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The emergence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza illustrated the need for improved surveillance to identify deaths resulting from emerging pathogens. Common methods for identifying infectious cause-related deaths include reports by [...]

The study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza in the United States during the period of April to June, 2009. The results indicate that nearly 3/4th of the patients had some underlying medical conditions and also seemed to benefit from antiviral therapy.

Vaccination therapy using tumour antigen-loaded, autologous dendritic cells (DC) is a promising therapeutic approach alongside standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). However, reliable diagnostic criteria regarding therapy monitoring are not established. Here, we analysed the impact of additional 18F-fluoroethyl-tyrosine positron emission tomography (18F-FET PET) imaging following DC vaccination therapy. We analysed data of GBM patients who received DC vaccination therapy. Following MRI diagnosis of tumour recurrence, additional static and dynamic 18F-FET PET imaging was performed. Vaccination was performed five times by intradermal injections, either weekly between concomitant radio/-chemotherapy and intermittent chemotherapy or after tumour recurrence, before re-radiation therapy. MRI and 18F-FET PET results were compared and correlated with clinical data. Between 2003 and 2016, 5 patients were identified who received DC vaccination and 18F-FET PET imaging (1 female/4 males; mean age: 44 ± 14 y). 3/5 patients showed congruent results of tumour progression. In three patients 18F-FET PET indicated treatment related changes, which was in contrast to MRI findings that indicated tumour progression. In these patients 18F-FET PET results could be confirmed by either neuropathological diagnosis or according to the RANO criteria Despite the small patients number our results indicate an additional impact of 18F-FET PET for monitoring outcome following vaccination therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travel health alert notices (T-HANs) have been used since the 1970s by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA, USA) as a communication tool for international travelers [...]

Cholera caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor, was confirmed on October 21, 2010, in Haiti and on October 31, 2010, in the Dominican Republic. [...]

Syndromic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels are used to test for pathogens that can cause rash illnesses, including measles. Rash illnesses have infectious and noninfectious causes, and approximately 5% of persons experience a rash 7-10 days after receipt of a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. MMR vaccine includes live attenuated measles virus, which is detectable by PCR tests. No evidence exists of person-to-person transmission of measles vaccine virus, and illness does not typically result among immunocompetent persons. During September 2022-January 2023, the Tennessee Department of Health received two reports of measles detected by syndromic PCR panels. Both reports involved children (aged 1 and 6 years) without known risk factors for measles, who were evaluated for rash that occurred 11-13 days after routine MMR vaccination. After public health responses in Tennessee determined that both PCR panels had detected measles vaccine virus, six state health departments collaborated to assess the frequency and characteristics of persons receiving a positive measles PCR panel test result in the United States. Information was retrospectively collected from a commercial laboratory testing for measles in syndromic multiplex PCR panels. During May 2022-April 2023, among 1,548 syndromic PCR panels, 17 (1.1%) returned positive test results for measles virus. Among 14 persons who received a positive test result and for whom vaccination and case investigation information were available, all had received MMR vaccine a median of 12 days before specimen collection, and none had known risk factors for acquiring measles. All positive PCR results were attributed to detection of measles vaccine virus. Increased awareness among health care providers about potential measles detection by PCR after vaccination is needed. Any detection of measles virus by syndromic PCR testing should be immediately reported to public health agencies, which can use measles vaccination history and assessment of risk factors to determine the appropriate public health response. If a person recently received MMR vaccine and has no risk factors for acquiring measles, additional public health response is likely unnecessary., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Objective: Vaccination therapy using tumour antigen-loaded, autologous dendritic cells (DC) is a promising therapeutic approach alongside standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM). However, reliable diagnostic criteria regarding therapy monitoring are not established. Here, we analysed the impact of additional 18 F-fluoroethyl-tyrosine positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FET PET) imaging following DC vaccination therapy., Methods: We analysed data of GBM patients who received DC vaccination therapy. Following MRI diagnosis of tumour recurrence, additional static and dynamic 18 F-FET PET imaging was performed. Vaccination was performed five times by intradermal injections, either weekly between concomitant radio/-chemotherapy and intermittent chemotherapy or after tumour recurrence, before re-radiation therapy. MRI and 18 F-FET PET results were compared and correlated with clinical data., Results: Between 2003 and 2016, 5 patients were identified who received DC vaccination and 18 F-FET PET imaging (1 female/4 males; mean age: 44 ± 14 y). 3/5 patients showed congruent results of tumour progression. In three patients 18 F-FET PET indicated treatment related changes, which was in contrast to MRI findings that indicated tumour progression. In these patients 18 F-FET PET results could be confirmed by either neuropathological diagnosis or according to the RANO criteria., Conclusions: Despite the small patients number our results indicate an additional impact of 18 F-FET PET for monitoring outcome following vaccination therapy.

PET using O -(2- 18 F-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine ( 18 F-FET) is useful to detect residual tumor tissue after glioma resection. Recent animal experiments detected reactive changes in 18 F-FET uptake at the rim of the resection cavity within the first 2 wk after resection of gliomas. In the present study, we evaluated pre- and postoperative 18 F-FET PET scans of glioma patients with particular emphasis on the identification of reactive changes after surgery. Methods: Forty-three patients with cerebral gliomas (9 low-grade, 34 high-grade; 9 primary tumors, 34 recurrent tumors) who had preoperative (time before surgery: median, 23 d; range, 6-44 d) and postoperative 18 F-FET PET (time after surgery: median, 14 d; range, 5-28 d) were included. PET scans (20-40 min after injection) were evaluated visually for complete or incomplete resection and compared with MRI. Changes in 18 F-FET uptake were evaluated by tumor-to-brain ratios in residual tumor and by maximum lesion-to-brain ratios near the resection cavity. Results: Visual analysis of 18 F-FET PET scans revealed complete resection in 16 of 43 patients and incomplete resection in the remaining patients. PET results were concordant with MRI in 69% of the patients. The maximum lesion-to-brain ratio for 18 F-FET uptake near the resection cavity was significantly higher than preoperative values (1.59 ± 0.36 vs. 1.14 ± 0.17; n = 43; P < 0.001). In 11 patients (26%), a flare phenomenon was observed, with a considerable increase in 18 F-FET uptake compared with preoperative values in either the residual tumor ( n = 5) or areas remote from the tumor on the preoperative PET scan ( n = 6) (2.92 ± 1.24 vs. 1.62 ± 0.75; P < 0.001). Further follow-up in 5 patients showed decreasing 18 F-FET uptake in the flare areas in 4 patients and progress in 1 patient. Conclusion: Our study confirmed that 18 F-FET PET provides valuable information for assessing the success of glioma resection. Postoperative reactive changes at the rim of the resection cavity appear to be mild. However, in 23% of the patients, a postoperative flare phenomenon was observed that warrants further investigation., (© 2020 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

In April 2020, during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe, a cluster of children with hyperinflammatory shock with features similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome was reported in England* (1). The patients' signs and symptoms were temporally associated with COVID-19 but presumed to have developed 2-4 weeks after acute COVID-19; all children had serologic evidence of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1). The clinical signs and symptoms present in this first cluster included fever, rash, conjunctivitis, peripheral edema, gastrointestinal symptoms, shock, and elevated markers of inflammation and cardiac damage (1). On May 14, 2020, CDC published an online Health Advisory that summarized the manifestations of reported multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), outlined a case definition, † and asked clinicians to report suspected U.S. cases to local and state health departments. As of July 29, a total of 570 U.S. MIS-C patients who met the case definition had been reported to CDC. A total of 203 (35.6%) of the patients had a clinical course consistent with previously published MIS-C reports, characterized predominantly by shock, cardiac dysfunction, abdominal pain, and markedly elevated inflammatory markers, and almost all had positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. The remaining 367 (64.4%) of MIS-C patients had manifestations that appeared to overlap with acute COVID-19 (2-4), had a less severe clinical course, or had features of Kawasaki disease. § Median duration of hospitalization was 6 days; 364 patients (63.9%) required care in an intensive care unit (ICU), and 10 patients (1.8%) died. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand in many jurisdictions, clinicians should be aware of the signs and symptoms of MIS-C and report suspected cases to their state or local health departments; analysis of reported cases can enhance understanding of MIS-C and improve characterization of the illness for early detection and treatment., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.