Monthly Archives: June 2019

Immune persistence 17 to 20 years after primary vaccination with recombination hepatitis B vaccine (CHO) and the effect of booster dose vaccination

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BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 1 Jun 2019)

 

Research article
Immune persistence 17 to 20 years after primary vaccination with recombination hepatitis B vaccine (CHO) and the effect of booster dose vaccination
To assess the immune persistence conferred by a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-derived hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) 17 to 20 years after primary immunization during early life.
Authors: Yu-Liang Zhao, Bi-Hua Han, Xin-Jiang Zhang, Lu-Lu Pan, Hai-Song Zhou, Zhao Gao, Zhi-Yong Hao, Zhi-Wei Wu, Tian-Li Ma, Feng Wang, Qi Li, Sheng-Li Bi and Jing-Chen Ma
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2019 19:482
Published on: 30 May 2019

Oral and anal high-risk human papilloma virus infection in HIV-positive men who have sex with men over a 24-month longitudinal study: complexity and vaccine implications

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 1 Jun 2019)

 

Research article
Oral and anal high-risk human papilloma virus infection in HIV-positive men who have sex with men over a 24-month longitudinal study: complexity and vaccine implications
Few studies focused on longitudinal modifications over time of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) at anal and oral sites in HIV+ men who have sex with men (MSM).
Authors: Saverio Giuseppe Parisi, Monica Basso, Renzo Scaggiante, Samantha Andreis, Carlo Mengoli, Mario Cruciani, Claudia Del Vecchio, Nicola Menegotto, Daniela Zago, Loredana Sarmati, Massimo Andreoni and Giorgio Palù
Citation: BMC Public Health 2019 19:645
Published on: 28 May 2019

Health systems research in fragile settings

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Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 97, Number 6, June 2019, 377-440
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/97/6/en/

 

EDITORIALS
Health systems research in fragile settings
— Alastair Ager, Shadi Saleh, Haja Wurie & Sophie Witter
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.233965
Population health indicators have improved in recent decades. Deaths in children younger than five years have declined from over 16 million in 1970 to around 5 million in 20161 and life expectancy at birth has increased from 58 to over 70 years in the same period.2
However, a major constraint to such progress, and in some contexts a potential source of reversal, is fragility. Of the 10 countries with the highest rates of infant mortality, seven are classified as fragile states. Of the 20 countries with the weakest progress on reducing maternal mortality from 1990 to 2015, 14 were fragile.3 However, fragility is increasingly recognized as a phenomenon that is not limited to countries that meet the profile of fragile and conflict-affected states.4 Of those countries that currently meet the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development criteria of experiencing significant fragility, comprising political, societal, economic, environmental and security dimensions of instability, almost half are middle-income countries.5
A better understanding of the implications of health-care provision in contexts of fragility is necessary. We have, therefore, established a research unit on health in situations of fragility at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland. This unit is supported by the National Institute for Health Research and builds on the experiences of several institutions in post-conflict health reconstruction strategy, recovery from the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa and response to political instability in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In our analysis of how the concept of fragility is used in the global health literature, we found that fragility is most often used to describe the circumstances of states or their public health systems; however, it also increasingly addresses the relationship with communities. Where the state’s agenda and communities’ needs are poorly aligned, the strained or ruptured relationship between the two has direct implications for health.
Understanding the weaknesses of health systems and how systems strengthening strategies may address these weaknesses must remain a core component of any approach to secure improvements in population health. However, in contexts of fragility, a key focus is needed on threats to the interface between public health provision and community processes. This exercise inevitably requires a systems for health approach6 that sees community, civil society, private sector actors and the state as key agents within a complex system adjusting to the prevailing drivers of fragility.
Earlier work on health systems resilience in contexts of fragility7,8 repeatedly pointed to the importance of this interface with communities. We are now exploring this further in three countries: El Salvador, Lebanon and Sierra Leone. In each setting, our focus is on the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases and mental health and psychosocial support. Providing a response to these health needs requires an effective connection over time between diverse service providers, patients, carers and communities.
Scoping reviews in each of these fragile settings have identified recurrent challenges at this interface. When fragile settings experience acute shocks, there is a risk that the surge of local provision supported by international agencies will not strengthen health systems in the long-term. Lack of knowledge of available services, uncertain or restricted access, financial barriers or perceptions of health-care settings not constituting a safe place are also repeatedly identified across fragile settings at the community-service interface.9
Participatory group model building10 is a promising method for exploring the connections between the various actors of the systems for health in these fragile settings, and for identifying potential strategies to make these actors’ engagement more effective. Policy-level and health systems interventions are clearly relevant, but it is at the interface of public health provision and community processes that major barriers persist.
Mapping of social connection and trust11 can also clarify key processes supporting or inhibiting engagement within and between communities and health services in contexts of fragility.
We plan to develop a series of studies of strategic interventions designed to secure high-quality and accessible service provision in contexts of fragility. Therefore, we encourage other researchers to engage in this framing of strategic health interventions in such settings. The core goal must be achieving forms of service design and community engagement that prove durable and effective in circumstances of fragility. To the extent that these strategies are effective in building trust and social connection between (and within) the state and local communities, they may also prove of value in addressing the drivers of fragility itself.12

Comparison of essential medicines lists in 137 countries

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Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 97, Number 6, June 2019, 377-440
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/97/6/en/

 

Research
Comparison of essential medicines lists in 137 countries
— Nav Persaud, Maggie Jiang, Roha Shaikh, Anjli Bali, Efosa Oronsaye, Hannah Woods, Gregory Drozdzal, Yathavan Rajakulasingam, Darshanand Maraj, Sapna Wadhawan, Norman Umali, Ri Wang, Marcy McCall, Jeffrey K Aronson, Annette Plüddemann, Lorenzo Moja, Nicola Magrini & Carl Heneghan
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.18.222448
Abstract
Objective
To compare the medicines included in national essential medicines lists with the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Model list of essential medicines, and assess the extent to which countries’ characteristics, such as WHO region, size and health care expenditure, account for the differences.
Methods
We searched the WHO’s Essential Medicines and Health Products Information Portal for national essential medicines lists. We compared each national list of essential medicines with both the 2017 WHO model list and other national lists. We used linear regression to determine whether differences were dependent on WHO Region, population size, life expectancy, infant mortality, gross domestic product and health-care expenditure.
Findings
We identified 137 national lists of essential medicines that collectively included 2068 unique medicines. Each national list contained between 44 and 983 medicines (median 310: interquartile range, IQR: 269 to 422). The number of differences between each country’s essential medicines list and WHO’s model list ranged from 93 to 815 (median: 296; IQR: 265 to 381). Linear regression showed that only WHO region and health-care expenditure were significantly associated with the number of differences
Conclusion
The substantial differences between national lists of essential medicines are only partly explained by differences in country characteristics and thus may not be related to different priority needs. This information helps to identify opportunities to improve essential medicines lists.

Control of Ebola virus disease outbreaks: Comparison of health care worker-targeted and community vaccination strategies

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Epidemics
Volume 27 Pages 1-132 (June 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/epidemics/vol/27/suppl/C

 

Research article Open access
Control of Ebola virus disease outbreaks: Comparison of health care worker-targeted and community vaccination strategies
Alexis Robert, Anton Camacho, W. John Edmunds, Marc Baguelin, … Rosalind M. Eggo
Pages 106-114

Analyzing and forecasting the Ebola incidence in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018–19 in real time

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Epidemics
Volume 27 Pages 1-132 (June 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/epidemics/vol/27/suppl/C

 

Research article Open access
Analyzing and forecasting the Ebola incidence in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2018–19 in real time
Andrei R. Akhmetzhanov, Hyojung Lee, Sung-mok Jung, Taishi Kayano, … Hiroshi Nishiura
Pages 123-131

Stronger responders—uptake and decline of HPV-vaccination in Denmark

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The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 29, Issue 3, June 2019
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/29/3

 

Infectious disease
Stronger responders—uptake and decline of HPV-vaccination in Denmark
Charlotte Lynderup Lübker; Elsebeth Lynge
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 29, Issue 3, June 2019, Pages 500–505, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky235

Populist politics and vaccine hesitancy in Western Europe: an analysis of national-level data

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The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 29, Issue 3, June 2019
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/29/3

 

Populist politics and vaccine hesitancy in Western Europe: an analysis of national-level data
Jonathan Kennedy
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 29, Issue 3, June 2019, Pages 512–516, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz004
… Results
There is a highly significant positive association between the percentage of people in a country who voted for populist parties and who believe that vaccines are not important (R = 0.7923, P = 0.007) and effective (R = 0.7222, P = 0.0035). The percentage of people who think vaccines are unsafe just misses being significant at the 5% level (R = 0.5027, P = 0.0669).
Conclusions
Vaccine hesitancy and political populism are driven by similar dynamics: a profound distrust in elites and experts. It is necessary for public health scholars and actors to work to build trust with parents that are reluctant to vaccinate their children, but there are limits to this strategy. The more general popular distrust of elites and experts which informs vaccine hesitancy will be difficult to resolve unless its underlying causes—the political disenfranchisement and economic marginalisation of large parts of the Western European population—are also addressed.

The intersections of industry with the health research enterprise

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Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 1 Jun 2019]

 

Commentary
|   29 May 2019
The intersections of industry with the health research enterprise
Authors: Elie A. Akl and Assem M. Khamis
Abstract
There is increased awareness of the negative impact of large multinational corporations – the ‘industry’ – on public health. These corporations have established different types of relationships with a number of actors in the field of health research. This Commentary explores the different types of relationships between the industry and the actors of health research, how they intersect with the different research steps, and how these relationships allow the industry to exert influence. The types of relationships discussed consist of funding of research, direct relationships with the actors of research (namely advocacy groups, funding agencies, experts, professional organisations, regulatory agencies and health practitioners), and the influencing research standards. The potentially influenced research steps either precede the research (i.e. the prioritisation of research question), relate to it directly (i.e. its planning, conduct, reporting, dissemination and evaluation), or build on it (i.e. regulatory approval, integration into guidelines and adoption into practice). In conclusion, the industry has successfully fostered relationships with almost every actor of the health research enterprise and is using these relationships to influence the different steps of health research. The degree of influence the industry is having on health research calls for more work on managing the relationships discussed herein.

The 2017 Oslo conference report on neglected tropical diseases and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases – focus on populations underserved

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Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 1 Jun 2019]

 

Commentary
The 2017 Oslo conference report on neglected tropical diseases and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases – focus on populations underserved
In 2017, the Centre for Global Health (CGH) at the University of Oslo in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Nora…
Authors: Katharina Klohe, John Amuasi, Joyce Moriku Kaducu, Ingeborg Haavardsson, Ekaterina Bogatyreva, Kristine Husøy Onarheim, Wendy Harrison, Frederik Kristensen, Clarissa Prazeres da Costa and Andrea S. Winkler
Citation: Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2019 8:40
Published on: 28 May 2019

Safe Vaccinations for a Healthy Nation

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JAMA
May 28, 2019, Vol 321, No. 20, Pages 1953-2040
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Viewpoint
Safe Vaccinations for a Healthy Nation – Increasing US Vaccine Coverage Through Law, Science, and Communication
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD; Scott C. Ratzan, MD, MPA, MA; Barry R. Bloom, PhD
JAMA. 2019;321(20):1969-1970. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4270
This Viewpoint discusses public distrust of vaccinations fueled by false information on vaccine safety spread through social media, and discusses the ways in which physicians, public health authorities, states, and social media platforms can help curb the spread of misinformation and instead provide information on the safety and importance of vaccines.

Health Concerns in Urban SlumsA Glimpse of Things to Come?

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JAMA
May 28, 2019, Vol 321, No. 20, Pages 1953-2040
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Health Concerns in Urban SlumsA Glimpse of Things to Come?
Allen G. P. Ross, MD, PhD, DSc, FRCP(Edin), FRCPath, FACTM; Khalequ Zaman, MBBS, PhD; John D. Clemens, MD
free access
JAMA. 2019;321(20):1973-1974. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3774
In this Viewpoint, authors from the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh discuss rapid urbanization in low- and middle-income countries and the associated challenges of meeting the basic health care needs of growing urban slum populations.

Serving Individuals and Populations Within Integrated Health SystemsA Bridge Too Far?

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JAMA
May 28, 2019, Vol 321, No. 20, Pages 1953-2040
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Serving Individuals and Populations Within Integrated Health SystemsA Bridge Too Far?
Hamilton Moses III, MD; David H. M. Matheson, JD, MBA; George Poste, DVM, PhD, FRS
JAMA. 2019;321(20):1975-1976. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.2929
This Viewpoint discusses the realities that keep integrated health systems (IHSs) from providing a full range of patient care services from primary through quaternary care, and outlines strategic considerations important for IHS stakeholders to account for if they are to effectively serve their patient communities in a shifting technological and regulatory environment.

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JAMA
May 28, 2019, Vol 321, No. 20, Pages 1953-2040
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Serving Individuals and Populations Within Integrated Health SystemsA Bridge Too Far?
Hamilton Moses III, MD; David H. M. Matheson, JD, MBA; George Poste, DVM, PhD, FRS
JAMA. 2019;321(20):1975-1976. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.2929
This Viewpoint discusses the realities that keep integrated health systems (IHSs) from providing a full range of patient care services from primary through quaternary care, and outlines strategic considerations important for IHS stakeholders to account for if they are to effectively serve their patient communities in a shifting technological and regulatory environment.

Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Completion Among Low-Income Latina/o Adolescents

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Journal of Adolescent Health
June 2019 Volume 64, Issue 6, p673-812
https://www.jahonline.org/issue/S1054-139X(18)X0008-1

 

Original Articles
Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Completion Among Low-Income Latina/o Adolescents
Mary A. Gerend, Yesenia P. Stephens, Michelle M. Kazmer, Elizabeth H. Slate, Elena Reyes
p753–762
Published online: February 15, 2019

Offline: WHO—the story so far…

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The Lancet
Jun 01, 2019 Volume 393Number 10187p2175-2274
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Comment
Offline: WHO—the story so far…
Richard Horton
… WHO is also opening up. Past Director-Generals have viewed the agency as a handmaiden to member states. They have been reluctant to strike out alone, to set agendas, and to challenge governments—they have been reluctant to lead. They have feared the backlash of countries suspicious of multilateral institutions, countries that can hold WHO hostage by threatening to withhold its budget. The agency has therefore become profoundly risk averse. But there is evidence of change. Tedros has invited critical voices to address usually austere Assembly delegates. This year, he gave a platform to 18-year-old Natasha Mwansa from Zambia, who insisted that whatever was to be discussed by Ministers of Health would not be delivered successfully without the full participation of young people. She spoke about the importance of education in unleashing the potential of nations—“Ignorance is the deadliest disease we can ever fight.” And Tedros himself spoke about issues that his predecessors have avoided. The importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The necessity of partnering with civil society. And finding ways to bypass member-state funding shortfalls through innovative financing mechanisms, such as a new WHO Foundation. He was explicit. WHO was now in the business of managing, not avoiding, risk…

Past, present, and future of global health financing: a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 195 countries, 1995–2050

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The Lancet
Jun 01, 2019 Volume 393Number 10187p2175-2274
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Articles
Past, present, and future of global health financing: a review of development assistance, government, out-of-pocket, and other private spending on health for 195 countries, 1995–2050
Comprehensive and comparable estimates of health spending in each country are a key input for health policy and planning, and are necessary to support the achievement of national and international health goals. Previous studies have tracked past and projected future health spending until 2040 and shown that, with economic development, countries tend to spend more on health per capita, with a decreasing share of spending from development assistance and out-of-pocket sources. We aimed to characterise the past, present, and predicted future of global health spending, with an emphasis on equity in spending across countries.
Global Burden of Disease Health Financing Collaborator Network
Open Access

Trickle-down innovation and the longevity of nations

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The Lancet
Jun 01, 2019 Volume 393Number 10187p2175-2274
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Viewpoint
Trickle-down innovation and the longevity of nations
Dhruv Khullar, Josephine Fisher, Amitabh Chandra
The association between income and life expectancy is so robust and persistent across countries that it has a name, the Preston Curve, named after the economist who first described it. The strength of the association begs the question: must citizens of poorer countries wait for their economies to grow before they can expect to enjoy the life expectancies of wealthier nations? Or can longevity improve, even in the absence of economic gains? The answer has important implications for human wellbeing around the world.

Safety and immunogenicity of a vaccine for extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ESTELLA): a phase 2 randomised controlled trial

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jun 2019 Volume 19 Number 6p559-670, e187-e224
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Articles
Safety and immunogenicity of a vaccine for extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ESTELLA): a phase 2 randomised controlled trial
Robert W Frenck Jr. et al

Medical countermeasures during the 2018 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a rapid genomic assessment

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jun 2019 Volume 19 Number 6p559-670, e187-e224
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Medical countermeasures during the 2018 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a rapid genomic assessment
Placide Mbala-Kingebeni et al

Vaccination of patients with haematological malignancies who did not have transplantations: guidelines from the 2017 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL 7)

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jun 2019 Volume 19 Number 6p559-670, e187-e224
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Series
Vaccination and haematological malignancies
Vaccination of patients with haematological malignancies who did not have transplantations: guidelines from the 2017 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL 7)
Malgorzata Mikulska et al, on behalf of the European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia group

Vaccination of haemopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: guidelines of the 2017 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL 7)

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jun 2019 Volume 19 Number 6p559-670, e187-e224
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Vaccination and haematological malignancies
Vaccination of haemopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: guidelines of the 2017 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL 7)
Catherine Cordonnier et al, on behalf of the European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia group

The Integrative Human Microbiome Project

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Nature
Volume 569 Issue 7758, 30 May 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

 

Perspective | 29 May 2019 | open
The Integrative Human Microbiome Project
Over ten years, the Human Microbiome Project has provided resources for studying the microbiome and its relationship to disease; this Perspective summarizes the key achievements and findings of the project and its relationship to the broader field.
Lita M. Proctor, Heather H. Creasy[…] & Curtis Huttenhower

Pathogen genomics leading to vaccines

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Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/5

 

Editorial | 31 May 2019
Pathogen genomics leading to vaccines
In the field of infectious diseases, genomics can be a useful tool for guiding vaccine development. Given the inevitability and increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, vaccines against pathogenic microbes can be even more valuable than antibiotics as a strategy to prevent serious or deadly infectious diseases. Genomic resources from global analysis of large numbers of clinical isolates can serve as a basis for identifying appropriate candidates for vaccine antigens, and we encourage continued efforts in the generation of pan-genome sequences for bacterial or viral pathogens

Roadmap for a precision-medicine initiative in the Nordic region

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Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/5

 

Comment | 15 April 2019
Roadmap for a precision-medicine initiative in the Nordic region
The Nordic region, comprising primarily Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, has many of the necessary characteristics for being at the forefront of genome-based precision medicine. These include egalitarian and universal healthcare, expertly curated patient and population registries, biobanks, large population-based prospective cohorts linked to registries and biobanks, and a widely embraced sense of social responsibility that motivates public engagement in biomedical research. However, genome-based precision medicine can be achieved only through coordinated action involving all actors in the healthcare sector. Now is an opportune time to organize scientists in the Nordic region, together with other stakeholders including patient representatives, governments, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and funding agencies, to initiate a Nordic Precision Medicine Initiative. We present a roadmap for how this organization can be created. The Initiative should facilitate research, clinical trials and knowledge transfer to meet regional and global health challenges.
Pål Rasmus Njølstad, Ole Andreas Andreassen[…] & Kári Stefánsson

Atlas of group A streptococcal vaccine candidates compiled using large-scale comparative genomics

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Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/5

 

Article | 27 May 2019
Atlas of group A streptococcal vaccine candidates compiled using large-scale comparative genomics
Analyses of 2,083 globally distributed group A Streptococcus (GAS) genomes enable the development of a compendium of all GAS vaccine antigen sequences, providing a platform for population-genomics-informed vaccine design.
Mark R. Davies, Liam McIntyre[…] & Mark J. Walker

The ethics of sequencing infectious disease pathogens for clinical and public health

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Nature Reviews Genetics
Volume 20 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/nrg/volumes/20/issues/6

 

Comment | 15 March 2019
The ethics of sequencing infectious disease pathogens for clinical and public health
A genomics-informed response to infectious disease has great potential to improve individual patient treatment as well as public health. This Comment discusses the ethical, legal and social challenges that will need to be overcome if clinical pathogen genomics is to be implemented successfully.
Stephanie B. Johnson & Michael Parker

The ethics of sequencing infectious disease pathogens for clinical and public health

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Nature Reviews Genetics
Volume 20 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/nrg/volumes/20/issues/6

 

Comment | 15 March 2019
The ethics of sequencing infectious disease pathogens for clinical and public health
A genomics-informed response to infectious disease has great potential to improve individual patient treatment as well as public health. This Comment discusses the ethical, legal and social challenges that will need to be overcome if clinical pathogen genomics is to be implemented successfully.
Stephanie B. Johnson & Michael Parker

Ancient pathogen genomics as an emerging tool for infectious disease research

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Nature Reviews Genetics
Volume 20 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/nrg/volumes/20/issues/6

 

Review Article | 05 April 2019
Ancient pathogen genomics as an emerging tool for infectious disease research
This article reviews recent advances in ancient pathogen genomics, from methodological improvements in retrieving whole genomes to evolutionary analyses of ancient pathogens that remain relevant to public health. Focusing on the evolutionary history of the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis, the authors present unique insights afforded by the study of ancient pathogen genomes.
Maria A. Spyrou, Kirsten I. Bos[…] & Johannes Krause

Sequencing-based methods and resources to study antimicrobial resistance

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Nature Reviews Genetics
Volume 20 Issue 6, June 2019
https://www.nature.com/nrg/volumes/20/issues/6

 

Review Article | 18 March 2019
Sequencing-based methods and resources to study antimicrobial resistance
Next-generation sequencing has improved the identification and characterization of antimicrobial resistance. Focusing on sequence-based discovery of antibiotic resistance genes, this Review discusses computational strategies and resources for resistance gene identification in genomic and metagenomic samples, including recent deep-learning approaches.
Manish Boolchandani, Alaric W. D’Souza & Gautam Dantas

Elimination of Nonmedical Immunization Exemptions in California and School-Entry Vaccine Status

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Pediatrics
June 2019, VOLUME 143 / ISSUE 6
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/6?current-issue=y

 

Articles
Elimination of Nonmedical Immunization Exemptions in California and School-Entry Vaccine Status
Paul L. Delamater, S. Cassandra Pingali, Alison M. Buttenheim, Daniel A. Salmon, Nicola P. Klein, Saad B. Omer
Pediatrics Jun 2019, 143 (6) e20183301; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3301
In this study, we found that vaccine refusal persisted after the elimination of nonmedical exemptions from school-entry vaccine requirements in California

Combining the Power of Artificial Intelligence with the Richness of Healthcare Claims Data: Opportunities and Challenges

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PharmacoEconomics
Volume 37, Issue 6, June 2019
https://link.springer.com/journal/40273/37/6

 

Leading Article
Combining the Power of Artificial Intelligence with the Richness of Healthcare Claims Data: Opportunities and Challenges
David Thesmar, David Sraer, Lisa Pinheiro, Nick Dadson, Razvan Veliche…
Abstract
Combinations of healthcare claims data with additional datasets provide large and rich sources of information. The dimensionality and complexity of these combined datasets can be challenging to handle with standard statistical analyses. However, recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to algorithms and systems that are able to learn and extract complex patterns from such data. AI has already been applied successfully to such combined datasets, with applications such as improving the insurance claim processing pipeline and reducing estimation biases in retrospective studies. Nevertheless, there is still the potential to do much more. The identification of complex patterns within high dimensional datasets may find new predictors for early onset of diseases or lead to a more proactive offering of personalized preventive services. While there are potential risks and challenges associated with the use of AI, these are not insurmountable. As with the introduction of any innovation, it will be necessary to be thoughtful and responsible as we increasingly apply AI methods in healthcare.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of strategies to improve health care provider performance in low- and middle-income countries: Methods and descriptive results

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 1 Jun 2019]

 

Research Article
A systematic review of the effectiveness of strategies to improve health care provider performance in low- and middle-income countries: Methods and descriptive results
Samantha Y. Rowe, David H. Peters, Kathleen A. Holloway, John Chalker, Dennis Ross-Degnan, Alexander K. Rowe
Research Article | published 31 May 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217617

Evaluating the costs of cholera illness and cost-effectiveness of a single dose oral vaccination campaign in Lusaka, Zambia

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 1 Jun 2019]

 

Research Article
Evaluating the costs of cholera illness and cost-effectiveness of a single dose oral vaccination campaign in Lusaka, Zambia
Tannia Tembo, Michelo Simuyandi, Kanema Chiyenu, Anjali Sharma, Obvious N. Chilyabanyama, Clara Mbwili-Muleya, Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Roma Chilengi
Research Article | published 31 May 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215972

Historical and genomic data reveal the influencing factors on global transmission velocity of plague during the Third Pandemic

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PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 1 Jun 2019]

Historical and genomic data reveal the influencing factors on global transmission velocity of plague during the Third Pandemic
Lei Xu, Leif C. Stige, Herwig Leirs, Simon Neerinckx, Kenneth L. Gage, Ruifu Yang, Qiyong Liu, Barbara Bramanti, Katharine R. Dean, Hui Tang, Zhe Sun, Nils Chr. Stenseth, and Zhibin Zhang
PNAS first published May 28, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1901366116