IMPORTANCE: The mandatory service of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with high job stress, increased SARS-CoV-2 exposure, and limited time for recovery following infection. Understanding outcomes for frontline workers can inform planning for future pandemics. OBJECTIVE: To compare patient-reported outcomes by employment type and SARS-CoV-2 status. DESIGN: Data from the INSPIRE registry, which enrolled COVID-positive and COVID-negative adults between 12/7/2020-8/29/2022 was analyzed. Patient-reported outcomes were collected quarterly over 18 months. SETTING: Participants were recruited across eight US sites. PARTICIPANTS: Employed INSPIRE participants who completed a short (3-month) and long-term (12-18 month) survey. EXPOSURE: SARS-CoV-2 index status and employment type (essential healthcare worker [HCW], essential non-HCW, and non-essential worker ["general worker"]). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: PROMIS-29 (mental and physical health summary) and PROMIS Cognitive SF-CF 8a (cognitive function) scores were assessed at baseline, short-term (3-months), and long-term (12-18 months) timepoints using GEE modeling. RESULTS: Of the 1,463 participants: 53.5% were essential workers (51.4% HCWs, 48.6% non-HCWs) and 46.5% were general workers. Most associations between outcomes and employment type became non-significant after adjusting for sociodemographics, comorbidities, COVID-19 vaccination, and SARS-CoV-2 variant period. However, among COVID-negative participants, essential HCWs had higher cognitive scores at baseline (β: 3.91, 95% CI [1.32, 6.50]), short term: (β: 3.49, 95% CI: [0.80, 6.18]) and long-term: (β: 3.72, 95% CI: [0.98, 6.46]) compared to general workers. Among COVID-positive participants, essential non-HCWs had significantly worse long-term physical health summary scores (β:-1.22, 95% CI: [-2.35, -0.09]) compared to general workers. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Differences in outcomes by worker status were largely explained by baseline characteristics. However, compared to general workers, essential HCW status had higher cognitive function in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection at all timepoints, while essential non-HCWs were most vulnerable to poor recovery in long-term physical health following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Preparation efforts for future pandemics may consider enhanced protection and post-infection resources for frontline workers.

Our survey of 1502 U.S. healthcare providers found that about one-quarter (395 [26%]) ordered the correct laboratory tests to diagnose 2 patients with West Nile virus disease. Outreach is needed to educate healthcare providers on West Nile virus disease and diagnostic testing to better inform clinical management and patient prognosis.

IMPORTANCE: West Nile virus (WNV), a neurotropic flavivirus spread by Culex species mosquitoes, is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous US. From 2014 to 2023, a mean of 1298 WNV neuroinvasive disease cases and 129 deaths were reported annually in the US. OBSERVATIONS: Almost all WNV infection occurs via mosquito bites, but transmission can rarely occur via blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and transplacental, perinatal, breastmilk, percutaneous, and conjunctival exposure. Since 2018, large WNV outbreaks have been reported in Europe, Tunisia, Israel, and the US. In 2021, the largest county-level US outbreak occurred in Arizona, with 1487 disease cases and 101 deaths reported. Based on seroprevalence surveys, approximately 80% of human WNV infections are asymptomatic, 20% cause a febrile illness (West Nile fever), and less than 1% cause neuroinvasive disease (eg, meningitis, encephalitis, acute flaccid myelitis). Mortality of patients with neuroinvasive disease is approximately 10% overall but is 20% in individuals 70 years or older and 30% to 40% in patients with hematologic malignancies, solid organ transplants, and those receiving B-cell-depleting monoclonal antibodies. Among patients hospitalized for WNV disease, 30% to 40% are discharged to long-term care facilities, and more than 50% have long-term sequelae such as fatigue, weakness, myalgia, memory loss, and depression. WNV transmission during solid organ transplantation was identified in 14 clusters in the US and Italy from 2002 to 2023. Since WNV screening of the US blood supply began in 2003, 14 cases of WNV transmission through blood transfusion have been reported. For patients with fever or neurologic symptoms during summer and fall months, WNV should be considered; IgM testing of serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid is recommended, followed by confirmatory neutralizing antibody testing in cases of possible exposure to cross-reacting flaviviruses, atypical presentation or death, or suspected unusual transmission modes such as organ transplantation. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing is often more sensitive than IgM testing in patients with severe immunocompromise. There are no evidence-based therapies or human vaccines for WNV disease. Preventive methods include personal protective behaviors, such as using Environmental Protection Agency-registered mosquito repellents, wearing protective clothing, and limiting outdoor exposure from dusk to dawn, and community mosquito control measures. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: WNV causes more than 1200 neuroinvasive disease cases and 120 deaths annually in the US. People who are older or immunocompromised are at higher risk of severe disease and death. Since there are no therapies or human vaccines, prevention relies on personal protective measures, WNV surveillance, and mosquito control interventions.

Objective: Ototoxic chemicals in the workplace can pose a risk to hearing and balance functions. Our objective was to identify evidence-based practices for occupational health settings in managing ototoxicity. This resulted in the document, Health Management of Workers Exposed to Ototoxic Chemicals, created by the International Ototoxicity Management Group. Design: To develop a practical approach for any workplace, we reviewed a variety of sources and used an international panel of interdisciplinary experts. Evidence included data from experimental, observational, and review studies. Thirty-two subject matter experts were invited to review the document; twenty-two completed the review and unanimously endorsed the ototoxicity management system as proposed. Results: Six key action steps were proposed to: (1) identify workers exposed to ototoxic chemicals, (2) perform auditory and vestibular assessments, (3) follow-up after monitoring health, (4) document worker data, (5) maintain healthy safety culture, and (6) review ototoxicity management approach. These steps focus on the management of workers who are at-risk for workplace ototoxic chemical exposure at any level (with or without concurrent noise exposures). Conclusions: Early identification strategies include self-report questionnaires; auditory testing; vestibular screening; referrals for diagnosis; management of cases; and monitoring of exposure scenarios to prevent further cases. © 2025 British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society.

Trachoma is targeted for global elimination as a public health problem by 2030. Measurement of IgG antibodies in children is being considered for surveillance and programmatic decision-making. There are currently no programmatic guidelines based on serology, which represents a generalizable problem in seroepidemiology and disease elimination. Here, we collate Chlamydia trachomatis Pgp3 and CT694 IgG measurements from 48 serosurveys across Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands (41,168 children ages 1-5 years) and propose a novel approach to estimate the probability that population C. trachomatis transmission is below or above levels requiring ongoing programmatic action. We determine that trachoma programs could halt control measures with >90% certainty when seroconversion rates (SCRs) are ≤2.2 per 100 person-years. Conversely, SCRs ≥4.5 per 100 person-years correspond with >90% certainty that further control interventions are needed. More extreme SCR thresholds correspond with higher levels of confidence of elimination (lower SCR) or ongoing action needed (higher SCR). This study demonstrates a robust approach for using trachoma serosurveys to guide elimination program decisions.

Jurisdictional health departments use public health information systems (PHIS) to maintain and transmit their surveillance data for national surveillance. We investigated if changes to a PHIS had an impact on sexually transmitted infection case-based surveillance data and document short-term issues that resulted in decreased data quality.

Determining the incubation period of Oropouche virus disease can inform clinical and public health practice. We analyzed data from 97 travel-associated cases identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n = 74) or the GeoSentinel Network (n = 13) and 10 cases from published literature. Using log-normal interval-censored survival analysis, we estimated the median incubation period to be 3.2 (95% CI 2.5-3.9) days. Symptoms developed by 1.1 (95% CI 0.6-1.5) days for 5% of patients, 9.7 (95% CI 6.9-12.5) days for 95% of patients, and 15.4 (95% CI 9.6-21.3) days for 99% of patients. The estimated incubation period range of 1-10 days can be used to assess timing and potential source of exposure in patients with Oropouche symptoms. For patients with symptom onset >2 weeks after travel, clinicians and public health responders should consider the possibility of local vectorborne transmission or alternative modes of transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 has undergone repeated and rapid evolution to circumvent host immunity. However, outside of prolonged infections in immunocompromised hosts, within-host positive selection has rarely been detected. Here we combine daily longitudinal sampling of individuals with replicate sequencing to increase the accuracy of and lower the threshold for variant calling. We sequenced 577 specimens from 105 individuals in a household cohort during the BA.1/BA.2 variant period. Individuals exhibited extremely low viral diversity, and we estimated a low within-host evolutionary rate. Within-host dynamics were dominated by genetic drift and purifying selection. Positive selection was rare but highly concentrated in spike. A Wright Fisher Approximate Bayesian Computational model identified positive selection at 14 loci with 7 in spike, including S:448 and S:339. This detectable immune-mediated selection is unusual in acute respiratory infections and may be caused by the relatively narrow antibody repertoire in individuals during the early Omicron phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Powassan virus (POWV) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) are regionally endemic arboviruses in the United States that can cause neuroinvasive disease and death. Recent identification of EEEV transmission through organ transplantation and POWV transmission through blood transfusion have increased concerns about infection risk. After historically high numbers of cases of both viruses were reported in 2019, we conducted a seroprevalence survey using blood donation samples from selected endemic counties. Specimens were screened for virus-specific neutralizing antibodies, and population seroprevalence was estimated using weights calibrated to county population census data. For POWV, median county seroprevalence in 4 states was 0.84%, ranging from 0% (95% CI 0%-2.28%) to 11.5% (95% CI 0.82%-40.9%). EEEV infection was identified in a single county (estimated seroprevalence 1.62% [95% CI 0.04%-8.75%]). Although seroprevalence estimates in sampled areas were generally low, additional investigation of higher-prevalence areas could inform risk for transmission from asymptomatic blood and organ donors.

Foodborne hepatitis A illnesses and outbreaks have been associated with consumption of ready-to-eat foods contaminated with the feces of person(s) shedding hepatitis A virus (HAV). Outbreaks have been linked to fresh and frozen produce imported from countries where HAV is endemic, hygiene and sanitation are inadequate, or food safety standards are lacking or unenforced. In 2022 and 2023, federal, state, and international partners investigated two multijurisdictional outbreaks of infections involving the same HAV genotype IA strain linked to fresh and frozen organic strawberries sourced from a single grower in Baja California, Mexico. These resulted in 39 reported cases in the U.S. and Canada, 21 hospitalizations, and no reported deaths. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and U.S. state partners conducted traceback investigations for fresh strawberries in 2022, while FDA and U.S. state partners traced back frozen strawberries in 2023. Based on the traceback investigations, implicated strawberries were harvested during the 2022 growing season and sold to fresh and frozen berry markets. During a farm inspection in Mexico in 2023, gaps were observed in agricultural practices that could have contributed to contamination of strawberries with HAV. FDA did not detect HAV in the two frozen strawberry samples linked to the recalled lots or environmental water samples collected at the implicated grower in 2023; no samples were collected during the 2022 investigation. Indicator organisms associated with human fecal contamination (male-specific coliphage and crAssphge) were detected in environmental water. Challenges in these investigations included limited recall of food exposures, exposures associated with multiple purchase dates, commingling of strawberries within the frozen market supply chains, and complexities with communicating these outbreak investigations to the public.

OBJECTIVE: To establish baseline seroprevalence of soil-borne, waterborne, and foodborne diseases and to monitor diseases that are eliminated or on the path to elimination in the Paraguayan Chaco. METHODS: A total of 1 100 school-age children (6-15 years) were tested in urban and rural schools selected for a cross-cutting population-based survey using a two-stage probabilistic sample design in the three departments of the Paraguayan Chaco. Blood samples were taken on filter paper to measure IgG antibodies using a multiplex bead assay. Data collection was carried out through interviews with parents and caregivers. Access to basic sanitation and improved water was assessed. Differences in pathogen seropositivity and seroprotection were estimated by urban and rural areas. RESULTS: Seroprotection against measles was 62.9% and against rubella was 78.2%. Minimal diphtheria and tetanus seroprotection (≥0.01 IU/ml) was 92.9% and 98.3%, respectively. Seroprotective levels against these four vaccine-preventable diseases significantly decreased with increasing age (p < 0.05). The following pathogens and respective antigens showed significantly higher seroprevalence (p < 0.05) in rural areas compared with urban areas: Cryptosporidium parvum Cp17: 80.4% vs 64.6%, and Cp23: 60.6% vs 44.8%; Giardia lamblia VSP3: 26.9% vs 16.6%; Strongyloides stercoralis NIE: 11.5% vs 4.1%; and Taenia solium T24H: 7.1% vs 1.6%. Seroprevalence for these pathogens was also higher in Indigenous population when compared to non-Indigenous. Basic sanitation conditions showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between rural and urban areas: adobe and soil dwelling floor (65.3% vs 30.2%), use of pit latrine (90.3% vs 44.2%), availability of drainage or septic tank (8.7% vs 55.2%), access to safe water (19.7% vs 44.9%), and water treatment (6.8% vs 32.3%). CONCLUSIONS: We identified high exposure to soil-borne, waterborne, and foodborne diseases in rural areas and Indigenous population in the Paraguayan Chaco. Low seroprotection against measles and rubella alerts about the risk of immunity gaps to maintain elimination targets.

IMPORTANCE: Invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections are associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. OBJECTIVE: To update trends in invasive GAS disease incidence rates in 10 US states between 2013 and 2022. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Clinical, demographic, and laboratory data for invasive GAS cases were collected as part of population-based surveillance in the Active Bacterial Core surveillance network covering 34.9 million persons across 10 US states. A case was defined as isolation of GAS from a normally sterile site or from a wound in a patient with necrotizing fasciitis or streptococcal toxic shock syndrome between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022. Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical record review. From 2013 to 2014, available isolates were emm typed and antimicrobial susceptibilities determined using conventional methods; from 2015 onward, whole-genome sequencing was used. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Incidence rates by sex, age, race, and selected risk factors; clinical syndromes, outcomes, and underlying patient conditions; and isolate characteristics, including antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS: Surveillance in 10 US states identified 21 312 cases of invasive GAS from 2013 through 2022, including 1981 deaths. The majority of cases (57.5%) were in males. Among case-patients, 1272 (6.0%) were aged 0 to 17 years, 13 565 (63.7%) were aged 18 to 64 years, and 6474 (30.4%) were 65 years or older; 5.5% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 14.3% were Black, and 67.1% were White. Incidence rose from 3.6 per 100 000 persons in 2013 to 8.2 per 100 000 persons in 2022 (P < .001 for trend). Incidence was highest among persons 65 years or older; however, the relative increase over time was greatest among adults aged 18 to 64 years (3.2 to 8.7 per 100 000 persons). Incidence was higher among American Indian or Alaska Native persons than in other racial and ethnic groups. People experiencing homelessness, people who inject drugs, and residents of long-term care facilities had substantially elevated GAS incidence rates. Among tested isolates, those nonsusceptible to macrolides and clindamycin increased from 12.7% in 2013 to 33.1% in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: Invasive GAS infections increased substantially in 10 US states during a surveillance period from 2013 to 2022. Accelerated efforts to prevent and control GAS are needed, especially among groups at highest risk of infection.

BACKGROUND: The 2023-2024 influenza season included sustained elevated activity from December 2023-February 2024 and continued activity through May 2024. Influenza A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B viruses circulated during the season. METHODS: During September 1, 2023-May 31, 2024, a multistate sentinel surveillance network of 24 medical centers in 20 U.S. states enrolled adults aged ≥18 years hospitalized with acute respiratory illness (ARI). Consistent with a test-negative design, cases tested positive for influenza viruses by molecular or antigen test, and controls tested negative for influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against influenza-associated hospitalization was calculated as (1 - adjusted odds ratio for vaccination) × 100%. RESULTS: Among 7690 patients, including 1170 influenza cases (33% vaccinated) and 6520 controls, VE was 40% (95% CI: 31%-48%) with varying estimates by age (18-49 years: 53% [34%-67%]; 50-64 years: 47% [31%-60%]; ≥65 years: 31% [16%-43%]). Protection was similar among immunocompetent patients (40% [30%-49%]) and immunocompromised patients (32% [7-50%]). VE was statistically significant against influenza B (67% [35%-84%]) and A(H1N1) (36% [21%-48%]) and crossed the null against A(H3N2) (19% [-8%-39%]). VE was higher for patients 14-60 days from vaccination (54% [40%-65%]) than >120 days (18% [-1%-33%]). CONCLUSIONS: During 2023-2024, influenza vaccination reduced the risk of influenza A(H1N1)- and influenza B-associated hospitalizations among adults; effectiveness was lower in patients vaccinated >120 days prior to illness onset compared with those vaccinated 14-60 days prior.

IMPORTANCE: In 2023, the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines were recommended for US adults 60 years or older, but few data are available about which patients were most likely to receive vaccine to inform future RSV vaccine outreach efforts. OBJECTIVE: To assess patient- and community-level characteristics associated with RSV vaccine receipt and patient knowledge and attitudes related to RSV disease and RSV vaccines. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: During the first season of RSV vaccine use from October 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, adults 60 years or older hospitalized with RSV-negative acute respiratory illness were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from 26 hospitals in 20 US states. Sociodemographic and clinical data were abstracted from health records, and structured interviews were conducted for knowledge and attitudes about RSV disease and RSV vaccines. EXPOSURES: Age, sex, race and ethnicity, pulmonary disease, immunocompromised status, long-term care facility residence, medical insurance, social vulnerability index (SVI), and educational level. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The exposures were identified a priori as possible factors associated with RSV vaccine receipt and were entered into a modified Poisson regression model accounting for state clustering, to assess for association with RSV vaccine receipt. Knowledge and attitudes were summarized with frequencies and proportions. RESULTS: Among 6746 hospitalized adults 60 years or older, median age was 73 (IQR, 66-80) years and 3451 (51.2%) were female. Among the 6599 patients with self-reported race and ethnicity, 699 (10.6%) were Hispanic, 1288 (19.5%) were non-Hispanic Black, 4299 (65.1%) were non-Hispanic White, and 313 (4.7%) were other race or ethnicity. There were 700 RSV-vaccinated (10.4%) and 6046 unvaccinated (89.6%) adults. Among 3219 unvaccinated adults who responded to RSV knowledge questions, 1519 (47.2%) had not heard of RSV or were unsure; 2525 of 3218 (78.5%) were unsure if they were eligible for RSV vaccine or thought they were not. In adjusted analyses, characteristics associated with RSV vaccination were being 75 years or older (adjusted risk ratio [ARR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.10-1.38, P < .001), being male (ARR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30; P = .04), and having pulmonary disease (ARR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.16-1.67; P < .001), immunocompromised status (ARR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14-1.48; P < .001), low (ARR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.18-1.83, P < .001) or moderate (ARR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.21-1.79; P < .001) SVI, and educational level consisting of 4 or more years of college (ARR, 2.91; 95% CI, 2.14-3.96; P < .001), at least some college or technical training (ARR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.35-2.53; P < .001), or grade 12 education or General Educational Development (ARR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.00; P = .03). RSV vaccination was less likely among residents of long-term care facilities, patients with Medicaid coverage, and uninsured patients. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study of hospitalized adults, knowledge of RSV disease and RSV vaccine eligibility was low. Older adults and those with certain medical conditions were more likely to have received vaccine, suggesting appropriate prioritization, but sociodemographic differences in vaccine uptake occurred.

Seismic monitoring of underground longwall mines can provide valuable information for managing coal burst risks and understanding the ground response to extraction. However, the underground longwall mine environment poses major challenges for traditional in-mine microseismic sensors including the restricted use of electronics due to potentially explosive atmospheres, the need to frequently and quickly relocate sensors as rapid mining progresses, and source parameter errors associated with complex time-dependent velocity structure. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), a technology that uses rapid laser pulses to measure strain along fiber-optic cables, shows potential to alleviate these shortcomings and improve seismic monitoring in coal mines when used in conjunction with traditional monitoring systems. Moreover, because DAS can acquire measurements that are not possible to record with traditional seismic sensors, it also enables entirely new monitoring approaches. This work demonstrates several DAS deployment strategies such as deploying fiber on the mine floor, in boreholes drilled from the surface and from mine level, on the longwall mining equipment, and wrapped around secondary support cans. Although there are several data processing and deployment improvements needed before DAS-based monitoring can become routine in underground longwall mines, the findings presented here can aid decision makers in assessing the potential of DAS to meet their needs and help guide future deployment designs. © 2025

BACKGROUND: Jamestown Canyon virus, a mosquito-borne virus, can cause asymptomatic infection, febrile illness, or neuroinvasive disease in humans. Previous studies have found Jamestown Canyon virus-specific antibodies in a 4-54% of people in various U.S. regions. To understand baseline seroprevalence in regions with the highest number of reported disease cases, we performed a serosurvey among blood donors. METHODS: We randomly selected blood donation specimens collected during December 2019-April 2020 from residents of counties reporting ≥2 disease cases in 2019 or one case in 2019 and ≥1 case during 2010-2018. Specimens were screened for Jamestown Canyon virus-specific neutralizing antibodies and, if positive, tested for IgM antibodies. We estimated county population seroprevalence by calibrating sample weights to population census data. RESULTS: Fourteen counties in three states, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, met the inclusion criteria. Within each state, average county seroprevalence ranged from 16.8% (95% CI: 9.3%-27.0%) to 18.8% (95% CI: 14.0%-24.4%) for Jamestown Canyon virus neutralizing antibodies and from 7.6% (95% CI: 4.2%-12.5%) to 13.5% (95% CI: 9.6%-18.3%) for both neutralizing and IgM antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: Estimated Jamestown Canyon virus seroprevalence, including for IgM antibodies, is elevated in endemic areas, complicating the interpretation of serologic testing in diagnosing acute disease in symptomatic individuals. Diagnosing Jamestown Canyon virus disease requires a high degree of clinical suspicion, ruling out other possible causes of illness, and if possible, collecting acute and convalescent samples. New assays to detect acute infection could improve diagnosis and public health surveillance for Jamestown Canyon virus disease.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of interventions delivered by disease intervention specialists (DIS), relatively few studies have assessed their economic outcomes. We performed a systematic literature review of the cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit of DIS-delivered interventions for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. METHODS: Building on a recent systematic review of the effectiveness of DIS-delivered interventions, we reviewed economic outcomes associated with these interventions for STIs. We searched articles indexed in MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest from 2000 through December 2022, using these inclusion criteria: addressed an intervention of DIS-delivered interventions for STIs including partner services; United States setting; and included estimates for program cost, cost-effectiveness, or cost-benefit. Findings were summarized through narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, DIS-delivered interventions including STI partner services can be a cost-effective use of public health resources. In some scenarios, the cost of these interventions can be completely offset by averted medical costs. Cost and cost-effectiveness estimates of DIS-delivered interventions can vary across geographic settings and under different epidemiologic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Although scarce, the available evidence suggests DIS-delivered interventions including STI partner services are an efficient use of public health resources. Health economic modeling studies are needed to facilitate conversion of intermediate cost-effectiveness outcomes (e.g., cost per syphilis case identified and treated) into standard cost-effectiveness outcomes (e.g., cost per quality-adjusted life year [QALY] gained).

The effect of preexisting neutralizing antibodies (NAb) on SARS-CoV-2 shedding in postvaccination infection (PVI) is not well understood. We characterized viral shedding longitudinally in nasal specimens in relation to baseline (pre/periinfection) serum NAb titers in 125 participants infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants. Among 68 vaccinated participants, we quantified the effect of baseline NAb titers on maximum viral RNA titers and infectivity duration. Baseline NAbs were higher and targeted a broader range of variants in participants with monovalent ancestral booster vaccinations compared with those with a primary vaccine series. In Delta infections, baseline NAb titers targeting Delta or Wuhan-Hu-1 correlated negatively with maximum viral RNA. Per log10 increase in Delta-targeting baseline NAb IC50, maximum viral load was reduced -2.43 (95% CI: -3.76, -1.11) log10 nucleocapsid copies, and infectious viral shedding was reduced -2.79 (95% CI: -4.99, -0.60) days. Conversely, in Omicron infections (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, or BA.5), baseline NAb titers against Omicron lineages or Wuhan-Hu-1 did not predict viral outcomes. Our results provide robust estimates of the effect of baseline NAbs on the magnitude and duration of nasal viral replication after PVI (albeit with an unclear effect on transmission) and show how immune escape variants efficiently evade these modulating effects.

BACKGROUND: Persistent trachoma is increasingly recognized as a serious concern for the global trachoma program. Persistent trachoma is defined as those districts that have had two or more trachoma impact surveys in which the trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) prevalence has never been <5%, the elimination threshold for TF. Enhanced tools such as infection and serological monitoring elucidate long-term transmission patterns within persistent districts. This study aimed to clarify trachoma intensity via both traditional indicators and Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection and serologic markers in four districts experiencing persistent trachoma with >10 years of interventions. METHODOLOGY: Population-based surveys were conducted in 2019 in four trachoma persistent districts. Children ages 1-9 years were examined for trachoma clinical signs and children 1-5 years were swabbed for Ct infection. Antibodies to the trachoma antigens Pgp3 and CT694 were measured for all individuals ≥1 year, assessed by multiplex bead assay. Seroconversion rates (SCRs) to both antigens were estimated for children and for individuals of all ages. RESULTS: One district, Ebinat, remained highly endemic, with a TF prevalence and infection prevalence (ages 1-5 years) of 42.5% and 7.1% respectively. Indicators were lower in the other three districts ranging from 10.7%-17.9% TF and 0%-1.7% infection. The Pgp3 SCR among children ages 1-9 years was considerably higher in Ebinat with 10.8 seroconversions per 100 child-years, (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 8.2, 14.4) compared to the other three districts (SCR range: 0.9-3.9). All-age Pgp3 SCR estimates detected a significant decline in seroprevalence in Machakel district at approximately 12 years prior to 2019. CONCLUSIONS: Infection and serology may be useful tools for clarifying transmission, particularly among persistent districts, and ongoing interventions likely helped push these hyperendemic districts towards the elimination threshold. However, districts such as Ebinat may require more intense interventions to reach elimination within acceptable timelines.

BACKGROUND: To demonstrate the application and utility of geostatistical modelling to provide comprehensive high-resolution understanding of the population's protective immunity during a pandemic and identify pockets with sub-optimal protection. METHODS: Using data from a national cross-sectional household survey of 6620 individuals in the Dominican Republic (DR) from June to October 2021, we developed and applied geostatistical regression models to estimate and predict Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (anti-S) antibodies (Ab) seroprevalence at high resolution (1 km) across heterogeneous areas. RESULTS: Spatial patterns in population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 varied across the DR. In urban areas, a one-unit increase in the number of primary healthcare units per population and 1% increase in the proportion of the population aged under 20 years were associated with higher odds ratios of being anti-S Ab positive of 1.38 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35-1.39) and 1.35 (95% CI: 1.32-1.33), respectively. In rural areas, higher odds of anti-S Ab positivity, 1.45 (95% CI: 1.39-1.51), were observed with increasing temperature in the hottest month (per°C), and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.43-1.60) with increasing precipitation in the wettest month (per mm). CONCLUSIONS: A geostatistical model that integrates contextually important socioeconomic and environmental factors can be used to create robust and reliable predictive maps of immune protection during a pandemic at high spatial resolution and will assist in the identification of highly vulnerable areas.

BACKGROUND: This manuscript describes an updated spreadsheet tool that sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention programs in the United States can use to estimate the health and economic benefits of their STI and HIV prevention activities. METHODS: The development of the updated tool, STIC (Sexually Transmitted Infection Costs) Figure 2.0, involved two main components. First, we revised the tool to be more useful and user-friendly based on feedback from focus groups and usability testing. Second, we updated the mathematical model behind the calculations by (1) revising the model to reflect current STI and HIV prevention activities in the United States, (2) updating the epidemiological and economic parameters in the model using the best available evidence, and (3) including ranges (not just point estimates) in the model output. To demonstrate the use of STIC Figure 2.0, we applied it to estimate the impact of a hypothetical prevention program, consistent with that of a health department or large STI clinic in a metropolitan area. RESULTS: STIC Figure 2.0 incorporated new features, including an interactive user interface to explore findings and create customized charts for use in reports and presentations. The hypothetical example we analyzed illustrated how providing STI treatment to 2,680 people and HIV prevention services to 325 people could avert 1,253 adverse outcomes and save over $2 million in medical costs and productivity costs. CONCLUSIONS: Although subject to important limitations, STIC Figure 2.0 allows state and local programs, including STI clinics, to calculate evidence-based estimates of the impact of their program activities.

COVID-19 vaccination averted approximately 68,000 hospitalizations during the 2023-24 respiratory season. In June 2024, CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all persons aged ≥6 months receive a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, which targets Omicron JN.1 and JN.1-derived sublineages. Interim effectiveness of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines was estimated against COVID-19-associated emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC) visits during September 2024-January 2025 among adults aged ≥18 years in one CDC-funded vaccine effectiveness (VE) network, against COVID-19-associated hospitalization in immunocompetent adults aged ≥65 years in two networks, and against COVID-19-associated hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years with immunocompromising conditions in one network. Among adults aged ≥18 years, VE against COVID-19-associated ED/UC visits was 33% (95% CI = 28%-38%) during the first 7-119 days after vaccination. Among immunocompetent adults aged ≥65 years from two CDC networks, VE estimates against COVID-19-associated hospitalization were 45% (95% CI = 36%-53%) and 46% (95% CI = 26%-60%) during the first 7-119 days after vaccination. Among adults aged ≥65 years with immunocompromising conditions in one network, VE was 40% (95% CI = 21%-54%) during the first 7-119 days after vaccination. These findings demonstrate that vaccination with a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine dose provides additional protection against COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters and hospitalizations compared with not receiving a 2024-2025 dose and support current CDC and ACIP recommendations that all persons aged ≥6 months receive a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine dose.

OBJECTIVE: Using an innovative data sharing model, we assessed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of people who inject drugs (PWID). DESIGN: The PWID Data Collaborative was established in 2021 to promote data sharing across PWID studies in North America. Contributing studies submitted aggregate data on 23 standardized indicators during four time periods: prepandemic (March 2019 to February 2020), early-pandemic (March 2020 to February 2021), mid-pandemic (March 2021 to February 2022), and late pandemic (March 2022 to February 2023). METHODS: We present study-specific and meta-analyzed estimates for the percentage of PWID who took medications for opioid use disorder, received substance use treatment, shared syringes or injection equipment, had a mental health condition, had been incarcerated, or had experienced houselessness. To examine change over time across indicators, we fit a random effects meta-regression model to prevalence estimates using time as a moderator. RESULTS: Thirteen studies contributed estimates to the Data Collaborative on these indicators, representing 6213 PWID interviews. We observed minimal change across prevalence of the six indicators between the prepandemic (March 2019 to February 2020) and three subsequent time periods, overall or within individual studies. Considerable heterogeneity was observed across study-specific and time-specific estimates. CONCLUSION: Limited pandemic-related change observed in indicators of PWID health is likely a result of policy and supportive service-related changes and may also reflect resilience among service providers and PWID themselves. The Data Collaborative is an unprecedented data sharing model with potential to greatly improve the quality and timeliness of data on the health of PWID.

To understand how coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines impact infection risk in children &lt;5 years, we assessed risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection from September 2022 to April 2023 in 3 cohort studies. There was no difference in risk by vaccination status. While vaccines reduce severe disease, they may not reduce SARS-CoV-2 infections in naïve young children.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and culturable virus in tears of a case-ascertained household cohort. Design: Prospective, longitudinal case-ascertained household cohort identified through convenience sampling. MethodsThis analysis was restricted to individuals who were non-hospitalized, symptomatic, and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal RT-PCR. Tears and anterior nasal biospecimens were serially collected throughout the acute period. Tears specimens were collected by the study staff using Schirmer test strips, and nasal specimens were self-collected. For both, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using qRT-PCR, and culturable virus was detected using presence of cytopathic effect (CPE) in tissue culture; positive CPE was confirmed by a qRT-PCR step. A series of cross-sectional unadjusted analyses were performed investigating the relationship between different sociodemographic determinants and biological factors associated with tears RNA positivity.

The introduction of the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations has set a global target for achieving Universal Health Coverage, requiring resilient health systems capable of addressing public health emergencies and ensuring health security. Public health surveillance, crucial for detecting and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, is key to building health system resilience. Due to the high levels of mobility and political instability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, unique challenges arise in cross-border health surveillance. This review aims to highlight the importance of cross-border public health surveillance in strengthening health systems across MENA to achieve equitable health outcomes.A mixed-methods approach was utilized, combining a systematic literature review with semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) involving 28 stakeholders from seven MENA countries. The literature review adhered to PRISMA guidelines, while the IDIs provided qualitative insights into current surveillance practices and challenges. Findings from the literature review and IDIs were triangulated and analyzed using the WHO Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Building Blocks Framework to identify key challenges and recommendations for improving cross-border surveillance.Results indicate that existing cross-border surveillance systems in MENA face challenges in data collection, analysis, and sharing, with disparities across countries based on income levels and political contexts. Key challenges include delayed and incomplete data sharing, insufficient funding across sectors, inadequate training, inconsistent data definitions, and limited integration of health data for mobile populations. Recommendations emphasize strengthened governance and leadership to facilitate regional cooperation and information sharing, sustainable financing for implementing a One Health approach, utilizing innovative information systems, workforce development to enhance data collection and analysis, and secure supply chains for medicines and vaccines and equitable service delivery for all mobile populations.In conclusion, the WHO HSS Building Block Framework provides a comprehensive approach to assessing and improving cross-border public health surveillance and enhancing health security and equity in MENA. Strengthening cross-border surveillance systems may help MENA countries meet IHR requirements, achieve greater health security, and advance health equity among all types of mobile populations. Despite limitations, the study offers critical insights for improving cross-border surveillance strategies in the region.

To assess the prevalence of several parasitic infections in Kiribati, dried blood spots collected during trachoma prevalence surveys in the two major population centers in 2015, 2016, and 2019 were tested using multiplex bead-based serologic assays to detect IgG antibodies against four pathogens of public health interest: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), Taenia solium (T. solium), Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis), and Toxocara canis (T. canis). In Kiritimati Island, the seroprevalences of T. solium recombinant antigen for detection of cysticercosis antibodies (T24H) and recombinant antigen for detection of taeniasis antibodies (ES33) were ≤4% in both surveys, whereas in Tarawa, the T24H seroprevalence was 2% (2016) and 7% (2019) and the ES33 seroprevalence was ≤3% in both surveys. At both sites, the seropositivity of S. stercoralis recombinant antigen for detection of Strongyloides was 0-4%, and for T. canis, the C-type lectin-1 antigen was 0-1% in all surveys. For T. gondii, the surface antigen glycoprotein 2A antigen seroprevalences on Kiritimati Island were 41% (2015) and 36% (2019), and in Tarawa, they were 36% (2016) and 22% (2019), suggesting that T. gondii infections are common in Kiribati, whereas the other pathogens are not.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus transmitted primarily by the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes. Although typically asymptomatic or causing mild symptoms and infrequent neurological disease in older children and adults, infection during pregnancy can result in severe congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental deficits. We conducted a review of published literature and official data sources to describe recent Zika epidemiological trends, building on WHO updates posted in 2019 and 2022. Globally, cases declined after the height of ZIKV transmission in the Americas in 2015-2016; however, transmission continues across multiple regions, with intermittent outbreaks reported. As of December 2023, there is documented evidence of current or prior autochthonous mosquito-borne ZIKV transmission in 92 countries and territories; most recently, Guinea, Mali, and Sri Lanka were included on the basis of recent or retrospective testing of specimens collected during surveillance activities or studies. The abundance of asymptomatic and mild infections and limited diagnostic testing suggest that transmission in many locations likely remains underrecognized. Public health authorities, clinicians, communities at risk, and travelers should remain alert to the possibility of ZIKV transmission and implement measures to limit the risk of infection with ZIKV and other Aedes-borne arboviruses. To strengthen surveillance for ZIKV infections and congenital disease, targeted surveillance using clear case definitions and epidemiologically appropriate laboratory testing algorithms should be applied.