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Plasma Proteins That May Cause Parkinson’S Disease And Multiple Sclerosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Brigid A. Staley

Dissertations and Theses

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are progressively disabling neurologic disorders that profoundly affect quality of life and shorten life expectancy. There is no cure for either disease, and current treatments only alleviate symptoms and may cause serious side effects. The causes of MS and PD are not well understood. Previous epidemiologic studies have documented numerous environmental risk factors for both diseases. However, these studies are inherently prone to bias from confounding which may generate spurious results. The lack of unbiased evidence on environmental causes of MS and PD has been a critical barrier to fully understanding their pathophysiology. …

Scientific, Methodological And Organizational Bases Of Management Of The Epidemic Process In Case Of Salmonellous Infection In Uzbekistan, Оmon М. Mirtazayev, Nikolay I. Briko, Gulbakhor S. Matnazarova, Nargiza S. Saidkasimova, Botir Y. Toshboev, Nilufar T. Khamzaeva

Central Asian Journal of Pediatrics

In the last decade, the epidemiological characteristics of salmonellosis have changed, in particular, the incidence of human disease has increased, and salmonella infection of farm animals, birds and the environment has increased. The increasing epidemiological role of agricultural birds and industrial poultry products, the relationship between epizootic and epidemic processes require the restructuring of the existing system of epidemiological surveillance of salmonellosis under epizootic and epidemiological supervision. On the basis of the results of scientific research, epizoolic-epidemiological supervision of salmonellosis has been developed, in relation to the conditions of Uzbekistan.

Epidemiological Profile And Transmission Dynamics Of Covid-19 In The Philippines, Nel Jason L. Haw, Jhanna Uy, Karla Therese L. Sy, M.R.M Abrigo

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

The Philippines confirmed local transmission of COVID-19 on 7 March 2020. We described the characteristics and epidemiological time-to-event distributions for laboratory-confirmed cases in the Philippines recorded up to 29 April 2020 and followed until 22 May 2020. The median age of 8212 cases was 46 years (IQR 32–61), with 46.2% being female and 68.8% living in the National Capital Region. Health care workers represented 24.7% of all detected infections. Mean length of hospitalisation for those who were discharged or died were 16.00 days (95% CI 15.48–16.54) and 7.27 days (95% CI 6.59–8.24). Mean duration of illness was 26.66 days (95% …

Antibiotic Overuse In The Primary Health Care Setting: A Secondary Data Analysis Of Standardised Patient Studies From India, China And Kenya, Giorgia Sulis, Benjamin Daniels, Ada Kwan, Sumanth Gandra

Open Access archive

Introduction Determining whether antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate requires knowledge of patients' underlying conditions. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where misdiagnoses are frequent, this is challenging. Additionally, such details are often unavailable for prescription audits. Recent studies using standardised patients (SPs) offer a unique opportunity to generate unbiased prevalence estimates of antibiotic overuse, as the research design involves patients with predefined conditions. Methods Secondary analyses of data from nine SP studies were performed to estimate the proportion of SP-provider interactions resulting in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing across primary care settings in three LMICs (China, India and Kenya). In all studies, SPs …

Genomic Overview Into The Evolving Epidemiology Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Yara El Dessouky, Shaimaa Mouftah, Mohamed Elhadidy

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Emerging infections represent an enormous challenge to both human and veterinary medicine. Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in various species and in food has raised concerns about the roles of animals in the epidemiology of MRSA. MRSA are a group of gram-positive bacteria, distinct from other strains of S. aureus in that this pathogen is resistant to methicillin, oxacillin, and all beta-lactam antibiotics. The severity of infections caused by MRSA depends on the strain responsible for the infection and can vary from soft tissue infections to bacteremia and sometimes pneumonia. MRSA strains are divided into clones, based on their …

Increased Diversity And Novel Subtypes Among Clinical Cryptosporidium Parvum And Cryptosporidium Hominis Isolates In Southern Ireland, Jennifer K. O'Leary, Liam Blake, Gerard D. Corcoran, Roy D. Sleator, Brigid Lucey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Reported incidence rates of cryptosporidiosis in Ireland are consistently among the highest in Europe. Despite the national prevalence of this enteric parasite and the compulsory nature of incidence surveillance and reporting, in-depth analyses seeking to genotype clinical isolates of Cryptosporidium on an intra-species level are rarely undertaken in Ireland. This molecular epidemiology study of 163 clinical Cryptosporidium isolates was conducted in Southern Ireland, from 2015 to 2018, in order to ascertain population subtype heterogeneity. Analysis was conducted via real-time PCR amplification and gp60 gene sequencing, which successfully determined the subtype designation of 149 of the 163 (91.4%) tested isolates. Overall, …

Understanding Covid-19: From Origin To Potential Therapeutics, Muhammad Moazzam, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Hamza Shahid, Jahanzaib Butt, Irfan Bashir, Muhammad Jamshaid, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Currently, a global pandemic era of public health concerns is going on with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case of COVID-19 was reported from Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market in China late December 2019. Bats, pangolins, and snakes have been nominated as salient carriers of the virus. Thanks to its high pathogenicity, it can cause severe respiratory infections. Fever, dry cough, sore throat, pneumonia, septic shock, and ground-glass opacities are the foremost clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Immunocompromised patients are at high risk for COVID-19 infection and may lead to …

Assessing Racial And Ethnic Disparities Using A Covid-19 Outcomes Continuum For New York State, David R. Holtgrave, Meredith A. Barranco, James M. Tesoriero, Debra S. Blog, Eli S. Rosenberg

Publications, Issue Briefs, Reports, Etc

Purpose

Heightened COVID-19 mortality among Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic communities (relative to white non-Hispanic) is well established. This study aims to estimate the relative contributions to fatality disparities in terms of differences in SARS-CoV-2 infections, diagnoses, and disease severity.

Methods

We constructed COVID-19 outcome continua (similar to the HIV care continuum) for white non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic adults in New York State. For each stage in the COVID-19 outcome continua (population, infection experience, diagnosis, hospitalization, fatality), we synthesized the most recent publicly available data. We described each continuum using overall percentages, fatality rates, and relative changes between stages, with …

Annalysis Of Epidemiological Surveillance Activity Of The Covid-19 At Surabaya Airport Indonesia On January 2020, Rizma Dwi Nastiti, Kurnia Dwi Artanti, Achmad Faridy Faqih

Kesmas

The Surabaya Port Health Office (PHO) Class I is tasked with the disease prevention by detection, response and protection at entrance gates for the sea and airports and over the state cross-border posts regarding the situation of COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis aimed to assess activities of early warning alert and response system to COVID-19 at Juanda International Airport on January 2020. The method used includes interviewing four informants, studying of docu - ments and directing field-observation by following activities of PHO, who supervise, inspect General Declarations, distribute, and collect the Health Alert Card (HAC) and monitor body temperature of travelers. …

False-Negative Sars-Cov-2 Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (Rt-Pcr) Is An Important Consideration For Patient Management And Infection Prevention: A Case Report From The Louisville Covid-19 Epidemiology Study, Matthew Song Pharmd, Bcidp, Ashley M. Wilde, Sarah E. Moore Pharmd, Brian C. Bohn Pharmd, Clayton J. Patross, Bryan Denham, Paul Schulz, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

We report a case of false-negative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab. Treating clinicians and infection preventionists should maintain a high suspicion for COVID-19 in the appropriate clinical setting despite negative test results. Utilization of chest computed tomography (CT) should be strongly considered in the diagnostic work-up for suspected COVID-19, particularly in areas with limited RT-PCR availability.

Trends In Legionnaires' Disease-Associated Hospitalizations, United States, 2006-2010, Gayathri Mudali, Paul E. Kilgore, Abdulbaset Salim, Shawn P. Mcelmurry, Marcus Zervos

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Background: Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne cause of both healthcare-associated and community-acquired pneumonia. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is responsible for 80% of infections. There is currently limited published disease burden data on Legionnaires' disease-associated hospitalization in the United States.

Methods: In this study, we estimated the annual incidence of Legionnaires' disease-associated hospitalizations in United States and identified demographic, temporal, and regional characteristics of individuals hospitalized for Legionnaires' disease. A retrospective study was conducted using the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) data from 2006 to 2010. The NHDS is a nationally representative US survey, which includes estimates of inpatient stays in …

Novel Coronavirus Pandemic: A Global Health Threat (Issue 10, 8 June 2020), Gulfaraz Khan, Mohamud Sheek-Hussein, Ahmed R. Al Suwaidi, Kamal Idris, Fikri M. Abu-Zidan

Covid19 Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Heart Failure In The Middle East Arab Countries: Current And Future Perspectives, Abdelfatah Elasfar, Waleed Alhabeeb, Salma Elasfar

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

For many years, data about heart failure (HF) was only limited to Western countries but in the last few years, well designed heart failure registries have been conducted in many developing countries. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current status regarding the epidemiology and management of heart failure in Middle East Arab countries (MEACs) by analysis of the results of the latest HF registries performed in these countries and to anticipate future perspectives, quality initiatives and areas of research and development. Data has shown that the average age of affected individuals is at least 10 years younger …

The Role Of Repeat Infection In The Dynamics Of A Simple Model Of Waning And Boosting Immunity, Laura F. Strube, Maya Walton, Lauren M. Childs

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Phenomenological Models For Real-Time Forecasting The Covid-19 Epidemic, Kimberlyn Roosa, Gerardo Chowell

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

How Big Data And Artificial Intelligence Can Help Better Manage The Covid-19 Pandemic, Giovanni Damiani

Faculty Scholarship

SARS-CoV2 is a novel coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization. Thanks to the latest advancements in the field of molecular and computational techniques and information and communication technologies (ICTs), artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data can help in handling the huge, unprecedented amount of data derived from public health surveillance, real-time epidemic outbreaks monitoring, trend now-casting/forecasting, regular situation briefing and updating from governmental institutions and organisms, and health facility utilization information. The present review is aimed at overviewing the potential applications of AI and Big Data in the global effort to manage the pandemic. …

A Model For The Spread Of Infectious Diseases In A Region, Elizabeth Hunter, Brian Mac Namee, John D. Kelleher

Articles

In understanding the dynamics of the spread of an infectious disease, it is important to understand how a town’s place in a network of towns within a region will impact how the disease spreads to that town and from that town. In this article, we take a model for the spread of an infectious disease in a single town and scale it up to simulate a region containing multiple towns. The model is validated by looking at how adding additional towns and commuters influences the outbreak in a single town. We then look at how the centrality of a town …

The Population Health Outcomes And Information Exchange (Phoenix) Program - A Transformative Approach To Reduce The Burden Of Chronic Disease, Steven J. Korzeniewski, Carla Bezold, Jason T. Carbone, Shooshan Danagoulian, Bethany Foster, Dawn Misra, Maher M. El-Masri, Dongxiao Zhu, Robert Welch, Lauren Meloche, Alex B. Hill, Phillip Levy

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

This concept article introduces a transformative vision to reduce the population burden of chronic disease by focusing on data integration, analytics, implementation and community engagement. Known as PHOENIX (The Population Health OutcomEs aNd Information EXchange), the approach leverages a state level health information exchange and multiple other resources to facilitate the integration of clinical and social determinants of health data with a goal of achieving true population health monitoring and management. After reviewing historical context, we describe how multilevel and multimodal data can be used to facilitate core public health services, before discussing the controversies and challenges that lie ahead.

Vaccine Confidence, Coverage, And Hesitancy Worldwide: A Literature Analysis Of Vaccine Hesitancy And Potential Causes Worldwide, Jordan Hammond

Senior Theses

Vaccines are one of the world’s most impactful medical therapies. They are cost-effective, successfully proven, and one of the quickest treatment options available today (Clark et al., 2016). They save millions of lives every year and have eliminated certain diseases on a national and international level. However, millions of people worldwide still remain unvaccinated. In developed nations, mainly The United States (U.S.) and the European countries, many of the unvaccinated are a result of rising vaccine hesitancy of parents in conjunction with the anti-vaccination movement. Vaccine hesitancy is defined as “a delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability” …

Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infections-A Neglected And Emerging Problem, Imran Ahmed, Simon Tiberi, Joveria Farooqi, Kauser Jabeen, Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Giovanni Battista Migliori, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous dwellers of environmental niches and are an established cause of natural and nosocomial infections. The incidence of NTM infections is rising owing to a growing population of immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals, complex medical and surgical procedures, as well as increased awareness and diagnostic capabilities. The prevalence of different NTM varies between continents, regions, and countries. The true global burden of pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease is unknown and estimates are subject to under and/or over-estimation. Diagnosis requires confirmation by isolation of NTM along with clinical and radiological criteria, which may be suboptimal at all levels. Susceptibility …

10th Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium, University Of Texas Md Anderson Cancer Center Postdoctoral Association

Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium Abstracts

The Annual Postdoctoral Science Symposium (APSS) was initiated on August 4, 2011, by the MD Anderson Postdoctoral Association to provide a platform for talented postdoctoral fellows throughout the Texas Medical Center to present their work to a wider audience.

APSS is a scientific symposium organized by postdoctoral fellows from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center that welcomes submissions and presentations from postdoctoral fellows from all Texas Medical Center affiliated institutions and other Houston area institutions. The APSS provides a professional venue for postdoctoral scientists to develop, clarify and refine their research as result of formal reviews and critiques …

Spatiotemporal Epidemiology Of Varicella In Chongqing, China, 2014-2018, Hua Zhu, Han Zhao, Rong Ou, Qing Zeng, Ling Hu, Hongfang Qiu, Manoj Sharma, Mengliang Ye

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Although immunization against varicella using vaccines has been proven to be significant and effective in the past decades, varicella remains a major public health concern for many developing countries. Varicella vaccination has not been introduced into routine immunization programs in China, and varicella outbreaks have continued to occur. Taking the city of Chongqing, which has a high prevalence of varicella, as an example, this study explored the spatiotemporal epidemiology of varicella. Based on the reported data of varicella cases from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 in Chongqing, hot spots and space-time clusters of varicella were identified using spatial …

Older Adults Hospitalized For Pneumonia In The United States: Incidence, Epidemiology, And Outcomes., Forest W. Arnold, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Stephen P. Furmanek, Christian Furman, Laura Morton, Anna Johan Faul, Pam Yankeelov, Julio A. Ramirez

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

OBJECTIVES: To define the current incidence, epidemiology, and mortality of older adult patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Louisville, KY and thus estimate the burden of CAP in the older adult population of the United States. To define risk factors associated with early and late outcomes. DESIGN: This was a secondary analysis of older adults (aged ≥65 years) from the University of Louisville Pneumonia Study, a prospective population-based cohort study of all hospitalized adults with CAP between June 1, 2014, and May 31, 2016. SETTING: The study took place in all nine acute care hospitals for adults in Louisville, …

Prevalence Of The Hypervirulent Nap1/Bi/027 Strain Of C. Difficile In Southwestern Virginia And Risk Factors Associated With Infection, Andrew O. Hanna, Anthony Baffoe-Bonnie, Shikha Vasudeva

Graduate Medical Education (GME) Resident and Fellow Research Day Posters

C. difficile infection (CDI) incidence has increased over the last several decades. The BI/NAP1/027 ribotype was discovered in 2005 and has since been responsible for multiple outbreaks in the US and Canada. This subtype of C. Difficile is known to be more virulent in vivo and produce more severe disease. Limited regional data of the prevalence of this ribotype is available, which could help guide treatment. Using infection control data from a large regional hospital and a VA medical center, this study documented the prevalence of the 027 ribotype in Southwest Virginia. Patients were included if they were tested at …

Tuberculosis Clinical Presentation And Treatment Outcomes In Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study, Brittney J. Van De Water, Meredith B. Brooks, Chuan-Chin Huang, Letizia Trevisi, Leonid Lecca, Carmen Contreras, Jerome Galea, Roger Calderon, Rosa Yataco, Megan Murray, Mercedes C. Becerra

Social Work Faculty Publications

Background: There is limited research to guide TB treatment specifically in pregnant women and few studies have described the presentation of TB in pregnant women. We aimed to understand TB presentation and treatment outcomes in pregnant women in a low HIV burden setting. We describe a cohort of women of childbearing age treated for TB disease in Lima, Peru, and compare clinical presentation and treatment outcomes among pregnant and non-pregnant women between 2009 and 2012, including 36 pregnant women.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Subjects were recruited from across 106 public health centers in Lima, Peru. Baseline demographic, …

Tick-Borne Infections In New Hampshire: An Evaluation Of The Diagnostic Process In A Local Patient Population, Katherine Anderson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Overall, approximately 95 percent of reported cases of vector-borne disease were associated with ticks, making these the most medically important group of arthropods in the United States.¹ Despite the prevalence of tick-borne infections, the process for the diagnosis of this condition is not well studied. This study aims to analyze data from a pool of 100 patients who underwent testing for tick-borne disease in the same institution in Dover, New Hampshire during the most recent peak tick season of 2019. Information utilized in this study included: patient age, sex, location of testing (inpatient versus outpatient), diagnostic testing methods used …

The Cholera Crisis In Yemen: Case Studies On Vulnerability And Resilience In Sana'a, Al Hudaydah, And Ma'areb, Noor Albannein A. Al-Saad

Honors Theses and Capstones

The largest recorded cholera epidemic in history is happening right now in Yemen, a country which has reported over 2 million cases of cholera as of 2020. Yemen has a history of endemic cholera, but prolonged conflict in the country has led to deteriorating conditions that have triggered massive outbreaks of the disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect causes of the cholera epidemic in Yemen by proposing factors that may confer vulnerability and resilience in Yemeni governorates. Case studies were constructed for three governorates: Sana’a and the inner municipality of Amanat Al Asimah; …

Covid-19 Experience Of The Major Pandemic Response Center In The Capital: Results Ofthe Pandemic's First Month In Turkey, Hati̇ce Rahmet Güner, İmran Hasanoğlu, Bi̇rcan Kayaaslan, Adalet Aypak, Ayşe Kaya Kalem, Fatma Eser, Burcu Özdemi̇r, Eli̇f Muki̇me Saricaoğlu, Müge Ayhan, Yeşi̇m Aybar Bi̇li̇r, Işil Özkoçak Turan, Deni̇z Erdem, Nevzat Mehmet Mutlu, Turan Buzğan, Bedi̇a Di̇nç

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and parameters that determined the clinical course and prognosis of the COVID-19 patients admitted to Ankara City Hospital during the first month of the pandemic in Turkey. Materials and methods: SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients who were hospitalized between March 10 and April 10, 2020 were included. Results: Among 222 patients, mean age was higher in severe acute respiratory illness (SARI)/critical disease group (P < 0.001). Median time from illness onset to admission and presence of comorbidity, especially coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were significantly higher in the SARI/critical disease group (P < 0.05). Cough and fever were the most common symptoms, while anosmia and loss of taste were observed in 8.6% and 7.7% patients, respectively. The mortality rate was 5.4%. A high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio; low lymphocyte, monocyte, and platelet count; elevated liver enzymes; low GFR; and high levels of muscle enzymes, ferritin, and IL-6 on admission were found to be associated with SARI/critical disease (P < 0.05). Bilateral ground-glass opacity and patchy infiltration were more frequently seen in the SARI/critical disease group (P < 0.001). Patients older than 65 years had an 8-fold increased risk for development of SARI/critical disease. Conclusion: This cohort study regarding COVID-19 cases in Turkey reveals that older age, presence of comorbidity, bilateral infiltration on CT, high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, low monocyte and platelet count, elevated liver enzymes, low GFR, high levels of muscle enzymes, and high levels of ferritin and IL-6 on admission are predictors of SARI and severe disease.

Sars-Cov-2 Epidemiology And Control, Different Scenarios For Turkey, Eskild Petersen, Ayşe Deni̇z Gökengi̇n

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now a pandemic spreading in most countries including Turkey. Materials and methods: The current knowledge of COVID-19 and the virus causing it, SARS-CoV-2, was reviewed. The epidemiology and control in different countries was compared and the differences discussed. Results: The population attack rates and case fatality rates vary from country to country with Lombardy in northern Italy reporting an attack rate in the general population of 0.37% compared to 0.004% in Hong Kong. The differences are caused by different testing strategies and reporting systems. Conclusion: Turkey is early in the outbreak. Different control …

Epidemiology Of Covid-19, Cemal Bulut, Yasuyuki̇ Kato

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

It seems that coronaviruses take an important place in the 21th century history. Five of seven human coronavirus was isolated in this century. Unfortunately, last three of them entered our life with a fear of outbreak, pandemic or death. Last human coronavirus which emerged world from Wuhan China, SARS CoV-2 and its clinical expression, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recently taken a significant place in our daily practice. Initial reports showed that, its origin was bats. It transmitted human to human by droplet and contact routes, but some doubt about airborne, fecal or intrauterine transmission also should be removed. Its R0 value …