Nocturia in mothers and enuresis in children: Possible links.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between nocturnal enuresis (NE) of childhood and nocturia of parents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted across the network of general pediatricians of the ASL NA 1 of Naples, Italy. All the children with NE and their mothers were invited to attend the clinic for the study. Data were collected by personal interview. A 5-day bladder diary was collected from all the children. The mothers with nocturia were given a 3-day frequency-volume chart to assess the presence of nocturnal polyuria or reduced bladder capacity. Both children and mothers underwent a bladder ultrasound scan to measure the bladder wall thickness. RESULTS: A total of 224 mothers (aged between 23 and 45 years, average 33.3±4.1 years) and their 225 children (aged between 7 and 13 years, average 8.35±1.81 years) were investigated. Of the 224 mothers, 90 (40%) had nocturia, of which 55 (61%) clearly remembered that they had suffered from NE in childhood. Only 4 (11%) out of the 35 women without nocturia had NE (p<0.001). Children with persistence of NE beyond 11 years were more likely to have a parent with nocturia. Children with non-monosymptomatic NE were more likely to have mothers with nocturia (odds ratio (OR) 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-7.1, p<0.01) or overactive bladder symptoms (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-15.2, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that there is a link between NE in childhood and nocturia in adulthood. A strong relationship was found between overactive bladder in children and overactive bladder in their mothers.

Rift Valley fever trasmission dynamics described by compartmental models.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is one of the most important zoonotic Transboundary Animal Diseases able to cross international borders and cause devastating effect on animal health and food security. Climate changes and the presence of competent vectors in the most of the current RVF-free temperate countries strongly support the inclusion of RVF virus (RVFV) among the most significant emerging viral threats for public and animal health. The transmission of RVFV is driven by complex eco-climatic factors making the epidemiology of RVF infection difficult to study and to understand. Mathematical, statistical and spatial models are often used to explain the mechanisms underlying these biological processes, providing new and effective tools to plan measures for public health protection. In this paper we performed a systematic literature review on RVF published papers with the aim of identifying and describing the most recent papers developing compartmental models for the study of RVFV transmission dynamics.

The Arbo­zoonet Information System.

The Arbo­zoonet Information System has been developed as part of the 'International Network for Capacity Building for the Control of Emerging Viral Vector Borne Zoonotic Diseases (Arbo­zoonet)' project. The project aims to create common knowledge, sharing data, expertise, experiences, and scientific information on West Nile Disease (WND), Crimean­Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), and Rift Valley fever (RVF). These arthropod­borne diseases of domestic and wild animals can affect humans, posing great threat to public health. Since November 2011, when the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has been discovered for the first time in Northern Europe, the Arbo­zoonet Information System has been used in order to collect information on newly discovered disease and to manage the epidemic emergency. The system monitors the geographical distribution and epidemiological evolution of CCHF, RVF, and WND since 1946. More recently, it has also been deployed to monitor the SBV data. The Arbo­zoonet Information System includes a web application for the management of the database in which data are stored and a WebGIS application to explore spatial disease distributions, facilitating the epidemiological analysis. The WebGIS application is an effective tool to show and share the information and to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of relevant data among project's participants.

Vector borne infections in Italy: results of the integrated surveillance system for West Nile disease in 2013.

The epidemiology of West Nile disease (WND) is influenced by multiple ecological factors and, therefore, integrated surveillance systems are needed for early detecting the infection and activating consequent control actions. As different animal species have different importance in the maintenance and in the spread of the infection, a multispecies surveillance approach is required. An integrated and comprehensive surveillance system is in place in Italy aiming at early detecting the virus introduction, monitoring the possible infection spread, and implementing preventive measures for human health. This paper describes the integrated surveillance system for WND in Italy, which incorporates data from veterinary and human side in order to evaluate the burden of infection in animals and humans and provide the public health authorities at regional and national levels with the information needed for a fine tune response.

Epidemiology of West Nile disease in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin from 2009 to 2013.

West Nile virus (WNV) transmission has been confirmed in the last four years in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. An increasing concern towards West Nile disease (WND) has been observed due to the high number of human and animal cases reported in these areas confirming the importance of this zoonosis. A new epidemiological scenario is currently emerging: although new introductions of the virus from abroad are always possible, confirming the epidemiological role played by migratory birds, the infection endemisation in some European territories today is a reality supported by the constant reoccurrence of the same strains across years in the same geographical areas. Despite the WND reoccurrence in the Old World, the overwintering mechanisms are not well known, and the role of local resident birds or mosquitoes in this context is poorly understood. A recent new epidemiological scenario is the spread of lineage 2 strain across European and Mediterranean countries in regions where lineage 1 strain is still circulating creating favourable conditions for genetic reassortments and emergence of new strains. This paper summarizes the main epidemiological findings on WNV occurrence in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin from 2009 to 2013, considering potential future spread patterns.

Epidemiological study of an outbreak of Norovirus in a rest home in Italy.

A Norovirus GII.4 (variant 2006) epidemic occurred in a rest home in the Abruzzo region of Italy between January and March 2009. Rest homes are typologically exposed to Norovirus infections as often reported in the literature. The investigation proposed in this article focused on identifying the source of infection and the route of propagation of the virus in the infected rest home. Microbiological, chemical and hygiene/health investigations were conducted on residents and employees of the home and on its water supply. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to identify the habits of the subjects who promoted the spread of the virus, in order to obtain a retrospective view of the event.