Prevalence of hepatitis A virus in bivalve molluscs sold in Granada (Spain) fish markets.

Viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness associated with the consumption of raw or slightly cooked contaminated shellfish. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis A virus in molluscs. Standard and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction procedures were used to monitor bivalve molluscs from the Granada fish markets (southern Spain) for this human enteric virus. Between February 2009 and October 2010, we collected a total of 329 samples of different types of bivalve molluscs (mussels, smooth clams, striped venus, and grooved clams). The results showed the presence of hepatitis A virus in 8.5% of the 329 samples analyzed. We can therefore confirm that conventional fecal indicators are unreliable for demonstrating the presence or absence of viruses. The presence of hepatitis A virus in molluscs destined for human consumption is a potential health risk in southern Spain.

How many collateral casualties are associated with road users responsible for road crashes?

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of collateral casualties associated with road users considered responsible for a road crash. METHOD: We analyzed the case series comprising all 790,435 road users involved in road crashes with victims in Spain from 2009 to 2013, recorded in a nationwide police-based registry. For each road user assumed to be responsible for a crash, we collected information relative to health outcomes in other people involved in it, and obtained the total number of collateral casualties per 100 road users considered responsible for the crash. We then estimated the strength of associations between sex, age and the number of collateral casualties generated by car drivers considered responsible for the crash, and calculated rate ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Pedestrians responsible for crashes were associated with the lowest number of collateral casualties (13.1/100), whereas the highest number (153/100) was observed for bus drivers responsible for crashes. Car drivers were associated with 104.4/100 collateral casualties. The youngest and the oldest car drivers responsible for crashes were associated with 33% and 41% more deaths, respectively, than the 25-34 year old group. Male drivers were associated with 22% more collateral casualties than female drivers. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the type of road user who was responsible for a road crash, their active contribution to the crash led to an additional number of collateral casualties in other, non-responsible users. The number and severity of collateral casualties were related to the type of vehicle and the number of people involved. These results are potentially useful to support the need to promote safer driver practices among subgroups of high-risk drivers.

OXA-48 Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales in Spanish Hospitals: An Updated Comprehensive Review on a Rising Antimicrobial Resistance.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are significant contributors to the global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance. OXA-48-like enzymes and their variants are unique carbapenemases with low or null hydrolytic activity toward carbapenems but no intrinsic activity against expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. CPEs have been classified by the WHO as high-priority pathogens given their association with morbidity and mortality and the scarce number of effective antibiotic treatments. In Spain, the frequency of OXA-48 CPE outbreaks is higher than in other European countries, representing the major resistance mechanism of CPEs. Horizontal transfer of plasmids and poor effective antibiotic treatment are additional threats to the correct prevention and control of these hospital outbreaks. One of the most important risk factors is antibiotic pressure, specifically carbapenem overuse. We explored the use of these antibiotics in Spain and analyzed the frequency, characteristics and prevention of CPE outbreaks. Future antibiotic stewardship programs along with specific preventive measures in hospitalized patients must be reinforced and updated in Spain.

[Association between type of vehicle and the risk of provoking a collision between vehicles]. / Asociación del tipo de vehículo con el riesgo de provocar una colisión entre vehículos.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the magnitude of the association between the type of vehicle and the probability of being responsible for a collision between two or more vehicles. METHOD: From the registry of road crashes with victims maintained by the Spanish Traffic General Directorate (2014 and 2015), a matched case-control study was designed. Cases were offending drivers involved in the 27,630 collisions between two or more vehicles in which only one of the drivers had committed a driving mistake or offence. Each case was matched with the non-offending drivers of the vehicles involved in the same crash: in all, 31,219 controls were included. Apart from the commission of offences and the type of vehicle involved, we got information about other characteristics of the driver (age, sex, etc.) and about the vehicle (age). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated in order to quantify the association between each type of vehicle and the odds of being responsible for the collision, crude and adjusted (by conditioned logistic regression) by the rest of collected variables. RESULTS: In comparison with private cars, bicycles had a lower risk of causing a collision (adjusted OR: .30), and also mopeds (aOR: .52) and buses (aOR: .63). Vans (aOR: 1.19) and four-wheel vehicles (aOR: 1.33) increased the risk. CONCLUSION: Two-wheeled vehicles and buses had a lower risk of causing collisions than private cars. This association is independent of some of the characteristics of the driver, as well as the age of the vehicle.

Prevalence of Multi-Resistant Microorganisms and Antibiotic Stewardship among Hospitalized Patients Living in Residential Care Homes in Spain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health problem. Patients living in care homes are a vulnerable high-risk population colonized by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO). We identified a case series of 116 residents of care homes from a cohort of 540 consecutive patients admitted to the internal medicine service of our hospital. We performed early diagnostic tests of MDRO through anal exudates in our sample. The prevalence of MDRO colonization was 34.5% of residents and 70% of them had not been previously identified in the clinical records. Previous hospitalizations and in-hospital antibiotic administration were significantly associated with the presence of MDRO. Our results emphasize the need to consider care homes in the planning of regional and national infection control measures and for implementing surveillance systems that monitor the spread of antimicrobial resistance in Spain. Systematic early testing upon admission to hospital services with a high prevalence of patients with MDRO colonization (e.g., internal medicine) could contribute to the adoption of adequate prevention measures. Specific educational programs for care home staff should also be implemented to address this increasing problem.

Individual and environmental factors associated with death of cyclists involved in road crashes in Spain: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the magnitude of associations between cyclist fatalities and both cyclist and environment related characteristics in Spain during the first 24 hours after a crash. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 65 977 cyclists injured in road crashes recorded between 1993 and 2013 in the Spanish Register of Road Crashes with Victims. MAIN OUTCOME: Death within the first 24 hours after the crash. METHODS: A multiple imputation procedure was used to mitigate the effect of missing values. Differences between regions were assumed and managed with multilevel analysis at the cyclist and province levels. Incidence density ratios (IDR) with 95% CI were calculated with a multivariate Poisson model. RESULTS: Non-use of a helmet was directly associated with death (IDR 1.43, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.64). Among other cyclist characteristics, age after the third decade of life was also directly associated with death, especially in older cyclists ('over 74' category, IDR 4.61, 95% CI 3.49 to 6.08). The association with death did not differ between work-related cycling and other reasons for cycling.There was an inverse association with death for crashes in urban areas and on community roads. Any adverse meteorological condition also showed a direct association with death, whereas altered road surfaces showed an inverse association. Crashes during nighttime were directly associated with death, with a peak between 3:00 and 5:59 am (IDR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.41). CONCLUSIONS: We found strong direct and inverse associations between several cyclist and environment related variables and death. These variables should be considered in efforts to prioritise public health measures aimed at reducing the number of cycling-related fatalities.

How many collateral casualties are associated with road users responsible for road crashes? / ¿Cuántas víctimas colaterales se asocian con los usuarios de la carretera responsables de los accidentes de tráfico?

Objective: To estimate the number of collateral casualties associated with road users considered responsible for a road crash. Method: We analyzed the case series comprising all 790,435 road users involved in road crashes with victims in Spain from 2009 to 2013, recorded in a nationwide police-based registry. For each road user assumed to be responsible for a crash, we collected information relative to health outcomes in other people involved in it, and obtained the total number of collateral casualties per 100 road users considered responsible for the crash. We then estimated the strength of associations between sex, age and the number of collateral casualties generated by car drivers considered responsible for the crash, and calculated rate ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: Pedestrians responsible for crashes were associated with the lowest number of collateral casualties (13.1/100), whereas the highest number (153/100) was observed for bus drivers responsible for crashes. Car drivers were associated with 104.4/100 collateral casualties. The youngest and the oldest car drivers responsible for crashes were associated with 33% and 41% more deaths, respectively, than the 25-34 year old group. Male drivers were associated with 22% more collateral casualties than female drivers. Conclusions: Regardless of the type of road user who was responsible for a road crash, their active contribution to the crash led to an additional number of collateral casualties in other, non-responsible users. The number and severity of collateral casualties were related to the type of vehicle and the number of people involved. These results are potentially useful to support the need to promote safer driver practices among subgroups of high-risk drivers. (AU)

Objetivo: Estimar el número de víctimas colaterales asociadas a los usuarios de las vías de tráfico responsables de una colisión. Método: Se estudió la serie de casos formada por los 790.435 usuarios de la vía implicados en accidentes de tráfico con víctimas en España, entre 2009 y 2013, recogidos en el Registro de Accidentes de Tráfico con Víctimas de la Dirección General de Tráfico. Para cada uno de los usuarios considerado responsable se recogió información sobre las consecuencias sanitarias para las otras personas implicadas en el mismo accidente, y se calculó el número total de víctimas colaterales por cada 100 usuarios responsables. A continuación se estimó la fuerza de asociación de la edad y el sexo de los conductores de turismo con el número de víctimas colaterales generadas por ellos, y se obtuvieron las correspondientes razones de tasas y sus intervalos de confianza del 95%. Resultados: Los peatones responsables de atropellos se asociaron al menor número de víctimas colaterales (13,1/100), mientras que la cifra más alta de estas (153/100) se asoció a los conductores de autobús responsables del accidente. Los de turismo implicaron a 104,4/100. Los conductores de turismo más jóvenes (<25 años) y los de mayor edad (>64 años) implicaron respectivamente un 33% y un 41% más de víctimas colaterales que el grupo de 25-34 años. Los varones se asociaron a un 22% más de víctimas colaterales que las mujeres. Conclusiones: Independientemente del tipo de usuario responsable del accidente, su contribución activa se asoció a un número adicional de víctimas colaterales, cuyas magnitud y gravedad dependieron sobre todo del tipo de vehículo conducido. Este trabajo puede ser útil para reforzar las actuaciones destinadas a prevenir la accidentalidad en los usuarios de alto riesgo. (AU)

Asociación del tipo de vehículo con el riesgo de provocar una colisión entre vehículos / Association between type of vehicle and the risk of provoking a collision between vehicles

OBJETIVO: Cuantificar la magnitud de la asociación entre el tipo de vehículo y la probabilidad de ser el responsable de una colisión entre dos o más vehículos. MÉTODO: A partir del registro de accidentes de tráfico con víctimas de la Dirección General de Tráfico (2014 y 2015) se diseñó un estudio de casos y controles emparejado. Los casos fueron los conductores infractores implicados en las 27.630 colisiones entre dos o más vehículos, en las que solo uno de los conductores implicados había cometido algún error de conducción o infracción. Cada caso se emparejó con los conductores no infractores de los vehículos implicados en el mismo accidente; en total se dispuso de 31.219 controles. Aparte de la comisión de infracciones y del tipo de vehículo implicado, se obtuvo información para otras características del conductor (edad, sexo, etc.) y del vehículo (antigüedad). Se calcularon odds ratios (OR) para cuantificar la asociación entre cada tipo de vehículo y la odds de ser el causante de la colisión, crudas y ajustadas (ORa) (regresión logística condicionada) por el resto de las variables recogidas. RESULTADOS: En comparación con los turismos, se obtuvo un menor riesgo de provocar la colisión para bicicletas (ORa: 0,30), ciclomotores (ORa: 0,52) y autobuses (ORa: 0,63), y un mayor riesgo para furgonetas (ORa: 1,19) y vehículos todoterreno (ORa: 1,33). CONCLUSIÓN: Los vehículos de dos ruedas y los autobuses tienen un menor riesgo de provocar colisiones que los turismos. Esta asociación es independiente de algunas características del conductor, así como de la antigüedad del vehículo

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the magnitude of the association between the type of vehicle and the probability of being responsible for a collision between two or more vehicles. METHOD: From the registry of road crashes with victims maintained by the Spanish Traffic General Directorate (2014 and 2015), a matched case-control study was designed. Cases were offending drivers involved in the 27,630 collisions between two or more vehicles in which only one of the drivers had committed a driving mistake or offence. Each case was matched with the non-offending drivers of the vehicles involved in the same crash: in all, 31,219 controls were included. Apart from the commission of offences and the type of vehicle involved, we got information about other characteristics of the driver (age, sex, etc.) and about the vehicle (age). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated in order to quantify the association between each type of vehicle and the odds of being responsible for the collision, crude and adjusted (by conditioned logistic regression) by the rest of collected variables. RESULTS: In comparison with private cars, bicycles had a lower risk of causing a collision (adjusted OR: .30), and also mopeds (aOR: .52) and buses (aOR: .63). Vans (aOR: 1.19) and four-wheel vehicles (aOR: 1.33) increased the risk. CONCLUSION: Two-wheeled vehicles and buses had a lower risk of causing collisions than private cars. This association is independent of some of the characteristics of the driver, as well as the age of the vehicle