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Climate change is already affecting vector-borne disease transmission and spread, and its impacts are likely to worsen. In the face of ongoing climate change, we must intensify efforts to prevent and control vector-borne diseases.

The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index is a measurement of the systemic immune-inflammatory response (SII), which is used as both a diagnostic and predictive index for many diseases. Burns are a major public health problem among children. Infection caused by burns is the most important cause of mortality in children. In this study aims to investigate the predictive and diagnostic performance of SII for infection for pediatrics at the burn center and the causes of burns and responsible microorganisms and possible risk factors on infection. Data were collected retrospectively from 42 pediatric patients between 2013 and 2023 and analyzed in the burn center. Infected and uninfected burn patients were compared. Scalds were the most common cause of burns in both groups, (91.3%; 87%, respectively). The most frequently isolated microorganism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (52,6%). Central venous catheter use was the biggest risk factor for infection (OR = 8,077; 95% CI 1,523 to 42,834). The AUC value demonstrated an acceptable diagnostic performance (AUC = 0,605; 95% CI 0,450 to 0,746) Similarly, the odds ratio suggested a potential relationship between SII and infection (OR = 2,057; 95% CI 0,489 to 8,657), but both failed to reach statistical significance. The results of this investigation indicate limited predictive and diagnostic utility for SII. CRP performed better diagnostically than SII (AUC = 0,877; 95% CI 0,747 to 0,955), suggesting that traditional inflammatory markers may still be a better way to predict infection in pediatric burns. Moreover, substantial disparities in hemoglobin levels, lymphocyte counts, CRP, and procalcitonin between infected and uninfected groups indicate that a multi marker strategy may prove more efficacious than dependence on a solitary index. While the SII showed a tendency to predict infection in pediatric burn patients, it did not achieve statistical significance in our research. These findings highlight the need for larger-scale studies to clarify the role of SII in infection prediction among pediatric burn patients. Further research with larger cohorts or multicenter studies could help determine whether SII has clinical utility in this population. Also, accurate identification of infectious agents, development of effective treatment strategies, avoidance of prophylactic antibiotic use, and strict adherence to isolation precautions will significantly reduce the risk of infection in centers where burn patients are followed up.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Bolivia, aetiologies, case fatality, and determinants of outcome are poorly characterised. We attempted to investigate such parameters to guide diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and health policy. From Nov-2017 to Oct-2018, we prospectively enrolled 257 inpatients (20.2% HIV-positive patients) of all ages from healthcare centers of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, Bolivia with a suspected CNS infection and a lumbar puncture performed. Biological diagnosis included classical microbiology, molecular, serological and immunohistochemical tests. An infectious aetiology was confirmed in 128/257 (49.8%) inpatients, including, notably among confirmed single and co-infections, Cryptococcus spp. (41.7%) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (27.8%) in HIV-positive patients, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (26.1%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (18.5%) in HIV-negative patients. The total mortality rate was high (94/223, 42.1%), including six rabies cases. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, mortality was associated with thrombocytopenia (Odds ratio (OR) 5.40, 95%-CI 2.40–11.83) and hydrocephalus (OR 4.07, 95%-CI 1.35–12.23). The proportion of untreated HIV patients, late presentations of neurotuberculosis, the rate of pneumococcal cases, and rabies patients who did not benefit from a post-exposure prophylaxis, suggest that decreasing the burden of CNS infections requires reinforcing health policy regarding tuberculosis, rabies, S. pneumoniae vaccination, and HIV-infections.

Many infectious diseases, including COVID-19, are transmitted by airborne pathogens. There is a need for effective environmental control measures which, ideally, are not reliant on human behaviour. One potential solution is Krypton Chloride (KrCl) excimer lamps (often referred to as Far-UVC), which can efficiently inactivate pathogens, such as coronaviruses and influenza, in air. Research demonstrates that when KrCl lamps are filtered to remove longer-wavelength ultraviolet emissions they do not induce acute reactions in the skin or eyes, nor delayed effects such as skin cancer. While there is laboratory evidence for Far-UVC efficacy, there is limited evidence in full-sized rooms. For the first time, we show that Far-UVC deployed in a room-sized chamber effectively inactivates aerosolised Staphylococcus aureus . At a room ventilation rate of 3 air-changes-per-hour (ACH), with 5 filtered-sources the steady-state pathogen load was reduced by 98.4% providing an additional 184 equivalent air changes (eACH). This reduction was achieved using Far-UVC irradiances consistent with current American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists threshold limit values for skin for a continuous 8-h exposure. Our data indicate that Far-UVC is likely to be more effective against common airborne viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, than bacteria and should thus be an effective and “hands-off” technology to reduce airborne disease transmission. The findings provide room-scale data to support the design and development of effective Far-UVC systems.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can lead to postacute sequelae in multiple organ systems, but evidence is mostly limited to the first year postinfection. We built a cohort of 138,818 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 5,985,227 noninfected control group from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and followed them for 2 years to estimate the risks of death and 80 prespecified postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) according to care setting during the acute phase of infection. The increased risk of death was not significant beyond 6 months after infection among nonhospitalized but remained significantly elevated through the 2 years in hospitalized individuals. Within the 80 prespecified sequelae, 69% and 35% of them became not significant at 2 years after infection among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals, respectively. Cumulatively at 2 years, PASC contributed 80.4 (95% confidence interval (CI): 71.6–89.6) and 642.8 (95% CI: 596.9–689.3) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 1,000 persons among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals; 25.3% (18.9–31.0%) and 21.3% (18.2–24.5%) of the cumulative 2-year DALYs in nonhospitalized and hospitalized were from the second year. In sum, while risks of many sequelae declined 2 years after infection, the substantial cumulative burden of health loss due to PASC calls for attention to the care needs of people with long-term health effects due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Analysis of data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs showed that 2 years after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, risk for most postacute sequelae remained elevated in people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 but was attenuated in nonhospitalized individuals.

Metagenomics is currently the only generic method for pathogen detection. Starting from RNA allows the assessment of the whole sample community including RNA viruses. Here we present our modular concerted protocol for sample processing for diagnostic metagenomics analysis of human, animal, and food samples. The workflow does not rely on dedicated amplification steps at any stage in the process and, in contrast to published methods, libraries prepared accordingly will yield only minute amounts of unclassifiable reads. We confirmed the performance of the approach using a spectrum of pathogen/matrix-combinations showing it has the potential to become a commonly usable analytical framework.

The highest unqualified cleaning rate of suction-type lumen instruments is a major challenge for a central sterile supply department (CSSD). However, A few comprehensive studies have analyzed the main factors affecting cleaning quality. In response, this study aimed to explore the current state and the factors affecting the cleaning quality of reused suction-type metal lumen instruments in CSSD. The results revealed that the qualified cleaning rates determined by the 5x magnifier visual inspection with light source method, OB reagent method, and ATP bioluminescence detection method were 94.2%, 72.6%, and 60.5%, respectively. The results also showed a significant difference between the three methods (X 2 = 60.293, P  < 0.001). Meanwhile, the binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the time interval between instrument recycling and cleaning, pollution level, pretreatment soaking time, cleaning technique, and the presence of visible bloodstains or dirt after pretreatment are independent risk factors that influence the cleaning quality of suction-type metal lumen instruments. Based on these results, the cleaning quality of suction-type metal lumen instruments needs further improvement.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the implementation of public health and social measures (PHSMs), have markedly reshaped infectious disease transmission dynamics. We analysed the impact of PHSMs on 24 notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs) in the Chinese mainland, using time series models to forecast transmission trends without PHSMs or pandemic. Our findings revealed distinct seasonal patterns in NID incidence, with respiratory diseases showing the greatest response to PHSMs, while bloodborne and sexually transmitted diseases responded more moderately. 8 NIDs were identified as susceptible to PHSMs, including hand, foot, and mouth disease, dengue fever, rubella, scarlet fever, pertussis, mumps, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. The termination of PHSMs did not cause NIDs resurgence immediately, except for pertussis, which experienced its highest peak in December 2023 since January 2008. Our findings highlight the varied impact of PHSMs on different NIDs and the importance of sustainable, long-term strategies, like vaccine development. Public health and social measures for COVID-19 also impacted the incidence of other infectious diseases. In this study, the authors characterise the impacts of these measures on 24 notifiable infectious diseases in China until December 2023.

This exploratory study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of a nurse-led satellite pilot clinic to improve sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, treatment, and prevention in an Australian male correctional center. A descriptive qualitative research design was utilized to inform program evaluation. Qualitative data were collected from nurses via semi-structured interviews, and from incarcerated participants who attended the satellite clinic through open-ended satisfaction survey responses. Data were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis guided by the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR). Six major themes, aligned with the five CFIR domains were developed: (1) Meeting the needs of incarcerated people (outer setting domain); (2) Adaption based on needs; (implementation process domain); (3) Nursing staff motivation (individuals domain); (4) Incarcerated population’s desire to be healthy (individuals domain); (5) Shared vision (inner setting domain); and (6) Efficacy of clinics due to the satellite method (innovation domain). Barriers and facilitators raised by the two participant groups in this study identified a range of key recommendations: (1) Additional sexual health education; (2) Hiring appropriately skilled clinical nurses; (3) Collaborating with policy makers; (4) Continuing intra-organizational cooperation and adaptability; and (5) Additional days, advertising and modes of delivery. These recommendations highlight the requirement for these clinics to meet the needs of the incarcerated population.