Trends in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among pregnant women attending first antenatal care visits in Zambia: A repeated cross-sectional survey, 2021-2022.

SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys help estimate the extent of transmission and guide the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines. We measured SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among women attending ANC clinics to assess exposure trends over time in Zambia. We conducted repeated cross-sectional SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence surveys among pregnant women aged 15-49 years attending their first ANC visits in four districts of Zambia (two urban and two rural) during September 2021-September 2022. Serologic testing was done using a multiplex bead assay which detects IgG antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein and the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD). We calculated monthly SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence by district. We also categorized seropositive results as infection alone, infection and vaccination, or vaccination alone based on anti-RBD and anti-nucleocapsid test results and self-reported COVID-19 vaccination status (vaccinated was having received ≥1 dose). Among 8,304 participants, 5,296 (63.8%) were cumulatively seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from September 2021 through September 2022. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence primarily increased from September 2021 to September 2022 in three districts (Lusaka: 61.8-100.0%, Chongwe: 39.6-94.7%, Chipata: 56.5-95.0%), but in Chadiza, seroprevalence increased from 27.8% in September 2021 to 77.2% in April 2022 before gradually dropping to 56.6% in July 2022. Among 5,906 participants with a valid COVID-19 vaccination status, infection alone accounted for antibody responses in 77.7% (4,590) of participants. Most women attending ANC had evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and most SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was infection-induced. Capturing COVID-19 vaccination status and using a multiplex bead assay with anti-nucleocapsid and anti-RBD targets facilitated distinguishing infection-induced versus vaccine-induced antibody responses during a period of increasing COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Zambia. Declining seroprevalence in Chadiza may indicate waning antibodies and a need for booster vaccines. ANC clinics have a potential role in ongoing SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance and can continue to provide insights into SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics to inform near real-time public health responses.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and Vaccine Uptake among Pregnant Women at First Antenatal Care Visits in Malawi.

Many SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic, thus reported cases underestimate actual cases. To improve estimates, we conducted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit (ANC1) from June 2021 through May 2022. We administered a questionnaire to collect demographic, risk factors, and COVID-19 vaccine status information and tested dried blood spots for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Although <1% of ANC1 participants reported having had COVID-19, monthly SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence increased from 15.4% (95% CI: 10.5-21.5) in June 2021 to 65.5% (95% CI: 55.5-73.7) in May 2022. Although COVID-19 vaccination was available in March 2021, uptake remained low, reaching a maximum of 9.5% (95% CI: 5.7-14.8) in May 2022. Results of ANC1 serosurveillance provided prevalence estimates helpful in understanding this population case burden that was available through self-report and national case reports. To improve vaccine uptake, efforts to address fears and misconceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccines are needed.

Strengthening the global one health workforce: Veterinarians in CDC-supported field epidemiology training programs.

Background: Effective prevention, detection, and response to disease threats at the human-animal-environment interface rely on a multisectoral, One Health workforce. Since 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supported Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) to train veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) alongside their human health counterparts in the principles of epidemiology, disease surveillance, and outbreak investigations. We aim to describe and evaluate characteristics of CDC-supported FETPs enrolling veterinarians/VPPs to understand these programs contribution to the strengthening of the global One Health workforce. Methods: We surveyed staff from CDC-supported FETPs that enroll veterinarians and VPPs regarding cohort demographics, graduate retention, and veterinary and One Health relevant curriculum inclusion. Descriptive data was analyzed using R Version 3.5.1. Results: Forty-seven FETPs reported veterinarian/VPP trainees, 68% responded to our questionnaire, and 64% reported veterinary/VPP graduates in 2017. The veterinary/VPP graduates in 2017 made up 12% of cohorts. Programs reported 74% of graduated veterinarians/VPPs retained employment within national ministries of agriculture. Common veterinary and One Health curriculum topics were specimen collection and submission (93%), zoonotic disease (90%) and biosafety practices (83%); least covered included animal/livestock production and health promotion (23%) and transboundary animal diseases (27%). Less than half (41%) of programs reported the curriculum being sufficient for veterinarians/VPPs to perform animal health specific job functions, despite most programs being linked to the ministry of agriculture (75%) and providing veterinary-specific mentorship (63%). Conclusions: Our results indicate that FETPs provide valuable training opportunities for animal health sector professionals, strengthening the epidemiology capacity within the ministries retaining them. While veterinary/VPP trainees could benefit from the inclusion of animal-specific curricula needed to fulfill their job functions, at present, FETPs continue to serve as multisectoral, competency-based, in-service training important in strengthening the global One Health workforce by jointly training the animal and human health sectors.

Prevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus among Livestock and Ticks in Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan, 2017.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a highly fatal zoonotic disease endemic to Kazakhstan. Previous work estimated the seroprevalence of CCHF virus (CCHFV) among livestock owners in the Zhambyl region of southern Kazakhstan at 1.2%. To estimate CCHFV seroprevalence among cattle and sheep, we selected 15 villages with known history of CCHFV circulation (endemic) and 15 villages without known circulation (nonendemic) by cluster sampling with probability proportional to livestock population size. We collected whole blood samples from 521 sheep and 454 cattle from randomly selected households within each village and collected ticks found on the animals. We tested livestock blood for CCHFV-specific IgG antibodies by ELISA; ticks were screened for CCHFV RNA by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and CCHFV antigen by antigen-capture ELISA. We administered questionnaires covering animal demographics and livestock herd characteristics to an adult in each selected household. Overall weighted seroprevalence was 5.7% (95% CI: 3.1, 10.3) among sheep and 22.5% (95% CI: 15.8, 31.2) among cattle. CCHFV-positive tick pools were found on two sheep (2.4%, 95% CI: 0.6, 9.5) and three cattle (3.8%, 95% CI: 1.2, 11.5); three CCHFV-positive tick pools were found in nonendemic villages. Endemic villages reported higher seroprevalence among sheep (15.5% versus 2.8%, P < 0.001) but not cattle (25.9% versus 20.1%, P = 0.42). Findings suggest that the current village classification scheme may not reflect the geographic distribution of CCHFV in Zhambyl and underscore that public health measures must address the risk of CCHF even in areas without a known history of circulation.

Public health impact of covid-19 vaccines in the US: observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of vaccine scale-up on population level covid-19 mortality and incidence in the United States. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: US county level case surveillance and vaccine administration data reported from 14 December 2020 to 18 December 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Residents of 2558 counties from 48 US states. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was county covid-19 mortality rates (deaths/100 000 population/county week). The secondary outcome was incidence of covid-19 (cases/100 000 population/county week). Incidence rate ratios were used to compare rates across vaccination coverage levels. The impact of a 10% improvement in county vaccination coverage (defined as at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine among adults ≥18 years of age) was estimated During the eras of alpha and delta variant predominance, the impact of very low (0-9%), low (10-39%), medium (40-69%), and high (≥70%) vaccination coverage levels was compared. RESULTS: In total, 30 643 878 cases of covid-19 and 439 682 deaths associated with covid-19 occurred over 132 791 county weeks. A 10% improvement in vaccination coverage was associated with an 8% (95% confidence interval 8% to 9%) reduction in mortality rates and a 7% (6% to 8%) reduction in incidence. Higher vaccination coverage levels were associated with reduced mortality and incidence rates during the eras of alpha and delta variant predominance. CONCLUSIONS: Higher vaccination coverage was associated with lower rates of population level covid-19 mortality and incidence in the US.

Early Childhood Vigilance Test (ECVT) of attention in younger HIV-exposed Ugandan children predicts Tests of Variables of Attention (TOVA) at school age.

Objective: Evaluate a computerized-based attention test in early infancy in predicting neurocognitive school-age performance in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed uninfected children. Method: Thirty-eight Ugandan HIV-exposed/uninfected children (17 boys, 21 girls) were evaluated with the Early Childhood Vigilance Test (ECVT) of attention between 3 and 5 years of age, which is a 6-min 44 s animation with colorful animals that greet the child and move across the screen. Attention was proportion of total animation time viewing a computer screen, as well as the proportion of time tracking the moving animal using eye tracking. These children were then again tested at least 2 years later (between 5 and 9 years of age) with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition (KABC-II) and the visual computerized Tests of Variables of Attention (TOVA). Results: Irrespective of whether scored by webcam video scoring or using automated eye tracking to compute proportion of time viewing the animation, ECVT attention was significantly correlated with all TOVA outcomes for vigilance attention. This was still the case when the correlation was adjusted for type of caregiver training for the mother, child gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and quality of Home Observational Measurement Evaluation (HOME) environment-especially for the TOVA response time variability to signal (p = .03). None of the ECVT attention performance measures correlated significantly with any of the KABC-II cognitive ability outcomes. Conclusion: Attention assessment in early childhood is predictive of school-age computer-based measures of attention and can be used to gauge the effects of factors of early risk and resilience in brain/behavior development in African children affected by HIV. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Association between coping strategies, social support, and depression and anxiety symptoms among rural Ugandan women living with HIV/AIDS.

Poor mental health detrimentally affects quality of life among women living with HIV/AIDS. An improved understanding of how coping and social support relate to depression and anxiety in this population can facilitate the design and implementation of appropriate mental health treatment and support services. Secondary analysis was conducted on baseline data from 288 HIV-positive women enrolled in a parenting intervention in Uganda. Depression and anxiety symptoms, social support, and coping were assessed with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist and adapted versions of the Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support and Ways of Coping Questionnaire. General linear regression models were used to estimate associations between coping and mental health. Based on report of elevated symptoms, approximately 10% of women were categorized as having clinically-relevant depression or anxiety. Emotion-focused (EF: p < .001) and problem-focused (PF: p = .01) coping were associated with more depressive symptoms while greater family support (EF: p = .002; PF: p = .003) was associated with fewer depression symptoms. More anxiety symptoms were associated with reporting both coping strategies (EF: p < .001; PF: p = .02) and higher community support (EF&PF: p = .01). The cross-sectional nature of the study limits our ability to rule out the role of reverse causation in the significant relationship between coping and mental health. Findings do suggest that high family support can be protective against depression and anxiety symptoms among women living with HIV.

The feasibility of an automated eye-tracking-modified Fagan test of memory for human faces in younger Ugandan HIV-exposed children.

OBJECTIVE: The Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII) uses longer gaze length for unfamiliar versus familiar human faces to gauge visual-spatial encoding, attention, and working memory in infants. Our objective was to establish the feasibility of automated eye tracking with the FTII in HIV-exposed Ugandan infants. METHOD: The FTII was administered to 31 perinatally HIV-exposed noninfected (HEU) Ugandan children 6-12 months of age (11 boys; M = 0.69 years, SD = 0.14; 19 girls; M = 0.79, SD = 0.15). A series of 10 different faces were presented (familiar face exposure for 25 s followed by a gaze preference trial of 15 s with both the familiar and unfamiliar faces). Tobii X2-30 infrared camera for pupil detection provided automated eye-tracking measures of gaze location and length during presentation of Ugandan faces selected to correspond to the gender, age (adult, child), face expression, and orientation of the original FTII. Eye-tracking gaze length for unfamiliar faces was correlated with performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). RESULTS: Infants gazed longer at the novel picture compared to familiar across 10 novelty preference trials. Better MSEL cognitive development was correlated with proportionately longer time spent looking at the novel faces (r(30) = 0.52, p = .004); especially for the Fine Motor Cognitive Sub-scale (r(30) = 0.54, p = .002). CONCLUSION: Automated eye tracking in a human face recognition test proved feasible and corresponded to the MSEL composite cognitive development in HEU infants in a resource-constrained clinical setting. Eye tracking may be a viable means of enhancing the validity and accuracy of other neurodevelopmental measures in at-risk children in sub-Saharan Africa.

The feasibility of automated eye tracking with the Early Childhood Vigilance Test of attention in younger HIV-exposed Ugandan children.

OBJECTIVE: Tobii eye tracking was compared with webcam-based observer scoring on an animation viewing measure of attention (Early Childhood Vigilance Test; ECVT) to evaluate the feasibility of automating measurement and scoring. Outcomes from both scoring approaches were compared with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), Color-Object Association Test (COAT), and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for preschool children (BRIEF-P). METHOD: A total of 44 children 44 to 65 months of age were evaluated with the ECVT, COAT, MSEL, and BRIEF-P. Tobii ×2-30 portable infrared cameras were programmed to monitor pupil direction during the ECVT 6-min animation and compared with observer-based PROCODER webcam scoring. RESULTS: Children watched 78% of the cartoon (Tobii) compared with 67% (webcam scoring), although the 2 measures were highly correlated (r = .90, p = .001). It is possible for 2 such measures to be highly correlated even if one is consistently higher than the other (Bergemann et al., 2012). Both ECVT Tobii and webcam ECVT measures significantly correlated with COAT immediate recall (r = .37, p = .02 vs. r = .38, p = .01, respectively) and total recall (r = .33, p = .06 vs. r = .42, p = .005) measures. However, neither the Tobii eye tracking nor PROCODER webcam ECVT measures of attention correlated with MSEL composite cognitive performance or BRIEF-P global executive composite. CONCLUSION: ECVT scoring using Tobii eye tracking is feasible with at-risk very young African children and consistent with webcam-based scoring approaches in their correspondence to one another and other neurocognitive performance-based measures. By automating measurement and scoring, eye tracking technologies can improve the efficiency and help better standardize ECVT testing of attention in younger children. This holds promise for other neurodevelopmental tests where eye movements, tracking, and gaze length can provide important behavioral markers of neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental processes associated with such tests. (PsycINFO Database Record