A systematic review of the social and economic burden of influenza in low- and middle-income countries

ObjectivesThe economic burden of seasonal influenza outbreaks as well as influenza pandemics in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has yet to be specifically systematically reviewed. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the evidence of influenza economic burden assessment methods in LMIC and to quantify the economic consequences of influenza disease in these countries, including broader opportunity costs in terms of impaired social progress and economic development.MethodsWe conducted an all language literature search across 5 key databases using an extensive list of key words for the time period 1950–2013. We included studies which explored direct costs (medical and non-medical), indirect costs (productivity losses), and broader economic impact in LMIC associated with different influenza outcomes such as confirmed seasonal influenza infection, influenza-like illnesses, and pandemic influenza.ResultsWe included 62 full-text studies in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese languages, mostly from the countries of Latin American and the Caribbean and East Asia and Pacific with pertinent cost data found in 39 papers. Estimates for direct and indirect costs were the highest in Latin American and the Caribbean. Compared to high-income economies, direct costs in LMIC were lower and productivity losses higher. Evidence on broader impact of influenza included impact on the wider national economy, security dimension, medical insurance policy, legal frameworks, distributional impact, and investment flows.ConclusionThe economic burden of influenza in LMIC encompasses multiple dimensions such as direct costs to the health service and households, indirect costs due to productivity losses as well as broader detriments to the wider economy. Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa and in pregnant women remains very limited. Heterogeneity of methods used to estimate cost components makes data synthesis challenging. There is a strong need for standardizing research, data collection and evaluation methods for both direct and indirect cost components.     

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in Vietnam 2011–2012—CRS epidemic after rubella epidemic in 2010–2011

BackgroundRubella is endemic in Vietnam with epidemics occurring every 4–5 years. In 2011, Vietnam experienced the large nationwide rubella epidemic. During the rubella epidemic, many infants born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) were identified and reported from the neonatal units or cardiology departments of the national hospitals. To understand the burden of CRS, National Expanded Program on Immunization (NEPI) established sentinel CRS surveillance system.MethodThree national paediatric hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) were selected as CRS sentinel surveillance sites. Blood specimens from the infants were collected for rubella specific IgM and ELISA testing was performed at the national measles and rubella laboratory.ResultsFrom January 2011 to December 2012, 424 infants with suspected CRS were identified and reported. Among them 406 (96%) had specimens obtained, 284 (70%) cases were IgM positive including 279 laboratory confirmed CRS and 5 Congenital Rubella Infection (CRI). 13 cases were clinically confirmed and 127 (30%) were discarded. Total 292 infants were confirmed as CRS. Of the 292 infants with CRS, 69% of mothers had a history of “fever and rash” during pregnancy, of which 85% was in the first trimester. The most common clinical defects were congenital heart disease and cataract(s). However, 81.9% of the infants had a combination of major and minor signs and symptoms. Low birth weight in full term infants with confirmed CRS was observed in 114 infants (39%).ConclusionsThe newly established CRS sentinel surveillance system documented the significant burden of CRS in Vietnam and provided evidence to the policy makers for the introduction of rubella containing vaccine (RCV) into Vietnam. This report highlights the importance of countries with rubella epidemic to establish CRS surveillance rapidly in order to support the introduction of RCV into the routine Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) immunization.     

江苏省2010年O1群霍乱疫情分离株病原学特征分析

目的:分析2010年江苏省O1群霍乱疫情分离株病原学特征,为霍乱疫情分析及临床治疗提供实验室依据?方法:对2010年江苏省O1群霍乱疫情分离株进行毒力基因检测?ctxB基因序列分析?抗生素敏感性实验?脉冲场凝胶电泳分子分型分析?结果:2010年江苏省O1群霍乱疫情分离株均携带毒力基因ctxA?ace?zot? toxR? tcpI?ompU?rtxC?tcpAEL?hlyAEL,且CTXB氨基酸序列为古典型;对庆大霉素?诺氟沙星?环丙沙星100%敏感,对复方新诺明?链霉素100%耐药,且均为多重耐药株;除VC201014外,其余14株菌脉冲场凝胶电泳图谱相似度达100%?结论:2010年9月初至10月初,发生在江苏省徐州?淮安?宿迁?南京4个地市的O1群霍乱疫情可能是有关联的暴发流行,2010年8月底发生在连云港的O1群霍乱疫情是一起散发疫情,与上述四地的霍乱疫情可能没有流行病学关联,所有疫情的病原均为非典型埃尔托型霍乱弧菌,庆大霉素?诺氟沙星?环丙沙星可作为临床治疗的首选药物?     

Psychosocial Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Intentions for Young Women 18 to 26: Religiosity,Morality, Promiscuity,and Cancer Worry

ObjectivesTo determine whether five psychosocial variables, namely, religiosity, morality, perceived promiscuity, cancer worry frequency, and cancer worry severity, predict young women's intentions to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.MethodsFemale undergraduate students (n = 408) completed an online survey. Questions pertaining to hypothesized predictors were analyzed through bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression equations. Regressions examined whether the five psychosocial variables of interest predicted intentions to vaccinate above and beyond controls. Proposed interactions among predictor variables were also tested.ResultsStudy findings supported cancer worry as a direct predictor of HPV vaccination intention, and religiosity and sexual experience as moderators of the relationship between concerns of promiscuity reputation and intentions to vaccinate. One dimension of cancer worry (severity) emerged as a particularly robust predictor for this population.ConclusionsThis study provides support for several important, yet understudied, factors contributing to HPV vaccination intentions among college-aged women: cancer worry severity and religiosity. Future research should continue to assess the predictive contributions of these variables and evaluate how messages and campaigns to increase HPV vaccination uptake can utilize religious involvement and worry about cancer to promote more effectively HPV vaccination as a cancer prevention strategy.     

Sequence Type 4821 Clonal Complex Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis in China, 1978–2013

Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis strains belonging to sequence type 4821 clonal complex (CC4821), a hyperinvasive lineage first identified for serogroup C in 2003, have been increasingly isolated in China. We characterized the outer membrane protein genes of 48 serogroup B and 214 serogroup C strains belonging to CC4821 and analyzed the genomic sequences of 22 strains. Four serogroup B strains had porin A (i.e., PorA), PorB, and ferric enterobactin transport (i.e., FetA) genotypes identical to those for serogroup C. Phylogenetic analysis of the genomic sequences showed that the 22 CC4821 strains from patients and healthy carriers were unevenly clustered into 2 closely related groups; each group contained serogroup B and C strains. Serogroup B strains appeared variable at the capsule locus, and several recombination events had occurred at uncertain breakpoints. These findings suggest that CC4821 serogroup C N. meningitidis is the probable origin of highly pathogenic CC4821 serogroup B strains.     

Molecular genetic analysis of Plasmodium vivax isolates from Eastern and Central Sudan using pvcsp and pvmsp-3α genes as molecular markers

In Sudan, Plasmodium vivax accounts for approximately 5–10% of malaria cases. This study was carried out to determine the genetic diversity of P. vivax population from Sudan by analyzing the polymorphism of P. vivax csp (pvcsp) and pvmsp-3α genes. Blood samples (n = 76) were taken from suspected malaria cases from 2012–2013 in three health centers of Eastern and Central Sudan. Parasite detection was performed by microscopy and molecular techniques, and genotyping of both genes was performed by PCR-RFLP followed by DNA sequence for only pvcsp gene (n = 30). Based on microscopy analysis, 76 (%100) patients were infected with P. vivax, whereas nested-PCR results showed that 86.8% (n = 66), 3.9% (n = 3), and 3.9% (n = 3) of tested samples had P. vivax as well as Plasmodium falciparum mono- and mixed infections, respectively. Four out of 76 samples had no results in molecular diagnosis. All sequenced samples were found to be of VK210 (100%) genotype with six distinct amino acid haplotypes, and 210A (66.7%) was the most prevalent haplotype. The Sudanese isolates displayed variations in the peptide repeat motifs (PRMs) ranging from 17 to 19 with GDRADGQPA (PRM1), GDRAAGQPA (PRM2) and DDRAAGQPA (PRM3). Also, 54 polymorphic sites with 56 mutations were found in repeat and post-repeat regions of the pvcsp and the overall nucleotide diversity (π) was 0.02149 ± 0.00539. A negative value of dN − dS (−0.0344) was found that suggested a significant purifying selection of Sudanese pvcsp, (Z test, P < 0.05). Regarding pvmsp-3α, three types were detected: types A (94.6%, 52/55), type C (3.6%, 2/55), and type B (1.8%, 1/55). No multiclonal infections were detected, and RFLP analysis identified 13 (Hha I, A1-A11, B1, and C1) and 16 (Alu I, A1-A14, B1, and C1) distinct allelic forms. In conclusion, genetic investigation among Sudanese P. vivax isolates indicated that this antigen showed limited antigenic diversity.     

五种布鲁氏菌核酸检测试剂盒检测性能的评价北大核心CSCD

目的比较5种布鲁氏菌核酸实时荧光PCR检测试剂盒的一致性和检出能力,为临床实验室选择检测方法和布鲁氏菌的诊断提供参考依据。方法选用经病原学检测确定为布鲁氏菌阳性的血液样本38份,健康人的血液样本24份,潘氏变形杆菌、溶藻弧菌、河弧菌、铜绿假单胞菌、肺炎克雷伯菌DNA各1份,使用5种试剂盒(编号A-E)分别进行核酸检测,比较5种试剂盒临床样本检测的一致性;选择1份阳性样本核酸用无RNA酶水梯度稀释得到5个浓度(浓度1:4453.13 fg/μL,浓度2:1113.28 fg/μL,浓度3:278.32 fg/μL,浓度4:69.58 fg/μL,浓度5:17.40 fg/μL),每个浓度使用5种试剂盒(编号A-E)分别进行3次检测,比较5种试剂盒的阳性检出率及批内重复性。结果5种试剂盒检测67份DNA样品的符合率稍有不同,试剂盒ABDE的符合率均为100%,试剂盒C的符合率为98.51%。批内重复性显示5种试剂盒在浓度1、浓度2、浓度3水平重复检测DNA的Ct值变异系数均<5%;在浓度1与浓度4梯度区间,试剂盒的阳性检出能力比较显示试剂盒A、B、D较高,为11/12,试剂盒C和E较低,为8/12。结论5种试剂盒的真实性和可靠性较好,灵敏度和符合率稍有差别,特异度均为100%;重复性较好,检测性能良好。部分试剂盒对弱阳性样本的检出能力不强,该类样本可使用多种试剂盒复核,以保障结果的准确性。     

单增李斯特菌质粒研究进展

单增李斯特菌是一种可引起李斯特菌病的重要食源性病原体,质粒在单增李斯特菌中分布广泛,这些质粒对宿主的环境适应能力、毒力以及耐药有一定的促进作用。基因组测序技术的发展为质粒的发现及功能研究提供了很好的基础。本文综述了单增李斯特菌质粒的分类、分布及其生物学功能研究进展。     

DNA条形码技术在河北省坝上地区夜行鼠鉴定中的应用

目的以河北省坝上地区捕获的夜行鼠为对象,应用DNA条形码技术进行鼠类鉴定。方法在河北省坝上地区采集鼠肝脏标本,并保存整只鼠,制作标本,提取DNA,采用通用引物PCR法扩增细胞色素C氧化酶亚基Ⅰ(COⅠ)基因,并测序。将测序结果与Gen Bank中其他鼠类的DNA条码进行Blast比对,并构建分子进化树。结果 36份样本均能通过PCR扩增出特异性COⅠ基因条带,所构建的分子进化树结果与形态学鉴定结果有所不同,经头骨鉴定,进化树结果正确无误,更正形态学鉴定结果。其中2只夜行鼠未能在Gen Bank中找到同源性较高的鼠类基因,且头骨受到严重损坏,暂无法确定鼠种。结论 DNA条形码技术能够对鼠类进行有效的物种鉴定。     

我国病媒生物监测与控制现状分析及展望

我国丰富的气候条件、地理景观和生态环境孕育了多样性的病原、宿主动物和病媒生物,导致病媒传播疾病广泛分布和频繁发生,对我国人群健康造成极大危害。病媒生物监测与控制是病媒传播疾病预防和控制的根本措施。20世纪之前,鉴于人类对病媒生物认识不足,致使病媒生物防控工作相对迟缓。新中国成立后,我国病媒生物监测与控制得到重视和加强,但也走过一些弯路[1]。改革开放以来,特别是进入21世纪后,我国政府加强了病媒生物监