Dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 lineage BA.5.1.25 and its descendants in Peru during two COVID-19 waves in 2022.

During the third year of the pandemic in Peru, the persistent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 led to the appearance of more transmissible and immune-evasive Omicron sublineages; in that context, the National Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 performed by the Peruvian National Institute of Health detected spike mutations in the circulating Omicron BA.5.1.25 sublineage which was later designated as DJ.1 and increased during the fourth COVID-19 wave, this eventually branched into new sublineages. The introduction, emergence, and timing of the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of BA.5.1.25 and its descendants (DJ.1, DJ.1.1, DJ.1.2, and DJ.1.3) were investigated in this paper as well as the time lags between their emergence and identification by the Peruvian National Institute of Health. Our findings show that ongoing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding its phylogenetic evolution and the emergence of novel variations.

Rendimiento diagnóstico de un sistema molecular de uso en el punto de atención para la detección de SARS-CoV-2 en Perú / Diagnostic performance of a point-of-care molecular system for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Peru

RESUMEN En el presente estudio se estimó el rendimiento diagnóstico de la prueba Xpert®Xpress SARS-CoV-2 en comparación con la RT PCR en tiempo real-protocolo Charité, para la detección de SARS-CoV-2 en pacientes peruanos. Se trató de un diseño de prueba diagnóstica que incluyó 100 muestras de hisopado nasal y faríngeo. Se obtuvo una concordancia global de 98,70% (IC95%: 92,98-99,97), con un coeficiente kappa de 0,97 (IC95%: 0,86-1.00); se estimó una sensibilidad y especificad relativa de 100% y 96,15%, respectivamente. Adicionalmente, el porcentaje del área bajo la curva ROC fue 98,08% en ambos casos y se obtuvo una especificidad analítica del 100% para los diferentes virus respiratorios evaluados. En conclusión, la prueba Xpert®Xpress SARS-CoV-2 a partir de muestras de hisopado nasal y faríngeo fue altamente sensible y específica, así mismo el coeficiente kappa mostró una excelente correlación, al compararla con la prueba de referencia.

ABSTRACT The present study assessed the diagnostic performance of the Xpert®Xpress SARS-CoV-2 test in comparison with the Charité protocol real-time RT PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Peruvian patients. This was a diagnostic test study that included 100 nasal and pharyngeal swab samples. We obtained an overall concordance of 98.70% (95%CI: 92.98-99.97), with a kappa coefficient of 0.97 (95%CI: 0.86-1.00) and sensitivity and relative specificity rates of 100% and 96.15%, respectively. Additionally, the percentage of the area under the ROC curve was 98.08% in both cases, and an analytical specificity rate of 100% was obtained for the different respiratory viruses evaluated. In conclusion, the Xpert®Xpress SARS-CoV-2 test, by using nasal and pharyngeal swab samples, was highly sensitive and specific, and the kappa coefficient showed an excellent correlation when compared to the reference test.

Factores individuales e institucionales asociados a la vacunación contra el virus de la hepatitis B en recién nacidos de hospitales de Lima y Callao

Introducción. La vacunación contra el virus de la hepatitis B (VHB) en recién nacidos es crucial para la prevención de la transmisión perinatal. Objetivo. Determinar factores individuales e institucionales asociados a la vacunación contra el VHB en las 12 y 24 primeras horas de vida. Métodos. Se diseñó un estudio transversal y multicéntrico. Los datos sobre la vacunación fueron recogidos de los padres y de la revisión de reportes. Los datos de los variables individuales de los recién nacidos y madres fueron recogidos de las historias clínicas. Los datos institucionales fueron recogidos de registros de atención inmediata y directamente del personal de inmunizaciones. Resultados. Se incluyó 777 recién nacidos en 10 establecimientos. En el análisis multinivel resultó favorable a la vacunación en las primeras 12 horas, el mayor tiempo de atención en los servicios de inmunizaciones (RP: 1,0; IC95%: 0,99 - 1,01). Para la vacunación dentro de las 24 horas de vida fue favorable la mayor cantidad de personal de enfermería en los servicios de vacunación (RP: 1,02; IC95%: 1,01 - 1,03) y desfavorable la mayor cantidad de partos al día de los establecimientos (RP: 0,99; IC95%: 0,99 - 0,997). No se identificó factores individuales. Conclusión. Factores institucionales, como el tiempo de atención, la cantidad de personal de enfermería y la cantidad de partos, estuvieron asociados con la vacunación contra el VHB en recién nacidos. Se requiere estrategias de mejora como la introducción de la vacunación en la atención inmediata del neonato para la prevención de la transmisión perinatal del VHB.

Introduction. Vaccination against hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in newborns is crucial for the prevention of perinatal transmission. Objective. To determine the individual and institutional factors associated with vaccine for HBV in newborns in the first 12 hours and 24 hours of life. Methods. A cross-sectional, multicenter-design study was conducted in high level public and private hospitals in Lima Metropolitana and Callao. Information on vaccination was obtained through consultations with parents and review of health service reports. Individual variables of the newborns and their mothers were obtained from the medical records of the newborns. Institutional data were collected from immediate care records and from health personnel responsible for the immunization program. Results. The study was conducted in 10 health facilities, including 777 newborns. In the multilevel analysis, the longest care time in the vaccination service was favorable for vaccination within 12 hours of life (PR: 1,0; 95% CI: 0,9995-1,01); while for vaccination within 24 hours of life was favorable the greater number of nursing personnel (RP: 1,02; IC95%: 1,01-1,03) and unfavorable the greater number of deliveries per day in the institution (RP:0,99; IC95%: 0,99-0,997). No individual factors related to vaccination were identified. Conclusions. Institutional factors, such as length of care, number of nursing staff, and number of deliveries, were associated with newborn HBV vaccination. Improvement strategies are required, such as the introduction of vaccination in the immediate care of the newborn for the prevention of perinatal transmission of HBV.

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a third dose of BNT162b2 vaccine for COVID-19 after a primary regimen with BBIBP-CorV or BNT162b2 vaccines in Lima, Peru.

BACKGROUND: The administration of a third (booster) dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Peru initially employed the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) mRNA vaccine. The national vaccination program started with healthcare workers (HCW) who received BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) vaccine as primary regimen and elderly people previously immunized with BNT162b2. This study evaluated the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the "booster" dose in these two groups in Lima, Peru. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study, recruiting participants from November to December of 2021 in Lima, Peru. We evaluated immunogenicity and reactogenicity in HCW and elderly patients previously vaccinated with either two doses of BBIBP-CorV (heterologous regimen) or BTN162b2 (homologous regimen). Immunogenicity was measured by anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels immediately before boosting dose and 14 days later. IgG geometric means (GM) and medians were obtained, and modeled using ANCOVA and quantile regressions. RESULTS: The GM of IgG levels increased significantly after boosting: from 28.5±5.0 AU/mL up to 486.6±1.2 AU/mL (p<0.001) which corresponds to a 17-fold increase. The heterologous vaccine regimen produced higher GM of post-booster anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels, eliciting a 13% increase in the geometric mean ratio (95%CI: 1.02-1.27) and a median difference of 92.3 AU/ml (95%CI: 24.9-159.7). Both vaccine regimens were safe and well tolerated. Previous COVID-19 infection was also associated with higher pre and post-booster IgG GM levels. CONCLUSION: Although both boosting regimens were highly immunogenic, two doses of BBIBP-CorV boosted with BTN162b2 produced a stronger IgG antibody response than the homologous BNT162b2 regimen in the Peruvian population. Additionally, both regimens were mildly reactogenic and well-tolerated.

Selected Domains within a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Older Patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma are Highly Associated with Frailty.

Background: The incidence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is increasing, particularly among older patients who tend to have worse outcomes and can be predisposed to increased toxicities and less treatment tolerance. Therefore, a thorough pre-treatment assessment is essential. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) can be used to evaluate the older patient considering chemotherapy and is the preferred evaluation tool. However, a formal CGA is laborious, complex and time-consuming. Objectives: To characterize older adults with NHL and determine the CGA variables with the greatest association to frailty in order to propose a more simplified assessment. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using data collected from CGAs in NHL patients > 65 years admitted to our oncology service, from September 2015 to August 2017. Our evaluation parameters included: polypharmacy, a screening tool of older people's prescriptions (STOPP), the Lawton scale, Barthel index, Katz index, gait speed, a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, a Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE), the Yesavage and Gijon scales, a Mini-nutritional assessment (MNA), a Geriatric Syndromes assessment, and a Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric (CIRS-G). The formal CGA was comprised of nine domains; frailty was defined as an impairment in > 2 domains. Each parameter was individually compared with frailty, and the results were used to build different multivariate models using logistic regression analyses to obtain the variables with the highest frailty association. Results: A total of 253 patients were included. Their median age was 75.4 years (range 65-92), and 62.1% had > 1 impaired domain, with 39.9% considered frail. Bivariate analysis showed strong associations with age > 85 and all the geriatric parameters except for STOPP. Our final multivariate analysis resulted in 5 domains (the use of > 5 medications, a Lawton < 7, TUG > 20, Yesavage > 5, and the presence of at least one geriatric syndrome) being significantly associated with frailty and performing similarly to a CGA. Conclusion: In our population of older NHL patients, an abbreviated evaluation based of only five domains, polypharmacy, TUG, Lawton scale, Yesavage scale and the presence of at least one geriatric syndrome, had similar performance to a formal CGA in determining frailty.

Genomic surveillance of the Lambda SARS-CoV-2 variant in a global phylogenetic context.

The massive sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and global genomic surveillance strategies allowed the detection of many variants of concern and interest. The variant of interest Lambda (C.37), which originated in South America, has been the most prevalent in Peru and Chile, but its dispersion in other continents still remains unknown. The current study aims to determine the phylogenetic relationship among C.37 isolates worldwide, focusing on spike mutations to understand the spread of Lambda in pandemics. A total of 7441 sequences identified as C.37 were downloaded from the GISAID database; local analysis was carried out to identify spike mutations and phylogenetic analysis was carried out to determine the rate of spread of the virus. Our results showed some spike mutations of Lambda that allowed us to detect small local outbreaks in different countries that occurred in the past and identify several clades that have not yet been designated. Although the lineage C.37 is not epidemiologically relevant in Europe or North America, the endemic behavior of this variant in Peru had a major impact on the second SARS-CoV-2 wave.

High anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroconversion rates before the second wave in Manaus, Brazil, and the protective effect of social behaviour measures: results from the prospective DETECTCoV-19 cohort.

BACKGROUND: The city of Manaus, Brazil, has seen two collapses of the health system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We report anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibody seroconversion rates and associated risk factors in Manaus residents before the second wave of the epidemic in Brazil. METHODS: A convenience sample of adult (aged ≥18 years) residents of Manaus was recruited through online and university website advertising into the DETECTCoV-19 study cohort. The current analysis of seroconversion included a subgroup of DETECTCoV-19 participants who had at least two serum sample collections separated by at least 4 weeks between Aug 19 and Oct 2, 2020 (visit 1), and Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020 (visit 2). Those who reported (or had no data on) having a COVID-19 diagnosis before visit 1, and who were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at visit 1 were excluded. Using an in-house ELISA, the reactivity index (RI; calculated as the optical density ratio of the sample to the negative control) for serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies was measured at both visits. We calculated the incidence of seroconversion (defined as RI values ≤1·5 at visit 1 and ≥1·5 at visit 2, and a ratio >2 between the visit 2 and visit 1 RI values) during the study period, as well as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) through cluster-corrected and adjusted Poisson regression models to analyse associations between seroconversion and variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, health access, comorbidities, COVID-19 exposure, protective behaviours, and symptoms. FINDINGS: 2496 DETECTCoV-19 cohort participants returned for a follow-up visit between Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020, of whom 204 reported having COVID-19 before the first visit and 24 had no data regarding previous disease status. 559 participants were seropositive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at baseline. Of the remaining 1709 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 71 did not meet the criteria for seroconversion and were excluded from the analyses. Among the remaining 1638 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 214 showed seroconversion at visit 2. The seroconversion incidence was 13·06% (95% CI 11·52-14·79) overall and 6·78% (5·61-8·10) for symptomatic seroconversion, over a median follow-up period of 57 days (IQR 54-61). 48·1% of seroconversion events were estimated to be asymptomatic. The sample had higher proportions of affluent and higher-educated people than those reported for the Manaus city population. In the fully adjusted and corrected model, risk factors for seroconversion before visit 2 were having a COVID-19 case in the household (IRR 1·49 [95% CI 1·21-1·83]), not wearing a mask during contact with a person with COVID-19 (1·25 [1·09-1·45]), relaxation of physical distancing (1·31 [1·05-1·64]), and having flu-like symptoms (1·79 [1·23-2·59]) or a COVID-19 diagnosis (3·57 [2·27-5·63]) between the first and second visits, whereas working remotely was associated with lower incidence (0·74 [0·56-0·97]). INTERPRETATION: An intense infection transmission period preceded the second wave of COVID-19 in Manaus. Several modifiable behaviours increased the risk of seroconversion, including non-compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions measures such as not wearing a mask during contact, relaxation of protective measures, and non-remote working. Increased testing in high-transmission areas is needed to provide timely information about ongoing transmission and aid appropriate implementation of transmission mitigation measures. FUNDING: Ministry of Education, Brazil; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and associated factors in Manaus, Brazil: baseline results from the DETECTCoV-19 cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Manaus, located in the Brazilian rainforest, has experienced two health system collapses due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, little is known about which groups among the general population have been most affected. METHODS: A convenience sampling strategy via online advertising recruited 3046 adults between 19 August 2020 and 2 October 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19-related symptoms, COVID-19 testing, self-medication and prescribed medications were recorded. Serum anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid immunoglobulin G antibodies were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Prevalence ratios (PR) were obtained using cluster-corrected and adjusted Poisson's regression models. RESULTS: A crude positivity rate among asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals was estimated at 29.10%, with maximum possible seroprevalence of 44.82% corrected by test characteristics and an antibody decay rate of 32.31%. Regression models demonstrated a strong association towards marginalized low-income and vulnerable residents with limited access to health care. The presence of a COVID-19 case [PR 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-1.57] or death (PR 2.14, 95% CI 1.74-2.62) in a household greatly increased the risk of other household members acquiring infection. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was higher among those who self-medicated to prevent infection (PR 1.36, 95% CI 1.27-1.46). CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate socio-economic disparity was observed among the study participants. The syndemic nature of COVID-19 in the Amazon region needs differential policies and urgent solutions to control the ongoing pandemic.

Burden of disease due to hip, knee, and unspecified osteoarthritis in the Peruvian social health insurance system (EsSalud), 2016.

Introduction: Since its introduction by the World Health Organization (WHO), the concept of burden of disease has been evolving. The current method uses life expectancy projected to 2050 and does not consider age-weighting and time-discounting. Our aim is to estimate the burden of disease due to hip, knee, and unspecified osteoarthritis using this new method in the Peruvian Social Health Insurance System (EsSalud) during 2016. Methods: We followed the original 1994 WHO study and the current 2015 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) methods to estimate disability adjusted life years (DALY) due to osteoarthritis, categorized by sex, age, osteoarthritis type, and geographical area. We used disability weights employed by the Peruvian Ministry of Health, and the last update issued by WHO. Results: Overall, EsSalud reported 17.9 new cases of osteoarthritis per 1000 patients per year. Annual incidence was 23.7/1000 among women, and 72.6/1000 in people above 60 years old. Incidence was 5.6/1000 for knee osteoarthritis and 1.1/1000 for hip. According to the 1994 WHO method, there were 399,884 DALYs or 36.6 DALYs/1000 patients per year due to osteoarthritis. 12.4 and 2.2 DALYs/1000 patients per-year were estimated for knee and hip osteoarthritis, respectively. Using the 2015 GBD method, there were 1,037,865 DALYs or 94.9 DALYs/1000 patients per year. 31.4 and 5.3 DALYs/1000 patients per year were calculated for knee and hip osteoarthritis, respectively. Conclusions: In the Peruvian social health insurance subsystem, hip, knee, and unspecified osteoarthritis produced a high burden of disease, especially among women and patients over 60. The 2015 GBD methodology yields values almost three times higher than the original recommendations.

Nivel de conocimientos de higiene de manos en enfermeras y médicos de tres hospitales nacionales del seguro social de salud, 2018 / Knowledge of hand hygiene among nurses and physicians in three national hospitals of the Peruvian social health insurance, 2018

Introducción: Las manos de los trabajadores de la salud son los más frecuentes medios portadores de los microorganismos responsables de infecciones asociadas a la atención en salud. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue evaluar el nivel de conocimientos de lavado de manos de tres hospitales nacionales del seguro social de salud en Lima metropolitana, 2018. Material y Métodos: Durante abril-agosto 2018, entrevistamos a enfermeras y médicos de tres hospitales nacionales con un cuestionario administrado en tres secciones y evaluado en escala vigesimal: generalidades, razones de la higiene de manos durante atención en salud y situaciones para realizar la higiene de manos. Resultados: La mediana del nivel de conocimientos de enfermeras y médicos sobre higiene de manos fue de 13,41. El nivel de conocimientos es diferente entre enfermeras y médicos (13,3 vs. 13,6). Asimismo, se encontraron menor frecuencia de acierto en los ítems: desinfección de manos dura 20 a 30 segundos (54,1%, n=276), desinfección de manos tiene 8 pasos (52,9%, n=270), eliminar los microorganismos transitorios de la piel (47,1%, n=240), cuando existe un diagnóstico infeccioso (34,7%, n=177). Conclusión: El nivel de conocimientos de las enfermeras y médicos fue bajo y existe diferencia entre subgrupos profesionales. Se recomienda implementar entrenamientos continuos siguiendo las estrategias multimodulares de la OMS

Introduction: The hands of health care workers are the most common means of carrying the microorganisms responsible for healthcare-associated infections. The objective of our study was to evaluate the level of handwashing knowledge in three national social health insurance hospitals in metropolitan Lima, 2018. Material and Methods: During April-August 2018, we interviewed nurses and physicians from three national hospitals with a three-sections questionnaire to evaluate on a twenty-first scale the following domains: generalities, reasons for hand hygiene during health care, and situations to perform hand hygiene. Results: The median knowledge of nurses and physicians about hand hygiene was 13.41. The knowledge differs between nurses and physicians (13.3 vs. 13.6). Also, there was a lower frequency of success in the following items: hand disinfection lasts 20 to 30 seconds (54.1%, n=276), hand disinfection has 8 steps (52.9%, n=270), elimination of transitory skin microorganisms (47.1%, n=240), when there is an infectious diagnosis (34.7%, n=177). Conclusion:The knowledge of nurses and physicians was low and there is a difference between professional subgroups. It is recommended to implement continuous training following the WHO multimodular strategies

Proceso de definición de prioridades institucionales de investigación en el Seguro Social de Salud del Perú, 2020-2022 / Process of defining institutional priorities for research in the Peruvian Social Health Insurance, 2020-2022

Introducción: La definición de prioridades de investigación en salud dirige los esfuerzos de investigación para promover ciencia, tecnología e innovación en salud. Material y Métodos: La definición de estas en el Seguro Social de Salud peruano para el periodo 2020-2022 se realizó en cuatro etapas y de forma sistemática, estructurada, participativa y secuencial. Resultados: Primero, se evaluó el avance de investigación en las prioridades del periodo 2017-2019. En la segunda etapa, se consultó diversas fuentes y se identificó necesidades de investigación orientadas a enfermedades y se estableció el marco para prioridades orientadas a sistemas de salud e intervenciones sanitarias. La tercera etapa consistió en una consulta ampliada para seleccionar los temas prioritarios orientados a enfermedades. Finalmente, se desarrolló un taller participativo y multidisciplinario para seleccionar temas, subtemas y áreas prioritarias de investigación. Conclusión: El producto final fue la definición de 11 temas prioritarios, siete para enfermedades y cuatro para sistemas de salud e intervenciones sanitarias.

Introduction: Health research priorities definition address research efforts to the promotion of health science, technology, and innovation. Material and Methods: Health research priorities in the Peruvian Social Security for the period 2020-2022 was carried out in four stages using a systematic, structured, participatory and sequential process. Results: First, the progress of the research in the priorities of the period 2017-2019 was evaluated. In the second stage, various sources were consulted to identify disease-oriented research needs and the framework for priorities oriented to health systems and health interventions. The third stage consisted of an expanded consultation to select priority disease-oriented topics. Finally, a participatory and multidisciplinary workshop was developed to select themes, subtopics, and priority areas for research. Conclusion: The final product was the definition of 11 priority themes, seven for diseases and four for health systems and health interventions

High prevalence of self-reported tuberculosis and associated factors in a nation-wide census among prison inmates in Peru.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of self-reported tuberculosis TB diagnosed at Peruvian correctional facilities (CFs), and their associated factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional study based on secondary analysis of the National Census held in all Peruvian CFs in 2016. Outcome was defined as self-reported TB diagnosed by a healthcare professional intra-penitentiary. A descriptive bivariate analysis was carried out, followed by multivariate analysis using Poisson regression in order to calculate the adjusted prevalence ratios (PRa). Additionally, a mixed effects multilevel model adjusted by CFs as clusters was performed. RESULTS: Of 77 086 prison inmates in 66 CFs participated in the original census, of which 69 890 were included. Of these, 1754 self-reported TB diagnosed intra-penitentiary, yielding a prevalence of 2510/100 000 PDL. In the final model, self-reported TB was associated with younger age, male gender, lower educational level, not having a stable partner, having prison readmissions and having relatives in prison. There was also strong association with HIV/AIDS (PRa 2.77; 1.84-4.18), STIs (PRa 2.13; 1.46-3.10), DM (PRa 1.99; 1.59-2.50) and recreational drugs use (PRa 1.41; 1.23-1.61). The mixed model showed significant variance for belonging to different CFs (2.13; 1.02-4.44) and CF overcrowding (3.25; 1.37-7.71). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported TB prevalence found was higher than reported by other lower/lower-middle income countries. Demographic factors, individual clinical features and overcrowding increases the likelihood of self-reported TB.

OBJECTIF: Estimer la prévalence de la tuberculose (TB) auto-déclarée, diagnostiquée dans des établissements pénitentiaires (EP) péruviens et les facteurs associés. MÉTHODES: Etude transversale basée sur une analyse secondaire du recensement national réalisée dans tous les EP péruviens en 2016. Le résultat était défini comme une TB auto-déclarée diagnostiquée par un professionnel de la santé intra-pénitentiaire. Une analyse descriptive à deux variables a été réalisée, suivie d'une analyse à plusieurs variables en utilisant une régression de Poisson afin de calculer les ratios de prévalence ajustés (PRa). En outre, un modèle multiniveau à effets mixtes ajusté selon les EP comme grappes a été réalisé. RÉSULTATS: 77.086 détenus de 66 EP ont participé au recensement initial, dont 69.890 ont été inclus. Parmi ceux-ci, 1.754 cas de TB auto-déclarée ont été diagnostiqués au sein des pénitenciers, soit une prévalence de 2.510/100.000 PDL. Dans le dernier modèle, la TB auto-déclarée était associée à un âge plus jeune, au sexe masculin, à un niveau d'éducation plus faible, à l'absence de partenaire stable, à la réadmission en prison et avoir des parents en prison. Il existait également une forte association avec le VIH/SIDA (PRa: 2,77; 1,84 - 4,18), les IST (PRa: 2,13; 1,46 - 3,10), le diabète (PRa: 1,99; 1,59 - 2,50) et la consommation de drogues à des fins récréatives (PRa: 1,41; 1,23 - 1,61). Le modèle mixte a montré une variance significative pour l'appartenance à différents EP (2,13; 1,02 - 4,44) et au surpeuplement des EP (3,25; 1,37 à 7,71). CONCLUSIONS: La prévalence auto-déclarée de la TB était plus élevée que celle rapportée par d'autres pays à revenu inférieur/moyen-inférieur. Les facteurs démographiques, les caractéristiques cliniques individuelles et le surpeuplement augmentent le risque de TB auto-déclarée.

Impact of two interventions on timeliness and data quality of an electronic disease surveillance system in a resource limited setting (Peru): a prospective evaluation.

BACKGROUND: A timely detection of outbreaks through surveillance is needed in order to prevent future pandemics. However, current surveillance systems may not be prepared to accomplish this goal, especially in resource limited settings. As data quality and timeliness are attributes that improve outbreak detection capacity, we assessed the effect of two interventions on such attributes in Alerta, an electronic disease surveillance system in the Peruvian Navy. METHODS: 40 Alerta reporting units (18 clinics and 22 ships) were included in a 12-week prospective evaluation project. After a short refresher course on the notification process, units were randomly assigned to either a phone, visit or control group. Phone group sites were called three hours before the biweekly reporting deadline if they had not sent their report. Visit group sites received supervision visits on weeks 4 & 8, but no phone calls. The control group sites were not contacted by phone or visited. Timeliness and data quality were assessed by calculating the percentage of reports sent on time and percentage of errors per total number of reports, respectively. RESULTS: Timeliness improved in the phone group from 64.6% to 84% in clinics (+19.4 [95% CI, +10.3 to +28.6]; p < 0.001) and from 46.9% to 77.3% on ships (+30.4 [95% CI, +16.9 to +43.8]; p < 0.001). Visit and control groups did not show significant changes in timeliness. Error rates decreased in the visit group from 7.1% to 2% in clinics (-5.1 [95% CI, -8.7 to -1.4]; p = 0.007), but only from 7.3% to 6.7% on ships (-0.6 [95% CI, -2.4 to +1.1]; p = 0.445). Phone and control groups did not show significant improvement in data quality. CONCLUSION: Regular phone reminders significantly improved timeliness of reports in clinics and ships, whereas supervision visits led to improved data quality only among clinics. Further investigations are needed to establish the cost-effectiveness and optimal use of each of these strategies.

Challenges in the implementation of an electronic surveillance system in a resource-limited setting: Alerta, in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Infectious disease surveillance is a primary public health function in resource-limited settings. In 2003, an electronic disease surveillance system (Alerta) was established in the Peruvian Navy with support from the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD). Many challenges arose during the implementation process, and a variety of solutions were applied. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss these issues. METHODS: This is a retrospective description of the Alerta implementation. After a thoughtful evaluation according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the main challenges to implementation were identified and solutions were devised in the context of a resource-limited setting, Peru. RESULTS: After four years of operation, we have identified a number of challenges in implementing and operating this electronic disease surveillance system. These can be divided into the following categories: (1) issues with personnel and stakeholders; (2) issues with resources in a developing setting; (3) issues with processes involved in the collection of data and operation of the system; and (4) issues with organization at the central hub. Some of the challenges are unique to resource-limited settings, but many are applicable for any surveillance system. For each of these challenges, we developed feasible solutions that are discussed. CONCLUSION: There are many challenges to overcome when implementing an electronic disease surveillance system, not only related to technology issues. A comprehensive approach is required for success, including: technical support, personnel management, effective training, and cultural sensitivity in order to assure the effective deployment of an electronic disease surveillance system.