Tularemie je zoonóza, jejíž původcem je Francisella tularensis, gramnegativní aerobní bakterie patřící do třídy Gammaproteobacteria a čeledi Francisellaceae. Navzdory skutečnosti, že F. tularensis může mít významný dopad na zdraví člověka, existuje o aktuálním výskytu tohoto patogenu v různých hematofágních členovcích pouze velmi málo údajů. Cílem studie bylo provést rozsáhlý molekulární screening různých potenciálních hematofágních vektorů: klíšťat (4348 jedinců druhů Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus a Haemaphysalis concinna), komárů (4100 jedinců druhu Aedes vexans) a muchniček (6900 jedinců Simulium spp.) na přítomnost F. tularensis na Břeclavsku v roce 2022. Pozitivní byly pouze 2 vzorky, které obsahovaly DNA specifickou pro F. tularensis subsp. holarctica. Oba vzorky pocházely z klíštěte D. reticulatus a to jak po infestaci srnce, tak jednoho směsného vzorku nasbíraných klíšťat (n = 10). Oba pozitivní vzorky byly sekvenovány a byla potvrzena přítomnost F. tularensis subsp. holarctica. Přítomnost

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis, a gram-negative aerobic bacterium belonging to the class of Gammaproteobacteria and the family Francisellaceae. Despite its undeniable importance for human health, there is little data on the current distribution of F. tularensis in various hematophagous arthropods. The aim of this study was to perform a mass molecular screening of different possible hematophagous vectors: ticks (4348 ticks of the species Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis concinna), mosquitoes (4100 specimens of Aedes vexans), and blackflies (6900 specimens of the Simulium spp.) for the presence of F. tularensis in the Břeclav district in 2022. Only two specimens were positive for the specific DNA of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica. Both samples originated from D. reticulatus, one collected from infested roe deer and the other included in a pooled sample (n = 10). Both positive samples were sequenced, and the presence of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica was confirmed. In addition, the absence of F. tularensis in mosquitoes and black flies was documented.

• MeSH
• Francisella tularensis * pathogenicity   MeSH
• Genetic Techniques MeSH
• Disease Vectors * MeSH
• Mosquito Vectors microbiology   MeSH
• Communicable Disease Control * methods   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Tick-Borne Diseases epidemiology   microbiology   transmission   MeSH
• Simuliidae microbiology   MeSH
• Tularemia epidemiology   microbiology   transmission   MeSH
• Disease Reservoirs microbiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

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• MeSH
• Epidemics MeSH
• Communicable Disease Control MeSH
• International Cooperation MeSH
• Population Surveillance MeSH
• Education MeSH
• Publication type
• News MeSH

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• MeSH
• Disease Notification MeSH
• Communicable Diseases, Imported epidemiology   MeSH
• Disease Vectors * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Tick-Borne Diseases MeSH
• Mosquito-Borne Diseases epidemiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Tables MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Mumps data were analysed to assess the effect of vaccination on mumps complications and hospitalisation. METHODS: The mumps cases reported to the Czech nationwide surveillance system from 2013 to 2022 were analysed using logistic regression with an odds ratio (aOR) adjusted for age, sex, year of onset and administrative region to measure the association between vaccination and complications or hospitalisation. Adjusted vaccine effectiveness (aVE) was calculated: aVE=(1-aOR)x100. RESULTS: A total of 11,913 mumps cases were reported, of which 6,885 (58%) were male. The median age of the study participants was 16 (range: 0-89 years). No complications occurred in 91% of patients. Mumps orchitis occurred in 633 (9%) male cases. A total of 946 (8%) patients required hospitalisation. The highest proportion of complications and hospitalisations was in the age group 35-44 years. Two doses of vaccine reduced statistically significantly the risk of any complications and of hospitalisation compared with unvaccinated patients: aOR 0.48 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.62), aVE of 52% (95% CI: 38, 63); and aOR 0.43 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.56), aVE of 57% (95% CI: 44, 67), respectively. Two doses showed statistically significant aVE 50% (95% CI: 32, 64) against orchitis, and 59% (95% CI: 23, 79) against meningitis. Among the two-dose recipients, the proportion of complications increased gradually with the time from the second dose. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated a protective effect of two-dose vaccination against mumps complications and hospitalisation for mumps. We recommend continuing routine childhood mumps vaccination and maintaining high MMR coverage in Czechia.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

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BACKGROUND: By March, 2023, 54 countries, areas, and territories (hereafter CAT) in the WHO European Region had reported more than 2·2 million COVID-19-related deaths to the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Here, we estimated how many lives were directly saved by vaccinating adults in the WHO European Region from December, 2020, to March, 2023. METHODS: In this retrospective surveillance study, we estimated the number of lives directly saved by age group, vaccine dose, and circulating variant-of-concern (VOC) period, regionally and nationally, using weekly data on COVID-19 mortality and infection, COVID-19 vaccination uptake, and SARS-CoV-2 virus characterisations by lineage downloaded from The European Surveillance System on June 11, 2023, as well as vaccine effectiveness data from the literature. We included data for six age groups (25-49 years, 50-59 years, ≥60 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and ≥80 years). To be included in the analysis, CAT needed to have reported both COVID-19 vaccination and mortality data for at least one of the four older age groups. Only CAT that reported weekly data for both COVID-19 vaccination and mortality by age group for 90% of study weeks or more in the full study period were included. We calculated the percentage reduction in the number of expected and reported deaths. FINDINGS: Between December, 2020, and March, 2023, in 34 of 54 CAT included in the analysis, COVID-19 vaccines reduced deaths by 59% overall (CAT range 17-82%), representing approximately 1·6 million lives saved (range 1·5-1·7 million) in those aged 25 years or older: 96% of lives saved were aged 60 years or older and 52% were aged 80 years or older; first boosters saved 51% of lives, and 60% were saved during the Omicron period. INTERPRETATION: Over nearly 2·5 years, most lives saved by COVID-19 vaccination were in older adults by first booster dose and during the Omicron period, reinforcing the importance of up-to-date vaccination among the most at-risk individuals. Further modelling work should evaluate indirect effects of vaccination and public health and social measures. FUNDING: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * prevention & control   mortality   epidemiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Immunization Programs statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 * immunology   MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• World Health Organization MeSH
• COVID-19 Vaccines * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). TBEV infection can cause symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation and result in severe consequences including death. TBE is an increasing health threat in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe. In 2020, 23% of 3734 TBE cases reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control were from the Czech Republic. TBE vaccination is universally recommended in the Czech Republic, but a full analysis of TBE vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the Czech Republic has not been published. Methods: TBE is a notifiable disease in the Czech Republic with mandatory reporting of cases (i.e., laboratory-confirmed TBEV infected patient with symptoms of CNS inflammation) and vaccination history to public health authorities. TBE VE was estimated using the screening method utilizing public health surveillance data from 2018 to 2022 and online household surveys of the general population on TBE vaccine uptake conducted in 2019-2022. Results: In 2018-2022, 3648 TBE cases were reported in the Czech Republic; 98.1% (3105/3166) of TBE cases with known vaccination history were unvaccinated. Among 42,671 persons surveyed from the general population who had known TBE vaccination history, 66.5% were unvaccinated. VE against TBE was 97.6% (95% confidence interval 95.7-98.7). When stratified by age group, VE was 97.1% (88.4-99.3) in 1-15 years of age, 97.9% (95.3-99.0) in 16-59 years of age, and 96.9% (90.5-99.0) in ≥60 years of age. TBE vaccination averted an estimated 1020 TBE cases in the Czech Republic from 2018 to 2022. Conclusions: This first published study with a full analysis of TBE VE in the Czech Republic showed that vaccination was highly effective for the prevention of TBE including in children, an age group with increasing TBE disease burden. Vaccination averted hundreds of TBE cases and hospitalizations despite the relatively low compliance with TBE vaccine recommendations. To prevent additional TBE cases in the Czech Republic, enhanced efforts to increase TBE vaccine uptake are needed.

• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Encephalitis, Tick-Borne * prevention & control   epidemiology   MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Vaccination * MeSH
• Viral Vaccines * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne * immunology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

INTRODUCTION: The Raise Awareness of Influenza Strategies in Europe (RAISE) group gathered information about the healthcare burden of influenza (hospitalizations, intensive care unit [ICU] admissions, and excess deaths), surveillance systems, and the vaccine coverage rate (VCR) in older adults in 18 European countries and Israel. AREAS COVERED: Published medical literature and official medical documentation on the influenza disease burden in the participating countries were reviewed from 2010/11 until the 2022/23 influenza seasons. Information on the framework for monitoring the disease burden and the provision for ensuring older adults had access to vaccination in their respective countries was provided. Data on influenza VCR in older adults were collected for the 2019/20 to 2022/23 influenza seasons. Data are reported descriptively. EXPERT OPINION: Influenza presents a significant healthcare burden in older adults. Reporting outcomes across participating countries is heterogeneous, highlighting the need for standardized approaches. Although older adults receive free influenza vaccination, vaccine uptake is highly variable among countries. Moreover, hospitalization rates remain high even in countries reporting a high VCR. Increased awareness and education on the burden of disease and the broader use of improved influenza vaccines for older adults may help reduce the disease burden on this population.

• MeSH
• Influenza, Human * prevention & control   epidemiology   MeSH
• COVID-19 * prevention & control   epidemiology   MeSH
• Hospitalization * statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Vaccination Coverage * statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Influenza Vaccines * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe MeSH
• Israel MeSH

BACKGROUND: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) has since 2012 provided patient-level data on severe influenza-like-illnesses from >100 participating clinical sites worldwide based on a core protocol and consistent case definitions. METHODS: We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the risk of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital death among hospitalized patients with influenza and explored the role of patient-level covariates and country income level. RESULTS: The data set included 73 121 patients hospitalized with respiratory illness in 22 countries, including 15 660 with laboratory-confirmed influenza. After adjusting for patient-level covariates we found a 7-fold increase in the risk of influenza-related intensive care unit admission in lower middle-income countries (LMICs), compared with high-income countries (P = .01). The risk of mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death also increased by 4-fold in LMICs, though these differences were not statistically significant. We also find that influenza mortality increased significantly with older age and number of comorbid conditions. Across all severity outcomes studied and after controlling for patient characteristics, infection with influenza A/H1N1pdm09 was more severe than with A/H3N2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides new information on influenza severity in underresourced populations, particularly those in LMICs.

• MeSH
• Influenza, Human * epidemiology   MeSH
• Hospitalization MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Hospital Mortality MeSH
• Hospitals MeSH
• Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH