Prevalence of trachoma in Somali region, Ethiopia: results from trachoma impact surveys in 50 woredas.

BACKGROUND: Following interventions to eliminate trachoma in Somali region, Ethiopia, we aimed to re-estimate the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) and trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) at woreda level and identify the factors associated with the disease. METHODS: We implemented cross-sectional community-based surveys in 50 trachoma-endemic woredas, using a standardized survey. Households were the secondary sampling unit. Surveys were undertaken through a combination of interviews of household heads and direct inspection of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access, plus clinical evaluation of eligible household members for TT and TF. RESULTS: Overall, 41 (82%) of the 50 woredas had met the WHO-recommended active trachoma elimination threshold (prevalence of TF <5% in 1-9-y-olds) and 42 (84%) had met the TT threshold (prevalence of TT unknown to the health system <0.2% in ≥15-y-olds). Only 18% of households had access to an improved drinking water source within a 30-min trip and only 25% had an improved latrine. CONCLUSIONS: Additional rounds of antibiotic mass drug administration, plus interventions to enhance facial cleanliness and improve the environment, are required in nine woredas. TT surgical campaigns are needed in eight woredas. Greater access to WASH is required across all the woredas that were surveyed.

High prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular with no trachomatous trichiasis: can alternative indicators explain the epidemiology of trachoma in Côte d'Ivoire?

Baseline trachoma surveys in Côte d'Ivoire (2019) identified seven evaluation units (EUs) with a trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) prevalence ≥10%, but a trachomatous trichiasis (TT) prevalence in individuals ≥15 y of age below the elimination threshold (0.2%). Two of these EUs, Bondoukou 1 and Bangolo 2, were selected for a follow-up survey to understand the epidemiology of trachoma using additional indicators of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (DNA from conjunctival swabs) and exposure (anti-Pgp3 and Ct694 antibodies from dried blood spots [DBSs]). A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select villages and households. All individuals 1-9 y of age from each selected household were recruited, graded for trachoma and had a conjunctival swab and DBS collected. Conjunctival swabs and DBSs were tested using Cepheid GeneXpert and a multiplex bead assay, respectively. The age-adjusted TF and infection prevalence in 1- to 9-year-olds was <1% and <0.3% in both EUs. Age-adjusted seroprevalence was 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5 to 15.6) in Bondoukou 1 and 8.2% (95% CI 4.3 to 13.7) in Bangolo 2. The seroconversion rate for Pgp3 was low, at 1.23 seroconversions/100 children/year (95% CI 0.78 to 1.75) in Bondoukou 1 and 1.91 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.24) in Bangolo 2. Similar results were seen for CT694. These infection, antibody and clinical data provide strong evidence that trachoma is not a public health problem in either EU.

Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys.

PURPOSE: Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys. METHODS: Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations. Founding principles are health ministry ownership, partnership and collaboration, and quality assurance and quality control at every step of the survey process. Support covers survey planning, survey design, training, electronic data collection and fieldwork, and data management, analysis and dissemination. Methods are adapted to meet local context and needs. Customisations, operational research and integration of other diseases into routine trachoma surveys have also been supported. RESULTS: Between 29th February 2016 and 24th April 2023, 3373 trachoma surveys across 50 countries have been supported, resulting in 10,818,502 people being examined for trachoma. CONCLUSION: This health ministry-led, standardised approach, with support from the start to the end of the survey process, has helped all trachoma elimination stakeholders to know where interventions are needed, where interventions can be stopped, and when elimination as a public health problem has been achieved. Flexibility to meet specific country contexts, adaptation to changes in global guidance and adjustments in response to user feedback have facilitated innovation in evidence-based methodologies, and supported health ministries to strive for global disease control targets.

A multimodal antimicrobial stewardship intervention to improve antibiotic prescribing in patients with COVID-19.

This study assessed outcomes prior to and after electronic medical record-based clinical decision support implementation combined with prospective audit in patients with COVID-19. This multimodal stewardship intervention was associated with a decrease in antibiotic exposure for patients with COVID-19 (44.4% vs 61.8%, p = 0.002) within the first 7 days of hospitalization.

Twenty-Three Population-Based Trachoma Prevalence Surveys in the Central and Northern Regions of Benin, 2018-2022.

PURPOSE: Trachoma is an infectious eye disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Infection causes conjunctival inflammation, which can be manifested by the sign known as trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF). Repeated inflammation leads to eyelid scarring, which in susceptible individuals can cause in-turning of the eyelashes, referred to as trachomatous trichiasis (TT). This article describes 23 population-based surveys conducted in northern and central Benin to determine TF and/or TT prevalence for trachoma elimination purposes. METHODS: A total of 18 surveys estimated the prevalence of both TF and TT: two baseline surveys, eight impact surveys after implementation of interventions against trachoma, and eight surveillance surveys. Five other evaluation units (EUs) were surveyed for TT only. To estimate the TF prevalence, a target sample size of 1701 (baseline) and 1164 1-9-year-olds (impact and surveillance) was required, whereas 2818 ≥ 15-year-olds were required to estimate the less prevalent TT. In each EU, individuals were selected by two-stage cluster sampling and examined by certified graders for TF and/or TT. RESULTS: A total of 68,613 people were examined. TF prevalence estimates were under the 5% elimination threshold in all surveys. TT prevalence estimates were above the 0.2% elimination threshold in all five TT-only surveys and in four impact surveys, ranging from 0.2-0.57. CONCLUSION: TF prevalence in Benin is low, but TT was above 0.2% in nine districts. Increased case-finding and continuing efforts to improve surgery accessibility will be needed to reduce the burden of TT in Benin.

Using model-based geostatistics for assessing the elimination of trachoma.

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is the commonest infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Efforts are being made to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem globally. However, as prevalence decreases, it becomes more challenging to precisely predict prevalence. We demonstrate how model-based geostatistics (MBG) can be used as a reliable, efficient, and widely applicable tool to assess the elimination status of trachoma. METHODS: We analysed trachoma surveillance data from Brazil, Malawi, and Niger. We developed geostatistical Binomial models to predict trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) prevalence. We proposed a general framework to incorporate age and gender in the geostatistical models, whilst accounting for residual spatial and non-spatial variation in prevalence through the use of random effects. We also used predictive probabilities generated by the geostatistical models to quantify the likelihood of having achieved the elimination target in each evaluation unit (EU). RESULTS: TF and TT prevalence varied considerably by country, with Brazil showing the lowest prevalence and Niger the highest. Brazil and Malawi are highly likely to have met the elimination criteria for TF in each EU, but, for some EUs, there was high uncertainty in relation to the elimination of TT according to the model alone. In Niger, the predicted prevalence varied significantly across EUs, with the probability of having achieved the elimination target ranging from values close to 0% to 100%, for both TF and TT. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the wide applicability of MBG for trachoma programmes, using data from different epidemiological settings. Unlike the standard trachoma prevalence survey approach, MBG provides a more statistically rigorous way of quantifying uncertainty around the achievement of elimination prevalence targets, through the use of spatial correlation. In addition to the analysis of existing survey data, MBG also provides an approach to identify areas in which more sampling effort is needed to improve EU classification. We advocate MBG as the new standard method for analysing trachoma survey outputs.

Baseline, Impact and Surveillance Trachoma Prevalence Surveys in Burundi, 2018-2021.

PURPOSE: Trachoma is an eye disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct). It can lead to permanent vision loss. Since 2007, Burundi has included trachoma elimination as part of its fight against neglected tropical diseases and blindness. This study presents the results of trachoma baseline, impact and surveillance surveys conducted in Burundi between 2018 and 2021. METHODS: Areas were grouped into evaluation units (EU) with resident populations of between 100,000 and 250,000 people. Baseline surveys were conducted in 15 EUs, impact surveys in 2 EUs and surveillance surveys in 5 EUs; in each survey, 23 clusters of about 30 households were included. Consenting residents of those households were screened for clinical signs of trachoma. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) was recorded. RESULTS: A total of 63,800 individuals were examined. The prevalence of TF in 1-9-year-olds was above the elimination threshold of 5% in a single EU at baseline, but fell below the threshold in subsequent impact and surveillance surveys. The prevalence of TT was below the 0.2% elimination threshold in ≥15-year-olds in all EUs surveyed. A high proportion (83%) of households had access to safe drinking water, while only a minority (~8%) had access to improved latrines. CONCLUSION: Burundi has demonstrated the prevalence levels necessary for trachoma elimination status. With continued effort and the maintenance of existing management plans, trachoma elimination in Burundi is within reach.

Liberal vs. restricted opioid prescribing following midurethral sling dataset.

Postoperative opioid prescribing has historically lacked information critical to balancing the pain control needs of the individual patient with our professional responsibility to judiciously prescribe these high-risk medications. This data evaluates pain control, satisfaction with pain control, and opioid utilization among patients undergoing isolated mid-urethral sling (MUS) randomized to one of two different opioid prescribing regimens. This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04277975). Women undergoing isolated MUS by a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery physician at a Penn State Health hospital from June 1, 2020 to November 22, 2021 were offered enrollment into this prospective, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial. Participants gave informed consent and were enrolled by a member of the study team. Allocation was concealed to patient and study personnel until randomization on the day of surgery. Preoperatively, all participants completed baseline demographic and pain surveys including CSI-9, PCS, and Likert pain score (scale 0-10). Participants were randomized to either receive a standard prescription of ten 5 mg tablets oxycodone provided preoperatively (standard) or opioid prescription provided only upon patient request postoperatively (restricted). Randomization was performed by the study team surgeon using the REDCap randomization module on the day of surgery. Following MUS, subjects completed a daily diary for 1 week, i.e., postoperative day (POD) 0 through 7. Within the dairy, subjects provided the following information: average daily pain score, opioid use and amount of opioid utilized, other forms of pain management, satisfaction with pain control, perception of the amount of opioid prescribed, and need for pain management hospital/clinic visits. The online Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) was queried for all patients to determine if prescriptions for opioids were filled during the postoperative period. The primary outcome was average postoperative day 1 pain score and an a priori determined margin of non-inferiority was set at 2 points. Secondary outcomes included whether subject filled an opioid prescription (indicated by the online PDMP), opioid use (yes/no), satisfaction with pain control (on a scale of 1= "much worse" to 5= "much better" than expected), and how subjects felt about the amount of opioid prescribed (on a scale of 1="prescribed far more" to 3="prescribed the right amount" to 5="prescribed far less" opioid than needed). 82 participants underwent isolated MUS placement and met inclusion criteria; 40 were randomized to the standard arm and 42 to the restricted group. Within this manuscript, we detail the data obtained from this randomized clinical trial and the methods utilized.

The Prevalence of Trachomatous Trichiasis in People Aged 15 Years and Over in Six Evaluation Units of Gaoual, Labé, Dalaba and Beyla Districts, Guinea.

PURPOSE: Trachoma is a public health problem in 42 countries. Inflammation associated with repeated ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis can cause the eyelid to scar and turn inwards, resulting in the eyelashes rubbing against the eyeball, known as trachomatous trichiasis (TT). In Guinea, baseline surveys conducted in 2013 reported inflammatory trachoma prevalences below the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold for elimination, but TT prevalences above threshold. Given this epidemiological context and time since baseline survey, TT-only surveys were conducted in selected districts to determine current TT prevalence. The results of this study provide critical data for assessing Guinea's achievement of trachoma elimination targets. METHODS: Four health districts, consisting of six evaluation units (EU), were surveyed. In each EU, field teams visited 29 clusters with a minimum 30 households included in each. Participants aged≥15 years were examined by certified graders trained to identify TT and determine whether management had been offered. RESULTS: A total of 22,476 people were examined, with 48 TT cases across the six EUs identified. Five of six EUs had an age-and-gender adjusted TT-prevalence unknown to the health system less than 0.2%, whereas one EU, Beyla 2, had an adjusted TT prevalence of 0.24%. CONCLUSION: These TT-only surveys, along with findings from other trachoma interventions, suggest that Guinea is close to achieving elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. This study demonstrates the value of undertaking TT-only surveys in settings where baseline surveys indicated active trachoma prevalences below WHO elimination threshold, but TT prevalences above it.

Length of Maternity Leave Impact on Mental and Physical Health of Mothers and Infants, a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent legislative decisions in the United States have encouraged discussion about national parental leave programs. Currently, over 47% of the United States workforce is female. However, the United States is the only nation of the 37 member countries in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) to have no national requirement for maternity leave. The first few months of a child's life are vital to their physical and mental development. Likewise, a gradual return to pre-partum functioning is important for a newly postpartum woman. While it has been shown that maternity leave positively impacts various measures of maternal and infant mental and physical health, we lack consensus on the optimal length of paid or unpaid maternity leave. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the optimal length of paid or unpaid maternity leave to encourage maternal and infant mental and physical health in the United States. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesize and critically evaluate the current research investigating the association between maternity leave and maternal and infant mental and physical health using the Preferred Reporting in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Databases EMBASE, PsycInfo, and PubMed were searched using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies scale assessed the methodological quality of the included eligible studies. The magnitude of heterogeneity between-study was tested using The Cochrane χ2 test and the Moran's I2 statistic. Possible publication bias was assessed through the funnel plot and the Egger regression test. A p-value of < 0.10 will be considered as an indication for the existence of potential publication bias. All statistical analyses were carried out with Stata software version 15. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies were analyzed. It was found that longer maternity leave may decrease rates of maternal mental and physical health complaints. It was also found that longer maternity leave leads to more positive mother-child interactions, decreased infant mortality, and longer periods of breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Maternity leave of 12 weeks or more confers the greatest benefit for mothers and their infants.

Tuberculosis notifications in regional Victoria, Australia: Implications for public health care in a low incidence setting.

BACKGROUND: Regionality is often a significant factor in tuberculosis (TB) management and outcomes worldwide. A wide range of context-specific factors may influence these differences and change over time. We compared TB treatment in regional and metropolitan areas, considering demographic and temporal trends affecting TB diagnosis and outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective analyses of data for patients notified with TB in Victoria, Australia, were conducted. The study outcomes were treatment delays and treatment outcomes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model analyses were performed to investigate the effect of regionality in the management of TB. Six hundred and eleven (7%) TB patients were notified in regional and 8,163 (93%) in metropolitan areas between 1995 and 2019. Of the 611 cases in the regional cohort, 401 (66%) were overseas-born. Fifty-one percent of the overseas-born patients in regional Victoria developed TB disease within five years of arrival in Australia. Four cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were reported in regional areas, compared to 97 cases in metropolitan areas. A total of 3,238 patients notified from 2012 to 2019 were included in the survival analysis. The time follow-up for patient delay started at symptom onset date, and the event was the presentation to the healthcare centre. For healthcare system delay, follow-up time began at the presentation to the healthcare centre, and the event was commenced on TB treatment. Cases with extrapulmonary TB in regional areas have a non-significantly longer healthcare system delay than patients in metropolitan (median 64 days versus 54 days, AHR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0, P = 0.094). CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis in regional Victoria is common among the overseas-born population, and patients with extrapulmonary TB in regional areas experienced a non-significant minor delay in treatment commencement with no apparent detriment to treatment outcomes. Improving access to LTBI management in regional areas may reduce the burden of TB.

Prevalence of Trachoma in Four Evaluation Units in Yemen after Implementation of Trachoma Elimination Measures.

BACKGROUND: In baseline trachoma prevalence surveys, six districts in two governorates of Yemen were identified as requiring interventions. We set out to estimate the prevalence of trachoma 6-12 months after one round of antibiotic mass drug administration (MDA) and implementation of measures to encourage facial cleanliness. METHODS: A population-based prevalence survey was conducted in each of the four evaluation units in October 2019. Contemporary World Health Organization recommendations for trachoma surveys were followed. Participants were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling process. The prevalence of inflammatory and late-stage trachoma was measured through eye examination. Water, sanitation, and hygiene facility access among visited households was estimated. RESULTS: The prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-,follicular (TF) in 1-9-year-olds per EU was <5.0% in three EUs (Al Mighlaf, Al Munirah, and As Salif; Az Zaydiyah; and Mudhaykhirah districts) and 5.0-9.9% in one EU (Far Al Udayn District). The prevalence of TT unknown to the health system in ≥15-year-olds per EU was <0.2% in all four EUs. Per EU, the proportion of households with an improved drinking water source ranged from 40% to 100%; access to an improved drinking water source within 30-minute return journey of the household ranged from 45% to 100%; and with an improved latrine ranged from 32% to 83%. CONCLUSION: An additional round of antibiotic MDA should be administered in Far Al Udayn district before it is resurveyed. In the other surveyed districts, pre-validation surveillance surveys should be conducted in 2 years' time to determine if the TF prevalence <5% has been maintained.

Prevalence of Trachoma from 66 Impact Surveys in 52 Woredas of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' and Sidama Regions of Ethiopia, 2017-2019.

PURPOSE: Trachoma is endemic in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) and Sidama regions of Ethiopia. We aimed to measure the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) among children aged 1 - 9 years and the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) unknown to the health system among people aged ≥15 years following interventions for trachoma in 52 woredas of SNNP and Sidama regions. METHODS: From 2017 - 2019, 66 two-stage cluster sampling cross-sectional population-based surveys were carried out in 52 woredas (third-level administrative divisions) using a standardized World Health Organization-recommended survey methodology. This included one impact survey in 40 woredas, two consecutive impact surveys in 10 woredas and three consecutive impact surveys in two woredas. Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) access was assessed using a modified version of the United Nations Children's Fund/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme questionnaire. RESULTS: By the end of this survey series, 15 (23%) of the woredas had met the active trachoma elimination threshold (TF prevalence <5%) and 12 (18%) had met the TT threshold (TT ≤ 0.2%). Regarding WASH coverage, 20% of households had access to an improved drinking water source within a 30-min journey and 3% had an improved latrine. There was strong evidence that TF was less common in 4 - 6-year-olds and 7 - 9-year-olds than 1 - 3-year-olds. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, further antibiotic mass drug administration is required in 37 woredas and active TT case finding is needed in 40 woredas. In these surveys, access to WASH facilities was very low; WASH improvements are required.

Baseline Prevalence of Trachoma in Refugee Settlements in Uganda: Results of 11 Population-based Surveys.

PURPOSE: There are several settlements in the Northern and Western Regions of Uganda serving refugees from South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), respectively. Trachoma prevalence surveys were conducted in a number of those settlements with the aim of determining whether interventions for trachoma are required. METHODS: An evaluation unit (EU) was defined as all refugee settlements in one district. Cross-sectional population-based trachoma prevalence survey methodologies designed to adhere to World Health Organization recommendations were deployed in 11 EUs to assess prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) in 1-9-year-olds and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) unknown to the health system in ≥15-year-olds. Household-level water, sanitation and hygiene coverage was also assessed in study populations. RESULTS: A total of 40,892 people were examined across 11 EUs between 2018 and 2020. The prevalence of TF in 1-9-year-olds was <5% in all EUs surveyed. The prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) unknown to the health system in ≥15-year-olds was <0.2% in 5 out of 11 EUs surveyed and ≥0.2% in the remaining 6 EUs. A high proportion of households had improved water sources, but a low proportion had improved latrines or quickly (within a 30-minute return journey) accessible water sources. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the antibiotic, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the SAFE strategy is not needed for the purposes of trachoma's elimination as a public health problem in these refugee settlements; however, intervention with TT surgery is needed in six EUs. Since instability continues to drive displacement of people from South Sudan and DRC into Uganda, there is likely to be a high rate of new arrivals to the settlements over the coming years. These populations may therefore have trachoma surveillance needs that are distinct from the surrounding non-refugee communities.

Prevalence of Trachoma following Implementation of the SAFE Strategy in Three Local Government Areas of Taraba State, North Eastern Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: In 2019-2020, one round of antibiotic mass drug administration (MDA) was implemented for trachoma elimination purposes in Donga, Gashaka, and Ussa local government areas (LGAs) of Taraba State, Nigeria, following baseline surveys in 2009 (Donga and Gashaka) and 2013-2014 (Ussa). Here, trachoma prevalence post-MDA in these three LGAs is reported. METHODS: In 2019 (Gashaka and Ussa) and 2020 (Donga), population-based, cross-sectional surveys were conducted following World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. A two-stage cluster sampling strategy was used. All residents of selected households aged ≥1 year were examined by Tropical Data-certified graders for trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) using the WHO simplified trachoma grading scheme. Data on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access were also collected. RESULTS: A total of 1,883 households participated. From these households, 4,885 children aged 1-9 years were enumerated, and 4,866 (99.6%) examined. There were 5,050 eligible adults (aged ≥15 years) enumerated in the same households, of whom 4,888 (96.8%) were examined. Age-adjusted TF prevalence in children aged 1-9 years was 0.22% (95% CI: 0.00-0.65) in Donga, 0.0% in Gashaka, and 0.19% (95% CI: 0.00-0.44) in Ussa. The age- and gender-adjusted TT prevalence unknown to the health system in adults aged ≥15 years was 0.08% (95% CI: 0.00-0.19) in Donga, 0.02% (95% CI: 0.00-0.06) in Gashaka, and 0.10% (95% CI: 0.01-0.18) in Ussa. In Donga, Gashaka, and Ussa, respectively, 66%, 49% and 63% of households had access to an improved drinking water source, and 68%, 56% and 29% had access to an improved latrine. CONCLUSION: In all LGAs, the elimination thresholds for TF and TT unknown to the health system have been attained in the target age groups. These LGAs should be re-surveyed after 2 years to show that reductions in TF prevalence have been sustained in the absence of MDA. Health authorities should continue to improve WASH facilities to reduce the risk of later recrudescence.

Population Prevalence of Trachoma in Nine Rural Non-Indigenous Evaluation Units of Brazil.

PURPOSE: To assess the contemporary prevalence of trachoma in Brazil's non-indigenous population, surveys of those thought to be at greatest risk of disease were conducted. METHODS: Rural census tracts of non-indigenous population from nine mesoregions were selected to compose the survey evaluation units (EUs) by considering previously endemic municipalities at greatest risk of trachoma. In each of the nine EUs, we conducted a population-based prevalence survey. Every resident of selected households aged ≥1 year was examined for trachomatous inflammation - follicular (TF) and trachomatous trichiasis (TT). Additionally, data were collected on household-level access to water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and education. RESULTS: A total of 27,962 individuals were examined across nine EUs. The age-adjusted TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds was <5% in each EU. The age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of TT unknown to the health system in ≥15-year-olds was <0.2% in eight EUs; in one EU, it was 0.22%. The median number of households surveyed per EU with access to an improved drinking water source within a 30-minute roundtrip of the house was 66%. School attendance was >99% of surveyed children. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of TF was well below the target for elimination as a public health problem in all EUs. Because EUs surveyed were selected to represent the highest-risk non-indigenous areas of the country, TF prevalence is unlikely to be ≥5% in non-indigenous populations elsewhere. In one EU, the prevalence of TT was above the target threshold for elimination. Further investigation and possibly improvement in TT surgical provision are required in that EU.

Prevalence of Trachoma after Implementation of Trachoma Elimination Interventions in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: Results of Impact Surveys in 131 Evaluation Units Covering 139 Districts.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF), trachomatous trichiasis (TT), water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access in 131 evaluation units (EUs) after implementation of trachoma elimination interventions in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in each EU using the World Health Organization-recommended two-stage cluster-sampling methodology. Twenty-six clusters, each with a mean of 30 households were enumerated in each EU. All residents aged ≥1 year in selected households were examined for TF and TT. Information on WASH access in surveyed households was also collected through questioning the household head and direct observation. RESULTS: A total of 419,858 individuals were enumerated in 131 EUs, of whom 396,134 (94%) were examined, 54% being female. Age-adjusted EU-level prevalence of TF in children aged 1-9 years ranged from 0.15% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0-0.4) to 37.5% (95% CI: 31.1-43.7). The TF prevalence was <5% in 73/131 (56%) EUs. The EU-level age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of TT unknown to the health system among people aged ≥15 years ranged from 0.001% (95% CI: 0.00-0.02) to 2.2% (95% CI: 1.1-3.1) with 37/131 (28%) EUs having a prevalence <0.2%. Only 48% of all households surveyed had access to improved water sources for drinking. Approximately 96% of households did not have an improved latrine. CONCLUSION: Oromia is on the path towards elimination of trachoma as a public health problem.

Prevalence of Trachoma in Pre-validation Surveillance Surveys in 11 Evaluation Units (Covering 12 Districts) in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: Results from 2018-2020.

PURPOSE: Interventions to reduce the prevalence of trachoma and transmission of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis have been implemented in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Following an impact survey in which the trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) prevalence in 1-9-year-olds is <5%, a surveillance survey is recommended 2 years later, without additional antibiotic treatment. We report results of surveillance surveys in 11 evaluation units (EUs) covering 12 districts in Oromia Region, to plan whether future interventions are needed. METHOD: We use a two-stage cluster-sampling cross-sectional survey design. In each EU, 26 clusters (villages) were systematically selected with probability proportional to size; from each cluster, 30 households were selected using compact segment sampling. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) access was assessed in all selected households. All residents of selected households aged ≥1 year were examined for TF and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) by certified graders. RESULT: Of 31,991 individuals enumerated, 29,230 (91% of) individuals were examined. Eight EUs had an age-adjusted TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds of ≥5% and seven had a TT prevalence unknown to the health system among adults aged ≥15 years of ≥0.2%. About one-third of visited households had access to an improved water source for drinking, and 5% had access to an improved latrine. CONCLUSION: Despite TF reductions to <5% at impact survey, prevalence recrudesced to ≥5% in all but three of the 11 EUs. Operational research is needed to understand transmission dynamics and epidemiology, in order to optimise elimination strategies in high-transmission settings like these.

Templated microbiology comments with candiduria to enhance antimicrobial stewardship.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of templated microbiology reporting comments on antifungal utilization in patients with candiduria. Design: In this retrospective, quasi-experimental study, we evaluated a preimplementation cohort (June 2018-January 2019) compared with a postimplementation cohort (June 2019-January 2020). Setting: A multisite health system including 1 academic hospital and 4 community hospitals. Patients: Patients were aged ≥18 years, were hospitalized, and had candiduria documented at least once during their admission. The study included 156 patients in the preimplementation period and 141 patients in the postimplementation period. Methods: In June 2019, Saint Luke's Health System implemented the use of templated comments for urine cultures with Candida spp growth. When Candida is isolated, the following comment appears in the microbiology result section: "In the absence of symptoms, Candida is generally considered normal flora. No therapy indicated unless high risk (pregnant, neonate, or neutropenic) or undergoing urologic procedure. If Foley catheter present, remove or replace when able." The primary outcome was rate of antifungal prescribing. Results: Antifungal administration within 72 hours of a culture identifying a Candida spp occurred in 75 patients in the preimplementation group and 48 patients in the postimplementation group (48.1% vs 34.0%; P = .02). We did not detect a difference between groups in antifungal administration between 73 and 240 hours (1.3% vs 3.5%; P = .26), nor did we detect a difference in median antifungal duration (4 vs 3 days; P = .43). Conclusion: Using a templated comment with urine cultures reduced antifungal prescription rates in hospitalized patients with candiduria. This strategy is a low-resource technique to improve antimicrobial stewardship.

Ceftriaxone versus cefazolin for the treatment of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.

Few studies have evaluated the use of ceftriaxone (CRO) in the treatment of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of CRO versus cefazolin (CZO) for patients with MSSA bacteraemia. This was a multicentre, single health-system, retrospective study. Adult inpatients were included if they had a primary episode of MSSA bacteraemia and received CRO or CZO as definitive therapy. The primary endpoint was clinical cure at 28 days or at discharge, whichever came first. Secondary endpoints included treatment failure at 90 days, time to treatment failure, re-admission due to recurrent MSSA bacteraemia, duration of bacteraemia, discontinuation of treatment due to adverse drug events, and Clostridioides difficile infection. A total of 248 patients were included, of which 87 (35.1%) received CRO and 161 (64.9%) received CZO. There was no difference in the primary outcome of clinical cure at 28 days or at discharge between the CRO and CZO groups [75 (86.2%) vs. 145 (90.1%); P = 0.359], even after adjusting for Charlson comorbidity index and Pitt bacteremia score (adjusted OR = 1.35, 95% CI 0.58-3.12; P = 0.49). There were no differences in time to clinical cure, treatment failure at 90 days or safety events between the two groups. In conclusion, our findings suggest no clinical difference between CRO and CZO for the definitive treatment of MSSA bacteraemia. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.