ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9860-7166
Current Organisation
University of Adelaide
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2003
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 08-1998
DOI: 10.4269/AJTMH.1998.59.261
Abstract: This project tested aerial photography as a surveillance tool in identifying residential premises at high risk of Aedes aegypti breeding by extending the use of a recently developed, ground-based, rapid assessment technique, the modified Premise Condition Index (PCI2). During 1995, we inspected 360 premises in Townsville, Australia for Ae. aegypti breeding, and PCI2 scores were recorded. The PCI2 values were also estimated from 1:3,000 color and infrared aerial photograph interpretation for the same premises. We found that shade levels can be accurately identified from both color and infrared images, and the PCI2 can be accurately identified from infrared photographs. Yard conditions, however, cannot be accurately identified from either aerial photograph type. The airborne PCI2 did not significantly correlate with breeding measures, and logistic regression further demonstrated that neither aerial photograph type allows the accurate prediction of Ae. aegypti breeding risk. Therefore, the ability of low-level aerial photography to enhance Ae. aegypti breeding site surveillance is at present limited, with ground surveillance remaining our most reliable tool for identifying the probability of Ae. aegypti breeding in the residential environment.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 1993
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-12-2008
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 08-1992
DOI: 10.5694/J.1326-5377.1992.TB137116.X
Abstract: Many animals use concealing markings to reduce the risk of predation. These include background pattern matching (crypsis), where the coloration matches a random s le of the background and disruptive patterns, whose effectiveness has been hypothesized to lie in breaking up the body into a series of apparently unrelated objects. We have previously established the effectiveness of disruptive coloration against avian predators, using artificial moth-like stimuli with colours designed to match natural backgrounds as perceived by birds. Here, we investigate the mechanism by which disruptive patterns reduce detectability, using a computational vision model of edge detection applied to photographs of our experimental stimuli, calibrated for bird colour vision. We show that, disruptive coloration is effective by exploiting edge detection algorithms that we use to model early visual processing. Thus, 'false' edges are detected within the body rather than at its periphery, so inhibiting successful detection of the animal's body outline.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-08-2013
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268812001379
Abstract: Few studies have formally examined the relationship between meteorological factors and the incidence of child pneumonia in the tropics, despite the fact that most child pneumonia deaths occur there. We examined the association between four meteorological exposures (rainy days, sunshine, relative humidity, temperature) and the incidence of clinical pneumonia in young children in the Philippines using three time-series methods: correlation of seasonal patterns, distributed lag regression, and case-crossover. Lack of sunshine was most strongly associated with pneumonia in both lagged regression [overall relative risk over the following 60 days for a 1-h increase in sunshine per day was 0·67 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0·51–0·87)] and case-crossover analysis [odds ratio for a 1-h increase in mean daily sunshine 8–14 days earlier was 0·95 (95% CI 0·91–1·00)]. This association is well known in temperate settings but has not been noted previously in the tropics. Further research to assess causality is needed.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-05-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.2134/JEQ2003.1820
Abstract: New Zealand's freshwater ecosystems are subject to microbial contamination from a predominantly agricultural landscape. This study examines the spatial and temporal distribution of the human pathogen C ylobacter in the lower Taieri River, South Island (New Zealand). Enumeration of thermophilic C ylobacter from river s les was performed using a most probable number (MPN) method. Seasonal variation in C ylobacter levels was evident, with higher median levels detected in summer, when human exposure through recreational water use is maximal. C ylobacter levels varied significantly among the 10 s ling sites, increasing below a major tributary entering the river and then showing a downstream decrease. These changes probably resulted from inputs from adjacent farms and instream C ylobacter losses (settling, death). Two main peaks in the flux of C ylobacter were observed, one in winter and one in summer. A decrease in notified cases of c ylobacteriosis in the human population was observed when levels of C ylobacter at the main recreational bathing site on the river were low. Continuing land use change and intensification in New Zealand may lead to further increases in microbial contamination of freshwaters, and an associated increase in waterborne enteric diseases such as c ylobacteriosis.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 07-10-2020
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.50803
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1111/AEN.12343
Publisher: Society for Vector Ecology
Date: 15-05-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JVEC.12251
Abstract: Two saltmarsh mosquitoes dominate the transmission of Ross River virus (RRV, Togoviridae: Alphavirus), one of Australia's most prominent mosquito-borne diseases. Ecologically, saltmarshes vary in their structure, including habitat types, hydrological regimes, and ersity of aquatic fauna, all of which drive mosquito oviposition behavior. Understanding the distribution of vector mosquitoes within saltmarshes can inform early warning systems, surveillance, and management of vector populations. The aim of this study was to identify the distribution of Ae. c torhynchus, a known vector for RRV, across a saltmarsh and investigate the influence that other invertebrate assemblage might have on Ae. c torhynchus egg dispersal. We demonstrate that vegetation is a strong indicator for Ae. c torhynchus egg distribution, and this was not correlated with elevation or other invertebrates located at this saltmarsh. Also, habitats within this marsh are less frequently inundated, resulting in dryer conditions. We conclude that this information can be applied in vector surveillance and monitoring of temperate saltmarsh environments and also provides a baseline for future investigations into understanding mosquito vector habitat requirements.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-03-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00484-016-1189-9
Abstract: The extreme heat wave in Australia in 2009 resulted in significantly increased number of daily deaths. The circumstances that lead to deaths during extreme heat have not been explored before in Australia. This study aims to identify the in idual and community risk factors for deaths during this extreme heat wave in Adelaide. A matched case-control study was conducted. Cases were those who died in the Adelaide metropolitan area during the heat wave period. For each case, two community controls were randomly selected, matched by age and gender. Face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted to collect data of demographic information, living environment, social support, health status and behavioural changes during the heat wave. Descriptive analysis, as well as simple and multiple conditional logistic regressions were performed. In total, 82 deaths and 164 matched community controls were included in the analysis, with a median age of 77.5 (range 26.6-100.7). The multiple logistic regression model indicated that, compared with controls, the risk of death during the heat wave was significantly increased for people living alone (AOR = 42.31, 95 % CI 2.3, 792.8) or having existing chronic heart disease (AOR = 22.4, 95 % CI 1.7, 303.0). In addition, having air conditioning in bedrooms (AOR = 0.004, 95 % CI 0.00006, 0.28) and participating in social activities more than once a week (AOR = 0.011, 95 % CI 0.0004, 0.29) indicated significant protective effects. We have identified factors that could significantly impact on the likelihood of deaths during heat waves. Our findings could assist in the development of future intervention programs and policies to reduce mortality associated with a warmer climate.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-03-2011
DOI: 10.1007/S10653-011-9387-1
Abstract: Broad-scale clearing of native vegetation for agriculture in southwestern Australia has resulted in severe ecosystem degradation, which has been compounded by the subsequent development of large areas of dryland salinity decreased transevaporation allows the water table to rise, dissolving ancient aeolian salt deposits and creating saline surface pools. The mosquito-borne disease Ross River virus has been noted as a potential adverse human health outcome in salinity-affected regions because the principal vector, Aedes c torhynchus, is salt tolerant and thrives preferentially in such systems. To understand the geology and ecology underlying the relationship between land clearing and disease emergence, we examine the relationship between dryland salinity processes that determine the dissolved solids profile of saline pools in affected areas, the mosquito vectors and interactions with the human population within the disease cycle. Aedes c torhynchus is able to survive in a wide range of salinities in pools created by dryland salinity processes. The link with disease emergence is achieved where population distribution and activity overlaps with the convergence of environmental and ecological conditions that enhance disease transmission.
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-1994
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-1999
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-12-2020
DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2020.1860879
Abstract: The objective of this systematic review was to determine the safety and effectiveness of any public health intervention designed to prevent and/or manage musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) in any type of musician. A total of 14 studies were included. Studies investigated exercise and/or education programs, and changes to equipment, with a range of musicians. There was some evidence to suggest that smaller piano keyboards, and exercise programs may be effective. Studies suggesting a benefit of exercise programs typically had lower level designs and higher risk of methodological bias, compared with those that reported no benefit. Future research should use more robust methods to reduce bias and come to definitive conclusions regarding the safety and effectiveness of interventions prior to implementation, to reduce the burden of MSSs for musicians.
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 2003
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 17-12-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268817002254
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the climate–malaria associations in nine cities selected from malaria high-risk areas in China. Daily reports of malaria cases in Anhui, Henan, and Yunnan Provinces for 2005–2012 were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Generalized estimating equation models were used to quantify the city-specific climate–malaria associations. Multivariate random-effects meta-regression analyses were used to pool the city-specific effects. An inverted-U-shaped curve relationship was observed between temperatures, average relative humidity, and malaria. A 1 °C increase of maximum temperature ( T max ) resulted in 6·7% (95% CI 4·6–8·8%) to 15·8% (95% CI 14·1–17·4%) increase of malaria, with corresponding lags ranging from 7 to 45 days. For minimum temperature ( T min ), the effect estimates peaked at lag 0 to 40 days, ranging from 5·3% (95% CI 4·4–6·2%) to 17·9% (95% CI 15·6–20·1%). Malaria is more sensitive to T min in cool climates and T max in warm climates. The duration of lag effect in a cool climate zone is longer than that in a warm climate zone. Lagged effects did not vanish after an epidemic season but waned gradually in the following 2–3 warm seasons. A warming climate may potentially increase the risk of malaria resurgence in China.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12692
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13175
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.04.407
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the associations between meteorological factors and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in 19 cities selected from HFRS high risk areas across different climate zones in three Provinces of China. De-identified daily reports of HFRS in Anhui, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning Provinces for 2005-2014 were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily weather data from each study location were obtained from the China meteorological Data Sharing Service System. Generalised estimating equation models (GEE) were used to quantify the city-specific HFRS-weather associations. Multivariate random-effects meta-regression models were used to pool the city-specific HFRS-weather effect estimates. HFRS showed an overall downward trend during the study period with a slight rebound after 2010. Meteorological factors were significantly associated with HFRS incidence. HFRS was relatively more sensitive to weather variability in subtropical regions (Anhui Province) than in temperate regions (Heilongjiang and Liaoning Provinces). The size of effect estimates and the duration of lagged effects varied by locations. Pooled results of the 19 cities showed that a 1 °C increase in maximum temperature (T
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-10-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S10653-011-9435-X
Abstract: Simulated lung fluids are solutions designed to mimic the composition of human interstitial lung fluid as closely as possible. Analysis of mineral dusts using such solutions has been used to evaluate the respiratory bioaccessibility of various elements for which solubility in the lungs is a primary determinant of reactivity. The objective of this study was to employ simulated lung fluid analysis to investigate the respiratory bioaccessibility of nickel in soils. Current occupational guidelines in Australia regulate nickel compounds in terms of water solubility, though this may not be an accurate estimation of the total nickel that will dissociate in the lungs. Surface soils were collected from the city of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, the site of an operational nickel smelter and metal mining activities. The fraction of the s les less than 10 μm was extracted from the soil, and it was this sub-10-μm fraction that was found to hold most of the total nickel present in the soil. The fine fraction was analyzed using a simulated lung fluid (modified Gamble's solution) to isolate the nickel phases soluble in the lungs. In addition, a sequential extraction was employed to compare the bioaccessible fraction to those dissolved from different binding forms in the soil. In all s les, the simulated lung fluid extracted more nickel than the two weakest leaches of the sequential extraction combined, providing a more representative nickel bioaccessibility value than the current water leach method.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 28-09-2023
DOI: 10.1093/PM/PNAD134
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2018.04.024
Abstract: Australian cave crickets are members of the subfamily Macropathinae (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae). The subfamily is thought to have originated prior to the tectonic separation of the supercontinent Gondwana based on distributions of extant lineages and molecular phylogenetic evidence, although the Australian fauna have been underrepresented in previous studies. The current study augments existing multigene data (using 12S, 16S, and 28S rRNA genes) to investigate the placement of the Australian representatives within the Macropathinae and to assess ergence dates of select clades. Results suggest that the endemic Tasmanian genus Parvotettix is the sister lineage to the remaining members of the subfamily, an outcome that presents a paraphyletic Australian fauna in contrast to previous studies. All other Australian taxa represented in this study (Micropathus and Novotettix) emerged as a sister group to the New Zealand and South American macropathine lineages. Estimation of phylogenetic ergence ages among the aforementioned clades were calibrated using two methods, in absence of suitable fossil records: (i) tectonic events depicting the fragmentation of Gondwanan landmasses that invoke vicariant scenarios of present day geographic distributions and (ii) molecular evolutionary rates. Geological calibrations place the median age of the most recent common ancestor of extant macropathines at ∼125 to ∼165 Ma, whereas analyses derived from molecular substitution rates suggest a considerably younger origin of ∼32 Ma. This phylogenetic study represents the most rigorous taxonomic s ling of the Australian cave cricket fauna to date and stresses the influence of lineage representation on biogeographic inference.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1708-8305.2011.00540.X
Abstract: Current Australian recommendations for rabies pre-exposure vaccination involve the use of cell-culture-based rabies vaccines, which are administered via intramuscular (IM) or intradermal (ID) routes. ID vaccination is more affordable for travelers, but is only recommended if there is sufficient time to perform serology 2 to 3 weeks post-vaccination and confirm immunity prior to travel. We report the immunogenicity of a modified ID schedule that can be completed in less time than the standard ID schedule, and allow more travelers to be vaccinated prior to departure. Travelers were offered a modified schedule if they were unable to afford standard IM vaccinations, and did not have time to complete a standard ID course. The modified schedule consisted of two ID injections of 0.1 mL of human diploid cell rabies vaccine administered on days 0 and 7, and serology was performed to determine immune status at a time between day 21 and 28. A total of 420 travelers aged between 10 and 65 years were vaccinated using the modified ID course. The overall seroconversion rate was 94.5%, with 397 travelers developing antibody levels of >0.5 IU/mL when tested at approximately 21 days post-vaccination. The modified ID schedule used in this case series was highly effective, had similar immunogenicity to the standard ID schedule, and should be considered in travelers who are unable to complete standard IM or standard ID courses of rabies vaccines.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/PY20141
Abstract: Funding for telehealth should continue post-COVID-19 and should include provision for tele-physiotherapy. There are several instances where tele-physiotherapy may be an appropriate form of primary care, including the early management of acute pain, which may otherwise become chronic. By extending the availability of tele-physiotherapy beyond 30 September 2020, we can improve the health of the population generally and, in particular, better serve remote or otherwise isolated people.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1111/IMJ.12335
Abstract: Demand for healthcare services threatens to overwhelm the Australian healthcare system. Public hospitals have the largest component of expenditure growth and as such represent the largest opportunity for efficiency gains. Utilisation of inpatient hospital beds and in particular those on general medical units has not been studied in Australia. To undertake a retrospective patient medical record review of 200 sequential admissions to the medical wards in two regional Tasmanian hospitals to determine the incidence of non-acute medical patient admission to the medical unit, and the subsequent days in hospital that were not required for medical reasons. The cost of these days was estimated. Sixteen patient admissions (8%) could not be justified on medical grounds. Forty-eight (24%) patient admissions had at least one day hospital day that could not be justified on medical grounds. Of the 1438 total bed days, 475 (33%) were for non-medical reasons. The estimated cost of those non-medical bed days for this cohort was $764 800. The incidence of non-acute medical admissions and non-acute medical bed days to the medical unit and associated cost was significant. Further research is needed to design alternative care provision for such patients particularly in regional Australia. The potential savings to the Australian healthcare system could be significant.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-04-2013
DOI: 10.1111/TMI.12115
Abstract: To identify the meteorological drivers of dengue vector density and determine high- and low-risk transmission zones for dengue prevention and control in Cairns, Australia. Weekly adult female Ae. aegypti data were obtained from 79 double sticky ovitraps (SOs) located in Cairns for the period September 2007-May 2012. Maximum temperature, total rainfall and average relative humidity data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for the study period. Time series-distributed lag nonlinear models were used to assess the relationship between meteorological variables and vector density. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed via semivariography, and ordinary kriging was undertaken to predict vector density in Cairns. Ae. aegypti density was associated with temperature and rainfall. However, these relationships differed between short (0-6 weeks) and long (0-30 weeks) lag periods. Semivariograms showed that vector distributions were spatially autocorrelated in September 2007-May 2008 and January 2009-May 2009, and vector density maps identified high transmission zones in the most populated parts of Cairns city, as well as Machans Beach. Spatiotemporal patterns of Ae. aegypti in Cairns are complex, showing spatial autocorrelation and associations with temperature and rainfall. Sticky ovitraps should be placed no more than 1.2 km apart to ensure entomological coverage and efficient use of resources. Vector density maps provide evidence for the targeting of prevention and control activities. Further research is needed to explore the possibility of developing an early warning system of dengue based on meteorological and environmental factors.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-1991
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-6405.2009.00365.X
Abstract: Exposure to birds has long been associated with disease in humans. Three respiratory diseases (psittacosis, allergic alveolitis and asthma) were reviewed in association with pet bird ownership with the aim to clarify the spectrum of avian-related respiratory illnesses. Nineteen studies were selected for review based on recreational bird exposure in relation to psittacosis, allergic alveolitis and asthma. Literature reveals little consensus on the relationship between pet bird ownership and respiratory illness. Future studies should aim to clarify the spectrum of avian-related illnesses, and to direct the dissemination of public health information to clinicians and members of the public who keep birds as pets.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2011.02.040
Abstract: Globally, the human and economic burdens of mental illness are increasing. As the prevalence and costs associated with mental illness rise, we are progressively more aware that environmental issues such as climate change and bio ersity loss impact on human health. This paper hypothesises that increased bio ersity in urban environments is associated with improved mental health and wellbeing. It proposes the ecological mechanism through which the association may exist, and explores the extant literature to determine the extent of empirical evidence to support our hypothesis. While there is a substantial literature investigating the impact of 'green space' and contact with nature on mental health, we identified only one original research paper that directly investigated the link between bio ersity and mental health. This suggests that the extant evidence considers only 'one part of the story', providing an evidence base which is inadequate to inform policy on bio ersity conservation and public health. Our hypothesised relationship between environmental change and mental health proposes conservation and restoration of bio ersity in urban environments as a form of intervention for improving human health. It also highlights the need for a better evidence base to demonstrate the synergistic benefits of increased bio ersity and mental health to decision makers. Well-designed quantitative epidemiological research is needed to establish the strength of any such causal relationship.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2012.04.002
Abstract: Current levels of obesity amongst adolescents may be largely attributed to changes in environmental exposures that place vulnerable youth at risk, yet few studies have incorporated environmental approaches to normalising Body Mass Index (BMI). Our hypothesis is that a live-in school based programme in a natural environment can reduce the BMI of overweight children. The pilot study therefore explores the effects of such a programme on the BMI of adolescents in rural Victoria, Australia. Year 9 students (15 year olds, N = 1021) at a rural school with a physically demanding, 10-month, live-in outdoor programme had their BMIs measured at the beginning and end of the programme. Their observed BMI at the end of the programme was compared to expected BMI (based on adjustment of their initial BMI to account for normal growth using international standards). Participation in the programme reduced the BMI of boys who were in the normal to obese range (χ(2) = 8.57, p = 0.014), but not in girls. For the overweight and obese boys BMI decreased by up to 2.5 kg/m(2). These results suggests that school based environmental interventions may be effective in reducing obesity in adolescents, supporting our hypothesis. Our study is limited by its opportunistic observational nature, but it nevertheless suggests that such a live-in school programme in a natural environment may provide a valuable addition to the list of interventions available to combat the obesity epidemic. Although the programme reduced BMI in boys, the equivocal data for girls means that even an intensive programme such as this struggles to achieve a significant change in BMI across all obese adolescents. Our study nevertheless supports the need for further investigation of the possible contribution of school based programmes in natural environments to interventions to fight the obesity epidemic--because there is no magic bullet.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-02-2023
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13881
Abstract: Methods guides are useful for new researchers in a field and/or more established researchers needing to stay up‐to‐date with the best available methods. However, issues may arise where methods guides rely on outdated methodologies rather than progressing good science. We use a recent ex le of two methods guides for avoiding contamination in the emerging field of microbiota restoration studies, where ultraviolet (UV) “sterilization” was recommended for s le collection tubes. UV treatment is not an effective method of decontamination and may actually lead to contamination as a consequence of extended exposure to the aerobiome and other laboratory contamination before, during and after UV‐light exposure. Indeed, the use of appropriate tubes negates the need for such decontamination. Although well intended, guidance materials that contain omissions or inaccurate recommendations may lead to inaccurate research findings. This ex le highlights the important need for such guides to be based on up‐to‐date scientific evidence, not simply dogma.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-1999
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.TTBDIS.2016.02.019
Abstract: Little is known about the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases in American Samoa (Pacific). A review of literature did not identify any published information on human Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. or Coxiella burnetii infections in this country. To determine the presence of these diseases, we conducted a serosurvey of American Samoans. The presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia conorii, C. burnetii, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay in sera from 197 American Samoan adults. None of the s les had antibodies at a significant level against Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. or C. burnetii (seroprevalence 0% one-tailed 95% CI 0-1.86%). We cannot conclude that these pathogens are absent in American Samoa but, if present, their prevalence is probably very low. Q fever has been reported worldwide except in New Zealand and French Polynesia these new data suggest that the prevalence of Q fever is likely to be very low in the Pacific Islands.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-05-2022
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYAC111
Publisher: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
Date: 10-06-2019
DOI: 10.13075/IJOMEH.1896.01340
Abstract: The authors aimed to characterize the current evidence base regarding musicians' musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS), in order to identify gaps for future research. A systematic search was conducted to identify peer-review studies published in English in 2007-2016 that investigated musicians' MSS. Narrative reviews, case reports, protocols, and questionnaire or program development papers were excluded. Data were synthesized descriptively in order to identify gaps in the current evidence base. Five systematic reviews and 153 primary studies (133 unique) were included in this review. The majority (71%) of studies investigated professional musicians and/or university music students, with orchestral musicians being the most commonly investigated group. The majority of studies investigated the extent of the problem (68%) and/or associated factors (54%). Eight studies compared the prevalence of MSS outcomes with other populations. A range of risk factors were investigated however, few studies used longitudinal designs. A total of 16 intervention studies were identified (3 clinical, 13 public health), with 12 investigating education or exercise programs. There is a need for research into musicians beyond classical university music students and professional orchestral musicians, and these musical sub-groups should be compared to determine the most at risk groups of musicians. Studies looking at potential risk factors should move towards longitudinal designs so that the temporal relationship of these factors and MSS could be established, where cross-sectional designs have indicated that an association exists. Intervention studies should be based upon the risk factors identified, and extend beyond education and exercise programs. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019 (3):291-331.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 11-11-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.11.377630
Abstract: Exposure to bio erse aerobiomes may support human health, but it is unclear which ecological factors influence exposure. Few studies have investigated near-surface green space aerobiome dynamics, and no studies have investigated aerobiome vertical stratification in different green spaces. We used columnar s ling and next generation sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, combined with geospatial and network analyses to investigate aerobiome spatio-compositional dynamics. We show a strong effect of habitat on bacterial ersity and network complexity. We observed aerobiome vertical stratification and network complexity that was contingent on habitat type. Tree density, closer proximity, and canopy coverage associated with greater aerobiome alpha ersity. Grassland aerobiomes exhibited greater proportions of putative pathogens compared to scrub, and also stratified vertically. We provide new insights into the urban ecosystem with potential importance for public health, whereby the possibility of differential aerobiome exposures appears to depend on habitat type and height in the airspace.
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 05-2011
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.1002575
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2008
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 12-2013
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2013
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 25-11-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-02-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2020
DOI: 10.1111/MVE.12433
Abstract: Saltmarsh breeding mosquitoes are an important source of vectors for arboviral transmission. In southern Australia, the most prominent vector borne disease, Ross River virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus ) (RRV), is transmitted by the saltmarsh mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Aedes c torhynchus (Thomson). However, the factors driving the abundance of this mosquito within and among saltmarshes are poorly understood. To predict the abundance of this mosquito within saltmarshes, the environmental conditions and aquatic invertebrate ecology of three temperate saltmarshes habitats were monitored over two seasons. Up to 44% of first‐instar mosquito numbers and 21% of pupal numbers were accounted for by environmental variables. S hire vegetation cover was a common predictor of first‐instar numbers across sites although, between saltmarshes, aquatic factors such as high salinity, temperatures less than 22 °C and water body volume were important predictors. The identified predictors of pupal numbers were more variable and included high tides, waterbody volume and alkalinity. The composition of invertebrate functional feeding groups differed between saltmarshes and showed that an increased ersity led to fewer mosquitoes. It was evident that apparently similar saltmarshes can vary markedly in invertebrate assemblages, water availability and conditions through tidal inundations, rainfall or waterbody permanency. The present study advances insight into predictors of vector mosquito numbers that drive the risk of RRV outbreaks.
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-11-2023
DOI: 10.1002/JRSM.1609
Abstract: Many reviews referred to as ‘systematic reviews’ in ecology are not consistent with best practice in that they generally lack appropriate critical appraisal of included studies. This limitation is particularly important in applied ecology, where there have been increasing calls for more systematic reviews to guide decision making. To identify the available critical appraisal tools (CATs) and hierarchies of evidence available for ecology studies, we systematically searched for: studies that described the development and/or examination of tools to assess the potential methodological bias in studies of ecology and the tools used to assess potential methodological bias of included studies in ecological systematic reviews. We identified 680 reviews labelled as ‘systematic reviews’ in ecology, however only 4.0% performed critical appraisal of the included studies. Three hierarchies of evidence and 23 CATs were identified, and assessed as lacking independent development, validity and reliability testing, and/or completeness. The authors of the reviews that included critical appraisal have appropriately identified the need to move reviews in ecology in the direction of this higher level of evidence, and have taken applied ecology further in the direction of evidence‐based practice. However, we identified shortcomings in these approaches when compared with best practice, and conclude that new tools are needed that reflect a range of questions posed in ecology. Through increasing the availability of such tools, the strength of evidence provided by systematic reviews in ecology would improve.
Publisher: Wageningen University and Research
Date: 16-03-2022
DOI: 10.18174/SESMO.18126
Abstract: The impact of environmental factors on human health outcomes is well established. It is therefore not surprising that interventions aimed at improving human health are often environmental-based, such as restoring riparian vegetation for flood mitigation, with a view to reducing associated infectious disease transmission. Yet the risks and benefits of these interventions on the environment itself are rarely measured, or weighed up against potential health gains. One of the challenges with such an evaluation is the requirement for cross-sectoral support from decision makers in both the health and environmental sectors. To facilitate this support, cross-sectoral models are required that simultaneously estimate the impact of proposed environmental interventions on both sectors. Despite their obvious value, a systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature did not identify any model that concurrently models the impact of environmental intervention on both environmental and human infectious disease related outcomes. In this paper, we conceptually explore potential approaches for designing such a model, using leptospirosis as a case study to highlight the various data sources, spatial scales, temporal scales and required system behaviour that would need to be integrated for a cross-sectoral model of this complexity. By comparing these system requirements against the strengths and limitations of in idual modelling techniques, we demonstrate the potential benefits of a hybrid-ensemble approach that uses component models from different frameworks. By combining the strengths of the different techniques to tackle this wicked problem, such a modelling approach supports the prioritisation of environmental interventions that optimise the overall benefit by considering impacts on both human health and the environment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2011.05.009
Abstract: Well balanced ecosystems have an essential role in disease regulation, and consequently their correct functioning is increasingly recognised as imperative for maintaining human health. Disruptions to ecosystems have been found to increase the risk of several diseases, including Hantavirus, Lyme disease, Ross River virus, malaria and Ciguatera fish poisoning. Leptospirosis is a globally important emerging zoonosis, caused by spirochaete bacteria, borne by many mammalian hosts, and also transmitted environmentally. We propose that leptospirosis incidence in humans is also linked to ecosystem disruption, and that reduced bio ersity (the ersity of species within an ecological community) may be associated with increased leptospirosis incidence. To investigate this hypothesis, the relationship between bio ersity levels of island nations and their annual leptospirosis incidence rates (adjusted for GDP per capita) was examined by linear correlation and regression. Supportive, statistically significant negative associations were obtained between leptospirosis incidence and (a) total number of species (r2=0.69, p<0.001) and (b) number of mammal species (r2=0.80, p<0.001) in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis only the number of mammal species remained significantly associated (r2=0.81, p=0.007). An association between bio ersity and reduced leptospirosis risk, if supported by further research, would emphasise the importance of managing the emergence of leptospirosis (and other infectious diseases) at a broader, ecosystem level.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-06-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/BT20006
Abstract: Dioecious plants constitute 7% of all angiosperm species, yet they occur in many habitat types, partially through the deployment of sexual dimorphisms that assist in reproduction. In the present work, the dioecious monocot Lomandra leucocephala ssp. robusta (Asparagaceae: Lomandroideae) was studied to understand how sexual dimorphisms can assist species conservation and inform us of a species’ potential significance in an ecosystem. Floral display was sexually dimorphic, as male inflorescences were displayed more prominently and more conspicuously in UV range. Male nectar analysed by thin-layer chromatography contained a higher glucose content than female nectar. However, both sexes contained hexose-rich nectar, a common indicator of generalist pollination, which was supported by observations of floral visitors. Floral extract comparison conducted via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that male extracts contained more compounds that potentially convey greater resistance to biotic and abiotic threats. Chemical comparison of leaves by high performance liquid chromatography with peak area ratio analysis revealed this technique could be used as a tool for gender identification of in iduals during non-flowering periods. Due to the generalist pollination mechanisms of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta, may have an important role in the conservation and support of local insect populations. The presence of chemical biotic and abiotic resistance may also make L. leucocephala ssp. robusta a significant contributor to the ongoing stabilisation of the sand dunes. Conservation efforts required for L. leucocephala ssp. robusta are likely to be minimal, as pollination services are provided by a ersity of pollinating taxa, including introduced species, which will be abundant regardless of variable flowering periods. Further observational study of L. leucocephala ssp. robusta pollinators and differences in pollinator visitation behaviours between sexes is recommended to better understand efficient pollination for the species, and potentially reveal a greater extent of ecosystem benefit for this species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-1996
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJID.2017.01.041
Abstract: An epidemic of Ross River virus (RRV) occurred in the South Pacific in 1979-1980, but RRV has not been thought to occur endemically outside Australia and Papua New Guinea. A seroprevalence study was conducted to determine whether RRV has circulated in American Samoa since 1980. RRV ELISA IgG was performed on 200 serum s les collected in American Samoa in 2010 seroneutralization tests were performed on 60 representative s les. Of 196 available ELISA IgG results, 145 (74%, 95% confidence interval 67-80%) were seropositive. Of the 60 s les subjected to seroneutralization testing, none of the 15 ELISA IgG-negative and 16 of the 45 ELISA IgG-positive s les neutralized RRV. ELISA IgG seroprevalence was higher in persons born before/during the 1979-1980 RRV outbreak (78.3%), but was also high (63.0%) in people born after the outbreak who had lived their entire lives in American Samoa. This study provides serological evidence that RRV circulation is likely to have occurred in American Samoa after 1980. Considering there are no marsupials in American Samoa, this finding implies that other species are capable of acting as reservoir hosts and indicates the potential for RRV to circulate in a much wider area than those currently recognized.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-01-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1039/B806520A
Abstract: The intrinsic link between ecosystem health and human health has been firmly established in the literature and has given rise to the development of new multidisciplinary fields of research such as medical geology. An important practical implication of the ecosystem health approach is the utility of human disease outbreaks as indicators of underlying ecosystem disruption. The use of such a bioindicator is particularly relevant in developing countries where monitoring of traditional environmental and ecological indicators is not routinely undertaken. Mosquito-borne diseases appear to have good potential as bioindicators in tropical regions because the burden of disease is high, the disease ecology has a strong environmental component and intensive surveillance systems are well established. Evidence is reviewed regarding the utility of mosquito-borne disease to detect a range of ecosystem insults including: hydro-geological disruption in soil-water systems (e.g. secondary soil salinisation and waterlogging) escalating agricultural intensification deforestation and urbanisation. The evidence suggests that overall, mosquito-borne disease is a specific but insensitive indicator, because human modification of natural ecosystems does not always result in increases in disease incidence and can, in some cases, lead to reductions. Nevertheless, mosquito-borne disease remain useful as bioindicators if utilised as a complement to traditional environmental variables in identifying ecological disturbances they can then assist in directing interventions that are concurrently beneficial to both human health and ecosystem health.
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.10980
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1995
DOI: 10.1071/ZO9950541
Abstract: The biology of the Australian wasp Taeniogonalos venatoria Riek was investigated using populations in the Adelaide Region during 1986-90. This species is unusual for a trigonalyid because it is a primary parasitoid of a pergid sawfly and can act facultatively as a hyperparasitoid. The wasp oviposits onto foliage, eggs are ingested by host larvae, eggs then hatch, and the larva penetrates the gut wall. Saline, acid saline, cathepsin and physical manipulation were effective in triggering eclosion. Eggs were viable on foliage for up to 5 months. Larval instars 1-3 are endoparasitic 4-5 are ectoparasitic. Populations are univoltine, and adults emerge between February and April in synchrony with early-stage host larvae. Adult wasps are relatively short lived (8 days), but survival is increased by access to water and food. Female wasps contain over 6000 eggs at emergence. Aspects of the biology of T. venatoria are discussed in relation to other species of trigonalyid wasps.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 04-04-2016
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816000698
Abstract: The first reported New Zealand-acquired case of murine typhus occurred near Auckland in 1989. Since then, 72 locally acquired cases have been recorded from northern New Zealand. By 2008, on the basis of the timing and distribution of cases, it appeared that murine typhus was escalating and spreading southwards. To explore the presence of Rickettsia typhi in the Waikato region, we conducted a seroprevalence study, using indirect immunofluorescence, Western blot, and cross-adsorption assays of blood donor s les. Of 950 human sera from Waikato, 12 (1·3%) had R. typhi antibodies. The seroprevalence for R. typhi was slightly higher in northern Waikato (1·4%) compared to the south (1·2% no significant difference, χ 2 P = 0·768 at P 0·05). Our results extend the reported southern range of R. typhi by 140 km and indicate it is endemic in Waikato. Evidence of past Rickettsia felis infections was also detected in six sera. Globally, R. felis is an emerging disease of concern and this pathogen should also be considered when locally acquired rickettsiosis is suspected. If public health interventions are to be implemented to reduce the risk of rickettsioses as a significant public health problem, improvements in rickettsial diagnostics and surveillance will be necessary.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 02-2013
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268813000058
Abstract: Sensitive surveillance systems are crucial for effective control of infectious disease outbreaks, and regional surveillance could provide valuable data to supplement global systems, improve sensitivity and timeliness of reporting, or capture otherwise undetected outbreaks. In New Zealand (NZ), there are no endemic arboviral diseases in humans, and the majority of dengue cases are imported from neighbouring Pacific Islands where comprehensive surveillance systems are under development. From 1997 to 2009, 679 cases of dengue were reported in NZ (74·2% acquired from the Pacific Islands), and the patterns of reported incidence of dengue acquired from different islands closely reflected local reported incidence in those areas. NZ is therefore in a unique position to provide early alerts on dengue outbreaks in the Pacific Islands. Such a strategy would reduce disease burden in both the Pacific Islands and NZ, and provide a model for transnational collaboration in disease surveillance with regional as well as global benefits.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-01-2017
DOI: 10.1093/JTM/TAW092
Abstract: We present a case report of a traveller injured by a needlefish in the Caribbean. The needlefish leapt from the ocean and struck the traveller's face at high speed, causing a seemingly superficial puncture wound on his nose. Later, it became apparent that multiple fish bones had broken off and lodged in his nasal cavity, very narrowly missing his cribriform plate. Some bones were discharged spontaneously through his nose over the next 3 months, and one required surgical removal. Our report highlights the importance of urgent radiological examination in patients injured by needlefish, even if the external wound appears insignificant.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-12-2016
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-11-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 15-10-2000
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-10-2010
DOI: 10.1007/S10552-010-9658-7
Abstract: Although polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is commonly cited as a risk factor for endometrial cancer, supporting epidemiological evidence is currently very limited. Our aim was to assess the associations between PCOS, PCOS symptoms, and risk of endometrial cancer in women aged less than 50 years. Data came from a national population-based case-control study in Australia. Cases with newly diagnosed histologically confirmed endometrial cancer were identified through treatment clinics and cancer registries Australia wide. Controls were randomly selected from the national electoral roll. Women were interviewed about their reproductive and medical history, including self-reported PCOS, and lifestyle. Current analyses were restricted to women aged under 50 (156 cases, 398 controls). We estimated odds ratios (OR) using logistic regression to adjust for confounding factors. Women with PCOS had a fourfold increased risk of endometrial cancer compared to women without PCOS (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.7-9.3). This association was attenuated when additionally adjusted for body mass index (OR 2.2, 95% CI 0.9-5.7). Risk was slightly greater when restricted to Type I cancers. PCOS symptoms including hirsutism and very irregular periods were significantly associated with endometrial cancer risk. These data extend existing findings, including adjustment for confounders, suggesting PCOS is a risk factor for endometrial cancer.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJID.2015.02.010
Abstract: Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease that poses a serious public health threat in China. HFRS is caused by hantaviruses, mainly Seoul virus in urban areas and Hantaan virus in agricultural areas. Although preventive measures including vaccination programs and rodent control measures have resulted in a decline in cases in recent years, there has been an increase in incidence in some areas and new endemic areas have emerged. This review summarises the recent literature relating to the effects of climatic factors on the incidence of HFRS in China and discusses future research directions. Temperature, precipitation and humidity affect crop yields, rodent breeding patterns and disease transmission, and these can be influenced by a changing climate. Detailed surveillance of infections caused by Hantaan and Seoul viruses and further research on the viral agents will aid in interpretation of spatiotemporal patterns and a better understanding of the environmental and ecological drivers of HFRS amid China's rapidly urbanising landscape and changing climate.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 06-1989
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-10-2020
Abstract: High concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) in public water supplies potentially pose a health hazard, but exposure assessment remains a complex task. To interpret research findings and monitoring data for THMs, it is important to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in both total THM and the in idual constituent compounds (including brominated species). We therefore aimed to determine the concentrations, and spatial and temporal variability of concentrations, of THMs public water supplies in Perth, Western Australia, which is known historically to have high brominated THM concentrations. We analysed water s les from 21 water distribution zones around Perth (including Busselton and Bunbury) across different seasons over a period of two years. A total of 250 s les provided a median total THM of 72 µg/L (range of 0–157 µg/L), which falls well within Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. The concentration of all species, including brominated forms, also fell the World Health Organization’s guidelines. Total THM concentrations were typically higher in spring and summer. A high degree of spatial variability was detected and appears to relate to the source water. Both the temporal and spatial variability in THM concentrations have implications for epidemiological studies, and monitoring.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-1995
DOI: 10.1111/J.1445-5994.1995.TB02850.X
Abstract: As gene drive mosquito projects advance from contained laboratory testing to semi-field testing and small-scale field trials, there is a need to assess monitoring requirements to: i) assist with the effective introduction of the gene drive system at field sites, and ii) detect unintended spread of gene drive mosquitoes beyond trial sites, or resistance mechanisms and non-functional effector genes that spread within trial and intervention sites. This is of particular importance for non-localized gene drive projects, as the potential scale of intervention means that monitoring is expected to be more costly than research, development and deployment. Regarding monitoring needs for population replacement systems, lessons may be learned from experiences with
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1039/B713256P
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-2012
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 04-1994
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-09-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S10393-014-0966-3
Abstract: A recent study in Western Australia identified area level associations between soil salinisation and hospital admissions for depression. Our study assessed the quantitative relationship between mental health measures at the in idual level and location specific environmental measurements on salinity, as well as two other indicators of environmental degradation and change: land surface temperature and normalised difference vegetation index, a proxy for rainfall. Location-specific environmental measurements were linked to in idual mental health scores of women in three age cohorts from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health using a geographic information system. Bayesian geostatistical linear regression models were developed to assess associations between environmental exposures and mental health scores of women. In contrast to previous studies using area level measures, our study found no associations between in idual level measurements of mental health scores for women in south-west Western Australia and salinity, LST or NDVI.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.JIPH.2018.12.010
Abstract: Dengue is a significant climate-sensitive disease. Public health professionals play an important role in prevention and control of the disease. This study aimed to explore dengue control and prevention in the context of climate change in China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 630 public health professionals in 2015. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed. More than 80% of participants from southwest and central China believed climate change would affect dengue. However, participants from northeast China were less likely to believe so (65%). Sixty-nine percent of participants in Yunnan perceived that dengue had emerged/re-emerged in recent years, compared with 40.6% in Henan and 23.8% in Liaoning. Less than 60% of participants thought current prevention and control programs had been effective. Participants believed mosquitoes in high abundance, imported cases and climate change were main risk factors for dengue in China. There were varying views of dengue in China. Professionals in areas susceptible to dengue were more likely to be concerned about climate change and dengue. Current prevention and control strategies need to be improved. Providing more information for staff in lower levels of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may help in containing a possible increase of dengue.
Publisher: Brill
Date: 11-12-2019
DOI: 10.1163/15685306-00001827
Abstract: Despite the ubiquitous presence and vital role of invertebrates in all known ecological systems, insects and arachnids are largely viewed as repugnant by people. Consequently, until nature intervenes in the form of infestations, swarms or plagues, we largely prefer to ignore them, lest our attention invite unwelcome interaction. In contrast, the people of ancient Egypt did not distance themselves from invertebrates but instead celebrated their myriad forms. Egyptian appreciation of insects and arachnids is reflected in a range of art, artefacts, and texts dating from the predynastic era until the Greco-Roman period, revealing many positive cultural roles, from practical to conceptual. By assigning them a useful function, they were rendered visible and relevant to Egyptian society. The Egyptians’ ex le suggests that as necessity forces us to acknowledge the value of invertebrates—from their function as pollinators to becoming future food sources—our respect for them may also grow.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-06-2014
DOI: 10.3390/NU6062251
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2010
DOI: 10.1603/EN09235
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-01-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S10393-019-01395-6
Abstract: Defining the linkages between landscape change, disease ecology and human health is essential to explain and predict the emergence of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria, a zoonotic parasite residing in Southeast Asian macaques, and transmitted by species of Anopheles mosquitos. Changing patterns of land use throughout Southeast Asia, particularly deforestation, are suggested to be the primary drivers behind the recent spread of this zoonotic parasite in humans. Local ecological changes at the landscape scale appear to be increasing the risk of disease in humans by altering the dynamics of transmission between the parasite and its primary hosts. This paper will focus on the emergence of P. knowlesi in humans in Malaysian Borneo and the ecological linkage mechanisms suggested to be playing an important role.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-2004
DOI: 10.1258/000456304323019578
Abstract: Background: Most prostate cancers are characterized by a significant rise in the production of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is used widely in screening for prostate cancer. Within New Zealand, PSA is measured on automated immunoassay analysers, including models by Abbott Laboratories (Architect i2000) and Roche Diagnostics (Elecsys 2010). These assays produce similar, but not identical, results. Objective: To compare the measurement of PSA between the Elecsys 2010 and the Architect i2000 assay. Methods: We measured PSA concentrations in each of 194 serum s les using both the Roche Elecsys 2010 and the Abbott Architect i2000 and compared the results using various statistical methods. Results: PSA concentrations measured on the Architect i2000 system were less than those on the Elecsys 2010 system, by an average of 11%. Conclusion: Because the results from the two assays are different, reference intervals appropriate to the method of PSA measurement should be used.
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 02-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2019.05.011
Abstract: Understanding how microbial communities change with environmental degradation and restoration may offer new insights into the understudied ecology that connects humans, microbiota, and the natural world. Immunomodulatory microbial ersity and 'Old Friends' are thought to be supplemented from bio erse natural environments, yet deficient in anthropogenically disturbed or degraded environments. However, few studies have compared the microbiomes of natural vs. human-altered environments and there is little knowledge of which microbial taxa are representative of ecological restoration-i.e. the assisted recovery of degraded ecosystems typically towards a more natural, bio erse state. Here we use novel bootstrap-style res ling of site-level soil bacterial 16S rRNA gene environmental DNA data to identify genus-level indicators of restoration from a 10-year grassy eucalypt woodland restoration chronosequence at Mt Bold, South Australia. We found two key indicator groups emerged: 'opportunistic taxa' that decreased in relative abundance with restoration and more stable and specialist, 'niche-adapted taxa' that increased. We validated these results, finding seven of the top ten opportunists and eight of the top ten niche-adapted taxa displayed consistent differential abundance patterns between human-altered vs. natural s les elsewhere across Australia. Extending this, we propose a two-dimensional mapping for ecosystem condition based on the proportions of these ergent indicator groups. We also show that restoring a more bio erse ecosystem at Mt Bold has increased the potentially immune-boosting environmental microbial ersity. Furthermore, environmental opportunists including the pathogen-containing genera Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Legionella and Pseudomonas associated with disturbed ecosystems. Our approach is generalizable with potential to inform DNA-based methods for ecosystem assessment and help target environmental interventions that may promote microbiota-mediated human health gains.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/AEN.12433
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-05-2020
DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2019.1605968
Abstract: Musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms are common amongst professional musicians. No study has reported on workers' compensation claims (WCCs) of musicians to determine the proportion of claims and costs attributed to MSK conditions. We analyzed Australian WCCs for professional musicians 2004/2005-2015/2016. MSK conditions accounted for 69.78% of claims 50.46% of which were for upper limb conditions. MSK conditions also accounted for 77.76% of costs for musicians' WCC. The most common reported mechanism for MSK claims was body stressing (72.48%), and the most common agency was "other non-powered equipment" (including musical instruments 39.71%), which also accounted for 51.27% of upper limb claims specifically. For the first time, we showed that MSK conditions account for the majority of musicians' WCC, and the majority of the cost of claims, making them the biggest health issue for professional musicians.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 05-12-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-02-2007
Publisher: JSTOR
Date: 06-1990
DOI: 10.2307/3545430
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 14-12-2018
DOI: 10.2166/WH.2017.209
Abstract: Therapeutic use of spring waters has a recorded history dating back to at least 1550 BC and includes both bathing in and drinking such waters for their healing properties. In Australia and New Zealand the use of therapeutic spring waters is a much more recent phenomenon, becoming a source of health tourism from the late 1800s. We conducted a systematic review aimed at determining the potential health outcomes relating to exposure to Australian or New Zealand natural spring water. We found only low-level evidence of adverse health outcomes relating to this spring water exposure, including fatalities from hydrogen sulphide poisoning, drowning and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. We found no studies that investigated the therapeutic use of these waters, compared with similar treatment with other types of water. From the broader literature, recommendations have been made, including fencing potentially harmful spring water, and having signage and media messages to highlight the potential harms from spring water exposure and how to mitigate the risks (e.g. not putting your head under water from geothermal springs). Sound research into the potential health benefits of Australian and New Zealand spring waters could provide an evidence base for the growing wellness tourism industry.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2011.11.011
Abstract: Climate change projections have drawn attention to the risks of extreme heat and the importance of public health interventions to minimise the impact. The city of Perth, Western Australia, frequently experiences hot summer conditions, with recent summers showing above average temperatures. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures, mortality, emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital admissions data were acquired for Perth for the period 1994 to 2008. Using an observed/expected analysis, the temperature thresholds for mortality were estimated at 34-36°C (maximum) and 20°C (minimum). Generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were used to estimate the percentage increase in mortality and morbidity outcomes with a 10°C increment in temperature, with adjustment for air pollutants. Effect estimates are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). The health impact of heatwave days (three or more days of ≥35°C) was also investigated. A 9.8% increase in daily mortality (IRR 1.098 95%CI: 1.007-1.196) was associated with a 10°C increase in maximum temperature above threshold. Total ED presentations increased by 4.4% (IRR 1.044 95%CI: 1.033-1.054) and renal-related ED presentations by 10.2% (IRR 1.102 95%CI: 1.071-1.135) per 10°C increase in maximum temperature. Heatwave days were associated with increases in daily mortality and ED presentations, while total hospital admissions were decreased on heatwave days. Public health interventions will be increasingly important to minimise the adverse health impacts of hot weather in Perth, particularly if the recent trend of rising average temperatures and more hot days continues as projected.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2011.10.032
Abstract: Characterisation of the concentrations and potential health risks of chemicals in recycled water is important if this source of water is to be safely used to supplement drinking water sources. This research was conducted to: (i) determine the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in secondary treated effluent (STE) and, post-reverse osmosis (RO) treatment and to (ii) assess the health risk associated with VOCs for indirect potable reuse (IPR). S les were examined pre and post-RO in one full-scale and one pilot plant in Perth, Western Australia. Risk quotients (RQ) were estimated by expressing the maximum and median concentration as a function of the health value. Of 61 VOCs analysed over a period of three years, twenty one (21) were detected in STE, with 1,4-dichlorobenzene (94%) tetrachloroethene (88%) carbon disulfide (81%) and chloromethane (58%) most commonly detected. Median concentrations for these compounds in STE ranged from 0.81 μg/L for 1,4-dichlorobenzene to 0.02 μg/L for carbon disulphide. After RO, twenty six (26) VOCs were detected, of which 1,4-dichlorobenzene (89%) acrylonitrile (83%) chloromethane (63%) and carbon disulfide (40%) were the more frequently detected. RQ(max) were all below health values in the STE and after RO. Median removal efficiency for RO was variable, ranging from -77% (dichlorodifluoromethane) to 91.2% (tetrachloroethene). The results indicate that despite the detection of VOCs in STE and after RO, their human health impact in IPR is negligible due to the low concentrations detected. The results indicate that 1,4-dichlorobenzene is a potential treatment chemical indicator for assessment of VOCs in IPR using RO treatment.
Publisher: Medknow
Date: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2009.09.055
Abstract: In this paper, we hypothesise that public health interventions aimed at controlling post-disaster malaria epidemics may in fact impede malaria eradication efforts in the longer term. A major factor h ering malaria eradication efforts is the development of resistance to antimalarial drugs in the Plasmodium parasite. Following natural disasters such as flooding, public health responses includes a massive influx of antimalarial drugs that may facilitate the development of resistance. Resistance is common in areas with frequent natural disasters, and if such an association could be shown to be generalisable and causative, there may be direct implications for the way that future disaster-related malaria risks are managed. Because the frequency and severity of climate-associated disasters is likely to increase with global warming, it is timely to study the possibility that well intentioned public health action may in fact exacerbate the disease burden from the very parasites that it sets out to control.
Publisher: JSTOR
Date: 09-1997
DOI: 10.2307/3546887
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1007/S10393-011-0686-X
Abstract: Previous studies have linked poor mental human health with environmental degradation, but none have assessed additional diseases that may co-exist with these mental disorders. In previous work, depression was found to be associated with a major form of environmental degradation dryland salinity. However, little is known about diseases co-morbid with depression in this environmental setting. In rural Australia, dryland salinity is a major form of environmental degradation contributing widely to deterioration and non-viability of farmland. Using georeferenced health record data, Bayesian spatial methods were used to determine the relationship between dryland salinity and a range of human health outcomes. Initial modelling found an increased relative risk for asthma, suicide and ischaemic heart disease in relation to dryland salinity (adjusted for Indigenous and socio-economic status). However, in this follow-up study, a further evaluation of the role of co-morbidities in this population revealed that: (i) the presence of depression was consistently linked to residence in areas with high salinity and (ii) the association of asthma, suicide and heart disease with salinity was most likely attributable to the co-morbidity of the conditions with depression. Given the predicted increase in dryland salinity and the elevated relative risk of depression in impacted areas, the relative risk of the co-morbid conditions can be expected to increase in rural areas in the future, further adding to the burden of disease associated with environmental degradation.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 29-06-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.28.176743
Abstract: Exposure to a erse environmental microbiome is thought to play an important role in ‘educating’ the immune system and facilitating competitive exclusion of pathogens to maintain human health. Vegetation and soil are known to be key sources of airborne microbiota––the aerobiome . Only a limited number of studies have attempted to characterise the dynamics of the aerobiome, and no studies to date have investigated these dynamics from a vertical perspective simulating human exposure. Studies of pollution and allergenic pollen show vertical stratification at various scales, and present an expectation that such vertical stratification may also be present in the aerobiome. Such stratification could have important implications for public health and for the design, engineering and management of urban green spaces. For ex le, do children receive the same exposure to airborne microbiota as taller adults, and what are the downstream implications for health? In this study, we combine an innovative columnar s ling method at soil level, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 m together with high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to assess whether significant vertical stratification of the aerobiome occurred in a parkland habitat in Adelaide, South Australia. Our results provide evidence of vertical stratification in both alpha and beta (compositional) ersity of airborne bacterial communities, with ersity increasing roughly with height. We also found significant vertical stratification in known pathogenic and beneficial bacterial taxa, suggesting potentially different exposure attributes between adults and children. These results could have important implications for public health and urban planning, potentially informing ways to optimise the design and management of health-promoting urban green spaces.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 08-2003
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.TMAID.2009.12.002
Abstract: A recent upsurge in leptospirosis in travellers has prompted the following review of the epidemiology of this infection in humans. The available data from the published literature as well as laboratory surveillance were examined to determine the possible causes of the apparent change in epidemiology.
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 05-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1002/AJIM.20651
Abstract: Bushfire smoke contains a range of air toxics. To prevent inhalation of these toxics, fire fighters use respiratory equipment. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of the equipment on the fire ground. Experimental trials in a smoke chamber demonstrated that, the particulate/organic vapor/formaldehyde (POVF) filter performed best under simulated conditions. This article reports on the field validation trials during prescribed burns in Western Australia. Sixty-seven career fire fighters from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia were allocated one of the three types of filters. Spirometry, oximetry, self-reported symptom, and personal air s ling data were collected before, during and after exposure to bushfire smoke from prescribed burns. Declines in FEV(1) and SaO(2) were demonstrated after 60 and 120 min exposure. A significant higher number of participants in the P filter group reported increases in respiratory symptoms after the exposure. Air s ling inside the respirators demonstrated formaldehyde levels significantly higher in the P filter group compared to the POV and the POVF filter group. The field validation trials during prescribed burns supported the findings from the controlled exposure trials in the smoke chamber. Testing the effectiveness of three types of different filters under bushfire smoke conditions in the field for up to 2 hr demonstrated that the P filter is ineffective in filtering out respiratory irritants. The performance of the POV and the POVF filter appears to be equally effective after 2 hr bushfire smoke exposure in the field.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1997
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1997.TB01794.X
Abstract: Literature search and consultation with New Zealand experts were used to review the potential health effects of explosive volcanic eruptions, and possibilities for their control, in the context of the 1996 eruption and possible future eruptions of Mount Ruapehu. Humans may be exposed to several types of hazardous ejecta during and after volcanic eruptions. Such exposure may cause health effects that could require surveillance and control, but health effects in New Zealand are unlikely to be detectable while eruptions remain small and infrequent. The existing health surveillance systems in New Zealand are adequate to monitor and help control the possible health effects of volcanic eruptions.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-03-2021
Abstract: Musculoskeletal symptoms, including pain, are often experienced by musicians at all levels. These symptoms may have a detrimental impact on musicians’ personal and work lives, and may also impact upon the ensembles they work within. Providing musicians with appropriate, evidence-based advice regarding pain management is therefore paramount. In this review, we aim to improve the advice given to musicians regarding playing when in pain, by answering the question ‘should musicians play in pain?’. This multidisciplinary narrative review draws upon contemporary pain science, including factors associated with poorer prognoses for those in pain, as well as the reported experiences of musicians with pain (including those who have taken time off from playing). Our current understanding of pain science provides further support for the potential for consequences related to avoiding activities due to pain. Pain is modulated by a number of neuro-immunological processes and is influenced by a range of psychosocial factors. Taking time off from playing might therefore not have any benefit. Importantly, one of the leading causes of a transition from acute to chronic pain is fear-avoidance behaviour (e.g. not playing when in pain) hence, encouraging such behaviour cannot be supported. Musicians who have taken time off from playing due to pain have experienced a range of consequences, including emotional and financial consequences. These experiences indicate that there are potential negative consequences related to taking time off from playing which need to be weighed against any benefits. We conclude that musicians should not necessarily be advised to take time off from playing to manage their pain, in keeping with current best practice for pain management. Instead, we recommend that musicians be educated on contemporary pain science and when to seek treatment from a health professional for in idualised advice to reduce the burden of musicians’ pain.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-10-2016
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2015
Abstract: Spatially and temporally accurate information about infectious mosquito distribution allows for pre-emptive public health interventions that can reduce the burden of mosquito-borne infections on human populations. However, the labile nature of arboviruses, the low prevalence of infection in mosquitoes, the expensive labor costs for mosquito identification and sorting, and the specialized equipment required for arbovirus testing can obstruct arbovirus surveillance efforts. The recently developed techniques of testing mosquito expectorate using honey-baited nucleic acid preservation cards or sugar bait stations allows a sensitive method of testing for infectious, rather than infected, mosquito vectors. Here we report the results from the first large-scale incorporation of honey-baited cards into an existing mosquito surveillance program. During 4 months of the peak virus season (January-April, 2014) for a total of 577 trap nights, we set CO2-baited encephalitis vector survey (EVS) light traps at 88 locations in South Australia. The collection container for the EVS trap was modified to allow for the placement of a honey-baited nucleic acid preservation card (FTA™ card) inside. After collection, mosquitoes were maintained in a humid environment and allowed access to the cards for 1 week. Cards were then analyzed for common endemic Australian arboviruses using a nested RT-PCR. Eighteen virus detections, including 11 Ross River virus, four Barmah Forest virus, and three Stratford virus (not previously reported from South Australia) were obtained. Our findings suggest that adding FTA cards to an existing mosquito surveillance program is a rapid and efficient way of detecting infectious mosquitoes with high spatial resolution.
Publisher: National Institute of Industrial Health
Date: 2019
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 08-2004
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.7122
Abstract: Human health often depends on environmental variables and is generally subject to widespread and comprehensive surveillance. Compared with other available measures of ecosystem health, human disease incidence may be one of the most useful and practical bioindicators for the often elusive gauge of ecologic well-being. We argue that many subtle ecosystem disruptions are often identified only as a result of detailed epidemiologic investigations after an anomalous increase in human disease incidence detected by routine surveillance mechanisms. Incidence rates for vector-mediated diseases (e.g., arboviral illnesses) and direct zoonoses (e.g., hantaviruses) are particularly appropriate as bioindicators to identify underlying ecosystem disturbances. Outbreak data not only have the potential to act as a pivotal warning system for ecosystem disruption, but may also be used to identify interventions for the preservation of ecologic health. With this approach, appropriate ecologically based strategies for remediation can be introduced at an earlier stage than would be possible based solely on environmental monitoring, thereby reducing the level of "ecosystem distress" as well as resultant disease burden in humans. This concept is discussed using local, regional, and global ex les, thereby introducing the concept of multilevel ecosystem interventions. Key words: bioindicators, disease control, disease outbreaks, ecologic management, ecosystem health, surveillance.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-10-2009
Abstract: The first documented transmission of Chikungunya within Europe took place in Italy during the summer of 2007. Chikungunya, a viral infection affecting millions of people across Africa and Asia, can be debilitating and no prophylactic treatment exists. Although imported cases are reported frequently across Europe, 2007 was the first confirmed European outbreak and available evidence suggests that Aedes albopictus was the vector responsible and the index case was a visitor from India. This paper proposed pan-European surveillance zones for Chikungunya, based on the climatic conditions necessary for vector activity and viral transmission. Pan-European surveillance provides the best hope for an early-warning of outbreaks, because national boundaries do not play a role in defining the risk of this new vector borne disease threat. A review of climates, where Chikungunya has been active, was used to inform the delineation of three pan-European surveillance zones. These vary in size each month across the June-September period of greatest risk. The zones stretch across southern Europe from Portugal to Turkey. Although the focus of this study was to define the geography of potential surveillance zones based on the climatic limits on the vector and virus, a preliminary examination of inward bound airline passengers was also undertaken. This indicated that France and Italy are likely to be at greater risk due to the number of visitors they receive from Chikungunya active regions, principally viraemic visitors from India. Therefore this study represents a first attempt at creating risk stratified surveillance zones, which we believe could be usefully refined with the use of higher resolution climate data and more complete air travel data.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 1997
DOI: 10.1515/REVEH.1997.12.3.191
Abstract: The potential health impacts of climate change are wide-ranging, from direct impacts at familiar local scales, through indirect effects occurring at the regional or ecosystem level, to long term effects on the sustainability of global systems. To assess these potential impacts, there is a need to broaden the scope of health impact assessment. Eco-epidemiology is emerging as a response to this need. Eco-epidemiology entails a shift in focus: from direct (toxicological) to indirect (ecological) mechanisms and from effects occurring at 'human' temporal and geographical scales to those at regional and geophysical scales. We discuss the potential health impacts of climate change on each scale. At the global scale, interactions and feedbacks between systems are critical determinants of long term outcomes. From an eco-epidemiological perspective, the study of climate change becomes inseparable from the study of global change more generally.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2008
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-04-2021
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2003
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2006
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2672.2006.02945.X
Abstract: To determine the degree of overlap in strain types of C ylobacter jejuni isolated from clinical cases and water s les from the Taieri catchment in the South Island of New Zealand. Thermophilic C ylobacter were collected from human cases of infection, the main stem of the Taieri River and streams within distinct land-use types over a 1-year period. C ylobacter jejuni (187 isolates) and C ylobacter lari (four isolates) were identified using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction protocol. Isolates were typed by the Penner method and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) utilizing two restriction endonucleases. Several serotypes and PFGE types occurred in both water s les and clinical cases when the restriction profiles for each enzyme were considered separately. However, when PFGE profiles and serotyping were combined, there was no overlap between C . jejuni types from water and clinical cases. The results of this study indicate that recreational water in the Taieri catchment is not a major source of c ylobacteriosis in the Dunedin area. This study suggests the risk of acquiring c ylobacteriosis from surface waters in the Taieri catchment is considerably lower than previously predicted and highlights the necessity of using two endonucleases in PFGE typing.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 11-1991
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2016.11.009
Abstract: This study aims to (1) investigate the associations between climatic factors and dengue and (2) identify the susceptible subgroups. De-identified daily dengue cases in Guangzhou for 2005-2014 were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Weather data were downloaded from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System. Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) were used to graphically demonstrate the three-dimensional temperature-dengue association. Generalised estimating equation models (GEE) with piecewise linear spline functions were used to quantify the temperature-dengue associations. Threshold values were estimated using a broken-stick model. Middle-aged and older people, people undertaking household duties, retirees, and those unemployed were at high risk of dengue. Reversed U-shaped non-linear associations were found between ambient temperature, relative humidity, extreme wind velocity, and dengue. The optimal maximum temperature (T
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2005
Publisher: Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Date: 25-11-2015
Publisher: Intellect
Date: 05-2020
DOI: 10.1386/IJCM_00013_1
Abstract: Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) are a common problem for musicians, but the MSS burden of amateur musicians specifically is under-investigated. For the first time we sought to compare the MSS prevalence and profile (e.g. MSS location, impact) of adult amateur musicians with those of non-musicians. Amateur and non-musicians were asked to complete a questionnaire that collected data on their demographics, musical activities and MSS outcomes. A total of 456 participants were included, 30.9% of whom were amateur musicians. MSSs were common for both amateurs and non-musicians (96.4% and 96.1%, respectively, for the last twelve months). The only significant difference between the two groups was for the twelve-month prevalence of head MSSs with amateur musicians having a higher prevalence than non-musicians (49.6% and 39.8%, respectively, p .05). We conclude that amateur musicians do not have a substantially different MSS prevalence and profile compared with non-musicians for this university-based population.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 26-03-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-1996
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1996.TB01637.X
Abstract: Between March and July 1993 a dengue virus epidemic swept through Charters Towers, a rural North Queensland mining community of 10,000. This clearly delineated outbreak provided an ideal opportunity to carry out one of the few field epidemiological studies of dengue in Australia. The epicurve was consistent with that of a point source outbreak, 18 weeks in duration and peaking at four weeks. A basic reproduction number for the dengue epidemic of 1.99 indicates a similar rate of spread to that found in dengue epidemics overseas. A female-to-male sex ratio of 1.7:1 was obtained for the 238 cases identified. An age- and sex-matched retrospective case-control study showed that cases were significantly more likely to live in unscreened houses than were controls (McNemar chi 2 = 56.1 df, P < 0.0001). Despite being generally accepted, an association between insect screens and a reduced incidence of mosquito-borne diseases has not previously been demonstrated in Australia. We speculate that unscreened housing facilitates the initial spread of a dengue epidemic.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.134684
Abstract: Growing epidemiological evidence links natural green space exposure with a range of health benefits, including for mental health. Conversely, greater urbanisation associates with increased risk of mental health disorders. Microbiomes are proposed as an important but understudied link that may help explain many green space-human health associations. However, there remains a lack of controlled experimental evidence testing possible beneficial effects from passive exposure to natural bio ersity via airborne microbiota. Previous mouse model studies have used unrealistic environmental microbial exposures-including excessive soil and organic matter contact, feed supplements and injections-to demonstrate host microbiota, immune biomarker, and behavioural changes. Here, in a randomised controlled experiment, we demonstrate that realistic exposures to trace-level dust from a high bio ersity soil can change mouse gut microbiota, in comparison to dust from low bio ersity soil or no soil (control) (n = 54 total mice, comprising 3 treatments × 18 mice, with 9 females + 9 males per group). Furthermore, we found a nominal soil-derived anaerobic spore-forming butyrate-producer, Kineothrix alysoides, was supplemented to a greater extent in the gut microbiomes of high bio ersity treatment mice. Also, increasing relative abundance of this rare organism correlated with reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the most anxious mice. Our results point to an intriguing new hypothesis: that bio erse soils may represent an important supplementary source of butyrate-producing bacteria capable of resupplying the mammalian gut microbiome, with potential for gut health and mental health benefits. Our findings have potential to inform cost-effective population health interventions through microbiome-conscious green space design and, ultimately, the mainstreaming of bio ersity into health care.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-10-2016
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 02-2001
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.01109155
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 12-2009
Abstract: Alterations in transmission of vector-borne zoonoses are often linked to environmental change. However, ecological processes that determine variability in potential for transmission are generally not well understood. Ross River virus (RRV, Togoviridae: Alphavirus) is a mosquito-borne zoonosis in Australia with a significant human disease burden. The inland southwest (Wheatbelt) of Western Australia (WA) is substantially affected by an anthropogenic salinization of agricultural land (dryland salinity). Aedes c torhynchus Thomson (Diptera: Culicidae) is the dominant vector of RRV in southwest WA and is halophilic. As such, dryland salinity may influence potential for RRV transmission by influencing interactions between Ae. c torhynchus and mammalian hosts. We surveyed areas of the Wheatbelt with varying salinity impacts and found Ae. c torhynchus was more abundant in saline areas, whereas sheep Ovis aries (Linnaeus 1758, Bovidae) declined with increasing salinity. We used a deterministic model to examine interactions between Ae. c torhynchus and mammals, and we assessed potential for RRV transmission. We found variation in potential for RRV transmission was positively related to increasing salinity and abundance of Ae. c torhynchus and negatively associated with increasing abundance of Macropus fuliginosus (Desmarest 1817, Macropodidae). Abundance of Ae. c torhynchus determined more variation in potential for RRV transmission than other variables. Accordingly, dryland salinity increases the zoonotic potential for RRV transmission primarily by facilitating abundance of Ae. c torhynchus. Human RRV notifications do not currently reflect the salinity-RRV transmission potential in the Wheatbelt but appear to be associated with RRV activity in the enzootic coastal zone. We speculate dryland salinity is a determinant of potential for RRV transmission but not activity. Dryland salinity is predicted to expand two- to four-fold by 2050. Preservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems may ameliorate the potential for transmission of RRV and possibly incidence of human disease.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-08-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S00244-008-9209-3
Abstract: Bushfire smoke contains an array of organic and inorganic compounds, including respirable and inspirable particles, aldehydes, and carbon monoxide. These compounds have been found to be a health hazard for firefighters in the United States. Despite the high frequency of bushfires in Australia, analyses of bushfire smoke components are scarce. As part of an occupational health study investigating the respiratory health effects of bushfire smoke in firefighters, air toxics s ling was undertaken in a smoke chamber and during prescribed burns. Levels of formaldehyde and acrolein were demonstrated at respectively 60% and 80% of the Short Term Exposure Limit in the smoke chamber. Carbon monoxide levels exceeded the peak limit of 400 ppm significantly. Although concentrations were lower during the prescribed burns, the study shows that Australian bushfire smoke contains air toxics of concern and provides justification for further research into the levels of air toxics measured at bushfires and the associated health impacts.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-07-2005
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-02-2019
DOI: 10.3390/SU11030802
Abstract: There are few studies examining the wellbeing benefits from exposure to natural environments differing in ecological attributes, such as bio ersity, and they have not had consistent results. This study progresses our understanding of the nuanced relationship between nature and wellbeing by analyzing the self-reported benefits derived from urban green spaces varying in a range of objectively measured bio ersity attributes such as bird species richness, habitat ersity, and structural heterogeneity. Respondents’ (n = 840) perceptions of bio ersity and naturalness were also examined. We identified the bio ersity attributes most strongly associated with particular benefits, as well as the types of parks where those benefits were significantly more likely to occur. Findings suggest that perceived, rather than objective measures of bio ersity are better predictors of subjective wellbeing benefits. Of the assessed bio ersity attributes, vegetation cover consistently correlated most strongly with psychological benefits. Stress reduction and mood improvement were greatest in nature parks and lowest in pocket parks. Increases in each bio ersity attribute significantly affected psychological wellbeing at different thresholds, suggesting the relationship between bio ersity and wellbeing is not linear. Thresholds of sensitivity for park attributes are discussed, with vegetation cover, naturalness, structural heterogeneity, and park type emerging as the most useful differentiators for studying human responses to nature. Our findings can help inform green space planning to maximize environmental benefits and health benefits concurrently.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1996
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ACTATROPICA.2014.10.012
Abstract: Rickettsioses present a threat to human health worldwide, but relatively little is known on their epidemiology and ecology in Oceania. These bacteria are the cause of potentially fatal febrile illnesses in humans (categorized into scrub typhus, typhus group and spotted fever group rickettsioses). They are transmitted by arthropod vectors such as ticks, mites, fleas and lice, which are associated with vertebrate host animals including rodents and companion animals. We conducted a search in the scientific and grey literature of Rickettsia spp. and Orientia tsutsugamushi within the Oceania region. Human case reports, human serosurveys and PCR-based testing of vectors and host animals reviewed here highlight the widespread distribution of these pathogens in the region, with the majority of human serological and vector surveys reporting positive results. These findings suggest that rickettsioses may have a significantly higher burden of disease in Oceania than is currently appreciated due to diagnostic challenges. Furthermore, consideration of the ecology and risk factors for rickettsioses reported for Oceania suggests that their importance as a cause of undifferentiated acute febrile illness may grow in the future: environmental and social changes driven by predicted climate change and population growth have the potential to lead to the emergence of rickettsioses as a significant public health problem in Oceania.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-10-2005
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 09-2007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-03-2020
Publisher: National Institute of Industrial Health
Date: 2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-2009
DOI: 10.1603/022.038.0609
Abstract: Environmental disturbance may have direct and indirect impacts on organisms. We studied the colonization of ephemeral water bodies by mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Wheatbelt region of southwest Western Australia, an area substantially affected by an expanding anthropogenic salinization. Mosquitoes frequently colonized ephemeral water bodies, responded positively to rainfall, and populated smaller water bodies more densely than larger water bodies. We found that the habitat characteristics of ephemeral water bodies changed in association with salinity. Consequently relationships between salinity and abundance of colonizing mosquitoes were direct (salinity-mosquito) and indirect (salinity-water body characteristics-mosquito). Overall, the structure of mosquito assemblages changed with increasing salinity, favoring an increased regional distribution and abundance of Aedes c torhynchus Thomson (Diptera: Culicidae), a vector of Ross river virus (RRV Togoviridae: Alphavirus). We conclude secondary salinization in the Western Australia Wheatbelt results in enhanced vectorial potential for RRV transmission.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2011.07.001
Abstract: Endometrial cancer risk is influenced by reproductive behaviours, including parity and breastfeeding, and timing of life history events such as age at menarche and menopause. One potential mechanism by which altered reproductive strategies may influence endometrial cancer risk is through exposure to reproductive hormones. Current theory suggests that high lifetime exposure to oestrogen, unopposed by progesterone, increases endometrial cancer risk here we suggest that progesterone deficiency itself may also play a significant role. Additionally, given that reproductive profile variables are themselves influenced by early childhood conditions, we hypothesise that endometrial cancer risk may be influenced by the childhood psychosocial environment as mediated through changes to adolescent and adult reproductive behaviours and hormone exposures. Investigating reproductive cancers, including endometrial cancer, using a life history approach may help to increase understanding of why these cancers occur and potentially help implementation of early detection and screening processes in the future.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-12-2017
DOI: 10.1111/ZPH.12335
Abstract: Zoonotic diseases transmitted by arthropods and rodents are a major public health concern in China. However, interventions in recent decades have helped lower the incidence of several diseases despite the country's large, frequently mobile population and socio-economic challenges. Increasing globalization, rapid urbanization and a warming climate now add to the complexity of disease control and prevention and could challenge China's capacity to respond to threats of emerging and re-emerging zoonoses. To investigate this notion, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 infectious disease experts in four cities in China. The case study diseases under discussion were malaria, dengue fever and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, all of which may be influenced by changing meteorological conditions. Data were analysed using standard qualitative techniques. The study participants viewed the current disease prevention and control system favourably and were optimistic about China's capacity to manage climate-sensitive diseases in the future. Several recommendations emerged from the data including the need to improve health literacy in the population regarding the transmission of infectious diseases and raising awareness of the health impacts of climate change amongst policymakers and health professionals. Participants thought that research capacity could be strengthened and human resources issues for front-line staff should be addressed. It was considered important that authorities are well prepared in advance for outbreaks such as dengue fever in populous subtropical areas, and a prompt and coordinated response is required when outbreaks occur. Furthermore, health professionals need to remain skilled in the identification of diseases for which incidence is declining, so that re-emerging or emerging trends can be rapidly identified. Recommendations such as these may be useful in formulating adaptation plans and capacity building for the future control and prevention of climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases in China and neighbouring countries.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-05-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-021-89065-Y
Abstract: Exposure to bio erse aerobiomes supports human health, but it is unclear which ecological factors influence exposure. Few studies have investigated near-surface green space aerobiome dynamics, and no studies have reported aerobiome vertical stratification in different urban green spaces. We used columnar s ling and next generation sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, combined with geospatial and network analyses to investigate urban green space aerobiome spatio-compositional dynamics. We show a strong effect of habitat on bacterial ersity and network complexity. We observed aerobiome vertical stratification and network complexity that was contingent on habitat type. Tree density, closer proximity, and canopy coverage associated with greater aerobiome alpha ersity. Grassland aerobiomes exhibited greater proportions of putative pathogens compared to scrub, and also stratified vertically. We provide novel insights into the urban ecosystem with potential importance for public health, whereby the possibility of differential aerobiome exposures appears to depend on habitat type and height in the airspace. This has important implications for managing urban landscapes for the regulation of aerobiome exposure.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2013.07.002
Abstract: Our hypothesis is that symptoms of high altitude syndromes are detectable even at intermediate altitudes, as commonly encountered under Australian conditions (<2500 m above sea level). High altitude medicine has long recognised several syndromes associated with rapid ascent to altitudes above 2500 m, including high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), high altitude cerebral oedema (HACE) and high altitude flatus expulsion (HAFE). Symptoms of high altitude syndromes are of growing concern because of the global trend toward increasing numbers of tourists and workers exposed to both rapid ascent and sustained physical activity at high altitude. However, in Australia, high altitude medicine has almost no profile because of our relatively low altitudes by international standards. Three factors lead us to believe that altitude sickness in Australia deserves more serious consideration: Australia is subject to rapid growth in alpine recreational industries altitude sickness is highly variable between in iduals, and some people do experience symptoms already at 1500 m and there is potential for an occupational health and safety issue amongst workers. To test this hypothesis we examined the relationship between any high altitude symptoms and a rapid ascent to an intermediate altitude (1800 m) by undertaking an intervention study in a cohort of eight medical clinic staff, conducted during July of the 2012 (Southern Hemisphere) ski season, using self-reporting questionnaires, at Mansfield (316 m above sea level) and at the Ski Resort of Mt Buller (1800 m), Victoria, Australia. The intervention consisted of ascent by car from Mansfield to Mt Buller (approx. 40 min drive). Participants completed a self-reporting questionnaire including demographic data and information on frequency of normal homeostatic processes (fluid intake and output, food intake and output, symptoms including thirst and headaches, and frequency of passing wind or urine). Data were recorded in hourly periods extending over 18 h before and 18 h after ascent. We found that the frequency of flatus production more than doubled following ascent, with a post-ascent frequency of approximately 14 expulsions per person over the 18 h recording period (Rate Ratio 2.31, CI 1.33-3.99, p=0.003). The frequency and severity of headaches also increased following ascent. These results support the hypothesis that high altitude symptoms can be significant issues even at the relatively lower altitudes encountered in Australian alpine regions. Increased awareness amongst clinicians of this possibility could contribute to a reduction in the disease burden from high altitude syndromes at intermediate altitudes.
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 04-1997
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.97105364
Abstract: A detailed look at the ecology of a disease can lead to recommendations for public health interventions that are not otherwise obvious. To illustrate this point, this paper discusses the ecology and control of infection with the Australian arbovirus Ross River virus (RRV). The traditional insecticidal approach to mosquito control is recommended when an outbreak of RRV results from the expansion of an area endemic for the disease to include a population of previously unexposed (nonimmune) people. In contrast, if an outbreak results from the expansion of a non-immune population into an endemic area, an insecticidal approach can lead to an increased incidence of the disease. Education about antimosquito measures is more appropriate in the latter situation the differing applicability of these intervention strategies is highlighted. Both strategies could be more scientifically applied if endemic areas were clearly defined by modeling ecological variables and if intervention were more closely linked to improved surveillance systems. An ecologically based control strategy must be developed for RRV to manage the disease appropriately when faced with its probable ecological changes brought about by global warming, increased rainfall, and demographic change. Key words: arbovirus, ecology, endemic, epidemic, global change, intervention.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.TRSTMH.2010.07.002
Abstract: Flooding and heavy rainfall have been associated with numerous outbreaks of leptospirosis around the world. With global climate change, extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods are expected to occur with increasing frequency and greater intensity and may potentially result in an upsurge in the disease incidence as well as the magnitude of leptospirosis outbreaks. In this paper, we examine mechanisms by which climate change can affect various ecological factors that are likely to drive an increase in the overall incidence as well as the frequency of outbreaks of leptospirosis. We will discuss the geographical areas that are most likely to be at risk of an increase in leptospirosis disease burden owing to the coexistence of climate change hazard risk, environmental drivers of leptospirosis outbreaks, local socioeconomic circumstances, and social and demographic trends. To reduce this disease burden, enhanced surveillance and further research is required to understand the environmental drivers of infection, to build capacity in emergency response and to promote community adaptation to a changing climate.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-12-2018
Abstract: Zoonotic vector-borne disease prevalence is affected by vector, human, and reservoir host factors, which are influenced by habitat and climate these 5 components interact on microhabitat-to-landscape scales but are often analyzed at a single spatial scale. We present an information theoretic, multiscale, multiple regression analysis of the ecological drivers of Ross River virus. We analyze the spatial pattern of 20 years of Ross River virus infections from South Australia (1992-2012 n = 5261), using variables across these 5 components of disease ecology at 3 spatial scales. We found that covariate importance depended on the spatial scale of the analysis some biotic variables were more important at fine scales and some abiotic variables were more important at coarser spatial scales. The urban score of an area was most predictive of infections, and mosquito variables did not improve the explanatory power of these models. Through this multiscale analysis, we identified novel drivers of the spatial distribution of disease and recommend public health interventions. Our results underline that single-scale analyses may paint an incomplete picture of disease drivers, potentially creating a major flaw in epidemiological analyses. Multiscale, ecological analyses are needed to better understand infectious disease transmission.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2016.03.043
Abstract: Dengue fever is an important climate-sensitive mosquito-borne viral disease that poses a risk to half the world's population. The disease is a major public health issue in China where in 2014 a major outbreak occurred in Guangdong Province. This study aims to gauge health professionals' perceptions about the capacity of infectious disease control and prevention to meet the challenge of dengue fever in the face of climate change in Guangdong Province, China. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered among staff in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in Guangdong Province. Data analysis was undertaken using descriptive methods and logistic regression. In total, 260 questionnaires were completed. Most participants (80.7%) thought climate change would have a negative effect on population health, and 98.4% of participants reported dengue fever had emerged or re-emerged in China in recent years. Additionally, 74.9% of them indicated that the capability of the CDCs to detect infectious disease outbreak/epidemic at an early stage was excellent 86.3% indicated laboratories could provide diagnostic support rapidly and 83.1% believed levels of current staff would be adequate in the event of a major outbreak. Logistic regression analysis showed higher levels of CDCs were perceived to have better capacity for infectious disease control and prevention. Only 26.8% of participants thought they had a good understanding of climate change, and most (85.4%) thought they needed more information about the health impacts of climate change. Most surveyed staff suggested the following strategies to curb the public health impact of infectious diseases in relation to climate change: primary prevention measures, strengthening the monitoring of infectious diseases, the ability to actively forecast disease outbreaks by early warning systems, and more funding for public health education programs. Vigilant disease and vector surveillance, preventive practice and health promotion programs will likely be significant in addressing the threat of dengue fever in the future. Further efforts are needed to strengthen the awareness of climate change among health professionals, and to promote relevant actions to minimize the health burden of infectious diseases in a changing climate. Results will be critical for policy makers facing the current and future challenges associated with infectious disease prevention and control in China.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2021
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 11-1996
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-1996
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2915.1996.TB00722.X
Abstract: A survey of the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti was undertaken using funnel traps to detect immature stages (larvae and pupae) in flooded disused mine shafts and wells in Charters Towers, Queensland, Northern Australia. The town has a history of dengue fever since 1885 when goldminers were the first recorded victims. During the latest dengue epidemic in 1993, 2% of the population had laboratory-confirmed dengue virus Type 2, despite source reduction of Ae.aegypti breeding-sites at ground level or above. This led to suspicions that dengue vector Ae.aegypti breeding-sites might be below ground level. When surveyed in March 1994, Ae.aegypti immatures were found in 9/10 wells and 1/6 mine shafts. The water in wells and mines had similar characteristics-except that turbidity was higher in the mines, which more often contained predators of mosquito immatures. The copepod Mesocyclops aspericornis was collected from water in 1/10 wells and 2/6 mine shafts. Laboratory predation trials resulted in 95.5-100% predation by 25 copepods/l on Ae.aegypti first-instar larvae up to 200 larvae/l. Five wells containing Ae.aegypti in the survey were inoculated with fifty indigenous M.aspericornis, and five wells (one positive and four negative in the survey) were left untreated as controls. Nine months later, in December 1994, Ae.aegypti had been eliminated from all five treated wells but all untreated control wells contained Ae.aegypti, except for one well that contained a natural population of M.aspericornis. The role of wells and mines as winter/ dry season refuges of Ae.aegypti in northern Australia is reviewed, and we recommend the use of M.aspericornis as a cost-effective, environmentally acceptable and persistent agent for the sustainable control of Ae.aegypti, especially in inaccessible breeding sites.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2004
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-2008
DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585(2008)45[1011:IODSOP]2.0.CO;2
Abstract: Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture since European settlement has left 1.047 million ha of southwestern Australia affected by a severe form of environmental degradation called dryland salinity, characterized by secondary soil salinization and waterlogging. This area may expand by a further 1.7-3.4 million ha if current trends continue. Detailed investigations of seasonal of adult and larval mosquito population dynamics were undertaken in the region to test the hypothesis that the development of dryland salinity and waterlogging in inland southwestern Australia has led to a succession of mosquito species and increased Ross River virus (family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, RRV) transmission risk. Aedes (Ochlerotatus) c torhynchus (Thomson) made up >90% of adult mosquito collections in saline regions. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and generalized estimating equations modeling demonstrated that it was strongly associated with increasing severity of dryland salinity. This article describes the first detailed investigation of the mosquito fauna of inland southwestern Australia, and it is the first description of the influence of secondary soil salinity on mosquito population dynamics. Despite the dominant presence of Ae. c torhynchus, RRV disease incidence is not currently a significant population health priority in areas affected by dryland salinity. Potential limiting factors include local climatic impacts on the seasonal mosquito population dynamics, vertebrate host distribution and feeding behavior of Ae. c torhynchus, and the scarce and uneven distribution of the human population in the region.
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Date: 2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-01-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-01-2201
DOI: 10.1002/FEE.1630
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-06-2019
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.5694/MJA10.11413
Abstract: To examine the circumstances of animal exposure in a case series of Australian travellers who required rabies postexposure prophylaxis, and to assess the appropriateness of current guidelines for rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Prospective case series of 65 returned travellers who presented to four Australian travel medicine clinics between 1 April 2009 and 31 July 2010 for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. Demographic characteristics associated with risk of injury countries where injuries occurred circumstances of the injuries and travellers' experiences of obtaining postexposure prophylaxis overseas. Animal bites and scratches occurred most commonly among travellers aged 20-29 years. Most injuries occurred in Bali, Indonesia (30 [46%]) and Thailand (21 [32%]), and the most common animals responsible for the injuries to the 65 travellers were monkeys (29 travellers [45%]) and dogs (27 [42%]). Thirty-nine of the travellers (60%) initiated contact with the animal. Forty travellers (62%) were able to commence rabies vaccination overseas, but only nine (14%) were able to obtain rabies immunoglobulin overseas. Most travellers had difficulty obtaining rabies postexposure prophylaxis overseas, resulting in significant delays in appropriate treatment. We recommend that current National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for at-risk persons be broadened, and that the risk of rabies and the option of pre-exposure vaccination be discussed with all travellers to rabies-endemic areas.
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2003
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.5312
Abstract: C ylobacteriosis, like many human diseases, has its own ecology in which the propagation of human infection and disease depends on pathogen survival and finding new hosts in order to replicate and sustain the pathogen population. The complexity of this process, a process common to other enteric pathogens, has h ered control efforts. Many unknowns remain, resulting in a poorly understood disease ecology. To provide structure to these unknowns and help direct further research and intervention, we propose an eco-environmental modeling approach for c ylobacteriosis. This modeling approach follows the pathogen population as it moves through the environments that define the physical structure of its ecology. In this paper, we term the ecologic processes and environments through which these populations move "pathogen survival trajectories." Although such a modeling approach could have veterinary applications, our emphasis is on human c ylobacteriosis and focuses on human exposures to C ylobacter through feces, food, and aquatic environments. The pathogen survival trajectories that lead to human exposure include ecologic filters that limit population size, e.g., cooking food to kill C ylobacter. Environmental factors that influence the size of the pathogen reservoirs include temperature, nutrient availability, and moisture availability during the period of time the pathogen population is moving through the environment between infected and susceptible hosts. We anticipate that the modeling approach proposed here will work symbiotically with traditional epidemiologic and microbiologic research to help guide and evaluate the acquisition of new knowledge about the ecology, eventual intervention, and control of c ylobacteriosis.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2007
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-6405.2007.00003.X
Abstract: To investigate whether the rates of all cancers and four cancers (soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) associated with dioxin exposure are higher in New Plymouth, the site of a former 2,4,5-T manufacturing plant, than for the rest of New Zealand. Analysis of 1970-2001 cancer data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry was undertaken for New Plymouth and the rest of New Zealand. There is no evidence of an increased cancer risk apart from one period (1970-74), which falls partly outside the 1962-1987 manufacturing period if 10-year latency is assumed. For 1970-74, there was an elevated risk for all cancer incidence (SIR = 111, 95% CI 104-119), and for two of the four specific cancers that are associated with dioxin exposure (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma SIR = 175, 95% CI 121-246 and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia SIR = 251, 95% CI 144-408). The results do not suggest an increased cancer risk among the New Plymouth population related to the period of 2,4,5-T manufacture, although the study's limitations mean the possibility of an undetectable small elevation in cancer risk cannot be excluded. Although TCDD exposure in the first few years of 2,4,5-T manufacture may have contributed to cancer incidence in 1970-74, unknown exposure(s) before the start of 2,4,5-T manufacture and chance are also possible explanations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-09-2007
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-02-2008
DOI: 10.1007/S10393-007-0151-Z
Abstract: Land use change has the potential to cause severe ecosystem degradation and drive changes in disease transmission and emergence. Broadscale clearing of native vegetation for agriculture in southwestern Australia has resulted in severe ecosystem degradation, which has been compounded by the subsequent development of large areas of dryland salinity. The mosquito-borne disease, Ross River virus (RRV), has been noted as a potential adverse human health outcome in these salinity affected regions. The association between dryland salinity and RRV disease was therefore tested by undertaking a spatial analysis of disease notification records using standard and Bayesian techniques. To overcome inherent limitations with notification data, serological RRV antibody prevalence was also investigated. Neither method revealed a significant association with dryland salinity, however, the spatial scale imposed limited the sensitivity of both studies. Thus, further multidisciplinary studies are required to overcome these limitations and advance understanding of this ecosystem health issue, particularly using variables that can be investigated on a finer scale.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-06-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-02-2014
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 07-1991
DOI: 10.5694/J.1326-5377.1991.TB142157.X
Abstract: This article reviews recent studies of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and vascular dementia. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy can detect structural alteration and biochemical abnormalities in the brain of demented subjects and may help in the differential diagnosis and early detection of affected in iduals, monitoring disease progression, and evaluation of therapeutic effect.
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 2011
Abstract: Analysis of relationships among national wealth, access to improved water supply and sanitation facilities, and population health indices suggests that the adequacy of water resources at the national level is a poor predictor of economic development--namely, that low water stress is neither necessary nor sufficient for economic development at the present state of water stress among Pacific Rim nations. Although nations differ dramatically in terms of priority provided to improved water and sanitation, there is some level of wealth (per capita GNP) at which all nations promote the development of essential environmental services. Among the Pacific Rim countries for which there are data, no nation with a per capita GNP > US$18,000 per year has failed to provide near universal access to improved water supply and sanitation. Below US$18,000 erson-year, however, there are decided differences in the provision of sanitary services (improved water supply and sanitation) among nations with similar economic success. There is a fairly strong relationship between child mortality/life expectancy and access to improved sanitation, as expected from the experiences of developed nations. Here no attempt is made to produce causal relationships among these data. Failure to meet Millennium Development Goals for the extension of improved sanitation is frequently evident in nations with large rural populations. Under those circumstances, capital intensive water and sanitation facilities are infeasible, and process selection for water/wastewater treatment requires an adaptation to local conditions, the use of appropriate materials, etc., constraints that are mostly absent in the developed world. Exceptions to these general ideas exist in water-stressed parts of developed countries, where water supplies are frequently augmented by water harvesting, water reclamation/reuse, and the desalination of brackish water resources. Each of these processes involves public acceptance of water resources that are at least initially of inferior quality. Despite predictions of looming increases in water stress throughout the world, adaptation and resourcefulness generally allow us to meet water demand while pursuing rational economic development, even in the most water-stressed areas of the Pacific Rim.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-12-2023
DOI: 10.1080/09593985.2021.2015814
Abstract: The relevance of ecosystems to physiotherapy has traditionally been overlooked, despite its potential for health impacts relevant to conditions often managed by physiotherapists. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of ecosystem services to physiotherapists, and to discuss how understanding ecosystem services may improve patient care, and population and planetary health. Physiotherapists with an understanding of ecosystem services may improve patient care by value-adding to management through patient education, empathy, advocacy, and broader population health approaches. Physiotherapists are also well placed to promote the conservation and restoration of ecosystem through participation, advocacy, and the development of public health measures, to the benefit of global sustainability and population health. Further research is required into how physiotherapists currently use nature-based interventions, and the barriers and enablers to their use. To be adequately prepared to meet the challenges that climate change and environmental degradation pose to patient care, population health and health systems, both current and future physiotherapists need to take a broader view of their practice. By including consideration of the potential role of the environment and green space exposure in particular on their patient's health, physiotherapists can ultimately contribute more to population and planetary health.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-05-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is most common during the rainy season in a number of low- to middle-income tropical settings, a pattern driven by seasonal changes in climate and nutrition. We investigated the seasonality of RSV in the high-income tropical setting of North Queensland, Australia. We used RSV hospital admissions data from Cairns and Townsville to assess the seasonality of RSV. We examined the seasonal scale associations between selected meteorological exposures and RSV admissions using cross-correlation of weekly data. In both Cairns and Townsville, RSV admissions were highest in the latter half of the rainy season. In Cairns, RSV admissions were most strongly correlated with rainfall four weeks previously. In Townsville, RSV admissions were most strongly correlated with rainfall six weeks previously. The seasonality of RSV in the tropical setting of North Queensland appears to be driven by seasonal variations in rainfall. Further research is needed to assess the impact of climate on RSV incidence in the tropics.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2009.09.017
Abstract: Bioindicators of ecosystem health, such as ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ersity, reflect the ultimate (evolutionary) drivers of ecosystem function. Surveillance data on human population health, such as the frequency of ant stings, also provide a useful bioindicator of ecosystem health in so far as the presence of imported, stinging, pest species reflects the proximate (mechanistic) drivers of ecosystem function. The relationship between human health surveillance data and the ultimate drivers of ecosystem function has however not been studied at a research level. The possible integrated use of such apparently disparate data may offer a new tool to help manage our environment sustainably for the concurrent benefit of both ecosystem health and human health. Productive directions for research in this field are likely to lie in areas where disease outcomes are dependent on environmental intermediaries, such as vector borne or water borne infectious diseases, and the paper provides one worked ex le using allergy to ant stings as a case study.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/RJ16004
Abstract: The importance of plants and other natural reserves as sources for biologically important compounds, particularly for application in food and medicine, is undeniable. Herein we provide a historical context of the major scientific research programs conducted in Australia that have been aimed at discovering novel bioactive natural products from terrestrial plants. Generally speaking, the main approaches used to guide the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from natural resources have included random, ethnobotanical and chemotaxonomic strategies. Previous Australian plant natural product research c aigns appear to have lacked the use of a fourth strategy with equally high potential, namely the ecologically guided approach. In addition, many large studies have s led plant material predominantly from tropical regions of Australia, even though arid and semi-arid zones make up 70% of mainland Australia. Therefore, plants growing in arid zone environments, which are exposed to different external stressors (e.g. low rainfall, high ultraviolet exposure) compared with tropical flora, remain an untapped reservoir of potentially novel bioactive compounds. Research of Australian arid zone plants that is ecologically guided creates a new opportunity for the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from plants (and potentially other biota) for application in health care, food and agricultural industries.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEHY.2011.03.001
Abstract: Enhanced virulence of pathogens infecting host populations, with no previous exposure thereto, is characteristic of many diseases labelled "emerging" or "resurging". One cause of emergence characteristics can be interpreted as absence of co-evolutionary optimization of interactions between hosts and pathogens. We explore the historical and evolutionary development between Ross River virus (RRV) and its human host in Australia a mosquito vectored pathogen causing polyarthritic symptoms. Epidemics of RRV have increased in frequency, size and range throughout European settlement. We hypothesise that human cultural evolution contributed to the emergence of RRV in humans, and argue that epidemics of RRV were unlikely to occur in Aboriginal hunter-gatherer societies in Australia's early human history, but only occur in more recent agrarian and industrial societies. A perspective of cultural evolution, in addition to biological evolution, may help with understanding the determinants of disease emergence and resurgence, and inform ongoing development of effective public health interventions.
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 02-1999
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.9910799
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-06-2020
DOI: 10.1002/PS.5941
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 22-02-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.21.432167
Abstract: Vegetation complexity is potentially important for urban green space designs aimed at fostering microbial bio ersity to benefit human health. Exposure to urban microbial bio ersity may influence human health outcomes via immune training and regulation. In this context, improving human exposure to microbiota via bio ersity-centric urban green space designs is an underused opportunity. There is currently little knowledge on the association between vegetation complexity (i.e., ersity and structure) and soil microbiota of urban green spaces. Here, we investigated the association between vegetation complexity and soil bacteria in urban green spaces in Bournemouth, UK Haikou, China and the City of Playford, Australia by sequencing the 16S rRNA V4 gene region of soil s les and assessing bacterial ersity. We characterized these green spaces as having ‘low’ or ‘high’ vegetation complexity and explored whether these two broad categories contained similar bacterial community compositions and ersity around the world. Within cities, we observed significantly different alpha and beta ersities between vegetation complexities however, these results varied between cities. Rare genera ( 1 % relative abundance in idually, on average 35 % relative abundance when pooled) were most likely to be significantly different in sequence abundance between vegetation complexities and therefore explained much of the differences in microbial communities observed. Overall, general associations exist between soil bacterial communities and vegetation complexity, although these are not consistent between cities. Therefore, more in-depth work is required to be done locally to derive practical actions to assist the conservation and restoration of microbial communities in urban areas.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.HEALTHPLACE.2009.02.011
Abstract: Australia is currently experiencing a process of escalating ecosystem degradation. This landscape degradation is associated with many outcomes that may directly or indirectly impact on human health. This study used a Bayesian spatial method to examine the effects of environmental degradation (measured as dryland salinity) on the mental health of the resident rural population. An association was detected between dryland salinity and depression, indicating that environmental processes may be driving the degree of psychological ill-health in these populations.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-2021
DOI: 10.1093/AE/TMAB010
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-07-2008
DOI: 10.1093/AJE/KWN188
Abstract: The causes of term pre labor rupture of membranes (term PROM) remain poorly defined. The authors conducted a record-based prevalence study to explore a possible relation between disinfection by-products in drinking water and term PROM in an Australian community with spatially variable trihalomethane and nitrate levels. A multilevel statistical model was used to examine the relation between factors operating at the levels of the in idual, district, and water distribution zone and the prevalence of PROM at term among 16,229 women in Perth, Western Australia (2002-2004). Adjusted odds ratios for term PROM increased with increasing tertiles of nitrate exposure (moderate exposure: odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.52 high exposure: odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.20, 1.79), but there was no significant relation with exposure to trihalomethanes. This study raises the possibility that water contaminants may promote the development of PROM at term.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1641/B580812
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-02-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2009
Abstract: In this paper we examine whether discourses of tropicality were affected by paradigm shifts in Western thinking about medicine. If tropicalist thinking reflects latent Western assumptions about the 'Other', tropicalism should persist through major shifts in Western thought. Here we explore whether or not such persistence is evident in representations in the scientific literature of mosquito-borne diseases on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion and where discrete epidemics occurred before, during and after a paradigm shift in Western thinking about disease causation. Late in the 19th Century, miasma theory (epidemics caused by unhealthy air) was replaced by microbial theory (epidemics caused by transmission of microbes) as the dominant scientific understanding of disease causation. We analyse representations of mosquito-borne epidemics in the contemporaneous scientific literature about Réunion for evidence of both tropicalism and a shift in the scientific paradigm. In pre-microbial representations, the unhealthy tropical environments thought to be responsible for miasmatic disease transmission are associated predominantly with the non-white population in microbial representations non-whites are directly blamed for the spread of tropical infections. The paper argues that the persistence of tropicalist thinking through a major paradigm shift in the Western understanding of disease causation supports Said's (1979) contention that 'Othering' is a generalisable ahistorical phenomenon, and discusses issues of economic exigency that may have supported an ongoing tropicalist influence on public health practice in French overseas departments.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 11-1991
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 23-06-2016
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816001357
Abstract: Epidemiological studies use georeferenced health data to identify disease clusters but the accuracy of this georeferencing is obfuscated by incorrectly assigning the source of infection and by aggregating case data to larger geographical areas. Often, place of residence (residence) is used as a proxy for the source of infection (source) which may not be accurate. Using a 21-year dataset from South Australia of human infections with the mosquito-borne Ross River virus, we found that 37% of cases were believed to have been acquired away from home. We constructed two risk maps using age-standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) calculated using residence and patient-reported source. Both maps confirm significant inter-suburb variation in SMRs. Areas frequently named as the source (but not residence) and the highest-risk suburbs both tend to be tourist locations with vector mosquito habitat, and c ing or outdoor recreational opportunities. We suggest the highest-risk suburbs as places to focus on for disease control measures. We also use a novel application of ambient population data (LandScan) to improve the interpretation of these risk maps and propose how this approach can aid in implementing disease abatement measures on a smaller scale than for which disease data are available.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-1998
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2003
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-06-2020
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 04-10-2017
DOI: 10.1021/ACS.JNATPROD.7B00437
Abstract: The Australian plant Acacia ligulata has a number of traditional food and medicinal uses by Australian Aboriginal people, although no bioactive compounds have previously been isolated from this species. Bioassay-guided fractionation of an ethanolic extract of the mature pods of A. ligulata led to the isolation of the two new echinocystic acid triterpenoid saponins, ligulatasides A (1) and B (2), which differ in the fine structure of their glycan substituents. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, and saccharide linkage analysis. These are the first isolated compounds from A. ligulata and the first fully elucidated structures of triterpenoid saponins from Acacia sensu stricto having echinocystic acid reported as the aglycone. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against a human melanoma cancer cell line (SK-MEL28) and a diploid fibroblast cell line (HFF), but showed only weak activity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2009.07.002
Abstract: Acid sulfate soils have been described as the "nastiest soils on earth" because of their strong acidity, increased mobility of potentially toxic elements and limited bioavailability of nutrients. They only cover a small area of the world's total problem soils, but often have significant adverse effects on agriculture, aquaculture and the environment on a local scale. Their location often coincides with high population density areas along the coasts of many developing countries. As a result, their negative impacts on ecosystems can have serious implications to those least equipped for coping with the low crop yields and reduced water quality that can result from acid sulfate soil disturbance. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment called on by the United Nations in 2000 emphasised the importance of ecosystems for human health and well-being. These include the service they provide as sources of food and water, through the control of pollution and disease, as well as for the cultural services ecosystems provide. While the problems related to agriculture, aquaculture and the environment have been the focus of many acid sulfate soil management efforts, the connection to human health has largely been ignored. This paper presents the potential health issues of acid sulfate soils, in relation to the ecosystem services identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It is recognised that significant implications on food security and livelihood can result, as well as on community cohesiveness and the spread of vector-borne disease. However, the connection between these outcomes and acid sulfate soils is often not obvious and it is therefore argued that the impact of such soils on human well-being needs to be recognised in order to raise awareness among the public and decision makers, to in turn facilitate proper management and avoid potential human ill-health.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 28-06-2021
Abstract: China’s capacity to control and prevent emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases is critical to the nation’s population health. This study aimed to explore the capacity of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) in China to deal with infectious diseases now and in the future. A survey was conducted in 2015 among 973 public health professionals at CDCs in Beijing and four provinces, to assess their capacity to deal with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Although most professionals were confident with the current capacity of CDCs to cope with outbreaks, nearly all indicated more funding was required to meet future challenges. Responses indicated that Yunnan Province faced more challenges than Anhui, Henan and Liaoning Provinces in being completely prepared and able to deal with outbreaks. Participants aged 20–39 years were more likely than those aged 40 and over to believe strategies such as interdisciplinary and international collaborations for disease surveillance and control, would assist capacity building. The capacity of China’s CDCs to deal with infectious diseases was excellent. However, findings suggest it is imperative to increase the number of skilled CDC staff, financial support, and strengthen county level staff training and health education programs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2017.10.007
Abstract: Megatrends of urbanisation and reducing contact with natural environments may pose a largely unappreciated risk to human health, particularly in children, through declining normal (healthy) immunomodulatory environmental exposures. On the other hand, building knowledge of connections between environments, bio ersity and human health may offer new integrated ways of addressing global challenges of rising population health costs and declining bio ersity. In this study we are motivated to build insight and provide context and priority for emerging research into potential protective (e.g. immunomodulatory) environmental exposures. We use respiratory health as a test case to explore whether some types and qualities of environment may be more beneficial than others, and how such exposures may compare to known respiratory health influences, via a cross-sectional ecological epidemiology study for the continent of Australia. Using Lasso penalized regression (to interpret key predictors from many candidate variables) and 10-fold cross-validation modelling (to indicate reproducibility and uncertainty), within different socio-geographic settings, our results show surrogate measures of landscape bio ersity correlate with respiratory health, and rank amongst known predictors. A range of possible drivers for this relationship are discussed. Perhaps most novel and interesting of these is the possibility of protective immunomodulatory influence from microbial ersity (suggested by the understudied 'bio ersity hypothesis') and other bioactive agents associated with bio erse environments. If beneficial influences can be demonstrated from bio erse environments on immunomodulation and human health, there may be potential to design new cost-effective nature-based health intervention programs to reduce the risk of immune-related disease at a population level. Our approach and findings are also likely to have use in the evaluation of environment and health associations elsewhere.
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 1998
DOI: 10.3354/CR011031
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-11-2022
DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2021.1999887
Abstract: We aimed to evaluate and compare the prevalence and profile of musculoskeletal symptom (MSS) outcomes across cohorts of university music students with different 'majors': (i) performance and nonperformance students, and (ii) classical and non-classical performance students. Data were collected using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, and regression analyses were used to compare the groups. Of the 166 participating students, 92.5% reported experiencing MSSs in the last 12 months, and 72.6% in the last 7 days. Few significant differences were identified between groups. Musculoskeletal symptoms are a problem for all types of university music students, and all should have access to support to prevent and manage their MSSs, regardless of their majors.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1999
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-03-2009
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 03-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2011.11.038
Abstract: Climate change projections have highlighted the need for public health planning for extreme heat. In Adelaide, South Australia, hot weather is characteristic of summer and heatwaves can have a significant health burden. This study examines the heat thresholds and temperature relationships for mortality and morbidity outcomes in Adelaide. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures, daily mortality, ambulance call-outs, emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital admissions were obtained for Adelaide, between 1993 and 2009. Heat thresholds for health outcomes were estimated using an observed/expected analysis. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the percentage increase in mortality and morbidity outcomes above the threshold temperatures, with adjustment for the effects of ozone (O(3)) and particulate matter<10 μm in mass median aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)). Effect estimates are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Heat-related mortality and morbidity become apparent above maximum and minimum temperature thresholds of 30 °C and 16 °C for mortality 26 °C and 18 °C for ambulance call-outs and 34 °C and 22 °C for heat-related ED presentations. Most health outcomes showed a positive relationship with daily temperatures over thresholds. When adjusted for air pollutants, a 10 °C increase in maximum temperature was associated with a 4.9% increase in daily ambulance call-outs (IRR 1.049 95% CI 1.027-1.072), and a 3.4% increase in mental health related hospital admissions (IRR 1.034 95% CI 1.009-1.059) for the all-age population. Heat-related ED presentations increased over 6-fold per 10 °C increase in maximum temperature. Daily temperatures were also associated with all-cause and mental health related ED presentations. Associations between temperature over thresholds and daily mortality and renal hospital admissions were not significant when adjusted for ozone and PM(10) however at extreme temperatures mortality increased significantly with increasing heat duration. Heat-attributable mortality and morbidity are associated with elevated summer temperatures in Adelaide, particularly ambulance call-outs, mental health and heat-related illness.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 07-2004
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 12-2012
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 05-2003
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.5332
Abstract: Converging themes from the fields of environmental health, ecology and health, and human ecology highlight opportunities for innovation and advancement in environmental health theory and practice. In this commentary we outline the role of research and applied programs that integrate biophysical and social sciences with environmental health practice in order to address deficiencies in each field when taken on its own. New opportunities for environmental health protection and promotion are outlined based on the three converging themes: integrated approaches to research and policy, methodological acknowledgment of the synergies between the social and biophysical environments, and incorporation of core ecosystem principles into research and practice. These converging themes are discussed in relation to their implications for new types of intervention to achieve health gains across different spatial and temporal scales at the interface between biophysical and social environments.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 10-2008
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-01-2012
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-1998
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-03-2017
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 10-1999
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.99107817
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-10-2017
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12610
Abstract: Restoration aims to return ecosystem services, including the human health benefits of exposure to green space. The loss of such exposure with urbanization and industrialization has arguably contributed to an increase in human immune dysregulation. The Bio ersity and Old Friends hypotheses have described the possible mechanisms of this relationship, and suggest that reduced exposure to erse, beneficial microorganisms can result in negative health consequences. However, it is unclear whether restoration of bio erse habitat can reverse this effect, and what role the environmental microbiome might have in such recovery. Here, we propose the Microbiome Rewilding Hypothesis , which specifically outlines that restoring bio erse habitats in urban green spaces can rewild the environmental microbiome to a state that enhances primary prevention of human disease. We support our hypothesis with ex les from allied fields, including a case study of active restoration that reversed the degradation of the soil bacterial microbiome of a former pasture. This case study used high‐throughput licon sequencing of environmental DNA to assess the quality of a restoration intervention in restoring the soil bacterial microbiome. The method is rapid, scalable, and standardizable, and has great potential as a monitoring tool to assess functional outcomes of green‐space restoration. Evidence for the Microbiome Rewilding Hypothesis will help motivate health professionals, urban planners, and restoration practitioners to collaborate and achieve co‐benefits. Co‐benefits include improved human health outcomes and investment opportunities for bio ersity conservation and restoration.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2015.05.025
Abstract: Adverse work-related health outcomes are a significant problem worldwide. Entomologists, including arthropod breeders, are a unique occupational group exposed to potentially harmful arthropods, pesticides, and other more generic hazards. These exposures may place them at risk of a range of adverse work-related health outcomes. To determine what adverse work-related health outcomes entomologists have experienced, the incidence revalence of these outcomes, and what occupational management strategies have been employed by entomologists, and their effectiveness. A systematic search of eight databases was undertaken to identify studies informing the review objectives. Data pertaining to country, year, design, work-exposure, adverse work-related health outcomes, incidence revalence of these outcomes, and occupational management strategies were extracted, and reported descriptively. Results showed entomologists experienced work-related allergies, venom reactions, infections, infestations and delusional parasitosis. These related to exposure to insects, arachnids, chilopods and entognathans, and non-arthropod exposures, e.g. arthropod feed. Few studies reported the incidence revalence of such conditions, or work-related management strategies utilised by entomologists. There were no studies that specifically investigated the effectiveness of potential management strategies for entomologists as a population. Indeed, critical appraisal analysis indicated poor research quality in this area, which is a significant research gap. Entomologists are a erse, unique occupational group, at risk of a range of adverse work-related health outcomes. This study represents the first systematic review of their work-related health risks. Future studies investigating the prevalence of adverse work-related health outcomes for entomologists, and the effectiveness of management strategies are warranted to decrease the disease burden of this otherwise understudied group.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-12-2019
Abstract: Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) were used to test the effects of bio ersity on recovery from induced stress. Three natural environments and one urban environment were used to represent ordinal levels of bio ersity (none, low, moderate, and high). The four IVEs comprised visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli. An additional high bio ersity IVE without auditory or olfactory stimuli was also included to study the effects of multisensory stimulation per se on recovery from stress and perceptions of bio ersity. Following stress induction via a novel IVE Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-IVE), heart rate and five self-reported well-being measures were used to assess participants’ recovery after immersion in one of the five IVEs. The results showed consistent well-being responses across both self-reported and physiological measures, suggesting bio ersity does directly affect human well-being. However, the relationship was not linear. For most measures of well-being, stress recovery was least effective in the urban IVE, consistent with past research. The low bio ersity IVE elicited the greatest improvement in all well-being measures except self-reported calmness. One could speculate that the landscape features of the least bio erse IVE may elicit subconscious preferences toward savanna-like landscapes, as suggested by previous studies. The IVE depicting a moderate level of bio ersity was the least restorative of the natural environments. A multisensory experience was associated with better recovery in all measures of well-being than a visual-only experience, and perceptions of landscape components significantly differed between two identical nature scenes when auditory and olfactory stimuli were removed. Nuances in the data and implications of the findings are discussed. The results signal a need for caution and question the assumption that cultural ecosystem services align with positive outcomes for bio ersity conservation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-07-2019
DOI: 10.1002/FEE.2077
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 07-09-2015
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-06-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/REC.13382
Abstract: Reversing the spiraling trajectory of ecological degradation requires a profound paradigm shift that more explicitly links human and ecosystem health. Human health, as used here, includes well‐being and livelihoods, which are largely determined by socio‐cultural, economic, and environmental drivers. Ecological restoration and related restorative activities can contribute substantially to human health. However, restoration projects differ widely and health impacts can be difficult to quantify. Interdisciplinary restoration networks are important for investigating the complex socio‐cultural, economic, and environmental dynamics that characterize restoration practice and related health outcomes. We present the Four Islands EcoHealth Network (FIEN) as an exemplar for establishing interdisciplinary project connectivity to clarify intersections between ecosystem restoration and human health. FIEN is a cooperative regional restoration network within Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand which aims to research and devise strategies for restoration to simultaneously improve human health and repair native ecosystems. FIEN will operate collaboratively at local and regional scales to expand interdisciplinary research and outreach by linking research with experience‐based and Traditional Ecological Knowledge‐based restoration activities. The group's primary focus is value‐adding to the efforts of its constituent organizations by sharing expertise and methodologies to enable large‐scale analysis and comparison across adjacent regions, ultimately disseminating collective results through impactful science communication. We consider explicitly linking human and ecosystem health the best way forward to reverse the current downward trajectory of ecological degradation and declining human health, and propose FIEN as an approach which other restoration‐minded groups and coalitions might follow.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-04-2017
DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2017.1318383
Abstract: Acacia ligulata A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) is a native Australian plant used traditionally by Australian Aboriginal groups. This study was undertaken to investigate the bioactivity of A. ligulata extracts and to evaluate their chemical composition. Potential antibacterial, cytotoxic and enzyme inhibitory effects relevant to traditional medicinal and food uses of the species were examined and LC-MS/MS was performed to investigate the chemical composition. Antibacterial activity was observed for bark and leaf extracts with an MIC for the bark extract of 62.5 μg/mL against Streptococcus pyogenes. Pod extracts showed cytotoxic effects against cancer cells, with the highest activity against melanoma SK-MEL28 cells with IC
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 27-04-2023
DOI: 10.1071/BT22110
Abstract: Context The proportion of dioecious species can vary considerably among climates and habitats. However, studies often involve isolated communities or large erse areas and fail to capture how proportions vary across erse landscapes. Aims To identify (1) life-history associations of terrestrial dioecious plant species in central southern Australia, (2) whether proportion of dioecy varies spatially across central southern Australia, and (3) whether proportion of dioecy is correlated with life-history and/or climate factors. Methods Species growth form, pollination mechanisms and seed-dispersal features were extracted from herbarium databases to determine potential dioecy-linked traits. Distribution data for native terrestrial species in 66 Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia subregions were extracted from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium to calculate the proportion of total native species richness that are dioecious. Climate data for each subregion were also obtained from Terrestrial Ecology Research Network databases to investigate relationships among climate, life-history traits and dioecy. Key results Woodiness, abiotic pollination and endozoochory were more prevalent in dioecious than non-dioecious taxa. Proportion of dioecy ranged from 1.7% to 8.5% among subregions and correlated negatively with annual temperature range, January to March rainfall and precipitation seasonality and with average annual daily mean, minimum, maximum and average annual minimum temperature. The highest-ranked models of dioecy incorporated the additive effects of the relative proportion of woody species and either annual temperature ranges, January to March rainfall or average annual daily maximum temperature. Conclusions Dioecy was associated with woodiness, abiotic pollination and endozoochory, in line with studies of other flora, with the model of stable temperature range and woodiness being the highest-ranked model of dioecy. Implications Areas with higher proportions of dioecy can be targeted for future investigations into dioecious plant ecology to aid conservation and ecosystem management.
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 12-2007
DOI: 10.2166/WST.2007.831
Abstract: Indirect potable reuse schemes are an important consideration in the sustainable management of scarce water resources. However, communities still hold real concerns about the potential health risks of micropullutants in recycled water entering their potable water supply. Microfiltration or ultrafiltration followed by reverse osmosis is currently the standard treatment technology for potable use of recycled water. Nevertheless, membranes are not 100% efficient in the removal of trace organic contaminants and the potential health risks of these micropullutants need to be assessed. The aim of this paper is to present a three-tiered approach for the preliminary assessment of micropullutants in recycled water. A risk quotient is calculated by comparing measured concentrations against benchmark values. Tier 1 corresponds to regulated chemicals the maximum contaminant level in drinking water is used as benchmark value. Tier 2 corresponds to unregulated chemicals with toxicity information slope factors or risk specific doses are used to calculate benchmark values. Tier 3 corresponds to unregulated chemicals without toxicity information. The “Threshold of Toxicological Concern” concept is used to calculate benchmark values. The characterization of chemicals of concern following reverse osmosis in a water reclamation plant and the application of the three-tiered approach for the evaluation of the potential health risks is presented.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.TMAID.2012.04.001
Abstract: No known locally acquired human mosquito-borne diseases have occurred in New Zealand, and reported cases of arboviral infections have been diagnosed exclusively in travellers. In this paper, we review the epidemiology of Ross River virus cases (RRV) in New Zealand and discuss the potential risk of local disease transmission. Cases of RRV reported to the Notifiable Disease Surveillance system from 1997 to 2009 were analysed. Available data included demographics, travel history and mosquito avoidance behaviour. A total of 22 cases of RRV were reported, and included New Zealand residents returning home from overseas (20 cases, 14 to Australia, 5 to Fiji, 1 unknown destination) as well as international visitors (2 from Australia). Reported cases of RRV confirm that New Zealand is vulnerable to virus importation. With several potential mosquito vectors, it is theoretically possible for a local "virgin soil" epidemic to occur. It is important for travellers, medical practitioners, and public health authorities to be aware of this threat, and take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of a local epidemic. Protecting travellers from RRV is important from a travel medicine perspective, but also has potentially significant public health benefits for the general population.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2010
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-07-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-11-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1039/C0EM00046A
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-03-2015
Publisher: PAGEPress Publications
Date: 17-06-2020
DOI: 10.4081/GH.2020.851
Abstract: Mosquito breeding habitat identification often relies on slow, labour-intensive and expensive ground surveys. With advances in remote sensing and autonomous flight technologies, we endeavoured to accelerate this detection by assessing the effectiveness of a drone multispectral imaging system to determine areas of shallow inundation in an intertidal saltmarsh in South Australia. Through laboratory experiments, we characterised Near-Infrared (NIR) reflectance responses to water depth and vegetation cover, and established a reflectance threshold for mapping water sufficiently deep for potential mosquito breeding. We then applied this threshold to field-acquired drone imagery and used simultaneous in-situ observations to assess its mapping accuracy. A NIR reflectance threshold of 0.2 combined with a vegetation mask derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) resulted in a mapping accuracy of 80.3% with a Cohen’s Kappa of 0.5, with confusion between vegetation and shallow water depths ( 10 cm) appearing to be major causes of error. This high degree of mapping accuracy was achieved with affordable drone equipment, and commercially available sensors and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, demonstrating the efficiency of such an approach to identify shallow inundation likely to be suitable for mosquito breeding.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2009
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 02-2002
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268801006392
Abstract: The objective was to describe the current epidemiology and trends in New Zealand human leptospirosis, using descriptive epidemiology of laboratory surveillance and disease notification data, 1990–8. The annual incidence of human leptospirosis in New Zealand 1990–8 was 4·4 per 100000. Incidence was highest among meat processing workers (163·5/100000), livestock farm workers (91·7), and forestry-related workers (24·1). The most commonly detected serovars were Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar (sv.) hardjo (hardjobovis) (46·1%), L. interrogans sv. pomona (24·4%) and L. borgpetersenii sv. ballum (11·9%). The annual incidence of leptospirosis declined from 5·7/100000 in 1990–2 to 2·9/100000 in 1996–8. Incidence of L. borgpetersenii sv. hardjo and L. interrogans sv. pomona infection declined, while incidence of L. borgpetersenii sv. ballum infection increased. The incidence of human leptospirosis in New Zealand remains high for a temperate developed country. Increasing L. borgpetersenii sv. ballum case numbers suggest changing transmission patterns via direct or indirect exposure to contaminated surface water. Targeted and evaluated disease control programmes should be renewed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 15-12-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2008.09.007
Abstract: Air quality is commonly assessed by the ambient concentration of airborne particles sized smaller than 10 microm (PM10). However, in addition to concentration, particle shape as well as the type and bioaccessibility of elements adsorbed to this particulate fraction are likely to be related to subsequent respiratory health effects. In order to investigate this relationship, a relatively large mass of the relevant size fraction is needed since s le preparation is necessary prior to analysis. Most existing methods for s ling dust have been developed for analysing the dust directly, without prior handling or digestion. In order to provide sufficient material to be used for subsequent bioaccessibility analysis, these methods require repetitive and time consuming s ling as well as special equipment and procedures which are high in both cost and maintenance. This paper describes an inexpensive and relatively simple procedure for extracting the PM10 fraction from soil to be used for lung bioaccessibility studies. The method described involves dry and wet sieving in order to exclude larger size fractions as far as possible. Vacuum filtering of the wet-sieved soil solution through a 10 microm mesh was then employed to extract the required fraction. In order to avoid frequent blocking of the mesh, Stokes's law was applied in the construction of a tube which enables separation of the solution holding the smallest fraction.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-08-2007
DOI: 10.1080/15287390701434828
Abstract: The city of Perth in Western Australia is facing a future of compromised water supplies. In recent years, this urban region has been experiencing rapid population growth, coupled with drying climate, which has exacerbated water shortages. As part of the government strategy to secure water sustainability and to address an agenda focused on all elements of the water cycle, a target of 20% reuse of treated wastewater by 2012 was established. This includes a feasibility review of managed aquifer recharge for indirect potable reuse. A characterization of contaminants in wastewater after treatment and an assessment of the health implications are necessary to reassure both regulators and the public. To date, the commonly used approach involves a comparison of measured contaminant concentrations with the established drinking-water standards or other toxicological guidelines for the protection of human health. However, guidelines and standards have not been established for many contaminants in recycled water (unregulated chemicals). This article presents a three-tiered approach for the preliminary health risk assessment of chemicals in order to determine key contaminants that need to be monitored and managed. The proposed benchmark values for the calculation of risk quotients are health based, systematically defined, scientifically defensible, easy to apply, and clear to interpret. The proposed methodology is based on the derivation of health-based levels for unregulated contaminants with toxicity information and a "threshold of toxicological concern" for unregulated contaminants without toxicity data. The application of this approach will help policymakers set guidelines regarding unregulated chemicals in recycled water.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1002/AJIM.20369
Abstract: Bushfire fighters are potentially subject to risks from bushfire smoke. Although many different protective masks and filters are available, it is not clear which is the most effective from a health and safety perspective. The effect of protective filters on the respiratory health of Western Australian urban career fire fighters under controlled simulated conditions is investigated. Sixty-four healthy Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) urban career fire fighters were subjected to controlled simulated bushfire smoke in an open smoke chamber for 15 min. The fire fighters were allocated one of the three types of protective filters: particulate only (P), particulate/organic vapor (POV), and a particulate/organic vapor/formaldehyde (POVF) filter using a double-blind randomized procedure. Personal air s ling inside the fire fighters' masks, spirometry, oximetry, and self-reported symptom data were collected at baseline and at two time intervals after the smoke exposure. A significant decline in oxygen saturation was seen immediately after exposure, however, the decline was small and no significant relationships could be established between this and the type of filter used. A significantly higher number of participants in the P and POV filter groups self-reported an increase in coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath compared to the POVF group. Air s ling demonstrated a significantly higher level of formaldehyde and acrolein inside the masks fitted with P filters compared to POV and POVF filters. Testing the effectiveness of P, POV, and POVF filters under controlled conditions has demonstrated that the POVF filter provides statistically significant better protection for the fire fighters' airways in a simulated bushfire exposure chamber.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 28-12-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-11-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2005
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJID.2008.02.008
Abstract: The number of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases is increasing. As such, understanding the fundamental ecology of infectious disease is critical. Short-lived highly fecund lification hosts are implicated to influence disease prevalence, but few empirical ex les exist. We examined the relationship between mouse (Mus musculus) abundance and Ross River virus (RRV) incidence in northwest Victoria, Australia. We determined a biologically plausible distribution overlap of M. musculus, humans, and vector mosquitoes in our study region. We compared M. musculus abundance with human RRV notifications seasonally between 1997 and 2000. Trends in M. musculus and RRV were similar during summer, autumn, and summer plus autumn, but unrelated during winter, spring, and winter plus spring, coinciding with the seasonal abundance and relative absence of the vector, Culex annulirostris. Our results demonstrate a plausible association between M. musculus and RRV incidence, suggesting that short-lived highly fecund lification hosts may profoundly influence disease transmission. Our results are supported by theoretical studies and empirical evidence from other systems. Further research is warranted to establish a causal relationship between lification hosts and RRV, and in other infectious disease systems. Implications for the management of infectious disease may exist.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 06-2016
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 02-2014
Abstract: Malaria has never been endemic in New Zealand, and all cases have been diagnosed in international travelers. In this paper, we describe malaria cases reported from 1997 to 2009 and discuss epidemiological changes compared to a previous report from 1980 to 1992. From 1997 to 2009, 666 malaria infections were reported, with 410 cases (61.6%) in travelers aged 20-39 and 133 (20%) in military personnel. Infections were caused by Plasmodium vivax in 436 cases (72.7%) and Plasmodium falciparum in 163 (27.2%). In the 533 civilians, common countries of infection were Papua New Guinea (24.4%), India (18.6%), the Solomon Islands (8.8%), and Indonesia (6.1%). Most common regions of malaria acquisition for civilians were Papua New Guinea and Western Pacific (39.8%), Africa (24.7%), Indian subcontinent (19.5%), and Southeast Asia (13.6%). Compared to a previous report of malaria in New Zealand from 1980 to 1992, regions of malaria acquisition have changed significantly, with a lower percentage of cases acquired from Papua New Guinea and Western Pacific (from 59.2% to 39.3%), and a higher percentage from Africa (from 8.6% to 21.3%). The ethnic groups affected also differ significantly between the two surveillance periods, with a reduction in the percentage of cases reported in Caucasians (from 80.8 to 45.9%) and an increase in cases in Indians (from 7.0 to 15.7%), Papua New Guineans and Pacific Islanders (from 5.2 to 16.9%), other Asians (from 2.3 to 5.6%), and Africans (from 0 to 8.5%). Common locations of malaria infection have evolved over time and probably reflect changing travel patterns of New Zealanders and the origins of visitors and immigrants. Therefore, local surveillance is important for informing pretravel advice by identifying vulnerable groups and common destinations for malaria infection, so that special attention on malaria prevention can be focused on travelers who are at highest risk. Ongoing surveillance is also essential for monitoring the evolving epidemiology of imported malaria over time.
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2009
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2003
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2014.06.021
Abstract: The role of the environment in the spread of respiratory infections is poorly understood, and consequently probably underappreciated. To improve our understanding of the environmental drivers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) transmission, we examined RSV seasonality in two settings with unusual seasonal patterns: The Gambia (where RSV epidemics occur at different times of the year) and Southeast Florida (where RSV seasonality differs from the rest of mainland USA). We used published data to correlate the seasonality of RSV with rainfall and child nutrition in the Gambia, and with rainfall and temperature in Florida. In the Gambia, RSV incidence was more strongly and more consistently correlated with child nutrition (r = -0.73 [95%CI -0.90 to -0.38]) than with rainfall (r = 0.37 [95%CI 0.20 to 0.52]). In Southeast Florida RSV incidence was strongly correlated with rainfall two months previously (r = 0.65 [95%CI 0.40 to 0.81]) compared to North Florida where RSV incidence was strongly correlated with temperature (r = -0.75 [95%CI -0.87 to -0.56]). We propose that nutrition is the dominant environmental driver of RSV seasonality in the Gambia, while rainfall is the dominant driver of RSV seasonality in Southeast Florida. This reinforces the importance of an ecological scale understanding of disease transmission: only with such an evidence base can setting-specific recommendations be made for public health interventions that are targeted for maximum efficacy.
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.01.077
Abstract: Human contact with soil may be important for building and maintaining normal healthy immune defence mechanisms, however this idea remains untested at the population-level. In this continent-wide, cross-sectional study we examine the possible public health benefit of ambient exposures to soil of high cation exchange capacity (CEC), a surrogate for potential immunomodulatory soil microbial ersity. We compare distributions of normalized mean 2011/12-2012/13 age-standardized public hospital admission rates (cumulative incidence) for infectious and parasitic diseases across regional Australia (representing an average of 29,516 patients/year in 228 local government areas), within tertiles of socioeconomic status and soil exposure. To test the significance of soil CEC, we use probabilistic in idual-level environmental exposure data (with or without soil), and group-level variables, in robust non-parametric multilevel modelling to predict disease rates in unseen groups. Our results show that in socioeconomically-deprived areas with high CEC soils, rates of infectious and parasitic disease are significantly lower than areas with low CEC soils. Also, health inequality (relative risk) due to socioeconomic status is significantly lower in areas with high CEC soils compared to low CEC soils (Δ relative risk = 0.47 95% CI: 0.13, 0.82). Including soil exposure when modelling rates of infectious and parasitic disease significantly improves prediction performance, explaining an additional 7.5% (Δ r
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-03-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-1999
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 03-02-2011
DOI: 10.2166/WH.2011.016
Abstract: Protecting recreational water quality where ‘whole-of-body contact’ activities occur is important from a public health and economic perspective. Numerous studies have demonstrated that infectious illnesses occur when swimming in faecally polluted waters. With the release of the 2008 Australian recreational water guidelines, the Western Australian (WA) Department of Health conducted a formal evaluation to highlight the advantages of applying the microbial risk management framework to 27 swimming beaches in the Swan and Canning Rivers in Perth, WA. This involved a two-phase approach: (i) calculation of 95th percentiles using historical enterococci data and (ii) undertaking sanitary inspections. The outcomes were combined to assign provisional risk classifications for each site. The classifications are used to promote informed choices as a risk management strategy. The study indicates that the majority of swimming beaches in the Swan-Canning Rivers are classified as ‘very good’ to ‘good’ and are considered safe for swimming. The remaining sites were classified as ‘poor’, which is likely to be attributed to environmental influences. Information from the study was communicated to the public via a series of press releases and the Healthy Swimming website. The guidelines provide a sound approach to managing recreational water quality issues, but some limitations were identified.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2005
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-1994
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 03-1996
DOI: 10.4269/AJTMH.1996.54.253
Abstract: During an epidemic of dengue type 2 virus in the rural community of Charters Towers, North Queensland, Australia, in 1993, 210 cases presented to the local hospital with signs and symptoms of classic dengue fever. Two cases were noteworthy because of neurologic complications, which included drowsiness, short term memory loss, agitation, and seizure. The cases are presented in detail because they are the first cases of dengue-associated encephalopathy to be documented in Australia. An increasing number of cases of encephalopathy associated with classic dengue fever is being reported world wide, but the etiology of this clinical syndrome remains unknown.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 25-03-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268811000446
Abstract: In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is predominantly identified and managed through passive health surveillance. Here, the proactive use of environmental datasets to improve community-scale public health interventions in southeastern Tasmania is explored. Known environmental drivers (temperature, rainfall, tide) of the RRV vector Aedes c torhynchus are analysed against cumulative case records for five adjacent local government areas (LGAs) from 1993 to 2009. Allowing for a 0- to 3-month lag period, temperature was the most significant driver of RRV cases at 1-month lag, contributing to a 23·2% increase in cases above the long-term case average. The potential for RRV to become an emerging public health issue in Tasmania due to projected climate changes is discussed. Moreover, practical outputs from this research are proposed including the development of an early warning system for local councils to implement preventative measures, such as public outreach and mosquito spray programmes.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-1996
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2011
Abstract: Under current climate change projections, the capacity to provide safe drinking water to Australian communities will be challenged. Part of this challenge is the lack of an adaptive governance strategy that transcends jurisdictional boundaries to support integrated policy making, regulation, or infrastructural adaptation. Consequently, some water-related health hazards may not be adequately captured or forecast under existing water resource management policies to ensure safe water supplies. Given the high degree of spatial and temporal variability in climate conditions experienced by Australian communities, new strategies for national health planning and prioritization for safe water supplies are warranted. The challenges facing public health in Australia will be to develop flexible and robust governance strategies that strengthen public health input to existing water policy, regulation, and surveillance infrastructure through proactive risk planning, adopting new technologies, and intersectoral collaborations. The proposed approach could assist policy makers avert or minimize risk to communities arising from changes in climate and water provisions both in Australia and in the wider Asia Pacific region.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 07-2004
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-07-2022
Abstract: Concerns have been raised for the health and wellbeing of self-employed workers. Musicians are the ‘original’ gig workers, and musicians have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs). Studies of musicians’ MSSs have typically focused on classical, employer-employed musicians leaving self-employed musicians under-investigated. We investigated the prevalence of MSS outcomes in all types of professional musicians, and compared the MSS outcomes between self-employed and employer-employed musicians. We conducted a cross-sectional study of professional musicians. Given the large proportion of musicians who were both self-employed and employer-employed, three groups were compared: self-employed only (self-employed group), employer-employed only (employer-employed group), and both self-employed and employer-employed (both group) musicians. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted. A total of 225 professional musicians were included in the study, 87.9% of whom reported MSSs in the last 12 months. For MSSs that impaired musical activity, the 12-month prevalence was 43.2%. Musicians in the self-employed group reported a significantly higher 7-day prevalence of MSSs compared with those in the employer-employed group. Compared with musicians in the employer-employed group, musicians in the both group reported a higher 12-month prevalence of MSSs that impaired musical activity. A higher proportion of symptomatic musicians in the both group reported seeing a health professional for their MSSs, compared with the employer-employed group. Similarly, symptomatic musicians in the both group reported higher ratings of emotional impact from MSSs, compared with symptomatic musicians in the employer-employed group. The majority of musicians have experienced MSSs. Several significant differences were reported between the three groups of musicians, with musicians in the both group generally reporting poorer MSS outcomes, compared with musicians in the employer-employed group. There are several potential reasons for why musicians who are both self-employed and employer-employed appear to have poorer MSS outcomes, including the stress of balancing multiple demands. Further research is required into the risk factors for MSS outcomes in self-employed musicians, including those who are both self-employed and employer-employed, and interventions should be directed towards self-employed musicians to minimise the MSS burden.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2007
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-06-2011
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2003
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.5694/MJA14.00932
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 21-04-2023
DOI: 10.1071/HC23007
Abstract: Introduction Clear terminology is critical to allow accurate communication between practitioners, policy makers and the public. Aim We investigated how the term ‘green prescription’ has been used in the peer-reviewed literature. Methods We conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature that used the term ‘green prescription(s)’ and determined how this term was used. We then investigated how the term has been used over time, in different geographic locations and in different academic disciplines. Results We included 268 articles that used the term ‘green prescription(s)’. We found that the phrase ‘green prescription(s)’ has been used since 1997 to mean a written prescription for a lifestyle change, most commonly physical activity, provided by a health practitioner. However, more recently (since 2014) the term has also been used to mean exposure to nature. Despite the emergence of this new meaning, ‘green prescription’ remains, in the health and medical science literature across all continents, most commonly used to describe a prescription for physical activity. Conclusion The use of the term ‘green prescriptions’ is inconsistent and has led to misuse of the research evidence regarding written prescriptions for exercise/diet being used to justify nature exposure to improve human health. We recommend that the term ‘green prescriptions’ continues to be used only as per its original definition, to refer to written prescriptions for physical activity and/or diet. For prescriptions to spend time in nature, we suggest use of the more appropriate term ‘nature prescriptions’.
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 05-10-2010
No related grants have been discovered for Philip Weinstein.