Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hiroki Kitagawa, Minako Mori, Toshinori Hara, Seiya Kashiyama, Norifumi Shigemoto, Hiroki Ohge
Summary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of manual bleach cleaning and pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection on reducing C. difficile contamination on high-touch surfaces in hospital rooms. Both methods significantly reduced the positive rates of C. difficile and bacterial counts on environmental surfaces. Further research is needed to assess the impact of PX-UV disinfection on CDI rates in Japanese hospitals.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Karen B. Brust, Takaaki Kobayashi, Daniel J. Diekema
Summary: Due to the decline in community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and severity of COVID-19, increased availability of vaccines and treatments, and better understanding of transmission pathways in healthcare settings, our hospital discontinued universal testing for all persons admitted to acute care hospitals. The decision was based on considerations of additional strain on resources, unintended adverse consequences for patients, and poor test performance for detection of infectiousness. No increase in hospital-onset COVID-19 has been observed since discontinuation of admission testing.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Clotilde Saie, Alexandre Buffet, Juliette Abeillon, Delphine Drui, Sophie Leboulleux, Jerome Bertherat, Delphine Zenaty, Caroline Storey, Francoise Borson-Chazot, Nelly Burnichon, Marie Vincent, Judith Favier, Eric Baudin, Sophie Giraud, Anne-Paule Gimenez-Roqueplo, Laurence Amar, Charlotte Lussey-Lepoutre
Summary: The study demonstrated that imaging screening could detect tumors in a significant proportion of asymptomatic SDHX mutation carriers, with a higher detection rate observed in SDHD mutation carriers compared to SDHB and SDHC.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Management
Rene Bekker, Michiel uit het Broek, Ger Koole
Summary: This article describes the models built for predicting hospital admissions and bed occupancy of COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands, emphasizing their importance in managing the pandemic.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Laurence Amar, Karel Pacak, Olivier Steichen, Scott A. Akker, Simon J. B. Aylwin, Eric Baudin, Alexandre Buffet, Nelly Burnichon, Roderick J. Clifton-Bligh, Patricia L. M. Dahia, Martin Fassnacht, Ashley B. Grossman, Philippe Herman, Rodney J. Hicks, Andrzej Januszewicz, Camilo Jimenez, Henricus P. M. Kunst, Dylan Lewis, Massimo Mannelli, Mitsuhide Naruse, Mercedes Robledo, David Taieb, David R. Taylor, Henri J. L. M. Timmers, Giorgio Treglia, Nicola Tufton, William F. Young, Jacques W. M. Lenders, Anne-Paule Gimenez-Roqueplo, Charlotte Lussey-Lepoutre
Summary: This Consensus Statement discusses the management of asymptomatic individuals with a germline mutation in one of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDHx) genes. An international panel of experts reached a consensus on screening methods for both diagnosis and surveillance, aiming to provide guidance for clinicians and enable prospective studies in the future.
NATURE REVIEWS ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rahel N. Stadler, Laura Maurer, Lisandra Aguilar-Bultet, Fabian Franzeck, Chantal Ruchti, Richard Kuhl, Andreas F. Widmer, Ruth Schindler, Roland Bingisser, Katharina M. Rentsch, Hans Pargger, Raoul Sutter, Luzius Steiner, Christoph Meier, Werner Kubler, Hans H. Hirsch, Adrian Egli, Manuel Battegay, Stefano Bassetti, Sarah Tschudin-Sutter
Summary: Systematic screening of asymptomatic inpatients detects a low total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections (0.1%), questioning the cost-benefit ratio of this intervention. Universal infection prevention and control strategies are needed to avoid onward transmission by undetected SARS-CoV-2-carriers during the pandemic, even when the population-wide prevalence is low.
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND INFECTION CONTROL
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Mayan Gilboa, Nadav Baharav, Eyal Melzer, Gili Regev-Yochay, Dafna Yahav
Summary: Clostridioides difficile infection is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States, causing significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Evaluating the strategy of screening and isolating asymptomatic carriers in hospitals is important for preventing the spread of the infection.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nan Yang, Han Yang, Jeff Jianfei Guo, Ming Hu, Sheyu Li
Summary: This study found that ultrasound screening for thyroid cancer did not have a clear advantage in terms of cost-effectiveness compared with non-screening. It is essential to optimize thyroid screening strategies for specific populations.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jeffrey Scott Weese, Nathan Slovis, Joyce Rousseau
Summary: This study longitudinally evaluated Clostridium difficile shedding in neonatal foals and mares in a referral hospital neonatal intensive care unit. The results showed Clostridium difficile was isolated from 25% of samples, with at least one positive sample in 40% of foals and 31% of mares. Various ribotypes were identified, with ribotype 078 predominating.
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hafez Al-Momani, Khawla Aldajah, Ebtisam Alda'ajah, Yousef ALjafar, Zainab Abushawer
Summary: The study found that Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines were effective in reducing COVID-19-related hospitalizations among patients in Jordan, especially among those with comorbidities.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ivan Tavera Busso, Martin Rodriguez Nunez, Ana Carolina Amarillo, Fabricio Mettan, Hebe Alejandra Carreras
Summary: The study utilizes land-use regression models and remote sensing data to predict the impact of atmospheric aerosol level on human health, showing that machine learning models outperform traditional regression models, and meteorological variables are the most important predictors.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Siobhan McSharry, Leonard Koolman, Paul Whyte, Declan Bolton
Summary: This study identified that disinfectants 2, 7, and 10 were the most effective in eliminating Clostridium spores in the meat plant environment, with D-values ranging from 2.1 to 8.4 min at 20 degrees C.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Monique J. T. Crobach, Bastian V. H. Hornung, Cees Verduin, Margreet C. Vos, Joost Hopman, Nitin Kumar, Celine Harmanus, Ingrid Sanders, Elisabeth M. Terveer, Mark D. Stares, Trevor D. Lawley, Ed J. Kuijper
Summary: Screening for Clostridioides difficile colonization at admission did not detect any patients who progressed to symptomatic CDI, except for one possible transmission event. Therefore, screening for CDC at admission is not useful in this endemic setting.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wisam Sbeit, Anas Kadah, Amir Shahin, Nizar Abed, Haya Haddad, Adel Jabbour, Helal Said Ahmad, Rinaldo Pellicano, Tawfik Khoury, Amir Mari
Summary: In this retrospective, multicenter study, age, serum albumin level, leukocytes count, and renal failure were identified as the main predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Conducting prospective multicenter randomized studies to explore the impact of albumin infusion on in-hospital death in CDI patients is warranted for better monitoring and treatment strategies.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ruben Gonzalez-Colom, Carmen Herranz, Emili Vela, David Monterde, Joan Carles Contel, Antoni Siso-Almirall, Jordi Piera-Jimenez, Josep Roca, Isaac Cano
Summary: This study aimed to improve the management of multimorbidity by developing predictive models and patient profiling. The predictive models showed good performance in predicting mortality and readmission risks at 90 days after discharge. Four distinct patient profiles were identified, providing personalized recommendations for service selection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Cristina Lanzas, Manuel Jara, Rachel Tucker, Savannah Curtis
Summary: Mathematical and computational models for Clostridioides difficile transmission have been studied, highlighting the importance of asymptomatic colonized patients and evaluating interventions such as infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, active testing, and vaccination. Further research is needed on aspects such as community transmission and interventions in healthcare settings other than acute-care hospitals.
Article
Biology
Cara Jill Sulyok, Lindsey Fox, Hannah Ritchie, Cristina Lanzas, Suzanne Lenhart, Judy Day
Summary: The study suggests that in hospital wards, high-touch fomites play a greater role in the transmission of Clostridioides difficile compared to low-touch fomites. Therefore, enhancing disinfection upon discharge, extra cleaning of high-touch fomites, reducing contact with high-touch fomites, and increasing discharge rates among other control measures may lead to a decrease in the incidence of colonization.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gustavo Machado, Trevor S. Farthing, Mathieu Andraud, Francisco Paulo Nunes Lopes, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: ASF is a highly impactful transboundary swine disease, with control strategies heavily dependent on mass depopulation and shipment restrictions due to the lack of effective vaccines. A nested multiscale model combining spatially explicit network and compartmental models was developed to study ASF transmission in one Brazilian state. The model outcomes included epidemic duration, number of secondary infected farms and pigs, and distance of ASF spread, providing valuable insights for planning control strategies and national preparedness.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Trevor S. Farthing, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: A spatially-explicit agent-based model was used to study indoor respiratory pathogen transmission, finding that limiting movement and mask usage have the greatest impact on reducing infection risk, but multiple interventions are needed to minimize the proportion of susceptible individuals infected. Ventilation airflow may also expose susceptible individuals to aerosolized pathogens, emphasizing the importance of maximizing vertical aerosol removal rate when using ventilation systems as intervention tools.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Trevor S. Farthing, Daniel E. Dawson, Mike W. Sanderson, Hannah Seger, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: Social behavior variables may have significant effects on colonization hazard rates of E. coli in feedlot cattle, but observed effects are not consistent between similar populations. Transmission experiments combined with real-time location data collection and processing procedures provide an effective framework for quantifying sociobehavioral effects on microparasite transmission.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Morganne Igoe, Praachi Das, Suzanne Lenhart, Alun L. Lloyd, Lan Luong, Dajun Tian, Cristina Lanzas, Agricola Odoi
Summary: This study investigated geographic disparities and predictors of COVID-19 hospitalization risks in the St. Louis area. The results showed that COVID-19 hospitalization risks are influenced by socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related factors, with variations across different geographic locations. These findings are important for informing health planning and guiding vaccination efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Praachi Das, Morganne Igoe, Suzanne Lenhart, Lan Luong, Cristina Lanzas, Alun L. Lloyd, Agricola Odoi
Summary: This study investigates the geographic disparities of COVID-19 risk and the associations between COVID-19 risk and socioeconomic, demographic, movement, and chronic disease factors in the Greater St. Louis Area of Missouri. The results show that there are geographic disparities in COVID-19 risk, and these risks are associated with sociodemographic factors, population movements, and obesity hospitalization risks. The findings highlight the importance of considering these factors in controlling and preventing COVID-19.
Article
Microbiology
Bejan Mahmud, Meghan A. Wallace, Kimberly A. Reske, Kelly Alvarado, Carol E. Muenks, David A. Rasmussen, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Cristina Lanzas, Erik R. Dubberke, Gautam Dantas
Summary: ESBL-producing Escherichia coli is becoming increasingly prevalent, driven by the spread of ESBL-encoding plasmids. This study provides an in-depth genomic investigation of clinical ESBL-like E. coli isolates, revealing a comprehensive map of plasmid sharing across different boundaries. Through sequence-based network analysis, specific plasmid lineages responsible for disseminating major ESBLs have been identified. This work highlights the importance of plasmid-mediated spread in the dissemination of ESBLs and provides valuable insight into the factors underlying the increased prevalence of these genes in clinical settings.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ashlan Jolley, William Love, Erin Frey, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs in human and veterinary medicine, emphasizing the importance of judicious antimicrobial use (AMU) in controlling AMR. This study aims to quantify the changes in antimicrobial prescribing practices for companion animals in an academic veterinary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. By analyzing prescribing data, it was found that the pandemic significantly impacted the use of antimicrobials, with decreased prescription rates per week and per patient visit for certain drugs, while others showed increased rates.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Trevor S. Farthing, Ashlan Jolley, Katelin B. Nickel, Cherie Hill, Dustin Stwalley, Kimberly A. Reske, Jennie H. Kwon, Margaret A. Olsen, Jason P. Burnham, Erik R. Dubberke, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: This study compared the individual-level risk of hospital-onset infections with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in hospitalized patients prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the risk of acquiring MDRO infections increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for certain pathogens such as Acinetobacter spp., P. aeruginosa, Enterobacteriaceae spp., and MDRO S. aureus.
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Liton Chandra Deb, Manuel Jara, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: The US government has implemented guidance frameworks and recommendations to reduce antimicrobial use, but it has not yet led to substantial reductions in antimicrobial drug resistance.
Article
Ecology
Alexanderia Lacy, Morganne Igoe, Praachi Das, Trevor Farthing, Alun L. Lloyd, Cristina Lanzas, Agricola Odoi, Suzanne Lenhart
Summary: This study investigates the heterogeneity of COVID-19 cases, hospitalization, and vaccination coverage in the St. Louis region of Missouri. The impact of human mobility, vaccination, and time-varying transmission rates on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in five counties is examined. A COVID-19 model with ordinary differential equations is developed, and parameter estimation is performed using weekly data from 2021. The study predicts changes in disease spread under scenarios with increased vaccination coverage and utilizes local movement data to connect infection forces across different counties.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Kale Davies, Suzanne Lenhart, Judy Day, Alun L. Lloyd, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: In this study, a network model for environmentally-transmitted pathogens was constructed and the effects of different assumptions on the model were investigated. The results showed that relaxing restrictive assumptions can improve the accuracy of ordinary differential equation models and highlight errors caused by different assumptions.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
William J. Love, C. Annie Wang, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: This study aimed to identify patient-level characteristics associated with resistance phenotype variations in MRSA infections. Chain graphs were used to learn the resistance phenotypes from surveillance data, and correlations among resistance traits were considered. The results showed that certain phenotypic resistances had low connectivity to other outcomes or predictors, and levofloxacin susceptibility was associated with healthcare-associated infections. Blood culture was the most common predictor of MIC. Differences in resistance phenotypes were observed between patients with previous healthcare use or positive blood cultures, as well as between patients from different states.
JAC-ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Dawson, David Rasmussen, Xinxia Peng, Cristina Lanzas
Summary: The study simulated epidemics with both direct and indirect transmission using a network-based transmission model, and reconstructed transmission trees using phylodynamic methods. It was found that transmission routes and assumed pathogen lifestyle influenced the pathogen population structure, affecting both reconstruction success and the likelihood of direct versus indirect pathways.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)