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The continuing circulation and reassortment with low-pathogenicity avian influenza Gs/Gd (goose/Guangdong/1996)-like avian influenza viruses (AIVs) has caused huge economic losses and raised public health concerns over the zoonotic potential. Virologic surveillance of wild birds has been suggested as part of a global AIV surveillance system. However, underreporting and biased selection of sampling sites has rendered gaining information about the transmission and evolution of highly pathogenic AIV problematic. We explored the use of the Citizen Scientist eBird database to elucidate the dynamic distribution of wild birds in Taiwan and their potential for AIV exchange with domestic poultry. Through the 2-stage analytical framework, we associated nonignorable risk with 10 species of wild birds with >100 significant positive results. We generated a risk map, which served as the guide for highly pathogenic AIV surveillance. Our methodologic blueprint has the potential to be incorporated into the global AIV surveillance system of wild birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Research (NHIR) database in the year 2000 to estimate the seasonal variation in the chickenpox rate in Taiwan. Patients and Methods All chickenpox cases listed in the NHIR database were included ( n = 165,719). A Lorenz curve was plotted and a chi-square test for equal proportions calculated for seasonal variation. To determine the effects of temperature and season on outcome values, generalized estimating equation methods were utilized to adjust the effects of other possible influencing factors and take into account the within-subject dependence over repeated assessments. Results All four regions of the country had highest incidence rates in January, and three of them had lowest rates in September. Incidence was significantly higher in females aged 15–24 years than in males. An increment of 1 °C resulted in an incidence ratio of approximately 0.98 or, equivalently, a 10 °C increment gives an incidence ratio of approximately 0.78. Conclusion The results suggest that season and temperature are significantly related to the incidence of chickenpox. Infectious diseases can be monitored. Prevention procedures can be taken by understanding its pattern and activity in order to decide the best policy for vaccination. Further studies are warranted, particularly for long-term trends, and in other nations with different seasonal temperatures from Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the practicality, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the timed up and go (TUG), one-leg stand (OLS), functional reach (FR), and Tinetti balance (TB) performance measures in people aged 65 and older. A prospective study. Shin-Sher Township of Taichung County, west-central Taiwan. Twelve hundred community-dwelling older people. During an initial assessment at their residences, participants were interviewed for demographics, cognition, fall history, use of a walking aid, and activities of daily living (ADLs), in addition to completing the four balance tests. Falls were ascertained by telephone every 3 months for a 1-year follow-up; the four balance measures and ADLs were also reassessed at the end of the follow-up year. Of the four balance measures, the OLS had the lowest participation rate, and participation of people who were cognitively impaired had fallen in the previous year, used a walking aid, or suffered from an ADL disability was lower than for their counterparts. The time to complete the tests ranged from 58 seconds for OLS, to 160 seconds for the TB. All four balance measures exhibited excellent test-retest reliability and discriminant validity but poor responsiveness to fall status. The TB showed better discriminant, convergent, and predictive validities and responsiveness to ADL changes than the other three tests. According to psychometric properties, the most suitable performance measure for evaluating balance in community-dwelling older people was the TB, followed by the TUG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]