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Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology
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Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Infectious Disease Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 4553

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Triggiano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: infectious diseases; disinfectants; wastewater management; hygiene and public health; waterborne diseases; health effects of air quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giusy Diella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: infectious diseases; legionellosis; contaminants; disinfectants; health effects of air quality; waterborne diseases; foodborne diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesca Apollonio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: infectious diseases; wastewater management; hygiene and public health; waterborne diseases; foodborne diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, environmental contamination related to infectious diseases has been the subject of much interest and debate.

Environmental pollution causes serious imbalances in the ecosystem, often irreversible damage, and negative consequences for the health of living beings, including humans. The environment plays a substantial role in the transmission of microorganisms and chemical substances harmful to human health in the community, in the workplace and in healthcare facilities.

An important role is represented by wastewater discharges able to release large quantities of microorganisms into the environment, often harboring antibiotic resistance genes, representing a potential threat to human health. Environmental surveillance represents an important tool for monitoring the prevalence of infectious diseases, and a targeted sampling can assist to identify surveillance strategies.

The goal of this Special Issue titled "Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology" is to provide, through a multidisciplinary approach, clear information of proven scientific evidence aimed at evaluating the complexity of environmental contamination related to infectious diseases, namely:

  1. Microbial, chemical and physical contamination in the indoor/outdoor environment;
  2. Epidemiology of infectious diseases related to environmental contamination;
  3. Good practice of hygiene, disinfection procedure and protocols in routine environmental reclamation practices.

Dr. Francesco Triggiano
Dr. Giusy Diella
Dr. Francesca Apollonio
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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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

  • multi-drug-resistant bacteria
  • waterborne disease
  • foodborne diseases
  • air quality
  • healthcare-associated infection
  • epidemiology
  • urban health
  • urban wastewater
  • public health
  • disinfection

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1230 KiB  
Article
A Community Waterborne Salmonella Bovismorbificans Outbreak in Greece
by Lida Politi, Kassiani Mellou, Anthi Chrysostomou, Georgia Mandilara, Ioanna Spiliopoulou, Antonia Theofilou, Michalis Polemis, Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou and Theologia Sideroglou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(2), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020167 - 01 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1080
Abstract
Background: In August 2022, the Hellenic National Public Health Organisation was notified about a gastroenteritis outbreak in town A in Southern Greece. Investigations aimed to identify the source and implement control measures. Methods: Case definition categories were used in a 1:3 case–control study. [...] Read more.
Background: In August 2022, the Hellenic National Public Health Organisation was notified about a gastroenteritis outbreak in town A in Southern Greece. Investigations aimed to identify the source and implement control measures. Methods: Case definition categories were used in a 1:3 case–control study. Cases and controls were interviewed about various exposures. Cases’ stool samples were cultured on agar plates and characterised by serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Environmental investigations included tap water sampling for microbiological and chemical analysis in town A and inspection of the water supply system. Results: We identified 33 cases (median age: 17 years). Tap water consumption was the only significant risk factor for gastroenteritis (OR = 5.46, 95% CI = 1.02–53.95). Salmonella (S.) Bovismorbificans isolated from eight stool and one tap water samples had identical PFGE profiles. No resistant isolates were identified. Residual chlorine levels were lower than the acceptable limits before and during the outbreak. We advised consumption of bottled water and adherence to strict hand hygiene rules until tap water was declared suitable for drinking. Conclusions: Epidemiological and molecular data revealed a waterborne S. Bovismorbificans outbreak in town A. We recommend local water safety authorities to ensure that residual chlorine levels comply with the legislation towards water safety planning, to mitigate risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology)
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13 pages, 2333 KiB  
Article
Differential Influence of Environmental Factors on Malaria Due to Vector Control Interventions in Uganda
by Margaux L. Sadoine, Audrey Smargiassi, Ying Liu, Philippe Gachon, Michel Fournier, Guillaume Dueymes, Jane Frances Namuganga, Grant Dorsey, Bouchra Nasri and Kate Zinszer
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(22), 7042; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20227042 - 09 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1394
Abstract
Background: Few studies have explored how vector control interventions may modify associations between environmental factors and malaria. Methods: We used weekly malaria cases reported from six public health facilities in Uganda. Environmental variables (temperature, rainfall, humidity, and vegetation) were extracted from remote sensing [...] Read more.
Background: Few studies have explored how vector control interventions may modify associations between environmental factors and malaria. Methods: We used weekly malaria cases reported from six public health facilities in Uganda. Environmental variables (temperature, rainfall, humidity, and vegetation) were extracted from remote sensing sources. The non-linearity of environmental variables was investigated, and negative binomial regression models were used to explore the influence of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) on associations between environmental factors and malaria incident cases for each site as well as pooled across the facilities, with or without considering the interaction between environmental variables and vector control interventions. Results: An average of 73.3 weekly malaria cases per site (range: 0–597) occurred between 2010 and 2018. From the pooled model, malaria risk related to environmental variables was reduced by about 35% with LLINs and 63% with IRS. Significant interactions were observed between some environmental variables and vector control interventions. There was site-specific variability in the shape of the environment–malaria risk relationship and in the influence of interventions (6 to 72% reduction in cases with LLINs and 43 to 74% with IRS). Conclusion: The influence of vector control interventions on the malaria–environment relationship need to be considered at a local scale in order to efficiently guide control programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology)
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Review

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26 pages, 1395 KiB  
Review
Who Let the Dogs Out? Unmasking the Neglected: A Semi-Systematic Review on the Enduring Impact of Toxocariasis, a Prevalent Zoonotic Infection
by Katrin Henke, Sotirios Ntovas, Eleni Xourgia, Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler and Mairi Ziaka
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(21), 6972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20216972 - 25 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Toxocariasis remains an important neglected parasitic infection representing one of the most common zoonotic infections caused by the parasite Toxocara canis or, less frequently, by Toxocara cati. The epidemiology of the disease is complex due to its transmission route by accidental ingestion [...] Read more.
Toxocariasis remains an important neglected parasitic infection representing one of the most common zoonotic infections caused by the parasite Toxocara canis or, less frequently, by Toxocara cati. The epidemiology of the disease is complex due to its transmission route by accidental ingestion of embryonated Toxocara eggs or larvae from tissues from domestic or wild paratenic hosts. Even though the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control classified toxocariasis amongst the top six parasitic infections of priority to public health, global epidemiological data regarding the relationship between seropositivity and toxocariasis is limited. Although the vast majority of the infected individuals remain asymptomatic or experience a mild disease, the infection is associated with important health and socioeconomic consequences, particularly in underprivileged, tropical, and subtropical areas. Toxocariasis is a disease with multiple clinical presentations, which are classified into five distinct forms: the classical visceral larva migrans, ocular toxocariasis, common toxocariasis, covert toxocariasis, and cerebral toxocariasis or neurotoxocariasis. Anthelmintic agents, for example, albendazole or mebendazole, are the recommended treatment, whereas a combination with topical or systemic corticosteroids for specific forms is suggested. Prevention strategies include educational programs, behavioral and hygienic changes, enhancement of the role of veterinarians, and anthelmintic regimens to control active infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases Related to Environmental Contamination—Detection, Control and Epidemiology)
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