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Annual circulation of influenza viruses causes substantial disease and death worldwide, disproportionately affecting young children and older adults (2,2). Globally, influenza causes [approximately equal to] 9.4 million hospitalizations each year [...]

Objective To conduct assessments of Ebola virus disease preparedness In countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region. Methods Nine of 11 countries In the region agreed to be assessed. During February to November 2015 a joint team from WHO and ministries of health conducted 4-5 day missions to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. We collected information through guided discussions with senior technical leaders and visits to hospitals, laboratories and airports. We assessed each country's Ebola virus disease preparedness on 41 tasks under nine key components adapted from the WHO Ebola preparedness checklist of January 2015. Findings Political commitment to Ebola preparedness was high in all countries. Planning was most advanced for components that had been previously planned or tested for influenza pandemics: multilevel and multisectoral coordination; multidisciplinary rapid response teams; public communication and social mobilization; drills in international airports; and training on personal protective equipment. Major vulnerabilities included inadequate risk assessment and risk communication; gaps in data management and analysis for event surveillance; and limited capacity in molecular diagnostic techniques. Many countries had limited planning for a surge of Ebola cases. Other tasks needing improvement Included: advice to inbound travellers; adequate isolation rooms; appropriate infection control practices; triage systems in hospitals; laboratory diagnostic capacity; contact tracing; and danger pay to staff to ensure continuity of care. Conclusion Joint assessment and feedback about the functionality of Ebola virus preparedness systems help countries strengthen their core capacities to meet the International Health Regulations. Objectif Realiser des evaluations de la preparation au virus Ebola dans des pays de la region Asie du Sud-Est de l'Organlsation mondlale de la Sante (OMS). Methodes Surles 11 pays de la region, neufontaccepted'etreevalues. De fevrler a novembre 2015, une equlpe composee de membres de l'OMS et des mlnisteres de la Sante ont effectue des missions de 4 a 5 jours au Bangladesh, au Bhoutan, en Indonesie, aux Maldives, au Myanmar, au Nepal, au Sri Lanka, en Thailande et au Timor-Leste. Nous avons recueilli des informations lors de discussions guidees avec des directeurs techniques et lors de visites dans des hopitaux, des laboratolres et des aeroports. Nous avons evalue la preparation de chaque pays au virus Ebola d'apres 41 taches relevant de neuf composantes cles, insplrees de la liste de controle de l'OMS pourfaire face au virus Ebola de janvier 2015. Resultats L'engagement politique en matiere de preparation au virus Ebola etait eleve dans tous les pays. La planification etalt plus avancee vis-a-vis des composantes qui avaient deja ete planifiees ou testees pour les pandemies de grippe: coordination multisectorielle et multi-nlveaux, equipes d'interventlon rapide multidlsclplinalres, communication publique et mobilisation sociale, exercices dans les aeroports internationaux et formation au port d'equipements de protection indlvlduelle. Les principales vulnerabilites etaient une mauvaise evaluation et communication des risques, des failles dans la gestion et l'analyse des donnees en vue de la surveillance, et des capacites limitees au niveau des techniques de diagnostic moleculaire. Dans de nombreux pays, la planification etait limltee en cas deflambee du virus Ebola. D'autres taches necessitaient des ameliorations, par exemple: les consells aux voyageurs entrant dans le pays, la mise a disposition de chambres d'isolement adequates, l'adoption de pratiques conectes de lutte contre la maladle, des systemes de triage dans les hopitaux, des capacites de diagnostic dans les laboratolres, la recherche des contacts et le paiement d'une prime de risque au personnel afin d'assurer la contlnuite des soins. Conclusion L'evaluatlon conjointe et la communication au sujet de la fonctionnalite des systemes de preparation au virus Ebola permettent aux pays de renforcer leurs capacites afin de respecter le Reglement sanitaire International. Objetivo Llevar a cabo evaluaciones de 1a preparacion ante el virus del Ebola en paises de la region del sudeste asiatico de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Metodos Nueve de once paises de la region aceptaron ser evaluados. De febrero a noviembre de 2015, un equipo conjunto de la OMS y los ministerios de sanidad llevaron a cabo misiones de entre 4 y 5 dias en Bangladesh, Butan, Indonesia, Maldivas, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tailandia y Timor-Leste. Se recopilo informacion a traves de conversaciones dirigidas con jefes tecnicos y visitas a hospitales, laboratorios y aeropuertos. Se evaluo la preparacion ante el virus del Ebola de cada pais en 41 tareas con 9 componentes clave adaptados de la lista de preparacion ante el ebola de la OMS de enero de 2015. Resultados El compromiso politico para la preparacion ante el ebola era elevado en todos los paises. La planificacion era mas avanzada para los componentes que habian sido previamente planificados o probados para pandemias de gripe: coordinacion de varios niveles y sectores, equipos de respuesta rapida multidisciplinares, comunicacion publica y movilizacion social, simulacros en aeropuertos internacionales y formacion sobre equipos de proteccion individual. Entre las principales vulnerabilidades se encontraba una evaluacion de riesgos y comunicacion de riesgos poco adecuadas, lagunas en la gestion y el analisis de datos para el control de acontecimientos y una capacidad limitada en tecnicas de diagnostico molecular. Muchos paises tenian una planificacion limitada en caso de que resurgieran casos de ebola. Entre otras tareas que necesitaban mejorar se encontraban: asesoria a viajeros entrantes, salas de aislamiento adecuadas, practicas de control de infecciones adecuadas, sistemas de clasificacion en hospitales, capacidad de diagnostico en laboratorios, localizacion de contactos y prima de peligrosidad para el personal para garantizar la continuidad de la atencion. Conclusion La evaluacion conjunta y los comentarios sobre la funcionalidad de los sistemas de preparacion ante el virus del Ebola ayudan a los paises a fortalecer sus capacidades principales para cumplir el Reglamento Sanitario Internacional., Introduction The 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa was the largest ever reported, with 28616 cases and 11 310 deaths as of June 2016. (1) In August 2014, [...]

As authorities braced for the arrival of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), infrastructure investments and government directives prompted action in central Viet Nam to establish capacity for genomic surveillance sequencing. From 17 November 2021 to 7 January 2022, the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang sequenced 162 specimens from 98 150 confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in the region collected from 8 November to 31 December 2021. Of these, all 127 domestic cases were identified as the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, whereas 92% (32/35) of imported cases were identified as the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant, all among international flight passengers. Patients were successfully isolated, enabling health-care workers to prepare for additional cases. Most (78%) of the 32 Omicron cases were fully vaccinated, suggesting continued importance of public health and social measures to control the spread of new variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of avian influenza, use of automated data streams to rapidly detect and track human influenza cases has increased. We performed correlation analyses to determine whether International Classification [...]

In July 2004, an outbreak of influenza A (H3N2) was detected at 3 Bhutanese refugee camps in southeastern Nepal. Hemagglutination inhibition showed that ~40% of the viruses from this outbreak [...]

INTRODUCTION I have no doubt that if the records of the time of ... Hammurabi, could be completely restored, we should learn that in the third millennium before Christ men [...]

The effects of seismic base isolation on he response of structures supported on pile foundations are discussed The benefit of seismic isolation is achieved by means of flexible piles that may be partially embedded in an inelastic material and that direct substantial energy dissipation and radiation into the surrounding soil. The resulting dynamic characteristics of such a system are found to be considerably different from those of the structure with a fixed base. Using a finite element model developed in a companion paper, the influence of the key parameters affecting the response are studied. A lumped-mass building model with a variety of subsurface conditions is analyzed for free vibration, under constant-amplitude ground acceleration, and under horizontal ground accelerations from representative earthquakes. The studies reveal that the interactive flexible-pile system is effective as a base-isolation mechanism.

A finite element model to study the effects of seismic base isolation on the response of structures supported on pile foundations is presented. The model takes into account both pile flexibility and energy dissipation and radiation, realized through the mechanism of soil-pile-structure interaction. The resulting dynamic characteristics are considerably different from those of the structure with a fixed base. The model is applied to study the influence of soil-pile-structure interaction on the response of structures, including nonlinear pile-soil effects. To incorporate nonlinearities in the soil-pile system that might arise from large deformations under severe earthquake loading, the piles are modeled as beam-column finite elements with material and geometric nonlinearities, while the soil is idealized by nonlinear springs and dashpots uniformly attached to the piles along their length. For the soil springs, a modified Ramberg-Osgood model is employed. For the material damping of the soil, a simple relationship between the shear modulus and the damping is utilized. To simulate radiation damping effects in the soil, viscous dampers are attached to the pile. The model is tested against documented solutions for verification.

Influenza burden estimates are essential to informing prevention and control policies. To complement recent influenza vaccine production capacity in Vietnam, we used acute respiratory infection (ARI) hospitalization data, severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance data, and provincial population data from 4 provinces representing Vietnam's major regions during 2014-2016 to calculate provincial and national influenza-associated ARI and SARI hospitalization rates. We determined the proportion of ARI admissions meeting the World Health Organization SARI case definition through medical record review. The mean influenza-associated hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were 218 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 197-238) for ARI and 134 (95% UI 119-149) for SARI. Influenza-associated SARI hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were highest among children <5 years of age (1,123; 95% UI 946-1,301) and adults >65 years of age (207; 95% UI 186-227), underscoring the need for prevention and control measures, such as vaccination, in these at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]