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Issue 34, August 29, 2017


CDC Science Clips: Volume 9, Issue 34, August 29, 2017

Science Clips is produced weekly to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge for the public health community. Each article features an Altmetric Attention score to track social and mainstream media mentions!

The report consists of these components:

  1. Top Articles of the Week

    Selected weekly by a senior CDC scientist from the standard sections listed below.
    The names of CDC authors are indicated in bold text.
    • Chronic Diseases and Conditions
      • AIMS: Determine the mortality experience among adults with diabetes in meeting and not meeting less intense control for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and cholesterol. METHODS: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2010 participants with self-report of diagnosed diabetes (N=3335), measured HbA1c, BP and non-HDL cholesterol were linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2011. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of meeting HbA1c<9% and BP<160/110, and non-HDL cholesterol<190mg/dL. Models used age as the time scale and adjusted for demographics (sex, race/ethnicity, education), diabetes duration, history of cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, and treatments for elevated glucose, BP, and cholesterol. RESULTS: Over a mean 5.4 person-years of follow-up, participants meeting all less intense control had a 37% lower mortality (HR=0.63, 95% CI 0.54, 0.74) relative to those who did not meet the goals. Of approximately 306,000 deaths per year that occur among Americans with diabetes, we estimate 39,400 might have been averted by improving the care of those who have not met these less intense control goals. CONCLUSIONS: Meeting the less intense control goals is associated with 37% reduction in mortality and could lead to 39,400 fewer deaths per year.

    • Communicable Diseases
      • Evaluation of a nurse practitioner-physician task-sharing model for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
        Farley JE, Ndjeka N, Kelly AM, Whitehouse E, Lachman S, Budhathoki C, Lowensen K, Bergren E, Mabuza H, Mlandu N, van der Walt M.
        PLoS One. 2017 ;12(8):e0182780.
        BACKGROUND: Treatment success rates for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in South Africa remain close to 50%. Lack of access to timely, decentralized care is a contributing factor. We evaluated MDR-TB treatment outcomes from a clinical cohort with task-sharing between a clinical nurse practitioner (CNP) and a medical officer (MO). METHODS: We completed a retrospective evaluation of outcomes from a prospective, programmatically-based MDR-TB cohort who were enrolled and received care between 2012 and 2015 at a peri-urban hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Treatment was provided by either by a CNP or MO. FINDINGS: The cohort included 197 participants with a median age of 33 years, 51% female, and 74% co-infected with HIV. The CNP initiated 123 participants on treatment. Overall MDR-TB treatment success rate in this cohort was 57.9%, significantly higher than the South African national average of 45% in 2012 (p<0.0001) and similar to the provincal average of 60% (p = NS). There were no significant differences by provider type: treatment success was 61% for patients initiated by the CNP and 52.7% for those initiated by the MO. INTERPRETATION: Clinics that adopted a task sharing approach for MDR-TB demonstrated greater treatment success rates than the national average. Task-sharing between the CNP and MO did not adversely impact treatment outcome with similar success rates noted. Task-sharing is a feasible option for South Africa to support decentralization without compromising patient outcomes. Models that allow sharing of responsibility for MDR-TB may optimize the use of human resources and improve access to care.

    • Environmental Health
      • CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program in action: Case studies from state and local health departments
        Eatman S, Strosnider HM.
        J Public Health Manag Pract. 2017 Sep/Oct;23 Suppl 5 Supplement, Environmental Public Health Tracking:S9-s17.
        The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is a multidisciplinary collaboration that involves the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data from environmental hazard monitoring, human exposure surveillance, and health effects surveillance. With a renewed focus on data-driven decision-making, the CDC’s Tracking Program emphasizes dissemination of actionable data to public health practitioners, policy makers, and communities. The CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network), a Web-based system with components at the national, state, and local levels, houses environmental public health data used to inform public health actions (PHAs) to improve community health. This article serves as a detailed landscape on the Tracking Program and Tracking Network and the Tracking Program’s leading performance measure, “public health actions.” Tracking PHAs are qualitative statements addressing a local problem or situation, the role of the state or local Tracking Program, how the problem or situation was addressed, and the action taken. More than 400 PHAs have been reported by funded state and local health departments since the Tracking Program began collecting PHAs in 2005. Three case studies are provided to illustrate the use of the Tracking Program resources and data on the Tracking Network, and the diversity of actions taken. Through a collaborative network of experts, data, and tools, the Tracking Program and its Tracking Network are actively informing state and local PHAs. In a time of competing priorities and limited funding, PHAs can serve as a powerful tool to advance environmental public health practice.

    • Epidemiology and Surveillance
      • What we are watching-top global infectious disease threats, 2013-2016: An update from CDC’s Global Disease Detection Operations Center
        Christian KA, Iuliano AD, Uyeki TM, Mintz ED, Nichol ST, Rollin P, Staples JE, Arthur RR.
        Health Secur. 2017 Aug 14.
        To better track public health events in areas where the public health system is unable or unwilling to report the event to appropriate public health authorities, agencies can conduct event-based surveillance, which is defined as the organized collection, monitoring, assessment, and interpretation of unstructured information regarding public health events that may represent an acute risk to public health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Global Disease Detection Operations Center (GDDOC) was created in 2007 to serve as CDC’s platform dedicated to conducting worldwide event-based surveillance, which is now highlighted as part of the “detect” element of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The GHSA works toward making the world more safe and secure from disease threats through building capacity to better “Prevent, Detect, and Respond” to those threats. The GDDOC monitors approximately 30 to 40 public health events each day. In this article, we describe the top threats to public health monitored during 2012 to 2016: avian influenza, cholera, Ebola virus disease, and the vector-borne diseases yellow fever, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus, with updates to the previously described threats from Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and poliomyelitis.

    • Genetics and Genomics
      • Short-read whole genome sequencing for determination of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and capsular serotypes of current invasive Streptococcus agalactiae recovered in the USA
        Metcalf BJ, Chochua S, Gertz RE, Hawkins PA, Ricaldi J, Li Z, Walker H, Tran T, Rivers J, Mathis S, Jackson D, Glennen A, Lynfield R, McGee L, Beall B.
        Clin Microbiol Infect. 2017 Aug;23(8):574.e7-574.e14.
        OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to evaluate and exploit a whole genome sequence (WGS) bioinformatics pipeline for predicting antimicrobial resistance and capsular serotypes from invasive group B streptococci (iGBS). METHODS: For 1975 iGBS recovered during 2015 from CDC’s Active Bacterial Core surveillance, we compared pipeline predictions with broth dilution testing. Fifty-six isolates from earlier surveillance were included for testing beta-lactams. Conventional serotyping was compared to WGS-based assignments for 302 isolates. RESULTS: All 28 isolates with reduced susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics harboured one of 19 rare PBP2x types. Resistances to erythromycin/clindamycin (808/1975 isolates, 41.0%), erythromycin (235/1975, 11.9%) and lincosamide/streptogramin A/pleuromutilins (56/1975, 2.8%) were predicted by the presence of erm-methylase, mef and lsa determinants, respectively (41 of 56 lsa gene-positive isolates also contained lnu, erm and/or mef genes). Presence of both erm and lsa determinants (25 isolates) predicted non-susceptibility to quinupristin/dalfopristin. Most isolates (1680/1975, 85.1%) were tet gene-positive, although 41/1565 (2.6%) tetM-positive isolates were tetracycline-susceptible. All 53 fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates contained ParC and/or GyrA substitutions. Resistances to rifampin (eight isolates), trimethoprim, chloramphenicol and vancomycin (two isolates each) were predicted by the pipeline. Resistance to macrolides/lincosamides without pipeline prediction was rare and correlated to divergent resistance genes or rRNA A2062G substitution. A selection of 267 isolates assigned WGS-based serotypes were also conventionally serotyped. Of these, 246 (92.1%) were in agreement, with the remaining 21 (7.8%) conventionally non-serotypeable. For 32 of 1975 isolates (1.6%), WGS-based serotypes could not be assigned. CONCLUSION: The WGS-based assignment of iGBS resistance features and serotypes is an accurate substitute for phenotypic testing.

    • Healthcare Associated Infections
      • The potential for interventions in a long-term acute care hospital to reduce transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in affiliated healthcare facilities
        Toth DJ, Khader K, Slayton RB, Kallen AJ, Gundlapalli AV, O’Hagan JJ, Fiore AE, Rubin MA, Jernigan JA, Samore MH.
        Clin Infect Dis. 2017 May 03.
        Background.: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are high-priority bacterial pathogens targeted for efforts to decrease transmissions and infections in healthcare facilities. Some regions have experienced CRE outbreaks that were likely amplified by frequent transmission in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). Planning and funding intervention efforts focused on LTACHs is one proposed strategy to contain outbreaks; however, the potential regional benefits of such efforts are unclear. Methods.: We designed an agent-based simulation model of patients in a regional network of 10 healthcare facilities including 1 LTACH, 3 short-stay acute care hospitals (ACHs) and 6 nursing homes (NHs). The model was calibrated to achieve realistic patient flow and CRE transmission and detection rates. We then simulated the initiation of an entirely LTACH-focused intervention in a previously CRE-free region, including active surveillance for CRE carriers and enhanced isolation of identified carriers. Results.: When initiating the intervention at the 1st clinical CRE detection in the LTACH, cumulative CRE transmissions over 5 years across all 10 facilities were reduced by 79-93% compared to no-intervention simulations. This result was robust to changing assumptions for transmission within non-LTACH facilities and flow of patients from the LTACH. Delaying the intervention until the 20th CRE detection resulted in substantial delays in achieving optimal regional prevalence, while still reducing transmissions by 60-79% over 5 years. Conclusions.: Focusing intervention efforts on LTACHs is potentially a highly efficient strategy for reducing CRE transmissions across an entire region, particularly when implemented as early as possible in an emerging outbreak.

    • Maternal and Child Health

    • Nutritional Sciences
      • Similar patterns of cognitive and motor deficits have been widely reported from manganese exposures in welding, metallurgical and chemical industry workers. A risk assessment was performed based on studies reported in the literature, extending some earlier work, and deriving new estimates of exposure response and excess risk. Many investigations of manganese neurological effects in humans have insufficient information to derive an exposure response; however, findings from a chemical manufacturer, two smelter and two welder populations permitted application of the benchmark dose procedure for continuous end-points. Small particles and aggregates of condensation fume (condensing vaporized metal, < 0.1mum in diameter) appear to have a higher potency per unit mass than larger particles from dusts (> 1.0mum). Consideration was given to long-term effects of continuous low exposures that instead of producing increasing toxicity attain a steady-state condition. Impairment was defined as excursions beyond the 5th percentile in a normal population and the concentrations of manganese predicted to result in 1% excess prevalence of impairment over different time periods were calculated. Over five years, exposures resulting in 1% excess prevalence of impairment (for purposes of discussion) were in the vicinity of 10mug/m3 for manganese fume and 25mug/m3 for larger particle dusts. These levels are below current recommendations for occupational limits on manganese exposure in the United States.

    • Parasitic Diseases
      • Artemisinin combination therapy mass drug administration in a setting of low malaria endemicity: Programmatic coverage and adherence during an observational study in Zanzibar
        Ali AS, Thawer NG, Khatib B, Amier HH, Shija J, Msellem M, Al-Mafazy AW, Garimo IA, Mkali H, Ramsan MM, Kafuko JM, Paxton LA, Reithinger R, Ngondi JM.
        Malar J. 2017 Aug 14;16(1):332.
        BACKGROUND: Mass drug administration (MDA) appears to be effective in reducing the risk of malaria parasitaemia. This study reports on programmatic coverage and compliance of MDA using artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in four shehias (smallest administration unit) that had been identified as hotspots through Zanzibar’s malaria case notification surveillance system. METHODS: Mass drug administration was done in four shehias selected on the basis of: being an established malaria hot spot; having had mass screening and treatment (MSaT) 2-6 weeks previously; and exceeding the epidemic alert threshold of 5 cases within a week even after MSaT. Communities were sensitized and MDA was conducted using a house-to-house approach. All household members, except pregnant women and children aged less than 2 months, were provided with ACT medicine. Two weeks after the MDA campaign, a survey was undertaken to investigate completion of ACT doses. RESULTS: A total of 8816 [97.1% of eligible; 95% confidence interval (CI) 96.8-97.5] people received ACT. During post MDA surveys, 2009 people were interviewed: 90.2% reported having completed MDA doses; 1.9% started treatment but did not complete dosage; 4.7% did not take treatment; 2.0% were absent during MDA and 1.2% were ineligible (i.e. infants <2 months and pregnant women). Main reasons for failure to complete treatment were experience of side-effects and forgetting to take subsequent doses. Failure to take treatment was mainly due to fear of side-effects, reluctance due to lack of malaria symptoms and caregivers forgetting to give medication to children. CONCLUSION: Mass drug administration for malaria was well accepted by communities at high risk of malaria in Zanzibar, with high participation and completion rates. Further work to investigate the potential of MDA in accelerating Zanzibar’s efforts towards malaria elimination should be pursued.

    • Statistics as Topic
      • Bayesian analysis is firmly grounded in the science of probability and has been increasingly supplementing or replacing traditional approaches based on P values. In this review, we present gradually more complex examples, along with programming code and data sets, to show how Bayesian analysis takes evidence from randomized clinical trials to update what is already known about specific treatments in cardiovascular medicine. In the example of revascularization choices for diabetic patients who have multivessel coronary artery disease, we combine the results of the FREEDOM trial (Future Revascularization Evaluation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease) with prior probability distributions to show how strongly we should believe in the new Class I recommendation (“should be done”) for a preference of bypass surgery over percutaneous coronary intervention. In the debate about the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation, we avoid a common pitfall in traditional meta-analysis and create a network of randomized clinical trials to compare outcomes after specific treatment durations. Although we find no credible increase in mortality, we affirm the tradeoff between increased bleeding and reduced myocardial infarctions with prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy, findings that support the new Class IIb recommendation (“may be considered”) to extend dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation. In the decision between culprit artery-only and multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, we use hierarchical meta-analysis to analyze evidence from observational studies and randomized clinical trials and find that the probability of all-cause mortality at longest follow-up is similar after both strategies, a finding that challenges the older ban against noninfarct-artery intervention during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. These examples illustrate how Bayesian analysis integrates new trial information with existing knowledge to reduce uncertainty and change attitudes about treatments in cardiovascular medicine.

    • Zoonotic and Vectorborne Diseases
      • Zika virus disease in children in Colombia, August 2015 to May 2016
        Tolosa N, Tinker SC, Pacheco O, Valencia D, Botero DS, Tong VT, Mercado M, Gilboa SM, Gonzalez M, Nelson CA, Pardo L, Rao CY, Rico A, Moore M, Parra E, Honein MA, Ospina Martinez ML.
        Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2017 Aug 14.
        BACKGROUND: Children are considered a potentially vulnerable population for Zika virus infection. However, data on paediatric Zika virus infection are sparse. METHODS: We analysed data from Colombia’s national surveillance system during the 2015-2016 Zika virus outbreak on patients meeting the clinical case definition of Zika virus disease (ZVD) among children aged 1 month to 18 years to estimate incidence by demographic characteristics and characterize the occurrence of selected complications. RESULTS: Between August 14, 2015, and May 28, 2016, there were 18 576 reported cases of postnatal ZVD among children aged 1 month to 18 years. Laboratory testing was prioritized for high-risk patients (infants, pregnant women, adults aged >/=65 years, and persons with serious co-morbidities); among 1655 that were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, 1207 (72.9%) were positive. The cumulative incidence of reported ZVD was 114.4 per 100 000. The incidence differed by sex, depending on age group; the largest difference was observed for 15-18 year olds, with females having a higher incidence than males (cumulative incidence ratio 2.5, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 2.7). At the time of report to the surveillance system, 631 patients (3.4%) were hospitalised and 96 (0.5%) had a report of an accompanying neurological diagnosis, including Guillain-Barre syndrome in 40 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of reported paediatric ZVD cases in Colombia were hospitalized or had reported neurological conditions following ZVD. However, the potential for some serious outcomes demonstrates the importance of preventing Zika virus infection in children.

  2. CDC Authored Publications
    The names of CDC authors are indicated in bold text.
    Articles published in the past 6-8 weeks authored by CDC or ATSDR staff.
    • Chronic Diseases and Conditions
      1. Cancer-attributable mortality among people with treated human immunodeficiency virus infection in North America
        Engels EA, Yanik EL, Wheeler W, Gill MJ, Shiels MS, Dubrow R, Althoff KN, Silverberg MJ, Brooks JT, Kitahata MM, Goedert JJ, Grover S, Mayor AM, Moore RD, Park LS, Rachlis A, Sigel K, Sterling TR, Thorne JE, Pfeiffer RM, Benson CA, Bosch RJ, Kirk GD, Boswell S, Mayer KH, Grasso C, Hogg RS, Harrigan PR, Montaner JS, Yip B, Zhu J, Salters K, Gabler K, Buchacz K, Gebo KA, Carey JT, Rodriguez B, Horberg MA, Rabkin C, Jacobson LP, D’Souza G, Klein MB, Rourke SB, Rachlis AR, Globerman J, Kopansky-Giles M, Hunter-Mellado RF, Deeks SG, Martin JN, Patel P, Saag MS, Mugavero MJ, Willig J, Eron JJ, Napravnik S, Crane HM, Drozd DR, Haas D, Rebeiro P, Turner M, Bebawy S, Rogers B, Justice AC, Fiellin D, Gange SJ, Anastos K, McKaig RG, Freeman AM, Lent C, Van Rompaey SE, Morton L, McReynolds J, Lober WB, Abraham AG, Lau B, Zhang J, Jing J, Modur S, Wong C, Hogan B, Desir F, Liu B, You B.
        Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2017 ;65(4):636-643.
        Background Cancer remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWHIV) on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Estimates of cancer-attributable mortality can inform public health efforts. Methods We evaluated 46956 PWHIV receiving ART in North American HIV cohorts (1995-2009). Using information on incident cancers and deaths, we calculated population-attributable fractions (PAFs), estimating the proportion of deaths due to cancer. Calculations were based on proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, race, HIV risk group, calendar year, cohort, CD4 count, and viral load. Results There were 1997 incident cancers and 8956 deaths during 267145 person-years of follow-up, and 11.9% of decedents had a prior cancer. An estimated 9.8% of deaths were attributable to cancer (cancer-attributable mortality rate 327 per 100000 person-years). PAFs were 2.6% for AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 2.0% of deaths) and 7.1% for non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs: lung cancer, 2.3%; liver cancer, 0.9%). PAFs for NADCs were higher in males and increased strongly with age, reaching 12.5% in PWHIV aged 55+ years. Mortality rates attributable to ADCs and NADCs were highest for PWHIV with CD4 counts <100 cells/mm 3. PAFs for NADCs increased during 1995-2009, reaching 10.1% in 2006-2009. Conclusions Approximately 10% of deaths in PWHIV prescribed ART during 1995-2009 were attributable to cancer, but this fraction increased over time. A large proportion of cancer-attributable deaths were associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, and liver cancer. Deaths due to NADCs will likely grow in importance as AIDS mortality declines and PWHIV age.

      2. The Kelly West Award for Outstanding Achievement in Epidemiology is given in memory of Kelly M. West, widely regarded as the “father of diabetes epidemiology,” to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of diabetes epidemiology. Edward W. Gregg, PhD, of the Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, received the prestigious award at the American Diabetes Association’s 76th Scientific Sessions, 10-14 June 2016, in New Orleans, LA. He presented the Kelly West Award Lecture, “Changing Tides of the Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic-Smooth Sailing or Troubled Waters Ahead?” on Sunday, 12 June 2016.

      3. Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control among adults aged >/=18 years – Los Angeles County, 1999-2006 and 2007-2014
        Hales CM, Carroll MD, Simon PA, Kuo T, Ogden CL.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Aug 18;66(32):846-849.
        Hypertension is an important and common risk factor for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in adults in the United States. Despite considerable improvement in increasing the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension remain public health challenges. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to estimate the prevalence of hypertension, as well as awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among adults aged >/=18 years in Los Angeles County compared with adults aged >/=18 years in the United States during 1999-2006 and 2007-2014. During 2007-2014, the prevalence of hypertension was 23.1% among adults in Los Angeles County, lower than the prevalence of 29.6% among all U.S. adults. Among adults with hypertension in Los Angeles County, substantial improvements from 1999-2006 to 2007-2014 were found in hypertension awareness (increase from 73.8% to 84.6%), treatment (61.3% to 77.2%), and control (28.5% to 48.3%). Similar improvements were also seen among all U.S. adults. Although the prevalence of hypertension among adults in Los Angeles County meets the Healthy People 2020 (https://www.healthypeople.gov/) goal of </=26.9%, continued progress is needed to meet the Healthy People 2020 goal of >/=61.2% for control of hypertension.

      4. 24-h Nitrogen dioxide concentration is associated with cooking behaviors and an increase in rescue medication use in children with asthma
        Paulin LM, Williams D, Peng R, Diette GB, McCormack MC, Breysse P, Hansel NN.
        Environ Res. 2017 Aug 07;159:118-123.
        Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a byproduct of combustion, is associated with poor asthma control in children. We sought to determine whether gas-fueled kitchen appliance use is associated with 24-h indoor NO2 concentrations and whether these concentrations are associated with asthma morbidity in children. Children aged 5-12 years old with asthma were eligible. Mean 24-h NO2 concentration was measured in the kitchen over a four-day sampling period and gas stove use was captured in time activity diaries. The relationship between stove and oven use and daily NO2 concentration was analyzed. Longitudinal analysis assessed the effect of daily NO2 exposure on symptoms, inhaler use, and lung function. Multivariate models were adjusted for age, sex, season, and maternal education. Thirty children contributed 126 participant days of sampling. Mean indoor 24-h NO2 concentration was 58(48)ppb with a median (range) of 45(12-276)ppb. All homes had gas stoves and furnaces. Each hour of kitchen appliance use was associated with an 18ppb increase in 24-h NO2 concentration. In longitudinal multivariate analysis, each ten-fold increase in previous-day NO2 was associated with increased nighttime inhaler use (OR = 4.9, p = 0.04). There were no associations between NO2 and lung function or asthma symptoms. Higher previous-day 24-h concentration of NO2 is associated with increased nighttime inhaler use in children with asthma.

      5. BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of female cancer mortality in Kenya. Kenya’s National Cervical Cancer Prevention Program Strategic Plan outlines efforts to reduce the burden; however, treatment services remain limited. This study identified male and female perspectives regarding benefits, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten focus groups were conducted in Nairobi and Nyanza in 2014 with females aged 25-49 years (n = 60) and male partners (n = 40). Participants were divided into groups dependent on screening status, sex, language, and geographic location. Qualitative analytic software was used to analyze transcribed and translated data. RESULTS: Treatment was endorsed as beneficial for the prevention of death and the improvement of wellness, quality of life, symptoms, and family life. Barriers reported by males and females included the following: (a) concerns about side effects; (b) treatment-related fear and stigma; (c) marital discord; (d) financial and access issues; (e) religious and cultural beliefs; and (f) limited knowledge. Male endorsement of wanting to improve knowledge and communication with their partners, in spite of stigmatizing beliefs and misperceptions regarding females with abnormal screening results or those who have been diagnosed with cancer, was novel. CONCLUSION: Incorporating qualitative data on benefits of and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer into Kenya’s national priorities and activities is important. Our findings can be used to inform the development and successful implementation of targeted, region-specific community outreach and health messaging campaigns focused on alleviating the country’s cervical cancer burden. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This article provides important insight into female and male partner perspectives regarding benefits, facilitators, and barriers to treatment for precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. Our novel research findings can inform the development of targeted community health interventions, educational messages, and resources and aid stakeholders in strengthening strategic plans regarding treatment coverage and cervical cancer prevention. Because several treatment barriers identified in this study are similar to barriers associated with cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-resourced countries, effective messaging interventions could address barriers to receipt of both screening and treatment.

    • Communicable Diseases
      1. The pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease
        Baseler L, Chertow DS, Johnson KM, Feldmann H, Morens DM.
        Annu Rev Pathol. 2017 Jan 24;12:387-418.
        For almost 50 years, ebolaviruses and related filoviruses have been repeatedly reemerging across the vast equatorial belt of the African continent to cause epidemics of highly fatal hemorrhagic fever. The 2013-2015 West African epidemic, by far the most geographically extensive, most fatal, and longest lasting epidemic in Ebola’s history, presented an enormous international public health challenge, but it also provided insights into Ebola’s pathogenesis and natural history, clinical expression, treatment, prevention, and control. Growing understanding of ebolavirus pathogenetic mechanisms and important new clinical observations of the disease course provide fresh clues about prevention and treatment approaches. Although viral cytopathology and immune-mediated cell damage in ebolavirus disease often result in severe compromise of multiple organs, tissue repair and organ function recovery can be expected if patients receive supportive care with fluids and electrolytes; maintenance of oxygenation and tissue perfusion; and respiratory, renal, and cardiovascular support. Major challenges for managing future Ebola epidemics include establishment of early and aggressive epidemic control and earlier and better patient care and treatment in remote, resource-poor areas where Ebola typically reemerges. In addition, it will be important to further develop Ebola vaccines and to adopt policies for their use in epidemic and pre-epidemic situations.

      2. Fluconazole resistance in Candida species: A current perspective
        Berkow EL, Lockhart SR.
        Infect Drug Resist. 2017 ;10:237-245.
        Candida albicans and the emerging non-albicans Candida spp. have significant clinical relevance among many patient populations. Current treatment guidelines include fluconazole as a primary therapeutic option for the treatment of these infections, but it is only fungistatic against Candida spp. and both inherent and acquired resistance to fluconazole have been reported. Such mechanisms of resistance include increased drug efflux, alteration or increase in the drug target, and development of compensatory pathways for producing the target sterol, ergosterol. While many mechanisms of resistance observed in C. albicans are also found in the non-albicans species, there are also important and unexpected differences between species. Furthermore, mechanisms of fluconazole resistance in emerging Candida spp., including the global health threat Candida auris, are largely unknown. In order to preserve the utility of one of our fundamental antifungal drugs, fluconazole, it is essential that we fully appreciate the manner by which Candida spp. manifest resistance to it.

      3. OBJECTIVES: We examined the survival rates after diagnosis of HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) in the United States by population density area of residence at diagnosis. METHODS: We used data from the National HIV Surveillance System to calculate survival rates among people aged >/=13 with HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) diagnosed from 2005 through 2010. We determined survival rates for more than 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis; overall and by demographic characteristics; and across 3 population density area categories (large metropolitan statistical areas [MSAs, >/=500 000 people], small-to-medium MSAs [50 000 to 499 999 people], and nonmetropolitan areas [<50 000 people]). RESULTS: The survival rates for more than 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis were highest among people residing in large MSAs (90.2%, 87.2%, and 84.9%, respectively) and lowest among people residing in nonmetropolitan areas (87.3%, 84.1%, and 81.4%, respectively). With a few exceptions, survival rates were lower in those residing in nonmetropolitan areas than those residing in large MSAs and small-to-medium MSAs across most subgroups by age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, sex, transmission category, region of residence, and year of diagnosis. Between 2005 and 2010, significant year-to-year increases occurred in the proportion of people surviving more than 36 months after diagnosis across all 3 population density area categories (estimated annual percentage change: large MSAs [0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56-1.20]; small-to-medium MSAs [0.94; 95% CI, 0.06-1.83]; and nonmetropolitan areas [1.26; 95% CI, 0.07-2.46]). CONCLUSIONS: Although survival rates for those with HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) improved in all 3 population density area categories, efforts to remove barriers to care and promote treatment adherence in nonmetropolitan areas will be necessary to eliminate survival disparities.

      4. Effects of antiretroviral therapy to prevent HIV transmission to women in couples attempting conception when the man has HIV infection – United States, 2017
        Brooks JT, Kawwass JF, Smith DK, Kissin DM, Lampe M, Haddad LB, Boulet SL, Jamieson DJ.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Aug 18;66(32):859-860.
        Existing U.S. guidelines recommend that men with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection should achieve virologic suppression* with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) before attempting conception. Clinical studies have demonstrated that effective ART profoundly reduces the risk for HIV transmission. This information might be useful for counseling couples planning a pregnancy in which the man has HIV infection and the woman does not (i.e., a mixed HIV-status couple, often referred to as a serodiscordant couple).

      5. Global update on the susceptibility of human influenza viruses to neuraminidase inhibitors, 2015-2016
        Gubareva LV, Besselaar TG, Daniels RS, Fry A, Gregory V, Huang W, Hurt AC, Jorquera PA, Lackenby A, Leang SK, Lo J, Pereyaslov D, Rebelo-de-Andrade H, Siqueira MM, Takashita E, Odagiri T, Wang D, Zhang W, Meijer A.
        Antiviral Res. 2017 Aug 09.
        Four World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza and one WHO Collaborating Centre for the Surveillance, Epidemiology and Control of Influenza (WHO CCs) assessed antiviral susceptibility of 14,330 influenza A and B viruses collected by WHO-recognized National Influenza Centres (NICs) between May 2015 and May 2016. Neuraminidase (NA) inhibition assay was used to determine 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) data for NA inhibitors (NAIs) oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir and laninamivir. Furthermore, NA sequences from 13,484 influenza viruses were retrieved from public sequence databases and screened for amino acid substitutions (AAS) associated with reduced inhibition (RI) or highly reduced inhibition (HRI) by NAIs. Of the viruses tested by WHO CCs 93% were from three WHO regions: Western Pacific, the Americas and Europe. Approximately 0.8% (n = 113) exhibited either RI or HRI by at least one of four NAIs. As in previous seasons, the most common NA AAS was H275Y in A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, which confers HRI by oseltamivir and peramivir. Two A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses carried a rare NA AAS, S247R, shown in this study to confer RI/HRI by the four NAIs. The overall frequency of A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses containing NA AAS associated with RI/HRI was approximately 1.8% (125/6915), which is slightly higher than in the previous 2014-15 season (0.5%). Three B/Victoria-lineage viruses contained a new AAS, NA H134N, which conferred HRI by zanamivir and laninamivir, and borderline HRI by peramivir. A single B/Victoria-lineage virus harboured NA G104E, which was associated with HRI by all four NAIs. The overall frequency of RI/HRI phenotype among type B viruses was approximately 0.6% (43/7677), which is lower than that in the previous season. Overall, the vast majority (>99%) of the viruses tested by WHO CCs were susceptible to all four NAIs, showing normal inhibition (NI). Hence, NAIs remain the recommended antivirals for treatment of influenza virus infections. Nevertheless, our data indicate that it is prudent to continue drug susceptibility monitoring using both NAI assay and sequence analysis.

      6. Seroprevalence of anti-polio antibodies in children from polio high-risk areas of Pakistan: A cross-sectional survey 2015-2016
        Hussain I, Mach O, Habib A, Bhatti Z, Suhag Z, Oberste MS, Weldon WC, Sutter RW, Soofi SB, Bhutta ZA.
        Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017 Sep;36(9):e230-e236.
        BACKGROUND: Pakistan is one of the 3 remaining wild poliovirus endemic countries. We collected sera from children to assess the prevalence of poliovirus antibodies in selected high-risk areas for poliovirus transmission. METHODS: Children in 2 age groups (6-11 and 36-48 months) were randomly selected between November 2015 and March 2016 in 6 areas of Pakistan (Sindh Province: Karachi and Kashmore; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Peshawar, Bannu and Nowshera; Punjab Province: Faisalabad). After obtaining informed consent, basic demographic and vaccination history data were collected, 1 peripheral venipuncture was obtained, and assays to detect poliovirus (PV)-neutralizing antibodies were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1301 children were enrolled and had peripheral blood drawn that analyzed. Study subjects were evenly distributed among survey sites and age groups. Anti-polio seroprevalence differed significantly among geographic areas (P < 0.001); in the 6-11 months group, it ranged between 89% and 98%, 58% and 95%, and 74% and 96% for PV serotypes 1, 2 and 3, respectively; in 36-48 months group, it ranged between 99% and 100%, 95% and 100%, and 92% and 100% for PV 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Having received inactivate poliovirus vaccine, malnourishment (stunting) and educational level of parents were found to be associated with presence of anti-polio antibodies. CONCLUSION: The polio eradication program achieved overall high serologic protection; however, immunity gaps in young children in the high polio risk areas remain. These gaps enable sustained circulation of wild poliovirus type 1, and pose risk for emergence of vaccine-derived polioviruses. Focusing on the lowest socioeconomic strata of society, where malnutrition is most prevalent, could accelerate poliovirus eradication.

      7. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the programmatic costs of partner services for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection. STUDY SETTING: New York State and local health departments conducting partner services activities in 2014. STUDY DESIGN: A cost analysis estimated, from the state perspective, total program costs and cost per case assignment, patient interview, partner notification, and disease-specific key performance indicator. DATA COLLECTION: Data came from contracts, a time study of staff effort, and statewide surveillance systems. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Disease-specific costs per case assignment (mean: $580; range: $502-$1,111), patient interview ($703; $608-$1,609), partner notification ($1,169; $950-$1,936), and key performance indicator ($2,697; $1,666-$20,255) varied across diseases. Most costs (79 percent) were devoted to gonorrhea and chlamydial infection investigations. CONCLUSIONS: Cost analysis complements cost-effectiveness analysis in evaluating program performance and guiding improvements.

      8. Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication – Afghanistan, January 2016-June 2017
        Martinez M, Shukla H, Nikulin J, Wadood MZ, Hadler S, Mbaeyi C, Tangermann R, Jorba J, Ehrhardt D.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Aug 18;66(32):854-858.
        Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria remain the only countries where the transmission of endemic wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) continues (1). This report describes polio eradication activities, progress, and challenges in Afghanistan during January 2016-June 2017 and updates previous reports (2,3). Thirteen WPV1 cases were confirmed in Afghanistan in 2016, a decrease of seven from the 20 cases reported in 2015. From January to June 2017, five WPV1 cases were reported, compared with six during the same period in 2016. The number of affected districts declined from 23 (including WPV1-positive acute flaccid paralysis [AFP] cases and positive environmental sewage samples) in 2015 to six in 2016. To achieve WPV1 eradication, it is important that Afghanistan’s polio program continue to collaborate with that of neighboring Pakistan to track and vaccinate groups of high-risk mobile populations and strengthen efforts to reach children in security-compromised areas.

      9. Towards a generation free of tuberculosis: TB disease and infection in individuals of college age in the United States
        Shah NS, Flood-Bryzman A, Jeffries C, Scott J.
        J Am Coll Health. 2017 Aug 11:0.
        OBJECTIVES: To assess the magnitude of active TB disease and LTBI in young adults of college age. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals 18 – 24 years old in 2011 were used as a proxy for college students. METHODS: Active TB cases reported to the 2011 U.S. National TB Surveillance System (NTSS) were included. LTBI prevalence was calculated from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The 2011 American Community Survey was used to calculate population denominators. Analyses were stratified by nativity. RESULTS: Active TB disease incidence among persons aged 18-24 years was 2.82/100,000; 18.8/100,000 among foreign-born individuals and 0.9/100,000 among U.S.-born individuals. In 2011, 878 TB cases were reported; 629 (71.6%) were foreign-born. LTBI prevalence among persons 18-24 years old was 2.5%: 8.7% and 1.3% among foreign-born and U.S.-born, respectively. CONCLUSION: Active screening and treatment programs for foreign-born young adults could identify TB cases earlier and provide an opportunity for prevention efforts.

      10. Community-acquired pneumonia visualized on computed tomography but not chest x-ray: Pathogens, severity, and clinical outcomes
        Upchurch CP, Grijalva CG, Wunderink RG, Williams DJ, Waterer GW, Anderson EJ, Zhu Y, Hart EM, Carroll F, Bramley AM, Jain S, Edwards KM, Self WH.
        Chest. 2017 Aug 09.
        BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of pneumonia visualized on computed tomography (CT) in the setting of a normal chest x-ray (CXR) is uncertain. METHODS: In a multicenter prospective surveillance study of adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), we compared the presenting clinical features, pathogens, and outcomes of patients with pneumonia visualized on CT but not on concurrent CXR (CT-only pneumonia) and those with pneumonia visualized on CXR. All patients underwent CXR; the decision to obtain CT imaging was determined by the treating clinicians. CXR and CT images were interpreted by study-dedicated thoracic radiologists blinded to clinical data. RESULTS: The study population included 2,251 adults with CAP; 2,185 (97%) patients had pneumonia visualized on CXR while 66 (3%) had pneumonia visualized on CT but not concurrent CXR. Overall, these patients with CT-only pneumonia had a similar clinical profile to those with pneumonia visualized on CXR, including comorbidities, vital signs, hospital length of stay, prevalence of viral (30% vs 26%) and bacterial pathogens (12% vs 14%), intensive care unit admission (23% vs 21%), mechanical ventilation (6% vs 5%), septic shock (5% vs 4%), and in-hospital mortality (0 vs 2%). CONCLUSIONS: Adults hospitalized with CAP who had radiologic evidence of pneumonia on CT but not concurrent CXR had similar pathogens, disease severity, and outcomes compared with patients who had signs of pneumonia on CXR. These findings support using of the same management principles for patients with CT-only pneumonia as those with pneumonia on CXR.

    • Disease Reservoirs and Vectors
      1. Association between wetland presence and incidence of Salmonella enterica serotype Javiana infections in selected US sites, 2005-2011
        Huang JY, Patrick ME, Manners J, Sapkota AR, Scherzinger KJ, Tobin-D’Angelo M, Henao OL, Cole DJ, Vieira AR.
        Epidemiol Infect. 2017 Aug 14:1-7.
        Salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million illnesses annually in the USA. Salmonella enterica serotype Javiana (serotype Javiana) is the fourth most common serotype isolated from humans, with the majority of illnesses occurring in southeastern states. The percentage of wetland cover by wetland type and the average incidence rates of serotype Javiana infection in selected counties of the Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) were examined. This analysis explored the relationship between wetland environments and incidence in order to assess whether regional differences in environmental habitats may be associated with observed variations in incidence. Findings suggest that environmental habitats may support reservoirs or contribute to the persistence of serotype Javiana, and may frequently contribute to the transmission of infection compared with other Salmonella serotypes.

    • Drug Safety
      1. Antibiotic stewardship in small hospitals: Barriers and potential solutions
        Stenehjem E, Hyun DY, Septimus E, Yu KC, Meyer M, Raj D, Srinivasan A.
        Clin Infect Dis. 2017 May 02.
        Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) improve antibiotic prescribing. 73% of United States (US) hospitals have < 200 beds. Small hospitals (< 200 beds) have similar rates of antibiotic prescribing compared to large hospitals but the majority of small hospitals lack ASPs that satisfy the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) core elements. All hospitals, regardless of size, are now required to have ASPs by The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a similar requirement. Very few studies have described the successful implementation of ASPs in small hospitals. We describe barriers commonly encountered in small hospitals when constructing an antibiotic stewardship team, obtaining appropriate metrics of antibiotic prescribing, implementing antibiotic stewardship interventions, obtaining financial resources, and utilizing the microbiology laboratory. We propose potential solutions that tailor stewardship activities to the needs of the facility and the resources typically available.

    • Environmental Health
      1. Variability of indoor fungal microbiome of green and non-green low-income homes in Cincinnati, Ohio
        Coombs K, Taft D, Ward DV, Green BJ, Chew GL, Shamsaei B, Meller J, Indugula R, Reponen T.
        Sci Total Environ. 2017 Aug 10;610-611:212-218.
        “Green” housing is designed to use low-impact materials, increase energy efficiency and improve occupant health. However, little is known about the indoor mycobiome of green homes. The current study is a subset of a multicenter study that aims to investigate the indoor environment of green homes and the respiratory health of asthmatic children. In the current study, the mycobiome in air, bed dust and floor dust was compared between green (study site) and non-green (control site), low-income homes in Cincinnati, Ohio. The samples were collected at baseline (within four months following renovation), and 12months after the baseline at the study site. Parallel sample collection was conducted in non-green control homes. Air samples were collected by PM2.5 samplers over 5-days. Bed and floor dust samples were vacuumed after the air sampling was completed. The DNA sample extracts were analyzed using ITS amplicon sequencing. Analysis indicated that there was no clear trend in the fungal communities between green and non-green homes. Instead, fungal community differences were greatest between sample types – air, bed, and floor. Microbial communities also changed substantially between sampling intervals in both green and non-green homes for all sample types, potentially indicating that there was very little stability in the mycobiomes. Research gaps remain regarding how indoor mycobiome fluctuates over time. Longer follow-up periods might elucidate the effect of green renovation on microbial load in buildings.

      2. Fungal microbiomes associated with green and non-green building materials
        Coombs K, Vesper S, Green BJ, Yermakov M, Reponen T.
        International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation. 2017 .
        Water-damaged buildings can lead to fungal growth and occupant health problems. Green building materials, derived from renewable sources, are increasingly utilized in construction and renovations. However, the question as to what fungi will grow on these green compared to non-green materials, after they get wet, has not been adequately studied. By determining what fungi grow on each type of material, the potential health risks can be more adequately assessed. In this study, we inoculated green and non-green pieces of ceiling tile, composite board, drywall, and flooring with indoor dust containing a complex mixture of naturally occurring fungi. The materials were saturated with water and incubated for two months in a controlled environment. The resulting fungal microbiomes were evaluated using ITS amplicon sequencing. Overall, the richness and diversity of the mycobiomes on each pair of green and non-green pieces were not significantly different. However, different genera dominated on each type of material. For example, Aspergillus spp. had the highest relative abundance on green and non-green ceiling tiles and green composite boards, but Peniophora spp. dominated the non-green composite board. In contrast, Penicillium spp. dominated green and non-green flooring samples. Green gypsum board was dominated by Phialophora spp. and Stachybotrys spp., but non-green gypsum board by Myrothecium spp. These data suggest that water-damaged green and non-green building materials can result in mycobiomes that are dominated by fungal genera whose member species pose different potentials for health risks.

      3. Environmental public health tracking program advances and successes: Highlights from the first 15 years
        Wilson HR, Charleston AE.
        J Public Health Manag Pract. 2017 Sep/Oct;23 Suppl 5 Supplement, Environmental Public Health Tracking:S4-s8.
        Over the past 15 years, the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) has advanced technologically and programmatically, evolving from an abstract concept to a mature program. The Tracking Program, in collaboration with national, state, and local partners, uses data and expertise to identify and address environmental public health needs and improve public health capacity across the United States. Examples of the successful application of environmental public health tracking include informing health impact assessments and filling data gaps. The Tracking Program plans to continue working to direct innovative programs and solutions that protect and improve community health in years to come. With support from the Tracking Program, health departments can enhance their abilities to plan and conduct environmental public health activities.

      4. Environmental public health tracking: From data to action
        Yip FY.
        J Public Health Manag Pract. 2017 Sep/Oct;23 Suppl 5 Supplement, Environmental Public Health Tracking:S1-s3.

        [No abstract]

    • Food Safety
      1. Lychee-associated encephalopathy in China and its reduction since 2000
        Zhang LJ, Fontaine RE.
        Lancet Glob Health. 2017 Sep;5(9):e865.

        [No abstract]

    • Genetics and Genomics
      1. Validation of beta-lactam minimum inhibitory concentration predictions for pneumococcal isolates with newly encountered penicillin binding protein (PBP) sequences
        Li Y, Metcalf BJ, Chochua S, Li Z, Gertz RE, Walker H, Hawkins PA, Tran T, McGee L, Beall BW.
        BMC Genomics. 2017 Aug 15;18(1):621.
        BACKGROUND: Genomic sequence-based deduction of antibiotic minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) has great potential to enhance the speed and sensitivity of antimicrobial susceptibility testing. We previously developed a penicillin-binding protein (PBP) typing system and two methods (Random Forest (RF) and Mode MIC (MM)) that accurately predicted beta-lactam MICs for pneumococcal isolates carrying a characterized PBP sequence type (phenotypic beta-lactam MICs known for at least one isolate of this PBP type). This study evaluates the prediction performance for previously uncharacterized (new) PBP types and the probability of encountering new PBP types, both of which impact the overall prediction accuracy. RESULTS: The MM and RF methods were used to predict MICs of 4309 previously reported pneumococcal isolates in 2 datasets and the results were compared to the known broth microdilution MICs to 6 beta-lactams. Based on a method that specifically evaluated predictions for new PBP types, the RF results were more accurate than MM results for new PBP types and showed percent essential agreement (MICs agree within +/-1 dilution) >97%, percent category agreement (interpretive results agree) >93%, major discrepancy (sensitive isolate predicted as resistant) rate < 1.2%, and very major discrepancy (resistant isolate predicted as sensitive) rate < 1.4% for all 6 beta-lactams. The identification of new PBP types over time was well approximated by a diminishingly increasing curve (Pearson’s r = 0.99) and minimally impacted overall MIC prediction performance. CONCLUSIONS: MIC prediction using the RF method could be an accurate alternative of phenotypic susceptibility testing even in the presence of previously uncharacterized PBP types.

    • Health Behavior and Risk
      1. Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections Among Adults and Adolescents – United States, 2016
        Cope JR, Collier SA, Nethercut H, Jones JM, Yates K, Yoder JS.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Aug 18;66(32):841-845.
        Contact lens-related eye infections, which can lead to serious outcomes, including blindness, are associated with several risk factors, including sleeping in lenses, exposing lenses to water, not adhering to replacement schedules, and reusing disinfecting solution. In some studies, adolescent and young adult contact lens wearers have been reported to be more likely than older adult contact lens wearers to develop eye infections and more likely to have poor contact lens hygiene practices. In 2015, CDC reported the number and demographics of adult contact lens wearers in the United States to define the population at risk for contact lens-related eye infections; however, this estimate did not include adolescents. To better understand this group of younger contact lens wearers and guide prevention efforts, a population-based survey was used to assess contact lens wear, care behaviors, risk factors, and demographics among persons aged 12-17 years (referred to as adolescents in this report), young adults aged 18-24 years, and older adults aged >/=25 years in the United States. In 2016, an estimated 3.6 million adolescents (14.5%) wore contact lenses. Of the adolescents who wore contact lenses, 85% reported at least one behavior that put them at risk for a contact lens-related eye infection, compared with 81% of young adults, and 88% of older adults. These findings can inform the creation of age-specific targeted prevention messages aimed at contact lens wearers and establish a baseline for evaluating trends in contact lens wear, care habits, and contact lens-related risk behaviors.

    • Health Economics
      1. Economic valuation of selected illnesses in environmental public health tracking
        Zhou Y, Nurmagambetov T, McCord M, Hsu WH.
        J Public Health Manag Pract. 2017 Sep/Oct;23 Suppl 5 Supplement, Environmental Public Health Tracking:S18-s27.
        BACKGROUND: In benefit-cost analysis of public health programs, health outcomes need to be assigned monetary values so that different health endpoints can be compared and improvement in health can be compared with cost of the program. There are 2 major approaches for estimating economic value of illnesses: willingness to pay (WTP) and cost of illness (COI). In this study, we compared these 2 approaches and summarized valuation estimates for 3 health endpoints included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network-asthma, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and lead poisoning. METHOD: First, we compared results of WTP and COI estimates reported in the peer-reviewed literature when these 2 methods were applied to the same study participants. Second, we reviewed the availability and summarized valuations using these 2 approaches for 3 health endpoints. RESULT: For the same study participants, WTP estimates in the literature were higher than COI estimates for minor and moderate cases. For more severe cases, with substantial portion of the costs paid by the third party, COI could exceed WTP. Annual medical cost of asthma based on COI approach ranged from $800 to $3300 and indirect costs ranged from $90 to $1700. WTP to have no asthma symptoms ranged from $580 to $4200 annually. We found no studies estimating WTP to avoid CO or lead poisoning. Cost of a CO poisoning hospitalization ranged from $14 000 to $17 000. For patients who sustained long-term cognitive sequela, lifetime earnings and quality-of-life losses can significantly exceed hospitalization costs. For lead poisoning, most studies focused on lead exposure and cognitive ability, and its impact on lifetime earnings. CONCLUSION: For asthma, more WTP studies are needed, particularly studies designed for conditions that involve third-party payers. For CO poisoning and lead poisoning, WTP studies need to be conducted so that more comprehensive economic valuation estimates can be provided. When COI estimates are used alone, it should be clearly stated that COI does not fully capture the nonmarket cost of illness, such as pain and suffering, which highlights the need for WTP estimates.

    • Immunity and Immunization
      1. Vaccines and outpatient antibiotic stewardship
        Hersh AL, Fleming-Dutra KE.
        Pediatrics. 2017 Aug 14.

        [No abstract]

      2. Readiness to vaccinate critical personnel during an influenza pandemic, United States, 2015
        Moulia DL, Dopson SA, Vagi SJ, Fitzgerald TJ, Fiebelkorn AP, Graitcer SB.
        Am J Public Health. 2017 Aug 17:e1-e3.
        OBJECTIVES: To assess the readiness to vaccinate critical infrastructure personnel (CIP) involved in managing public works, emergency services, transportation, or any other system or asset that would have an immediate debilitating impact on the community if not maintained. METHODS: We analyzed self-reported planning to vaccinate CIP during an influenza pandemic with data from 2 surveys: (1) the Program Annual Progress Assessment of immunization programs and (2) the Pandemic Influenza Readiness Assessment of public health emergency preparedness programs. Both surveys were conducted in 2015. RESULTS: Twenty-six (43.3%) of 60 responding public health emergency preparedness programs reported having an operational plan to identify and vaccinate CIP, and 16 (26.2%) of 61 responding immunization programs reported knowing the number of CIP in their program’s jurisdictions. CONCLUSIONS: Many programs may not be ready to identify and vaccinate CIP during an influenza pandemic. Additional efforts are needed to ensure operational readiness to vaccinate CIP during the next influenza pandemic.

      3. Using disease epidemiology to optimize immunization schedules
        Weinbaum CM, Orenstein WA.
        JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Aug 14.

        [No abstract]

    • Informatics
      1. Transitioning from paper to digital: State statutory and regulatory frameworks for health information technology
        Schmit C, Sunshine G, Pepin D, Ramanathan T, Menon A, Penn M.
        Public Health Rep. 2017 Jan 01:33354917722994.
        OBJECTIVES: In all health system sectors, electronic health information (EHI) is created, used, released, and reused. We examined states’ efforts to address EHI uses in law to provide an understanding of the EHI legal environment. METHODS: Attorney researchers used WestlawNext to search for EHI-related statutes and regulations of the US states, US territories, and the District of Columbia in effect as of January 2014. The researchers independently catalogued provisions by the EHI use described in the law. Researchers resolved discrepancies through peer review meetings and recorded the consensus codes for each law. RESULTS: This study identified 2364 EHI-related laws representing 49 EHI uses in 54 jurisdictions. A total of 18 EHI uses were regulated by >/=10 jurisdictions. More than 750 laws addressed 2 or more EHI uses. Jurisdictions varied by the number of EHI laws in effect, with a mean of 44 laws. Texas had the most EHI laws (n = 145). Hawaii and South Carolina had the fewest (n = 14 each). CONCLUSIONS: The EHI legal landscape is complex. The large quantity and diversity of laws complicate legal analysis, likely delay implementation of public health solutions, and might be detrimental to the development of emerging health information technology. Research is needed to understand the effect of EHI-related laws.

    • Injury and Violence
      1. Gender inequity is proposed as a societal-level risk factor for child maltreatment. However, most cross-national research examining this association is limited to developing countries and has used limited measures of gender inequity and child homicides as a proxy for child maltreatment. To examine the relationship between gender inequity and child maltreatment, we used caregivers? reported use of severe physical punishment (proxy for physical abuse) and children under 5 left alone or under the care of another child younger than 10 years of age (supervisory neglect) and three indices of gender inequity (the Social and Institutional Gender Index, the Gender Inequality Index, and the Gender Gap Index) from 57 countries, over half of which were developing countries. We found all three gender inequity indices to be significantly associated with physical abuse and two of the three to be significantly associated with neglect, after controlling for country-level development. Based on these findings, efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect might benefit from reducing gender inequity.

    • Laboratory Sciences
      1. Supplemental learning in the laboratory: An innovative approach for evaluating knowledge and method transfer
        Carter MD, Pierce SS, Dukes AD, Brown RH, Crow BS, Shaner RL, Heidari L, Isenberg SL, Perez JW, Graham LA, Thomas JD, Johnson RC, Gerdon AE.
        Journal of Chemical Education. 2017 ;94(8):1094-1097.
        The Multi-Rule Quality Control System (MRQCS) is a tool currently employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate and compare laboratory performance. We have applied the MRQCS to a comparison of instructor-led and computer-led prelaboratory instruction for a supplemental learning experiment. Students in general chemistry and analytical chemistry from both two- and four-year institutions performed two laboratory experiments as part of their normal laboratory curriculum. The first laboratory experiment was a foundational learning experiment in which all of the students were introduced to the Beer-Lambert law and spectrophotometric light absorbance measurements. The foundational learning experiment was instructor-led only, and participant performance was evaluated against a mean characterized value. The second laboratory experiment was a supplemental learning experiment in which students were asked to build upon the methodology they learned in the foundational learning experiment and apply it to a different analyte. The instruction type was varied randomly into two delivery modes, with participants receiving either instructor-led or computer-led prelaboratory instruction. The MRQCS was applied, and it was determined that there was no statistical difference between the quality control passing rates of the participants receiving instructor-led instruction and those receiving computer-led instruction. These findings demonstrate the successful application of the MRQCS to evaluate knowledge and technology transfer.

      2. Carbon nanoparticles inhibit the antimicrobial activities of the human cathelicidin LL-37 through structural alteration
        Findlay F, Pohl J, Svoboda P, Shakamuri P, McLean K, Inglis NF, Proudfoot L, Barlow PG.
        J Immunol. 2017 Aug 16.
        Host defense peptides, also known as antimicrobial peptides, are key elements of innate host defense. One host defense peptide with well-characterized antimicrobial activity is the human cathelicidin, LL-37. LL-37 has been shown to be upregulated at sites of infection and inflammation and is regarded as one of the primary innate defense molecules against bacterial and viral infection. Human exposure to combustion-derived or engineered nanoparticles is of increasing concern, and the implications of nanomaterial exposure on the human immune response is poorly understood. However, it is widely acknowledged that nanoparticles can interact strongly with several immune proteins of biological significance, with these interactions resulting in structural and functional changes of the proteins involved. This study investigated whether the potent antibacterial and antiviral functions of LL-37 were inhibited by exposure to, and interaction with, carbon nanoparticles, together with characterizing the nature of the interaction. LL-37 was exposed to carbon black nanoparticles in vitro, and the antibacterial and antiviral functions of the peptide were subsequently assessed. We demonstrate a substantial loss of antimicrobial function when the peptide was exposed to low concentrations of nanomaterials, and we further show that the nanomaterial-peptide interaction resulted in a significant change in the structure of the peptide. The human health implications of these findings are significant, as, to our knowledge, this is the first evidence that nanoparticles can alter host defense peptide structure and function, indicating a new role for nanoparticle exposure in increased disease susceptibility.

      3. We demonstrate the application of in-source nitrogen collision-induced dissociation (CID) that eliminates the need for ester hydrolysis before simultaneous analysis of esterified cholesterol (EC) and triglycerides (TG) along with free cholesterol (FC) from human serum, using normal phase liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The analysis requires only 50 muL of 1:100 dilute serum with a high-throughput, precipitation/evaporation/extraction protocol in one pot. Known representative mixtures of EC and TG species were used as calibrators with stable isotope labeled analogs as internal standards. The APCI MS source was operated with nitrogen source gas. Reproducible in-source CID was achieved with the use of optimal cone voltage (declustering potential), generating FC, EC, and TG lipid class-specific precursor fragment ions for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Using a representative mixture of purified FC, CE, and TG species as calibrators, the method accuracy was assessed with analysis of five inter-laboratory standardization materials, showing -10% bias for Total-C and -3% for Total-TG. Repeated duplicate analysis of a quality control pool showed intra-day and inter-day variation of 5% and 5.8% for FC, 5.2% and 8.5% for Total-C, and 4.1% and 7.7% for Total-TG. The applicability of the method was demonstrated on 32 serum samples and corresponding lipoprotein sub-fractions collected from normolipidemic, hypercholesterolemic, hypertriglyceridemic, and hyperlipidemic donors. The results show that in-source CID coupled with isotope dilution UHPLC-MS/MS is a viable high precision approach for translational research studies where samples are substantially diluted or the amounts of archived samples are limited.

      4. Human immune system mouse models of Ebola virus infection
        Spengler JR, Prescott J, Feldmann H, Spiropoulou CF.
        Curr Opin Virol. 2017 Aug 11;25:90-96.
        Human immune system (HIS) mice, immunodeficient mice engrafted with human cells (with or without donor-matched tissue), offer a unique opportunity to study pathogens that cause disease predominantly or exclusively in humans. Several HIS mouse models have recently been used to study Ebola virus (EBOV) infection and disease. The results of these studies are encouraging and support further development and use of these models in Ebola research. HIS mice provide a small animal model to study EBOV isolates, investigate early viral interactions with human immune cells, screen vaccines and therapeutics that modulate the immune system, and investigate sequelae in survivors. Here we review existing models, discuss their use in pathogenesis studies and therapeutic screening, and highlight considerations for study design and analysis. Finally, we point out caveats to current models, and recommend future efforts for modeling EBOV infection in HIS mice.

      5. Simultaneous measurement of total estradiol and testosterone in human serum by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
        Zhou H, Wang Y, Gatcombe M, Farris J, Botelho JC, Caudill SP, Vesper HW.
        Anal Bioanal Chem. 2017 Aug 11.
        Reliable measurement of total testosterone and estradiol is critical for their use as biomarkers of hormone-related disorders in patient care and translational research. We developed and validated a mass spectrometry method to simultaneously quantify these analytes in human serum without chemical derivatization. Serum is equilibrated with isotopic internal standards and treated with acidic buffer to release hormones from their binding proteins. Lipids are isolated and polar impurities are removed by two serial liquid-liquid extraction steps. Total testosterone and estradiol are measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in combination of positive and negative electrospray ionization modes. The method shows broad analytical measurement range for both testosterone 0.03-48.5 nM (0.75-1400 ng/dL) and estradiol 11.0-5138 pM (2.99-1400 pg/mL) and excellent agreement with certified reference materials (mean bias less than 2.1% to SRM 971, BCR 576, 577, and 578) and a high order reference method (mean bias 1.25% for testosterone and -0.84% for estradiol). The high accuracy of the method was monitored and certified by CDC Hormone Standardization (HoSt) Program for 2 years with mean bias -0.7% (95% CI -1.6% to 0.2%) for testosterone and 0.1% (95% CI -2.2% to 2.3%) for estradiol. The method precision over a 2-year period for quality control pools at low, medium, and high concentrations was 2.7-2.9% for testosterone and 3.3-5.3% for estradiol. With the consistently excellent accuracy and precision, this method is readily applicable for high-throughput clinical and epidemiological studies.

    • Maternal and Child Health
      1. Given that breastfeeding is important to the health of infants and their mothers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) goal is to ensure that new mothers understand the benefits of breastfeeding and, when they choose to breastfeed, have the supports they need to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding until they reach their goals. This report summarizes CDC’s current contributions and investments in breastfeeding.

      2. Prenatal phthalate exposures and child temperament at 12 and 24 months
        Singer AB, Wolff MS, Silva MJ, Calafat AM, Engel SM.
        Neurotoxicology. 2017 Aug 09.
        INTRODUCTION: Gestational phthalate exposures have been adversely associated with attention, externalizing, and internalizing behaviors in childhood. Early childhood temperament may be a marker of later behavioral patterns. We therefore sought to determine whether gestational phthalate exposures were associated with infant and toddler temperament. METHODS: The Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Study is a prospective cohort study of children born between May 1998 and July 2001 in New York City (N=404). Phthalate metabolites were measured in spot urine samples collected from pregnant women in their third trimester. Child temperament was assessed by parental report at 12-months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) (N=204) and at 24-months using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) (N=279). We used multiple linear regression to evaluate associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and eleven temperament domains. RESULTS: Phthalate biomarker concentrations were weakly associated with lower gross motor activity levels as well as higher duration of orienting at the 12-month assessment. Mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and the sum of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ( summation operatorDEHP) were associated with lower levels of smiling and laughing at 12 months. At 24-months, social fear and lower pleasure was linked to higher concentrations of MCPP and MBzP, and higher summation operatorDEHP was weakly associated with increased anger levels at 24-months. CONCLUSIONS: Though we observed some weak associations between biomarkers of prenatal exposure to phthalates and temperament at 12- and 24-months, overall phthalates biomarkers were not strongly associated with alterations in temperament.

    • Nutritional Sciences
      1. The Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) is charged with improving the planning, coordination, and communication among federal agencies engaged in nutrition research and with facilitating the development and updating of plans for federal research programs to meet current and future domestic and international needs for nutrition. The ICHNR is co-chaired by the USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist and the US Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health and is made up of >10 departments and agencies. Once the ICHNR was reassembled after a 10-y hiatus, the ICHNR recognized a need for a written roadmap to identify critical human nutrition research gaps and opportunities. This commentary provides an overview of the process the ICHNR undertook to develop a first-of-its-kind National Nutrition Research Roadmap, which was publicly released on 4 March 2016. The primary audience for the Roadmap is federal science agency leaders, along with relevant program and policy staff who rely on federally supported human nutrition research, in addition to the broader scientific community. The Roadmap is framed around the following 3 questions: 1) How can we better understand and define eating patterns to improve and sustain health? 2) What can be done to help people choose healthy eating patterns? 3) How can we develop and engage innovative methods and systems to accelerate discoveries in human nutrition? Within these 3 questions, 11 topical areas were identified on the basis of the following criteria: population impact, feasibility given current technological capacities, and emerging scientific opportunities. This commentary highlights initial federal and some professional research society efforts to address the Roadmap’s research and resource priorities. We conclude by noting examples of early collaborations and partnerships to move human nutrition research forward in the 21st century.

    • Occupational Safety and Health
      1. Occupational distribution of Campylobacteriosis and Salmonellosis cases – Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia, 2014
        Su CP, de Perio MA, Fagan K, Smith ML, Salehi E, Levine S, Gruszynski K, Luckhaupt SE.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Aug 18;66(32):850-853.
        Campylobacter and Salmonella are leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States and are estimated to cause >1 million episodes of domestically acquired illness annually. Campylobacter and Salmonella are primarily transmitted through contaminated food, but animal-to-human and human-to-human transmission can also occur. Although occupationally acquired infections have been reported, occupational risk factors have rarely been studied. In 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identified 63 suspected or confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection over 3.5 years at a poultry-processing plant (Kathleen Fagan, OSHA, personal communication, December 2015); most involved new workers handling chickens in the “live hang” area where bacterial contamination is likely to be the highest. These findings were similar to those of a previous study of Campylobacter infections among workers at another poultry-processing plant (4). The investigation led to discussions among OSHA, state health departments, and CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and a surveillance study was initiated to further explore the disease incidence in poultry-processing plant workers and identify any additional occupations at increased risk for common enteric infections. Deidentified reports of campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis among Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia residents aged >/=16 years were obtained and reviewed. Each employed patient was classified into one of 23 major occupational groups using the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.* Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between each occupational group and each disease were calculated to identify occupations potentially at increased risk, contrasting each group with all other occupations. In 2014, a total of 2,977 campylobacteriosis and 2,259 salmonellosis cases were reported. Among the 1,772 (60%) campylobacteriosis and 1,516 (67%) salmonellosis cases in patients for whom occupational information was available, 1,064 (60%) and 847 (56%), respectively, were employed. Persons in farming, fishing, and forestry as well as health care and technical occupations were at significantly increased risk for both campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis compared with all other occupations. Targeting education and prevention strategies could help reduce disease, and improving the systematic collection of occupational information in disease surveillance systems could provide a better understanding of the extent of occupationally acquired diseases.

      2. On-duty nonfatal injury that lead to work absences among police officers and level of perceived stress
        West C, Fekedulegn D, Andrew M, Burchfiel CM, Harlow S, Bingham CR, McCullagh M, Park SK, Violanti J.
        J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Aug 14.
        OBJECTIVE: We examined prevalence, frequency, duration, and recency of injury leave and the association of duty-related injury with perceived stress in U.S. police officers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study contained 422 active duty police officers from a mid-sized urban police department. For each participating officer, work history records were used to assess on-duty injuries that lead to work absences. Linear regression analyses were used for analyses. RESULTS: Most participants had experienced at least one injury (62%), and among those injured, 67% experienced more than one duty-related injury. The average number of injuries per officer was three (range 1 to 12). There was a significant linear trend in mean perceived stress across injury count even after adjusting for age, rank, and sex (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that work-related injury is common and repeated work-related injuries are psychologically distressing in U.S. police officers.

    • Parasitic Diseases
      1. A reduction in malaria transmission intensity in Northern Ghana after 7 years of indoor residual spraying
        Coleman S, Dadzie SK, Seyoum A, Yihdego Y, Mumba P, Dengela D, Ricks P, George K, Fornadel C, Szumlas D, Psychas P, Williams J, Appawu MA, Boakye DA.
        Malar J. 2017 Aug 10;16(1):324.
        BACKGROUND: Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is being implemented as one of the malaria prevention methods in the Northern Region of Ghana. Changes in longevity, sporozoite and entomological inoculation rates (EIRs) of major malaria vectors were monitored to assess the impact of IRS in selected districts. METHODS: Monthly human landing catches (HLCs) were used to collect mosquitoes from sentinel sites in three adjacent districts between July 2009 and December 2014: Savelugu Nanton (SND) where IRS had been implemented from 2008 to 2014; Tolon Kumbungu (TKD) where IRS had been implemented between 2008 and 2012 and Tamale Metropolis (TML) with no history of IRS. Mosquitoes were morphologically identified to species level and into sibling species, using PCR. Samples of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) were examined for parity and infectivity. EIR was calculated from biting and infectivity rates of malaria vectors. RESULTS: Parity rates of An. gambiae s.l. decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) in SND from 44.8% in 2011 to 28.1% by 2014, and in TKD from 53.3% in 2011 to 46.6% in 2012 (p = 0.001). However 2 years after IRS was discontinued in TKD, the proportion of parous An. gambiae s.l. increased significantly to 68.5% in 2014 (p < 0.0001). Parity rates in the unsprayed district remained high throughout the study period, ranging between 68.6% in 2011 and 72.3% in 2014. The sum of monthly EIRs post-IRS season (July-December) in SND ranged between 2.1 and 6.3 infective bites/person/season (ib/p/s) during the 3 years that the district was sprayed with alphacypermethrin. EIR in SND was reduced to undetectable levels when the insecticide was switched to pirimiphos methyl CS in 2013 and 2014. Two years after IRS was withdrawn from TKD the sum of monthly EIRs (July-December) increased by about fourfold from 41.8 ib/p/s in 2012 to 154.4 ib/p/s in 2014. The EIR in the control area, TML, ranged between 35 ib/p/s in 2009 to 104.71 ib/p/s by 2014. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that IRS application did have a significant impact on entomological indicators of malaria transmission in the IRS project districts of Northern Ghana. Transmission indicators increased following the withdrawal of IRS from Tolon Kumbungu District.

      2. Measuring the impact of seasonal malaria chemoprevention as part of routine malaria control in Kita, Mali
        Diawara F, Steinhardt LC, Mahamar A, Traore T, Kone DT, Diawara H, Kamate B, Kone D, Diallo M, Sadou A, Mihigo J, Sagara I, Djimde AA, Eckert E, Dicko A.
        Malar J. 2017 Aug 10;16(1):325.
        BACKGROUND: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a new strategy recommended by WHO in areas of highly seasonal transmission in March 2012. Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown SMC to be highly effective, evidence and experience from routine implementation of SMC are limited. METHODS: A non-randomized pragmatic trial with pre-post design was used, with one intervention district (Kita), where four rounds of SMC with sulfadoxine + amodiaquine (SP + AQ) took place in August-November 2014, and one comparison district (Bafoulabe). The primary aims were to evaluate SMC coverage and reductions in prevalence of malaria and anaemia when SMC is delivered through routine programmes using existing community health workers. Children aged 3-59 months from 15 selected localities per district, sampled with probability proportional to size, were surveyed and blood samples collected for malaria blood smears, haemoglobin (Hb) measurement, and molecular markers of drug resistance in two cross-sectional surveys, one before SMC (July 2014) and one after SMC (December 2014). Difference-in-differences regression models were used to assess and compare changes in malaria and anaemia in the intervention and comparison districts. Adherence and tolerability of SMC were assessed by cross-sectional surveys 4-7 days after each SMC round. Coverage of SMC was assessed in the post-SMC survey. RESULTS: During round 1, 84% of targeted children received at least the first SMC dose, but coverage declined to 67% by round 4. Across the four treatment rounds, 54% of children received four complete SMC courses. Prevalence of parasitaemia was similar in intervention and comparison districts prior to SMC (23.4 vs 29.5%, p = 0.34) as was the prevalence of malaria illness (2.4 vs 1.9%, p = 0.75). After SMC, parasitaemia prevalence fell to 18% in the intervention district and increased to 46% in the comparison district [difference-in-differences (DD) OR = 0.35; 95% CI 0.20-0.60]. Prevalence of malaria illness fell to a greater degree in the intervention district versus the comparison district (DD OR = 0.20; 95% CI 0.04-0.94) and the same for moderate anaemia (Hb < 8 g/dL) (DD OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.65). The frequency of the quintuple mutation (dhfr N51I, C59R and S108N + dhps A437G and K540E) remained low (5%) before and after intervention in both districts. CONCLUSIONS: Routine implementation of SMC in Mali substantially reduced malaria and anaemia, with reductions of similar magnitude to those seen in previous RCTs. Improving coverage could further strengthen SMC impact. Trial registration clinical trial registration number NCT02894294.

      3. Barriers to routine G6PD testing prior to treatment with primaquine
        Ley B, Thriemer K, Jaswal J, Poirot E, Alam MS, Phru CS, Khan WA, Dysoley L, Qi G, Kheong CC, Shamsudin UK, Chen I, Hwang J, Gosling R, Price RN.
        Malar J. 2017 Aug 10;16(1):329.
        BACKGROUND: Primaquine is essential for the radical cure of vivax malaria, however its broad application is hindered by the risk of drug-induced haemolysis in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Rapid diagnostic tests capable of diagnosing G6PD deficiency are now available, but these are not used widely. METHODS: A series of qualitative interviews were conducted with policy makers and healthcare providers in four vivax-endemic countries. Routine G6PD testing is not part of current policy in Bangladesh, Cambodia or China, but it is in Malaysia. The interviews were analysed with regard to respondents perceptions of vivax malaria, -primaquine based treatment for malaria and the complexities of G6PD deficiency. RESULTS: Three barriers to the roll-out of routine G6PD testing were identified in all sites: (a) a perceived low risk of drug-induced haemolysis; (b) the perception that vivax malaria was benign and accordingly treatment with primaquine was not regarded as a priority; and, (c) the additional costs of introducing routine testing. In Malaysia, respondents considered the current test and treat algorithm suitable and the need for an alternative approach was only considered relevant in highly mobile and hard to reach populations. CONCLUSIONS: Greater efforts are needed to increase awareness of the benefits of the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and this should be supported by economic analyses exploring the cost effectiveness of routine G6PD testing.

    • Public Health Leadership and Management
      1. Critical gaps in laboratory leadership to meet global health security goals
        Albetkova A, Isadore J, Ridderhof J, Ned-Sykes R, Maryogo-Robinson L, Blank E, Cognat S, Dolmazon V, Gasquet P, Rayfield M, Peruski L.
        Bull World Health Organ. 2017 Aug 01;95(8):547-547a.

        [No abstract]

      2. Joint external evaluation process: Bringing multiple sectors together for global health security
        Kandel N, Sreedharan R, Chungong S, Sliter K, Nikkari S, Ijaz K, Rodier GR.
        Lancet Glob Health. 2017 Sep;5(9):e857-e858.

        [No abstract]

      3. Building virtual communities of practice for health
        Struminger B, Arora S, Zalud-Cerrato S, Lowrance D, Ellerbrock T.
        Lancet. 2017 Aug 12;390(10095):632-634.

        [No abstract]

    • Substance Use and Abuse
      1. Examining the high rate of cigarette smoking among adults with a GED
        Schoenborn CA, Stommel M, Lucas JW.
        Addict Behav. 2017 Apr 19.
        OBJECTIVES: We seek to identify characteristics of GED holders that explain their very high smoking rates compared with high school (HS) graduates. METHODS: We pooled data from the 2006-2014 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) for adults aged 25 and older (n=235,031) to describe cigarette smoking behaviors and smoking history for adults in six education categories, with a focus on comparing GED holders to HS graduates. Logistic regression was used to predict the odds of current cigarette smoking and successful quitting, accounting for demographic, employment, family/sociocultural, mental health, and other potential confounders. RESULTS: The smoking rate among adults with a GED (44.1%) was more than five times the rate for those with a college degree (8.3%) and almost twice the rate of adults whose highest level of education was a high school diploma (23.6%). GED holders were also more likely to have started smoking before the age of 15 (32.2%) compared with HS graduates (12.2%) (p<0.001). Even after controlling for 23 socio-demographic and health characteristics, GED holders retained significantly higher odds of current smoking compared to HS graduates (OR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.56, 1.93) and significantly lower odds of successful quitting (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: GED holders had greater odds of being a current cigarette smoker, regardless of other characteristics that usually explain smoking. Earlier smoking initiation among GED holders, in combination with lower odds of quitting, contributed to their higher current smoking rate.

    • Zoonotic and Vectorborne Diseases
      1. Metabolic differentiation of early Lyme disease from southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
        Molins CR, Ashton LV, Wormser GP, Andre BG, Hess AM, Delorey MJ, Pilgard MA, Johnson BJ, Webb K, Islam MN, Pegalajar-Jurado A, Molla I, Jewett MW, Belisle JT.
        Sci Transl Med. 2017 Aug 16;9(403).
        Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, results from infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Early clinical diagnosis of this disease is largely based on the presence of an erythematous skin lesion for individuals in high-risk regions. This, however, can be confused with other illnesses including southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), an illness that lacks a defined etiological agent or laboratory diagnostic test, and is coprevalent with Lyme disease in portions of the eastern United States. By applying an unbiased metabolomics approach with sera retrospectively obtained from well-characterized patients, we defined biochemical and diagnostic differences between early Lyme disease and STARI. Specifically, a metabolic biosignature consisting of 261 molecular features (MFs) revealed that altered N-acyl ethanolamine and primary fatty acid amide metabolism discriminated early Lyme disease from STARI. Development of classification models with the 261-MF biosignature and testing against validation samples differentiated early Lyme disease from STARI with an accuracy of 85 to 98%. These findings revealed metabolic dissimilarity between early Lyme disease and STARI, and provide a powerful and new approach to inform patient management by objectively distinguishing early Lyme disease from an illness with nearly identical symptoms.

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DISCLAIMER: Articles listed in the CDC Science Clips are selected by the Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library to provide current awareness of the public health literature. An article's inclusion does not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor does it imply endorsement of the article's methods or findings. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinion, findings and conclusions expressed by the original authors of items included in the Clips, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to publications, news sources, and non-CDC Websites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS.

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