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Risk assessment is the cornerstone of working safely with biological agents. The World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Biosafety Manual Fourth Edition Monograph on Risk Assessment provides stepwise guidance for completing a risk assessment, from information gathering and identifying hazards to evaluating the risks, developing, and implementing controls and review.To support the development of a mature safety culture within laboratories, it is important that all staff who handle biological agents understand the fundamentals of risk assessment and receive training in identifying hazards created by their work activities (or tasks) and understand how to mitigate the risks arising from carrying out that work. Any "competent" person may be involved in assessing the risks posed by carrying out an activity. Those closest to the work, who understand the details of the task being undertaken, should be involved in creating the risk assessment. The guidance in this chapter is not just applicable to biosafety professionals, laboratory scientists, or facility managers but can be used by any competent worker familiar with the activity being assessed.This chapter uses the guidance from the WHO to apply the principles of risk assessment to working with Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), using an example activity-virus isolation from EHDV test samples in cell culture.
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Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic , Animals , Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic/isolation & purification , Risk Assessment/methods , Humans , Risk Management , Containment of Biohazards/methods , Reoviridae Infections/virology , Reoviridae Infections/veterinary , World Health Organization , Orbivirus/geneticsABSTRACT
Pakistan Railway (PR) is vital to the country's transportation infrastructure, facilitating passenger and freight transportation. However, the growing number of accidents associated with PR has raised concerns about its overall safety. In addition, there have been limited research efforts to investigate PR accidents and their underlying causes The present study conducts a comprehensive risk assessment and safety management of PR using a semi-quantitative risk matrix approach. The study combines historical accident data and expert evaluations to assess the likelihood and consequences of different railway accident types and potential contributing factors. The descriptive statistics analysis has revealed varying degrees of severity for different types of railway accidents in Pakistan. For instance, accidents like passenger and goods train derailments and collisions at unmanned level crossings were identified as extreme and intolerable, whereas train fire accidents were categorized as high and undesirable. Moreover, accidents attributed to human error are classified as extreme and intolerable, while those caused by negligence of road users and track defects are classified as high and undesirable. The study utilized the risk matrix approach and identified critical risk areas that can help the decision-makers prioritize effective risk mitigation strategies. In light of the present study's findings, policy implications, such as investment in infrastructure to mitigate risks associated with aging or deteriorating tracks, bridges, and tunnels, and human resource development for railway personnel to improve their skills, decision-making abilities, and awareness of safety protocols, are recommended.
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Introduction: Risk assessment and management in companies plays a significant role in the prevention section of any field. In the field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), its inconsistent or incorrect application has a direct impact on the life and health of employees. In some companies, even today, it is not properly implemented and adequate procedures and methods are not used. The article discusses the development of a step-by-step procedure for risk assessment in industrial environments in the area of OHS. Methods: Main parts of the model and its steps present the partial results of a survey conducted on a sample of 500 small and micro enterprises in the field of risk assessment and the systematic procedure developed following the main survey results. The survey covered only enterprises located in the construction, manufacturing, transport and storage and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, which is also a significant statistical feature. Within the structure of respondents, statistical features such as: size of enterprise, sector, region by work are identified. Only enterprises with size by number of employees - micro enterprises from 1 to 9 employees and small enterprises from 10 to 49 employees - were included for the survey. Results: New elements of the methods were integrated into the developed systematic procedure, which was subsequently validated in 7 plants of the one company on the same position. The application of the developed model was verified by an expert group consisting of 7 members, an odd number, and the developed checklists and risk register were applied. On the basis of the verification, the model, checklist and risk register were corrected. In addition, the scoring method and the risk matrix were also used, but they did not contain new elements. Discusion: The procedure is still in use today and employees have been trained to use it. On the basis of the developed methodology and the Checklist, the procedure has been transposed into the European OiRA tool and can be used by companies throughout the European Union.
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Industry , Occupational Health , Humans , Risk Assessment/methods , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
One of the methods of increasing the availability of drinking water is to reduce water losses in existing water supply systems (WSS). The need to manage water losses in WSS is highlighted in the new Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption. It was indicated that the main cause of water losses is underinvestment in the maintenance and renovation of network infrastructure. The new legal provisions require a risk assessment to be carried out in the water supply system, taking into account the risk of leaks. The paper presents the concept of estimating the risk of water losses in the water supply network using the three-parameter risk assessment method and risk maps. The framework of the water balance proposed by International Water Association (IWA) were also presented, including the Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) for assessment of the water supply system Leakage Performance Category (LPC). The analysis was carried out for a water supply system used by 200,000 inhabitants. The LPC of the system was determined based on the ILI index. Then the water supply network pipes that could potentially be a source of leaks were identified. The analysis of the risk of water losses for the examined pipes allowed to determine which pipes should be first chosen to reduce the risk of water losses, i.e. active search for leaks.
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Water Supply , Risk Assessment , Drinking Water , Humans , Water QualityABSTRACT
Risk matrix, a tool for visualizing risk assessment results, is essential to facilitate the risk communication and risk management in risk-based decision-making processes related to new and unexplored socio-technical systems. The use of an appropriate risk matrix is discussed in the literature, but it is overlooked for emerging technologies such as Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). In this study, a comprehensive framework for developing a risk matrix based on fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is proposed. In this framework, a linear function is defined where the risk index is treated as a response variable, while the probability and consequence indices are explanatory variables, with weights of these two indices representing their importance on given risk level. This significance is assessed by experts and quantified using AHP in interval type 2 fuzzy environment. A continuous risk diagram is then created and converted into a risk matrix that can be improved. To verify the feasibility of the proposed framework, a risk matrix is designed in the context of MASS grounding. The results show that the proposed approach is feasible. Our discussion results can provide new insights for the design of risk matrices and promote the management of MASS navigational risks.
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Accidents, Traffic , Communication , Humans , Probability , Risk ManagementABSTRACT
AIMS: The purpose of this work was to assess failures in the advanced prescription of parenteral anticancer agents in an adult day oncology care unit with more than 100 patients per day. METHODS: An a priori descriptive analysis was carried out by using the risk matrix approach. After defining the scope in a multidisciplinary meeting, we determined at each step the failure modes (FMs), their effects (E) and their associated causes (C). A severity score (S) was assigned to all effects and a probability of occurrence (O) to all causes. These S and O indicators, were used to obtain a criticality index (CI) matrix. We assessed the risk control (RC) of each failure in order to define a residual criticality index (rCI) matrix. RESULTS: During risk analysis, 14 FMs were detected, and 61 scenarios were identified considering all possible effects and causes. Nine situations (15%) were highlighted with the maximum CI, 18 (30%) with a medium CI, and 34 (55%) with a negligible CI. Nevertheless, among all these critical situations, only three (5%) had an rCI to process (i.e., missed dose adjustment, multiple prescriptions and abnormal biology data); the others required monitoring only. Clinicians' and pharmacists' knowledge of these critical situations enables them to manage the associated risks. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced prescription of injectable anticancer drugs appears to be a safe practice for patients when combined with risk management. The major risks identified concerned missed dose adjustment, prescription duplication and lack of consideration for abnormal biology data.
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Antineoplastic Agents , Humans , Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Risk Assessment , Medication Errors/prevention & control , Medication Errors/statistics & numerical data , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Drug Prescriptions/statistics & numerical data , Drug Prescriptions/standards , Injections , Cancer Care Facilities/statistics & numerical data , Cancer Care Facilities/organization & administration , Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis , AdultABSTRACT
The bio-physical responses of low-lying coral islands to climate change are of concern. These islands exist across a broad range of bio-physical conditions, and vulnerabilities to rising and warming seas, ocean acidification and increased storminess. We propose a risk-based classification that scores 6 island eco-morphometric attributes and 6 bio-physical ocean/climate conditions from recent open-access data, to assign islands with respect to 5 risk classes (Very Low, Low, Moderate, High and Very High). The potential responses of 56 coral islands in Australia's jurisdiction (Coral Sea, NW Shelf and NE Indian Ocean) to climate change is considered with respect to their bio-physical attributes and eco-morphometrics. None of the islands were classed as Very Low risk, while 8 were classed as Low (14.3 %), 34 were Moderate (60.7 %), 11 were High (19.6 %), and 3 were Very High (5.4 %). Islands in the Very High risk class (located on the NW Shelf) are most vulnerable due to their small size (mean 10 Ha), low elevation (mean 2.6 m MSL), angular/elongated shape, unvegetated state, below average pH (mean 8.05), above average rates of sea-level rise (SLR; mean 4.6 mm/yr), isolation from other islands, and frequent tropical storms and marine heatwaves. In contrast, islands in the Low (and Very Low) risk class are less vulnerable due to their large size (mean 127 Ha), high elevation (mean 8.5 m MSL), sub-angular/round shape, vegetated state, near average pH (mean 8.06), near average SLR rates (mean 3.9 mm/yr), proximity to adjacent islands, and infrequent cyclones and marine heatwaves. Our method provides a risk matrix to assess coral island vulnerability to current climate change related risks and supports future research on the impacts of projected climate change scenarios. Findings have implications for communities living on coral islands, associated ecosystem services and coastal States that base their legal maritime zones on these islands.
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Anthozoa , Coral Reefs , Animals , Ecosystem , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Seawater , Indian Ocean , Climate Change , IslandsABSTRACT
Objective:Based on the relevance risk analysis of medical equipment,to formulate process management strategies to improve the clinical operation efficiency of medical equipment.Methods:The risk matrix was evaluated from the perspectives of subject,quality,environment,system and diagnosis and treatment perspective,the comprehensive evaluation model of relevance risk was established,and multiple process management countermeasures were formulated.400 sets of medical equipment in clinical use in Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital from April 2021 to March 2022 were selected and divided into the control group and the observation group by the digital table method,with 200 sets in each group.The control group adopted the individualized risk analysis method for process management,and the observation group adopted the relevance risk analysis method for process management.The risk level and operation benefits of the two groups of medical equipment were compared and analyzed.Results:The high risk rates of medical imaging diagnostic and auxiliary equipment,surgical treatment equipment,life support and first aid equipment,extracorporeal circulation and blood processing equipment,health monitoring and rehabilitation equipment in the observation group were 17.39%(4/23),14.58%(7/28),12.24%(6/49),5.55%(1/18)and5.06%(5/62),respectively,which were lower than those in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(x2=4.132,4.009,6.275,4.833,4.859,P<0.05).The scores of cost benefit,social benefit,diagnosis and treatment benefit and development benefit of medical equipment in the observation group were(91.37±6.15)points,(92.78±3.80)points,(95.25±2.09)points and(90.51±3.82)points,respectively,which were higher than those in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(t=2.392,3.877,4.841,2.504,P<0.05).Conclusion:The relevance risk analysis method can reduce the probability and hazard degree of medical equipment safety risks,improve the clinical operation efficiency of medical equipment,and the process management strategy is in line with the actual needs of the medical equipment lifecycle management.
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Objective To conduct risk assessment analysis through risk assessment model for postoperative pneu-monia(POP)in surgical departments constructed according to analytic hierarchy process(AHP)-risk matrix,and evaluate the application effectiveness of the model.Methods Taking a tertiary comprehensive teaching hospital as an example,a risk assessment was conducted on the occurrence of POP in 15 surgical departments in 2022.The ap-plication effect of POP risk assessment model for the surgical departments constructed based on the AHP-risk ma-trix was evaluated,and the POP risk level of the surgical departments was determined.Results Through applica-tion of risk assessment model,the POP risk level of the surgical departments was divided into 5 levels,namely ex-tremely high risk(n=3),high risk(n=1),medium risk(n=5),low risk(n=4),and extremely low risk(n=2).Conclusion The application effect of the surgical POP risk assessment model based on AHP-risk matrix method is good,achieving quantitative assessment of healthcare-associated infection risk,and providing data basis and support for further targeted risk control.
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Background: Radiotherapy is one of the primary treatment options in cancer management, together with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is technologically complex discipline involving professionals with various specialties, and using high energy radiation in treatment of wide range of different cancer types. Technical complexity, increasing number of patients, large workload, and delivery of radiation therapy treatment with lack of human, technical and financial resources in low and middle income countries creates environment with great potential to develop incidents. Emerging need of modern radiation therapy is to develop preventive approach to risk management i to improve the patient safety. Objective: The objective of this research is to identify and assess risk associated with radiation therapy practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods: An anonymous, voluntary electronic on-line radiation therapy incident reporting system (IRS) was created. IRS consists of four sections containing questions about working environment, incident occurrence, root causes and contributing factors, and incident severity assessment. Data collected using IRS were used to create taxonomy of incidents in radiation therapy. Risk assessment was made using Risk Matrix method. Research was made using the data collected from first 60 incidents reported to IRS. Results: Based on probability and frequency of incident occurrence and severity of consequences, it was assessed that 41.7% of incidents had low risk level (L), 50% of incidents had moderate risk level (M), and 8.3% of incidents had high risk level (H). Radiation therapy risk profile based on risk assessment results clearly shows that incidents with low frequency, low occurrence probability, but high consequences severity level have highest level of risk. Conclusion: The results of this research confirm that the electronic on-line radiation therapy IRS allows the identification and classification of the most significant risk factors in radiotherapy and prevention of serious incidents occurrence.
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Background: Exposure to zoonotic diseases is a significant occupational risk in veterinary medicine. In this study, we characterized personal protective equipment use, injury frequency, and Bartonella seroreactivity in Washington State veterinary workers. Methods: Using a risk matrix developed to reflect occupational risk factors for exposure to Bartonella and multiple logistic regression, we explored determinants of risk for Bartonella seroreactivity. Results: Depending on the titer cutoff used, Bartonella seroreactivity was between 24.0% and 55.2%. No significant predictors of seroreactivity were found, although the relationship between high-risk status and increased seroreactivity for some Bartonella species approached significance. Serology for other zoonotic and vector borne pathogens did not identify consistent cross reactivity with Bartonella antibodies. Conclusion: The predictive power of the model was likely limited by the small sample size and high level of exposure to risk factors for most participants. Given the high proportion of veterinarians seroreactive to one or more of the three Bartonella spp. known to infect dogs and cats in the United States, as well as seroreactivity to other zoonoses, and the unclear relationship between occupational risk factors, seroreactivity, and disease expression, more research is needed in this area.
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Bartonella Infections , Bartonella , Cat Diseases , Dog Diseases , Animals , Cats , Dogs , Bartonella Infections/epidemiology , Bartonella Infections/veterinary , Zoonoses , Risk Factors , Washington/epidemiologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Quality control (QC) is performed routinely through professional guidelines. However, the recommended QC frequency may not be optimal among different institutional settings. Here we propose a novel method for determining the optimal QC frequency using risk matrix (RM) analysis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A newly installed Magnetic Resonance linac (MR-linac) was chosen as the testing platform and six routine QC items were investigated. Failures of these QC items can adversely affect treatment outcome for the patient. Accordingly, each QC item with its assigned frequency forms a unique failure mode (FM). Using FM-effect analysis (FMEA), the severity (S), occurrence (O), and detection (D) of each FM was obtained. Next, S and D based on RM was used to determine the appropriate QC frequency. Finally, the performance of new frequency for each QC item was evaluated using the metric E = O/D. RESULTS: One new QC frequency was the same as the old frequency, two new QC frequencies were less than the old ones, and three new QC frequencies were higher than the old ones. For six QC items, E values at the new frequencies were not less than their values at the old frequencies. This indicates that the risk of machine failure is reduced at the new QC frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: The application of RM analysis provides a useful tool for determining the optimal frequencies for routine linac QC. This study demonstrated that linac QC can be performed in a way that maintains high performance of the treatment machine in a radiotherapy clinic.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Humans , Risk Assessment , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Quality ControlABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the global epidemic status of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and assess the importation risk into China. Methods: Data from World Health Organization reports were used. We described the global epidemic status of EVD from 1976-2021, and assessed and ranked the importation risk of EVD from the disease-outbreaking countries into China using the risk matrix and Borda count methods, respectively. Results: From 1976-2021, EVD mainly occurred in western and central Africa, with the highest cumulative number of cases (14,124 cases) in Sierra Leone, and the highest cumulative fatality rate (85%) in the Congo. Outbreaks of EVD have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea since 2018. The importation risk into China varies across countries with outbreaks of disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had an extremely high risk (23 Borda points), followed by Guinea and Liberia. Countries with a moderate importation risk were Nigeria, Uganda, Congo, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Gabon, while countries with a low importation risk included Sudan, Senegal, and Co^te d'Ivoire. Conclusion: China is under the risk of EVD importation with the globalization and severe epidemic status of EVD. Key attention need to be paid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Liberia. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent and prepare in advance for importation risk in China.
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Epidemics , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola , Humans , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/prevention & control , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Guinea/epidemiology , Sierra Leone/epidemiology , China/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Risk matrices communicate the likelihood and potential impact of risks and are often used to inform decision-making around risk mitigations. The merits and demerits of risk matrices in general have been discussed extensively, yet little attention has been paid to the potential influence of color in risk matrices on their users. We draw from fuzzy-trace theory and hypothesize that when color is present, individuals are likely to place greater value on reducing risks that cross color boundaries (i.e., the boundary-crossing effect), leading to sub-optimal decision making. In two randomized controlled studies, employing forced-choice and willingness-to-pay measures to investigate the boundary-crossing effect in two different color formats for risk matrices, we find preliminary evidence to support our hypotheses that color can influence decision making. The evidence also suggests that the boundary-crossing effect is only present in, or is stronger for, higher numeracy individuals. We therefore recommend that designers should consider avoiding color in risk matrices, particularly in situations where these are likely to be used by highly numerate individuals, if the communication goal is to inform in an unbiased way.
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Communication , Research Design , Humans , Probability , Perception , Decision MakingABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the global epidemic status of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and assess the importation risk into China.@*METHODS@#Data from World Health Organization reports were used. We described the global epidemic status of EVD from 1976-2021, and assessed and ranked the importation risk of EVD from the disease-outbreaking countries into China using the risk matrix and Borda count methods, respectively.@*RESULTS@#From 1976-2021, EVD mainly occurred in western and central Africa, with the highest cumulative number of cases (14,124 cases) in Sierra Leone, and the highest cumulative fatality rate (85%) in the Congo. Outbreaks of EVD have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea since 2018. The importation risk into China varies across countries with outbreaks of disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had an extremely high risk (23 Borda points), followed by Guinea and Liberia. Countries with a moderate importation risk were Nigeria, Uganda, Congo, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Gabon, while countries with a low importation risk included Sudan, Senegal, and Co
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Humans , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/prevention & control , Epidemics , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Guinea/epidemiology , Sierra Leone/epidemiology , China/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Strengthening the supervision of medical insurance funds is an important measure to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the medical security system. In January 2022, a tertiary general hospital in Beijing carried out risk identification and prevention and control practices for the use of medical insurance funds. By using such methods as fault tree analysis and risk matrix, the probability and impact of events were quantitatively evaluated, high-risk events during the use of medical insurance funds were identified, and corresponding risk prevention and control measures were developed, relying on intelligent regulatory systems. From January to November 2022, the hospital outpatient medical insurance refusal amount(20 080 yuan) caused by such high-risk events as exceeding drug instructions, exceeding medical insurance indications, and exceeding age limits decreased by 42.30% compared to the same period in 2021(11 585 yuan). The discharge and settlement time of medical insurance patients decreased from 3 working days to 1 working day. This practice had effectively improved the quality and efficiency of hospital medical insurance fund supervision, improved patients′ medical experience, and provided reference for strengthening the safe and standardized use of medical insurance funds by medical institutions.
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Background: The South African occupational health and safety regulations, prescribing risk assessments be conducted by employers, are non-prescriptive with regard to the tools and techniques to be used. Consequently, companies freely adopt the numerous available tools and techniques from which risk management decisions are derived. Thus, risk management, ensuing from the results derived from these tools and techniques, is likely to vary from company to company. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate risk assessment processes and methodologies that are used and recorded in noise risk assessment reports, in four manufacturing companies. Methods: This was a case study, whereby risk assessment records were obtained from four South African companies with different operational units, from the manufacturing and utilities sectors. Results: There were inter- and intra-company variations in the processes related to the legal context in which the risk assessments were conducted, the risk assessment tools and techniques used, the risk criteria definitions, the statements about the effectiveness of controls in use, and the risk evaluation outcomes. Inter- and intra-company variations in risk rankings and risk prioritisation outcomes were also observed a consequence of the risk perceptions of the assessors assigning a risk level to the noise hazard. In some instances, the adopted risk assessment tools and techniques categorised the risk from noise that was at or above regulated health and safety standards as 'insignificant', which those companies used as justification for taking no further measures to eliminate or reduce the risk. Conclusion: The use of different risk assessment processes, tools and techniques resulted in some facilities categorising noise as an insignificant hazard, which may contribute to high noise emissions and uncontrolled exposures.
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Risk AssessmentABSTRACT
Background: Stroke has become a leading cause of mortality and adult disability in China. The key to treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is to open the obstructed blood vessels as soon as possible and save the ischemic penumbra. However, the thrombolytic rate in China is only 2.5%. Research has been devoted to investigating the causes of prehospital delay, but the exact controllable risk factors for prehospital delay remain uncertain, and a consensus is lacking. We aimed to develop a risk assessment tool to identify the most critical risk factors for prehospital delay for AIS patients. Methods: From November 2018 to July 2019, 450 patients with AIS were recruited. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The Delphi technique was used to obtain expert opinions about the importance of the risk indices in two rounds of Delphi consultation. Then, we used the risk matrix to identify high-risk factors for prehospital delay for AIS patients. Results: The risk matrix identified the following five critical risk factors that account for prehospital delay after AIS: living in a rural area; no bystanders when stroke occurs; patients and their families lacking an understanding of the urgency of stroke treatment; patients and their families not knowing that stroke requires thrombolysis or that there is a thrombolysis time window; and the patient self-medicating, unaware of the seriousness of the symptoms, and waiting for spontaneous remission. Conclusions: The risk analysis tool used during this study may help prevent prehospital delays for patients with AIS.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services , Ischemic Stroke , Stroke , Humans , Time Factors , Stroke/diagnosis , Stroke/drug therapy , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the 2022 multiple-country monkeypox outbreak and assess its importation risk into China. Methods: Data was from United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We described the global epidemic and calculated concentration index to measure economic-related inequality. Importation risk into China was evaluated and ranked by using risk matrix method and Borda count method, respectively. Results: As of July 29, 2022, of 79 countries or territories, 39 (49.37%, 39/79), 17 (21.52%, 17/79), 6 (7.59%, 6/79), 12 (15.19%, 12/79), and 5 (6.33%, 5/79) country or territories identified cases < 10, 10-, 51-, 101-, and > 1,000. There were economic-related health disparities exist in the distribution of cases (the concentration index = 0.42, P = 0.027), and the inequality disadvantageous to the rich (pro-poor). There were 12 (15.38%, 12/78), 15 (19.23%, 15/78), 6 (7.69%, 6/78), and 45 (57.69%, 45/78) countries or territories with extremely high, high, moderate, and low importation risk. United States and France ranked first with the highest Borda points of 156, and counts of zero. Conclusion: Of 78 countries or territories, the key attention need be paid to the United States and France, relatively. As the epidemic progresses, preparing prevention and control measures to further reduce importation risk was crucial.
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Disease Outbreaks , Mpox (monkeypox) , Humans , China/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , France , Mpox (monkeypox)/epidemiology , Mpox (monkeypox)/prevention & control , Risk AssessmentABSTRACT
Pollen allergy has already been an increasingly prominent ecosystem disservice in tourism attractions. However, few studies have assessed the tourist risk of pollen allergy through integrating multidisciplinary knowledge of ecology, medicine, phenology, and risk management. Basing on the conceptual framework of risk assessment proposed by UNISDR, we first established an index system of pollen-allergy risk for tourists in attractions and outlined assessment methods 18 available indexes were put forward to cover three aspects: hazard of plant allergen, tourist vulnerability, and resilience of assessment units. Subsequently, taking the Summer Palace as the case study area, we conducted a tourist risk assessment of pollen allergy. Values of nine available indexes were obtained via ecological investigation, phenological observation, and data mining of visitors' logs on Sina Weibo. Risk levels of spring pollen allergy for tourists in different assessment units were revealed by combining the green zone allergenicity index model and three-dimensional risk assessment matrix. The results showed that: (1) There were seven primary pollen-allergenic plants in the Summer Palace, including Platycladus orientalis, Sabina chinensis, Salix babylonica, Pinus tabulaeformis, Populus tomentosa Carr, Morus alba L. and Fraxinus chinesis, among which Platycladus orientalis and Salix babylonica were the highest allergenic. (2) Among 18 spots, tourists faced the highest risk level of pollen allergy in spring at three spots, namely the Hall of Serenity, Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, and Gallery of Literary and Prosperity. (3) The two routes of the Long Corridor and Longevity Hill scored high on the risk level. (4) Among four areas, risk levels of the Front-hill and Rear-hill areas were high. Given the increasing spatial-temporal uncertainty of pollen allergy and tourist behaviors under global warming and urbanization, the related monitoring should be strengthened in the future. Furthermore, the dynamic and improved assessment of pollen-allergy risk should be institutionalized and be integrated into the evaluation of tourism experience quality. Tourism administration should make full use of relevant assessment results and conduct more effective risk communication.