Emerging infectious diseases
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Aug 2012
Infectious disease transmission during organ and tissue transplantation.
Infectious disease transmission through organ and tissue transplantation has been associated with severe complications in recipients. Determination of donor-derived infectious risk associated with organ and tissue transplantation is challenging and limited by availability and performance characteristics of current donor epidemiologic screening (e.g., questionnaire) and laboratory testing tools. ⋯ Key research needs are explored. Stakeholder collaboration for surveillance and research infrastructure is required to enhance transplant safety.
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Jul 2012
Lessons learned from influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic response in Thailand.
In 2009, Thailand experienced rapid spread of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. The national response came under intense public scrutiny as the number of confirmed cases and associated deaths increased. ⋯ However, areas needing improvement were surveillance, laboratory capacity, hospital infection control and surge capacity, coordination and monitoring of guidelines for clinical management and nonpharmaceutical interventions, risk communications, and addressing vulnerabilities of non-Thai displaced and migrant populations. The experience in Thailand may be applicable to other countries and settings, and the lessons learned may help strengthen responses to other pandemics or comparable prolonged public health emergencies.
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Jul 2012
Seroconversion to seasonal influenza viruses after A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection, Quebec, Canada.
We looked for cross-reactive antibodies in 122 persons with paired serum samples collected during the 2009 pandemic of influenza virus A(H1N1)pdm09. Eight (12%) of 67 persons with A(H1N1)pdm09 infection confirmed by reverse transcription PCR and/or serology also seroconverted to the seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) virus, compared with 1 (2%) of 55 A(H1N1)pdm09-negative persons (p<0.05).
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The revised International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]) conferred new responsibilities on member states of the World Health Organization, requiring them to develop core capacities to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health emergencies. Many countries have not yet developed these capacities, and poor understanding of the associated costs have created a barrier to effectively marshaling assistance. To help national and international decision makers understand the inputs and associated costs of implementing the IHR (2005), we developed an IHR implementation strategy to serve as a framework for making preliminary estimates of fixed and operating costs associated with developing and sustaining IHR core capacities across an entire public health system. This tool lays the groundwork for modeling the costs of strengthening public health systems from the central to the peripheral level of an integrated health system, a key step in helping national health authorities define necessary actions and investments required for IHR compliance.