efficacy and hopefulness, and 3) mediation analyses to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and hopefulness. RESULTS: Our findings showed that self-efficacy had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between social support and hopefulness. After adjusting for covariate variables, social support subscales (i.e., emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, positive social interaction social support) and self-efficacy were significantly associated with hopefulness. The indirect effect of social support via self-efficacy was positive and statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between social support and hopefulness in marginalized older adults aged 50 and over. Further research is needed to identify the various facets of positive psychological well-being using longitudinal data and a larger sample size.

Racial and ethnic disparities in access to community-based perinatal mental health programs: results from a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental health is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects people from racial and ethnic minority groups. Community-based perinatal mental health programs, such as peer support groups, are essential tools for the prevention and treatment of perinatal depression. Yet, little is known about racial and ethnic disparities in accessibility and utilization of community-based perinatal mental health programs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey with program administrators representing perinatal mental health community-based services and support programs throughout New Jersey. Descriptive analysis and mapping software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Thirty-three program administrators completed the survey. Results showed substantial racial and ethnic disparities in availability and utilization of community-based programs. In the majority of programs, Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals made up less than 10% of total annual participants and less than 10% of facilitators. There were also geographic disparities in program accessibility and language availability across counties. Program administrators identified mental health stigma, lack of support from family, fear of disclosure of mental health challenges, social determinants, lack of language-concordant options in programs, and limited awareness of programs in the community as significant barriers to participation of racial and ethnic minorities. Strategies to address barriers included adding language options, improving program outreach, and increasing diversity of facilitators. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new evidence on racial and ethnic disparities in access to community-based perinatal mental health programs. Efforts to build the resources and capacities of community-based programs to identify equity gaps, increase diversity of staff, and address barriers to participation is critical to reducing racial and ethnic inequities in perinatal mental health.