Academic literature on the topic 'HIV infections Transmission Great Britain'

The Caribbean is a multi-ethnic region with many different cultural differences. The majority of the population is of African descent, but there are also other ethnic groups present such as Indians, Chinese, Syrians and Europeans. The Caribbean region is influenced by countries such as the USA, Great Britain, France and Holland. The countries of the Caribbean have a serious problem with HIV infection and AIDS. The epidemiology of HIV infection in this region, is different from most other parts of the world in that the mode of spread does not easily fit into any of the three WHO patterns. This review shows that the infection initially started in the homosexual/bisexual community, but since then, it has moved to the heterosexual population and this form of contact is now the main mode of transmission of the virus. The Governments of the Caribbean countries have realized the extent of the problem and have taken measures to try to control the epidemic.

In Europe, rotavirus gastroenteritis peaks in late winter or early spring suggesting a role for weather factors in transmission of the virus. In this study, multivariate regression models adapted for time-series data were used to investigate effects of temperature, humidity and rainfall on reported rotavirus infections and the infection-rate parameter, a derived measure of infection transmission that takes into account population immunity, in England, Wales, Scotland and The Netherlands. Delayed effects of weather were investigated by introducing lagged weather terms into the model. Meta-regression was used to pool together country-specific estimates. There was a 13 per cent (95% confidence interval (CI), 11–15%) decrease in reported infections per 1°C increase in temperature above a threshold of 5°C and a 4 per cent (95% CI, 3–5%) decrease in the infection-rate parameter per 1°C increase in temperature across the whole temperature range. The effect of temperature was immediate for the infection-rate parameter but delayed by up to four weeks for reported infections. There was no overall effect of humidity or rainfall. There is a direct and simple relationship between cold weather and rotavirus transmission in Great Britain and The Netherlands. The more complex and delayed temperature effect on disease incidence is likely to be mediated through the effects of weather on transmission.

A major goal of infectious disease epidemiology is to understand and predict the spread of infections within human populations, with the intention of better informing decisions regarding control and intervention. However, the development of fully mechanistic models of transmission requires a quantitative understanding of social interactions and collective properties of social networks. We performed a cross-sectional study of the social contacts on given days for more than 5000 respondents in England, Scotland and Wales, through postal and online survey methods. The survey was designed to elicit detailed and previously unreported measures of the immediate social network of participants relevant to infection spread. Here, we describe individual-level contact patterns, focusing on the range of heterogeneity observed and discuss the correlations between contact patterns and other socio-demographic factors. We find that the distribution of the number of contacts approximates a power-law distribution, but postulate that total contact time (which has a shorter-tailed distribution) is more epidemiologically relevant. We observe that children, public-sector and healthcare workers have the highest number of total contact hours and are therefore most likely to catch and transmit infectious disease. Our study also quantifies the transitive connections made between an individual's contacts (or clustering); this is a key structural characteristic of social networks with important implications for disease transmission and control efficacy. Respondents' networks exhibit high levels of clustering, which varies across social settings and increases with duration, frequency of contact and distance from home. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the transmission and control of pathogens spread through close contact.

The risk of transmission of viral infections in dentistry has caused great public fear both among patients and dentists. This is primarily related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses (HBV and HCV), which can cause many complications. This problem is particularly important in dental practice where the appropriate protection during all dental procedures is required. The application of preventive measures against blood-borne infections (HIV, HBV and HCV) may prevent transmission of these infectious agents during dental intervention. The aim of this study was to emphasize possible ways of transmission and advise prevention and protection measures against HIV, HBV and HCV infections in dental practice.

Network analyses can assist in predicting the course of epidemics. Time-directed paths or ‘contact chains' provide a measure of host-connectedness across specified timeframes, and so represent potential pathways for spread of infections with different epidemiological characteristics. We analysed networks and contact chains of cattle farms in Great Britain using Cattle Tracing System data from 2001 to 2015. We focused on the potential for between-farm transmission of bovine tuberculosis, a chronic infection with potential for hidden spread through the network. Networks were characterized by scale-free type properties, where individual farms were found to be influential ‘hubs' in the network. We found a markedly bimodal distribution of farms with either small or very large ingoing and outgoing contact chains (ICCs and OCCs). As a result of their cattle purchases within 12-month periods, 47% of British farms were connected by ICCs to more than 1000 other farms and 16% were connected to more than 10 000 other farms. As a result of their cattle sales within 12-month periods, 66% of farms had OCCs that reached more than 1000 other farms and 15% reached more than 10 000 other farms. Over 19 000 farms had both ICCs and OCCs reaching more than 10 000 farms for two or more years. While farms with more contacts in their ICCs or OCCs might play an important role in disease spread, farms with extensive ICCs and OCCs might be particularly important by being at higher risk of both acquiring and disseminating infections.

The UK and Europe have seen successive outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 autumn/winter seasons. Understanding both the epidemiology and transmission of these viruses in different species is critical to aid mitigating measures where outbreaks cause extensive mortalities in both land- and waterfowl. Infection of different species can result in mild or asymptomatic outcomes, or acute infections that result in high morbidity and mortality levels. Definition of disease outcome in different species is of great importance to understanding the role different species play in the maintenance and transmission of these pathogens. Further, the infection of species that have conservation value is also important to recognise and characterise to understand the impact on what might be limited wild populations. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has been detected in great skuas (Stercorarius skua) across different colonies on islands off the shore of Scotland, Great Britain during summer 2021. A large number of great skuas were observed as developing severe clinical disease and dying during the epizootic and mortalities were estimated to be high where monitored. Of eight skuas submitted for post-mortem examination, seven were confirmed as being infected with this virus using a range of diagnostic assays. Here we overview the outbreak event that occurred in this species, listed as species of conservation concern in Great Britain and outline the importance of this finding with respect to virus transmission and maintenance.

- This study explicates the theoretically important, yet inadequately specified, processes of demedicalization and remedicalization by comparing the histories of male circumcision in Great Britain and the United States. Although circumcision was medicalized to a similar degree in both countries before World War II, by the 1960s, circumcision was almost completely demedicalized in Britain and almost universal in the U.S. Since then, circumcision has become partially demedicalized in the U.S. Medical professionals and insurance/healthcare systems drove demedicalization in both countries; in the U.S., grassroots activists also played a critical role, while medical community "holdouts" resisted demedicalization. Recent research indicating that circumcision inhibits HIV transmission is differentially likely to produce remedicalization in the two nations, given differences in circumcision prevalence, HIV epidemiology, insurance/health systems, activism opportunities, and status of religious groups. Future research should theorize the life cycle of medicalization, explore comparative cases, and attend more closely to medical "holdouts" from previous eras, prevalence and duration of medicalized practices, and barriers to non-medical interpretations.Keywords: medicalization, demedicalization, remedicalization, health, circumcision, sociology.Parole chiave: medicalizzazione, demedicalizzazione, rimedicalizzazione, salute, circoncisione, sociologia.

Abstract Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) involve similar transmission routes, namely, blood, sexual contact, and mother-baby contact. Therefore, HIV infection is usually accompanied by HBV and HCV infections. This observation poses a great challenge to the prevention and treatment of HIV/human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) accompanied by HBV and HCV infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been extensively applied. Hence, liverrelated diseases have become the main causes of complication and death in HIV-infected individuals. This paper summarizes the current epidemiology, mutual influence, and treatment of HIV/AIDS accompanied by HBV or HCV infection.

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) associated with pregnancy poses a great threat to fetal well being due to vertical transmission. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, HIV and syphilis infection in pregnant women. This retrospective study was conducted in Microbiology department over a period of one year from December 2018 to December 2019 at a tertiary care teaching hospital, Uttar Pradesh, India. In this study, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies against hepatitis C virus, HIV and syphilis infection were detected in antenatal women. Total 4037 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic were enrolled in this study. The seroprevalence of HBV was 1.34% (54/4037), HCV was 0.52% (21/4037), syphilis was 0.07% (3/4037), and HIV was 0.12% (5/4037). Only one patient had coinfection of HBV and HCV. Regular antenatal screening of all pregnant females for various infections should be done for proper and timely intervention.

- This study explicates the theoretically important, yet inadequately specified, processes of demedicalization and remedicalization by comparing the histories of male circumcision in Great Britain and the United States. Although circumcision was medicalized to a similar degree in both countries before World War II, by the 1960s, circumcision was almost completely demedicalized in Britain and almost universal in the U.S. Since then, circumcision has become partially demedicalized in the U.S. Medical professionals and insurance/healthcare systems drove demedicalization in both countries; in the U.S., grassroots activists also played a critical role, while medical community "holdouts" resisted demedicalization. Recent research indicating that circumcision inhibits HIV transmission is differentially likely to produce remedicalization in the two nations, given differences in circumcision prevalence, HIV epidemiology, insurance/health systems, activism opportunities, and status of religious groups. Future research should theorize the life cycle of medicalization, explore comparative cases, and attend more closely to medical "holdouts" from previous eras, prevalence and duration of medicalized practices, and barriers to non-medical interpretations.Keywords: medicalization, demedicalization, remedicalization, health, circumcision, sociology.Parole chiave: medicalizzazione, demedicalizzazione, rimedicalizzazione, salute, circoncisione, sociologia.

Less than 15 years ago the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute surveyed physicians in the United States in order to characterize the demographics of hemophilia. The average age of persons with hemophilia in the United States was found to be 11.5 years old. By 10 years later, the life expectancy was predicted to be normal, and indeed the average age of persons with hemophilia in the U.S. is now in the early twenties. Early, intensive and predictably efficacious control of hemorrhage has made this result possible, and the therapeutic product which has allowed such control is commercial clotting factor concentrate.We now know that starting in 1978, and with great frquency during 1982 and 1983, the majority of U.S. hemophiliacs were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is estimated that as of January, 1987, approximately two thirds of the 20,000' persons with hemophilia in the United States have been infected with HIV. Among those with severe factor VIII deficiency, more than 9056 are seropositive. As of 1/5/87, there were 288 cases of AIDS among U.S. hemophiliacs, for an AIDS rate of approximately 2.256 of those with HIV infection. This number included 185 with severe, 32 with moderate and 28 with mild hemophilia A; 12 with severe, 6 with moderate and 1 with mild hemophilia B; 9 with vWD, and 4 others. A disproportionate number were older patients: 55 were ages 1-19; 62 ages 20-29; 85 ages 30-39, and 86 age 40 or older. Although the AIDS attack rate is no longer climbing logarhythmically, new cases are certainly still occurring.A variety of other HIV-related syndromes have emerged. Of great concern is immune thrombocytopenia, which is now relatively common; among a group of 209 carefully followed HIV-positive patients at our center, 31 (1556) are or have been thrombocytopenic. Progressive failure to normally gain height and weight in children with hemophilia has recently been shown by our group to correlate with HIV antibody positivity, and also with decreased T4/T8 ratio, decreased T4 cell count, decreased skin test reactivity, and subsequent development of ARC or AIDS in some such children. Finally, a picture of progressive fall in T4 count associated with recurrent non-specific infections and increased likelihood of positive viral culture, may predict an increased risk of developing AIDS.We know that the immune dysfunction in hemophilia is complex, and not wholly explained by HIV infection. One important factor may be the many foreign proteins contained in commercial clotting factor concentrates, and their ability to stimulate T cells. It is known that latent HIV infection in cultured T4 lymphocytes can be induced to enter the proliferative, viral secretory phase by the addition of soluble foreign antigens to the cell culture. Recent data of Brettler and colleagues, to be presented at this meeting, suggest that the use of highly purified VI!I:C (specific activity >3000 u/mg) in place of the present extremely impure products, may improve the immune dysfunction in hemophilia. This observation offers a new hypothetical approach to the prevention of progressive T4 cell depletion in HIV infected hemophiliacs, and requires immediate and extensive further study.The psychosocial burden of HIV infection is immense. The need for extensive, formal education and support programs is largely unmet in most parts of the world. Such programs are best run out of hemophilia treatment centers in most cases, and must include an active program on prevention of sexual transmission, provision of HIV testing before and during pregnancies, provision for maintenance of confidentiality, etc. Education concerning HIV is like all other forms of education. It requires formal organization, a curriculum, active rather than passive learning in which there is interaction between the teacher and the pupil, time for planned repetition, reinforcement with written materials, and assessment of goals achieved. For all of these reasons it is inappropriate to assume that the physician at the hemophilia center will be able to provide an adequate education program. Adquate paramedical personnel will need to undertake this effort, under the directjon of the physician.