Digital Commons Network^™

Defining County-Level Terrestrial Rabies Freedom Using The Us National Rabies Surveillance System: Surveillance Data Analysis, Amber Kunkel, Gabriella Veytsel, Sarah C. Bonaparte, Haillie Meek, Xiaoyue Ma, Amy J. Davis, Jesse Bonwitt, Ryan M. Wallace

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease with nearly 100% fatality rate. In the United States, rabies virus persists in wildlife reservoirs, with occasional spillover into humans and domestic animals. The distribution of reservoir hosts in US counties plays an important role in public health decision-making, including the recommendation of lifesaving postexposure prophylaxis upon suspected rabies exposures. Furthermore, in surveillance data, it is difficult to discern whether counties have no cases reported because rabies was not present or because counties have an unreported rabies presence. These epizootics are monitored by the National Rabies Surveillance System (NRSS), to which approximately 130 …

Systematic Review Of Clinical Practice Guidelines For Uveitis, Nima Ghadiri, Ian R. Reekie, Iris Gordon, Sare Safi, Gareth Lingham, Jennifer R. Evans, Stuart Keel

Articles

To facilitate the integration of eye care into universal health coverage, the WHO is developing a Package of Eye Care Interventions (PECI). Development of the PECI involves the identification of evidence-based interventions from relevant clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for uveitis.

A systematic review of CPGs published on uveitis between 2010 and March 2020 was conducted. CPGs passing title and abstract and full-text screening were evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool and data on recommended interventions extracted using a standard data extraction sheet.

An Investigation Of Media Reports Of Digital Surveillance Within The First Year Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Leigha Comer, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Marionette Ngole, Jacob J. Shelley, Anita Kothari, Maxwell Smith, James M. Shelley, Saverio Stranges, Brad Hiebert, Jason Gilliland, Tommy Cooke, Jodi Hall, Jed Long

Publications

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in digital public health surveillance worldwide, with limited opportunities to consider the effectiveness or impact of digital surveillance. The news media shape public understanding of topics of importance, contributing to our perception of priority issues. This study investigated news media reports published during the first year of the pandemic to understand how the use and consequences of digital surveillance technologies were reported on. METHODS: A media content analysis of 34 high- to low-income countries was completed. The terms "COVID-19," "surveillance," "technologies," and "public health" were used to retrieve and inductively code media reports. …

Use Of Digital Technologies For Public Health Surveillance During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Leigha Comer, Brad Hiebert, Jodi Hall, Jacob J. Shelley, Maxwell J. Smith, Anita Kothari, Jacquelyn Burkell, Saverio Stranges, Tommy Cooke, James M. Shelley, Jason Gilliland, Marionette Ngole, Danica Facca

Publications

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of digital technologies have been leveraged for public health surveillance worldwide. However, concerns remain around the rapid development and deployment of digital technologies, how these technologies have been used, and their efficacy in supporting public health goals. Following the five-stage scoping review framework, we conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify the types and nature of digital technologies used for surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the success of these measures. We conducted a search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 1 December 2019 and 31 December …

National Emissaries For Preventive Healthcare. Visiting Nurses In Interwar Bulgaria And Yugoslavia, Evguenia Davidova

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the interwar period, as part of a wholesale reorganization of public healthcare, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia saw the emergence of a new healthcare protagonist: the visiting nurse. Grounded in archival materials, by means of an analysis that intertwines gender and class, this article argues that the visiting nurse became a crucial (and cheaper) link between the hospital and the home in the fight against social diseases and reducing child mortality. These social interactions were often mediated by international humanitarian organizations. In this context, the visiting nurse serves as another bridge—this time between national and international public health policies. Visiting nurses …

Using Geospatial Social Media Data For Infectious Disease Studies: A Systematic Review, Fengrui Jing, Zhenlong Li, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Geospatial social media (GSM) data has been increasingly used in public health due to its rich, timely, and accessible spatial information, particularly in infectious disease research. This review synthesized 86 research articles that use GSM data in infectious diseases published between December 2013 and March 2022. These articles cover 12 infectious disease types ranging from respiratory infectious diseases to sexually transmitted diseases with spatial levels varying from the neighborhood, county, state, and country. We categorized these studies into three major infectious disease research domains: surveillance, explanation, and prediction. With the assistance of advanced computing, statistical and spatial methods, GSM data …

Missed Opportunities To Vaccinate Teens Against Human Papillomavirus: Variation And Mechanisms Between Public And Private Facilities, Patrick E. Boise

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes at least 37,300 new cases of cancer every year in the United States. While effective vaccines to prevent HPV infection have been approved and available since 2006, 23.1% of US adolescents aged 13- 17 continue to miss out on the opportunity for immunization (Pingali 2022). This study examines missed opportunities (MOs) for HPV vaccination among US teens, where the teen receives either Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and/or Meningococcal vaccines, but the recommended HPV dose is not administered. This study uses a health economics framework and multinomial logistic …

Bushmeat Consumption In Africa: A Microbiological Safety Challenge?, Gwladys Gloria Amen Ahouanse, Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia, Nuria Majaliwa

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Objective: This review analyzed the microbiological safety of bushmeat consumed in Africa over the past decades. Methodology:Previous Studies mainly focused on large animals like antelopes and smaller ones like grasscutter. Most microbes studied were similar to those in domestic animal meat, except for rare pathogens such as Salmonella spp, E.coli. Sampling, experiments, and microbe prevalence varied among studies.Results:All studies confirmed the presence of zoonotic pathogens dangerous to human beings. Therefore, more investigations are needed, especially for the chronic and severe cases of pathogens, since only few studies have addressed the bushmeat's microbiological safety in Africa. Conclusion:Efforts should be made to …

Masks, Misinformation, And Making Do: Appalachian Health-Care Workers And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Wendy Welch

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

The firsthand pandemic experiences of rural health-care providers—who were already burdened when COVID-19 hit—raise questions about the future of public health and health-care delivery.

This volume comprises the COVID-19 pandemic experiences of Appalachian health-care workers, including frontline providers, administrators, and educators. The combined narrative reveals how governmental and corporate policies exacerbated the region’s injustices, stymied response efforts, and increased the death toll.

Beginning with an overview of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its impact on the body, the essays in the book’s first section provide background material and contextualize the subsequent explosion of telemedicine, the pandemic’s impact on medical education, and …

Bridging Science And Spirituality: The Intersection Of Religion And Public Health In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shahana Ayub, Gibson O Anugwom, Tajudeen Basiru, Vishi Sachdeva, Nazar Muhammad, Anil Bachu, Maxwell Trudeau, Gazal Gulati, Amanda Sullivan, Saeed Ahmed, Lakshit Jain

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had global impacts on social interactions and religious activities, leading to a complex relationship between religion and public health policies. This article reviews impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious activities and beliefs in relation to the spread of the virus, as well as the potential of religious leaders and faith communities in mitigating the impact of the pandemic through public health measures and community engagement.

METHODS: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, with search terms including "religion," "COVID-19," "pandemic," "coronavirus," and "spirituality." We included English articles published between January 2020 …

The Psychology Of Science Denialism And Lessons For Public Health Authorities, Brenna Moreno, Molly J. Walker Wilson

All Faculty Scholarship

As it wreaked tragedy on the world, the outbreak of COVID-19 helped expose a pandemic of a different kind, one steeped in distrust and contrarianism. This movement, termed science denialism, has been lurking and undermining public health efforts for decades. Specifically, it is “the employment of rhetorical arguments to give the appearance of legitimate debate where there is none, an approach that has the ultimate goal of rejecting a proposition on which a scientific consensus exists.” Unlike skepticism, which is “doubt as to the truth of something” and works to progress both science and society, denialism is characterized by individuals’ …

A Study To Determine The Most Important Leadership Skills For Entry-Level Public Health Practitioners, Taelyr Weekly

Theses & Dissertations

Objective: This study 1) identifies the top leadership skills needed for entry-level local public health department employees, 2) provides employee self-assessment ratings in importance, preparation, and proficiency of select leadership skills, and 3) compares the self-assessment and supervisor ratings of select leadership skills to assess how prepared and proficient employees are. Participants: A sample of positional leaders (n=15) from Nebraska’s local health departments provided results for the top leadership skills for entry-level local public health department employees. Employee self-assessment ratings (n=18) and paired samples of employees and supervisors (n=12) produced results on the importance, preparation, and proficiency of …

The Prevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies Within The Community Of A Private Tertiary University In The Philippines: A Serial Cross Sectional Study, Lourdes S. Tanchanco, Jenica Clarisse Y. Sy, Angel Belle C. Dy, Myla D. Levantino, Arianna Maever L. Amit, John Wong, Kirsten Angeles, John Paul Vergara

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency in all sectors of society, including universities and other academic institutions. This study determined the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among administrators, faculty, staff, and students of a private tertiary academic institution in the Philippines over a 7 month period. It employed a serial cross-sectional method using qualitative and quantitative COVID-19 antibody test kits. A total of 1,318 participants were tested, showing 47.80% of the study population yielding IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 virus. A general increase in seroprevalence was observed from June to December 2021, which coincided with the vaccine roll-out of …

The Influence Of Safety Communications And Safety Promotion Policies On Safety Performance Among Nurses In The Emergency Department At A Tertiary Hospital In Surabaya, Indonesia, Ratih Berliana, Noeroel Widajati, Nurhayati Saridewi, Endang Dwiyanti

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • To reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents, the application of occupational safety and health principles in work activities is necessary. • This research analyzed the safety communications and safety promotion policies on the safety performance among nurses. • Safety communications have influence on safety performance, while safety promotion policies have no influence on safety performance. Abstract: The application of the occupational safety and health principles in work activities is expected to reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents. This research was conducted in the Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital of Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, in …

Worker Participation In A Time Of Covid: A Case Study Of Occupational Health And Safety Regulation In Ontario, Alan Hall, Eric Tucker

Articles & Book Chapters

This study examines worker voice in the development and implementation of safety plans or protocols for covid-19 prevention among hospital workers, long-term care workers, and education workers in the Canadian province of Ontario. Although Ontario occupational health and safety law and official public health policy appear to recognize the need for active consultation with workers and labour unions, there were limited – and in some cases no – efforts by employers to meaningfully involve workers, worker representatives (reps), or union officials in assessing covid-19 risks and planning protection and prevention measures. The political and legal efforts of workers and unions …

Law In The Service Of Misinformation: How Anti-Vaccine Groups Use The Law To Help Spin A False Narrative, Dorit R. Reiss, Viridiana Ordonez

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Social movements use legal tools to create narratives. Those narratives support social agendas which certain movements leverage to mislead their followers and potential followers. In this Article, we examine one influential anti-vaccine organization, the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), that uses its far-reaching platform to create false narratives around legal action. Again and again, this anti-vaccine group misrepresented both the legal and the factual meanings of court decisions, settlements, and other legal actions to create a narrative to galvanize its followers and influence newcomers. ICAN filed lawsuits that make anti-vaccine arguments—even when the legal framework did not fit doing so—and …

Exploring Stakeholders' Experiences And Perceptions Regarding Barriers To Effective Surveillance Of Communicable Diseases In A Rural District Of Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Imran Naeem Abbasi, Sameen Siddiqi, Mmna Rehana Sididiqui, Rumina Hasan

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To explore the experiences and perceptions of health system stakeholders of a rural district of Sindh, Pakistan regarding the barriers to effective surveillance of communicable diseases.
Design: This qualitative descriptive exploratory design comprised in-depth interviews. Both inductive and deductive thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes from the data.
Settings: The study was conducted in public sector healthcare facilities and the district health office of the rural district of Thatta, in Sindh province, Pakistan.
Participants: Fifteen healthcare managers and healthcare providers working in the eight public sector primary and secondary healthcare facilities were interviewed using an open-ended in-depth …

Disparities In Covid-19 Case Counts And Incidence In Florida By Race And Ethnicity At The County And State Level, Elizabeth Weaver

Florida Public Health Review

Background: In 2020, as COVID-19 spread across the United States, reports of disparities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality by race and ethnicity soon followed. This study assessed COVID-19 case counts and incidence by race and ethnicity at county and state levels focusing on Florida.

Methods: Counts of COVID-19 were collected from June through December 2020. Chi square analyses assessed disparities in case distribution and linear regressions assessed disparities in incidence and potential interaction between predictors.

Results: Race and ethnicity were significant predictors of COVID-19 incidence. Mean incidence was 4.9, 6.6, and 14.3 per 1,000 people among White, Black, and Other …

Individual Costs And Community Benefits: Collectivism And Individuals’ Compliance With Public Health Interventions, Suyi Leong, Kimin Eom, Keiko Ishii, Marion C. Aichberger, Karolina Fetz, Tim S. Müller, Heejung S. Kim, David K. Sherman

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Differences in national responses to COVID-19 have been associated with the cultural value of collectivism. The present research builds on these findings by examining the relationship between collectivism at the individual level and adherence to public health recommendations to combat COVID-19 during the pre-vaccination stage of the pandemic, and examines different characteristics of collectivism (i.e., concern for community, trust in institutions, perceived social norms) as potential psychological mechanisms that could explain greater compliance. A study with a cross-section of American participants (N = 530) examined the relationship between collectivism and opting-in to digital contact tracing (DCT) and wearing face coverings …

Caring For Patients Using Methamphetamines: An Interprofessional Collaborative Approach, Erinne Kennedy, Sarah E. Getch, Benjamin Grin, Russell D. Campillo, Linda C. Niessen

Faculty and Staff Publications

Methamphetamine use is increasing in the U.S. and in Missouri, as are the number of deaths associated with its use. Many systemic and mental health issues are associated with methamphetamine use or methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Given the range of health issues associated with methamphetamine use or MUD, a collaborative approach to the care of patients can improve outcomes. This article provides an overview of a collaborative approach to caring for patients using or have used methamphetamine, from the perspective of the primary care, behavioral and dental clinician.

“Everything…Fell Apart Once Covid-19 Hit”—Leveraging The Covid-19 Response To Strengthen Public Health Activities Toward Ending The Hiv Epidemic: A Qualitative Study, Samantha A. Devlin, Moctezuma Garcia, Kayo Fujimoto, Camden Hallmark, Marlene Mcneese, John Schneider, Moira C. Mcnulty

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

COVID-19 caused widespread disruption of activities for Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE). In this study we assessed public health perspectives on leveraging the COVID-19 response to advance the goals of EHE. We conducted a qualitative study with 33 public health partners in the Midwestern and Southern United States from October 2020 to February 2022. Participants were asked how the strategies developed for COVID-19 could be applied to the HIV epidemic. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and examined using rapid qualitative analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) Rebuilding teams and adapting culture for success in EHE activities; (2) Recognizing and modernizing the role …

Use Of Equity-Informed Social Media Covid-19 Risk Communication Tools: A Scoping Review Protocol, Anita Kothari, Nedra Peter, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan

Publications

INTRODUCTION: Health agencies and community organisations play a crucial role in disseminating information to the public about COVID-19 risks and events, providing instructions on how to change behaviour to mitigate those risks, motivating compliance with health directives and addressing false information. Social media platforms are a critical tool in risk communication, providing a medium for rapid transmission of messages as well as providing the opportunity for engagement and immediate feedback. Access to health information, services and support are especially important for marginalised and underserved ('equity-deserving') populations who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This scoping review aims to review the breadth …

The Detection Of Periodic Reemergence Events Of Sars-Cov-2 Delta Strain In Communities Dominated By Omicron., Claire E. Westcott, Kevin J. Sokoloski, Eric C. Rouchka, Julia H. Chariker, Rochelle H. Holm, Ray A. Yeager, Joseph B. Moore Iv, Erin M. Elliott, Daymond Talley, Aruni Bhatnagar

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Despite entering an endemic phase, SARS-CoV-2 remains a significant burden to public health across the global community. Wastewater sampling has consistently proven utility to understanding SARS-CoV-2 prevalence trends and genetic variation as it represents a less biased assessment of the corresponding communities. Here, we report that ongoing monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation in samples obtained from the wastewatersheds of the city of Louisville in Jefferson county Kentucky has revealed the periodic reemergence of the Delta strain in the presence of the presumed dominant Omicron strain. Unlike previous SARS-CoV-2 waves/emergence events, the Delta reemergence events were geographically restricted in the community …

The 3p Framework: A Comprehensive Approach To Coping With The Emerging Infectious Disease Crisis, Orsolya Molnár, Eric Hoberg, Valeria Trivellone, Gábor Földvári, Daniel R. Brooks

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest example of the profound socioeconomic impact of the emerging infectious disease (EID) crisis. Current health security measures are based on a failed evolutionary paradigm that presumes EID is rare and cannot be predicted because emergence requires the prior evolution of novel genetic capacities for colonizing a new host. Consequently, crisis response through preparation for previously emerged diseases and palliation following outbreaks have been the only health security options, which have become unsustainably expensive and unsuccessful. The Stockholm paradigm (SP) is an alternative evolutionary framework that suggests host changes are the result of changing conditions …

Parent And Child Anxiety Evaluated During An Early Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study, Karla M. Abela, Darlene Acorda, Stanley Cron, Geri Lobiondo-Wood

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

Methods: An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9–17 years of age and their parents during August–October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI’s state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

Results: A total of 188 parents …

Understanding Costa Rica's Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic: Competing Explanations, Lise Charles

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have major impacts on the world, careful study of successful health systems is essential. Costa Rica has been identified as a country that has responded well to the pandemic with the proportion of death rates compared to infection rates being the lowest in comparison to other countries in Central America. This paper examines Costa Rica’s relatively successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study in good public healthcare management. This study also highlights the importance of theory for addressing urgent, practical development challenges to explore what theoretical frameworks can best explain the …

Newsletter, Fall 2022

Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook

Sustain Magazine

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly spread from country to country and continent to continent in 2020, governments and scientists needed a way to track COVID-19 through populations in order to position public health interventions in the most impactful locations. Having a decision-based risk framework may help to guide policy creation that could minimize or prevent possible outbreaks and surges of infection within communities. The University of Louisville in partnership with Louisville’s Department of Public Health and Wellness tested this strategy in 2021 and 2022. This Wastewater-Informed Public Health Intervention Playbook describes the decisions and actions of that academic and public …

Adapting The Fast-M Maternal Sepsis Intervention For Implementation In Pakistan: A Qualitative Exploratory Study, Sheikh Irfan Ahmed, Bakhtawar M H. Khowaja, Rubina Barolia, Raheel Sikandar, Ghulam Kubra Rind, Sehrish Rani, Raheela Rani, James Cheshire, Catherine Louise Dunlop, Lumaan Sheikh

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Objective: A maternal sepsis management bundle for resource-limited settings was developed through a synthesis of evidence and international consensus. This bundle, called 'FAST-M' consists of: Fluids, Antibiotics, Source control, assessment of the need to Transport/Transfer to a higher level of care and ongoing Monitoring (of the mother and neonate). The study aimed to adapt the FAST-M intervention including the bundle care tools for early identification and management of maternal sepsis in a low-resource setting of Pakistan and identify potential facilitators and barriers to its implementation.
Setting: The study was conducted at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, which …

Bacterial And Antibiogram Profile Of Urinary Tract Infection Patients In A Tertiary Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, Mahrumi Dewi Tri Utami, Manik Retno Wahyunitisari, Nunuk Mardiana, Rebekah Juniati Setiabudi

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights: • Most urinary tract infections are caused by Gram-negative bacteria with E. coli being the most common bacteria. • Antibiotics with the highest susceptibility for Gram-negative bacteria were ertapenem, meropenem, amikacin, and imipenem. • Antibiotics with the highest susceptibility for Gram-positive bacteria mainly were susceptible to chloramphenicol,streptomycin, vancomycin, rifampin, tigecycline, teicoplanin, and ampicillin. Abstract: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections. Inappropriate antibiotic use for UTI treatment may lead to antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to provide an updated bacterial and antibiogram profile from urine specimens of patients diagnosed with UTI. This study was …