Distance-based LISA maps for multivariate lattice data

In the context of areal data (a particular case of data with spatial dependence) we propose an algorithm to define spatial clusters. Our proposal is based on distance between the characteristics observed in different areas (individual). Thus it is able to be applied to any kind of observable characteristic on condition that an inter-individual distance can be defined. This way we provide a generalization of the well-known LISA maps that have been widely used for univariate data. We apply our proposals to the results of 2004 Spanish General Elections recorded at 248 neighborhoods in Barcelona

Economic costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis due to norovirus in Catalonia (Spain), 2010-2011

Background To determine the direct and indirect costs of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis (AVG) due to norovirus in closed institutions (hospitals, social health centers or nursing homes) and the community in Catalonia in 2010-11. Methods Information on outbreaks were gathered from the reports made by epidemiological surveillance units. Direct costs (medical visits, hospital stays, drug treatment, sample processing, transport, diagnostic tests, monitoring and control of the outbreaks investigated) and indirect costs (lost productivity due to work absenteeism, caregivers time and working hours lost due to medical visits) were calculated. Results Twenty-seven outbreaks affecting 816 people in closed institutions and 74 outbreaks affecting 1,940 people in the community were detected. The direct and indirect costs of outbreaks were ¿ 131,997.36 (¿ 4,888.79 per outbreak) in closed institutions and ¿ 260,557.16 (¿ 3,521.04 per outbreak) in community outbreaks. The cost per case was ¿ 161.76 in outbreaks in closed institutions and ¿ 134.31 in community outbreaks. The main costs were surveillance unit monitoring (¿ 116,652.93), laboratory diagnoses (¿ 119,950.95), transport of samples (¿ 69,970.90), medical visits (¿ 25,250.50) and hospitalization (¿ 13,400.00). Conclusions The cost of outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis due to norovirus obtained in this study was influenced by the number of people affected and the severity of the outbreak, which determined hospitalizations and work absenteeism. Urgent reporting of outbreaks would allow the implementation of control measures that could reduce the numbers affected and the duration of the illness and thus the costs derived from them

Informe sobre els microorganismes causants de malalties infeccioses declarats durant l’any 2021: sistema de notificació microbiològica de Catalunya (SNMC)

Declaracions microbiològiques; Notificació; Indicadors de salutMicrobiological statement; Notification; Health status indicatorsDeclaraciones microbiológicas; Notificación; Indicadores de saludEl sistema de notificació microbiològica de Catalunya (SNMC) pertany a la xarxa de vigilància epidemiològica i recull informació dels microorganismes causants de malalties infeccioses que són objecte de declaració i que es detecten als laboratoris que hi participen. En aquests documents es presenten les declaracions microbiològiques anuals dels laboratoris que han participat en el sistema de notificació microbiològica de Catalunya (SNMC).Microbiological Notification System of Catalonia (SNMC) belongs to the epidemiological surveillance network and collects information of microorganisms that cause infectious diseases which are notified when detected in the involved laboratories. These documents present the annual statements of microbiological laboratories that participated in the Microbiological Notification System of Catalonia (SNMC).El sistema de notificación microbiológica de Cataluña (SNMC) pertenece a la red de vigilancia epidemiológica y recoge información de los microorganismos causantes de enfermedades infecciosas que son objeto de declaración y que se detectan en los laboratorios que participan. En estos documentos se presentan las declaraciones microbiológicas anuales de los laboratorios que han participado en el sistema de notificación microbiológica de Cataluña (SNMC)

Epidemiology of Acute Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Caused by Human Calicivirus (Norovirus and Sapovirus) in Catalonia: A Two Year Prospective Study, 2010-2011

Background The epidemiology of cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) of viral etiology is a relevant pub- lic health issue. Due to underreporting, the study of outbreaks is an accepted approach to investigate their epidemiology. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemio- logical characteristics of AGE outbreaks due to norovirus (NoV) and sapovirus (SV) in Catalonia. Material and Methods Prospective study of AGE outbreaks of possible viral etiology notified during two years in Catalonia. NoV and SV were detected by real time reverse transcription polymerase (RT- PCR). Results A total of 101 outbreaks were registered affecting a total of 2756 persons and 12 hospitali- zations (hospitalization rate: 0.8x1,000,000 persons-year); 49.5% of outbreaks were food- borne, 45.5% person to person and 5% waterborne. The distribution of outbreaks according to the setting showed a predominance of catering services (39.6%), nursing homes and long term care facilities (26.8%) and schools (11.9%). The median number of cases per out- break was 17 (range 2 - 191). The total Incidence rate (IR) was 18.3 per 100,000 persons- years (95%CI: 17.6 - 19.0). The highest IR was in persons aged 65 years (43.6x100,000 (95% CI: 41.0 - 46.2)) (p < 0.001). A total of 1065 samples were analyzed with a positivity rate of 60.8%. 98% of positive samples were NoV (GII 56.3%; GI 4.2%; GII+GI 4.2%; non- typ- able 33.0%). SV was identified in two person-to-person transmission outbreaks in children. Conclusions These results confirm the relevance of viral AGE outbreaks, both foodborne and person-to- person, especially in institutionalized persons. SV should be taken into account when inves- tigating viral AGE outbreaks

Epidemiologia i perfil de resistència antibiòtica de Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Catalunya, 2018-2021

Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Epidemiologia; Resistència antibiòticaNeisseria gonorrhoeae; Epidemiología; Resistencia antibióticaNeisseria gonorrhoeae; Epidemiology; Antibiotic resistanceAquest informe té com a objectiu analitzar les característiques epidemiològiques dels casos confirmats d’NG i la sensibilitat antimicrobiana dels casos declarats a l’SNMC durant el període 2018-2021

Invasive pneumococcal disease rates linked to meteorological factors and respiratory virus circulation (Catalonia, 2006-2012)

Background: To study the impact of meteorological data and respiratory viral infections on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) rates. Methods: We analysed all notifications of IPD and respiratory viral infections to the Microbiological Reporting System of Catalonia (2006-2012). Correlations between rates of IPD and viral infections (influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] and adenovirus), and meteorological variables (temperature, humidity, hours of sunshine, wind speed and number of days with rainfall) were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and negative binomial regression models. Results: We found significant correlations between monthly rates of IPD and monthly rates of all respiratory viruses and meteorological factors. However, after multiple regression analysis, associations remained between IPD rates and influenza rates and reductions in temperature in the total population, and between IPD rates and adenovirus rates in children aged <5 years. When models were repeated for the total population using data from the preceding month, IPD rates increased when RSV was circulating and when the temperature was lower. In children aged <5 years, RSV circulation was associated with increased IPD rates. Conclusions: IPD rates were linked to increased activity of some respiratory viruses and reductions in temperature. Preventive measures, including influenza vaccination, may help reduce IPD. Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae, IPD, Respiratory viruses, Influenza, Meteorological variable

Epidemiologia de la malaltia pneumocòccica invasiva a Catalunya: informe 2021-2022; sistema de notificació microbiològica de Catalunya

Streptococcus pneumoniae; Serotips; Malaltia invasivaStreptococcus pneumoniae; Serotype; Invasive diseaseStreptococcus pneumoniae; Serotipo; Enfermedad invasivaL’objectiu d’aquest informe és descriure l’epidemiologia de l’MPI i l’evolució dels serotips circulants en els diferents grups d’edat, així com la seva presentació clínica durant els anys 2021-2022 dels casos declarats a l’SNMC de l’SGVRESP

Distance-based LISA maps for multivariate lattice data

In the context of areal data (a particular case of data with spatial dependence) we propose an algorithm to define spatial clusters. Our proposal is based on distance between the characteristics observed in different areas (individual). Thus it is able to be applied to any kind of observable characteristic on condition that an inter-individual distance can be defined. This way we provide a generalization of the well-known LISA maps that have been widely used for univariate data. We apply our proposals to the results of 2004 Spanish General Elections recorded at 248 neighborhoods in Barcelona

Epidemiology of Acute Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Caused by Human Calicivirus (Norovirus and Sapovirus) in Catalonia: A Two Year Prospective Study, 2010-2011

Background The epidemiology of cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) of viral etiology is a relevant pub- lic health issue. Due to underreporting, the study of outbreaks is an accepted approach to investigate their epidemiology. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemio- logical characteristics of AGE outbreaks due to norovirus (NoV) and sapovirus (SV) in Catalonia. Material and Methods Prospective study of AGE outbreaks of possible viral etiology notified during two years in Catalonia. NoV and SV were detected by real time reverse transcription polymerase (RT- PCR). Results A total of 101 outbreaks were registered affecting a total of 2756 persons and 12 hospitali- zations (hospitalization rate: 0.8x1,000,000 persons-year); 49.5% of outbreaks were food- borne, 45.5% person to person and 5% waterborne. The distribution of outbreaks according to the setting showed a predominance of catering services (39.6%), nursing homes and long term care facilities (26.8%) and schools (11.9%). The median number of cases per out- break was 17 (range 2 - 191). The total Incidence rate (IR) was 18.3 per 100,000 persons- years (95%CI: 17.6 - 19.0). The highest IR was in persons aged 65 years (43.6x100,000 (95% CI: 41.0 - 46.2)) (p < 0.001). A total of 1065 samples were analyzed with a positivity rate of 60.8%. 98% of positive samples were NoV (GII 56.3%; GI 4.2%; GII+GI 4.2%; non- typ- able 33.0%). SV was identified in two person-to-person transmission outbreaks in children. Conclusions These results confirm the relevance of viral AGE outbreaks, both foodborne and person-to- person, especially in institutionalized persons. SV should be taken into account when inves- tigating viral AGE outbreaks

Factors Associated to Duration of Hepatitis A Outbreaks: Implications for Control

Even though hepatitis A mass vaccination effectiveness is high, outbreaks continue to occur. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between duration and characteristics of hepatitis A outbreaks. Hepatitis A (HA) outbreaks reported between 1991 and 2007 were studied. An outbreak was defined as ≥2 epidemiologically-linked cases with ≥1 case laboratory-confirmed by detection of HA immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies. Relationships between explanatory variables and outbreak duration were assessed by logistic regression. During the study period, 268 outbreaks (rate 2.45 per million persons-year) and 1396 cases (rate 1.28 per 105 persons-year) were reported. Factors associated with shorter duration were time to intervention (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94-0.98) and school setting (OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.16-0.92). In person-to-person transmission outbreaks only time to intervention was associated with shorter outbreak duration (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.95-0.98). The only variables associated with shorter outbreak duration were early administration of IG or vaccine and a school setting. Timely reporting HA outbreaks was associated with outbreak duration. Making confirmed HA infections statutory reportable for clinical laboratories could diminish outbreak duration