Increased Functional Connectivity After Listening to Favored Music in Adults With Alzheimer Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Personalized music programs have been proposed as an adjunct therapy for patients with Alzheimer disease related dementia, and multicenter trials have now demonstrated improvements in agitation, anxiety, and behavioral symptoms. Underlying neurophysiological mechanisms for these effects remain unclear. METHODS: We examined 17 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease related dementia using functional MRI following a training period in a personalized music listening program. RESULTS: We find that participants listening to preferred music show specific activation of the supplementary motor area, a region that has been associated with memory for familiar music that is typically spared in early Alzheimer disease. We also find widespread increases in functional connectivity in corticocortical and corticocerebellar networks following presentation of preferred musical stimuli, suggesting a transient effect on brain function. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support a mechanism whereby attentional network activation in the brain's salience network may lead to improvements in brain network synchronization.

Assessing the severity of influenza: a role for longitudinal telephone surveys?

During the 2009 influenza pandemic, a rapid assessment of disease severity was a challenge as a significant proportion of cases did not seek medical care; care-seeking behaviour changed and the proportion asymptomatic was unknown. A random-digit-dialling telephone survey was undertaken during the 2011/12 winter season in England and Wales to address the feasibility of answering these questions. A proportional quota sampling strategy was employed based on gender, age group, geographical location, employment status and level of education. Households were recruited pre-season and re-contacted immediately following peak seasonal influenza activity. The pre-peak survey was undertaken in October 2011 with 1061 individuals recruited and the post-peak telephone survey in March 2012. Eight hundred and thirty-four of the 1061 (78.6%) participants were successfully re-contacted. Their demographic characteristics compared well to national census data. In total, 8.4% of participants self-reported an influenza-like illness (ILI) in the previous 2 weeks, with 3.2% conforming to the World Health Organization (WHO) ILI case definition. In total, 29.6% of the cases reported consulting their general practitioner. 54.1% of the 1061 participants agreed to be re-contacted about providing biological samples. A population-based cohort was successfully recruited and followed up. Longitudinal survey methodology provides a practical tool to assess disease severity during future pandemics.

Hepatitis C among vulnerable populations: A seroprevalence study of homeless, people who inject drugs and prisoners in London.

Injecting drugs substantially increases the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is common in the homeless and prisoners. Capturing accurate data on disease prevalence within these groups is challenging but is essential to inform strategies to reduce HCV transmission. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HCV in these populations. We conducted a cross-sectional study between May 2011 and June 2013 in London and, using convenience sampling, recruited participants from hostels for the homeless, drug treatment services and a prison. A questionnaire was administered and blood samples were tested for hepatitis C. We recruited 491 individuals who were homeless (40.7%), 205 drug users (17%) and 511 prisoners (42.3%). Eight per cent of patients (98/1207, 95% CI: 6.7%-9.8%) had active HCV infection and 3% (38/1207, 95% CI: 2.3%-4.3%) past HCV infection. Overall, one quarter (51/205) of people recruited in drug treatment services, 13% (65/491) of people from homeless residential sites and 4% (20/511) prisoners in this study were anti-HCV positive. Seventy-seven of the 136 (56.6%, 95% CI: 47.9%-65%) of HCV infected participants identified had a history of all three risk factors (homelessness, imprisonment and drug use), 27.3% (95% CI: 20.1%-35.6%) had 2 overlapping risk factors, and 15.4% (95% CI: 10.6%-23.7%) one risk factor. Drug treatment services, prisons and homelessness services provide good opportunities for identifying hepatitis C-infected individuals. Effective models need to be developed to ensure case identification in these settings that can lead to an effective treatment and an efficient HCV prevention.

Harmonizing influenza primary-care surveillance in the United Kingdom: piloting two methods to assess the timing and intensity of the seasonal epidemic across several general practice-based surveillance schemes.

General Practitioner consultation rates for influenza-like illness (ILI) are monitored through several geographically distinct schemes in the UK, providing early warning to government and health services of community circulation and intensity of activity each winter. Following on from the 2009 pandemic, there has been a harmonization initiative to allow comparison across the distinct existing surveillance schemes each season. The moving epidemic method (MEM), proposed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for standardizing reporting of ILI rates, was piloted in 2011/12 and 2012/13 along with the previously proposed UK method of empirical percentiles. The MEM resulted in thresholds that were lower than traditional thresholds but more appropriate as indicators of the start of influenza virus circulation. The intensity of the influenza season assessed with the MEM was similar to that reported through the percentile approach. The MEM pre-epidemic threshold has now been adopted for reporting by each country of the UK. Further work will continue to assess intensity of activity and apply standardized methods to other influenza-related data sources.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the current evidence on the duration of protection by bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination against tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that the duration of protection by bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) may exceed previous estimates with potential implications for estimating clinical and cost-efficacy. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the protection and duration of protection provided by BCG vaccination against tuberculosis, explore how this protection changes with time since vaccination, and examine the reasons behind the variation in protection and the rate of waning of protection. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Cochrane Databases, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Web of Knowledge, Biosciences Information Service (BIOSIS), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACs), MEDCARIB Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched from inception to May 2009. Index to Theses, System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE), Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI) Abstracts, Scopus, Article First, Academic Complete, Africa-Wide Information, Google Scholar, Global Health, British National Bibliography for Report Literature, and clinical trial registration websites were searched from inception to October 2009. REVIEW METHODS: Electronic databases searches, screening of identified studies, data extraction and analysis were undertaken. Meta-analysis was used to present numerical and graphical summaries of clinical efficacy and efficacy by time since vaccination. Evidence of heterogeneity was assessed using the tau-squared statistic. Meta-regression allowed the investigation of observed heterogeneity. Factors investigated included BCG strain, latitude, stringency of pre-BCG vaccination tuberculin testing, age at vaccination, site of disease, study design and vulnerability to biases. Rate of waning of protection was estimated using the ratio of the measure of efficacy after 10 years compared with the efficacy in the first 10 years of a study. RESULTS: Study selection. A total of 21,030 references were identified, providing data on 132 studies after abstract and full-text review. Efficacy. Protection against pulmonary tuberculosis in adults is variable, ranging from substantial protection in the UK MRC trial {rate ratio 0.22 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.16 to 0.31]}, to absence of clinically important benefit, as in the large Chingleput trial [rate ratio 1.05 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.25)] and greater in latitudes further away from the equator. BCG vaccination efficacy was usually high, and varied little by form of disease (with higher protection against meningeal and miliary tuberculosis) or study design when BCG vaccination was given only to infants or to children after strict screening for tuberculin sensitivity. High levels of protection against death were observed from both trials and observational studies. The observed protective effect of BCG vaccination did not differ by the strain of BCG vaccine used in trials. DURATION: Reviewed studies showed that BCG vaccination protects against pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis for up to 10 years. Most studies either did not follow up participants for long enough or had very few cases after 15 years. This should not be taken to indicate an absence of effect: five studies (one trial and four observational studies) provided evidence of measurable protection at least 15 years after vaccination. Efficacy declined with time. The rate of decline was variable, with faster decline in latitudes further from the equator and in situations where BCG vaccination was given to tuberculin-sensitive participants after stringent tuberculin testing. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of this review relates to quality of included trials, most of which were conducted before current standards for reporting were formulated. In addition, data were lacking in some areas and the review had to rely on evidence from observational studies. CONCLUSIONS: BCG vaccination protection against tuberculosis varies between populations, to an extent that cannot be attributed to chance alone. Failure to exclude those already sensitised to mycobacteria and study latitude closer to the equator were associated with lower efficacy. These factors explained most of the observed variation. There is good evidence that BCG vaccination protection declines with time and that protection can last for up to 10 years. Data on protection beyond 15 years are limited; however, a small number of trials and observational studies suggest that BCG vaccination may protect for longer. Further studies are required to investigate the duration of protection by BCG vaccination. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Critical care surveillance: insights into the impact of the 2010/11 influenza season relative to the 2009/10 pandemic season in England.

In 2010/11, the influenza season in England was marked by a relative increase in impact on the population compared to that seen during the 2009/10 pandemic, with the same influenza subtype, A(H1N1)pdm09, circulating. The peaks in critical care bed occupancy in both seasons coincided with peaks in influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 activity, but onset of influenza in 2010/11 additionally coincided with notably cold weather, a comparatively smaller peak in influenza B activity and increased reports of bacterial co-infection. A bigger impact on critical care services was seen across all regions in England in 2010/11, with, compared to 2009/10, a notable age shift in critical care admissions from children to young adults. The peak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity did not coincide with critical care admissions, and regression analysis suggested only a small proportion of critical care bed days might be attributed to the virus in either season. Differences in antiviral policy and improved overall vaccine uptake in 2010/11 with an influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strain containing vaccine between seasons are unlikely to explain the change in impact observed between the two seasons. The reasons behind the relative high level of severe disease in the 2010/11 winter are likely to have resulted from a combination of factors, including an age shift in infection, accumulation of susceptible individuals through waning immunity, new susceptible individuals from new births and cold weather. The importance of further development of severe influenza disease surveillance schemes for future seasons is reinforced.

AESOPS: a randomised controlled trial of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of opportunistic screening and stepped care interventions for older hazardous alcohol users in primary care.

BACKGROUND: There is clear evidence of the detrimental impact of hazardous alcohol consumption on the physical and mental health of the population. Estimates suggest that hazardous alcohol consumption annually accounts for 150,000 hospital admissions and between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths in the UK. In the older population, hazardous alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of physical, psychological and social problems. There is evidence of an association between increased alcohol consumption and increased risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension and haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke, increased rates of alcohol-related liver disease and increased risk of a range of cancers. Alcohol is identified as one of the three main risk factors for falls. Excessive alcohol consumption in older age can also contribute to the onset of dementia and other age-related cognitive deficits and is implicated in one-third of all suicides in the older population. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a stepped care intervention against a minimal intervention in the treatment of older hazardous alcohol users in primary care. DESIGN: A multicentre, pragmatic, two-armed randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. SETTING: General practices in primary care in England and Scotland between April 2008 and October 2010. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged ≥ 55 years scoring ≥ 8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (10-item) (AUDIT) were eligible. In total, 529 patients were randomised in the study. INTERVENTIONS: The minimal intervention group received a 5-minute brief advice intervention with the practice or research nurse involving feedback of the screening results and discussion regarding the health consequences of continued hazardous alcohol consumption. Those in the stepped care arm initially received a 20-minute session of behavioural change counselling, with referral to step 2 (motivational enhancement therapy) and step 3 (local specialist alcohol services) if indicated. Sessions were recorded and rated to ensure treatment fidelity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was average drinks per day (ADD) derived from extended AUDIT--Consumption (3-item) (AUDIT-C) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were AUDIT-C score at 6 and 12 months; alcohol-related problems assessed using the Drinking Problems Index (DPI) at 6 and 12 months; health-related quality of life assessed using the Short Form Questionnaire-12 items (SF-12) at 6 and 12 months; ADD at 6 months; quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) (for cost-utility analysis derived from European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions); and health and social care resource use associated with the two groups. RESULTS: Both groups reduced alcohol consumption between baseline and 12 months. The difference between groups in log-transformed ADD at 12 months was very small, at 0.025 [95% confidence interval (CI)--0.060 to 0.119], and not statistically significant. At month 6 the stepped care group had a lower ADD, but again the difference was not statistically significant. At months 6 and 12, the stepped care group had a lower DPI score, but this difference was not statistically significant at the 5% level. The stepped care group had a lower SF-12 mental component score and lower physical component score at month 6 and month 12, but these differences were not statistically significant at the 5% level. The overall average cost per patient, taking into account health and social care resource use, was £488 [standard deviation (SD) £826] in the stepped care group and £482 (SD £826) in the minimal intervention group at month 6. The mean QALY gains were slightly greater in the stepped care group than in the minimal intervention group, with a mean difference of 0.0058 (95% CI -0.0018 to 0.0133), generating an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £1100 per QALY gained. At month 12, participants in the stepped care group incurred fewer costs, with a mean difference of -£194 (95% CI -£585 to £198), and had gained 0.0117 more QALYs (95% CI -0.0084 to 0.0318) than the control group. Therefore, from an economic perspective the minimal intervention was dominated by stepped care but, as would be expected given the effectiveness results, the difference was small and not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Stepped care does not confer an advantage over minimal intervention in terms of reduction in alcohol consumption at 12 months post intervention when compared with a 5-minute brief (minimal) intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered as ISRCTN52557360. FUNDING: This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 17, No. 25. See the HTA programme website for further project information.

Vaccine effectiveness of 2011/12 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in primary care in the United Kingdom: evidence of waning intra-seasonal protection.

The 2011/12 season was characterised by unusually late influenza A (H3N2) activity in the United Kingdom (UK). We measured vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the 2011/12 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) in a test-negative case­control study in primary care. Overall VE against confirmed influenza A (H3N2) infection, adjusted for age, surveillance scheme and month, was 23% (95% confidence interval (CI): -10 to 47). Stratified analysis by time period gave an adjusted VE of 43% (95% CI: -34 to 75) for October 2011 to January 2012 and 17% (95% CI: -24 to 45) for February 2012 to April 2012. Stratified analysis by time since vaccination gave an adjusted VE of 53% (95% CI: 0 to 78) for those vaccinated less than three months, and 12% (95% CI: -31 to 41) for those vaccinated three months or more before onset of symptoms (test for trend: p=0.02). For confirmed influenza B infection, adjusted VE was 92% (95% CI: 38 to 99). A proportion (20.6%) of UK influenza A(H3N2) viruses circulating in 2011/12 showed reduced reactivity (fourfold difference in haemagglutination inhibition assays) to the A/Perth/16/2009 2011/12 vaccine component, with no significant change in proportion over the season. Overall TIV protection against influenza A(H3N2) infection was low, with significant intraseasonal waning.

Age-specific vaccine effectiveness of seasonal 2010/2011 and pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 vaccines in preventing influenza in the United Kingdom.

An analysis was undertaken to measure age-specific vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 2010/11 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV) and monovalent 2009 pandemic influenza vaccine (PIV) administered in 2009/2010. The test-negative case-control study design was employed based on patients consulting primary care. Overall TIV effectiveness, adjusted for age and month, against confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm 2009 infection was 56% (95% CI 42-66); age-specific adjusted VE was 87% (95% CI 45-97) in <5-year-olds and 84% (95% CI 27-97) in 5- to 14-year-olds. Adjusted VE for PIV was only 28% (95% CI -6 to 51) overall and 72% (95% CI 15-91) in <5-year-olds. For confirmed influenza B infection, TIV effectiveness was 57% (95% CI 42-68) and in 5- to 14-year-olds 75% (95% CI 32-91). TIV provided moderate protection against the main circulating strains in 2010/2011, with higher protection in children. PIV administered during the previous season provided residual protection after 1 year, particularly in the <5 years age group.

The United Kingdom public health response to an imported laboratory confirmed case of a novel coronavirus in September 2012.

On 22 September 2012, a novel coronavirus, very closely related to that from a fatal case in Saudi Arabia three months previously, was detected in a previously well adult transferred to intensive care in London from Qatar with severe respiratory illness. Strict respiratory isolation was instituted. Ten days after last exposure, none of 64 close contacts had developed severe disease, with 13 of 64 reporting mild respiratory symptoms. The novel coronavirus was not detected in 10 of 10 symptomatic contacts tested.

Active case finding for pulmonary tuberculosis using mobile digital chest radiography: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Mobile digital chest radiography (CXR) is used routinely to screen for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in London among homeless populations, persons accessing drug treatment services and prisoners. OBJECTIVE: 1) To establish the sensitivity and specificity of mobile digital CXR, and 2) to test the hypothesis that actively identified cases have reduced odds of sputum smear positivity vs. those presenting passively to health care services from the same populations. METHODS: Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using a gold standard comparator of culture-confirmed cases of PTB reported to the national surveillance system within 90 days of screening. Logistic regression was used to determine whether actively detected cases had reduced odds of smear positivity compared to passively detected cases after adjustment for confounding. RESULTS: The intervention had a sensitivity of 81.8% (95%CI 64.5-93.0) and a specificity of 99.2% (95%CI 99.1-99.3). After adjusting for confounding, there was evidence that cases identified through screening were less likely to be smear-positive than passively identified cases (OR 0.34, 95%CI 0.14-0.85; likelihood ratio test P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Digital CXR achieves a high level of sensitivity and specificity in an operational setting; targeted mobile radiographic screening can reduce the risk of onward transmission by identifying cases before they become infectious.

Economic evaluation of a randomized controlled trial of ultrasound therapy for hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers.

BACKGROUND: A pragmatic, multicentre randomized controlled trial (VenUS III) was conducted to determine whether low-dose ultrasound therapy increased the healing rate of hard-to-heal leg ulcers. This study was a cost-effectiveness analysis of the trial data. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses were conducted alongside the VenUS III trial, in which patients were randomly allocated to either ultrasound treatment administered weekly for 12 weeks along with standard care, or standard care alone. The time horizon was 12 months and based on the UK National Health Service (NHS) perspective. RESULTS: The base-case analysis showed that ultrasound therapy added to standard care was likely to be more costly and provide no extra benefit over standard care alone. Individuals who received ultrasound treatment plus standard care took a mean of 14.7 (95 per cent confidence interval - 32.7 to 56.8) days longer to heal, had 0.009 (-0.042 to 0.024) fewer quality-adjusted life years and had higher treatment costs by £ 197.88 (-35.19 to 420.32). Based on these point estimates, ultrasound therapy plus standard care for leg ulcers was dominated by standard care alone. The analysis of uncertainty showed that this treatment strategy is unlikely to be cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound treatment was not cost-effective for hard-to-heal leg ulcers and should not be recommended for adoption in the NHS.

VenUS III: a randomised controlled trial of therapeutic ultrasound in the management of venous leg ulcers.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of low-dose ultrasound delivered in conjunction with standard care against standard care alone in the treatment of hard-to-heal venous ulcers. DESIGN: A multicentre, pragmatic, two-armed randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. SETTING: Community nurse services; community leg ulcer clinics; hospital outpatient leg ulcer clinics, among both urban and rural settings in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with a venous leg ulcer of > 6 months' duration or > 5 cm2 and an ankle-brachial pressure index of ≥ 0.8. In total, 337 patients were recruited to the study. INTERVENTIONS: Participants in the intervention group received low-dose ultrasound (0.5 W/cm2) delivered at 1 MHz, pulsed pattern of 1 : 4, applied to periulcer skin (via a water-based contact gel) weekly for up to 12 weeks alongside standard care. Standard care consisted of low-adherent dressings and compression therapy, renewed as recommended by the patient's nurse and modified if required to reflect changes in ulcer and skin condition. The output of the ultrasound machines was checked every 3 months to confirm intervention fidelity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point was time to healing of the largest eligible ulcer (reference ulcer). Secondary outcomes were time to healing of all ulcers, proportion of patients healed, percentage and absolute change in ulcer size, proportion of time patients were ulcer free, cost of treatments, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), adverse events, withdrawal and loss to follow-up. RESULTS: There was a small, and statistically not significant, difference in the median time to complete ulcer healing of all ulcers in favour of standard care [median 328 days, 95% confidence interval (CI) 235 days, inestimable] compared with ultrasound (median 365 days, 95% CI 224 days, inestimable). There was no difference between groups in the proportion of patients with ulcers healed at 12 months (72/168 in ultrasound vs 78/169 standard care), nor in the change in ulcer size at 4 weeks. There was no evidence of a difference in recurrence of healed ulcers. There was no difference in HRQoL [measured using the Short Form questionnaire-12 items (SF-12)] between the two groups. There were more adverse events with ultrasound than with standard care. Ultrasound therapy as an adjuvant to standard care was found not to be a cost-effective treatment when compared with standard care. The mean cost of ultrasound was £197.88 (bias-corrected 95% CI -£35.19 to £420.32) higher than standard care per participant per year. There was a significant relationship between ulcer healing and area and duration at baseline. In addition, those centres with high recruitment rates had the highest healing rates. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose ultrasound, delivered weekly during dressing changes, added to the package of current best practice (dressings, compression therapy) did not increase ulcer healing rates, affect quality of life (QoL) or reduce recurrence. It was associated with higher costs and more adverse events. There is no evidence that adding low-dose ultrasound to standard care for 'hard-to-heal' ulcers aids healing, improves QoL or reduces recurrence. It increases costs and adverse events. The relationship between ulcer healing rates and patient recruitment is worthy of further study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN21175670. FUNDING: This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 15, No. 13. See the HTA programme website for further project information.

Effectiveness of pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing pandemic influenza A(H1N1)2009 infection in England and Scotland 2009-2010.

Following the global spread of pandemic influenza A(H1N1)2009, several pandemic vaccines have been rapidly developed. The United Kingdom and many other countries in the northern hemisphere implemented seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine programmes in October 2009. We present the results of a case­control study to estimate effectiveness of such vaccines in preventing confirmed pandemic influenza infection. Some 5,982 individuals with influenza-like illness seen in general practices between November 2009 and January 2010 were enrolled. Those testing positive on PCR for pandemic influenza were assigned as cases and those testing negative as controls. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as the relative reduction in odds of confirmed infection between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Fourteen or more days after immunisation with the pandemic vaccine, adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) was 72% (95% confidence interval (CI): 21% to 90%). If protection was assumed to start after seven or more days, the adjusted VE was 71% (95% CI: 37% to 87%). Pandemic influenza vaccine was highly effective in preventing confirmed infection with pandemic influenza A(H1N1)2009 from one week after vaccination. No evidence of effectiveness against pandemic influenza A(H1N1)2009 was found for the 2009/10 trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (adjusted VE of -30% (95% CI: -89% to 11%)).

Virological analysis of fatal influenza cases in the United Kingdom during the early wave of influenza in winter 2010/11.

The 2010/11 winter influenza season is underway in the United Kingdom, with co-circulation of influenza A(H1N1)2009 (antigenically similar to the current 2010/11 vaccine strain), influenza B (mainly B/Victoria/2/87 lineage, similar to the 2010/11 vaccine strain) and a few sporadic influenza A(H3N2) viruses. Clinical influenza activity has been increasing. Severe illness, resulting in hospitalisation and deaths, has occurred in children and young adults and has predominantly been associated with influenza A(H1N1)2009, but also influenza B viruses.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in the UK: clinical and epidemiological findings from the first few hundred (FF100) cases.

The UK was one of few European countries to document a substantial wave of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in summer 2009. The First Few Hundred (FF100) project ran from April-June 2009 gathering information on early laboratory-confirmed cases across the UK. In total, 392 confirmed cases were followed up. Children were predominantly affected (median age 15 years, IQR 10-27). Symptoms were mild and similar to seasonal influenza, with the exception of diarrhoea, which was reported by 27%. Eleven per cent of all cases had an underlying medical condition, similar to the general population. The majority (92%) were treated with antiviral drugs with 12% reporting adverse effects, mainly nausea and other gastrointestinal complaints. Duration of illness was significantly shorter when antivirals were given within 48 h of onset (median 5 vs. 9 days, P=0.01). No patients died, although 14 were hospitalized, of whom three required mechanical ventilation. The FF100 identified key clinical and epidemiological characteristics of infection with this novel virus in near real-time.

The impact of immigration on tuberculosis rates in the United Kingdom compared with other European countries.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether trends in tuberculosis (TB) rates across Europe are linked to patterns of migration. DESIGN: Descriptive analysis of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development population statistics and EuroTB data for 21 European countries for 1996-2005. RESULTS: TB notification rates increased in only three of the 21 countries: the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. In all three countries, approximately three quarters of cases were foreign-born. The UK had the third highest number of foreign nationals overall, but the highest number from a country with a TB incidence > or =250 cases/100000 (219000, 13%). European countries with declining TB rates had varying patterns of migration, but did not generally receive migrants from very high-incidence countries and/or had a smaller proportion of their total TB cases in their migrant population. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the rate of TB in the UK, which contrasts with most other European countries, may, at least in part, be due to the fact that a high proportion of UK cases occur in the foreign-born, coupled with a comparatively large number of foreign nationals from countries with a very high incidence of TB.

Brief report: Aggressive challenging behaviour in adults with intellectual disability following community resettlement.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive challenging behaviour is common in adults with intellectual disability (ID) in long-term care facilities. The government's commitment to the closure of all facilities in England has led to concerns over how to manage this behaviour in the community. The aim of this study was to assess changes in aggressive challenging behaviour and psychotropic drug use in adults with ID following resettlement using a person-centred approach. METHOD: The Modified Overt Aggression Scale was administered to carers of 49 adults with ID prior to discharge from a long-stay hospital and 6 months and 1 year after community resettlement. RESULTS: All areas of aggressive challenging behaviour reduced significantly between baseline and 6 months following resettlement (P < 0.001). This reduction remained (but did not decrease further) at 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Further work is needed to evaluate the role of environmental setting on aggressive challenging behaviour in adults with ID.

An evaluation of the completeness of reporting of childhood tuberculosis.

The sensitivity of the Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance (ETS) scheme for monitoring tuberculosis in children is unknown. We used the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) reporting scheme to conduct a prospective observational study of tuberculosis in children aged <16 yrs in the UK. Reported cases were then matched with records from the ETS database. A total of 320 cases were reported to the BPSU between January and December 2004. We estimated that there were 557 paediatric cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2004: 222 (40%) cases reported to both BPSU and ETS, 98 (18%) reported to BPSU but not ETS and 237 (42%) reported to ETS but not BPSU. Children aged <5 yrs were significantly less likely to be reported to ETS compared with older children (p<0.01). There is substantial under-reporting of childhood tuberculosis, especially of children aged <5 yrs. ETS provides a representative picture of the demographics but may miss approximately 20% of cases. This should be taken into account when planning training and resource requirements for tuberculosis. Increased efforts are needed to ensure that all paediatric cases are reported to ETS.