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Non-typhoidal Salmonella cause an estimated 1.4 million human illnesses, 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths annually in the United States. Approximately 11% of these infections are attributed to animal contact. Reptiles and amphibians are known sources of salmonellosis; young children (aged5 years) are disproportionately affected by reptile- and amphibian-associated salmonellosis (RAAS) outbreaks. We describe multistate RAAS outbreaks to characterize illnesses and inform prevention efforts. RAAS outbreaks were defined as ≥2 culture-confirmed human Salmonella infections with similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and epidemiologic, laboratory or traceback evidence linking them to a common reptile/amphibian exposure. Data sources included the Animal Contact Outbreak Surveillance System; CDC Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch's outbreak management database; PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance in the United States; and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. Twenty-six RAAS outbreaks were reported during 2009-2018, resulting in 1465 illnesses and 306 hospitalizations. The outbreaks were associated with turtles (19), lizards (5), snakes (1) and frogs (1). Sixteen (61.5%) outbreaks were linked to small turtles (4 inches), resulting in 914 illnesses. Forty-nine percent of outbreak-associated patients were aged5 years. Of 362 patients/caregivers interviewed, 111 (30.7%) were aware that reptiles/amphibians can carry Salmonella. Among 267 patient isolates with antimicrobial susceptibility information, 20 (7.5%) were non-susceptible to ≥1 antibiotic used to treat human salmonellosis. RAAS outbreaks result in considerable morbidity, particularly among young children. Illnesses linked to small turtles are preventable through education, targeted outreach to caregivers and paediatricians, and when appropriate, enforcement. Historically, individual states and jurisdictions have enforced existing or promulgated new authorities to address outbreaks. Preventing future RAAS outbreaks requires addressing challenges related to the illegal sale/distribution of small turtles; and for legal reptile sales, providing information on RAAS risk to consumers at point of sale to support informed pet ownership decisions.

Background Foodborne illnesses cost ∼$90 billion in the United States annually. Antibiotic-resistant infections may be more difficult to treat and can be associated with severe outcomes, leading to higher costs and longer length of stay (LOS). We described LOS and costs for hospital admissions for Salmonella and Shigella infections by resistance status. Methods We reviewed all inpatient admissions from ∼300 hospitals in the Premier Healthcare database during 2012–2019 and included records with culture-confirmed nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS), typhoidal Salmonella (serotypes Typhi and Paratyphi A, B, and C), or Shigella. We classified infections as resistant if laboratory testing found resistance to ≥1 drug in the clinically important antibiotic categories (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, penicillins, folate pathway antagonists, or third-generation cephalosporins) or susceptible otherwise. We used the Wilcoxon rank sum test to assess difference in median LOS and cost of patient hospitalization for resistant vs. susceptible infections by pathogen type. Results Of 4,168 persons hospitalized, about half (n=2,129, 51%) were female; median age was 52 [IQR: 26‒68] years; 29% (n=1,217) of infections were resistant. For NTS infections, median LOS was 4 [IQR: 3‒7] days for resistant and 4 [IQR: 3‒6] (p=0.04) for susceptible; for typhoidal Salmonella, 6 [IQR: 5‒8] for resistant and 5 [IQR: 3‒8] for susceptible (p=0.15); and for Shigella, 3 [IQR: 2‒4] for both (p=0.09). Median costs were highest for typhoidal Salmonella ($12,577 resistant vs. $9,238 susceptible; p=0.21), followed by NTS ($7,179 vs $6,421, p=0.01) and Shigella ($4,975 vs $5,335; p=0.26). Conclusion Hospitalization costs were higher for patients with some resistant infections. Longer LOS may contribute to higher costs; however, it is not clear whether other pathogen or patient factors (e.g., comorbidities) also contributed. Additional data and adjusted analyses may provide insight into reasons for the cost difference. If resistant infections are shown to be the cause, our findings support that public health interventions to limit the spread of resistant infections could reduce costs. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Consumption of unpasteurised milk in the United States has presented a public health challenge for decades because of the increased risk of pathogen transmission causing illness outbreaks. We analysed Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System data to characterise unpasteurised milk outbreaks. Using Poisson and negative binomial regression, we compared the number of outbreaks and outbreak-associated illnesses between jurisdictions grouped by legal status of unpasteurised milk sale based on a May 2019 survey of state laws. During 2013–2018, 75 outbreaks with 675 illnesses occurred that were linked to unpasteurised milk; of these, 325 illnesses (48%) were among people aged 0–19 years. Of 74 single-state outbreaks, 58 (78%) occurred in states where the sale of unpasteurised milk was expressly allowed. Compared with jurisdictions where retail sales were prohibited (n = 24), those where sales were expressly allowed (n = 27) were estimated to have 3.2 (95% CI 1.4–7.6) times greater number of outbreaks; of these, jurisdictions where sale was allowed in retail stores (n = 14) had 3.6 (95% CI 1.3–9.6) times greater number of outbreaks compared with those where sale was allowed on-farm only (n = 13). This study supports findings of previously published reports indicating that state laws resulting in increased availability of unpasteurised milk are associated with more outbreak-associated illnesses and outbreaks.

The cloud computing environment is a distributed system that offers services to users both as a product and as a service for computing, virtualization, and exchanging data over the Internet. Because the applications utilized in data centers are expanding, their energy consumption and environmental effects have taken on the increased significance and are being put to the test. Increase the resource usage and operational effectiveness of cloud data centers by managing and dynamically consolidating virtual machines. In this study, the challenges of VM consolidation are solved by designing an immigrant strategy for the VMs. Virtual machine consolidation works to maximize resource use and prevent underload and overload of resources. Cat optimization refers to mapping and replacing the VMs using an optimization strategy. The suggested method's goal is to determine the best strategy for minimizing the number of further migrations by choosing the ideal location for the destination and striking the ideal balance between energy consumption and service level agreements. The evaluation's findings show that the results of the suggested method have improved. The simulation was done by CloudSim simulation.

The aim of the research to measure the correlation relationship between modern manufacturing systems and process design and measure the effect by adopting the regression; the research consists of two main variables, which are modern manufacturing systems and process design; it was applied in the production lines of the General Company for Construction Industries, There is a sample of managers, engineers, technicians, administrators, and some workers were selected to fill the special questionnaire with (70) forms which distributed and (65) were approved suitable for use, For data analysis the correlation coefficient was adopted to measure the relationship and regression analysis to find out the effect, Using (SPSS), So the first hypothesis for the research was rejected, that was stated (there is a correlation relationship between modern manufacturing systems and process design)

The current study was conducted to evaluate the morphological and histological changes in the front and hind limbs of Male albino rat belonging to the strain Sprague Dawley, treated with Ibuprofen and the possible protective effects of aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum. The study was performed in the animal house of Department of Biology Collage of Education for Girls University of Kufa. The study lasted seven months from September 2020 until February 2021 by following (80) male rats and were (16-20) weeks that weighted between (200-250)g which was divided in to eight groups each group consist of ten males. The first group was the orally given the normal saline only, and it was control group. The second group was treated orally with Ibuprofen at concentration of (400) mg/kg while the third group was administered Ibuprofen at concentration (400)mg/kg+ aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum seeds with concentration of (50) mg/kg. The fourth group was dosage Ibuprofen at (400)mg/kg+ extract of Lepidium sativum seeds with concentration (100)mg/kg orally too. The fifth group was treated with Ibuprofen at concentration (400)mg/kg +aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum at concentration (150) mg/kg orally. The sixth group was orally given the aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum seeds with concentration (50)mg/kg. The seventh group was treated with the aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum seeds with concentration (100)mg/kg orally. The last group was submitted to the aqueous extract of Lepidium sativum seeds with concentration (150)mg/kg by oral all groups were conducted once day from the first day until the sacrifice which was in two stages on (30 and 45)days. The current study included the process of recording the animal weights of body before and after the completion of experiment as well as weights of bones for front and hind limbs after the end of dose period The study included the histolgical sections of the limbs bones. It was absorved through the macroscopic examination of males dosed with Ibuprofen drug at concentration (400)mg/kg lack of movement and ,anorexia and sluggishness during a period 45 days. The results of statistical analysis showed significant decrease (P

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living ameba that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but usually fatal disease. We analyzed trends in recreational water exposures associated with PAM cases reported during 1978–2018 in the United States. Although PAM incidence remained stable, the geographic range of exposure locations expanded northward.

Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are causative agents of Valley fever, a serious fungal disease endemic to regions with hot, arid climate in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The environmental niche of Coccidioides spp. is not well defined, and it remains unknown whether these fungi are primarily associated with rodents or grow as saprotrophs in soil. To better understand the environmental reservoir of these pathogens, we used a systematic soil sampling approach, quantitative PCR (qPCR), culture, whole-genome sequencing, and soil chemical analysis to identify factors associated with the presence of C. immitis at a known colonization site in Washington State linked to a human case in 2010. We found that the same strain colonized an area of over 46,000 m2 and persisted in soil for over 6 years. No association with rodent burrows was observed, as C. immitis DNA was as likely to be detected inside rodent holes as it was in the surrounding soil. In addition, the presence of C. immitis DNA in soil was correlated with elevated levels of boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and silicon in soil leachates. We also observed differences in the microbial communities between C. immitis-positive and -negative soils. Our artificial soil inoculation experiments demonstrated that C. immitis can use soil as a sole source of nutrients. Taken together, these results suggest that soil parameters need to be considered when modeling the distribution of this fungus in the environment. IMPORTANCE Coccidioidomycosis is considered a highly endemic disease for which geographic range is likely to expand from climate change. A better understanding of the ecological niche of Coccidioides spp. is essential for generating accurate distribution maps and predicting future changes in response to the changing environment. Our study used a systematic sampling strategy, advanced molecular detection methods, and soil chemical analysis to identify environmental factors associated with the presence of C. immitis in soil. Our results demonstrate the fungus can colonize the same areas for years and is associated with chemical and microbiological soil characteristics. Our results suggest that in addition to climate parameters, soil characteristics need to be considered when building habitat distribution models for this pathogen.

Invasive Salmonella infection is a common cause of acute febrile illness (AFI) among children in sub-Saharan Africa; however, diagnosing Salmonella bacteremia is challenging in settings without blood culture. The Uganda AFI surveillance system includes blood culture-based surveillance for etiologies of bloodstream infection (BSIs) in hospitalized febrile children in Uganda. We analyzed demographic, clinical, blood culture, and antimicrobial resistance data from hospitalized children at six sentinel AFI sites from July 2016 to January 2019. A total of 47,261 children were hospitalized. Median age was 2 years (interquartile range, 1–4) and 26,695 (57%) were male. Of 7,203 blood cultures, 242 (3%) yielded bacterial pathogens including Salmonella (N = 67, 28%), Staphylococcus aureus (N = 40, 17%), Escherichia spp. (N = 25, 10%), Enterococcus spp. (N = 18, 7%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (N = 17, 7%). Children with BSIs had longer median length of hospitalization (5 days versus 4 days), and a higher case-fatality ratio (13% versus 2%) than children without BSI (all P < 0.001). Children with Salmonella BSIs did not differ significantly in length of hospitalization or mortality from children with BSI resulting from other organisms. Serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility results were available for 49 Salmonella isolates, including 35 (71%) non-typhoidal serotypes and 14 Salmonella serotype Typhi (Typhi). Among Typhi isolates, 10 (71%) were multi-drug resistant and 13 (93%) had decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility. Salmonella strains, particularly non-typhoidal serotypes and drug-resistant Typhi, were the most common cause of BSI. These data can inform regional Salmonella surveillance in East Africa and guide empiric therapy and prevention in Uganda.

Household water chlorination has been shown to reduce diarrhea incidence among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV). Some HIV programs in Ethiopia previously provided a socially marketed chlorination product (brand name WuhaAgar) to prevent diarrhea. To evaluate the program, we compared WuhaAgar use and water treatment practices between 795 clients from 20 antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics and 795 community members matched by age, sex, and neighborhood. Overall, 19% of study participants reported water treatment with WuhaAgar. Being an ART clinic client was associated with reported treatment of drinking water (matched odds ratios (mOR): 3.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9&ndash, 5.0), reported current water treatment with WuhaAgar (mOR: 5.5, 95% CI 3.9&ndash, 7.7), and bottles of WuhaAgar observed in the home (mOR: 8.8, 95% CI 5.4&ndash, 14.3). Being an ART clinic client was also associated with reported diarrhea among respondents (mOR: 4.8, 95% CI 2.9&ndash, 7.9) and household members (mOR:2.8, 95% CI: 1.9&ndash, 4.2) in the two weeks preceding the survey. Results suggest that promoting and distributing water chlorination products in ART clinics was effective in increasing access to and use of water treatment products among PLHIV. The positive association between ART clinic attendees and diarrhea likely resulted from the immunocompromised status of ART clinic clients.

Temporary disruptions in routine and nonemergency medical care access and delivery have been observed during periods of considerable community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (1). However, medical care delay or avoidance might increase morbidity and mortality risk associated with treatable and preventable health conditions and might contribute to reported excess deaths directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 (2). To assess delay or avoidance of urgent or emergency and routine medical care because of concerns about COVID-19, a web-based survey was administered by Qualtrics, LLC, during June 24-30, 2020, to a nationwide representative sample of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. Overall, an estimated 40.9% of U.S. adults have avoided medical care during the pandemic because of concerns about COVID-19, including 12.0% who avoided urgent or emergency care and 31.5% who avoided routine care. The estimated prevalence of urgent or emergency care avoidance was significantly higher among the following groups: unpaid caregivers for adults* versus noncaregivers (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 2.9); persons with two or more selected underlying medical conditions† versus those without those conditions (aPR = 1.9); persons with health insurance versus those without health insurance (aPR = 1.8); non-Hispanic Black (Black) adults (aPR = 1.6) and Hispanic or Latino (Hispanic) adults (aPR = 1.5) versus non-Hispanic White (White) adults; young adults aged 18-24 years versus adults aged 25-44 years (aPR = 1.5); and persons with disabilities§ versus those without disabilities (aPR = 1.3). Given this widespread reporting of medical care avoidance because of COVID-19 concerns, especially among persons at increased risk for severe COVID-19, urgent efforts are warranted to ensure delivery of services that, if deferred, could result in patient harm. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, persons experiencing a medical emergency should seek and be provided care without delay (3).

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of strengthen of soil under concrete slab on its thickness. Rigid pavement strength depends on the rigidity of concrete slab in addition to the effect of soil strength. This research tries to study strengthen of soil under rigid pavement using different compositions of coarse and fine aggregate. The term which expresses soil strength in the AASHTO design equation is the value of the modulus of subgrade reaction (K). Various compositions of fine and coarse aggregate have been tested in the lab. Each sample has been analysed in term of sieve analysis and California bearing ratio (CBR). Using CBR value for each sample and AASHTO equation, the modulus of subgrade reaction has been estimated. Using the estimated value of modulus of subgrade reaction and AASHTO design method for rigid pavement the slab thickness has been estimated for each case. Results have been analysed to get the effect of best composition of coarse and fine aggregate under rigid pavement.