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Background The problem caused by viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge faced in the past decade, and the global goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030 is still far away. With the use of hepatitis B vaccine and the launch of new drugs, there are more means to control viral hepatitis and more technologies to prevent, diagnose and treat it. While improving the coverage of vaccine use, drugs for treating hepatitis B are not only becoming more effective, but also decreasing in price. The objective of this article was to explore the urgent issues that need to be addressed in global viral hepatitis with the increasing availability of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Main text The updated World Health Organization guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment for people with chronic hepatitis B infection (2024 edition) and Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (version 2022) simplify clinical algorithms for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of hepatitis B, expand treatment eligibility criteria, and provide alternative treatment options, which will cover a higher proportion of all hepatitis B surface antigen positive populations. These actions promote the global goal of eliminating the public health hazards of viral hepatitis by 2030. Among the countries that have made remarkable progress in eliminating viral hepatitis policies, the key strategy is to simplify the diagnosis and treatment plan. Furthermore, the World Health Organization has identified 38 priority countries for viral hepatitis. Expand access to viral hepatitis services in these countries. Conclusions Regions and countries with the high burden of viral hepatitis still need to take urgent action regarding the new measures proposed by the WHO to achieve the 2030 targets. First, countries must establish a complete public health system aligned with the World Health Organization’s strategy. Second, provide effective, people-oriented services and public prevention strategies. Third, prioritize the implementation of health strategies in the 38 identified priority countries. Finally, use complete and measurable data to monitor progress. Graphical Abstract

Background Puccinellia tenuiflora is the most saline-alkali tolerant plant in the Songnen Plain, one of the three largest soda saline-alkali lands worldwide. Here, we investigated the physicochemical properties of saline-alkali soils from the Songnen Plain and sequenced the transcriptomes of germinated P. tenuiflora seedlings under long-term treatment (from seed soaking) with saline-alkali soil extracts. Results We found that the soils from Songnen Plain were reasonably rich in salts and alkali; moreover, the soils were severely deficient in nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], potassium [K] and several other mineral elements. This finding demonstrated that P. tenuiflora can survive from not only high saline-alkali stress but also a lack of essential mineral elements. To explore the saline-alkali tolerance mechanism, transcriptional analyses of P. tenuiflora plants treated with water extracts from the saline-alkali soils was performed. Interestingly, unigenes involved in the uptake of N, P, K and the micronutrients were found to be significantly upregulated, which indicated the existence of an efficient nutrition-uptake system in P. tenuiflora . Compared with P. tenuiflora , the rice Oryza sativa was hypersensitive to saline-alkali stress. The results obtained using a noninvasive microtest techniques confirmed that the uptake of NO 3 - and NH 4 + and the regulatory flux of Na + and H + were significantly higher in the roots of P. tenuiflora than in those of O. sativa . In the corresponding physiological experiments, the application of additional nutrition elements significantly eliminated the sensitive symptoms of rice to saline-alkali soil extracts. Conclusions Our results imply that the survival of P. tenuiflora in saline-alkali soils is due to a combination of at least two regulatory mechanisms and the high nutrient uptake capacity of P. tenuiflora plays a pivotal role in its adaptation to those stress. Taken together, our results highlight the role of nutrition uptake in saline-alkali stress tolerance in plants.

BackgroundWe conducted an evaluation on the potential data resources for the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) mother-to-child transmission in China, so as to provide reference for WHO and other countries in the validation of HBV elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) in a real-world large country setting.MethodsWe used the indicators set out in WHO Interim guidance for country validation of viral hepatitis elimination as the benchmark to evaluate the availability of data and progress against indicators for the elimination validation in China. We used descriptive analysis to illustrate the status of all indicators and parameters.ResultsAccording to the indicators which are recommended by WHO for HBV EMTCT validation, the national data in China are attainable, though not for HBV DNA testing for the HBsAg-positive mothers and their subsequent management. The remaining challenges for China are to consider how the national serosurvey might be conducted in future in the context of low HBV prevalence among children under 5 years; to collect systematically the programmatic impact data; to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration among immunization, maternal and child health, hospital services, as well as other stakeholders.ConclusionThe available data on HBV EMTCT are sufficient to support the validation of the elimination of HBV mother–to-child transmission in China.

Background: The COVID-19 has spread to more than 200 countries and territories. But less is known about the knowledge, protection behavior and anxiety regarding the outbreak among the general population. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based online survey was conducted in China and abroad from January 28 to February 1, 2020. Socio-demographic information was collected and knowledge scores, practice scores, anxiety scores and perceived risk were calculated. General linear model and binary logistic regression were used to identify possible associations. Results: We included 9,764 individuals in this study, and 156 (1.6%) were from Hubei Province. The average knowledge score was 4.7 (standard deviation, 1.0) (scored on a 6-point scale); 96.1% maintained hand hygiene, and 90.3% of participants had varying levels of anxiety. People in Hubei Province were the most anxious, followed by those in Beijing and Shanghai. People who had experienced risk behaviors did not pay more attention to wearing masks and hand hygiene. Conclusions: The public had high awareness on knowledge of COVID-19 outbreak, and a high proportion of people practiced good hand hygiene behavior. Many people claimed anxiety, especially in heavily affected areas during pandemic, suggesting the importance of closing the gap between risk awareness and good practice and conduct psychological counseling to public and patients.

Nation-wide hepatitis B vaccination coverage among healthcare workers (HCWs) is not well researched in China. This study aims to investigate the self-reported hepatitis B vaccination status among HCWs in China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health_care workers' vaccination statuses in 120 hospitals in China by collecting demographic and vaccination data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to assess factors associated with hepatitis B vaccination coverage. Eighty-six percent (2,666/3,104) of respondents reported having received at least one dose of the hepatitis B vaccination and 60% (1,853/3,104) reported having completed ≥3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination. Factors associated with completing ≥3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination included workplaces offering free hepatitis B vaccination with vaccination management, age, medical occupation, hospital level, acceptable hepatitis B knowledge and having received training on hepatitis B. HCWs in workplaces offering a free hepatitis B vaccine with vaccination management were 1.4 times more likely (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8) to complete their hepatitis B vaccination compared to HCWs in workplaces that did not offer a free hepatitis B vaccine. Either the possession of acceptable hepatitis B knowledge or an age of 30-39 years increased the odds of complete hepatitis B vaccination by 1.3-fold (95% CIs: 1.1-1.5 and 1.1-1.7, respectively) over their referent category. The receipt of training on hepatitis B was also associated with a higher percentage of completing the hepatitis B vaccination (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.8). The main self-reported reason for incomplete hepatitis B vaccination was \"forgot to complete follow-up doses\" among 43% (234/547) of respondents. Among those who never received any hepatitis B vaccination, only 30% (131/438) intended to be vaccinated. Obtaining immunity from work (40%) and hospitals that did not provide hepatitis B vaccination activities (40%) were the top reasons mentioned for refusing hepatitis B vaccination. The complete hepatitis B vaccination rate among HCWs in China is low, and the desire of HCWs for vaccination is indifferent; therefore, education campaigns are needed. In addition, a free national hepatitis B vaccination policy for HCWs that includes vaccination management should be prioritized to improve hepatitis B coverage among HCWs who are at-risk for HBV infection.

ObjectiveTo analyse temporal trends of respiratory infectious diseases (RIDs) in Baiyin City from 2014 to 2023, aiming to explore the epidemiological patterns of these diseases (tuberculosis, scarlet fever, pertussis, measles, influenza, mumps, varicella and rubella) and provide evidence for developing effective prevention and control strategies.Design and settingA descriptive epidemiological study was conducted to analyse the incidence of tuberculosis, scarlet fever, pertussis, measles, influenza, mumps, varicella and rubella in Baiyin City, China, from 2014 to 2023, using data from the national notifiable disease reporting system.ParticipantsAll reported cases of eight notifiable RIDs in Baiyin City between 2014 and 2023 were included in the analysis. Data were categorised by age and sex.MethodsJoinpoint Regression Software was employed to estimate both the annual percentage change in incidence and the average annual percentage change, facilitating a phased comparison of incidence trends.ResultsBetween 2014 and 2023, the annual incidence of major bacterial RIDs (tuberculosis, scarlet fever and pertussis) in Baiyin City fluctuated between 52.69 and 87.94 per 100 000 population, demonstrating an overall declining trend. Specifically, the annual decrease rates for the age groups of 0–14 years, 15–59 years and ≥60 years were 11.62% (95% CI −20.26% to −2.16%), 6.44% (95% CI −10.37% to −2.46%) and 5.15% (95% CI −9.12% to −1.07%), respectively. The annual incidence of major viral RIDs (measles, influenza, mumps, varicella and rubella) fluctuated between 111.70 per 100 000 and 541.12 per 100 000. No significant temporal trend was observed for major viral RIDs in Baiyin City. With the exception of pertussis, measles and rubella, the overall incidence rate was significantly higher in males than in females (p<0.01). The major viral RIDs predominantly affected children aged 0–14 years, while the major bacterial RIDs were primarily observed in individuals aged 60 years and older.ConclusionFrom 2014 to 2023, the annual incidence of major bacterial RIDs in Baiyin City showed an overall decline, mainly due to a reduction in tuberculosis incidence, whereas the annual incidence of major viral RIDs fluctuated and rose sharply in 2023. The overall incidence of both major bacterial and viral RIDs was consistently higher in males, with major viral RIDs occurring predominantly in children aged 0–14 years and major bacterial RIDs being more common in older adults aged ≥60 years. Further efforts are needed to monitor the epidemiological patterns and develop strategies to reduce the incidence of major viral RIDs, particularly among children aged 0–14 years.

To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core anti-body (anti-HBc) in a representative population in China 14 years after introduction of hepatitis B vaccination of infants. National serosurvey, with participants selected by multi-stage random sampling. Demographics and hepatitis B vaccination history collected by questionnaire and review of vaccination records, and serum tested for HBsAg, antibody to anti-HBc and anti-HBs by ELISA. The weighted prevalences of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc for Chinese population aged 1–59 years were 7.2%, 50.1%, 34.1%, respectively. HBsAg prevalence was greatly diminished among those age <15 years compared to that found in the 1992 national serosurvey, and among children age <5 years was only 1.0% (90% reduction). Reduced HBsAg prevalence was strongly associated with vaccination among all age groups. HBsAg risk in adults was associated with male sex, Western region, and certain ethnic groups and occupations while risk in children included birth at home or smaller hospitals, older age, and certain ethnic groups (Zhuang and other). China has already reached the national goal of reducing HBsAg prevalence to less than 1% among children under 5 years and has prevented an estimated 16–20 million HBV carriers through hepatitis B vaccination of infants. Immunization program should be further strengthened to reach those remaining at highest risk.

Background Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is one of the key interventions recommended by World Health Organization in preventing malaria infection. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of global studies about the impact of IRS on malaria control. Method We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus for relevant studies published from database establishment to 31 December 2021. Random-effects models were used to perform meta-analysis and subgroup analysis to pool the odds ratio ( OR ) and 95% confidence interval ( CI ). Meta-regression was used to investigate potential factors of heterogeneity across studies. Results Thirty-eight articles including 81 reports and 1,174,970 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. IRS was associated with lower rates of malaria infection ( OR  = 0.35, 95% CI : 0.27–0.44). The significantly higher effectiveness was observed in IRS coverage ≥ 80% than in IRS coverage < 80%. Pyrethroids was identified to show the greatest performance in malaria control. In addition, higher effectiveness was associated with a lower gross domestic product as well as a higher coverage of IRS and bed net utilization. Conclusions IRS could induce a positive effect on malaria infection globally. The high IRS coverage and the use of pyrethroids are key measures to reduce malaria infection. More efforts should focus on increasing IRS coverage, developing more effective new insecticides against malaria, and using multiple interventions comprehensively to achieve malaria control goals.

Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A total of 1859 norovirus outbreaks were reported from 2016 to 2022 in Beijing, China. GII.2[P16] was the predominant genotype during 2016–2021, and GII.3[P12] during 2021–2022. In the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic (January to June of 2020), strict prevention and control measures were implemented, and only eight norovirus outbreaks were reported. Most norovirus outbreaks occurred in schools (95.6%, 1778). As the level of schooling rises, the scale of norovirus outbreaks also increases (median case numbers: 8 for kindergarten, 10 for primary school, 11 for secondary school, and 14 for college; p trend < 0.001), while the attack rate decreases (median attack rates were correspondingly 25.8%, 17.5%, 10.0%, and 8.8%; p trend < 0.001). Compared to outbreaks caused by person-to-person transmission, foodborne and waterborne outbreaks are larger in scale. Delayed outbreak response is also a risk factor for larger-scale outbreaks. Norovirus outbreaks have emerged as a significant concern for public health in Beijing. Persistent genotyping efforts are essential to facilitate early warning. Outbreaks in different locations or through different transmission routes require specific prevention and control measures.

Woody plants play a vital role in global ecosystems and serve as valuable resources for various industries and human needs. While many woody plant genomes have been fully sequenced, gene function research and biotechnological breeding advances have lagged behind. As a result, only a limited number of genes have been elucidated, making it difficult to use newer tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 for biotechnological breeding purposes. The use of Agrobacterium rhizogenes as a transformative tool in plant biotechnology has received considerable attention in recent years, particularly in the research field on woody plants. Over the past three decades, numerous woody plants have been effectively transformed using A. rhizogenes -mediated techniques. Some of these transformed plants have successfully regenerated. Recent research on A. rhizogenes -mediated transformation of woody plants has demonstrated its potential for various applications, including gene function analysis, gene expression profiling, gene interaction studies, and gene regulation analysis. The introduction of the Ri plasmid has resulted in the emergence of several Ri phenotypes, such as compact plant types, which can be exploited for Ri breeding purposes. This review paper presents recent advances in A. rhizogenes-mediated basic research and Ri breeding in woody plants. This study highlights various aspects of A. rhizogenes-mediated transformation, its multiple applications in gene function analysis, and the potential of Ri lines as valuable breeding materials