Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Infrastructure and Resources in Schools in Belize during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2021-2023.

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources in schools is critical for disease prevention and control, especially during public health emergencies. In Belize, systematic, national data on WASH in schools are needed to inform public health decisions and interventions. From December 2021 to January 2022, a national survey was sent electronically to government and government-aided primary and secondary schools in Belize (N = 308) to gather information on WASH services. From the survey, 12 pilot schools were selected based on the highest self-reported need for WASH resources to participate in additional evaluation and intervention, which included environmental nudges, supplemental supply provision, and hand hygiene education. To understand how the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced hand hygiene, facility assessments to evaluate access to hand hygiene resources were conducted in person when most schools reopened for face-to-face learning during the pandemic (March 2022) and 15 months later (June 2023). Among the schools participating in the national survey (N = 221), 55% reported times when water was not available at the schools. Almost 9 in 10 schools (89%) had a functional handwashing station, and 47% reported always having soap for handwashing. Between baseline and follow-up at the 12 pilot schools, we observed decreases in the proportion of functional handwashing access points (-11%), functional handwashing access points accessible for individuals with disabilities (-17%) and small children (-29%), and functional alcohol-based hand rub dispensers (-13%). Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we observed gaps in WASH resources in schools in Belize during the onsite assessments at the pilot schools. Schools should be encouraged and provided with WASH resources to maintain vigilance for disease control measures.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Acute Dengue Virus Infections Detected through Acute Febrile Illness Surveillance, Belize 2020.

The Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) Surveillance Network in Belize is a country-wide active surveillance program aimed at diagnosing vector-borne, respiratory, and enteric pathogens among patients presenting to 11 participating hospitals and clinics with new onset fever. This study describes the epidemiology of dengue virus (DENV) infections in Belize diagnosed through AFI surveillance in 2020. Of the 894 patients enrolled and PCR-tested for DENV in this period, 44 DENV-positive cases (5%) were identified. All four DENV serotypes were detected, with two cases testing positive for DENV serotype 4, which is the first report of this serotype in Belize since 2004. The majority of DENV cases (66%) were diagnosed in the Belize District, which contains the largest urban center in the country (Belize City). Positive cases were detected between January 2020 and September 2020, with the majority (89%) diagnosed during the dry season between January and April, unlike years prior when cases were more often diagnosed during the wet season. Clinical signs and symptoms varied slightly between DENV serotypes. Active surveillance of DENV among AFI cases provides insight into the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of DENV in Belize. This information is important for informing public health interventions to mitigate DENV transmission.

Melanized-Cationic Cellulose Nanofiber Foams for Bioinspired Removal of Cationic Dyes.

In recent years, water pollution has developed into a severe environmental and public health problem due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, especially in some developing countries. Finding solutions to tackle water pollution is urgently required and is of global importance. Currently, a range of water treatment methods are available; however, a water remediation process that is simple, inexpensive, eco-friendly, and effective for the removal of pollutants down to ppm/ppb concentrations has long been sought after. Herein, we describe a novel approach using fungal melanin for developing melanized-cationic cellulose nanofiber (melanized-C-CNF) foams that can successfully remove pollutants in water systems. The foam can be recycled several times while retaining its adsorption/desorption property, indicating high practicability for adsorbing the cationic dye crystal violet. This work highlights the opportunity to combine both the advanced features of sustainable polymers such as cellulose and the unique properties of fungal melanin to manufacture biohybrid composites for water purification.

Microbial production of melanin and its various applications.

Melanins are natural biopolymers that are known to contribute to different biological processes and to protect organisms from adverse environmental conditions. During the past decade, melanins have attracted increasing attention for their use in organic semiconductors and bioelectronics, drug delivery, photoprotection and environmental bioremediation. Although considerable advances in these fields have been achieved, real-world applications of melanins are still scarce, probably due to the limited and expensive source of natural melanin. Nevertheless, recent biotechnological advances have allowed for relatively large-scale production of microbial melanins, which could replace current commercial melanin. In this review, we first describe different melanin sources and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each production method. Our focus is on the microbial synthesis of melanins, including the methodology and mechanism of melanin formation. Applications of microbial melanins are also discussed, and an outlook on how to push the field forward is discussed.