BACKGROUND: Enterococci are important cause of nosocomial infections. Recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) has been increasingly reported as significant nosocomial pathogens. Therefore, accurate identification of enterococcal species is a prerequisite step for the appropriate antibiotic treatment and epidemiologic surveillance. We wanted to know the usefulness of PCR method compared with Vitek automatic identification system. METHODS: Totally 105 isolates were identified on the species level by Vitek (GPI card and software version R06.1), methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside test, and PCR methods. RESULTS: Among 105 enterococcal isolates, 59 were identified as E. faecium, 11 E. faecalis, 6 E. gallinarum by Vitek. But 29 isolates (28%) were unidentified. Subsequently all of these isolates were analyzed by PCR, the results of which were as follows: 17 E. faecium, 5 E. casseliflavus, 7 E. gallinarum. Two isolates identified as E. gallinarum by Vitek were reidentified as E. casseliflavus by PCR and other methods for phenotypic characterization. CONCLUSOIN: PCR method was more accurate and sensitive than Vitek for the identification of enterococci species.
Cross Infection ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

In this economic evaluation of environmental epidemiological monitoring projects, we analyzed the economic feasibility of these projects by determining the social cost and benefit of these projects and conducting a cost/benefit analysis. Here, the social cost was evaluated by converting annual budgets for these research and survey projects into present values. Meanwhile, the societal benefit of these projects was evaluated by using the contingent valuation method to estimate the willingness-to-pay of residents living in or near industrial complexes. In addition, the extent to which these projects reduced negative health effects (i.e., excess disease and premature death) was evaluated through expert surveys, and the analysis was conducted to reflect the unit of economic value, based on the cost of illness and benefit transfer method. The results were then used to calculate the benefit of these projects in terms of the decrease in negative health effects. For residents living near industrial complexes, the benefit/cost ratio was 1.44 in the analysis based on resident surveys and 5.17 in the analysis based on expert surveys. Thus, whichever method was used for the economic analysis, the economic feasibility of these projects was confirmed.
Budgets ; Cost of Illness ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Methods

OBJECTIVETo use the snail survey data of Yugan, Jiangxi Province as an example to evaluate the effects and advantages of global positioning system integrated with digital maps and remote sensing data in order to manage and analyze the whole country's surveillance data of schistosomiasis by using geographic information system.

METHODSThe data of geographic information and snail information of 20 marshlands in Yugan, Jiangxi Province were collected, and by the correction of remote sensing images based on the digital maps and index extraction, the snail current situation and trend were analyzed and expressed.

RESULTSA series of specific procedure images of these 20 marshlands was established and the effects of Yugan surveillance platform based on geographic information system were validated.

CONCLUSIONThe whole country's surveillance data of schistosomiasis might be successfully integrated with geographic information system by global positioning system and be managed and expressed, which supplies a successful platform in using the surveillance data effectively.

Animals ; Environmental Monitoring ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Geographic Information Systems ; Humans ; Schistosomiasis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Snails ; Spacecraft

China ; epidemiology ; Coal Mining ; Dust ; analysis ; Environmental Monitoring ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Pneumoconiosis ; epidemiology

Infections and outbreaks of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), have been increasing. Detection methods for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria have been changed from traditional culture methods to chromogenic media culture and molecular methods. Strain-typing methods using various molecular technologies are essential tools for epidemiologic surveillance. Furthermore, outbreak detection, using syndromic surveillance as well as passive and active surveillance, has been applied. However, it is difficult to establish effective and robust guidelines and systems for using these various methods to control antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Therefore, clinical microbiologists and policy makers must possess expertise in the control of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, discuss the issue sufficiently, and, finally, create a system to accomplish this control.
Administrative Personnel ; Bacteria ; Disease Outbreaks ; Enterococcus ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

OBJECTIVETo understand the hot/cold spots and the spatial-temporal clustering of hepatitis B in Gansu province during 2009-2014 by using spatial statistics, and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of hepatitis B.

METHODSThe spatial hot/cold spots and its trend, and the time frame and areas of its spatial-temporal clustering of hepatitis B in Gansu were analyzed by using the county specific incidence of hepatitis B from 2009 to 2014 and spatial statistical software GeoDa and SatScan.

RESULTSThe incidences of hepatitis B from 2009 to 2014 in Gansu were spatial autocorrelated respectively. Local G scan statistics indicated that the number of hot spots was in decline in Hexi area, while the hot spots was in increase in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture and Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture. There was no obvious pattern in cold spots. Temporal-spatial scan statistics showed that the areas with high hepatitis B incidence most likely clustered in Hexi area during 2009-2011, and the areas with low hepatitis B incidence most likely clustered in eastern Gansu during 2012-2014.

CONCLUSIONSThe spatial and temporal clustering of hepatitis B was observed in Gansu from 2009 to 2014. The number of hot spots in Hexi area was in decline, while the numbers of hot spots in Linxia and Gannan were in increase, suggesting that the hepatitis B control and prevention in these areas should be strengthened.

China ; epidemiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Software ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis

Animals ; Communicable Disease Control ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; prevention & control ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo analyze the epidemiology data on plague in five counties in Zhejiang province and to evaluate the risk of plague in theses areas.

METHODSWe selected five monitoring stations as a risk assessment (Qingyuan county, Longquan city, Yiwu city, Wencheng county, and Ruian city) in Zhejiang province where the plague epidemic more serious in the history. At least one constant site and 1-4 variable sites where plague occurred in history were selected for monitoring. We collected the five counties (cities) surveillance data of indoor rat density, indoor Rattus flavipectus density, the Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat, the Xenopsylla cheopis index of Rattus flavipectus in 1995-2014. Isolation of Yersinia pestis was conducted among 171,201 liver samples and F1 antibody were detected among 228,775 serum samples. Risk matrix, Borda count method, and Delphi approach were conducted to assess risk of the plague of five counties (cities) in Zhejiang province.

RESULTSIndoor rat density in Qingyuan county, Longquan city, Yiwu city, Wencheng county, Ruian city was 1.58%-5.50%, 1.13%-9.76%, 0.56%-3.67%, 2.83%-16.08%, 7.16%-15.96%, respectively; Indoor Rattus flavipectus density of five counties (cities) was 0.08%-2.23%, 0-2.02%, 0-0.54%, 0.71%-5.58%, 0.55%-4.92%, respectively. The Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat in Qingyuan county and Wencheng county was 0.011-0.500 and 0.015-0.227, respectively; The Xenopsylla cheopis index of Rattus flavipectus of Qingyuan county and Wencheng county was 0.119-3.412 and 0.100-1.430, respectively; Ruian City and Yiwu city cannot collected Xenopsylla cheopis, Long quan city only collected the Xenopsylla cheopis index of rat in the five years. Yersinia pestis were not isolated in five counties (cities).There were 3 Apodemus agrarius samples positive of plague F1 antibody test, in Longquan city and Yiwu city in 2005. Borda count method to assess the Longquan city, Yiwu (Borda point were both 321) plague risk was higher than three other regions; Delphi approach to evaluation five counties (cities) belong to the plague had a lower risk areas, according to the level of risk score (Pf) Longquan city and Yiwu (Pf was 0.314, 0.292, respectively) plague risk were higher than three other regions (Pf were all 0.292).

CONCLUSIONThe main host and media were lower in five key plague surveillance counties (cities) of Zhejiang province; The result of Borda count method and Delphi approach for risk assessment indicated that endogenous plague recrudescence was at lower level, but Longquan city and Yiwu city risk were higher than other counties (cities).

Animals ; Cities ; Epidemics ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Murinae ; Plague ; Rats ; Risk Assessment ; Yersinia pestis

China ; epidemiology ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Rubella Syndrome, Congenital ; epidemiology

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a serious public health issue. This study was undertaken to better understand the relationship between JE distribution and environmental factors in China. JE data from 2005 to 2010 were retrieved from National Notifiable Disease Report System. ArcGIS, remote sensing techniques, and R software was used to exhibit and explore the relationship between JE distribution and environmental factors. Our results indicated that JE cases were mostly concentrated in warm-temperate, semitropical and tropical zones with annual precipitation > 400 mm; Broad-leaved evergreen forest, shrubs, paddy field, irrigated land, dryland, evergreen coniferous forest, and shrubland were risk factors for JE occurrence, and the former five were risk factors for counties with high JE incidence. These findings will inform the effective allocation of limited health resources such as intensive vaccination, surveillance and training in areas with high environmental risk factors.
China ; epidemiology ; Encephalitis, Japanese ; epidemiology ; virology ; Environment ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Incidence ; Risk Factors