International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 9 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Avian influenza news from China and Hong Kong

William Y. Y. Lai¹* and Adrian Weisell²

¹Institute for Journalism and Society, CVA 808, School of Communications, Hong Kong Baptist University, 5 Hereford Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.

²Graduate Program in International Affairs, The NewSchool University, New York, United States.

Accepted 14 October, 2019

Abstract

We compared avian influenza coverage in two English-language newspapers from China and Hong Kong, and a third from the United States as a control. We collected bird flu stories for one year between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007 from China’s government-sanctioned China Daily (CD) and Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP). The New York Times (NYT) was the control. We quantified five media characteristics: (1) Number of stories; (2) Use of full articles or briefs; (3) News sources; (4) Story outlook, and (5) geographic focus. Of 236 bird flu stories, 79 were from CD, 111 from SCMP and 46 from NYT. Compared with SCMP, CD produced significantly more briefs, non-local reports and government sources (Pearson’s Chi-square test, P=0.01, P<0.001 and P=0.01, respectively). Compared with the NYT, CD produced significantly more reports from government sources (P=0.001), and SCMP produced significantly more local reports (P=0.006) . Avian influenza coverage is significantly different between newspapers from China and Hong Kong. This has implications to the international community when considering public health news reports of emerging disease outbreaks from this region.

Key words: Avian influenza, bird flu, H5N1, infectious diseases, media, news coverage, news stories.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 9 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Childhood leprosy: A retrospective study

Sandeep Sachdeva¹*, S. Suhail Amin², Zulfia Khan¹ Seema Alam³ and Pranav Kumar Sharma⁴

¹Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University-(AMU), Aligarh, India.

²Department of Dematology, Venerology and Leprology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), -

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India.

³Department of Pediatrics. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India.

⁴Department of Medicine. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India.

Accepted 10 September, 2019

Abstract

Leprosy remains an important public health and social issue in South Asia, particularly in India. Its presence in childhood is an immense social burden on account of the associated disabilities and widely prevalent misconceptions regarding communicability and treatment potential. Besides, the prevalence of leprosy among children suggests possible lacunae in the operation of the national programmes aimed at elimination of leprosy from the society. This paper reports a ten year retrospective study of childhood leprosy in a tertiary care hospital setting (2000 to 2009). Selected socio epidemiologic correlates of pediatric leprosy patients presenting to the hospital over the past ten year period were also studied. The results indicated that childhood leprosy was 5.1% of total leprosy patients registered in the given time frame. Majorities (76.3%) of them were males and had paucibacillary leprosy (74%). Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) scar was absent in 53% of children. More than a third (35%) cases had a household contact with leprosy. Childhood leprosy remains an important public health problem and bears a significant social impact. Early detection and appropriate prophylactic measures in susceptible children is pivotal to the real success of the National leprosy elimination programme.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Influenza surveillance results during 2008 - 2009 season in Turkey

Nurhan Albayrak¹*, Meral A. Ciblak ², Ayse Basak Altas¹, Melis Kanturvardar², Yavuz Odabas³, Bahadir Sucakli³, Gulay Korukluoglu¹, Selim Badur² and Mustafa Ertek¹

¹Refik Saydam National Public Health Agency, National Influenza Center, Ankara, Turkey.

²Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University Istanbul, Turkey.

³MoH Primary Health Care General Directory, Communicable Disease and Outbreak Control Department, Ankara, Turkey.

Accepted 15 October, 2019

Abstract

National influenza surveillance was performed by two institutions in Turkey, Refik Saydam National Public Health Agency (RSNPHA) and Istanbul Faculty of Medicine (IFM), which both are National Influenza Reference Laboratories. RSNPHA received samples from 9 sentinel Provinces and IFM received samples from 5 sentinel Provinces. We report the 2008 to 2009 surveillance results from October 2008 - May 2009. As many as 1,980 clinical specimens received from 14 sentinel and non-sentinel Provinces of which 257 nasal-nasopharyngeal samples were positive for influenza viruses. The predominant virus type was influenza B (67.5% of total detections), and the dominant sub- type among Influenza A viruses was H3 (98.8%). Influenza-like illness (ILI) activity started around the 42^nd week, decreased around the 23^nd week and the laboratory confirmed seasonal Influenza activity started around 48^th week and ended around 22^nd week. The 2008 - 2009 influenza seasons in Turkey was characterized by moderate clinical activity and a dominance of influenza B. In Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, the majority of influenza A/H3 viruses were closely related to the vaccine virus strain of the 2008 to 2009 season, Influenza A Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2) like virus. However, Influenza B viruses were antigenically different from the vaccine strain and more closely related to Influenza B Malaysia/2560/2004 (Victoria lineage). It is concluded that knowledge about the influenza activity in Turkey, which is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, contributed to monitoring the movement of influenza virus epidemiology.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Epidemiological characteristics of liver cancer in Niger (1992 - 2006)

Mamoudou Garba Salamatou¹*, Arfaoui Amine¹, Mastere Mohamed³, Soulaymani Abdelmajid¹, Nouhou Hassan² and Quyou Ali¹

¹Laboratory of Genetics and Biometrics, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaïl University, B.P 133, Kenitra 14 000, -Morocco.

²Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Abdou Moumouni University,- B.P 10896, Niamey, Niger.

³University of Brest, CNRS, UMR 6538 Oceanic domains, European Institute of marine studies, Place Copernic, -29280 Plouzané, France.

Accepted 10 October, 2019

Abstract

The present work aims to bring out the epidemiological characteristics of liver cancer in Niger, especially as no previous studies have worked on the national epidemiology of cancer in Niger. This is a retrospective study in the period 1992 to 2006. The data were collected from the Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Niamey, which receives all the swabs intended for the histological analysis from all the Nigerien territory. Among the 5238 cases of cancer, the liver cancer represented 12.3% and came in the second position behind the breast cancer. 242 deaths were registered among liver cancer patients, which makes a specific lethality of 37%. The sex-ratio for males to females of liver cancer cases was 2.3 and the difference was highly significant. However, the specific lethality, which was 37.03% in male patients and 37.69% in female ones, did not display any significant sex difference. The mean age of liver cancer patients was 47.67 ± 14.20 years, and the comparison of the means of age did not display any significant difference between males and females in terms of age. The farmers were the socio-professional group the most affected by liver cancer with 61% of all cases. The patients practicing household activities showed the highest specific lethality, followed by farmers. The study of the repartition of patients according to their origin showed that the major part was from Niamey region with 69%. Because of the seriousness of the liver cancer problem in Niger, the health authorities should pay more attention to this pathology through efficient fight strategies.

Key words: Cancer, liver, epidemiological profile, lethality, Niger.

International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology ISSN 2326-7291 Vol. 9 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Disease surveillance and reporting in two Southwestern states in Nigeria: Logistic challenges and prospects

M. D. Dairo, J. O. Bamidele and W. O. Adebimpe

Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 20 September, 2019

Abstract

Disease surveillance has been recognized as an effective strategy in the control and prevention of diseases most especially communicable diseases. An effective surveillance system allows early intervention for the prevention and reduction of the mortality and morbidity that may result from epidemics of communicable diseases. This study assesses the adequacy of training of disease surveillance and notification officers (DSN) officers and identifies the logistic factors that may hinder their effective functioning in the local government areas in the Ekiti and Osun States in Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study of the disease surveillance and notification officers in Osun and Ekiti states of Nigeria was carried out. Total sampling was done. Questionnaires sought information on demographic data, regularity of reporting and the availability of logistic facilities in the respective local government areas (LGAs). Out of 42 DSN officers surveyed, 38 (90.5%) were medical records officers. 32 (76.2%) had appropriate training in disease surveillance and notification. Most had received training from the WHO. Over 90% knew the process of reporting. 45.8% reported that there were penalties for defaulting officers. Logistic support was inadequate in more than half of the local governments surveyed. Inadequate funds and lack of surveillance forms were significantly associated with reporting of outbreaks by the officers. Only 13 of the officers had ever recorded episodes of epidemics in their LGAs. Majority of DSN officers had appropriate training on disease surveillance, reporting and notification. However, logistics for effective functioning was poor. Local and state governments need to put more effort into provision of logistic support for their DSN Officers to sustain the apparent improvement in surveillance activities.

Key words: Surveillance, logistic support, training, epidemics.