Does exposure to infectious diseases in infancy affect old-age mortality? Evidence from a pre-industrial population

Many studies have shown that health conditions experienced in childhood play an important role on an individual's adult mortality. Recent research suggests that past reductions in early life exposure to infectious diseases have been a major contributor to the historical decline in old-age mortality. Drawing on French-Canadian data from cohorts born in the 17th and 18th centuries, we test whether a progressive deterioration in early life conditions (as revealed by an increasing infant mortality rate) translates into a decrease in survival prospects in late life. We use traditional demographic measures such as the age-specific probability of death, and a series of proportional hazard models to control for familial and environmental conditions. Results point toward little evidence of any early life effects. The trend of increasing infant mortality does not correlate with a general increase of mortality in older ages within the same cohorts. Period changes affecting survival at older ages (war, epidemics) as well as demographic and biological characteristics shared within families have a much larger role in old-age mortality than early life characteristics shared within the same cohorts.     

内蒙古自治区不同生态系鼠疫自然疫源地动物鼠疫流行现状及流行风险简析

内蒙古面临着多种类型疫源地鼠疫流行和复燃的风险。蒙古旱獭疫源地虽然暂未在国内发现动物间鼠疫流行,但过去检出过阳性血清,同时蒙古旱獭种群数量持续增加且分布范围不断扩大,毗邻的蒙古国和俄罗斯联邦的蒙古旱獭疫源地动物间鼠疫持续流行;达乌尔黄鼠疫源地动物间鼠疫时隐时现;长爪沙鼠疫源地动物间鼠疫流行猛烈,并频频波及人间。由于蒙古旱獭和达乌尔黄鼠鼠疫耶尔森菌菌株毒力明显高于长爪沙鼠鼠疫耶尔森菌菌株,且在历史上曾给当地带来深重灾难,因此内蒙古自治区鼠疫防控重点应在常规鼠疫监测的基础上,进一步加强蒙古旱獭和达乌尔黄鼠疫源地流行动态的监测,警惕该两个疫源地复燃并波及人间。     

Pregnant women & vaccines against emerging epidemic threats: Ethics guidance for preparedness,research, and response

Zika virus, influenza, and Ebola have called attention to the ways in which infectious disease outbreaks can severely – and at times uniquely – affect the health interests of pregnant women and their offspring. These examples also highlight the critical need to proactively consider pregnant women and their offspring in vaccine research and response efforts to combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Historically, pregnant women and their offspring have been largely excluded from research agendas and investment strategies for vaccines against epidemic threats, which in turn can lead to exclusion from future vaccine campaigns amidst outbreaks. This state of affairs is profoundly unjust to pregnant women and their offspring, and deeply problematic from the standpoint of public health. To ensure that the needs of pregnant women and their offspring are fairly addressed, new approaches to public health preparedness, vaccine research and development, and vaccine delivery are required. This Guidance offers 22 concrete recommendations that provide a roadmap for the ethically responsible, socially just, and respectful inclusion of the interests of pregnant women in the development and deployment of vaccines against emerging pathogens. The Guidance was developed by the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies (PREVENT) Working Group – a multidisciplinary, international team of 17 experts specializing in bioethics, maternal immunization, maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, philosophy, public health, and vaccine research and policy – in consultation with a variety of external experts and stakeholders.     

The diagnostic accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests for Ebola virus disease: a systematic review

BackgroundEbola virus disease (EVD) is a dangerous condition that can cause an epidemic. Several rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been developed to diagnose EVD. These RDTs promise to be quicker and easier to use than the current reference standard diagnostic test, PCR.ObjectivesTo assess the diagnostic accuracy of RDTs for EVD.MethodsA systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies.Data sourcesThe following bibliographic databases were searched from inception to present: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Global Health, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, WHO Global Index Medicus database, Web of Science, PROSPERO register of Systematic Reviews, and Clinical Trials.Gov.Study eligibility criteriaDiagnostic accuracy studies.ParticipantsPatients presenting to the Ebola treatment units with symptoms of EVD.InterventionsRDTs; reference standard, RT-PCR.Assessment of risk of biasQuality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool.Methods of data synthesisSummary estimates of diagnostic accuracy study were produced for each device type. Subgroup analyses were performed for RDT type and specimen material. A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the effect of trial design and bias.ResultsWe included 15 diagnostic accuracy studies. The summary estimate of sensitivity for lateral flow assays was 86.1% (95% CI, 86–86.2%), with specificity of 97% (95% CI, 96.1–97.9%). The summary estimate for rapid PCR devices was sensitivity of 96.2% (95% CI, 95.3–97.9%), with a specificity of 96.8% (95% CI, 95.3–97.9%). Pre-specified subgroup analyses demonstrated that RDTs were effective on a range of specimen material. Overall, the risk of bias throughout the included studies was low, but it was high in patient selection and uncertain in the flow and timing domains.ConclusionsRDTs possess both high sensitivity and specificity compared with RT-PCR among symptomatic patients presenting to the Ebola treatment units. Our findings support the use of RDTs as a ‘rule in’ test to expedite treatment and vaccination.     

耐多药肺结核及其患者治疗依从性的护理措施研究进展

耐多药结核病的出现与流行,危害人类健康的同时,也给社会经济带来了巨大损失,成为全球结核病防控工作最主要的威胁之一,使得结核病防控面临严峻考验。作者从耐多药结核病的流行现状、发生原因及解决患者治疗依从性的护理措施研究等方面进行综述,为加强耐多药肺结核患者的护理研究提供科学的参考依据。     

恶性疟原虫对S—P抗药性流行病学及机制研究进展

疟疾是世界上危害人类健康最严重的感染性疾病之一。疟原虫尤其是恶性疟原虫对治疗药物产生抗药性是有效治疗疟疾面临的主要问题。恶性疟原虫对氯喹的高水平抗性使许多国家把磺胺多辛-乙胺嘧啶作为一线抗疟药。随着该药的使用，恶性疟原虫的抗性迅速发展。各疟区已有使用该复方治疗失败的报道。本文综述该复方抗药性流行病学的研究、抗药性产生的机制及促使抗药性产生发展的因素。     

The disease profile of poverty: morbidity and mortality in northern Uganda in the context of war, population displacement and HIV/AIDS

The population of Gulu District (northern Uganda) has been severely incapacitated by war, epidemics and social disruption. This study is aimed at describing disease patterns and trends in this area through a retrospective analysis of discharge records for 155205 in-patients of Lacor Hospital in the period 1992-2002. The burden of infectious diseases in childhood is overwhelming, with malaria accounting for the steepest increase in admissions. Admissions for war-related injuries and malnutrition fluctuated with the intensity of the war and the severity of famine. Emerging and re-emerging infections, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Ebola, accounted for a heavy disease burden; however, there has been a trend for admissions related to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis to decrease since the implementation of community-based services. Vulnerable groups (infants, children and women) accounted for 79.8% of admissions. Long-term war, population displacement, the collapse of social structures and the breakdown of the health system place people at a much greater risk of persistent, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, malnutrition and war-related injuries, shaping the 'disease profile of poverty'. Most of the disease burden results from infectious diseases of childhood, whose occurrence could be dramatically reduced by low-cost and effective preventive and curative interventions.     

《广瘟疫论》学术思想之探析

戴天章《广瘟疫论》是继吴又可《瘟疫论》之后的又一本瘟热病专著,该书从论伤寒、瘟疫,同途异归、创五辨,兼夹条析、审辨证,表里为纲、用五法,随常应变等方面,体现出戴氏辨治伤寒、瘟疫的学术思想。     

Discovery of hepatitis E: the epidemic non-A, non-B hepatitis 30 years down the memory lane

Hepatitis E was first recognised during an epidemic of hepatitis, which occurred in Kashmir Valley in 1978. The epidemic involved an estimated 52,000 cases of icteric hepatitis with 1700 deaths. The disease had unique clinical and epidemiological features. The epidemic was water-borne with highly compressed epidemic curve. Following the epidemic, secondary waves of hepatitis did not occur. Clinical profile was characterized by cholestasis in around 20% of patients. The disease predominantly occurred in young adults. There was increased incidence and severity of the disease in pregnant women. A subset of patients had distinctive liver histology with bile plugs in the canaliculi and formation of pseudo-ductules by hepatocytes around the bile plugs. All surviving patients had self limiting disease. Sera lacked serological markers of acute hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Based on these data, the possibility of another human hepatitis virus distinct from post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis was postulated. Balayan et al. (1983) successfully transmitted the disease into himself by oral administration of pooled stool extracts of 9 patients from a non-A, non-B hepatitis outbreak which had occurred in a Soviet military camp located in Afghanistan. Reyes et al. (1990) cloned and sequenced hepatitis E virus genome. Over the years, hepatitis E was identified as a major health problem in developing countries with unsafe water supplies and poor sanitary disposal. Data from sero-surveys forced re-evaluation of the epidemiology of hepatitis E and gave an indirect indication to vocationally acquired HEV infections in industrialized countries. Soon, autochthonous hepatitis E was recognised as a clinical problem in such countries. Several animal species especially domestic swine, wild boar and wild deer were found to be reservoirs of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 & 4 in these countries. Human infections occur through intake of uncooked or undercooked meat of the infected animals and pig livers or sausages made from these livers and sold in supermarkets. Chronic hepatitis E resulting in rapidly progressive liver cirrhosis and end stage liver disease was described in organ transplant patients and those with other immunodeficiency states from many European countries. Two recombinant hepatitis E virus vaccines have successfully undergone phase 3 trials.     

Evaluation of the EIE-IgM-Leptospirose assay for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis

Access to low-cost, effective diagnosis for leptospirosis is urgently needed in developing countries. The EIE-IgM-Leptospirose, a kit produced for public health laboratories in Brazil, was shown to have a sensitivity of 76% (77 of 102 patients) and 100% (102 of 102 patients) during acute and convalescent-phase leptospirosis, respectively, and a specificity of 93-100% (total healthy and patient control subjects evaluated, 486). These findings indicate that the assay will be useful for diagnosis of this emerging infectious disease in Brazil and other developing countries.