By Sanaa Uddin and Meagan Thomas. Introduction Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections in children, adults, elderly, and immunocompromised patients. In 2016, it was reclassified from the Paramyxovirdae family to the Pneumoviridae family. This virus is comprised of genetic groups A and B that areContinue Reading
by Michael E. Gyasi; Ogugua N. Okonkwo; Koushik Tripathy Introduction Onchocerciasis, also known as the African river blindness, is the second most important cause of infectious blindness worldwide after trachoma. It is caused by the filarial nematode, Onchocerca volvulus, and transmitted by repeated bites of the vector, female black flyContinue Reading
Rabbit myxoma virus, a member of the genus Leporipoxvirus, has been widely used in Australia to control populations of the European rabbit, which was introduced with disastrous results into Australia by European settlers. The history of the virus in Australia represents a fascinating story of viral evolution in the fieldContinue Reading
The bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the source of the acute secretory diarrheal disease known as cholera. The facultative, gram-negative, comma-shaped, oxidase-positive rod Vibrio cholerae is common in underdeveloped nations. Two serotypes have been found to be the cause of epidemics: O139, which mostly causes intermittent outbreaks in Asia, and O1,Continue Reading
The best practice for expanding laboratory capacity in environments with limited resources is to choose methods that are feasible and long-lasting. For many years, molecular diagnostics were seen as “inappropriate” despite their usefulness and accuracy. This was because they were thought to be too precise, costly, prone to contamination, andContinue Reading
An important aspect of infection prevention and control (IPC) is the identifying and breaking the chain of transmission. To do this, we need a good understanding of the interaction of agent, host, and environment in aiding transmission of diseases, and also acting as reservoirs. Continue Reading
Risk communication is the real-time exchange of information, advice and opinions between experts or officials and people who face a hazard or threat to their survival, health, or economic or social wellbeing. The purpose is to enable people at risk to make informed decisions to mitigate the effects of aContinue Reading
Event-based surveillance (EBS) is the organized and rapid capture of information about events that are a potential risk to public health. This information can be rumours and other ad-hoc reports transmitted through formal channels (i.e. established routine reporting systems) and informal channels (i.e. media, health workers and nongovernmental organizations reports).Continue Reading
A PHEOC is a physical location for the coordination of information and resources to support incident management activities. PHEOCs are also referred to as “EOC”, “operations centres”, “situation rooms” and “command centres”. They play a vital role in the management and coordination of public health emergencies, and they are hubsContinue Reading