COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers in Finland: coverage, perceptions and attitudes.

AIMS: In this study, we examined the voluntary COVID-19 vaccine coverage among health care workers (HCWs) working in close patient contact. HCWs' beliefs about COVID-19 infection, their opinions of vaccination and reasons for having or declining the COVID-19 vaccination were also evaluated. METHODS: In October 2021, a cross-sectional observational study was carried out in five hospitals in Central and Eastern Finland. The anonymous and voluntary survey was targeted at 5120 doctors and nurses working in close patient contact. RESULTS: Some 1837 responses were included in the study. Ninety-seven per cent of the respondents had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine and 68% of the respondents agreed that all HCWs working in close patient contact should be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination coverage and support for vaccination were higher among older HCWs and doctors. HCWs' main reasons for having the COVID vaccine were willingness to protect themselves, their family and their patients from COVID-19. Concerns about adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine was the main reason for declining it. CONCLUSIONS: The overall COVID-19 vaccination coverage and support for vaccinations among HCWs working in close patient contact were high without actual mandatory policies being introduced. Prioritising HCWs for COVID-19 vaccinations and widespread vaccine availability, as well as low general vaccine hesitancy and high seasonal influenza vaccination coverage among the study population were check marks in achieving high COVID-19 vaccination coverage rapidly.

Fatal Puumala Hantavirus Disease: Involvement of Complement Activation and Vascular Leakage in the Pathobiology.

The case-fatality rate of hantavirus disease depends strongly on the causative hantavirus, ranging from 0.1% to 40%. However, the pathogenesis is not fully understood, and at present no licensed therapies exist. We describe fatal cases caused by Puumala hantavirus indicating involvement of complement activation and vascular leakage.

A cluster of measles linked to an imported case, Finland, 2017.

One imported and five secondary cases of measles were detected in Finland between June and August 2017. The measles sequences available for five laboratory-confirmed cases were identical and belonged to serotype D8. The large number of potentially exposed Finnish and foreign individuals called for close cooperation of national and international public health authorities and other stakeholders. Raising awareness among healthcare providers and ensuring universally high vaccination coverage is crucial to prevent future clusters and outbreaks.

The Capnocytophaga canimorsus isolate that caused sepsis in an immunosufficient man was transmitted by the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis.

The first vector-borne Capnocytophaga canimorsus sepsis case is presented. An immunocompetent male who denied any contact with canines and who worked in a sawmill was bitten on his neck by a large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.; Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Bacteriological diagnosis was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.

[Pressure ulcer and tetanus in an elderly person]. / Vanhuksen painehaava ja jäiykkäkouristus.

Clostridium tetani, the bacterium causing tetanus, can be found both in the soil and intestinal normal flora. While the majority of the Finnish population has adequate vaccination protection, part of the population exhibits weakened protection. We describe a case in which a patient developed tetanus as a consequence of pressure ulcer. The symptoms extended to the respiratory muscle region, resulting in respiratory insufficiency and cardiac arrest for the patient. The patient, however, recovered after successful resuscitation and extended intensive care as required by tetanus.

Transmission of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus infection from horses to humans.

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a zoonotic pathogen for persons in contact with horses. In horses, S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen, but human infections associated with S. zooepidemicus are often severe. Within 6 months in 2011, 3 unrelated cases of severe, disseminated S. zooepidemicus infection occurred in men working with horses in eastern Finland. To clarify the pathogen's epidemiology, we describe the clinical features of the infection in 3 patients and compare the S. zooepidemicus isolates from the human cases with S. zooepidemicus isolates from horses. The isolates were analyzed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and sequencing of the szP gene. Molecular typing methods showed that human and equine isolates were identical or closely related. These results emphasize that S. zooepidemicus transmitted from horses can lead to severe infections in humans. As leisure and professional equine sports continue to grow, this infection should be recognized as an emerging zoonosis.

Sarcina ventriculi in blood: the first documented report since 1872.

BACKGROUND: In 1872, in British Medical Journal (BMJ) Dr. David Ferrier published that Sarcina ventriculi (Goodsir) constantly occurred in the blood of man and the lower animals. His observation was based on bleeding experiments, incubation of blood at 100°F (37.8°C) and later examination. He found "immense numbers of beautifully formed sarcinæ". In the next issue of BMJ Dr. Charlton Bastian expressed concerns that Sarcina might indeed be "really a living thing" or "might be partly organic and partly mineral in its constitutions". CASE PRESENTATION: Anaerobic gram-positive giant coccae assembled in tetrads were recovered from one anaerobic blood culture bottle of a 48-year-old female who in her early childhood was diagnosed with congenital chloride diarrhoea. This is a rare recessively inherited disease that belongs to the Finnish disease heritage. The bacteria were identified with the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: Here, after more than a century we present the first report that Sarcina ventriculi can indeed cause bacteremia in a susceptible person.

[Mycoplasma hominis may cause soft tissue infections]. / Mycoplasma hominis voi aiheuttaa pehmytkudosinfektion.

Mycoplasmas belong to the smallest micro-organisms that are independent of animal or plant cells. They are classified as bacteria, since their cultivation does not require any cells. Mycoplasma hominis is a commensal of the human urogenital region, but may sometimes cause even life-threatening, slow-healing soft tissue infections. Ureaplasma urealyticum may cause similar infections. It is important both for clinicians and the laboratory to suspect mycoplasma, when clinical picture indicates infection and the infectious agent cannot be shown by ordinary culturing methods.