Global analysis of a diffusive Cholera model with multiple transmission pathways, general incidence and incomplete immunity in a heterogeneous environment.

With the consideration of the complexity of the transmission of Cholera, a partially degenerated reaction-diffusion model with multiple transmission pathways, incorporating the spatial heterogeneity, general incidence, incomplete immunity, and Holling type Ⅱ treatment was proposed. First, the existence, boundedness, uniqueness, and global attractiveness of solutions for this model were investigated. Second, one obtained the threshold condition $ \mathcal{R}_{0} $ and gave its expression, which described global asymptotic stability of disease-free steady state when $ \mathcal{R}_{0} < 1 $, as well as the maximum treatment rate as zero. Further, we obtained the disease was uniformly persistent when $ \mathcal{R}_{0} > 1 $. Moreover, one used the mortality due to disease as a branching parameter for the steady state, and the results showed that the model undergoes a forward bifurcation at $ \mathcal{R}_{0} $ and completely excludes the presence of endemic steady state when $ \mathcal{R}_{0} < 1 $. Finally, the theoretical results were explained through examples of numerical simulations.

A narrative review of alternative transmission routes of COVID 19: what we know so far.

The Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemics, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2, represent an unprecedented public health challenge. Beside person-to-person contagion via airborne droplets and aerosol, which is the main SARS-CoV-2's route of transmission, alternative modes, including transmission via fomites, food and food packaging, have been investigated for their potential impact on SARS-CoV-2 diffusion. In this context, several studies have demonstrated the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and, in some cases, of infectious particles on exposed fomites, food and water samples, confirming their possible role as sources of contamination and transmission. Indeed, fomite-to-human transmission has been demonstrated in a few cases where person-to-person transmission had been excluded. In addition, recent studies supported the possibility of acquiring COVID-19 through the fecal-oro route; the occurrence of COVID-19 gastrointestinal infections, in the absence of respiratory symptoms, also opens the intriguing possibility that these cases could be directly related to the ingestion of contaminated food and water. Overall, most of the studies considered these alternative routes of transmission of low epidemiological relevance; however, it should be considered that they could play an important role, or even be prevalent, in settings characterized by different environmental and socio-economic conditions. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings regarding SARS-CoV-2 alternative transmission routes, with the aim to disclose what is known about their impact on COVID-19 spread and to stimulate research in this field, which could potentially have a great impact, especially in low-resource contexts.

Case-Control Study on the Routes of Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 after the Third Pandemic Wave in Tuscany, Central Italy.

The emergence of hyper-transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants that rapidly became prevalent throughout the world in 2022 made it clear that extensive vaccination campaigns cannot represent the sole measure to stop COVID-19. However, the effectiveness of control and mitigation strategies, such as the closure of non-essential businesses and services, is debated. To assess the individual behaviours mostly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, a questionnaire-based case-control study was carried out in Tuscany, Central Italy, from May to October 2021. At the testing sites, individuals were invited to answer an online questionnaire after being notified regarding the test result. The questionnaire collected information about test result, general characteristics of the respondents, and behaviours and places attended in the week prior to the test/symptoms onset. We analysed 440 questionnaires. Behavioural differences between positive and negative subjects were assessed through logistic regression models, adjusting for a fixed set of confounders. A ridge regression model was also specified. Attending nightclubs, open-air bars or restaurants and crowded clubs, outdoor sporting events, crowded public transportation, and working in healthcare were associated with an increased infection risk. A negative association with infection, besides face mask use, was observed for attending open-air shows and sporting events in indoor spaces, visiting and hosting friends, attending courses in indoor spaces, performing sport activities (both indoor and outdoor), attending private parties, religious ceremonies, libraries, and indoor restaurants. These results might suggest that during the study period people maintained a particularly responsible and prudent approach when engaging in everyday activities to avoid spreading the virus.

Mpox outbreak 2022: an overview of all cases reported to the Cologne Health Department.

PURPOSE: The worldwide mpox outbreak starting in May 2022 marks the occurrence of another previously atypical infectious disease in Europe. This study's objective was to present a comprehensive overview based on the gathered data and to illustrate the approach of the Cologne Health Department to contain the mpox outbreak. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, 368 individuals reported to the Cologne Health Department as PCR-positive for mpox were included. Data were collected in structured telephone interviews and digitally processed. RESULTS: The first mpox case in Cologne was recorded on May 24, 2022. The local outbreak lasted approximately 4 months and reached its peak in July. The last reported case in Cologne occurred on September 17. Transmissions mostly occurred through sexual contacts (67.4%) or other close physical contacts (4.6%) between men, but also through fomites, in the context of events or occasionally in the work environment. In 21.5% of cases, no route of infection could be determined. The mean incubation period was 8.2 days. Clinically, mpox infections usually presented with skin and/or mucosal lesions accompanied by general symptoms. In 74.8% of cases, a prodromal stage was absent. Initially, the rash often had an unspecific appearance, but in the further clinical course, it usually passed through the typical stages. Most infections resolved spontaneously under home care. In 3.5% of cases, however, inpatient hospitalisation was required. Infected persons with a previous smallpox vaccination had 0.43 times the odds of unvaccinated persons to be affected by lesions in 3 or more body regions and 0.30 times the odds to develop lesions in all 5 body regions. Previous vaccination statistically reduced the total duration of symptoms by 2.0 days. CONCLUSIONS: The mpox outbreak 2022 in Cologne primarily affected men who have sex with men and have reported recent sexual encounters. The observed average incubation period was shorter than initially assumed. Mucosal involvement and associated symptoms occur in a relevant number of cases and can lead to more severe clinical courses. Previous smallpox vaccination was statistically significantly associated with milder courses of mpox. In the case of an unclear rash or symptoms suggesting mucosal involvement, mpox should be considered as a differential diagnosis. An equally rapid and well-orchestrated public health response are crucial for infection control.

Monkeypox infection: An update for the practicing physician.

As of August 5, 2022, >26,000 cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed worldwide and the steep increase of cases has spurred renewed concern about the risk for another viral pandemic. In this narrative review, we address etiology, epidemiology and virology of monkeypox, describing routes of transmission and modes of spread. We also describe the current clinical presentation of monkeypox, focusing on circumstances where the disease should be suspected, and the methods to diagnose it. Finally, we briefly describe available treatments and strategies for active immune prophylaxis.

Latest Effective Measures to Combat COVID-19: A Review.

More and more people realize that implementation of preventive measures is the only option left to counteract the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) before specific antiviral drugs are developed. Hence, a number of behavioral, clinical and state interventions have been conducted by dozens of countries to stop or slow down the spread of the virus in the early stages of the epidemic. At present, with the evolution of COVID-19 pandemic getting worse, synthesizing and implementing all measures available are of paramount importance. However, some measures are still being controversial. We aimed to assist policymakers in decision making for better pandemic preparedness. We reviewed the literature that reported accumulated scientific experience to date and summarized the epidemic prevention and control measures in three aspects: control the source of infection, cut off the routes of transmission and protect the susceptible population. First of all, some new approaches were introduced to control the source of infection, such as implementing contact-tracing apps, nucleic acid mixed detection, repeated testing and the establishment of some specialized laboratories. Second, we need to take various measures to cut off all possible routes of transmission, especially persistently pay close attention to checking cold chain foods. Third, due to no valid vaccine has yet been developed, some measures that can cut development time of more conventional vaccines should be implemented or considered. By synthesizing the scientific experience in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, we suggested the latest effective measures should be carried out concurrently from three aspects, so as to avoid making grim situation even worse.

Tackling COVID-19 Using Remdesivir and Favipiravir as Therapeutic Options.

The human world is currently influenced largely by the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19. At this moment, most researchers focus on developing treatment strategies and measures to work against COVID-19. Treatment strategies specific for COVID-19 are lacking. This article provides an overview of the life cycle and routes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The therapeutic effects of two drugs [i. e., remdesivir (RDV) and favipiravir (FPV)] which can potentially tackle COVID-19 are discussed based on current published data. This review can serve as a reference for future studies.

FEATURES OF THE COURSE OF PERINATAL INFECTIONS AT THE PRESENT STAGE.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To characterize the course of the most common perinatal infections on the basis of assessment of the literature data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: This article provides an assessment of 125 literature sources submitted to PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, CyberLeninka, Google Scholar and V.I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. The description of the most common viral, bacterial and parasitic perinatal infections, transmission methods, clinical manifestations, methods of diagnosis and treatment, their clinical consequences are described. Perinatal infections are the leading cause of severe congenital pathology, a serious worldwide medical and social problem that needs to be addressed. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Perinatal infections are a serious issue of today, requiring a multidisciplinary approach and the collaboration of doctors of different specialties. Their prevalence among the population, high rates of perinatal mortality, concealment under the mask of other disorders, and the absence of specific clinical symptoms in pregnant and newborns require careful consideration of this problem. Improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment of this pathological condition will help to minimize the risk of transmission of infection, as well as to avoid a number of abnormaalities in the neonatal period and the development of congenital infection.

Potential reservoirs and routes of Cronobacter transmission during cereal growing, processing and consumption.

Cronobacter are opportunistic bacterial pathogens of both infants and adults. We investigated the incidence and distribution of Cronobacter in 1245 samples of cereal and related environments. 39.1% (101/258) rice-related and 46.9% (98/209) wheat-related samples tested positive for Cronobacter, and the positive rate differed notably according to processing method. Cronobacter was found in rice and wheat plants at the tillering, filling and mature stages. Soil, water and swab samples from nearby milling plants were assayed, and results revealed that 6.3% (7/122) of water from paddy fields, 49.1% (28/57) and 62.1% (41/67) of swab samples from rice and wheat flour milling plants were Cronobacter positive. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtyping indicated that some strains had a common profile, which suggested their persistence in the environment, potential transmission routes and cross-contamination in processing. Finally, we surveyed 18 families to evaluate potential risks. None of the families who primarily ate rice cooked with water tested positive for Cronobacter, though of 66.7% families (6/9) whose food staples were produced from wheat flour tested positive. Taken together, our results are important for understanding Cronobacter transmission and will aid in the development of additional control measures to reduce the risk of infection by these opportunistic pathogenic bacteria.

Ecological multiplex interactions determine the role of species for parasite spread amplification.

Despite their potential interplay, multiple routes of many disease transmissions are often investigated separately. As a unifying framework for understanding parasite spread through interdependent transmission paths, we present the 'ecomultiplex' model, where the multiple transmission paths among a diverse community of interacting hosts are represented as a spatially explicit multiplex network. We adopt this framework for designing and testing potential control strategies for Trypanosoma cruzi spread in two empirical host communities. We show that the ecomultiplex model is an efficient and low data-demanding method to identify which species enhances parasite spread and should thus be a target for control strategies. We also find that the interplay between predator-prey and host-parasite interactions leads to a phenomenon of parasite amplification, in which top predators facilitate T. cruzi spread, offering a mechanistic interpretation of previous empirical findings. Our approach can provide novel insights in understanding and controlling parasite spreading in real-world complex systems.

A study on the epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS by different route of transmission in Huzhou City / 预防医学

Objective The aim of this study is to explore epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS by different route of transmission during 2011—2014 in Huzhou City,then to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of HIV. Methods The epidemiological case data of HIV/AIDS from 2011 to 2014 were collected in Huzhou City by China information system for disease control and prevention.Descriptive epidemiological methods were used for analysis.Results A total of 436 cases with HIV/AIDS were reported during 2011—2014 in Huzhou City,and the number of HIV/AIDS reports increased year by year.The main route of transmission include heterosexual contact,which was accounted for 56.65%.MSM transmission was accounted for 38.53%,and injection drug transmission was accounted for 3.90%.Mother to child transmission was 1 case and blood transfusion /blood products transmission were 3 cases,which accounting for 0.92%.The constituent ratio of injecting drug patients,mother to child transmission or blood transfusion /blood products patients presented declining trend (P <0.05).Patients who were infected through heterosexual contact mainly were 30 to <60 years of age (68.83%),junior middle school or below education level (80.97%),married (61.94%).Patients who were infected through MSMmainly were 15 to <45 years of age (76.19%),high school or higher education (47.62%), unmarried (51.19%),household registration of Huzhou City (52.98%).Patients who were infected through injection <br> drug mainly were 30 to <45 years of age (70.59%),primary school or lower education level (82.35%),unmarried (47.06%),household registration of other province (94.12%).Most cases were detected HIV positive through clinical tests,which accounting for 51.15%.Most HIV /AIDS of MSM,heterosexual transmission and inject -drugs were distributed in Wu Xing District,which accounting for 67.26%,51.42% and 64.71%,respectively.51.15% HIV /AIDS were detected by clinical test.Conclusion The reported cases of HIV /AIDS were still mainly transmitted by heterosexual contact in recent years in Huzhou City,and the constituent ratio of MSMtransmission has increased slightly.

Nociones sobre VIH en un grupo de embarazadas VIH+ venezolanas 2007 / Notions of HIV in a group of HIV + pregnant Venezuela 2007

Se realizó un estudio preliminar y exploratorio de tipo descriptivo con el propósito de valorar las nociones que tienen las embarazadas VIH (+) sobre el VIH. Se aplicó una encuesta a 45 embarazadas venezolanas VIH (+), para explorar las nociones sobre las vías de transmisión y el progreso de VIH a SIDA. Previo consentimiento informado se entregó la encuesta de manera anónima y autoadministrada. La población evaluada se ubicó en edades comprendidas entre 14 y 39 años; la mayoría de las embarazadas desconocen las vías de transmisión del VIH destacando que un 76,7 % no considera al embarazo como vía de transmisión de la infección a su hijo; el 83% no identifica que al comienzo de la infección pueden no existir síntomas del VIH, el 100% no relaciona a las manifestaciones bucales con el progreso de la infección. Se observó un desconocimiento en cuanto a las vías de transmisión y a las manifestaciones bucales asociadas al progreso de la infección

A preliminary and exploratory study of descriptive type was made in order to value the slight knowledge that the pregnant VIH have (+) on the VIH. A survey was applied to 45 pregnant Venezuelans HIV (+) pregnant women, to explore the slight knowledge on the routes of transmission and the progress of HIV to AIDS. Previous informed consent we give an anonymous and autoadmistrate survey. The evaluated population was located in ages between 14 and 39 years; most of the pregnant women, they do not know about HIV transmission, emphasizing that a 76.7% do not consider to the pregnancy like could be transmitted the infection to their son; 83% do not identify that HIV at the beginning of the infection, symptoms could not exist, the 100% does not relate to the oral manifestations to the progress of the infection. An ignorance as far as the routes of transmission and to the oral manifestations was observed like associated the progress of the infection