Prevalence and impact of viral myocarditis in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

To explore the association and impact between viral myocarditis and mortality in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. A dynamic analysis was conducted between fatal group and nonfatal group regarding the daily epidemiology data, clinical symptoms, and electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, and laboratory findings. Outcomes of patients with and without viral myocarditis were compared. The association between viral myocarditis and mortality was analyzed. Among 183 severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome patients, 32 were in the fatal group and 151 in the nonfatal group; there were 26 (81.25%) with viral myocarditis in the fatal group, 66 (43.70%) with viral myocarditis in the nonfatal group (p < 0.001), 79.35% of patients had abnormal ECG results. The abnormal rate of ECG in the fatal group was 100%, and in the nonfatal group was 74.83%. Univariate analysis found that the number of risk factors gradually increased on Day 7 of the disease course and reached the peak on Day 10. Combined with the dynamic analysis of the disease course, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, creatine kinase fraction, lactate dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, neutrophil count, serum creatinine, Na, Ca, carbon dioxide combining power, amylase, lipase, activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time had statistically significant impact on prognosis. The incidence of fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome combined with viral myocarditis is high, especially in the fatal group of patients. Viral myocarditis is closely related to prognosis and is an early risk factor. The time point for changes in myocarditis is Day 7 of the course of the disease.

Factors associated with the use of antibiotics for children presenting with illnesses with fever and cough obtained from prescription and non-prescription sources: a cross-sectional study of data for 37 sub-Saharan African countries.

INTRODUCTION: Fever and cough in under-five children are common and predominately self-limiting illnesses. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics in sub-Saharan Africa is a significant public health concern. However, prescription sources and use among children with fever or cough have not been explored. Therefore, we explored the factors associated with the use of antibiotics obtained from prescription and non-prescription sources for children with illnesses associated with fever and cough. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted based on the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 37 sub-Saharan African countries. A total weighted sample of 18,866 under-five children who had a fever/cough and took antibiotics were considered for this study. Given the hierarchical nature of DHS data and the use of antibiotics prescribed from the formal healthcare setting (> 10%), a multilevel modified poisson regression model was fitted. Deviance was used for model comparison and the model with the lowest deviance value was chosen as the best-fitted model. Variables with p ≤ 0.2 in the bivariable analysis were considered for the multivariable modified poisson regression model. In the multivariable multilevel modified poisson regression model, the Adjusted Prevalence Odds Ratio (APOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and p-value < 0.05 were reported to declare a significant association with taking antibiotics for fever/cough prescribed from formal healthcare setting. RESULTS: In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of use of antibiotics from informal healthcare setting for fever and cough among under-five children was 67.19% (95% CI: 66.51%, 67.85%). In the multilevel modified poisson regression analysis; residing in a rural area (APOR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.12), a child aged 36-47 months (APOR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.98), a child aged 48-59 months (APOR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.94), maternal primary education (APOR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.99), maternal secondary education (APOR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.99), belonged the middle household wealth status (APOR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.11), maternal exposure to news/electronic media (APR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.10), being from a household with 2 under-five children (APR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.97), being from a household with 3 under-five children (APR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.93), being from a household with 4 under-five children (APR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98), and children of caregivers who were not involved in decision-making for their child health issues were significantly associated with taking antibiotics prescribed from formal healthcare setting for fever/cough among under-five children. CONCLUSION: Only two-thirds of the antibiotics used for children under five who had fever and cough were prescribed from formal healthcare setting. Our findings underscore the significance of addressing healthcare disparities, improving access to qualified healthcare providers, promoting maternal education, and empowering mothers in healthcare decision-making to ensure appropriate antibiotic use in this vulnerable population. Further research and interventions targeted at these factors are warranted to optimize antibiotic prescribing practices and promote responsible antibiotic use in the management of fever and cough in under-five children.

Epidemiological investigation of dengue fever outbreak and its socioeconomic determinants in Banadir region, Somalia.

BACKGROUND: Dengue has become an alarming global problem and is endemic in many countries, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. The aim of this study was to investigate dengue fever outbreak in Banadir Region, Somalia, to understand the risk factors (time, place, personal characteristics). METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the levels of circulating anti-dengue virus antibodies and DENV NS1 antigen among Banadir Region residents, while a questionnaire survey was conducted to understand the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 735 febrile patients were studied, with 55.6% men and 44.3% women. The majority of the participants were children aged 14 years and younger. Among them, 10.8% tested positive for IgM antibodies against dengue virus (DENV), while the prevalence of DENV NS1 antigen was 11.8%. Fever and myalgia were the most common symptoms observed in the DENV-positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: A dengue fever outbreak has been confirmed in Banadir region, Somalia. This study provides information on the most affected districts and identifies risk factors contributing to DF outbreaks. The study recommends improving outbreak readiness and response, particularly in surveillance and laboratory diagnostics, by fostering intersectoral collaboration and establishing regulatory frameworks for financial and operational participation.

Syndromic surveillance of population-level COVID-19 burden with cough monitoring in a hospital emergency waiting room.

Syndromic surveillance is an effective tool for enabling the timely detection of infectious disease outbreaks and facilitating the implementation of effective mitigation strategies by public health authorities. While various information sources are currently utilized to collect syndromic signal data for analysis, the aggregated measurement of cough, an important symptom for many illnesses, is not widely employed as a syndromic signal. With recent advancements in ubiquitous sensing technologies, it becomes feasible to continuously measure population-level cough incidence in a contactless, unobtrusive, and automated manner. In this work, we demonstrate the utility of monitoring aggregated cough count as a syndromic indicator to estimate COVID-19 cases. In our study, we deployed a sensor-based platform (Syndromic Logger) in the emergency room of a large hospital. The platform captured syndromic signals from audio, thermal imaging, and radar, while the ground truth data were collected from the hospital's electronic health record. Our analysis revealed a significant correlation between the aggregated cough count and positive COVID-19 cases in the hospital (Pearson correlation of 0.40, p-value < 0.001). Notably, this correlation was higher than that observed with the number of individuals presenting with fever (ρ = 0.22, p = 0.04), a widely used syndromic signal and screening tool for such diseases. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the data obtained from our Syndromic Logger platform could be leveraged to estimate various COVID-19-related statistics using multiple modeling approaches. Aggregated cough counts and other data, such as people density collected from our platform, can be utilized to predict COVID-19 patient visits related metrics in a hospital waiting room, and SHAP and Gini feature importance-based metrics showed cough count as the important feature for these prediction models. Furthermore, we have shown that predictions based on cough counting outperform models based on fever detection (e.g., temperatures over 39°C), which require more intrusive engagement with the population. Our findings highlight that incorporating cough-counting based signals into syndromic surveillance systems can significantly enhance overall resilience against future public health challenges, such as emerging disease outbreaks or pandemics.

Dengue Cases Presenting to the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Late 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study in Karachi.

Objectives: Dengue Fever (DF) is an arboviral disease caused by the Dengue virus (DENV). This study aims to assess the association of dengue prevalence with patients' residential areas and hematological laboratory findings (Total platelet count, immunoglobulins, and dengue antigens) during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Emergency department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from October to December 2021. All the patients irrespective of their ages presenting to the ED with either of the following complaints: fever; GIT problems; vomiting; body ache; bleeding were included in our study. Results: Our study comprised 189 patients in total in which the females (n = 172) outnumbered the males (n = 17). Out of all, 84.7% of the patients were febrile having a low-grade fever on average. Korangi district had the most dengue cases, while Keamari had the fewest. There was no significant association reported between mean platelet count, mean TLC, and mean hemoglobin levels with dengue positivity. Conclusion: There is a concerning rise in DF cases in Karachi, particularly in the Korangi district. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, DF demands urgent attention.

Predicting Serious Bacterial Infections Among Hypothermic Infants in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: There is insufficient evidence to guide the initial evaluation of hypothermic infants. We aimed to evaluate risk factors for serious bacterial infections (SBI) among hypothermic infants presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We conducted a multicenter case-control study among hypothermic (rectal temperature <36.5°C) infants ≤90 days presenting to the ED who had a blood culture collected. Our outcome was SBI (bacteremia, bacterial meningitis, and/or urinary tract infection). We performed 1:2 matching. Historical, physical examination and laboratory covariables were determined based on the literature review from febrile and hypothermic infants and used logistic regression to identify candidate risk factors. RESULTS: Among 934 included infants, 57 (6.1%) had an SBI. In univariable analyses, the following were associated with SBI: age > 21 days, fever at home or in the ED, leukocytosis, elevated absolute neutrophil count, thrombocytosis, and abnormal urinalysis. Prematurity, respiratory distress, and hypothermia at home were negatively associated with SBI. The full multivariable model exhibited a c-index of 0.91 (95% confidence interval: 0.88-0.94). One variable (abnormal urinalysis) was selected for a reduced model, which had a c-index of 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.89). In a sensitivity analysis among hypothermic infants without fever (n = 22 with SBI among 116 infants), leukocytosis, absolute neutrophil count, and abnormal urinalysis were associated with SBI. CONCLUSIONS: Historical, examination, and laboratory data show potential as variables for risk stratification of hypothermic infants with concern for SBI. Larger studies are needed to definitively risk stratify this cohort, particularly for invasive bacterial infections.

Clinical description of dengue and chikungunya virus infections amongst acute febrile patients in a malaria endemic area of Mfou, the Centre region of Cameroon.

This study aims to determine the frequency and clinical manifestations of dengue and chikungunya viral infections in the district hospital of Mfou, Centre region of Cameroon where malaria is endemic. Blood samples were collected from suspected cases and tested for Plasmodium parasites and for the molecular detection of viral RNAs (dengue, zika and chikungunya viruses) using TRIOPLEX qPCR. A total of 108 patients were clinically suspected among which 25 % were male and 50 % were less than 15.5 years old. Of these 14.8 % (16/108) and 2.8 % (3/108) had acute dengue and chikungunya fevers respectively. Co-infection with malaria was reported in 56.3 % (9/16) of Dengue cases and 33.3 % (1/3) of chikungunya cases. Clinical profiling further revealed that nausea and vomiting show a significant difference in dengue infected individuals to those of non-infected individuals (P = 0.027). The presence of dengue fever and chikungunya fever and the absence of specific clinical manifestations highlight the need to strengthen surveillance of acute febrile infections for a better estimation of the burden of arboviruses.

Uptake of community health care provision by community health entrepreneurs for febrile illness and diarrhoea: a cross-sectional survey in rural communities in Bunyangabu district, Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the uptake of services provided by community health workers who were trained as community health entrepreneurs (CHEs) for febrile illness and diarrhoea. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey among households combined with mapping of all providers of basic medicine and primary health services in the study area. PARTICIPANTS: 1265 randomly selected households in 15 rural villages with active CHEs. SETTING: Bunyangabu district, Uganda. OUTCOME MEASURES: We describe the occurrence and care sought for fever and diarrhoea in the last 3 months by age group in the households. Care provider options included: CHE, health centre or clinic (public or private), pharmacy, drug shop and other. Geographic Information Ssystem (GIS)-based geographical measures were used to map all care providers around the active CHEs. RESULTS: Fever and diarrhoea in the last 3 months occurred most frequently in children under 5; 68% and 41.9%, respectively. For those who sought care, CHE services were used for fever among children under 5, children 5-17 and adults over 18 years of age in 34.7%, 29.9% and 25.1%, respectively. For diarrhoea among children under 5, children 5-17 and adults over 18 years of age, CHE services were used in 22.1%, 19.5% and 7.0%, respectively. For those who did not seek care from a CHE (only), drug shops were most frequently used services for both fever and diarrhoea, followed by health centres or private clinics. Many households used a combination of services, which was possible given the high density and diversity of providers found in the study area. CONCLUSIONS: CHEs play a considerable role in providing care in rural areas where they are active. The high density of informal drug shops and private clinics highlights the need for clarity on the de facto roles played by different providers in both the public and private sector to improve primary healthcare.

Estudio observacional de las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y de laboratorio en pacientes pediátricos con dengue de la ciudad de Córdoba / Observational study of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients with dengue in the city of Córdoba

Introducción. El dengue es la enfermedad transmitida por mosquitos con mayor propagación mundial en los últimos años. Presenta un amplio espectro de manifestaciones clínicas y, en ocasiones, evoluciona a un estado crítico llamado dengue grave. Su tratamiento es de sostén. La información disponible acerca de las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y de laboratorio de la enfermedad en la población pediátrica es limitada. Objetivo. Describir la epidemiología y las manifestaciones clínicas y de laboratorio de la enfermedad. Población y métodos. Estudio descriptivo, observacional y retrospectivo. Incluyó pacientes entre 1 y 180 meses asistidos por dengue probable o confirmado en un hospital de niños, desde el 01 de enero de 2020 hasta el 31 de mayo de 2020. Resultados. Se incluyeron 85 pacientes por criterios microbiológicos de positividad o clínicoepidemiológicos. Veinticinco (29 %) confirmados por RT-PCR, todos serotipos DENV-1. La mediana de  edad fue de 108 meses (rango intercuartílico: 84-144). Las principales manifestaciones clínicas fueron fiebre, cefalea y mialgias. Los hallazgos de laboratorio más importantes fueron leucopenia, trombocitopenia y elevación de transaminasas. Conclusión. El reconocimiento y la comprensión de las alteraciones clínicas y de laboratorio que se presentan durante la enfermedad pueden permitir un abordaje eficaz y contribuir a la reducción de cuadros clínicos más graves en los niños.

Introduction. Dengue has been the most widespread mosquito-borne disease worldwide in recent years. It develops with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and sometimes progresses to a critical condition known as severe dengue. It is managed with supportive treatment. Available information about its clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics in the pediatric population is limited. Objective. To describe the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of dengue. Population and methods. Descriptive, observational, and retrospective study. It included patients aged 1 to 180 months seen due to probable or confirmed dengue at a children's hospital between 1/1/2020 and 5/31/2020. Results. A total of 85 patients with positive microbiological or clinical-epidemiological criteria were included. Of these, 25 (29%) were confirmed by RT-PCR; all corresponded to DENV-1 serotype. Patients' median age was 108 months (interquartile range: 84­144). The main clinical manifestations were fever, headache, and myalgia. The most important laboratory findings were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and high transaminase levels. Conclusion. The recognition and understanding of clinical and laboratory alterations that occur during dengue disease may allow an effective approach and help to reduce the more severe clinical form in children.

Over-the-counter Medication Use among Patients Presenting with Fever in the Emergency Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Introduction: Over-the-counter medication use is commonly practised all over the world. However, in a developing country like Nepal, antibiotics form an essential component of OTC drugs. Fever is one of the most common clinical complaints which makes a patient go to the local pharmacy for over-the-counter medication. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of over-the-counter medication use among patients presenting with fever in the Emergency Department in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who visited the Emergency Department with the complaint of at least one episode of documented or undocumented fever after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Data collection was conducted from 24 June 2022 to 30 September 2022. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 332 patients, 314 (94.58%) (92.14-97.02, 95% Confidence Interval) patients used over-the-counter medication. Antibiotic use was seen in 221 (70.38%) patients. Conclusions: The prevalence of over-the-counter medication use among patients with fever was found to be higher than the studies conducted in similar studies. Keywords: emergency departments; fever; prevalence.

Influenza-like illness surveillance may underestimate the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus in adult outpatients.

OBJECTIVES: Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), it is unclear which of the case definitions that prompt swab collection predicts RSV best. We aimed to profile RSV-positive adults and to identify possible RSV case definitions. METHODS: This individual-based pooled analysis was based on influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance conducted among Italian outpatient adults. All samples were tested for influenza, RSV and other respiratory viruses. RESULTS: RSV was detected in 5.2% of the 1240 ILI adults tested. The prevalence of fever/feverishness was significantly lower (83.3%) in individuals positive for RSV and those negative for both viruses (79.4%) than in influenza-positive subjects (96.2%). Conversely, 98.3% of RSV-positive adults reported cough. Compared with subjects who tested negative, the adjusted relative risk ratio of cough in RSV-positive subjects was much higher than in influenza-positive subjects (6.89 vs 2.79). Using ARI with cough as the RSV case definition increased specificity. CONCLUSION: As fever/feverishness is more common among influenza than RSV cases, ILI-based surveillance may underestimate RSV incidence in adult outpatients. While broad ARI definitions are useful for routine RSV surveillance, their low specificity may hamper vaccine effectiveness studies. The use of further ARI qualifiers like cough increases specificity.

Assessment of pre-referral treatment for malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia by rural community health workers in Southwestern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-referral treatment aims to stabilize the child's condition before transferring them to a higher level of healthcare. This study explored pre-referral treatment for diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia in children U5. The study aims to assess pre-referral treatment practices among community health workers (CHWs) for children aged 2 to 59 months diagnosed with malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia. METHODS: Conducted in 2023, this study employed a quantitative retrospective analysis of secondary data gathered from March 2014 to December 2018. Among the subjects, 171 patients received pre-referral treatment, serving as the foundation for categorical data analysis, presenting proportions and 95% confidence intervals across different categories. RESULTS: In this cohort, 90 (53%) of the 177 children U5 were male, and age distribution showed 39 (23%), 70 (41%), and 62 (36%) in the 2-11 months, 12-35 months, and 36-60 months categories, respectively. Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) malaria results indicated a negative outcome in 83(60%) and positive in 55 (40%) of cases. Symptomatically, 45 (26%) had diarrhea, 52 (30%) exhibited fast breathing, and 109 (63%) presented with fever. Furthermore, 59 (35%) displayed danger signs, while 104 (61%) sought medical attention within 24 h. CONCLUSION: The study analyzed a sample of 171 children under 5 years old to assess various characteristics and variables related to pre-referral treatment. The findings reveal notable proportions in gender distribution, age categories, RDT results, presence of diarrhea, fast breathing, fever, danger signs, and timely medical visits. The results highlight the need to strengthen pre-referral treatment interventions and enhance iCCM programs.

Analysis of influencing factors on long COVID in COVID-19 patients infected with omicron variant three months after discharge: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the influencing factors associated with Long-COVID in patients infected with Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China three months after discharge in March 2022. METHODS: In this study, we conducted a telephone follow-up based on the real-world data collected from the Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun Tongyuan Shelter Hospital and Changchun Infectious Disease Hospital during the COVID-19 epidemic in Changchun in March 2022. We used the Global COVID-19 Clinical Platform Case Report Form for Post COVID condition as a follow-up questionnaire to collect the general information, past medical history, clinical symptoms, COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses, and other relevant information to analyze the symptom characteristics of COVID-19 patients three months after discharge from the hospital and related factors affecting Long COVID. RESULTS: A total of 1,806 patients with COVID-19 were included in this study, 977 males and 829 females, with a mean age of 38.5 [30.0, 49.4] years, and the number of female patients suffering from Long COVID (50.87%) was greater than male patients (p = 0.023). The binary logistic regression analysis of factors influencing Long COVID showed that smoking history (OR (95%CI) = 0.551(0.425-0.714), p < 0.001, taking never smoking as a reference), allergy history (OR (95%CI) = 1.618 (1.086-2.413), p-value 0.018, taking no allergy as a reference), first symptoms (OR (95%CI) = 0.636 (0.501-0.807), p < 0.001, with no first symptoms as reference) and COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses (OR (95%CI) = 1.517 (1.190-1.933), p-value 0.001, with ≤ 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine inoculation doses as reference) constituted its influencing factors. The first symptoms of patients on admission mainly included fever (512 cases, 71.81%), cough (279 cases, 39.13%) and dry or itchy throat (211 cases, 29.59%). The most common symptoms of Long COVID were persistent fatigue (68 cases), amnesia (61 cases), insomnia (50 cases) and excessive sweating (50 cases). CONCLUSION: The first symptoms on admission were predominantly fever, cough and dry or itchy throat. The most common symptoms of Long COVID were persistent fatigue, amnesia, insomnia and excessive sweating, and female patients were at a higher risk of Long COVID.

Determinants and prevalence of symptomatic dengue fever among adults in the Central Region of Burkina Faso: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever (DF) is a significant public health concern in Burkina Faso, particularly in the Central Region, previously endemic for malaria. However, limited research has focused on dengue prevalence and associated factors among adult febrile patients in this region. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of symptomatic dengue fever among adults and identify the sociodemographic and clinical determinants of the disease. METHODS: A seroepidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted in the Central Region of Burkina Faso, through a three-stage sampling. Five health facilities, one from each of the region five districts, were purposively selected. Febrile patients aged 16 and older, suspected of having dengue, were included in the study, after consenting. Bivariate analyses and multivariate binary logistic regression were done at a 5% confidence level. RESULTS: A total of 637 patients between the ages of 16 and 90 years were included. Most of the participants were females (58.71%). Most dengue cases resided in Arrondissement 4 (59.62%), or were present in the Arrondissement 4 at daytime during the previous days (51.92%). 52.90% of the participants knew of dengue. Dengue prevalence was estimated at 8.16% (95% CI: 6.16%-10.57%). The most frequent markers for dengue were immunoglobulins M detected in 4.40% (2.94%-6.29%), followed by Antigen NS1 at 4.24% (95% CI: 2.81%-6.11%). The Antigen NS1 marker was associated with myalgia (p = 0.024), vomiting (p < 0.001), hemorrhagic manifestations (p = 0.001), and anorexia (p < 0.001). Staying at Arrondissement 4 (vs staying at Saaba) during daytime (aOR = 2.36 95% CI: 1.03-5.45; p = 0.044) significantly increased the odds of dengue. Dengue cases were about 3 times more likely to have vomited (aOR = 2.99 95% CI: 1.58-5.64; p = 0.001). Participants knowing of dengue (aOR = 0.53 95% CI: 0.29-0.98; p = 0.042) and those coinfected with malaria (aOR = 0.28 95% CI: 0.14-0.57; p < 0.001) instead had reduced odds of dengue. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a relatively high prevalence of symptomatic dengue fever among adults in the Central Region of Burkina Faso in 2022. These findings emphasize the need for continuous surveillance and targeted control measures. The low coinfection of dengue and malaria warrants further investigation.

[Epidemiological characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in China, 2018-2021].

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics and incidence trend of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China. Methods: The incidence data of SFTS in China from 2018 to 2021 were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System for a statistical and descriptive epidemiological analysis by using software such as Excel 2016, Joinpoint 5.0.2, SPSS 26.0, and GraphPad Prism 8.0, especially, the SFTS cases reported monthly by key provinces were analyzed. Results: From 2018 to 2021, a total of 8 835 SFTS cases were reported in 25 provinces and the annual incidence showed an upward trend. The distribution of SFTS cases showed clustering, but the cases were mainly sporadic ones. The cases began to increase in March, mainly occurred during April to October (96.79%,8 551/8 835), and peaked during May to July. The cases were mainly distributed in middle-aged and old farmers, and slight more cases were women. The average case fatality rate was 5.38%, which varied greatly with areas. The case fatality rate tended to increase with age. Conclusion: From 2018 to 2021, the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in China remained stable, but the number of reported cases gradually increased and the distribution showed an expanding trend, to which close attention should be paid.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome: prevalence, characteristics, and impact on prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging zoonosis with a high fatality rate in China. Previous studies have reported that dysregulated inflammatory response is associated with disease pathogenesis and mortality in patients with SFTS. This investigation aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and its impact on prognosis. METHODS: Data on demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, and survival time of patients with SFTS were collected. Patients were divided into the non-SIRS and SIRS groups according to the presence of SIRS, then their clinical data were compared. RESULTS: A total of 290 patients diagnosed with SFTS were retrospectively enrolled, including 126(43.4%) patients with SIRS. Patients in the non-survivor group had more prevalence of SIRS than patients in the survivor group (P < 0.001), and SIRS (adjusted OR 2.885, 95% CI 1.226-6.786; P = 0.005) was shown as an independent risk factor for prognosis of patients with SFTS. Compared with patients without SIRS, patients with SIRS had lower WBC and neutrophils counts, and fibrinogen levels, but higher AST, LDH, amylase, lipase, CK, CK-MB, troponin I, APTT, thrombin time, D-dimer, CRP, IL-6, SAA levels, and viral load. The cumulative survival rate of patients with SIRS was significantly lower than that of patients without SIRS. Patients with SIRS also showed a higher incidence of bacterial or fungal infections than patients without SIRS. CONCLUSIONS: SIRS is highly frequent in patients with SFTS, and it is associated with high mortality.

Investigating the etiologies of non-malarial febrile illness in Senegal using metagenomic sequencing.

The worldwide decline in malaria incidence is revealing the extensive burden of non-malarial febrile illness (NMFI), which remains poorly understood and difficult to diagnose. To characterize NMFI in Senegal, we collected venous blood and clinical metadata in a cross-sectional study of febrile patients and healthy controls in a low malaria burden area. Using 16S and untargeted sequencing, we detected viral, bacterial, or eukaryotic pathogens in 23% (38/163) of NMFI cases. Bacteria were the most common, with relapsing fever Borrelia and spotted fever Rickettsia found in 15.5% and 3.8% of cases, respectively. Four viral pathogens were found in a total of 7 febrile cases (3.5%). Sequencing also detected undiagnosed Plasmodium, including one putative P. ovale infection. We developed a logistic regression model that can distinguish Borrelia from NMFIs with similar presentation based on symptoms and vital signs (F1 score: 0.823). These results highlight the challenge and importance of improved diagnostics, especially for Borrelia, to support diagnosis and surveillance.

Maternal intrapartum fever during epidural labour analgesia: Incidence and influencing factors.

BACKGROUND: The management and nursing care of women's temperature during delivery is an important part of clinical obstetrics. We aimed to evaluate maternal intrapartum fever during epidural labour analgesia to provide evidence for the management and care of women in labour. METHODS: This study was conducted and reported according to the STROBE statement. Women in labour undergoing epidural labour analgesia in our hospital from 1 January 2021 to 31 August 2022 were retrospectively selected. The characteristics of women in labour with and without intrapartum fever were compared. Pearson correlation and logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the influencing factors of postpartum fever. RESULTS: A total of 196 women in labour were included, the incidence of maternal intrapartum fever in women in labour undergoing epidural analgesia was 27.5%. Pearson correlation analyses showed that BMI, oxytocin use, labour duration, number of vaginal examinations, time from rupture of the foetal membranes to the end of labour and duration of epidural analgesia were all correlated with the occurrence of intrapartum fever (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analyses indicated that body mass index ≥28 kg/m2 (OR = 1.825), oxytocin use (OR = 2.082), labour duration ≥9.2 h (OR = 2.613), number of vaginal examinations ≥8 (OR = 2.044-3.115), the time from rupture of the foetal membranes to the end of labour ≥250 min (OR = 2.766) and duration of epidural analgesia ≥300 min (OR = 3.106) were risk factors for intrapartum fever in women in labour undergoing epidural analgesia (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal intrapartum fever in women in labour undergoing epidural analgesia is common and influenced by many factors. Nurses should take early preventive care measures according to these factors during epidural analgesia in labour.

Observational study of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients with dengue in the city of Córdoba. / Estudio observacional de las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y de laboratorio en pacientes pediátricos con dengue de la ciudad de Córdoba.

Introduction. Dengue has been the most widespread mosquito-borne disease worldwide in recent years. It develops with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and sometimes progresses to a critical condition known as severe dengue. It is managed with supportive treatment. Available information about its clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics in the pediatric population is limited. Objective. To describe the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of dengue. Population and methods. Descriptive, observational, and retrospective study. It included patients aged 1 to 180 months seen due to probable or confirmed dengue at a children's hospital between 1/1/2020 and 5/31/2020. Results. A total of 85 patients with positive microbiological or clinical-epidemiological criteria were included. Of these, 25 (29%) were confirmed by RT-PCR; all corresponded to DENV-1 serotype. Patients' median age was 108 months (interquartile range: 84-144). The main clinical manifestations were fever, headache, and myalgia. The most important laboratory findings were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and high transaminase levels. Conclusion. The recognition and understanding of clinical and laboratory alterations that occur during dengue disease may allow an effective approach and help to reduce the more severe clinical form in children.

Introducción. El dengue es la enfermedad transmitida por mosquitos con mayor propagación mundial en los últimos años. Presenta un amplio espectro de manifestaciones clínicas y, en ocasiones, evoluciona a un estado crítico llamado dengue grave. Su tratamiento es de sostén. La información disponible acerca de las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y de laboratorio de la enfermedad en la población pediátrica es limitada. Objetivo. Describir la epidemiología y las manifestaciones clínicas y de laboratorio de la enfermedad. Población y métodos. Estudio descriptivo, observacional y retrospectivo. Incluyó pacientes entre 1 y 180 meses asistidos por dengue probable o confirmado en un hospital de niños, desde el 01 de enero de 2020 hasta el 31 de mayo de 2020.  Resultados. Se incluyeron 85 pacientes por criterios microbiológicos de positividad o clínico-epidemiológicos. Veinticinco (29 %) confirmados por RT-PCR, todos serotipos DENV-1. La mediana de edad fue de 108 meses (rango intercuartílico: 84-144). Las principales manifestaciones clínicas fueron fiebre, cefalea y mialgias. Los hallazgos de laboratorio más importantes fueron leucopenia, trombocitopenia y elevación de transaminasas. Conclusión. El reconocimiento y la comprensión de las alteraciones clínicas y de laboratorio que se presentan durante la enfermedad pueden permitir un abordaje eficaz y contribuir a la reducción de cuadros clínicos más graves en los niños.

An outbreak investigation of parechovirus-A3 in a newborn nursery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate parechovirus-A3 (PeV-A3) transmission in a newborn nursery, after encountering 3 neonates with fever and rash. DESIGN: An observational study. SETTING: At a newborn nursery at the general hospital in Hyogo, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Symptomatic neonates and their family members, and asymptomatic neonates born during the same period. METHODS: PCR assays for PeV-A and genotyping were used for the investigation of PeV-A3. Preserved umbilical cords were used to identify the route of transmission. RESULTS: PeV-A3 infection was confirmed in the three symptomatic neonates. The index case had fever and rash, and the 2 neonates treated later became symptomatic and had serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool specimens that were positive for PeV-A3 on PCR. The umbilical cord of the index case was positive for PeV-A3 on PCR. The family members of the index case, including the mother, were asymptomatic before delivery. The older sister and cousin of the PeV-A3-infected neonate had positive PCR results. The sequence analysis suggested 2 possible transmission routes: vertical and horizontal transmission in a newborn nursery and/or a family outside the hospital. The incubation period of PeV-A3 infection was estimated to be 1-3 days (maximum, 7 days). CONCLUSION: Horizontal transmission of PeV-A3 was confirmed in a newborn nursery. Vertical transmission was suggested by the detection of RNA in an umbilical cord sample from the index case. These observations indicate that PeV-A3 can be horizontally transmitted in a newborn nursery and that special caution is required to prevent healthcare-associated transmission of PeV-A3.