Spatio-temporal variability of bovine tuberculosis eradication in Spain (2006-2011)

A. Garcia-Saenz et al.In this study we analyzed the space–time variation of the risk of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle between 2006 and 2011. The results indicated that at country level, there were no significant temporal changes between years, but, at county level bTB evolution was more heterogeneous. In some counties, between some years, the prevalence and the incidence of the disease was higher as compared to the global rate in the rest of the counties of Spain. The analysis of potential risk factors indicated that both, a large number of movements from counties with high incidence (>1%), and presence of bullfighting cattle herds increased bTB risk. Red deer abundance, number of goats and number of mixed cattle-goat farms were not significantly associated with the prevalence/incidence of bTB.This research was supported by a Grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (AGL-2010-21098). PhD studies of Garcia-Saenz A, are funded by a FPI Grant from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (BES-2011-043628) and PhD studies of Guta S., are funded by Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). Acevedo P., was supported by a Beatriu de Pinós fellowship funded by ‘Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa’ of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the COFUND Programme – Marie Curie Actions under 7th Framework Programme of the European Community. He is currently funded from the SFRH/BPD/90320/2012 post-doctoral Grant by Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and European Social Fund.Peer Reviewe

Assessing the variability in transmission of bovine tuberculosis within Spanish cattle herds

In Spain, despite years of efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB), the disease is still endemic, with some areas of high prevalence. In this context, the surveillance and control plans may need to be re-evaluated, and understanding the dynamics of bTB spread within Spanish herds may help to develop new strategies for reducing the time for detection of infected herds and for the elimination of bTB from the herds already infected. Here, we developed a compartmental stochastic model to simulate bTB within-herd transmission, fed it with epidemiological data from 22 herds (obtained from a previous work) and carried out parameter inference using Approximate Bayesian Computing methods We also estimated the "Within-herd transmission potential Number" (Rh), i.e. the average number of secondary cases generated by a single animal infected introduced into a totally susceptible herd, considering different scenarios depending on the frequency of controls. The median global values obtained for the transmission parameters were: for the transmission coefficient (beta), 0.014 newly infected animals per infectious individual per day (i.e. 5.2 per year), for the rate at which infected individuals become infectious (alpha), 0.01 per day (equivalent to a latent period of 97days), and for the rate at which infected individuals become reactive to the skin test (alpha1), 0.08 per day (equivalent to a period of 12days for an infected animal to become reactive). However, the results also evidenced a great variability in the estimates of those parameters (in particular beta and alpha) among the 22 herds. Considering a 6-month interval between tests, the mean Rh was 0.23, increasing to 0.82 with an interval of 1year, and to 2.01 and 3.47 with testing intervals of 2 and 4 years, respectively

Evaluating the Association between Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study)

BACKGROUND: Night shift work, exposure to light at night (ALAN) and circadian disruption may increase the risk of hormone-dependent cancers. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association of exposure to ALAN during sleeping time with breast and prostate cancer in a population based multicase–control study (MCC-Spain), among subjects who had never worked at night. We evaluated chronotype, a characteristic that may relate to adaptation to light at night. METHODS: We enrolled 1,219 breast cancer cases, 1,385 female controls, 623 prostate cancer cases, and 879 male controls from 11 Spanish regions in 2008–2013. Indoor ALAN information was obtained through questionnaires. Outdoor ALAN was analyzed using images from the International Space Station (ISS) available for Barcelona and Madrid for 2012–2013, including data of remotely sensed upward light intensity and blue light spectrum information for each geocoded longest residence of each MCC-Spain subject. RESULTS: Among Barcelona and Madrid participants with information on both indoor and outdoor ALAN, exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue light spectrum was associated with breast cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest tertile, OR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.17] and prostate cancer (OR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.03). In contrast, those exposed to the highest versus lowest intensity of outdoor ALAN were more likely to be controls than cases, particularly for prostate cancer. Compared with those who reported sleeping in total darkness, men who slept in “quite illuminated” bedrooms had a higher risk of prostate cancer (OR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.04), whereas women had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.51). CONCLUSION: Both prostate and breast cancer were associated with high estimated exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue-enriched light spectrum

Informe VINCat

Infeccions nosocomials; Hospitals; Vigilància epidemiològicaInfecciones nosocomiales; Hospitales; Vigilancia epidemiológicaNosocomial infections; Hospitals; Epidemiological surveillanceVINCat és un programa que estableix un sistema de vigilància unificat de les infeccions nosocomials als hospitals de Catalunya. La seva missió és contribuir a reduir les taxes d'aquestes infeccions mitjançant la vigilància epidemiològica activa i continuada. El programa es fonamenta en la tasca que porten a terme els professionals dels equips multidisciplinaris de control d'infecció dels hospitals catalans.VINCat is a program of the Catalan Health Service that establishes a unified surveillance system for nosocomial infections in hospitals in Catalonia. Its mission is to help reduce the rates of these infections through active and ongoing epidemiological surveillance. The program is based on the work carried out by the multidisciplinary teams of infection control of Catalan hospitals.VINCat es un programa del Servicio Catalán de la Salud que establece un sistema de vigilancia unificado de las infecciones nosocomiales en los hospitales de Cataluña. Su misión es contribuir a reducir las tasas de estas infecciones mediante la vigilancia epidemiológica activa y continuada. El programa se fundamenta en la tarea que llevan a cabo los profesionales de los equipos multidisciplinares de control de infección de los hospitales catalanes

Programa d’optimització d’antibiòtics: infeccions del tracte urinari en adults

Antibiòtics; Infeccions; Tracte urinari; AdultsAntibiotics; Infections; Urinary tract; AdultsAntibióticos; Infecciones; Tracto urinario; AdultosAl document s’hi aborden les principals infeccions del tracte urinari, es descriuen les recomanacions i accions a dur a terme abans de prescriure un antibiòtic i se n’estableixen criteris de tractament, seguiment i derivació