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The state of alarm was declared in Spain due to the COVID-19 epidemic on March 14, 2020, and established population confinement measures. The objective is to describe the process of lifting these mitigation measures.The Plan for the Transition to a New Normality, approved on April 28, contained four sequential phases with progressive increase in socio-economic activities and population mobility. In parallel, a new strategy for early diagnosis, surveillance and control was implemented. A bilateral decision mechanism was established between the Spanish Government and the autonomous communities (AC), guided by a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators capturing the epidemiological situation and core capacities. The territorial units were established ad-hoc and could be from Basic Health Zones to entire AC.The process run from May 4 to June 21, 2020. AC implemented plans for reinforcement of core capacities. Incidence decreased from a median (50% of territories) of 7.4 per 100,000 in 7 days at the beginning to 2.5 at the end. Median PCR testing increased from 53% to 89% of suspected cases and PCR total capacity from 4.5 to 9.8 per 1000 inhabitants weekly; positivity rate decreased from 3.5% to 1.8%. Median proportion of cases with traced contacts increased from 82% to 100%.Systematic data collection, analysis, and interterritorial dialogue allowed adequate process control. The epidemiological situation improved but, mostly, the process entailed a great reinforcement of core response capacities nation-wide, under common criteria. Maintaining and further reinforcing capacities remained crucial for responding to future waves.El 14 de marzo de 2020 España declaró el estado de alarma por la pandemia por COVID-19 incluyendo medidas de confinamiento. El objetivo es describir el proceso de desescalada de estas medidas.Un plan de transición hacia una nueva normalidad, del 28 de abril, incluía 4 fases secuenciales incrementando progresivamente las actividades socioeconómicas y la movilidad. Concomitantemente, se implementó una nueva estrategia de diagnóstico precoz, vigilancia y control. Se estableció un mecanismo de decisión bilateral entre Gobierno central y comunidades autónomas (CCAA), guiado por un panel de indicadores cualitativos y cuantitativos de la situación epidemiológica y las capacidades básicas. Las unidades territoriales evaluadas comprendían desde zonas básicas de salud hasta CCAA.El proceso se extendió del 4 de mayo al 21 de junio y se asoció a planes de refuerzo de las capacidades en las CCAA. La incidencia disminuyó de una mediana inicial de 7,4 por 100.000 en 7 días a 2,5 al final del proceso. La mediana de pruebas PCR aumentó del 53% al 89% de los casos sospechosos, y la capacidad total de 4,5 a 9,8 pruebas semanales por 1.000 habitantes; la positividad disminuyó del 3,5% al 1,8%. La mediana de casos con contactos trazados aumentó del 82% al 100%.La recogida y análisis sistemático de información y el diálogo interterritorial logaron un adecuado control del proceso. La situación epidemiológica mejoró, pero sobre todo, se aumentaron las capacidades, en todo el país y con criterios comunes, cuyo mantenimiento y refuerzo fue clave en olas sucesivas.

Background We describe the investigation undertaken and the measures adopted to control a Serratia marcescens outbreak in the neonatology unit of La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. Methods Weekly rectal and pharyngeal screenings for S marcescens were performed in the neonates starting after detection of the outbreak. Environmental samples and samples from health care workers (HCWs) were obtained for microbiological analysis. An unmatched case-control study was carried out to investigate risk factors for infection/colonization. Results The outbreak began in June 2016 and ended in March 2017, affecting a total of 59 neonates. Twenty-five (42.37%) neonates sustained an infection, most frequently conjunctivitis and sepsis. Multivariate logistic regression identified the following risk factors: parenteral nutrition (odds ratio [OR], 103.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.9-894.8), history of previous radiography (OR, 15.3; 95% CI, 2.4-95.6), and prematurity (OR, 5.65; 95% CI, 1.5-21.8). Various measures were adopted to control the outbreak, such as strict contact precautions, daily multidisciplinary team meetings, cohorting, allocation of dedicated staff, unit disinfection, and partial closure. Hands of HCWs were the main suspected mechanism of transmission, based on the inconclusive results of the environmental investigation and the high number of HCWs and procedures performed in the unit. Conclusions S marcescens spreads easily in neonatology units, mainly in neonatal intensive care units, and is often difficult to control, requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Strict measures, including cohorting and medical attention by exclusive staff, are often needed to get these outbreaks under control.

Introduction Scabies is a neglected disease stablished worldwide with a fairy well determined incidence. In high-income countries, it often causes outbreaks affecting the residents and staff of institutions and long-term facilities, usually hard to detect and control due to the difficult diagnosis and notification delay. This study aim at characterizing the affected population, geographical distribution, and evolution of scabies in Spain from 1997–2019 as well as to describe the main environments of transmission using different data sources. Methods We carried out a nationwide retrospective study using four databases, which record data from different perspectives: hospital admissions, patients attended at primary healthcare services, outbreaks, and occupational diseases. We described the main characteristics from each database and calculated annual incidences in order to evaluate temporal and geographical patterns. We also analyzed outbreaks and occupational settings to characterize the main transmission foci and applied Joinpoint regression models to detect trend changes. Results The elderly was the most frequent collective among the hospital admitted patients and notified cases in outbreaks, while children and young adults were the most affected according to primary care databases. The majority of the outbreaks occurred in homes and nursing homes; however, the facilities with more cases per outbreak were military barracks, healthcare settings and nursing homes. Most occupational cases occurred also in healthcare and social services settings, being healthcare workers the most common affected professional group. We detected a decreasing trend in scabies admissions from 1997 to 2014 (annual percentage change -APC- = -11.2%) and an increasing trend from 2014 to 2017 (APC = 23.6%). Wide geographical differences were observed depending on the database explored. Discussion An increasing trend in scabies admissions was observed in Spain since 2014, probably due to cutbacks in social services and healthcare in addition to worsen of living conditions as a result of the 2008 economic crisis, among other reasons. The main transmission foci were healthcare and social settings. Measures including enhancing epidemic studies and national registries, reinforcing clinical diagnosis and early detection of cases, hygiene improvements and training of the staff and wide implementation of scabies treatment (considering mass drug administration in institutions outbreaks) should be considered to reduce the impact of scabies among most vulnerable groups in Spain.

Despite being one of the continents with the least greenhouse gas emissions, no continent is being struck as severely by climate change (CC) as Africa. Mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) cause major human diseases in this continent. Current knowledge suggests that MBD range could expand dramatically in response to CC. This study aimed at assessing the relationship between CC and MBD in Africa. Methods For this purpose, a systematic peer review was carried out, considering all articles indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and CENTRAL. Search terms referring to MBD, CC and environmental factors were screened in title, abstract and keywords.Results A total of twenty-nine studies were included, most of them on malaria (61%), being Anopheles spp. (61%) the most commonly analyzed vector, mainly in Eastern Africa (48%). Seventy-nine percent of these studies were based on predictive models. Seventy-two percent of the reviewed studies considered that CC impacts on MBD epidemiology. MBD prevalence will increase according to 69% of the studies while 17% predicted a decrease. MBD expansion throughout the continent was also predicted. Most studies showed a positive relationship between observed or predicted results and CC. However, there was a great heterogeneity in methodologies and a tendency to reductionism, not integrating other variables that interact with both the environment and MBD. In addition, most results have not yet been tested. A global health approach is desirable in this kind of research. Nevertheless, we cannot wait for science to approve something that needs to be addressed now to avoid greater effects in the future.

Background Understanding influenza seasonality is necessary for determining policies for influenza control. Aim We characterised transmissibility during seasonal influenza epidemics, including one influenza pandemic, in Spain during the 21th century by using the moving epidemic method (MEM) to calculate intensity levels and estimate differences across seasons and age groups. Methods We applied the MEM to Spanish Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System data from influenza seasons 2001/02 to 2017/18. A modified version of Goldstein’s proxy was used as an epidemiological-virological parameter. We calculated the average starting week and peak, the length of the epidemic period and the length from the starting week to the peak of the epidemic, by age group and according to seasonal virus circulation. Results Individuals under 15 years of age presented higher transmissibility, especially in the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic. Seasons with dominance/co-dominance of influenza A(H3N2) virus presented high intensities in older adults. The 2004/05 influenza season showed the highest influenza-intensity level for all age groups. In 12 seasons, the epidemic started between week 50 and week 3. Epidemics started earlier in individuals under 15 years of age (−1.8 weeks; 95% confidence interval (CI):−2.8 to −0.7) than in those over 64 years when influenza B virus circulated as dominant/co-dominant. The average time from start to peak was 4.3 weeks (95% CI: 3.6–5.0) and the average epidemic length was 8.7 weeks (95% CI: 7.9–9.6). Conclusions These findings provide evidence for intensity differences across seasons and age groups, and can be used guide public health actions to diminish influenza-related morbidity and mortality.

BackgroundOf febrile illnesses in Europe, dengue is second only to malaria as a cause of travellers being hospitalized. Local transmission has been reported in several European countries, including Spain. This study assesses the evolution of dengue-related admissions in Spain in terms of time, geographical distribution and individuals’ common characteristics; it also creates a predictive model to evaluate the risk of local transmission.MethodsThis is a retrospective study using the Hospital Discharge Records Database from 1997 to 2016. We calculated hospitalization rates and described clinical characteristics. Spatial distribution and temporal behaviour were also assessed, and a predictive time series model was created to estimate expected cases in the near future. Figures for resident foreign population, Spanish residents’ trips to endemic regions and the expansion of Aedes albopictus were also evaluated.ResultsA total of 588 dengue-related admissions were recorded: 49.6% were women, and the mean age was 34.3 years. One person died (0.2%), 82% presented with mild-to-moderate dengue and 7–8% with severe dengue. We observed a trend of steady and consistent increase in incidence (P ConclusionWe present a nationwide study based on hospital, immigration, travel and entomological data. The constant increase in dengue-related hospitalizations, in combination with wider vector distribution, could imply a higher risk of autochthonous dengue transmission in the years to come. Strengthening the human and vector surveillance systems is a necessity, as are improvements in control measures, in the education of the general public and in fostering their collaboration in order to reduce the impact of imported dengue and to prevent the occurrence of autochthonous cases.

Introduction: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a growing public health problem. We describe an outbreak by CRE and the measures to control it in a hospitalization unit in Spain. Methods: In June 2015, the system of prevention and control of CRE implemented in the hospital detected an increase in the incidence of patients with CRE in a mixed hospitalization facility (geriatrics, internal medicine, and pneumology), with the appearance of four related patients in 2 weeks, three of them being nosocomial cases. A multidisciplinary group was created and carried out: weekly screenings, general cleaning, four training sessions for personnel, two hand hygiene observation studies and environmental sampling. A higher incidence of new cases was detected in three adjoining rooms, in which environmental decontamination was performed with vaporized hydrogen peroxide. Results: In 5 months, a total of 18 cases were detected, 14 of them were nosocomial. Four different clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae OXA-48 were responsible for 83.3% of the cases. Adherence to hand hygiene increased from 36% to 85% after the training sessions. Seven percent of the environmental samples were positive for CRE in rooms with high incidence, moving to 0% after decontamination with hydrogen peroxide. Three patients died, one of them possibly associated with clinical infection due to CRE. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary information strategies, personnel training, and control of environmental reservoirs are effective to address outbreaks of CRE.

The main objective of our study was to describe the epidemiological and microbiological features of an oligoclonal hospital-wide outbreak caused by OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae (OXA-48-PE). OXA-48 is a carbapenemase belonging to Ambler class D beta-lactamases, identified frequently in the Mediterranean and Southern European countries, and associated with several Enterobacteriaceae species. An outbreak of OXA-48-PE with a complex epidemic pattern was detected in January 2011. Initial control measures included contact precautions and the reinforcement of infection control practices, but despite all efforts made, the epidemiological situation hardly changed and new measures were implemented during 2013. An observational retrospective study was performed to describe the main features of the outbreak and to analyse the cumulative incidence (CI) trends. Eight hundred and 16 patients colonised or infected by OXA-48-PE were identified during the 2-year period (January 2013–December 2014), female 46%, mean age (s.d.), 71.6 (15.2). The samples isolated in the incident cases were rectal swabs (80%), urine samples (10.7%), blood samples (2.8%) and other clinical samples (6.6%). The most frequent OXA-48-PE was Klebsiella pneumoniae. Eleven different clones were identified, but K. pneumoniae sequence types 11 and 405 were predominant: ST11 (64.2%) and ST405 (29.3%). OXA-48-PE CI trend suffered a statistically significant change in August 2013, which continued the following months. Though we could not eradicate the outbreak, we observed a statistically significant drop in CI after an intervention for OXA-48-PE control, based on patient cohort, active surveillance, electronic alerts and reinforcement of infection control measures in a tertiary hospital.