Evaluation of Early Warning, Alert and Response System for Ebola Virus Disease, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018-2020.

The 10th and largest Ebola virus disease epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared in North Kivu Province in August 2018 and ended in June 2020. We describe and evaluate an Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) implemented in the Beni health zone of DRC during August 5, 2018-June 30, 2020. During this period, 194,768 alerts were received, of which 30,728 (15.8%) were validated as suspected cases. From these, 801 confirmed and 3 probable cases were detected. EWARS showed an overall good performance: sensitivity and specificity >80%, nearly all (97%) of alerts investigated within 2 hours of notification, and good demographic representativeness. The average cost of the system was US $438/case detected and US $1.8/alert received. The system was stable, despite occasional disruptions caused by political insecurity. Our results demonstrate that EWARS was a cost-effective component of the Ebola surveillance strategy in this setting.

Seoul Orthohantavirus in Wild Black Rats, Senegal, 2012-2013.

Hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever in humans worldwide. However, few hantavirus surveillance campaigns occur in Africa. We detected Seoul orthohantavirus in black rats in Senegal, although we did not find serologic evidence of this disease in humans. These findings highlight the need for increased surveillance of hantaviruses in this region.

Risk of COVID-19 in Health Professionals: A Case-Control Study, Portugal.

Introduction: Health professionals face higher occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to estimate the risk of COVID-19 test positivity in health professionals compared to non-health professionals. Methods: We conducted a test-negative case-control study using Portuguese national surveillance data (January to May 2020). Cases were suspected cases who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; controls were suspected cases who tested negative. We used multivariable logistic regression modelling to estimate the odds ratio of a positive COVID-19 test (RT-PCR; primary outcome), comparing health professionals and non-health professionals (primary exposure), and adjusting for the confounding effect of demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics, and the modification effect of the self-reported epidemiological link (i.e., self-reported contact with a COVID-19 case or person with COVID-19-like symptoms). Results: Health professionals had a 2-fold higher risk of a positive COVID-19 test result (aOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.69-2.11). However, this association was strongly modified by the self-report of an epidemiological link such that, among cases who did report an epidemiological link, being a health professional was a protective factor (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that health professionals might be primarily infected by unknown contacts, plausibly in the healthcare setting, but also that their occupational exposure does not systematically translate into a higher risk of transmission. We suggest that this could be interpreted in light of different types and timing of exposure, and variability in risk perception and associated preventive behaviours.

Introdução: Os profissionais de saúde têm uma maior exposição profissional à SARS-CoV-2. O objetivo era estimar o risco de testar positivo para SARS-CoV-2 em profissionais de saúde. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo testenegativo caso-controlo utilizando os dados de vigilância epidemiológica nacional (Janeiro­Maio 2020). Casos foram definidos como casos suspeitos que testaram positivo para SARS-CoV-2 (RTPCR), e os controlos como casos suspeitos que testaram negativo. Foi aplicado um modelo de regressão logística multivariável para estimar o odds ratio de teste positivo para SARS-CoV-2, comparando profissionais de saúde e não profissionais de saúde, ajustado para as características demográficas, clínicas e epidemiológicas, e a modificação de efeito com o autorrelato duma ligação epidemiológica (i.e., contacto auto-reportado com um caso COVID-19 ou uma pessoa com sintomas semelhantes aos da COVID-19). Resultados: Os profissionais de saúde tiveram um risco duas vezes maior de testar positivo para SARS-CoV-2 (aOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.69­2.11). No entanto, esta associação era fortemente modificada pelo autorrelato de uma ligação epidemiológica, de tal forma que entre os casos que relataram uma ligação epidemiológica, ser profissional de saúde revelou-se fator de proteção (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.82­0.98). Conclusão: Os nossos resultados sugerem que os profissionais de saúde podem estar infetados principalmente por contactos desconhecidos, plausivelmente em instituições de saúde, e a exposição profissional não se traduz sistematicamente num maior risco de transmissão. Isto poderá ser interpretado à luz de diferentes tipos e tempos de exposição, e da variabilidade na perceção do risco e dos comportamentos preventivos associados.

Sociodemographic and Occupational Factors Associated with Low Early Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers, Georgia, March-July 2021.

In Georgia, an upper-middle income European country, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began on 15 March 2021 with health workers (HWs), a priority group for vaccination. We assessed the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination among HWs at six large hospitals in the early stages of the vaccine rollout (March−July 2021). Among 1533 HWs, 274 (17.9%) had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Strong independent predictors of early vaccine uptake were age > 40 years, especially 50−59 years old (aOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.50−3.88), considering the vaccine as "somewhat effective" or "very effective" rather than "not effective" (aOR 6.33, 95% CI 2.29−26.3 and aOR 10.9, 95% CI 3.88−45.70, respectively), and previous vaccination against seasonal influenza (aOR 2.98, 95% CI 2.19−4.08). Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was negatively associated with receiving the vaccine (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.40−0.80). Compared to physicians, nurses/midwives (aOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.15−0.32), administrative staff (aOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.22−0.56), and ancillary staff (aOR 0.07, 95% CI 0.04−0.15) were less likely to have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Tailoring the COVID-19 vaccine communications campaign to younger and non-physician HWs, and emphasizing the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine, could help further increase vaccine coverage among HWs in Georgia.

Burden and Trends of Severe Rotavirus Infections and Allcause Acute Gastroenteritis Hospital Episodes in Children Under Five Years Old in Mainland Portugal.

INTRODUCTION: Rotavirus infections are a leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis in children under five years old. In December 2019, Portugal announced the inclusion of the rotavirus vaccine, already available for private purchase, in the National Immunization Program. We present the first nationwide analysis of the burden and trends of rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis hospital episodes in children under five years old in mainland Portugal (2014 - 2017). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used the hospital morbidity database and the Death Certificate Information System to identify hospital episodes and deaths of rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis based on the codes of the International Classification of Diseases. We described the number and rates of hospital episodes disaggregated by age group, sex, geographical units, and the seasonality and trends over the study period. RESULTS: On average, during the study period, there were 1985 annual hospital episodes among children under five years old. The annual rate was 48.0/10 000 children (95% CI 46.9 - 49.0). Rates were consistently higher in younger children, and 67.8% episodes occurred in children under 24 months. We found a seasonal pattern with a major peak in the early spring. DISCUSSION: Our results were consistent with the current knowledge on rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis hospital episodes in Europe. Additional studies are needed to identify the risk factors and high-risk groups for hospital attendance. CONCLUSION: Rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis hospital episodes in children under five years old in mainland Portugal represent an important health and economic burden. In the future, monitoring this burden and these trends in relation with rotavirus vaccine coverage could be useful in order to assess the impact of the vaccination programme on the change in hospital episodes.

Introdução: As infeções por rotavírus são uma das principais causas de gastroenterite aguda grave em crianças com menos de cinco anos. Em dezembro de 2019, foi anunciada a inclusão da vacina contra rotavírus, já disponível no mercado privado, no Programa Nacional de Vacinação. Esta é a primeira análise nacional da carga e tendência dos episódios hospitalares de rotavírus e gastroenterite aguda grave em crianças com menos de cinco anos em Portugal continental (2014 - 2017). Material e Métodos: Utilizou-se a base de dados de morbilidade hospitalar e o sistema de informação de certificados de óbito para identificar episódios hospitalares e mortes por rotavírus e gastroenterite aguda grave, a partir de códigos da classificação internacional de doenças. Descreveu-se o número e as taxas de episódios hospitalares, desagregadas por grupo etário, sexo, geografia, e a sazonalidade e tendências ao longo do período em estudo. Resultados: Em média, houve 1985 episódios hospitalares anuais em crianças com menos de cinco anos. A taxa anual foi de 48,0/ 10 000 crianças (95% IC 46,9 - 49,0). A taxa de hospitalização foi consistentemente mais elevada em crianças mais jovens, e 67,8% dos episódios ocorreram em crianças com menos de 24 meses. Relativamente à sazonalidade, encontrámos um pico no início da Primavera. Discussão: Os resultados foram consistentes com os conhecimentos atuais sobre rotavírus e episódios hospitalares de gastroenterite aguda grave na Europa. São necessários estudos adicionais para identificar os fatores e grupos de risco de infeções graves. Conclusão: Em Portugal Continental, os episódios hospitalares de rotavírus e gastroenterite aguda grave em crianças de idade inferior a cinco anos têm um impacto negativo relevante na saúde e na economia. No futuro, e na perspetiva da introdução da vacinação para o rotavírus, estes indicadores serão relevantes para monitorizar o impacto do programa de vacinação na diminuição dos episódios hospitalares.

Clinical and hospitalisation predictors of COVID-19 in the first month of the pandemic, Portugal.

COVID-19 mainly presents as a respiratory disease with flu-like symptoms, however, recent findings suggest that non-respiratory symptoms can occur early in the infection and cluster together in different groups in different regions. We collected surveillance data among COVID-19 suspected cases tested in mainland Portugal during the first wave of the pandemic, March-April 2020. A multivariable logistic-regression analysis was performed to ascertain the effects of age, sex, prior medical condition and symptoms on the likelihood of testing positive and hospitalisation. Of 25,926 COVID-19 suspected cases included in this study, 5,298 (20%) tested positive. Symptoms were grouped into ten clusters, of which two main ones: one with cough and fever and another with the remainder. There was a higher odds of a positive test with increasing age, myalgia and headache. The odds of being hospitalised increased with age, presence of fever, dyspnoea, or having a prior medical condition although these results varied by region. Presence of cough and other respiratory symptoms did not predict COVID-19 compared to non-COVID respiratory disease patients in any region. Dyspnoea was a strong determinant of hospitalisation, as well as fever and the presence of a prior medical condition, whereas these results varied by region.

Multilocus Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Mostly Asymptomatic Indigenous People from the Tapirapé Tribe, Brazilian Amazon.

Little information is available on the occurrence and genetic variability of the diarrhoea-causing enteric protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis in indigenous communities in Brazil. This cross-sectional epidemiological survey describes the frequency, genotypes, and risk associations for this pathogen in Tapirapé people (Brazilian Amazon) at four sampling campaigns during 2008-2009. Microscopy was used as a screening test, and molecular (PCR and Sanger sequencing) assays targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA, the glutamate dehydrogenase, the beta-giardin, and the triosephosphate isomerase genes as confirmatory/genotyping methods. Associations between G. duodenalis and sociodemographic and clinical variables were investigated using Chi-squared test and univariable/multivariable logistic regression models. Overall, 574 individuals belonging to six tribes participated in the study, with G. duodenalis prevalence rates varying from 13.5-21.7%. The infection was positively linked to younger age and tribe. Infected children <15 years old reported more frequent gastrointestinal symptoms compared to adults. Assemblage B accounted for three out of four G. duodenalis infections and showed a high genetic diversity. No association between assemblage and age or occurrence of diarrhoea was demonstrated. These data indicate that the most likely source of infection was anthropic and that different pathways (e.g., drinking water) may be involved in the transmission of the parasite.

From Human Geography to Biological Invasions: The Black Rat Distribution in the Changing Southeastern of Senegal.

In the contemporary context of zoonosis emergence and spread, invasive species are a major issue since they represent potential pathogen hosts. Even though many progresses have been done to understand and predict spatial patterns of invasive species, the challenge to identify the underlying determinants of their distribution remains a central question in invasion biology. This is particularly exacerbated in the case of commensal species that strictly depend on humankind for dispersal and perennial establishment of new populations. The distribution of these species is predicted to be influenced by dispersal opportunities and conditions acting on establishment and proliferation, such as environmental characteristics, including spatio-temporal components of the human societies. We propose to contribute to the understanding of the recent spread of a major invasive rodent species, the black rat (Rattus rattus), in the changing southeastern of Senegal. We address the factors that promote the dispersal and distribution of this invasive rodent from the perspective of human geography. We first describe characteristics of human settlements in terms of social and spatial organization of human societies (i.e. economic activities, commercial and agricultural networks, roads connectivity). We then explore the relationship between these characteristics and the distribution of this invasive rodent. Finally we propose that historical and contemporary dynamics of human societies have contributed to the risk of invasion of the black rat. We argue that the diffusion processes of invasive species cannot be considered as a result of the spatial structure only (i.e. connectivity and distance), but as a part of the human territory that includes the social and spatial organization. Results suggest that the distribution of invasive rodents partly results from the contemporary and inherited human socio-spatial systems, beyond the existence of suitable ecological conditions that are classically investigated by biologists.