Epidemiology of acute otitis media among young children: A multiple database study in Taiwan

Background/PurposeAcute otitis media (AOM) is a common complication of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) among children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of AOM among young children in Taiwan, including the age incidence and seasonality by combining multiple databases.MethodsTwo country-based questionnaire survey studies had been conducted to evaluate the experience of otitis media (OM) among young children: one in 2007 and the other between 2005 and 2010. The number of OM cases (5% of population younger than 7 years) in 2005 and annual visiting rates for URTI from 2005 to 2010 obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan were collected and comprised the third database. The fourth database comprised ambulatory visits of children with OM to a medical center in central Taiwan between 2005 and 2010.ResultsData from a total of 1099 questionnaires were entered into Database I in 2007, and data from 9705 questionnaires between 2005 and 2010 comprised Database II. There were 86,702 children (younger than 7 years, representing 5% of the whole population for this age group) retrieved from Database III in 2007, and 5,904 cases of OM in children between 2005 and 2010 in a hospital. In Database I, 7.46% children experienced at least one episode of AOM compared with 9.21% in Database II for children aged 5 years and younger. In Database III, 13.2% children younger than 7 years had AOM in 2005. The peak season of AOM among children was from March to May (Databases III and IV).ConclusionAOM was thought to be a very common disease among children; however, this comparative analysis showed that the overall prevalence of AOM among children younger than 5 years was only 20%, much lower than in other countries. AOM was more prevalent during the spring season, and still was similarly common after age 2 years

Effect of Free Treatment and Surveillance on HIV-Infected Persons Who Have Tuberculosis, Taiwan, 1993–2006

In 1997, Taiwan made highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) available without cost to HIV-infected persons; in 2001, a national web-based surveillance system was implemented. Healthcare workers use the system to monitor patients' conditions and can intervene when necessary. Free HAART, coupled with the surveillance system, appears to have increased survival rates of HIV-infected persons with tuberculosis in Taiwan

Epidemiology and Clinical Peculiarities of Norovirus and Rotavirus Infection in Hospitalized Young Children with Acute Diarrhea in Taiwan, 2009

Background/PurposeAcute diarrhea is one of the most common morbidities in pediatrics worldwide. We conducted a study to investigate the incidence of norovirus in young children hospitalized with acute diarrhea in Taiwan and its clinical peculiarity compared with rotavirus gastroenteritis.MethodsBetween January and December, 2009, patients younger than 5 years and admitted to hospital with acute diarrhea were randomly selected; and their stool samples were collected and tested for presence of rotavirus and norovirus by enzyme immunoassay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of the enrolled patients were analyzed.ResultsA total of 989 cases were enrolled with a mean age of 21.6 ± 13.7 months and a male proportion of 56.0%. Rotavirus and norovirus was detected in 20.2% and 14.6% of all patients, respectively. Genogroup II was the predominant strain of norovirus (80.6%). Children aged 6-36 months accounted for the majority of patients positive for rotavirus and norovirus (73.0% and 81.3%, respectively). The incidences of norovirus and rotavirus infection were higher during winter and early spring. Most patients with rotavirus and norovirus diarrhea experienced vomiting (74.9% vs. 74.8%, respectively) and fever (94.7% vs. 71.3%, respectively).ConclusionMost young diarrheal patients presenting with vomiting were likely to have norovirus or rotavirus infection. Patients with norovirus diarrhea experienced an absence of, or low-grade fever and longer duration of vomiting compared with those positive for rotavirus infection. A family history of current gastroenteritis may suggest the possibility of norovirus infection

Clonal dissemination of invasive and colonizing clonal complex 1 of serotype VI group B Streptococcus in central Taiwan

Background/PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate clinical presentation, serotype distribution and genetic correlation of group B streptococcus (GBS) diseases. Since serotype VI prevalence far exceeded that reported in prior studies, genetic relationship of isolates was further analyzed.MethodsGBS isolates obtaining from patients with invasive diseases and pregnant women with colonization between June 2007 and December 2010 were analyzed. All isolates were tested for serotypes by multiplex PCR assay and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Serotype VI isolates were further analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST).ResultsA total of 134 GBS isolates were recovered from blood of 126 patients with invasive disease (94.0%) and anogenital swabs of 8 pregnant women (6.0%). Most common serotype was Ib (21.6%), followed by V (20.1%), VI (18.7%), III (15.7%), II (11.9 %), Ia (11.2%), and IX (0.7%). Serotype VI was also the leading type in infants with early onset disease (EOD; 3/8, 37.5%) and colonizing pregnant women (3/8, 37.5%). PFGE distinguished 33 pulsotypes, reflecting genetic diversity among GBS isolates. Among 25 serotype VI isolates tested, 14 were ST-1, seven were ST-679, three were ST-678, one was ST-681, and distributed into four PFGE pulsotypes. ST-678, ST-679, and ST-681 were novel sequence types; ST-678 and ST-679 are single-locus variants of ST-1 that belongs to clonal complex (CC) 1.ConclusionCC1 dissemination of serotype VI GBS thus emerges as an important invasive pathogen in infants and nonpregnant adults in central Taiwan. Serotype prevalence of GBS must be continuously monitored geographically to guide prevention strategy of GBS vaccines

An Analysis and Research on the Transmission Ratio of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell Photoelectrodes by Using Different Etching Process

Classical photoelectrodes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) were fabricated by using the electrochemical method on the titanium (Ti) template, for that the fabrication process would influence the characteristics of the DSSCs. In this study, at first three different methods were used to etch Ti templates from 10 to 17 min, (1) polishing-chemical etching: Ti template was annealed at 450°C for 1 h, abraded using number 80 to 1500 SiC sheet, and then etched in a solution of 5% HF + 95% H2O; (2) electrochemical polishing-chemical etching: Ti template was annealed at 450°C for 1 h, electrolytic polishing with 42% CH3OH + 5% HClO4 + 53% HOCH2CH2OC4H9 solution, and the chemical-etching in a solution of 5% HF + 95% H2O; (3) chemical etching: Ti template was etched in a solution of 5% HF + 95% H2O and annealed at 450°C for 1 h. When the etching time was changed from 10 to 17 min, the thicknesses of Ti templates decreased from 75.3 μm to 14.8 μm, depending on the etching method. After etching process, the TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated as the photoelectrode of DSSCs by electrochemical process, in which the Ti as anode and platinum (Pt) as cathode. The electrolyte solution included C2H4(OH)2, NH4F, and deionized water. After annealing the grown TiO2 nanotube arrays at 450°C for 3 h, we would show that the etching process had large effect on the structure and transmittance ratio of the TiO2 nanotube arrays

Expert review on global real-world vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2

Introduction COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective in reducing morbidity and mortality during the pandemic. While primary series vaccination rates are generally high in Southeast Asian (SEA) countries, various factors have limited the rollout and impact of booster doses. Areas covered We reviewed 79 studies in the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) VIEW-hub platform on vaccine effectiveness (VE) after primary immunizations with two-dose schedules. VE data were reported for SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, and stratified across variants of concern, age, study design and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection for mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and combinations of both), vector vaccines (AstraZeneca, AZD1222 [ChAdOx1 nCoV-19] ‘Vaxzevria’), and inactivated virus vaccines (CoronaVac). Expert opinion The most-studied COVID-19 vaccines provide consistently high (>90%) protection against serious clinical outcomes like hospitalizations and deaths, regardless of variant. Additionally, this protection appears equivalent for mRNA vaccines and vector vaccines like AZD1222, as supported by our analysis of Asian and relevant international data, and by insights from SEA experts. Given the continued impact of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths on health-care systems worldwide, encouraging vaccination strategies that reduce this burden is more relevant than attempting to prevent broader but milder infections with specific variants, including Omicron

Immunogenicity and safety of a trivalent inactivated 2010-2011 influenza vaccine in Taiwan infants aged 6-12 months

This prospective study aimed to investigate the immune responses and safety of an influenza vaccine in vaccine-naive infants aged 6-12 months, and was conducted from November 2010 to May 2011. Fifty-nine infants aged 6-12 months received two doses of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine 4 weeks apart. Hemagglutination inhibition titers were measured 4 weeks after the two doses of study vaccine. Based on the assumption that a hemagglutination inhibition titer of 1:40 or greater against the antigen would be protective in adults, two doses of the study vaccine generated a protective immune response of 63.2% against influenza A(H1N1), 82.5% against influenza A(H3N2) and 38.6% against influenza B viruses in infants aged 6-12 months. The geometric mean fold rises against influenza type A and B viruses also met the European Medicines Agency criteria for flu vaccines. The solicited events within 7 days after vaccination were mild in intensity. No deaths or adverse events such as optic neuritis, cranial neuropathy, and brachial neuropathy or Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported. Two doses of inactivated influenza vaccine were well tolerated and induced a protective immune response against influenza in infants aged 6-12 months. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved