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Khachab Y, Saab A, El Morr C, El-Lahib Y, Sokhn ES. Identifying the panorama of potential pandemic pathogens and their key characteristics: a systematic scoping review. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38900695 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2024.2360407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The globe has recently seen several terrifying pandemics and outbreaks, underlining the ongoing danger presented by infectious microorganisms. This literature review aims to explore the wide range of infections that have the potential to lead to pandemics in the present and the future and pave the way to the conception of epidemic early warning systems. A systematic review was carried out to identify and compile data on infectious agents known to cause pandemics and those that pose future concerns. One hundred and fifteen articles were included in the review. They provided insights on 25 pathogens that could start or contribute to creating pandemic situations. Diagnostic procedures, clinical symptoms, and infection transmission routes were analyzed for each of these pathogens. Each infectious agent's potential is discussed, shedding light on the crucial aspects that render them potential threats to the future. This literature review provides insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers in their quest to identify potential pandemic pathogens, and in their efforts to enhance pandemic preparedness through building early warning systems for continuous epidemiological monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara Khachab
- Laboratory Department, Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui-University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Antoine Saab
- Quality and Safety Department, Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui-UMC, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Christo El Morr
- School of Health Policy and Management, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yahya El-Lahib
- Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Elie Salem Sokhn
- Laboratory Department, Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui-University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Molecular Testing Laboratory, Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon
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Congedo G, Lombardi GS, Zjalic D, Di Russo M, La Gatta E, Regazzi L, Indolfi G, Staiano A, Cadeddu C. Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a sample of Italian paediatricians towards RSV and its preventive strategies: a cross-sectional study. Ital J Pediatr 2024; 50:35. [PMID: 38424627 PMCID: PMC10905893 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-024-01593-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection mainly affects newborns, infants and young children aged < 2 years. Since an RSV vaccine is in the European Medicines Agency's waitlist validation, nowadays the prevention only includes passive immunization with monoclonal antibodies (mAb). In the present study we aimed at investigating Italian paediatricians' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards RSV and its prevention. METHODS From February to May 2023, an anonymous online questionnaire, with answers based on the Likert scale, was administered to a sample of Italian paediatricians' members of the Italian Society of Paediatrics. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed using STATA 17. RESULTS The paediatricians who answered the questionnaire were 507, mostly women (70.6%), aged 30-45 (33.1%), employed in hospitals in 66.6% of cases. The 10.8% of respondents reported that RSV is transmitted only among children younger than 2 years of age and 80.33% of participants that school-age children are not at risk of developing severe forms of RSV disease. The 25% of participants thought that active immunization is currently available to prevent RSV infection and 35.7% that does not exist passive immunization to prevent RSV for infants and newborns aged < 2 years. The 97.5% of physicians managed bronchiolitis cases and 65.6% of participants did not prescribe the administration of mAb. Higher age, seniority and RSV knowledge score were found to be associated with having a higher mAb knowledge score (p < 0.001) and having a higher RSV knowledge was associated with a higher mAb knowledge score (p < 0.001). The logistic regression model found that the odds of a positive attitude towards mAB knowledge score increased by over 3 times (OR 3.23, 95% CI [1.41, 7.40], p = 0.006) for being female and the odds of a positive attitude towards mAB knowledge score increased by almost 10 times (OR 9.73, 95% CI [3.06, 30.89], p < 0.001) for a one-unit increase in RSV knowledge score. CONCLUSIONS Paediatricians' limited knowledge or awareness could represent a barrier to the implementation of preventive strategies against RSV infection. Strategies to improve paediatricians' education on RSV prevention are, therefore, crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Congedo
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
| | - Gaia Surya Lombardi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Doris Zjalic
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Mattia Di Russo
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuele La Gatta
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Luca Regazzi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Indolfi
- Department Neurofarba, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
- Meyer Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Firenze, Italy
| | - Annamaria Staiano
- Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Pediatrics, Università degli studi di Napoli "Federico II", Napoli, Italy
| | - Chiara Cadeddu
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
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Liu S, Pan J, Chen Y, Ye L, Chen E, Wen X, Wu W, Wu B, Qi X, Chan TC, Sun W, Yu Z, Zhang T, Yan J, Jiang J. Human respiratory syncytial virus subgroups A and B outbreak in a kindergarten in Zhejiang Province, China, 2023. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1368744. [PMID: 38435292 PMCID: PMC10904655 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1368744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In May-June 2023, an unprecedented outbreak of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infections occurred in a kindergarten, Zhejiang Province, China. National, provincial, and local public health officials investigated the cause of the outbreak and instituted actions to control its spread. Methods We interviewed patients with the respiratory symptoms by questionnaire. Respiratory samples were screened for six respiratory pathogens by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The confirmed cases were further sequenced of G gene to confirm the HRSV genotype. A phylogenetic tree was reconstructed by maximum likelihood method. Results Of the 103 children in the kindergarten, 45 were classified as suspected cases, and 25 cases were confirmed by RT-PCR. All confirmed cases were identified from half of classes. 36% (9/25) were admitted to hospital, none died. The attack rate was 53.19%. The median ages of suspected and confirmed cases were 32.7 months and 35.8 months, respectively. Nine of 27 confirmed cases lived in one community. Only two-family clusters among 88 household contacts were HRSV positive. A total of 18 of the G gene were obtained from the confirmed cases. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that 16 of the sequences belonged to the HRSV B/BA9 genotype, and the other 2 sequences belonged to the HRSV A/ON1 genotype. The school were closed on June 9 and the outbreak ended on June 15. Conclusion These findings suggest the need for an increased awareness of HRSV coinfections outbreak in the kindergarten, when HRSV resurges in the community after COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelan Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinren Pan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling Ye
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Daishan Country Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, China
| | - Enfu Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaosha Wen
- Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhoushan Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, China
| | - Bing Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Zhoushan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, China
| | - Xiaoqi Qi
- Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program, China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ta-Chien Chan
- Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wanwan Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhao Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tongjie Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Daishan Country Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, China
| | - Jianbo Yan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhoushan Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoushan, China
| | - Jianmin Jiang
- Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
- Key Lab of Vaccine, Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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Mestre-Ferrándiz J, Rivero A, Orrico-Sánchez A, Hidalgo Á, Abdalla F, Martín I, Álvarez J, García-Cenoz M, Del Carmen Pacheco M, Garcés-Sánchez M, Zozaya N, Ortiz-de-Lejarazu R. Evaluation of antibody-based preventive alternatives for respiratory syncytial virus: a novel multi-criteria decision analysis framework and assessment of nirsevimab in Spain. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:99. [PMID: 38238680 PMCID: PMC10797756 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-08988-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly infectious disease that poses a significant clinical and medical burden, as well as social disruption and economic costs, recognized by the World Health Organization as a public health issue. After several failed attempts to find preventive candidates (compounds, products, including vaccines), new alternatives might be available, one being nirsevimab, the first and only option approved for RSV prevention in neonates and infants during their first RSV season. The objective of this study was to develop a novel multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework for RSV antibody-based preventive alternatives and to use it to assess the value of nirsevimab vs. placebo as a systematic immunization approach to prevent RSV in neonates and infants during their first RSV season in Spain. METHODS Based on a pre-established model called Vaccinex, an ad-hoc MCDA framework was created to reflect relevant attributes for the assessment of current and future antibody-based preventive measures for RSV. The estimated value of nirsevimab was obtained by means of an additive linear model combining weights and scores assigned by a multidisciplinary committee of 9 experts. A retest and three sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS Nirsevimab was evaluated through a novel framework with 26 criteria by the committee as a measure that adds value (positive final estimated value: 0.56 ± 0.11) to the current RSV scenario in Spain, by providing a high efficacy for prevention of neonates and infants. In addition, its implementation might generate cost savings in hospitalizations and to the healthcare system and increase the level of public health awareness among the general population, while reducing health inequities. CONCLUSIONS Under a methodology with increasing use in the health field, nirsevimab has been evaluated as a measure which adds value for RSV prevention in neonates and infants during their first RSV season in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agustín Rivero
- Department of Management, Bioregión de Salud y Bienestar (BioMad), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Orrico-Sánchez
- Department of Vaccines Research, Fundación Para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (Fisabio), Valencia, Spain
- Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Hidalgo
- Weber Foundation, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Economic Analysis and Finances, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | - Fernando Abdalla
- Department of Health Affairs and Policy Research, Vivactis Weber, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Isabel Martín
- Department of Primary Care, Rochapea Healthcare Center, Navarra, Spain
| | - Javier Álvarez
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Costa del Sol, Málaga, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Néboa Zozaya
- Department of Health Affairs and Policy Research, Vivactis Weber, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Quantitative Methods in Economics and Management, University Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Raúl Ortiz-de-Lejarazu
- National Influenza Centre, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Castilla y León, Spain
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Hirae K, Hoshina T, Koga H. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of other communicable diseases in Japan. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 128:265-271. [PMID: 36642212 PMCID: PMC9837205 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To elucidate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of other infectious diseases. DESIGN We investigated the epidemiology of 36 communicable diseases during 2015-2021 in Japan and compared the number of cases in each disease between the prepandemic (2015-2019) and intrapandemic (2020-2021) periods. Relationships between the incidence of the infectious diseases and the COVID-19 pandemic were also investigated. RESULTS Of 36 communicable diseases, the number of cases in the 27 diseases (75%) mainly caused by pathogens transmitted by droplet or contact was lower intrapandemic than prepandemic, and the cases of 21 diseases (58%) continued to decrease intrapandemic. The number of cases of six diseases (17%) was higher intrapandemic than prepandemic, and the cases of two diseases (5.6%), Japanese spotted fever and syphilis, continued to increase intrapandemic. Time trend analyses revealed a positive correlation between case numbers of communicable diseases and the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the case numbers of hand-foot-and-mouth disease and respiratory syncytial virus infection rebounded in 2021 after decreasing in 2020. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the epidemiology of communicable diseases, suggesting that countermeasures against COVID-19 and lifestyle changes might be involved in these epidemiological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Hirae
- Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Beppu Medical Center, Beppu, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Hoshina
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Koga
- Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Beppu Medical Center, Beppu, Japan.
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6
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Oh KB, Doherty TM, Vetter V, Bonanni P. Lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions following the COVID-19 pandemic - the quiet before the storm? Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1541-1553. [PMID: 36039786 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2117693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the first months of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that begun in 2020, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been adopted worldwide. However, the effects of NPI implementation go beyond slowing the spread of COVID-19. Here, we review the non-intended effects that may have arisen from prolonged application of NPIs. AREAS COVERED NPIs also affected the epidemiology of other infectious diseases, with unprecedentedly low circulation of several respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses being observed worldwide in 2020. While this was a welcome effect for already strained healthcare systems, prolonged low exposure to pathogens may result in an increased pool of individuals susceptible to certain diseases. Out-of-season or unusually intense outbreaks of non-vaccine preventable diseases have already been documented as NPIs were gradually eased. In the context of widespread and important disruptions in national vaccination programs during the early phase of the pandemic, the risk of vaccine-preventable disease resurgence after NPIs are lifted cannot be excluded either. EXPERT OPINION Awareness must be raised of the risk of vaccine-preventable disease resurgence, and efforts need to be made to mitigate this risk, where possible, by increasing vaccination coverage. Research and regulatory opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic should be seized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paolo Bonanni
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Italy
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7
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Spencer JA, Shutt DP, Moser SK, Clegg H, Wearing HJ, Mukundan H, Manore CA. Distinguishing viruses responsible for influenza-like illness. J Theor Biol 2022; 545:111145. [PMID: 35490763 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The many respiratory viruses that cause influenza-like illness (ILI) are reported and tracked as one entity, defined by the CDC as a group of symptoms that include a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, and/or a sore throat. In the United States alone, ILI impacts 9-49 million people every year. While tracking ILI as a single clinical syndrome is informative in many respects, the underlying viruses differ in parameters and outbreak properties. Most existing models treat either a single respiratory virus or ILI as a whole. However, there is a need for models capable of comparing several individual viruses that cause respiratory illness, including ILI. To address this need, here we present a flexible model and simulations of epidemics for influenza, RSV, rhinovirus, seasonal coronavirus, adenovirus, and SARS/MERS, parameterized by a systematic literature review and accompanied by a global sensitivity analysis. We find that for these biological causes of ILI, their parameter values, timing, prevalence, and proportional contributions differ substantially. These results demonstrate that distinguishing the viruses that cause ILI will be an important aspect of future work on diagnostics, mitigation, modeling, and preparation for future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Spencer
- A-1 Information Systems and Modeling, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA.
| | - Deborah P Shutt
- A-1 Information Systems and Modeling, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA
| | - S Kane Moser
- B-10 Biosecurity and Public Health, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA
| | - Hannah Clegg
- A-1 Information Systems and Modeling, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA
| | - Helen J Wearing
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, NM87131, USA; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico, NM87102, USA
| | - Harshini Mukundan
- C-PCS Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA
| | - Carrie A Manore
- T-6 Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM87545, USA
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8
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Use of mathematical modelling to assess respiratory syncytial virus epidemiology and interventions: a literature review. J Math Biol 2022; 84:26. [PMID: 35218424 PMCID: PMC8882104 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-021-01706-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection worldwide, resulting in approximately sixty thousand annual hospitalizations of< 5-year-olds in the United States alone and three million annual hospitalizations globally. The development of over 40 vaccines and immunoprophylactic interventions targeting RSV has the potential to significantly reduce the disease burden from RSV infection in the near future. In the context of RSV, a highly contagious pathogen, dynamic transmission models (DTMs) are valuable tools in the evaluation and comparison of the effectiveness of different interventions. This review, the first of its kind for RSV DTMs, provides a valuable foundation for future modelling efforts and highlights important gaps in our understanding of RSV epidemics. Specifically, we have searched the literature using Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and PubMed to identify all published manuscripts reporting the development of DTMs focused on the population transmission of RSV. We reviewed the resulting studies and summarized the structure, parameterization, and results of the models developed therein. We anticipate that future RSV DTMs, combined with cost-effectiveness evaluations, will play a significant role in shaping decision making in the development and implementation of intervention programs.
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9
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The basic reproductive number and particle-to-plaque ratio: comparison of these two parameters of viral infectivity. Virol J 2021; 18:92. [PMID: 33931090 PMCID: PMC8085655 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01566-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more widespread attention to the basic reproductive number (Ro), an epidemiologic measurement. A lesser-known measure of virologic infectivity is the particle-to-plaque ratio (P:PFU). We suggest that comparison between the two parameters may assist in better understanding viral transmission dynamics.
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10
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Jackson ML, Hart GR, McCulloch DJ, Adler A, Brandstetter E, Fay K, Han P, Lacombe K, Lee J, Sibley TR, Nickerson DA, Rieder MJ, Starita L, Englund JA, Bedford T, Chu H, Famulare M. Effects of weather-related social distancing on city-scale transmission of respiratory viruses: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:335. [PMID: 33836685 PMCID: PMC8033554 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06028-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Unusually high snowfall in western Washington State in February 2019 led to widespread school and workplace closures. We assessed the impact of social distancing caused by this extreme weather event on the transmission of respiratory viruses. Methods Residual specimens from patients evaluated for acute respiratory illness at hospitals in the Seattle metropolitan area were screened for a panel of respiratory viruses. Transmission models were fit to each virus to estimate the magnitude reduction in transmission due to weather-related disruptions. Changes in contact rates and care-seeking were informed by data on local traffic volumes and hospital visits. Results Disruption in contact patterns reduced effective contact rates during the intervention period by 16 to 95%, and cumulative disease incidence through the remainder of the season by 3 to 9%. Incidence reductions were greatest for viruses that were peaking when the disruption occurred and least for viruses in an early epidemic phase. Conclusion High-intensity, short-duration social distancing measures may substantially reduce total incidence in a respiratory virus epidemic if implemented near the epidemic peak. For SARS-CoV-2, this suggests that, even when SARS-CoV-2 spread is out of control, implementing short-term disruptions can prevent COVID-19 deaths. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-021-06028-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Jackson
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | - Denise J McCulloch
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Amanda Adler
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Kairsten Fay
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter Han
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jover Lee
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas R Sibley
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deborah A Nickerson
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mark J Rieder
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lea Starita
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Trevor Bedford
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Helen Chu
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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11
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Keyes KM, Kandula S, Olfson M, Gould MS, Martínez-Alés G, Rutherford C, Shaman J. Suicide and the agent-host-environment triad: leveraging surveillance sources to inform prevention. Psychol Med 2021; 51:529-537. [PMID: 33663629 PMCID: PMC8020492 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172000536x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Suicide in the US has increased in the last decade, across virtually every age and demographic group. Parallel increases have occurred in non-fatal self-harm as well. Research on suicide across the world has consistently demonstrated that suicide shares many properties with a communicable disease, including person-to-person transmission and point-source outbreaks. This essay illustrates the communicable nature of suicide through analogy to basic infectious disease principles, including evidence for transmission and vulnerability through the agent-host-environment triad. We describe how mathematical modeling, a suite of epidemiological methods, which the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into renewed focus, can and should be applied to suicide in order to understand the dynamics of transmission and to forecast emerging risk areas. We describe how new and innovative sources of data, including social media and search engine data, can be used to augment traditional suicide surveillance, as well as the opportunities and challenges for modeling suicide as a communicable disease process in an effort to guide clinical and public health suicide prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sasikiran Kandula
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Olfson
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madelyn S. Gould
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gonzalo Martínez-Alés
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Abstract
Human respiratory virus infections lead to a spectrum of respiratory symptoms and disease severity, contributing to substantial morbidity, mortality and economic losses worldwide, as seen in the COVID-19 pandemic. Belonging to diverse families, respiratory viruses differ in how easy they spread (transmissibility) and the mechanism (modes) of transmission. Transmissibility as estimated by the basic reproduction number (R0) or secondary attack rate is heterogeneous for the same virus. Respiratory viruses can be transmitted via four major modes of transmission: direct (physical) contact, indirect contact (fomite), (large) droplets and (fine) aerosols. We know little about the relative contribution of each mode to the transmission of a particular virus in different settings, and how its variation affects transmissibility and transmission dynamics. Discussion on the particle size threshold between droplets and aerosols and the importance of aerosol transmission for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza virus is ongoing. Mechanistic evidence supports the efficacies of non-pharmaceutical interventions with regard to virus reduction; however, more data are needed on their effectiveness in reducing transmission. Understanding the relative contribution of different modes to transmission is crucial to inform the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions in the population. Intervening against multiple modes of transmission should be more effective than acting on a single mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy H. L. Leung
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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Pei S, Shaman J. Aggregating forecasts of multiple respiratory pathogens supports more accurate forecasting of influenza-like illness. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008301. [PMID: 33090997 PMCID: PMC7608986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza-like illness (ILI) is a commonly measured syndromic signal representative of a range of acute respiratory infections. Reliable forecasts of ILI can support better preparation for patient surges in healthcare systems. Although ILI is an amalgamation of multiple pathogens with variable seasonal phasing and attack rates, most existing process-based forecasting systems treat ILI as a single infectious agent. Here, using ILI records and virologic surveillance data, we show that ILI signal can be disaggregated into distinct viral components. We generate separate predictions for six contributing pathogens (influenza A/H1, A/H3, B, respiratory syncytial virus, and human parainfluenza virus types 1-2 and 3), and develop a method to forecast ILI by aggregating these predictions. The relative contribution of each pathogen to the total ILI signal is estimated using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method upon forecast aggregation. We find highly variable overall contributions from influenza type A viruses across seasons, but relatively stable contributions for the other pathogens. Using historical data from 1997 to 2014 at US national and regional levels, the proposed forecasting system generates improved predictions of both seasonal and near-term targets relative to a baseline method that simulates ILI as a single pathogen. The hierarchical forecasting system can generate predictions for each viral component, as well as infer and predict their contributions to ILI, which may additionally help physicians determine the etiological causes of ILI in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Pei
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
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Rodrigues AF, Santos AM, Ferreira AM, Marino R, Barreira ME, Cabeda JM. Year-Long Rhinovirus Infection is Influenced by Atmospheric Conditions, Outdoor Air Virus Presence, and Immune System-Related Genetic Polymorphisms. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2019; 11:340-349. [PMID: 31350695 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-019-09397-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
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15
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Reis J, Yamana T, Kandula S, Shaman J. Superensemble forecast of respiratory syncytial virus outbreaks at national, regional, and state levels in the United States. Epidemics 2018; 26:1-8. [PMID: 30025885 PMCID: PMC7643169 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections peak during the winter months in the United States, yet the timing, intensity, and onset of these outbreaks vary each year. An RSV vaccine is on the cusp of being released; precise models and accurate forecasts of RSV epidemics may prove vital for planning where and when the vaccine should be deployed. Accurate forecasts with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution could also be used to support the prevention or treatment of RSV infections. Previously, we developed and validated an RSV forecast system at the regional scale in the United States. This model-inference system had considerable forecast skill, relative to the historical expectance, for outbreak peak intensity, total outbreak size, and onset, but only marginal skill for predicting the timing of the outbreak peak. Here, we use a superensemble approach to combine three forecasting methods for RSV prediction in the US at three different spatial resolutions: national, regional, and state. At the regional and state levels, we find a substantial improvement of forecast skill, relative to historical expectance, for peak intensity, timing, and onset outbreak up to two months in advance of the predicted outbreak peak. Moreover, due to the greater variability of RSV outbreaks at finer spatial scales, we find that improvement of forecast skill at the state level exceeds that at the regional and national levels. Such finer scale superensemble forecasts may be more relevant for effecting local-scale interventions, particularly in communities with a high burden of RSV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Reis
- Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
| | - Teresa Yamana
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sasikiran Kandula
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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