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Leishmaniasis continues to be a major health problem in 4 eco-epidemiological regions of the world: the Americas, East Africa, North Africa and West and SouthEast Asia. (1) This report on [...]

Since its launch in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has made substantial progress towards eradication of wild poliovirus (WPV), including eradicating 2 of the 3 serotypes and reducing the number of countries with ongoing endemic transmission of WPV type 1 (WPV1) to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The two countries are considered a single epidemiological block. Despite the occurrence of only a single confirmed WPV1 case during the first half of 2023, Pakistan experienced widespread circulation of WPV1 during the subsequent 12 months, specifically in the historical reservoirs of the cities of Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar. As of 30 June 2024, 8 WPV1 cases had been reported in Pakistan, as compared with 6 reported during all of 2023. These cases, and >300 WPV1-positive environmental surveillance (sewage) samples reported during 2023-2024, indicate that Pakistan is not on track to interrupt WPV1 transmission. The country's complex sociopolitical and security environment continues to pose formidable challenges to poliovirus elimination. To interrupt WPV1 transmission, sustained political commitment to polio eradication, including increased accountability at all levels is necessary. Systematic tracking and vaccination of children who are continually missed during polio vaccination activities should be enhanced by better addressing operational issues and the underlying reasons for community resistance to vaccination and vaccine hesitancy. Depuis le lancement de l'Initiative mondiale pour l'eradication de la poliomyelite (IMEP) en 1988, des progres substantiels ont ete accomplis vers l'eradication des poliovirus sauvage (PVS). Ainsi, 2 des 3 serotypes sont desormais eradiques et seuls l'Afghanistan et le Pakistan enregistrent encore une transmission endemique du PVS de type 1 (PVS1). Ces deux pays forment un bloc epidemiologique unique. Bien qu'ayant observe un seul cas confirme de poliomyelite due au PVS1 au premier semestre 2023, le Pakistan a connu une circulation a grande echelle du PVS1 au cours des 12 mois suivants, en particulier dans les villes de Quetta, Karachi et Peshawar, qui constituent des reservoirs traditionnels du virus. Au 30 juin 2024, 8 cas de PVS1 avaient ete signales au Pakistan depuis le debut de l'annee, contre 6 notifies sur l'ensemble de l'annee 2023. Ces cas, ainsi que les >300 echantillons de surveillance environnementale (eaux usees) positifs pour le PVS1 qui ont ete recenses en 20232024, indiquent que le Pakistan n'est pas en voie d'interrompre la transmission du PVS1. Le contexte sociopolitique et securitaire complexe du pays demeure un obstacle majeur a l'elimination des poliovirus. Pour interrompre la transmission du PVS1, un engagement politique durable en faveur de l'eradication de la poliomyelite, assorti d'une responsabilisation accrue a tous les niveaux, est indispensable. Des efforts plus soutenus doivent etre deployes pour suivre et vacciner de maniere systematique les enfants qui continuent d'echapper aux activites de vaccination antipoliomyelitique, ce qui implique d'apporter de meilleures solutions aux problemes operationnels existants, ainsi qu'aux facteurs qui sous-tendent la reticence a la vaccination et la resistance des communautes., Introduction Although the GPEI has achieved substantial progress since its establishment in 1988, the goal of polio eradication has remained elusive. Indigenous WPV1 circulation has never been interrupted in Pakistan, [...]

In 2023, the African Region experienced yellow fever (YF) outbreaks in 3 countries (of which 2 experienced varied levels of transmission intensity), cases with epidemic potential in 3 countries, and [...]

Poliomyelitis (polio) was first targeted for eradication in 1988. Global efforts have led to eradication of 2 of the 3 wild poliovirus (WPV) serotypes (types 2 and 3), and only WPV type 1 (WPV1) remains endemic and only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This report describes global polio immunization, surveillance activities and poliovirus epidemiology during January 2022-December 2023. Data are current as of 10 April 2024. In 2023, Afghanistan and Pakistan identified 12 WPV1 polio cases, as compared with 22 in 2022. WPV1 transmission was detected by systematic testing for poliovirus in sewage samples (environmental surveillance, ES) in 13 provinces in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2021 and in 7 in 2022. The number of polio cases caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) (circulating vaccine virus strains that have reverted to neurovirulence) decreased from 881 in 2022 to 524 in 2023; cVDPV outbreaks (defined as either a cVDPV case with evidence of circulation or at least 2 positive ES isolates) occurred in 32 countries in 2023, including 8 that had not experienced a cVDPV outbreak in 2022. Despite reductions in the number of cases of paralytic polio since 2022, cVDPVs and WPV1 (in countries with endemic transmission) were more widespread in 2023. Renewed efforts to vaccinate children who are persistently missed in countries with endemic WPV1 transmission, strengthening of routine immunization (RI) programmes in high-risk countries and providing more effective cVDPV outbreak response are necessary to achieve further progress towards global polio eradication. L'objectif d'eradiquer la poliomyelite a ete formule pour la premiere fois en 1988. Des efforts a l'echelle mondiale ont conduit a l'eradication de 2 des 3 serotypes (types 2 et 3) de poliovirus sauvage (PVS), et seul le PVS de type 1 (PVS1) demeure endemique dans 2 pays, l'Afghanistan et le Pakistan. Le present rapport decrit la vaccination contre la poliomyelite, les activites de surveillance et l'epidemiologie des poliovirus dans le monde entre janvier 2022 et decembre 2023. Il s'appuie sur des donnees recueillies jusqu'au 10 avril 2024. En 2023, l'Afghanistan et le Pakistan ont identifie 12 cas de PVS1, contre 22 en 2022. La surveillance environnementale, qui consiste a analyser de maniere systematique des echantillons d'eaux usees a la recherche de poliovirus, a detecte une transmission de PVS1 dans 13 provinces d'Afghanistan et du Pakistan en 2021 et dans 7 provinces en 2022. Le nombre de cas de poliomyelite dus aux poliovirus circulants derives d'une souche vaccinale (PVDVc) (souches de virus vaccinaux circulants qui ont retrouve leur neurovirulence) est passe de 881 en 2022 a 524 en 2023; des flambees epidemiques de PVDVc (definies comme un cas de PVDVc associe a une circulation averee du virus ou comme au moins 2 isolats positifs issus de la surveillance environnementale) sont survenues dans 32 pays en 2023, parmi lesquels 8 qui n'avaient pas connu de flambee de PVDVc en 2022. Malgre la reduction du nombre de cas de poliomyelite paralytique depuis 2022, les PVDVc et le PVS1 ont davantage circule en 2023 dans les pays oU la transmission est endemique. Pour continuer a progresser vers l'eradication mondiale de la poliomyelite, il est necessaire de redoubler d'efforts pour vacciner les enfants qui echappent encore a la vaccination dans les pays oU la transmission du PVS1 est endemique, en renforcant les programmes de vaccination systematique dans les pays a haut risque et en assurant une riposte plus efficace aux flambees de PVDVc., Introduction Since establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, WPV types 2 and 3 have been eradicated, and WPV1 remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In [...]

The emergence of variants posing threats to human health and animal production characterizes the epidemiology of Salmonella (1) and also S. enterica serovar Infantis (antigenic formula 6,7:r:1,5). Over the past [...]

Background Diverse bacterial group behaviors are controlled by quorum sensing, a regulatory network of bacterial gene expression based on cell density, and involving communication through chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. Multidisciplinary research in toxigenic Vibrio cholerae the etiologic agent of cholera, appear to suggest group behavior in the ecology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and transmission of the pathogen. This review summarizes latest advances and known aspects of quorum regulated environmental survival form of V. cholerae, and their role in cholera outbreaks, as well as the significance of this knowledge in tracking the pathogen for prevention of cholera. Main body Pathogenic V. cholerae naturally exists in aquatic reservoirs, and infects humans, often leading to epidemic outbreaks of cholera. Effective detection and monitoring of the pathogen in surface waters have been a research focus in preventing cholera outbreaks. However, in the aquatic reservoirs, V. cholerae persists mostly in a quiescent state referred to as viable but non-culturable (VBNC), or conditionally viable environmental cells (CVEC), which fail to grow in routine bacteriological culture. The presence of CVEC can, however, be observed by fluorescent antibody based microscopy, and they appear as clumps of cells embedded in an exopolysaccharide matrix. Current studies suggest that CVEC found in water are derived from in-vivo formed biofilms excreted by cholera patients. The transition to CVEC occurs when dilution of autoinducers in water blocks quorum-mediated regulatory responses that would normally disperse the cellular aggregates. Consequently, CVEC are resuscitated to actively growing cells if autoinducers are replenished, either in the laboratory, or naturally by other environmental bacteria or the intestinal microbiota when CVEC are ingested by humans or aquatic animals. Conclusion Quorum sensing plays a crucial role in the environmental persistence of toxigenic V. cholerae in a latent state, and their periodic emergence to cause cholera outbreaks. Furthermore, the autoinducer driven resuscitation of these cells may be a basis for improving the detection of V. cholerae in water samples, and monitoring V. cholerae in their aquatic reservoirs in cholera endemic areas. Keywords: Cholera, Vibrio cholerae, Biofilms, Quorum sensing, Autoinducers, Conditionally viable environmental cells (CVEC), Author(s): Shah Nayeem Faruque[sup.1,2], Shinji Yamasaki[sup.3,4] and Shah M. Faruque[sup.5] Background Epidemics of cholera due to infection with toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 continue to be a significant public health problem [...]

Parechoviruses are small, nonenveloped, singlestranded RNA viruses belonging to the large Picomaviridae family that circulate worldwide; primary infections occur mainly in children Nineteen human parechovirus types have been classified as [...]

Blastomycosis is a rare but potentially fatal fungal disease caused by Blastomyces spp., a group of thermally dimorphic environmental mycoses found in moist soil and decaying organic matter. Human illness [...]

Background: In this review, we summarize current scientific knowledge on psychoactive cannabinoids synthesized from cannabidiol (CBD) and sold in the semi-legal market established in response to the passage of the US Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill. The discussion focuses on recent developments that suggest this unregulated market may be fertile ground for a potential health crisis. Summary: Current research into CBD-derived cannabinoids is mainly limited to [Delta][sup.8]-tetrahydrocannabinol ([Delta][sup.8]-THC) products, with some recent publications beginning to explore O-acetyl-THC, a term describing the acetate ester of [Delta][sup.8]-THC or [Delta][sup.9]-THC, and its potential pulmonary toxicity. We advance the discussion on the CBD-derived cannabinoid market, shedding light on the introduction and associated dangers of novel cannabinoids, likely produced via fully synthetic routes using sidechain variants of CBD, with purportedly greater agonist activity at the human cannabinoid receptor 1 (as a source of euphorigenic activity) than [Delta][sup.9]-THC. We discuss the expanded incorporation of the acetate ester motif into other THC analogues. We also discuss the lack of regulatory oversight for the production of CBD-derived cannabinoids and the unlabeled presence of under-researched cannabinoids formed as reaction side products in the CBD-derived cannabinoid products being sold. Accordingly, we suggest approaches to monitoring the CBD-derived cannabinoid market and investigating the pharmacology of the cannabinoids being consumed. Finally, important epidemiological findings are discussed and future directions for research are suggested to call investigators to this critically understudied field. Key Messages: The CBD-derived cannabinoid market is growing internationally, and the market has diversified to include potent synthetic cannabinoids. The products sold on this unregulated market are under-researched despite growing availability and consumer interest. Ernest investigation of the pharmacology of these novel cannabinoids and the contents of CBD-derived cannabinoid products is critical for monitoring this potential source of another vaping-related epidemic. Keywords: Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol, Tetrahydrocannabiphorol, Hexahydroxycannabiphorol, Ketene, O-acetyl-trahydrocannabinol-O, Author(s): Charles N. Zawatsky; Sara Mills-Huffnagle; Corinne M. Augusto; Kent E. Vrana; Jennifer E. Nyland Introduction An unregulated market for novel psychoactive cannabinoids has proliferated in the wake of the [...]