The epidemiology of hospitalized influenza in children, a two year population-based study in the People's Republic of China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The epidemiology and disease burden of annual influenza in children in mainland People's Republic of China have not been reported in detail. To understand the incidence and epidemiology of laboratory-proven influenza hospitalization in children in China, a review of available laboratory and hospital admission data was undertaken.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a retrospective population-based study in Suzhou and the surrounding area of Jiangsu province, China for hospitalized cases of respiratory illness at Suzhou Children's Hospital. Cases of pneumonia or respiratory illness were identified from hospital computer data bases. Routine virological testing by fluorescent monoclonal antibody assay of all hospitalized children identified influenza and other viruses. We calculated incidence rates using census population denominators.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 7,789 specimens obtained during 2007 and 2008, 85 were positive for influenza A and 25 for influenza B. There were 282 specimens with parainfluenza virus and 1392 with RSV. Influenza occurred throughout the year, with peaks in the winter, and in August/September. Overall estimated annual incidence of laboratory-proven influenza hospitalization was 23-27/100,000 children 0-4 years old, and 60/100,000 in infants 0-6 months, with an average hospitalization of 9 days.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Influenza disease in young children in this part of China is a relatively common cause of hospitalization, and occurs throughout the year. The use of influenza vaccine in Chinese children has the potential to reduce the effect of influenza in the children, as well as in their communities. Studies are needed to further assess the burden of influenza, and to develop and refine effective strategies of immunization of young children in China.</p

Impacts of Antibiotic Residues in the Environment on Bacterial Resistance and Human Health in Eastern China: An Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study Protocol

Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that threatens human and animal lives, especially among low-income and vulnerable populations in less-developed countries. Its multi-factorial nature requires integrated studies on antibiotics and resistant bacteria in humans, animals, and the environment. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the situation and management of antibiotic use and environmental transmission, this paper describes a study protocol to document human exposure to antibiotics from major direct and indirect sources, and its potential health outcomes. Our mixed-methods approach addresses both microbiological and pathogen genomics, and epidemiological, geospatial, anthropological, and sociological aspects. Implemented in two rural residential areas in two provinces in Eastern China, linked sub-studies assess antibiotic exposure in population cohorts through household surveys, medicine diaries, and biological sampling; identify the types and frequencies of antibiotic resistance genes in humans and food-stock animals; quantify the presence of antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes in the aquatic environment, including wastewater; investigate the drivers and behaviours associated with human and livestock antibiotic use; and analyse the national and local policy context, to propose strategies and systematic measurements for optimising and monitoring antibiotic use. As a multidisciplinary collaboration between institutions in the UK and China, this study will provide an in-depth understanding of the influencing factors and allow comprehensive awareness of the complexity of AMR and antibiotic use in rural Eastern China

Evolutionary dynamics of the H7N9 avian influenza virus based on large-scale sequence analysis.

Since 2013, epidemics caused by novel H7N9 avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) have become a considerable public health issue. This study investigated the evolution of these viruses at the population level. Compared to H7 and N9 before 2013, there were 18 and 24 substitutions in the majority of novel H7N9 AIVs, respectively. Nine of these in HA and six in NA were rare before 2013, and four of these in HA and two in NA displayed host tropism. S136(128)N and A143(135)V are located on the receptor binding sites of the HA1 subunit and might be important factors in determining the host species of novel H7N9 AIV. On an overall scale, the evolution of H7 and N9, both in terms of time distribution and host species, is under negative selection. However, both in HA and NA, several sites were under positive selection. In both the overall epidemics and the human-derived H7N9 AIVs, eight positive selection sites were identified in HA1, with some located within the known antigen epitopes or the receptor binding site(RBS) domain. This may induce variations in H7N9 AIV with positive selection. It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of novel H7N9 AIVs, both in human and bird population to determine whether a new virus has emerged through selection pressure and to prevent future epidemics from occurring

The complexity of human infected AIV H5N6 isolated from China

Abstract Background Novel avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of H7N9, H10N8, and H5N6 are currently circulating in China’s poultry flocks, occasionally infecting human and other mammals. Human infected AIV H5N6 in China during 2014–2015 is believed to be a triple reassortant originated from H6N6 and two clades of H5 viruses. The current report suggests that its reassortment history is more complicated. Methods Genomes of human infected isolates of AIV H5N6 were searched from the NCBI Influenza Virus Sequence Database and the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data. Sequences shared high identities with each segment of their genomes were obtained through the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. Alignments were done by mafft-7.037-win32 program; 8 large-scale and then 8 gradually converged phylogenetic trees were constructed by using MEGA5.1/5.2/6.0 Software. Results The events that each segment of the genomes of human infected AIV H5N6 isolates circulated in China had evolved into its current status might have happened before 2013, and so were they then reassorted into the epidemic AIV H5N6. A/Guangzhou/39715/2014(H5N6) and A/Sichuan/26221/2014(H5N6) had their six internal segments (PB2, PB1, PA, NP, NEP, and M) in common, and were reassorted from AIVs H5N1 in the same period and same region as that of HA, while A/Yunnan/0127/2015(H5N6) derived its six internal segments from AIV H9N2 that has been prevalent in Eastern China since 2008. Conclusions AIV H5N6 isolates established from both human and poultry in China during 2014–2015 were heterogeneous; both AIVs H5N1 and H9N2 were involved in the reassortment of AIV H5N6 in China

Estimates of Dietary Exposure to Antibiotics among a Community Population in East China

Background: Antibiotics are widely used in clinics, livestock farms and the aquaculture industry. A variety of antibiotics in foods and drinking water may lead to important and inadvertent dietary exposure However, the profile of dietary exposure to antibiotics in humans is not well-explored. East China is an economically developed area with a high usage of antibiotics and a high rate of antibiotic resistance (ABR). This study aimed to evaluate the total intake level of antibiotics in humans via foods and drinking water based on a community population in East China. Methods: A total of 600 local residents from 194 households were recruited into this study in Deqing County of Zhejiang Province since June 2019. Each subject was asked to fill a food frequency questionnaire to report their daily consumption of foods and drinking water. Tap water samples were collected from ten households and twenty-one antibiotics of five categories were selected to detect in drinking water. Data of antibiotic residues in animal-derived foods were obtained from the notification of unqualified edible agricultural products after special supervision sampling inspection in Deqing County. The human dietary exposure to antibiotics was estimated by combining the data of antibiotic contamination in foods and drinking water, and the information of dietary consumption. Results: Of twenty-one antibiotics selected, subjects were exposed to a total of sixteen antibiotics, ranging from 15.12 to 1128 &mu;g/day via two main dietary routes (animal-derived foods and drinking water). The overall dietary exposure level varied greatly in the antibiotics detected and their sources. Compared with other antibiotics, enrofloxacin made the most contributions in terms of dietary exposure, with a median exposure level of 120.19 &mu;g/day (IQR: 8.39&ndash;698.78 &mu;g/day), followed by sulfamethazine (median: 32.95 &mu;g/day, IQR: 2.77&ndash;162.55 &mu;g/day) and oxytetracycline (median: 28.50 &mu;g/day, IQR: 2.22&ndash;146.58 &mu;g/day). The estimated exposure level via drinking water (at the ng/day level, median: 26.74 ng/day, IQR: 16.05&ndash;37.44 ng/day) was significantly and substantially lower than those via animal-derived foods (at the &mu;g/day level, median: 216.38 &mu;g/day, IQR: 87.52&ndash;323.00 &mu;g/day). The overall dietary exposure level also showed differences in sex and age. Males and youths were more likely to be exposed to antibiotics via dietary routes than others. Conclusions: The community population investigated in East China was extensively exposed to multiple antibiotics via dietary routes. Long-term exposure to low-dose antibiotics in animal-derived foods was the primary dietary exposure route, compared with drinking water. Enrofloxacin contributed to the major body burden of dietary exposure, based on the combination of consumption of aquatic products and considerable enrofloxacin residues in them. Although the human dietary exposure level to antibiotics via drinking water and animal-derived foods ranged from ng/day to &mu;g/L, their chronic toxicity and the accumulation and spread of ABR may be potential hazards to humans. Therefore, long-term monitoring of antibiotic contaminations in foods and drinking water, and human dietary antibiotic exposure is warranted

Research progress on health risks of aerosol microorganisms

Aerosol microorganisms are important constituents of aerosols. They participate in physical and chemical reactions in the air and are also closely related to disease transmission and human health. With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic， aerosol microorganisms have become a public health topic of great concern. Studying the composition and influencing factors of the air microbiome therefore has significant public health implications. Due to the limitations of traditional technologies for sampling and determination， the aerosol microbiome has not been fully understood. However， with the development and maturity of high-throughput sequencing technology， the aerosol microbiome has shown promising research prospects. This article reviews the composition， characteristics， detection methods and influencing factors of aerosol microorganisms， providing basic knowledge for further research on the air microbiome. In-depth research on microbial aerosols has significant implications on urban air quality control， national security and public health

Additional file 1: of The complexity of human infected AIV H5N6 isolated from China

1a–8a: Matrices of genomes involved in this study. 1a, PB2 (fas 4.73mb); 2a, PB1 (fas 4.72mb); 3a, PA (fas 4.45mb); 4a, HA (fas 1.88mb); 5a, NP (fas 3.26mb); 6a, NA (fas 1.62mb); 7a, MP (fas 2.33mb); 8a, NEP (fas 1.99mb). (ZIP 1 mb

A preliminary study of calcium channel-associated mRNA and miRNA networks in post-traumatic epileptic rats

Abstract The calcium channels are the main pathogenesis and therapeutic target for post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). However, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and mRNAs associated with calcium channels in PTE and their interactions are poorly understood. We produced a PTE model in rats and conducted RNA-seq in PTE rats. Gene annotation was used to verify differentially expressed mRNAs related to calcium channels. RNAhybrid, PITA, and Miranda prediction were used to build the miRNA–mRNA pairs. Furthermore, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used for the functional enrichment analysis of DEMs. The quantification changes of mRNA and miRNA were verified by RT-qPCR. There were 431 identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PTE rats compared with the sham group, of which five mRNAs and 7 miRNAs were related to calcium channels. The miRNA–mRNA network suggested a negative correlation between 11 pairs of miRNA–mRNA involved in the p53 signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway. RT-qPCR verified three upregulated mRNAs in PTE rats, associated with 7 DEMs negatively related to them, respectively. This study has revealed the changes in miRNA–mRNA pairs associated with calcium channels in PTE, which might contribute to the further interpretation of potential underlying molecular mechanisms of PTE and the discovery of promising diagnostics