Last data update: Sep 23, 2024. (Total: 47723 publications since 2009)
Records 1-5 (of 5 Records) |
Query Trace: Daves S [original query] |
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Laboratory capacity expansion: lessons from establishing molecular testing in regional referral laboratories in Ethiopia
Chekol L , Waktola E , Nawaz S , Tadesse L , Muluye S , Bonger Z , Bogale A , Eshetu F , Degefaw D , Tayachew A , Delelegn H , Daves S , Seyoum E , Moon K , Melese D , Balada JM , Wang SH , Williams D , Gebreyes W , Mekuria Z . Int Health 2024 Respiratory viruses contribute to high morbidity and mortality in Africa. In 2020, the Ohio State University's Global One Health Initiative, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, took action to strengthen Ethiopia's existing respiratory virus surveillance system through decentralization of laboratory testing and scale-up of national and regional capacity for detecting respiratory viruses. In August 2022, four regional laboratories were established, thereby raising the number of reference laboratories conducting respiratory virus surveillance to five. This article highlights lessons learned during implementation and outlines processes undertaken for laboratory scale-up and decentralization. |
Regional and temporal variations in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ethiopia: Lessons learned from the COVID-19 enhanced surveillance and response
Teka G , Woldeab A , Dereje N , Eshetu F , Gizachew L , Tazu Z , Lisanwork L , Tigabu E , Gebeyehu A , Tayachew A , Biru M , Berkessa T , Keraleme A , Bikale F , Shure W , Agune A , Haile B , Addis B , Moges M , Gonta M , Hailemariam A , Binkley L , Nawaz S , Wang SH , Mekuria Z , Aklilu A , Aliy J , Lulseged S , Girmay A , Patrick A , Amare B , Delelegn H , Daves S , Yimer G , Abate E , Wossen M , Melaku Z , Gebreyes W , Williams DE , Abayneh A . PLOS Glob Public Health 2024 4 (5) e0003175 BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most devastating public health emergencies of international concern to have occurred in the past century. To ensure a safe, scalable, and sustainable response, it is imperative to understand the burden of disease, epidemiological trends, and responses to activities that have already been implemented. We aimed to analyze how COVID-19 tests, cases, and deaths varied by time and region in the general population and healthcare workers (HCWs) in Ethiopia. METHODS: COVID-19 data were captured between October 01, 2021, and September 30, 2022, in 64 systematically selected health facilities throughout Ethiopia. The number of health facilities included in the study was proportionally allocated to the regional states of Ethiopia. Data were captured by standardized tools and formats. Analysis of COVID-19 testing performed, cases detected, and deaths registered by region and time was carried out. RESULTS: We analyzed 215,024 individuals' data that were captured through COVID-19 surveillance in Ethiopia. Of the 215,024 total tests, 18,964 COVID-19 cases (8.8%, 95% CI: 8.7%- 9.0%) were identified and 534 (2.8%, 95% CI: 2.6%- 3.1%) were deceased. The positivity rate ranged from 1% in the Afar region to 15% in the Sidama region. Eight (1.2%, 95% CI: 0.4%- 2.0%) HCWs died out of 664 infected HCWs, of which 81.5% were from Addis Ababa. Three waves of outbreaks were detected during the analysis period, with the highest positivity rate of 35% during the Omicron period and the highest rate of ICU beds and mechanical ventilators (38%) occupied by COVID-19 patients during the Delta period. CONCLUSIONS: The temporal and regional variations in COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ethiopia underscore the need for concerted efforts to address the disparities in the COVID-19 surveillance and response system. These lessons should be critically considered during the integration of the COVID-19 surveillance system into the routine surveillance system. |
An algorithmic approach to identifying the aetiology of acute encephalitis syndrome in India: results of a 4-year enhanced surveillance study
Ravi V , Hameed SKS , Desai A , Mani RS , Reddy V , Velayudhan A , Yadav R , Jain A , Saikia L , Borthakur AK , Sharma A , Mohan DG , Bhandopadhyay B , Bhattacharya N , Inamdar L , Hossain S , Daves S , Sejvar J , Dhariwal AC , Sen PK , Venkatesh S , Prasad J , Laserson K , Srikantiah P . Lancet Glob Health 2022 10 (5) e685-e693 BACKGROUND: Annual outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome pose a major health burden in India. Although Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) accounts for around 15% of reported cases, the aetiology of most cases remains unknown. We aimed to establish an enhanced surveillance network and to use a standardised diagnostic algorithm to conduct a systematic evaluation of acute encephalitis syndrome in India. METHODS: In this large-scale, systematic surveillance study in India, patients presenting with acute encephalitis syndrome (ie, acute onset of fever with altered mental status, seizure, or both) to any of the 18 participating hospitals across Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Assam were evaluated for JEV (serum and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] IgM ELISA) per standard of care. In enhanced surveillance, JEV IgM-negative specimens were additionally evaluated for scrub typhus, dengue virus, and West Nile virus by serum IgM ELISA, and for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, dengue virus, herpes simplex virus, and enterovirus by CSF PCR across five referral laboratories. In 2017, chikungunya and Leptospira serum IgM by ELISA and Zika virus serum and CSF by PCR were also tested. FINDINGS: Of 10107 patients with acute encephalitis syndrome enrolled in enhanced surveillance between Jan 1, 2014, and Dec 31, 2017, 5734 (578%) of 9917 participants with available data were male and 6179 (627%) of 9856 were children aged 15 years and younger. Among patients who provided a sample of either CSF or serum in enhanced surveillance, an aetiology was identified in 1921 (332%) of 5786 patients enrolled between 2014 and 2016 and in 1484 (343%) of 4321 patients enrolled in 2017. The most commonly identified aetiologies were JEV (1023 [177%] of 5786 patients), scrub typhus (645 [185%] of 3489), and dengue virus (161 [52%] of 3124). Among participants who provided both CSF and serum specimens, an aetiology was identified in 1446 (383%) of 3774 patients enrolled between 2014 and 2016 and in 936 (403%) of 2324 enrolled in 2017, representing a 31-times increase in the number of patients with acute encephalitis syndrome with an identified aetiology compared with standard care alone (299 [129%]; p<00001). INTERPRETATION: Implementation of a systematic diagnostic algorithm in an enhanced surveillance platform resulted in a 31-times increase in identification of the aetiology of acute encephalitis syndrome, besides JEV alone, and highlighted the importance of scrub typhus and dengue virus as important infectious aetiologies in India. These findings have prompted revision of the national testing guidelines for this syndrome across India. FUNDING: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
A seroepidemiologic study of human infections with spotted fever group rickettsiae in North Carolina
Vaughn MF , Delisle J , Johnson J , Daves G , Williams C , Reber J , Mendell NL , Bouyer DH , Nicholson WL , Moncayo AC , Meshnick SR . J Clin Microbiol 2014 52 (11) 3960-6 Increasing entomologic and epidemiologic evidence suggests that spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) other than Rickettsia rickettsii are responsible for spotted fever rickettsioses in the US. A retrospective seroepidemiologic study was conducted on stored acute and convalescent sera that had been submitted for Rocky Mountain spotted fever testing to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health. We evaluated the serologic reactivity of the paired sera to R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, and R. amblyommii antigens. Of the 106 eligible pairs tested, 21 patients seroconverted to one or more antigens. Cross-reactivity to multiple antigens was observed in ten patients and seroconversions to single antigens occurred in 11 patients, including one against R. rickettsii, four against R. parkeri, and six against R. amblyommii. Cross-absorption of cross-reactive sera and/or western blots identified two presumptive cases of infection with R. parkeri, two presumptive cases of infection with R. rickettsii, and one presumptive case of infection with R. amblyommii. These findings suggest that species of SFGR other than R. rickettsii are associated with illness among North Carolina residents and that serologic testing using R. rickettsii antigen may miss cases of spotted fever rickettsioses caused by other species of SFGR. |
Improving influenza vaccine virus selection: Report of a WHO informal consultation held at WHO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 14-16 June 2010
Ampofo WK , Baylor N , Cobey S , Cox NJ , Daves S , Edwards S , Ferguson N , Grohmann G , Hay A , Katz J , Kullabutr K , Lambert L , Levandowski R , Mishra AC , Monto A , Siqueira M , Tashiro M , Waddell AL , Wairagkar N , Wood J , Zambon M , Zhang W . Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2011 6 (2) 142-52, e1-5 For almost 60 years, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) has been the key player in monitoring the evolution and spread of influenza viruses and recommending the strains to be used in human influenza vaccines. The GISRS has also worked to continually monitor and assess the risk posed by potential pandemic viruses and to guide appropriate public health responses. The expanded and enhanced role of the GISRS following the adoption of the International Health Regulations (2005), recognition of the continuing threat posed by avian H5N1 and the aftermath of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic provide an opportune time to critically review the process by which influenza vaccine viruses are selected. In addition to identifying potential areas for improvement, such a review will also help to promote greater appreciation by the wider influenza and policy-making community of the complexity of influenza vaccine virus selection. The selection process is highly coordinated and involves continual year-round integration of virological data and epidemiological information by National Influenza Centres (NICs), thorough antigenic and genetic characterization of viruses by WHO Collaborating Centres (WHOCCs) as part of selecting suitable candidate vaccine viruses, and the preparation of suitable reassortants and corresponding reagents for vaccine standardization by WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories (ERLs). |
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