IJID One Health最新文献

Mycoplasma capricolum is a pathogen almost exclusively found in goats, which causes contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious respiratory disease of small ruminants. Herein, we report the first case of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by M. capricolum. The patient was a goat herder who had been implanted with a total knee prosthesis 9 years earlier. He presented to the emergency department with fever and swelling in the knee. A biochemical analysis of the joint fluid was highly suggestive of a PJI but the culture remained negative for bacteriological and mycobacterial growth. The patient was discharged with a diagnosis of inflammatory knee osteoarthritis; however 2 weeks later, the patient was referred to the emergency department again due to joint effusion. Small unidentifiable pinpoint-sized colonies grew on the chocolate agar medium from the joint fluid and blood samples after more than 1 week of incubation. Application of 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to the colonies was able to identify the organism as M. capricolum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of M. capricolum PJI, and it highlights the utility of using molecular methods in diagnosing implant-associated infections.

Objectives

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne virus disease that is of a high concern for global health care systems because there is no specific treatment or vaccination available for it yet. The disease is endemic in several countries around the world and humans can get infected with the virus through the tick bites or by coming into contact with tissues or blood of the infected animals. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of the disease in Iraq from January 1, 2023 to June 18, 2023.

Methods

This is a retrospective study and the epidemiological data of CCHF in Iraq within the first 6 months of 2023 were kindly provided by the Sulaymaniyah directory of the World Health Organization/Iraq.

Results

Overall, 229 CCHF cases and 36 deaths were recorded during this study. The majority of the cases were aged between 15 and 45 years, and the gender distribution ratio of males to females was 61% and 39%, respectively.

Conclusions

CCHF is an extremely severe disease that poses a threat to the public health. The hyper-endemic status of CCHF in Iraq is continuing and the number of cases has increased in 2023 compared with 2022.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) pose significant health challenges, particularly in developing countries. Over 2 billion people are estimated to have been infected with at least one STH species. These parasites rely on the soil for part of their life cycle and are transmitted to humans through ova ingestion or skin penetration. Key risk factors include poor water, sanitation, hygiene practices, limited healthcare access, and poverty. Globally, STHs are primarily controlled through chemo-preventive deworming of high-risk groups in moderate (where prevalence of STHs is between 20 % and 50 %) to highly endemic areas (prevalence >50 %). Despite the use of deworming to control the STHs in endemic areas, infections still occur. The aim of this article is to explore the potential for enhancing STH control and elimination as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in endemic areas through an integrated approach—the One Health approach. The current control program has a single strategy of chemoprophylaxis; in the integrated approach to control of STHs, the parasite control strategies besides being based on the epidemiology of the parasite (endemicity), also include strategies based on the biology (transmission cycle) of the parasites and human behavior patterns in endemic areas. Through the involvement of local communities, healthcare authorities, and stakeholders, participatory approaches foster collaborative efforts to devise and implement control measures. By integrating this integrated approach into existing healthcare and educational initiatives, more effective results can be achieved. The promotion of health education, clean water access, improved sanitation, and hygiene awareness can further enhance control strategies and reduce STH prevalence sustainably. Here, we highlight the benefits of adopting an integrated (One Health) approach to tackle STHs in endemic areas. Through community empowerment and multi-sectorial collaboration, we can strengthen our collective efforts to combat STHs and alleviate the burden of these NTDs.

The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFv) is the etiologic agent of CCHF, a tick-borne disease associated with high case fatality rates. Although CCHFv is mainly transmitted through ixodid tick bites, human infection may occur through direct contact with infected blood or tissues of livestock or humans. We initiated the first studies to assess the epidemiological risk of CCHF in Tunisia during the summer of 2014. Elevated titers of immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G anti-CCHFv were detected among patients with unexplained acute febrile and slaughterhouse workers, respectively. Subsequently, other studies performed in Tunisia have reported the detection of CCHFv RNA in ticks collected from dromedaries and varying seroprevalence rates in livestock, and in wildlife. These results substantiate our findings of human exposure to CCHFv in Tunisia. According to the proposed classification scheme for organizing countries into five categories by the level of evidence for CCHFv incidence, Tunisia is assigned level II based on serological cases. To consolidate this category, further studies are needed to detect, isolate, and characterize CCHFv in vectors, hosts, and humans within Tunisia. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a robust strategy to mitigate the risk of zoonotic spillover to humans through a One Health approach.

Objectives

To highlight the challenges associated with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) prevention, detection, and response in Uganda.

Methods

We describe a single confirmed CCHF case in Rakai District in 2022. We reviewed medical records and conducted interviews on the case patient’s history and possible exposures. To understand CCHF prevention and response efforts, we conducted key informant interviews with the district health and veterinary officers and focus group discussions with farmers in the affected village.

Results

An 18-year-old Rakai District resident had fever onset on July 5, 2022. Despite hemorrhaging during hospital admission on July 6, a viral hemorrhagic fever was not suspected for 24 h and appropriate personal protective equipment was not used. A blood sample was collected for viral hemorrhagic fever testing on July 8; however, the patient was discharged before receiving results. The case patient tested positive for CCHF on July 12 and was readmitted. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions indicated poor tick control measures in the district. The district lacked a formal One Health team and experienced challenges with coordination for outbreak response.

Conclusions

CCHF prevention, detection, and response face challenges in Uganda and require strong clinical awareness for quick detection, collaboration between animal and human health stakeholders, and implementation of effective tick control measures.

A systematic literature review was performed to assess the research trend on zoonotic orthopoxviruses (ZOPXV) as disease agents and as vectors for biomedical during 2000–2023. It has been evidenced that despite the limited number of research groups that have worked on ZOPXV diseases, they largely contributed not to turn off the spotlight. Given the small size of the ZOPXV research network, the epidemiological data remain restricted to a limited number of geographical contexts. Some inconsistencies between the geographic provenance of authors and the study area particularly in Africa were identified. MPX represents an exception, as the scientific interest has grown over the last 20 years, starting with the first outbreak outside endemic areas in 2003 and culminating during and after the 2022 pandemic, that boosted the number of publications from different countries over the last 2 years. Since the beginning of the millennium, authors have warned about the effects of waning immunity, after cessation of smallpox vaccination, and identified many social and ecological factors boosting the emergence and spread of the diseases. ZOPXV diseases remain neglected by the global health agenda, leading to the adoption of reactive measures in the event of an emergency.

Dengue is one of the prominent public health concerns in tropical and subtropical regions globally. The dengue epidemic was first observed in the 1780 s, mainly in Asia, Africa, and America; however, this virus was found in Bangladesh in 1964. Rapid and unplanned urbanization, global warming, and prolonged rainy season promoted dengue outbreaks in recent years in Bangladesh. Additionally, household hazards contribute to producing an increased number of Aedes mosquitoes. The presence of four sub-types of dengue viruses intensified the dengue outbreak and fatalities, especially since the re-emergence of dengue virus 4 caused more death in 2022. Dhaka city and Rohingya refugee camps witnessed the highest prevalence of dengue patients and fatalities. Furthermore, the cocreation of the dengue outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic-related hazards overwhelmed the health system in Bangladesh. The measures previously taken by the Bangladesh government and City Corporation authorities proved inadequate to face the surge of dengue patients during the pandemic. The government of Bangladesh should stress the proper management of a high volume of dengue patients and raise public concern to fight mosquito proliferation in hot spots such as Dhaka city and Rohingya refugee camps.

Objectives

To investigate the magnitude of the anthrax outbreak and its associated factors during the war and the de facto siege of Tigray, Ethiopia.

Design or methods

A case-control study design was applied after an initial descriptive cross-sectional study. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the outbreak.

Results

A total of 339 participants (113 cases and 226 controls) were enrolled with a mean age of 22 ( ± 17) and 35 ( ± 16) years for cases and control groups, respectively. Human anthrax attack and case fatality rates in selected districts of Tigray were estimated at 42.3 per 100,000 population and 5.4%, respectively. Cutaneous anthrax was identified as the most common case of anthrax, accounting for 141/149 total cases (94.6%). Age, consumption of raw meat of diseased animals, sharing of meat, presence of a diseased person among household members, disposal of diseased/dead animals, and contact with products of diseased/dead animals were associated with the outbreak.

Conclusion

A high rate of human anthrax attacks and fatal cases was recorded during the Tigray defacto blockade, with an epidemic curve. The defacto blockade of Tigray complicated the investigation and management of the outbreak.

Infections caused by Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, and P. malariae have decreased globally following the successful roll-out of malaria elimination strategies. However, there have been increasing reports of human P. knowlesi infections across Southeast Asia; in some areas, it is now the only malaria species reported in humans. This is driven by land use change, forcing the simian macaque hosts and the Anopheles mosquito vectors into closer contact with humans, coupled with the potential loss of cross-protective immunity in countries approaching the elimination of human malaria species. P. knowlesi usually causes asymptomatic or mild disease in children, but adults may experience disease resembling severe falciparum malaria. It remains a public health burden on the local health systems, especially the need for rapid diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe disease. Following the introduction of polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic technologies, other simian malarias such as P. coatneyi, P. cynomolgi, P. inui, P. inui-like and P. simiovale have also been found to cause natural human disease that had not previously been recognised. Furthermore, the discovery of P. brasilianum and P. simium as causes of naturally acquired malaria in South America has highlighted the need to incorporate a One Health approach to malaria control. This article reviews the clinical and epidemiological features of these malarias.