Premature mortality attributable to COVID-19: potential years of life lost in 17 countries around the world, January-August 2020.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the impact of the burden of COVID-19 is key to successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a larger investigation on COVID-19 mortality impact, this study aims to estimate the Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) in 17 countries and territories across the world (Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Peru, Norway, England & Wales, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States [USA]). METHODS: Age- and sex-specific COVID-19 death numbers from primary national sources were collected by an international research consortium. The study period was established based on the availability of data from the inception of the pandemic to the end of August 2020. The PYLL for each country were computed using 80 years as the maximum life expectancy. RESULTS: As of August 2020, 442,677 (range: 18-185,083) deaths attributed to COVID-19 were recorded in 17 countries which translated to 4,210,654 (range: 112-1,554,225) PYLL. The average PYLL per death was 8.7 years, with substantial variation ranging from 2.7 years in Australia to 19.3 PYLL in Ukraine. North and South American countries as well as England & Wales, Scotland and Sweden experienced the highest PYLL per 100,000 population; whereas Australia, Slovenia and Georgia experienced the lowest. Overall, males experienced higher PYLL rate and higher PYLL per death than females. In most countries, most of the PYLL were observed for people aged over 60 or 65 years, irrespective of sex. Yet, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Israel, Peru, Scotland, Ukraine, and the USA concentrated most PYLL in younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the role of PYLL as a tool to understand the impact of COVID-19 on demographic groups within and across countries, guiding preventive measures to protect these groups under the ongoing pandemic. Continuous monitoring of PYLL is therefore needed to better understand the burden of COVID-19 in terms of premature mortality.

Community perception of malaria in a vulnerable municipality in the Colombian Pacific.

BACKGROUND: Malaria primarily affects populations living in poor socioeconomic conditions, with limited access to basic services, deteriorating environmental conditions, and barriers to accessing health services. Control programmes are designed without participation from the communities involved, ignoring local knowledge and sociopolitical and cultural dynamics surrounding their main health problems, which implies imposing decontextualized control measures that reduce coverage and the impact of interventions. The objective of this study was to determine the community perception of malaria in the municipality of Olaya Herrera in the Colombian Pacific. METHODS: A 41-question survey on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to malaria, the perception of actions by the Department of Health, and access to the health services network was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 134 adults were surveyed, in whose households a total of 671 people lived. According to the survey data, about 80% of the household members included teenagers and children, out of which 61% had malaria at one time, and for 75.3%, this disease is a persistent problem. In spite of this, 57.2% of people who fell ill due to malaria were never visited by health personnel for a follow up. This population claimed that responsibility for who should prevent the disease is shared between each person and the Department of Health. However, personal actions were focused on using mosquito nets, ignoring other important practices to prevent bites. Despite campaigns by the Department of Health, 11.9% of respondents did not know how malaria was transmitted, and 8.96% thought it was transmitted through water. Also, 43.5% said that the Department of Health did not do any work to control malaria and 16% did not know if any action was taken. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the knowledge about malaria and the efforts of the Department of Health to prevent it, the community actions do not seem to be consistent with this knowledge, as the number of cases of malaria is still high in the area.

An investigation into the knowledge, perceptions and role of personal protective technologies in Zika prevention in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Arboviruses transmitted by day-biting Aedes mosquitoes are a major public health concern. With the challenges inherent in arbovirus vaccine and therapeutics development, vector control and bite prevention strategies are among the limited options available for immediate intervention. Bite prevention through personal protective technologies (PPT), such as topical mosquito repellents or repellent-impregnated clothing, may help to decrease biting rates and, therefore, the risk of disease in groups most susceptible to adverse outcomes from Zika virus. However, achieving high uptake and compliance with PPT can be challenging. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To gain an insight into the knowledge and concerns of pregnant women surrounding Zika and their opinions regarding PPT, particularly repellent clothing, a focus group study was carried out with pregnant women, women of reproductive age, and semi-structured interviews with their male partners in two cities in Colombia. The discussions revealed shortfalls in basic knowledge of Zika virus, with several pregnant participants reporting being unaware of the potential for Zika-related congenital malformations. Although participants generally considered Zika to be a significant personal threat, most rated it as less of a concern than dengue or diarrheal diseases. Overall, repellent clothing and other forms of PPT were viewed as effective, although some participants expressed concerns over the high costs of repellents, and safety fears of regular contact with repellent chemicals, which they perceived as potentially harmful. Plant-derived repellents were considered to be safer than synthetic chemical repellents. Discussions also highlighted that health centers were the preferred source of information on bite-reduction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Achieving high uptake and compliance with PPT in populations most at risk of adverse outcomes from Zika infection requires engaging key users in open dialogue to identify and address any practical issues regarding PPT use, and concerns over safety. The findings presented here suggest that educational campaigns should strongly emphasize the risks associated with Zika during pregnancy, and discuss safety profiles of approved synthetic repellents and the availability of EPA-approved plant-based repellents. In addition, the economic and political context should be a major consideration when evaluating personal mosquito-repellent strategies.

Efecto antimicrobiano del aceite esencial de Citrus reticulata sobre Fusobacterium nucleatum asociada a enfermedad periodontal / Antimicrobial effect of essential oil of Citrus reticulata on Fusobacterium nucleatum associated with periodontal disease

Resumen La clorhexidina como tratamiento de la enfermedad periodontal ha logrado efectos bactericidas sobre periodontopatógenos y biopelícula oral. Su uso genera efectos adversos, por lo tanto se presentan alternativas naturales con efecto antimicrobiano similar. Los aceites esenciales han demostrado efectividad en el control de la placa dental, sin los efectos adversos de la clorhexidina. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto bacteriostático y bactericida del aceite esencial de mandarina contra Fusobacterium nucleatum. Se realizó extracción por expresión del aceite esencial de cáscaras de mandarina (variedades Arrayana y Oneco). Se evaluaron concentraciones al 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% y 100% del aceite esencial diluido en Tween al 0,02%. El efecto bacteriostático y bactericida se determinó por pruebas de sensibilidad antimicrobiana por difusión en disco. Como control positivo se utilizó Clorhexidina 0,2% y agua como control negativo. Se midió halo de inhibición (mm) y se determinó ausencia o presencia de crecimiento bacteriano a partir de unidades formadoras de colonias. Para comparación de proporciones de la actividad bacteriostática y bactericida, se realizó prueba de Fisher y T student (IC 95% p = 0,05). El halo de inhibición a una concentración del 100% mostró comportamiento similar a clorhexidina (p<0,05). Concentraciones al 100% y 80% fueron bactericidas, al 60%, 40% y 20% presentaron comportamiento bacteriostático. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en las proporciones de inhibición entre las dos variedades de mandarina (p>0,05). El uso de aceites esenciales de mandarina podría ser una alternativa complementaria al tratamiento de la enfermedad periodontal.

Abstract Chlorhexidine as a treatment of periodontal disease has achieved bactericidal effects over periodontopathogens and oral biofilm. Its use generates adverse effects; therefore natural alternatives are presented with a similar antimicrobial effect. Essential oils have proved effective in controlling dental plaque without the adverse effects of chlorhexidine. The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect of essential oil of tangerine against Fusobacterium nucleatum. The extraction of the essential oil was performed by expression of tangerine peels (Arrayana and Oneco varieties). Concentrations at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the essential oil diluted in 0,02% Tween were evaluated. The bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect was determined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disk diffusion. As a positive control 0,2% chlorhexidine and water as negative control were used. Inhibition zone (mm) was measured and presence or absence of bacterial growth was determined from colony forming units. To compare proportions of bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity, Fisher and T student test (95% CI p = 0,05) were performed. The 100% concentration zone of inhibition showed a similar behavior as chlorhexidine (p <0,05). 100% and 80% concentrations were bactericides, 60%, 40% and 20% showed bacteriostatic behavior. No significant differences between the proportions of inhibition of the two varieties of tangerine (p> 0,05). The use of essential oils of tangerine could be a complementary alternative to treatment of periodontal disease.

Blattella germánica (Blattodea: Blattellidae) como potencial vector mecánico de infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud (IAAS) en un centro hospitalario de Villavicencio (Meta-Colombia) / Blattella germánica (Blattodea: Blattellidae) as potential mechanical vector of health-care associated infections in a hospital in Villavicencio (Meta-Colombia)

Objetivo. Identificar las especies de cucarachas y bacterias asociadas a su exoesqueleto en un centro hospitalario de la ciudad de Villavicencio (Meta, Colombia). Métodos. Se realizaron capturas manuales de cucarachas en cocina, urgencias, UCI intermedia, consulta externa y neonatos. Los individuos colectados fueron sometidos a un aislamiento primario en caldo BHI, para luego pasar a medios sólidos (sangre y MacConkey). Se realizó identificación y antibiograma por método automatizado. Resultados. Se colectaron 24 ninfas y adultos de Blattella germánica. Se aisló e identificó Klebsiella pneumoniae con sensibilidad intermedia a meropenem (CMI 4) y resistencia a cefalosporinas (cefepima y cefuroxima) (>16), Proteus vulgaris con resistencia a cefalosporinas (ceftriaxona, cefuroxima) (CMI >16), Enterobacter cloacae con resistencia a cefalosporinas (cefoxitina, cefuroxima, ceftriaxona) (CMI > 16), Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus rafinosus, Staphylococcus xylosus y Enterococcus faecalis. El 80% de las bacterias aisladas presentaron algún grado de resistencia a antibióticos. Conclusiones. Estos insectos podrían jugar un papel importante en la transmisión de las Infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud (IAAS). Debido a su presencia en hospitales y el reporte de IAAS y resistencia bacteriana en varios centros asistenciales en el Departamento del Meta, se hace necesario establecer la relación de estos insectos con estos eventos.

Objective. Identify the species of cockroaches and bacteria associated with their exoskeleton in a hospital in Villavicencio (Meta, Colombia). Methods. The cockroaches were captured manually in kitchen, emergency room, intermediate intensive care unit, outpatient service and newborn nursery. The collected individuals were subjected to a primary isolation in BHI broth, then move on to solid media (blood and MacConkey). Identification and sensitivity testing was performed by automated method. Results. 24 nymphs and adults ofBlattella germanica were collected. It was isolated and identified Klebsiellapneumoniae with intermediate susceptibility to meropenem (MIC 4) and resistance to cephalosporins (cefepime and cefuroxime) (> 16), Proteus vulgaris with cephalosporin resistance (Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime) (MIC > 16), Enterobacter cloacae resistant to cephalosporins (cefoxitin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone) (MIC > 16), Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus rafinosus, Staphylococcus xylosus and Enterococcus faecalis. 80% of the isolated bacteria showed some degree of resistance to antibiotics. Results. These insects could play an important role in the transmission of health care associated infections (HCAI). Due to the presence of cockroaches in hospitals and the report of HCAI and bacterial resistance in several health centers in the Department of Meta, it is necessary to establish the relationship of these insects with these events.

Effects of boric acid, fipronil, hydramethylnon, and diflubenzuron baits on colonies of ghost ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Laboratory colonies of the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.) were administered sugar solution (10%) baits containing the insecticides boric acid, fipronil (REGENT), hydramethylnon (SIEGE), or diflubenzuron (DIMILN). Colonies were exposed to the baits for 21 d, and development of workers, queens, and brood (larvae and pupae) was observed for 4 wk. Fipronil (0.05%) caused 100% mortality in all colonies the first week. With boric acid (0.5%), 100% mortality of workers, queens, and brood was reached at the end of the third week. With hydramethylnon (2%), 83% of the colonies disappeared at the end of the fourth week, but some queens were still alive 9 wk after the trial started. Diflubenzuron (1%) behaved similarly to the control, although in some colonies, the brood production increased, whereas in other colonies, the queens disappeared. In the control colonies, workers, queens, and brood were always observed even up to 9 wk.