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We assessed spatial and temporal changes in the occurrence of human anthrax in Azerbaijan during 1984 through 2010. Data on livestock outbreaks, vaccination efforts, and human anthrax incidence during Soviet governance, post-Soviet governance, preemptive livestock vaccination were analyzed. To evaluate changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of anthrax, we used a combination of spatial analysis, cluster detection, and weighted least squares segmented regression. Results indicated an annual percent change in incidence of +11.95% from 1984 to 1995 followed by declining rate of −35.24% after the initiation of livestock vaccination in 1996. Our findings also revealed geographic variation in the spatial distribution of reporting; cases were primarily concentrated in the west early in the study period and shifted eastward as time progressed. Over twenty years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the distribution of human anthrax in Azerbaijan has undergone marked changes. Despite decreases in the incidence of human anthrax, continued control measures in livestock are needed to mitigate its occurrence. The shifting patterns of human anthrax highlight the need for an integrated "One Health" approach that takes into account the changing geographic distribution of the disease. Author Summary: Zoonotic diseases, such as anthrax, represent a threat to public and veterinary health in many developing parts of the world. Control of anthrax is dependent upon several factors, including proper management of outbreaks and livestock vaccination. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, resources for disease management in Azerbaijan were dramatically diminished leading to increases in zoonotic diseases. In this study, our objective was to analyze human anthrax incidence during Soviet governance, post-Soviet governance, and after the implementation of a preemptive livestock vaccination campaign to identify potential changes in the occurrence of the disease. We applied spatial and temporal statistical approaches in a geographic information system to describe changes. Our findings provide evidence of a changing incidence and a shift in the geographic patterns of human anthrax. These findings highlight the importance of proper livestock disease management to mitigate human disease and the need for dynamic surveillance that takes into account changes in the distribution of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human brucellosis represents a significant burden to public and veterinary health globally, including the republic of Azerbaijan. The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the spatial and temporal aspects of the epidemiology of human brucellosis in Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2009.Methods: A Geographic information system (GIS) was used to identify potential changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of human brucellosis in Azerbaijan during the study period. Epidemiological information on the age, gender, date, and location of incident cases were obtained from disease registries housed at the Republican Anti-Plague station in Baku. Cumulative incidences per 100,000 populations were calculated at the district level for three, 5-year periods. Spatial and temporal cluster analyses were performed using the Local Moran's I and the Ederer-Myer-Mantel (EMM) test.Results: A total of 7,983 cases of human brucellosis were reported during the 15-year study period. Statisticallysignificant spatial clusters were identified in each of three, five year time periods with cumulative incidence rates ranging from 101.1 (95% CI: 82.8, 124.3) to 203.0 (95% CI; 176.4, 234.8). Spatial clustering was predominant in the west early in the study during period 1 and then in the east during periods 2 and 3. The EMM test identified a greater number of statistically significant temporal clusters in period 1 (1995 to 1999).Conclusion: These results suggest that human brucellosis persisted annually in Azerbaijan across the study period.The current situation necessitates the development of appropriate surveillance aimed at improving control and mitigation strategies in order to help alleviate the current burden of disease on the population. Areas of concern identified as clusters by the spatial-temporal statistical analyses can provide a starting point for implementing targeted intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Yersinia pestis is a gram-negative, zoonotic bacterium and the causative agent of plague. Plague is maintained in nature through a transmission cycle between partially resistant rodent hosts and fleas. There are natural reservoir populations on almost every continent, and the number of reported human plague cases has increased in recent years. Azerbaijan is a country at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and western Asia that has a history of environmental plague foci. Informing plague surveillance in this region is imperative due to the deteriorating public health system that resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union. The aim of this study was to inform efforts to prioritize regions for plague surveillance in Azerbaijan. A 14-year historic data set was employed to analyze the spatio-temporal pattern of the primary plague host in the country, the Libyan gird, Meriones libycus, using the Space Time Analysis of Moving Polygons (STAMP) method. This method is useful for identifying areas of stable rodent abundance across the study period. The relationship between STAMP-defined stable M. libycus abundance and environmental variables including mean temperature, altitude, land cover type and annual precipitation was explored. We were particularly interested in identifying increasing human population trends in the area surrounding regions characterized by historically high M. libycus abundance, as the risk of human plague increases as humans come into close proximity with hosts and vectors. There was variation in M. libycus abundance over the historic period, but regions of stability were identified for each category of abundance evaluated. There were significantly different climatic conditions and land cover types associated with different categories of abundance. The human population in Azerbaijan has steadily increased over the past 30 years, including regions bordering plague foci. Surveillance should be prioritized for regions with historically stable high host abundance, regions with climatic conditions associated with high abundance, and regions with increasing human populations surrounding plague foci. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]