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Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Swiss Federal Council imposed a shutdown twice, which may have changed dietary and physical activity habits. On the question of weight change during the pandemic, there is little information based on measured weight data. In this study, we investigate whether the body mass index (BMI) of young Swiss men conscripted after the two shutdown periods in Spring and Fall 2020 differed from the conscripts examined before the shutdowns.Methods: We are analysing body measurements of young Swiss men taken during mandatory recruitment for the Swiss Armed Forces on the cross-sectional (not individual longitudinal) monitoring level and across weeks of conscription between January 2010 and July 2021 (n=373,016). These cross-sectional data allow for continuous health monitoring of young men almost at the population level (coverage >90% of recruitment relevant age categories). For statistical modelling, we use GAM (Generalized Additive Model framework.Results: We showed that the BMI of conscripts who were examined in the 15 weeks after the two shutdowns in Spring and Autumn 2020 was not or only weakly different from baseline. Sensitivity analyses showed that this conclusion also holds if assessing the BMI distribution or the prevalence of overweight and/or obesity. The GAM models further showed strong effects of individual and area-based SEP as well as age on BMI.Conclusion: Our results suggest that any lifestyle changes during the pandemic in young men may have been too modest to be clearly reflected in body weight (suggesting small or none effect). However, longitudinal data and/or data on women, children, or the elderly may lead to different conclusions.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is increasing in Europe. We aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of TBE-vaccination.This systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (#CRD42020155737) and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We searched CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus using specific terms. Original articles, case reports and research abstracts in English, French, German and Italian were included for screening and extracting (JER; PS).Of a total of 2464 records, 49 original research publications were evaluated for immunogenicity and safety. TBE-vaccines showed adequate immunogenicity, good safety and interchangeability in adults and children with some differences in long-term protection (Seropositivity in 90.6-100% after primary vaccination; 84.9%-99.4% at 5 year follow up). Primary conventional vaccination schedule (days 0, 28, and 300) demonstrated the best immunogenic results (99-100% of seropositivity). Mixed brand primary vaccination presented adequate safety and immunogenicity with some exceptions. After booster follow-ups, accelerated conventional and rapid vaccination schedules were shown to be comparable in terms of immunogenicity and safety. First booster vaccinations five years after primary vaccination were protective in adults aged50 years, leading to protective antibody levels from at least 5 years up to 10 years after booster vaccination. In older vaccinees,50 years, lower protective antibody titers were found. Allergic individuals showed an adequate response and immunosuppressed individuals a diminished response to TBE-vaccination.The TBE-vaccination is generally safe with rare serious adverse events. Schedules should, if possible, use the same vaccine brand (non-mixed). TBE-vaccines are immunogenic in terms of antibody response but less so when vaccination is started after the age of 50 years. Age at priming is a key factor in the duration of protection.

Background In the past decade, a large influx of migrants presented in Europe. Their country of origin was mainly either Syria or Eritrea. Public health institutions in host countries in Europe are challenged to screen and care for migrant populations with regard to infectious diseases. Methods We performed a systematic literature review (according to PRISMA guidelines) to define the infectious disease profile of migrants originating in Syria and Eritrea. Results The search resulted in 825 papers of possible relevance for infectious diseases in migrants from Syria, of which, after screening, we included 35 in the systematic review. A further 265 papers of possible relevance for infectious diseases in Eritrean migrants were screened, of which we included 27 in the systematic review. In migrants from Syria, leishmaniasis was the most frequently reported infectious disease. In addition, colonisation with drug resistant, Gram-negativ bacteria was reported. In the Eritrean migrants the infectious disease most described in the selected papers was louse-borne relapsing fever. Other frequently reported infectious diseases were scabies and Plasmodium vivax malaria. Conclusion Our systematic analysis defines the profiles of infectious diseases for migrants from Syria and Eritrea and serves as an evidence base for public health screening and care of presenting migrants.

Background Malaria is one of the most life-threatening vector-borne diseases globally. Recent autochthonous cases registered in several European countries have raised awareness regarding the threat of malaria reintroduction to Europe. An increasing number of imported malaria cases today occur due to international travel and migrant flows from malaria-endemic countries. The cumulative factors of the presence of competent vectors, favourable climatic conditions and evidence of increasing temperatures might lead to the re-emergence of malaria in countries where the infection was previously eliminated. Methods We performed a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines. We searched for original articles focusing on rising temperature and the receptivity to malaria transmission in Europe. We evaluated the quality of the selected studies using a standardised tool. Results The search resulted in 1′999 articles of possible relevance and after screening we included 10 original research papers in the quantitative analysis for the systematic review. With further increasing temperatures studies predicted a northward spread of the occurrence of Anopheles mosquitoes and an extension of seasonality, enabling malaria transmission for annual periods up to 6 months in the years 2051–2080. Highest vector stability and receptivity were predicted in Southern and South-Eastern European areas. Anopheles atroparvus, the main potential malaria vector in Europe, might play an important role under changing conditions favouring malaria transmission. Conclusion The receptivity of Europe for malaria transmission will increase as a result of rising temperature unless socioeconomic factors remain favourable and appropriate public health measures are implemented. Our systematic review serves as an evidence base for future preventive measures.