Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Epidemics”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Epidemic Lymphogranuloma venereum during epidemics of crack cocaine use and HIV infection in the Bahamas.

BACKGROUND: Since the early 1980s, the Bahamas has experienced sequential epidemics of freebase/crack cocaine use, genital ulcer-inguinal adenopathy disease (GUD), and heterosexual HIV infection. GOAL: To prospectively define the etiology of GUD in patients at the Princess Margaret Hospital during outbreaks of crack cocaine use, GUD, and HIV infection in the Bahamas. STUDY DESIGN: In Nassau, 47 consecutive patients with GUD underwent serologic testing for syphilis and for infections with HIV, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and Chlamydia trachomatis. Genital ulcer specimens were tested by culture and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Haemophilus ducreyi; by PCR and/or antigen assay for HSV; and by PCR for C trachomatis. Lymph node aspirates were tested by PCR for C trachomatis and H ducreyi. RESULTS: Twenty patients (43%) had HIV infection; eight had lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), confirmed by PCR detection of C trachomatis sequences consistent with the L2 serovar; and nine others had possible LGV, on the basis of serum microimmunofluorescent C trachomatis antibody titers > or =256. Inguinal lymphadenopathy or bubo was present in 15 of 17 patients, who thus met the laboratory criteria for definite or possible LGV, and in 7 of 30 who did not meet such laboratory criteria (P < 0.001). Thirteen patients had confirmed genital herpes, seven had confirmed chancroid, and four had probable or possible primary syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemics in the Bahamas of crack use, heterosexual HIV infection, and GUD apparently included epidemic transmission of LGV.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dr. D. Nicasio Landa, official epidemic doctor during the cholera epidemic of 1854-1855].

In this unpublished work from 1861, which we have transcribed, Dr. Nicasio Landa (1830-1891) is revealed to have been at the forefront in carrying out epidemiological studies in Spain. He traced the medical topography, or geographical pathology, of cholera by provinces, by means of calculating the incidence rate ("millesimal proportion of those infected") and lethality rates ("millesimal proportion of the dead") using the official data on the sick and deceased in the cholera epidemic of 1854-1855, published by the General Directorate of Health and Charity, as well as the data of the population census of 1857. He worked with an infectionist conception and, besides tracing the epidemiological map, he proposed an association of cholera with the geographical constitution of the terrain in order to explain the anomalous distribution of the disease. That same "anomalous" distribution was repeated in the cholera epidemic in Spain in 1885, and in that of 1971, which is in accordance with the environmental characteristics of certain terrains that make possible the maintenance and persistence of the vibrio cholerae, according to recent research explaining the varied endemo-epidemic distribution of cholera.

English Abstract↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Characteristics of the course of the last epidemic of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis (ECSM) in the city of Bucharest].

Active survey of the epidemiologic potential of cerebrospinal meningitis, in Bucharest, starting in 1967, made it possible to carry out a complex study of the last epidemic wave in 1968-1972. Details are given concerning the results of the complex epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory investigations, which revealed the particularities of this epidemic episode, including the frequency and gravity of the cases, territorial distribution, prevalent affection of certain age groups and children's communities, the prevalence of certain clinical forms, antigenic structure of the pathogenic agent and its sensitivity to antibiotics, comparative efficiency of the different methods of laboratory diagnosis, real and apparent contagiousness, etc. The authors discuss the efficiency of present methods applied in the prevention and control of meningococcal infections in general and of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in particular.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Childhood diabetes, epidemics, and epidemiology: an approach for controlling diabetes. World Health Organization DIAMOND Project Group on Epidemics.

The identification of the environmental factors causing insulin-dependent diabetes in children has remained elusive. However, evidence is rapidly accumulating that childhood diabetes exhibits epidemic patterns, much like that seen with an infectious disease. It is likely that within these epidemics the environmental determinants of disease will be found. Here the authors argue that the development of a surveillance system for early identification of epidemics plus field studies are needed to determine the etiology and mode of transmission of the disease.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

1987 yellow fever epidemics in Oyo State, Nigeria: a survey for yellow fever virus haemagglutination inhibiting antibody in residents of two communities before and after the epidemics.

A survey for yellow fever haemagglutination inhibiting antibody was carried out before and after the 1987 yellow fever epidemics in Nigeria in two localities in Oyo State, namely: Ibadan and Ogbomosho. A total of 129 sera were collected from the two localities before the epidemic. The overall prevalence of yellow fever HI antibody was 37%. A breakdown of positive sera showed that 30/100 and 18/29 sera tested in Ibadan and Ogbomosho respectively were positive. There was a higher prevalence of HI antibody in males (43%) than in females (32%). Of the 48 yellow fever positive sera 23(47%) contained HI antibody to West Nile and 26(52%) to Potiskum viruses. Following the epidemic and the subsequent mass vaccination campaign with the 17D yellow fever vaccine, 200 sera were randomly collected from the same localities. The overall prevalence of yellow fever HI antibody was 67%. The percentage of positive sera in the individual locality was 63% in Ibadan and 73% in Ogbomosho. No statistical difference was observed in the prevalence of yellow fever antibody in both sexes following the yellow fever vaccination campaign (P greater than 0.05). Tests on yellow fever HI antibody positive sera collected after the vaccination campaign showed that 74% and 82% were positive for West Nile and Potiskum HI antibody respectively. Results of this study showed that despite the massive antiyellow fever vaccination campaign there was still a high percentage of seronegative persons in the two communities.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

[The epidemic process in infections before and after active immunization. II. Changes in the number of susceptible individuals in the population during a natural epidemic and its control by active immunization].

Based on the long-term follow-up of the incidence of some infectious diseases in the district and calculations of the actual number of infected subjects, the authors present an estimate of the ratio of susceptible and immune subjects during the unimpaired epidemic process. The epidemic process develops from the lowest range of immune subjects and stops at the highest range. The highest range thus gives the ratio of immune subjects which must be achieved or maintained by active immunization to achieve elimination of a given infection. The authors demonstrate on the model infection the mechanism by which after immunization the shift of infections to higher age groups occurs, and during introduction of the infection not only contact infections occur, but epidemic incidence develops. The restoration of some infections after years of elimination is to a restricted extent a natural phenomenon and does not imply failure of active immunization.

Chickenpox↗
PubMed2002

[An outbreak of epidemic louse-borne typhus in Tokyo 1914: a study on the prevention of epidemics].

In 1914, the third year of the Taisho era, a period of democracy and prosperity of Japan, Tokyo was attached by an outbreak of epidemic louse-borne typhus. The number of patients was 4,119 and number of deaths was 778 (mortality rate of 18.9%) in Tokyo and 7,309 patients had been suffering from typhus fever that year in Japan. Many possible causes of the outbreak were suspected by the Health Authority of the Home Office, but these were not confirmed. One of the most likely reasons is the poor and congested living conditions of seasonal construction workers. Laborers had moved from the northwest region of Japan where typhus fever had developed occasionally in those days. Some of the laborers probably brought pathogenic germs with lice. The main preventive method for epidemic louse-borne typhus was isolation of patients and disinfecting of the areas. Kitasato Shibasaburou proposed the improvement of residential conditions of workers to prevent the prevalence of disease, but the proposal was not accepted because of financial reasons of the government. Recurrence of the outbreak did not occur in the following years. However, a huge outbreak of typhus fever with 32,366 patients and 3,351 deaths, was documented in 1946, amidst the disordered conditions of Japan after World War II.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1995

Survival on skin and surfaces of epidemic and non-epidemic strains of enterobacteria from neonatal special care units.

It has been suggested that increased ability to survive on the hands of hospital staff contributes to transmission of certain strains of Gram-negative bacteria. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the survival on fingertips, glass slides and membrane filters of epidemic (M, major) and matched non-epidemic (S, sporadic) faecal strains of Escherichia coli (n = 13 vs. 13) and Klebsiella spp. (n = 19 vs. 19) found among 1066 neonates in 25 special care units (SCUs). The time to 50% killing at 22 degrees C in air was longer for E. coli than for Klebsiella spp. both on human skin (median 6 vs. 2 min P < 0.001) and glass surfaces (15 vs. 8 min P < 0.001). On the other hand, Klebsiella spp. were superior to E. coli in long-term survival tests on membrane filters expressed as the minimum inoculum still yielding growth after 10 days exposure at 22 degrees C in air (10(5) vs. 10(8) bacteria P < 0.001). Despite a large variation in survival times between individual strains no differences between M strains and S strains were observed in any of the three tests. This indicates that bacterial properties other than survival on surfaces contribute to the increased capacity for transmission of certain strains of enterobacteria in SCUs.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Disease metaphors in new epidemics: the UK media framing of the 2003 SARS epidemic.

Since the emergence of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, social scientists and sociologists of health and illness have been exploring the metaphorical framing of this infectious disease in its social context. Many have focused on the militaristic language used to report and explain this illness, a type of language that has permeated discourses of immunology, bacteriology and infection for at least a century. In this article, we examine how language and metaphor were used in the UK media's coverage of another previously unknown and severe infectious disease: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS offers an opportunity to explore the cultural framing of a less extraordinary epidemic disease. It therefore provides an analytical counter-weight to the very extensive body of interpretation that has developed around HIV/AIDS. By analysing the total reporting on SARS of five major national newspapers during the epidemic of spring 2003, we investigate how the reporting of SARS in the UK press was framed, and how this related to media, public and governmental responses to the disease. We found that, surprisingly, militaristic language was largely absent, as was the judgemental discourse of plague. Rather, the main conceptual metaphor used was SARS as a killer. SARS as a killer was a single unified entity, not an army or force. We provide some tentative explanations for this shift in linguistic framing by relating it to local political concerns, media cultures, and spatial factors.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

Simulated effect of pig-population density on epidemic size and choice of control strategy for classical swine fever epidemics in The Netherlands.

We examined the importance of pig-population density in the area of an outbreak of classical swine fever (CSF) for the spread of the infection and the choice of control measures. A spatial, stochastic, dynamic epidemiological simulation model linked to a sector-level market-and-trade model for The Netherlands were used. Outbreaks in sparsely and densely populated areas were compared under four different control strategies and with two alternative trade assumptions. The obligatory control strategy required by current EU legislation was predicted to be enough to eradicate an epidemic starting in an area with sparse pig population. By contrast, additional control measures would be necessary if the outbreak began in an area with high pig density. The economic consequences of using preventive slaughter rather than emergency vaccination as an additional control measure depended strongly on the reactions of trading partners. Reducing the number of animal movements significantly reduced the size and length of epidemics in areas with high pig density. The phenomenon of carrier piglets was included in the model with realistic probabilities of infection by this route, but it made a negligible contribution to the spread of the infection.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1994

High proportion of HIV-2 and HIV-1/2 double-reactive sera in two Indian states, Maharashtra and Goa: first appearance of an HIV-2 epidemic along with an HIV-1 epidemic outside of Africa.

The seroprevalence of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections was determined in selected groups of patients from an STD clinic and in female prostitutes from two different states of India. A total of 809 sera from Maharashtra and of 61 sera from Goa were analyzed. Of the unscreened sera from Bombay, 39% were positive as were 15% of the sera from Goa. Among the HIV-positive sera from Bombay, 79% were positive for HIV-1, 4% were positive for HIV-2 and 17% were positive for HIV-1 and 2. In the Goa group, 67% of the infected sera were HIV-1-positive and 33% were HIV-2 positive. Due to the nearly even distribution of infections between men and women, a mainly heterosexual mode of transmission is evident. HIV-2 infections were first detected in India in 1990 (Rübsamen et al., Lancet, 1991). Before that time, Asia was believed to be free HIV-2. The present study represents the first documentation of a large proportion of these infections, alone and in combination with HIV-1, in the Asian continent. An HIV-2 epidemic running parallel to an HIV-1 epidemic so far has never been observed outside of Africa. This would indicate that a further spread of HIV-2 worldwide is to be expected and that HIV-2 should be included in programs of vaccine development for humans.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2004

Avian influenza A virus (H7N7) epidemic in The Netherlands in 2003: course of the epidemic and effectiveness of control measures.

An epidemic of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) A virus subtype H7N7 occurred in The Netherlands in 2003 that affected 255 flocks and led to the culling of 30 million birds. To evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures, we quantified between-flock transmission characteristics of the virus in 2 affected areas, using the reproduction ratio Rh. The control measures markedly reduced the transmission of HPAI virus: Rh before detection of the outbreak in the first infected flock was 6.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-9.9) in one area and 3.1 in another area, and it decreased to 1.2 (95% CI, 0.6-1.9) after detection of the first outbreak in both areas. The observation that Rh remained >1 suggests that the containment of the epidemic was probably due to the reduction in the number of susceptible flocks by complete depopulation of the infected areas rather than to the reduction of the transmission by the other control measures.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The case for chaos in childhood epidemics. II. Predicting historical epidemics from mathematical models.

The case for chaos in childhood epidemics rests on two observations. The first is that historical epidemics show various 'fieldmarks' of chaos, such as positive Lyapunov exponents. Second, phase portraits reconstructed from real-world epidemiological time series bear a striking resemblance to chaotic solutions obtained from certain epidemiological models. Both lines of evidence are subject to dispute: the algorithms used to look for the fieldmarks can be fooled by short, noisy time series, and the same fieldmarks can be generated by stochastic models in which there is demonstrably no chaos at all. In the present paper, we compare the predictive abilities of stochastic models with those of mechanistic scenarios that admit to chaotic solutions. The main results are as follows: (i) the mechanistic models outperform their stochastic counterparts; (ii) forecasting efficacy of the deterministic models is maximized by positing parameter values that induce chaotic behaviour; (iii) simple mechanistic models are equal if not superior to more detailed schemes that include age structure; and (iv) prediction accuracy for monthly notifications declines rapidly with time, so that, from a practical standpoint, the results are of little value. By way of contrast, next amplitude maps can successfully forecast successive changes in maximum incidence one or more years into the future.

Child↗
PubMed2002

Epidemic dropsy: observations on pathophysiology and clinical features during the Delhi epidemic of 1998.

Epidemic dropsy results from the consumption of edible oils adulterated with Argemone mexicana oil by unscrupulous traders. Twenty consecutive 'in-door' patients of dropsy were intensively studied during the recent Delhi epidemic. Samples of edible oil used by them, their urine and their serum samples tested positive for sanguinarine on thin layer chromatography. The illness starts as a gastro-enteric illness followed by oliguria and pedal oedema. The following are often observed: cutaneous erythema with blanching and tenderness on pressure; violacious pigmentation of the skin; shortness of breath with orthopnoea; right-sided heart failure with normal left ventricle (LV) functions; as well as severe anaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. Renal function tests showed: bland urinary sediments; decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR); mild to moderate azotaemia; acute tubular necrosis; patchy pneumonitis; moderate hypoxia with respiratory alkalosis; and restrictive ventilatory defects on blood gas analysis; and spirometry suggestive of interstitial pulmonary oedema of non-cardiogenic origin. 99mTc colloid sulphur liver scans showed colloid shift. There was marked dilatation and proliferation of dermal capillaries in the absence of significant inflammation in the biopsy specimens. Toxic alkaloids of Argemone mexicana oil induce widespread capillary dilatation and permeability causing leakage of protein rich plasma into the interstitial tissues of various organs. A hypovolaemic state is thus induced producing renal hypoperfusion which may progress to acute tubular necrosis. Interstitial fluid in alveoli causes restrictive ventilatory dysfunction with hypertension and right-sided failure with well-preserved LV function. The hepatic venous congestion induces Kupffer's cell dysfunction, which results in colloid shift on a radionuclide liver scan.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

A comparative study of meningoencephalitis epidemics caused by echovirus type 7 and coxsackievirus type B5. Clinical and virological observations during two epidemics in northern Sweden.

Two epidemics of meningoencephalitis caused by echovirus type 7 and coxsackievirus type B 5 in the summer and autumn of 1973 in Umeå in Northern Sweden were compared. Most patients with echovirus 7 meningoencephalitis were neck stiff and 50% had a polymorphonuclear pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The illness was usually mild. It appears to be the first time that an epidemic caused by this virus is described from Scandinavia. On the other hand most patients with coxsackievirus B 5 meningoencephalitis showed a more profound involvement of the central nervous system, with abnormal electroencephalograms in 70% and a long convalescence period. The number of cells in CSF was normal in 70% of these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[New evidence of the antigenic relation between the viruses of epidemic neuropathy and the human nervous system. A study of the immune cellular response in patients with epidemic neuropathy and controls. A review of the topic].

A series of experiments was made at the Virology Department of the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine aimed at obtaining new evidences on the possible antigenic relations existing between the viruses isolated from patients with epidemic neuropathy and the structures of the human nervous system. According to the results it may be finally inferred that the persistence and/or autoimmunity may be considered as mechanisms through which the studied viruses participate in the etiopathogenesis of the epidemic neuropathy in Cuba. For future experiments it is very important to identify the possible viral epitopes involved in the molecular mimicry that are responsible for the probable autoimmune mechanisms or for the viral persistence.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The basic principles for the analytical study of epidemic-control measures in the modelling of epidemic processes].

For prognostication of epidemic aerogenic infections with the help of mathematical modeling the authors propose to regard the testing population as a unity of the following streams: susceptible to infection, embraced with emergency vaccination, just vaccinated, protected with the measures of specific or emergency vaccination. Each stream has its own equation which is analogous in its structure to the epidemic dynamics modeling made by O. V. Baroian and L. A. Rvachev, and besides this has correction coefficients which depict the grade of the mobility downtrend due to prophylactic measures. The model built on the bases of the proposed methods makes it possible to determine the level and dynamics of morbidity depending on the volume and efficiency of each sanitary measure described in it.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Characterization of epidemic influenza virus A(H3N2) strains circulating in Russia in the 2003-2004 epidemic season].

Studies indicated that the epidemic rise in the incidence of influenza was caused by its virus A (H3N2) circulation in Russia in the 2003-2004 season. The Center of Influenza Ecology and Epidemiology investigated 101 epidemic strains isolated the MDCK culture. Antigenic analysis showed that all viruses A(H3N2) were similar to the reference virus A/Fujian/411/02(H3N2) and only 5 strains slightly differed from the latter. Twelve (14%) strains resistant to rimantadine at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml were identified. Investigation of paired sera from the patients demonstrated a rise of antibodies to the references of influenza virus A(H3N2) in 68.7% of cases and a less increase in those to influenza viruses A(H1N1) and B. The active circulation of A(H3N2) viruses was due not only to changes in their antigenic structure, but also to the low level of antibodies to these viruses, as shown by the analysis of donor sera.

Adolescent↗