BackgroundDespite the unprecedented measures implemented globally in early 2020 to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, Sweden, as many other countries, experienced a severe first wave during the COVID-19 pandemic. AimWe investigated the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2 into Sweden. MethodsWe analysed stored respiratory specimens (n = 1,979), sampled 7 February–2 April 2020, by PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and sequenced PCR-positive specimens. Sequences generated from newly detected cases and stored positive specimens February–June 2020 (n = 954) were combined with sequences (Sweden: n = 730; other countries: n = 129,913) retrieved from other sources for Nextstrain clade assignment and phylogenetic analyses. ResultsTwelve previously unrecognised SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified: the earliest was sampled on 3 March, 1 week before recognised community transmission. We showed an early influx of clades 20A and 20B from Italy (201/328, 61% of cases exposed abroad) and clades 19A and 20C from Austria (61/328, 19%). Clade 20C dominated the first wave (20C: 908/1,684, 54%; 20B: 438/1,684, 26%; 20A: 263/1,684, 16%), and 800 of 1,684 (48%) Swedish sequences formed a country-specific 20C cluster defined by a spike mutation (G24368T). At the regional level, the proportion of clade 20C sequences correlated with an earlier weighted mean date of COVID-19 deaths. ConclusionCommunity transmission in Sweden started when mitigation efforts still focused on preventing influx. This created a transmission advantage for clade 20C, likely introduced from ongoing cryptic spread in Austria. Therefore, pandemic preparedness should have a comprehensive approach, including capacity for large-scale diagnostics to allow early detection of travel-related cases and community transmission. …

We report a considerable increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases since July 2024, culminating in an ongoing outbreak of acute respiratory infections in northern Italy, accounting for nearly 90% of all enterovirus infections. The outbreak was identified by community- and hospital-based surveillance systems, detecting EV-D68 in individuals with mild-to-severe respiratory infections. These strains belonged to B3 and a divergent A2 lineage. An increase in adult cases was observed. Enhanced surveillance and molecular characterisation of EV-D68 across Europe are needed. …

BackgroundIn the Netherlands, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been available since 2019. However, the extent of PrEP use prior to HIV diagnosis and development of PrEP-resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) is not known. AimWe assessed prior PrEP use and potential transmission of PrEP RAMs among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons (TGP) with a new HIV diagnosis in the Netherlands. MethodsData on prior PrEP use between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 were available from the Dutch national ATHENA cohort. We assessed proportion of prior PrEP use, detected PrEP associated RAMs and assessed potential onward transmission of RAMs between 2010 and 2022 using a maximum likelihood tree. ResultsData on prior PrEP use were available for 583/1,552 (36.3%) individuals, with 16% (94/583) reporting prior PrEP use. In 489 individuals reporting no prior PrEP use, 51.5% did not use PrEP due to: low HIV-risk perception (29%), no access (19.1%), personal preference (13.1%), and being unaware of PrEP (19.1%). For PrEP users, 13/94 (13.8%) harboured a M184V/I mutation, of whom two also harboured a K65R mutation. In people with a recent HIV infection, detection of PrEP RAMs increased from 0.23% (2/862) before 2019 to 4.11% (9/219) from 2019. We found no evidence of onward transmission of PrEP RAMs. ConclusionThe prevalence of PrEP-associated RAMs has increased since PrEP became available in the Netherlands. More widespread access to PrEP and retaining people in PrEP programmes when still at substantial risk is crucial to preventing new HIV infections. …

The UK government has ordered more than 150,000 doses of Bavarian Nordic\'s mpox vaccine to boost its preparedness against a new form of the virus currently spreading in... Reuters Health Information…

The East African Community (EAC) is experiencing an unprecedented, emerging mpox outbreak since July 2024 in five of eight partner states. We highlight rapid regional response measures, initiated August 2024 coordinated by EAC: field deployment of six mobile laboratories in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan to high-risk areas, donation of one mobile laboratory to Democratic Republic of the Congo and genomic monkeypox virus (MPXV) surveillance support. These interventions aim to limit local mpox spread and support international containment. …

This perspective summarises and explains the long-term surveillance framework 2021–2027 for infectious diseases in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) published in April 2023. It shows how shortcomings in the areas of public health focus, vigilance and resilience will be addressed through specific strategies in the coming years and how these strategies will lead to stronger surveillance systems for early detection and monitoring of public health threats as well as informing their effective prevention and control. A sharper public health focus is expected from a more targeted list of notifiable diseases, strictly public-health-objective-driven surveillance standards, and consequently, leaner surveillance systems. Vigilance should improve through mandatory event reporting, more automated epidemic intelligence processing and increased use of genomic surveillance. Finally, EU/EEA surveillance systems should become more resilient by modernising the underlying information technology infrastructure, expanding the influenza sentinel surveillance system to other respiratory viruses for better pandemic preparedness, and increasingly exploiting potentially more robust alternative data sources, such as electronic health records and wastewater surveillance. Continued close collaboration across EU/EEA countries will be key to ensuring the full implementation of this surveillance framework and more effective disease prevention and control. …

Preexposure prophylaxis prescription reversals and abandonments were lower for patients seen by primary care clinicians than by other noninfectious disease clinicians. MDedge News…

Final results of the highly anticipated PURPOSE 1 trial of lenacapavir show the shots prevent new infections without many side effects. Medscape Medical News…

BackgroundAs Ireland prepared for an autumn 2023 COVID-19 vaccination booster campaign, there was concern that vaccine fatigue would affect uptake, which has been abating. AimThis study aimed to quantify the direct impact of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Ireland on averted COVID-19-related outcomes including symptomatic presentations to primary care/community testing centres, emergency department (ED) presentations, hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths, in individuals aged ≥ 50 years, during Omicron dominance. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational COVID-19 vaccine impact study in December 2021–March 2023 in Ireland. We used national data on notified outcomes and vaccine coverage, as well as vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates, sourced from the World Health Organization’s live systematic review of VE, to estimate the count and prevented fraction of outcomes in ≥ 50-year-olds averted by the COVID-19 vaccination programme in this age group. ResultsThe COVID-19 vaccination programme averted 48,551 symptomatic COVID-19 presentations to primary care/community testing centres (36% of cases expected in the absence of vaccination), 9,517 ED presentations (53% of expected), 102,160 hospitalisations (81% of expected), 3,303 ICU admissions (89% of expected) and 15,985 deaths (87% of expected). ConclusionsWhen Omicron predominated, the COVID-19 vaccination programme averted symptomatic and severe COVID-19 cases, including deaths due to COVID-19. In line with other international vaccine impact studies, these findings emphasise the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for population health and the healthcare system and are relevant for informing COVID-19 booster vaccination programmes, pandemic preparedness and communicating the reason for and importance of COVID-19 vaccination in Ireland and internationally. …

Patients at a high risk for HIV infection who received preexposure prophylactic injections with lenacapavir had 100% efficacy in a phase 3 clinical trial. Medscape Medical News…

BackgroundEffective pandemic preparedness requires robust severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance. However, identifying SARI patients based on symptoms is time-consuming. Using the number of reverse transcription (RT)-PCR tests or contact and droplet precaution labels as a proxy for SARI could accurately reflect the epidemiology of patients presenting with SARI. AimWe aimed to compare the number of RT-PCR tests, contact and droplet precaution labels and SARI-related International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 codes and evaluate their use as surveillance indicators. MethodsPatients from all age groups hospitalised at Leiden University Medical Center between 1 January 2017 up to and including 30 April 2023 were eligible for inclusion. We used a clinical data collection tool to extract data from electronic medical records. For each surveillance indicator, we plotted the absolute count for each week, the incidence proportion per week and the correlation between the three surveillance indicators. ResultsWe included 117,404 hospital admissions. The three surveillance indicators generally followed a similar pattern before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The correlation was highest between contact and droplet precaution labels and ICD-10 diagnostic codes (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.84). There was a strong increase in the number of RT-PCR tests after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. DiscussionAll three surveillance indicators have advantages and disadvantages. ICD-10 diagnostic codes are suitable but are subject to reporting delays. Contact and droplet precaution labels are a feasible option for automated SARI surveillance, since these reflect trends in SARI incidence and may be available real-time. …

BackgroundTo be better prepared for emerging wildlife-borne zoonoses, we need to strengthen wildlife disease surveillance. AimThe aim of this study was to create a topical overview of zoonotic pathogens in wildlife species to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for improvement of wildlife disease surveillance. MethodsWe created a database, which is based on a systematic literature review in Embase focused on zoonotic pathogens in 10 common urban wildlife mammals in Europe, namely brown rats, house mice, wood mice, common voles, red squirrels, European rabbits, European hedgehogs, European moles, stone martens and red foxes. In total, we retrieved 6,305 unique articles of which 882 were included. ResultsIn total, 186 zoonotic pathogen species were described, including 90 bacteria, 42 helminths, 19 protozoa, 22 viruses and 15 fungi. Most of these pathogens were only studied in one single animal species. Even considering that some pathogens are relatively species-specific, many European countries have no (accessible) data on zoonotic pathogens in these relevant animal species. We used the Netherlands as an example to show how this database can be used by other countries to identify wildlife disease surveillance gaps on a national level. Only 4% of all potential host–pathogen combinations have been studied in the Netherlands. ConclusionsThis database comprises a comprehensive overview that can guide future research on wildlife-borne zoonotic diseases both on a European and national scale. Sharing and expanding this database provides a solid starting point for future European-wide collaborations to improve wildlife disease surveillance. …

This report describes the investigation of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), CDC\'s support to DRC, and U.S. public health preparedness activities to date.

BackgroundIn France, lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) testing switched from universal to selective testing in 2016. AimTo investigate changes in LGV-affected populations, we performed a nationwide survey based on temporarily reinstated universal LGV testing from 2020 to 2022. MethodsEach year, during three consecutive months, laboratories voluntarily sent anorectal Chlamydia trachomatis-positive samples from men and women to the National Reference Centre for bacterial sexually transmitted infections. We collected patients’ demographic, clinical and biological data. Genovars L of C. trachomatis were detected using real-time PCR. In LGV-positive samples, the ompA gene was sequenced. ResultsIn 2020, LGV positivity was 12.7% (146/1,147), 15.2% (138/907) in 2021 and 13.3% (151/1,137) in 2022 (p > 0.05). It occurred predominantly in men who have sex with men (MSM), with rare cases among transgender women. The proportion of HIV-negative individuals was higher than that of those living with HIV. Asymptomatic rectal LGV increased from 36.1% (44/122) in 2020 to 52.4% (66/126) in 2022 (p = 0.03). Among users of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), LGV positivity was 13.8% (49/354) in 2020, 15.6% (38/244) in 2021 and 10.9% (36/331) in 2022, and up to 50% reported no anorectal symptoms. Diversity of the LGV ompA genotypes in the Paris region increased during the survey period. An unexpectedly high number of ompA genotype L1 variant was reported in 2022. ConclusionIn rectal samples from MSM in France, LGV positivity was stable, but the proportion of asymptomatic cases increased in 2022. This underscores the need of universal LGV testing and the importance of continuous surveillance. …

In January 2024, a child was diagnosed with measles in a paediatric hospital in Lisbon. Of 123 contacts, 39 (32%) were not fully immunised, presenting a risk for a potential outbreak. The public health unit initiated control measures and identified challenges during the response, such as the lack of interoperability between information systems and accessing vaccination records. The lessons learned prompted changes to national contact tracing procedures for measles, further strengthening Portugal’s preparedness. …

BackgroundPre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) effectively prevents HIV, but its association with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has raised concerns about risk compensation, potentially impacting the expansion of PrEP programmes. AimWe examined the relationship between PrEP and the incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis. MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we compared STI rates before and after PrEP initiation among users in the capital region of Denmark (2019–2022), calculating incidence rate ratios adjusted for age and testing frequency (aIRR). To pinpoint when increases began, we plotted weekly STI rates, adjusting the timeline to correspond with PrEP initiation. ResultsThe study included 1,326 PrEP users with a median age of 35 years. The STI incidence rate per 100,000 person-years rose from 35.3 before to 81.2 after PrEP start, with an aIRR of 1.35 (95% CI: 1.18–1.56). Notably, this increase preceded PrEP initiation by 10–20 weeks. Specific aIRR for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.03–1.48), 1.24 (95% CI: 1.04–1.47) and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.76–1.72), respectively. In subanalyses for anatomical sites aIRR was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.01–1.56) for rectal chlamydia and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.45–0.96) for genital gonorrhoea. ConclusionWe found a 35% increase in STI incidence associated with PrEP use. It started before PrEP initiation, challenging the assumption that PrEP leads to risk compensation. Instead, the data suggest that individuals seek PrEP during periods of heightened sexual risk-taking. Consequently, PrEP programmes should include sexual health consultations, STI testing, treatment and prevention strategies to prevent HIV and improve sexual health. …

This guidance outlines key strategic and operational considerations to inform pandemic preparedness planning round the design and implementation of public health and social measures in community settings in the EU/EEA.

AstraZeneca plans to invest 650 million pounds ($826.80 million) in Britain to boost research, development and manufacturing of vaccines, the government announced on... Reuters Health Information…

AURORAE provides laboratory support for surveillance, preparedness and response to COVID-19 and influenza and strengthens the capacity for genomic epidemiology and public health bioinformatics through interdisciplinary training, which is crucial for response during a pandemic or unexpected major public health events.

This report examines whether transgender women who report behaviors associated with HIV acquisition were more likely to have had discussions with their clinician about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and used PrEP.

Europe\'s advances in HIV prevention strategies, including PrEP and long-acting retrovirals, bring hope amidst persistent access challenges and disparities. Medscape Medical News…

CDC\'s Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH, discusses how to prepare for the 2023-2024 fall and winter virus season. CDC Expert Commentary…

From 2021 to 2022, global coverage with the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-containing vaccine increased from 86% to 89%, and with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine from 81% to 84%, but neither returned to 2019 prepandemic coverage levels of 90% and 86%, respectively.

BackgroundTwo human cases of avian influenza A (H3N8) virus infection were reported in China in 2022. AimTo characterise H3N8 viruses circulating in China in September 2021−May 2022. MethodsWe sampled poultry and poultry-related environments in 25 Chinese provinces. After isolating H3N8 viruses, whole genome sequences were obtained for molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The specificity of H3N8 viruses towards human or avian receptors was assessed in vitro. Their ability to replicate in chicken and mice, and to transmit between guinea pigs was also investigated. ResultsIn total, 98 H3N8 avian influenza virus isolates were retrieved from 38,639 samples; genetic analysis of 31 representative isolates revealed 17 genotypes. Viruses belonging to 10 of these genotypes had six internal genes originating from influenza A (H9N2) viruses. These reassorted viruses could be found in live poultry markets and comprised the strains responsible for the two human infections. A subset of nine H3N8 viruses (including six reassorted) that replicated efficiently in mice bound to both avian-type and human-type receptors in vitro. Three reassorted viruses were shed by chickens for up to 9 days, replicating efficiently in their upper respiratory tract. Five reassorted viruses tested on guinea pigs were transmissible among these by respiratory droplets. ConclusionAvian H3N8 viruses with H9N2 virus internal genes, causing two human infections, occurred in live poultry markets in China. The low pathogenicity of H3N8 viruses in poultry allows their continuous circulation with potential for reassortment. Careful monitoring of spill-over infections in humans is important to strengthen early-warning systems and maintain influenza pandemic preparedness. …

On the cusp of respiratory virus season, experts offer their guidance to primary care physicians about how to advise patients about vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. Medscape Medical News…

\'We think this is news people will want to hear as they prepare to go out and get their fall boosters.\' WebMD Health News…

Several countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) established and/or scaled up HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programmes between 2016 and 2023. Data on PrEP programmes’ performance and effectiveness in reaching those most in need will be needed to assess regional progress in the roll-out of PrEP. However, there is a lack of commonly defined indicators for routine monitoring to allow for minimum comparability. We propose a harmonised PrEP monitoring approach for the EU/EEA, based on a systematic and evidence-informed consensus-building process involving a broad and multidisciplinary expert panel. We present a set of indicators, structured along relevant steps of an adapted PrEP care continuum, and offer a prioritisation based on the degree of consensus among the expert panel. We distinguish between ‘core’ indicators deemed essential for any PrEP programme in the EU/EEA, vs ‘supplementary’ and ‘optional’ indicators that provide meaningful data, yet where experts evaluated their feasibility for data collection and reporting as very context-dependent. By combining a standardised approach with strategic opportunities for adaptation and complementary research, this monitoring framework will contribute to assess the impact of PrEP on the HIV epidemic in Europe. …

Salmonella -- SingaporeAs many as 6 people have been hospitalized following outbreaks of gastroenteritis at MindChamps pre-schools in Changi Airport, Tanglin, and Bishan.A total of 89 people - 79 children and 10 staff - reported having gastroenteritis symptoms after eating food prepared by Nosh Cuisine between [17 May 2023] and [29 May 2023], according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Early Childhood Development Agency on [Tue 30 May 2023] evening. Those…

Botulism -- Belarus1. Hughes JM, Hatheway CL, Ostroff SM. Botulism. In: Infections of the Central Nervous System. Scheld WM, Whitley RJ, Durack DT, eds., 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, 1997, 615-28.- Mod.LLProMED map:Brest Region, Belarus: ][See Also:2022----Botulism - Ukraine (03): (KK) dried fish http://promedmail.org/post/20221002.8705918Botulism - Ukraine (02) http://promedmail.org/post/20220619.8703951Botulism - Kyrgyzstan http://promedmail.org/post/20220605.8703692Botulism -…

This report describes how the CDC adapted smallpox preparedness systems and HIV prevention programs to respond to 2022-2023 mpox cases.

Influenza -- ChinaPreliminary scientific report. Li H, Tang S, Leng H, et al. Emergence of novel reassortant H1N2 swine influenza virus. Preprints with The Lancet 2023; --Communicated by:ProMED[ProMED map of China: As noted on the FluTrackers website ():\'Prior to 2017, the H1N2v strain of swine flu was only rarely reported, with H3N2v far outpacing it. Since 2017, H1N2v has become far more common, with numerous cases reported in the United States, along with scattered cases reported from Canada,…

This report describes an increase in emergency department visits among adolescents for mental health conditions in 2022 compared to the prepandemic baseline.

Salmonella -- United StatesNot ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded, stuffed chicken products (e.g., chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese) typically have a crispy, browned exterior that can make them appear cooked. These products have been repeatedly linked to salmonellosis outbreaks in the USA, despite changes to packaging initiated in 2006 to identify the products as raw and warn against preparing them in a microwave oven (microwave) (1-4). On 28 Apr 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed to declare _Salmonella_…

COVID-19 -- The re-emergence of Marburg virus disease in West Africa: How prepared is the sub-region for preventing recurrent zoonotic outbreaks?Bockarie et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;130:28-30Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection---------------------------------Discharge disposition and clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19Patel et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;130:1-5The effect of BCG vaccination on infection and antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 -- The results of…

ECDC presents lessons learned from the response of Europe’s public health sector to the pandemic and highlights follow up actions addressing relevant issues which could improve Europe’s pandemic preparedness.

This document aims to collate and present the lessons identified from the public health stakeholders who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to serve as input for countries revising their pandemic or emergency preparedness plans.

Arboviruses such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika are being detected in new regions that are ill prepared to confront them. Medscape Medical News…

Anthrax -- UkraineRussian soldiers contracted anthrax while digging trenches in the Zaporizhzhia region. During the preparation of the trenches, the occupiers accidentally dug up a cattle burial ground and contracted anthrax. As a result, the entire unit involved in the work is now under quarantine. Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov announced this in the Telegram on 25 Apr [2023].It is noted that 2 enemy soldiers were initially sent to the Melitopol hospital, but after the diagnosis was confirmed, they were…

Foodborne Illness -- SpainThe producer of MasterChef in Spain has apologised to the contestants for the foodborne illness suffered by 44 people after tasting the dishes that were served to them. The contestants of the culinary competition prepared a menu for the 120 workers of the famous Oceanogràfic aquarium in Valencia to celebrate their 20th year of operation.Under the guidance of popular Spanish chef Rakel Cernicharo, the contestants prepared seafood dishes such as sea bass and mussels, while for dessert they…

Blastomycosis -- United StatesAt least one person has died and 96 others have been sickened in an outbreak of blastomycosis at a northwest Michigan paper mill, local health authorities confirmed Friday [14 Apr 2023]. Federal investigators are preparing to step up their probe into this unprecedented number of typically rare and potentially deadly fungal infections.The latest tally by Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties in the outbreak linked to the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill includes 21 confirmed cases, where…

Q Fever -- AustraliaA Queensland museum taxidermist contracted a bacterial disease while prepping exhibits in a national medical first.The museum includes a taxidermy department, known as the 'evisceration area', which is used to prepare exhibits and contains animal carcasses, flesh, organs, and fluid.While working in this section, 2 women contracted Q fever, a zoonotic disease which is caused by the spread of the bacterium _Coxiella burnetii_ from animals to humans.A WH&S [workplace health and…

Many countries were under-prepared for the arrival of an emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. An intra-action review allows countries, systems and services to reflect on their preparedness and response to date, and revise their policies and approaches as needed. We describe the approach to undertaking an intra-action review of Ireland’s Health Protection COVID-19 response during 2021. A project team within National Health Protection developed a project plan, identified key stakeholders, trained facilitators and designed workshop programmes, employing integrated collaborative web tools. Multidisciplinary representatives participated in three half-day, independently facilitated workshops on challenges and solutions within specific response areas: communication, governance and cross-cutting themes such as staff well-being. An all-stakeholder survey sought further in-depth detail. Participants reviewed the ongoing pandemic response in terms of good practice and challenges and recommended implementable solutions. We customised our mixed-methods approach using existing ECDC/WHO guidance, producing consensus recommendations during Ireland’s fourth wave of COVID-19, with particular focus on pathways to implementation. Our adaptations may help others in formulating and customising methodological approaches. During an emergency, identifying and reflecting on good practices to retain, and areas for strengthening, with a clear action plan of implementing recommendations, will enhance preparedness now, and for future emergencies. …

BackgroundGreat efforts have been made to minimise spread and prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 in hospitals. However, there is uncertainty in identifying nosocomial vs community-acquired infections. To minimise risks and evaluate measures, timely data on infection risk in healthcare institutions are required.AimsTo design an automated nationwide surveillance system for nosocomial COVID-19 using existing data to analyse the impact of community infection rates on nosocomial infections, to explore how changes in case definitions influence incidence and to identify patients and wards at highest risk and effects of SARS-CoV-2 variants.MethodsWe used data from the Norwegian real-time emergency preparedness register (Beredt C19), which includes all patients nationwide admitted to Norwegian hospitals between March 2020 and March 2022 with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test during their hospital stay or within 7 days post-discharge. COVID-19 cases were assigned to categories depending on the time between admission and testing.ResultsInfection rates for definite/probable nosocomial COVID-19 increased from 0.081% in year 1 to 0.50% in year 2 in hospital admissions 7 days or longer. Varying the definitions resulted in large changes in registered nosocomial infections. Infection rates were similar across different ward types. By 2022, 58% of patients with a definite/probable nosocomial infection had received three vaccine doses.ConclusionAutomated national surveillance for nosocomial COVID-19 is possible based on existing data sources. Beredt C19 provided detailed information with only 5% missing data on hospitals/wards. Epidemiological definitions are possible to standardise, enabling easier comparison between regions and countries.…

An individualised blood donor selection policy was implemented in the United Kingdom from summer 2021. We have investigated the impact of this policy by comparing the extent of undeclared use of HIV pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) before and after this change. The rate of PrEP usage in syphilis-positive male blood donors has not changed since individualised donor assessment was implemented but provides continuing evidence of undisclosed PrEP use which may be associated with current or past higher-risk sexual behaviours.…

Sheep/Goat Pox -- KazakhstanAn outbreak of sheep pox has been detected in the Katon-Karagai region in eastern Kazakhstan, BaigeNews.kz reports with reference to Khabar 24.According to official figures, about 200 heads of small ruminants are infected. Specialists of the veterinary service note that the disease is not dangerous for humans. Now in the villages of the region they are preparing to declare a quarantine and start vaccinating animals.Veterinarians say that all small ruminants will have to be vaccinated…

BackgroundLateral flow antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for viral infections constitute a fast, cheap and reliable alternative to nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). Whereas leftover material from NAATs can be employed for genomic analysis of positive samples, there is a paucity of information on whether viral genetic characterisation can be achieved from archived Ag-RDTs.AimTo evaluate the possibility of retrieving leftover material of several viruses from a range of Ag-RDTs, for molecular genetic analysis.MethodsArchived Ag-RDTs which had been stored for up to 3 months at room temperature were used to extract viral nucleic acids for subsequent RT-qPCR, Sanger sequencing and Nanopore whole genome sequencing. The effects of brands of Ag-RDT and of various ways to prepare Ag-RDT material were evaluated.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids were successfully extracted and sequenced from nine different brands of Ag-RDTs for SARS-CoV-2, and for five of these, after storage for 3 months at room temperature. The approach also worked for Ag-RDTs for influenza virus (n = 3 brands), as well as for rotavirus and adenovirus 40/41 (n = 1 brand). The buffer of the Ag-RDT had an important influence on viral RNA yield from the test strip and the efficiency of subsequent sequencing.ConclusionOur finding that the test strip in Ag-RDTs is suited to preserve viral genomic material, even for several months at room temperature, and therefore can serve as source material for genetic characterisation could help improve global coverage of genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 as well as for other viruses.…

The COCA and HAN team at CDC focuses on emergency preparedness and response communication tailored to healthcare professionals. CDC Expert Commentary…

Postexposure prophylaxis with doxycycline has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of STIs in men and transgender women. Now a study looks at its efficacy in cisgender women taking HIV PrEP. Medscape Medical News…

COVID-19 -- Serum immunoglobulin G and mucosal immunoglobulin A antibodies from prepandemic samples collected in Kilifi, Kenya, neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in vitroNyagwange et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;127:11-16Age-related seroprevalence trajectories of seasonal coronaviruses in children including neonates in Guangzhou, ChinaLuo et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;127:26-32The application of a novel 5-in-1 multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid detection of…