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Infectious Disease Reports
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Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution
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Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution

A special issue of Infectious Disease Reports (ISSN 2036-7449). This special issue belongs to the section "Infection Prevention and Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 7008

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Massimo Ciccozzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unit of Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; statistics; molecular evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marta Giovanetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Instituto Rene Rachou Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte 30.190-009, Minas Gerais, Brazil
2. Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Development and One Health, University of Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
Interests: phylogenetic; phylodynamic; molecular evolution; genomic surveillance; WGS; emerging and re-emerging viral pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are infectious diseases whose incidence has increased recently (in the past 20 years) and could increase in the near future. The minority that are capable of developing efficient transmission between humans can become major public and global concerns as potential causes of epidemics or pandemics. Their many impacts can be economic and societal as well as clinical. EIDs have been increasing steadily since at least 1940. For every decade since 1940, there has been a consistent increase in the number of EID events from wildlife-related zoonosis.

This Special Issue, “Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution”, will collect articles in the field of EIDs, epidemiology of infectious diseases, including biomedical, environmental and clinical aspects, and developments in new preventive strategies to increase and maintain a high level of monitoring in emerging and re-emerging pathogens in nearly real time.

Researchers are welcome to send short papers, original articles and reviews for submission to the Editorial Office for evaluation of their suitability.

Prof. Dr. Massimo Ciccozzi
Dr. Marta Giovanetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Infectious Disease Reports is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • emerging infectious diseases
  • molecular evolution
  • genomic monitoring
  • structural modelling

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3500 KiB  
Article
Excess Mortality Stratified by Age and Sex for Croatia and Croatian Counties during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 Pandemic
by Mara Šošić, Zvonimir Boban, Marijan Erceg and Nataša Boban
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2024, 16(2), 142-153; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr16020011 - 20 Feb 2024
Viewed by 624
Abstract
Excess mortality is often used to estimate the effect of a certain crisis on the population. It is defined as the number of deaths during a crisis exceeding the expected number based on historical trends. Here, we calculated excess mortality due to the [...] Read more.
Excess mortality is often used to estimate the effect of a certain crisis on the population. It is defined as the number of deaths during a crisis exceeding the expected number based on historical trends. Here, we calculated excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic for Croatia in the 2020–2021 period. The excess was calculated on the national and county level for different age and sex categories. In addition to the absolute number, the excess mortality was also expressed as a ratio of excess deaths to the predicted baseline and excess mortality rate. We showed that using both measures is necessary to avoid incorrect conclusions. The estimated excess mortality on the national level was 14,963, corresponding to an excess percentage of 14.3%. With respect to sex, there was a higher excess mortality rate for men compared to women. An exponential relationship was observed between age and the excess mortality rate.These trends wee representative of most counties as well, with large variations in the magnitude of the effect. However, there were also exceptions to the general rule. The reasons for these deviations were discussed in terms of between-county differences in demographic structure, population density and special events that took place during the pandemic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution)
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17 pages, 1582 KiB  
Article
Effects of COVID-19-Associated Infection Control on the Pattern of Infections Imported by German Soldiers and Police Officers Returning from Predominantly Tropical Deployment Sites
by Dorothea Franziska Wiemer, Matthias Halfter, Ulrich Müseler, Marius Schawaller and Hagen Frickmann
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2023, 15(6), 778-794; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr15060070 - 11 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1107
Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, German public health authorities launched various infection control procedures. In line with this, anti-pandemic infection control was also implemented for German military and police deployments. The presented study assessed the impact of this increased infection control effort [...] Read more.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, German public health authorities launched various infection control procedures. In line with this, anti-pandemic infection control was also implemented for German military and police deployments. The presented study assessed the impact of this increased infection control effort on deployment-associated infections in a holistic approach. To do so, the results of post-deployment assessments offered to German soldiers and police officers at the Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases of the Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg obtained during the pandemic period were compared to the results recorded during the pre-pandemic period in an exploratory, hypothesis-forming comparative study. In total, data from 1010 military deployments and 134 police deployments, predominantly to the African or the Eastern Mediterranean WHO regions, were included in the analyses. In the main results, a significant decrease in gastroenteritis in deployed soldiers (20.1% versus 61.3%, p < 0.0001) and at least a trend in the same direction in deployed police officers (25.7% versus 35.4%, p = 0.4026) were shown for the pandemic period, while no consistent tendency into the one or the other direction was detectable for febrile illness on deployment. In contrast to the finding of less frequently reported deployment-associated gastroenteritis, the detection rates of enteric microorganisms after deployment, including poor hygiene-related colonization with apathogenic protozoa, remained unchanged. Regarding non-enteric infections, the numbers of serologically confirmed malaria cases on deployment and as expected, due to increased airway protection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific immune-conversion dropped significantly with p = 0.0037 and p = 0.009, respectively. As a side finding, soldiers and police officers with post-deployment medical assessments were more likely to be older and male during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. In summary, only minor changes in deployment-associated infection and colonization rates were seen in response to the increased infection control procedures during the pandemic period, apart from respiratory infections. In particular, the clinical finding of less gastroenteritis on deployment was not matched by a concordant decline in poor hygiene-related enteric colonization with apathogenic protozoa in the soldiers’ guts, indicating that the fecal–oral transmission risk remained basically the same. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution)
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11 pages, 1208 KiB  
Article
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Increases the Risk of Muscle Injury in Professional Male Soccer Players—A Retrospective Analysis of the Italian and Spanish Major Leagues
by Sandra Miccinilli, Marco Bravi, Giorgio Conti, Federica Bressi, Silvia Sterzi, Fabio Santacaterina and Massimo Ciccozzi
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2023, 15(4), 425-435; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr15040043 - 26 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1738
Abstract
A retrospective cohort study on professional soccer players from the Serie A and LaLiga was conducted to investigate the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and muscle injuries. Players were divided into two groups based on whether they contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection (C+) or not [...] Read more.
A retrospective cohort study on professional soccer players from the Serie A and LaLiga was conducted to investigate the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and muscle injuries. Players were divided into two groups based on whether they contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection (C+) or not (C−) during the 2020/2021 season. In the 2019–2020 season, both championships showed a similar number of muscular injuries (MI) between C+ and C− (Serie A: p = 0.194; 95% CI: −0.044 to 0.215, LaLiga p = 0.915; 95% CI: −0.123 to 0.137). In the 2020–2021 season, C+ had a significantly higher number of MI compared to C− in both championships (Serie A: p < 0.05; 95% CI 0.731 to 1.038; LaLiga: p < 0.05; 95% CI: 0.773 to 1.054). Multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that belonging to C+ in the season 2020/2021 was the variable that most strongly influenced the probability of having a muscle injury. Survival analysis revealed a hazard ratio of 3.73 (95% CI 3.018 to 4.628) and of 5.14 (95% CI 3.200 to 8.254) for Serie A and LaLiga respectively. We found an association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and increased risk of muscle injury, emphasizing the importance of carefully considering the infection in the decision-making process for returning to sport. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 infection should be judged as a real injury requiring specific assessment and training programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution)
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13 pages, 1671 KiB  
Systematic Review
Distribution and Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Animals, Humans, and Ticks in Nigeria: A Systematic Review
by Kaka A. Muhammad, Usman N. Gadzama and ThankGod E. Onyiche
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2023, 15(5), 576-588; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr15050056 - 01 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1434
Abstract
‘Query’ (Q) fever is a neglected but emerging or re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella (C.) burnetii. Several host species are considered or speculated to be the primary reservoir hosts for human infection. In the past, several research groups in [...] Read more.
‘Query’ (Q) fever is a neglected but emerging or re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella (C.) burnetii. Several host species are considered or speculated to be the primary reservoir hosts for human infection. In the past, several research groups in Nigeria have evaluated the prevalence of C. burnetii in various vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Currently, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding the epidemiology of the pathogen in Nigeria with limited or no attention to control and prevention programs. Therefore, this review was undertaken to comprehend the current situation of C. burnetii infection in human, domestic and peri-domestic animals, and some tick species in Nigeria since 1960 with the aim to help identify future research priorities for the country. A comprehensive literature search was performed using the PRISMA guidelines on five scientific databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, AJOL, Science Direct, and Scopus for articles published from Nigeria dealing with the screening of blood, milk, or tick DNA for evidence of C. burnetii using any standard diagnostic approach. Of the 33 published articles subjected to full-text evaluation, more than 48% of the articles met the inclusion criteria and were thus included in this review. We observed different ranges of prevalence for C. burnetii antibodies from four vertebrate hosts including cattle (2.5–23.5%), sheep (3.8–12.0%), goats (3.1–10.9%), and humans (12.0–61.3%). Additionally, the use of molecular diagnostics revealed that the DNA of C. burnetii has been amplified in eight tick species including Hyalomma (Hy) dromedarii, Hy. truncatum, Hy. impeltatum, Hy. rufipes, Hy. impressum, Amblyomma (Am.) variegatum, Rhipicephalus (Rh.) evertsi evertsi, and Rh. annulatus. Two rodent’s species (Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) in Nigeria were documented to show evidence of the bacterium with the detection of the DNA of C. burnetii in these two mammals. In conclusion, this review has provided more insight on the prevalence of C. burnetii and its associated host/vector in Nigeria. Domestic animals, peri-domestic animals, and ticks species harbor C. burnetii and could be a source of human infections. Due to the paucity of studies from southern Nigeria, we recommend that research groups with interest on vector-borne diseases need to consider more epidemiological studies in the future on C. burnetii prevalence in diverse hosts to help unravel their distribution and vector potentials in Nigeria as a whole. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution)
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12 pages, 795 KiB  
Systematic Review
Does Emerging Carbapenem Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii Increase the Case Fatality Rate? Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Jale Boral, Fatihan Pınarlık, Güz Ekinci, Füsun Can and Önder Ergönül
Infect. Dis. Rep. 2023, 15(5), 564-575; https://doi.org/10.3390/idr15050055 - 27 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1392
Abstract
Background: In the era of rising carbapenem resistance, we aimed to investigate the change in mortality rate and positivity of carbapenemase genes in Acinetobacter baumannii. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) guidelines were adopted in this systematic review. Our literature [...] Read more.
Background: In the era of rising carbapenem resistance, we aimed to investigate the change in mortality rate and positivity of carbapenemase genes in Acinetobacter baumannii. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) guidelines were adopted in this systematic review. Our literature search included the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, Tubitak TR Dizin, and Harman databases for studies dating back from 2003 to 2023 reporting bloodstream A. baumannii infections in Türkiye. A simple linear regression model was used to determine the association between resistance, mortality, and time. Results: A total of 1717 studies were identified through a literature search, and 21 articles were selected based on the availability of the data regarding mortality and resistance rate (four articles) or the molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (17 articles) in Türkiye. From 2007 to 2018, the carbapenem resistance rate increased (p = 0.025). The OXA-23 and OXA-58 positivities were inversely correlated (p = 0.025). Conclusions: Despite the emergence of carbapenem resistance, mortality did not increase in parallel, which may be due to improved medical advancements or the fitness cost of bacteria upon prolonged antimicrobial exposure. Therefore, we suggest further global research with the foresight to assess clonal relatedness that might affect the carbapenem resistance rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Infections: Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Clinics and Evolution)
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