Variability in school closure decisions in response to 2009 H1N1: a qualitative systems improvement analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>School closure was employed as a non-pharmaceutical intervention against pandemic 2009 H1N1, particularly during the first wave. More than 700 schools in the United States were closed. However, closure decisions reflected significant variation in rationales, decision triggers, and authority for closure. This variability presents the opportunity for improved efficiency and decision-making.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We identified media reports relating to school closure as a response to 2009 H1N1 by monitoring high-profile sources and searching Lexis-Nexis and Google news alerts, and reviewed reports for key themes. News stories were supplemented by observing conference calls and meetings with health department and school officials, and by discussions with decision-makers and community members.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was significant variation in the stated goal of closure decision, including limiting community spread of the virus, protecting particularly vulnerable students, and responding to staff shortages or student absenteeism. Because the goal of closure is relevant to its timing, nature, and duration, unclear rationales for closure can challenge its effectiveness. There was also significant variation in the decision-making authority to close schools in different jurisdictions, which, in some instances, was reflected in open disagreement between school and public health officials. Finally, decision-makers did not appear to expect the level of scientific uncertainty encountered early in the pandemic, and they often expressed significant frustration over changing CDC guidance.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The use of school closure as a public health response to epidemic disease can be improved by ensuring that officials clarify the goals of closure and tailor closure decisions to those goals. Additionally, authority to close schools should be clarified in advance, and decision-makers should expect to encounter uncertainty disease emergencies unfold and plan accordingly.</p

EB1 Is Required for Spindle Symmetry in Mammalian Mitosis

Most information about the roles of the adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC) and its binding partner EB1 in mitotic cells has come from siRNA studies. These suggest functions in chromosomal segregation and spindle positioning whose loss might contribute to tumourigenesis in cancers initiated by APC mutation. However, siRNA-based approaches have drawbacks associated with the time taken to achieve significant expression knockdown and the pleiotropic effects of EB1 and APC gene knockdown. Here we describe the effects of microinjecting APC- or EB1- specific monoclonal antibodies and a dominant-negative EB1 protein fragment into mammalian mitotic cells. The phenotypes observed were consistent with the roles proposed for EB1 and APC in chromosomal segregation in previous work. However, EB1 antibody injection also revealed two novel mitotic phenotypes, anaphase-specific cortical blebbing and asymmetric spindle pole movement. The daughters of microinjected cells displayed inequalities in microtubule content, with the greatest differences seen in the products of mitoses that showed the severest asymmetry in spindle pole movement. Daughters that inherited the least mobile pole contained the fewest microtubules, consistent with a role for EB1 in processes that promote equality of astral microtubule function at both poles in a spindle. We propose that these novel phenotypes represent APC-independent roles for EB1 in spindle pole function and the regulation of cortical contractility in the later stages of mitosis. Our work confirms that EB1 and APC have important mitotic roles, the loss of which could contribute to CIN in colorectal tumour cells

Detection of salmonid alphavirus rna in celtic and irish sea flatfish

Pancreas disease (PD) caused by the salmonid alphavirus (SAV) has been the most significant cause of mortalities in Irish farmed salmon Salmo salar L. over the past decade. SAV is a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus, originally thought to be unique to salmonids, but has recently been detected using real-time RT-PCR in a number of wild non-salmonid fish. In the present report, 610 wild flatfish (common dab Limanda limanda, plaice Pleuronectes platessa and megrim Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) were caught from the Irish and Celtic Seas and screened for SAV using real-time RT-PCR and sequencing. In general, a very low prevalence was recorded in common dab and plaice, except for 1 haul in Dublin Bay where 25% of common dab were SAV-positive. SAV sequence analysis supported the fact that real-time RT-PCR detections were specific and further characterised the detected viruses within SAV Subtype I, the predominant subtype found in farmed salmon in Ireland

Detection of salmonid alphavirus rna in celtic and irish sea flatfish

Pancreas disease (PD) caused by the salmonid alphavirus (SAV) has been the most significant cause of mortalities in Irish farmed salmon Salmo salar L. over the past decade. SAV is a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus, originally thought to be unique to salmonids, but has recently been detected using real-time RT-PCR in a number of wild non-salmonid fish. In the present report, 610 wild flatfish (common dab Limanda limanda, plaice Pleuronectes platessa and megrim Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) were caught from the Irish and Celtic Seas and screened for SAV using real-time RT-PCR and sequencing. In general, a very low prevalence was recorded in common dab and plaice, except for 1 haul in Dublin Bay where 25% of common dab were SAV-positive. SAV sequence analysis supported the fact that real-time RT-PCR detections were specific and further characterised the detected viruses within SAV Subtype I, the predominant subtype found in farmed salmon in Ireland

Genetic diversity and associated pathology of rhabdovirus infections in farmed and wild perch perca fluviatilis in ireland

Rhabdovirus infections are an emerging problem for both wild and farmed freshwater fish in Northern Europe. In October 2005, a clinical outbreak with an approximate mortality rate of 40% occurred in a single batch of juvenile perch on a farm in the Republic of Ireland. Clinical signs developed slowly and were consistent with a perch rhabdovirus infection: signs included haemorrhages at the base of the fins and apparent impairment of the central nervous system (manifested as loss of equilibrium and erratic swimming behaviour). Studies suggest that the infected fish originated from a hatchery within the country which relied on wild fish broodstock to supplement the production of perch juveniles. A related rhabdovirus was subsequently isolated from this hatchery. Virus isolation studies have shown that rhabdoviruses were often isolated from wild fish in the vicinity of the hatchery between 1993 and 2005. All isolates were analysed using a generic primer set specific for the L gene of fish vesiculotype viruses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all isolates recovered from perch clustered together with the European lake trout rhabdovirus (903/87) of the genus Perhabdovirus. In addition to this, anguillid rhabdovirus was isolated from eel, and the partial L-gene sequence of a previously reported isolate from tench clustered with the pike fry rhabdoviruses, in the genus Sprivivirus

Genetic diversity and associated pathology of rhabdovirus infections in farmed and wild perch perca fluviatilis in ireland

Rhabdovirus infections are an emerging problem for both wild and farmed freshwater fish in Northern Europe. In October 2005, a clinical outbreak with an approximate mortality rate of 40% occurred in a single batch of juvenile perch on a farm in the Republic of Ireland. Clinical signs developed slowly and were consistent with a perch rhabdovirus infection: signs included haemorrhages at the base of the fins and apparent impairment of the central nervous system (manifested as loss of equilibrium and erratic swimming behaviour). Studies suggest that the infected fish originated from a hatchery within the country which relied on wild fish broodstock to supplement the production of perch juveniles. A related rhabdovirus was subsequently isolated from this hatchery. Virus isolation studies have shown that rhabdoviruses were often isolated from wild fish in the vicinity of the hatchery between 1993 and 2005. All isolates were analysed using a generic primer set specific for the L gene of fish vesiculotype viruses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all isolates recovered from perch clustered together with the European lake trout rhabdovirus (903/87) of the genus Perhabdovirus. In addition to this, anguillid rhabdovirus was isolated from eel, and the partial L-gene sequence of a previously reported isolate from tench clustered with the pike fry rhabdoviruses, in the genus Sprivivirus

A longitudinal study of amoebic gill disease on a marine atlantic salmon farm utilising a real-time pcr assay for the detection of neoparamoeba perurans

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) is a proliferative gill disease of marine cultured Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, with the free-living protozoan Neoparamoeba perurans being the primary aetiological agent. The increased incidence of AGD in recent years presents a significant challenge to the Atlantic salmon farming industry in Europe. In this study, a real-time TaqMan (R) PCR assay was developed and validated to detect Neoparamoeba perurans on Atlantic salmon gills and further used to monitor disease progression on a marine Atlantic salmon farm in Ireland in conjunction with gross gill pathology and histopathology. The assay proved specific for N. perurans, with no cross-reactivity with the related species N. pemaquidensis, N. branchiphila or N. aestuarina, and was capable of detecting 2.68 copies of N. perurans DNA mu l(-1). Although the parasite was detected throughout the 18 mo period of this study, mortality peaks associated with clinical AGD were only recorded during the first 12 mo of the marine phase of the production cycle. The initial AGD outbreak resulted in peak mortality in Week 17, which was preceded by PCR detections from Week 13 onwards. Freshwater treatments were an effective method for controlling the disease, resulting in a reduction in the weekly mortality levels and also a reduction in the number of PCR-positive fish. In comparison to traditional diagnostic methods, our PCR assay proved to be highly sensitive and a valuable tool to monitor disease progression and, therefore, has the potential to provide information on the timing and effectiveness of treatments