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On 29 April 2009, an imported case of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection was detected in a London school. As further cases, pupils and staff members were identified, school closure and mass prophylaxis were implemented. An observational descriptive study was conducted to provide an insight into the clinical presentation and transmission dynamics in this setting. Between 15 April and 15 May 2009, 91 symptomatic cases were identified: 33 were confirmed positive for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection; 57 were tested negative; in one the results were unavailable. Transmission occurred first within the school, and subsequently outside. Attack rates were 2% in pupils (15% in the 11-12 years age group) and 17% in household contacts. The predominant symptoms were fever (97%), respiratory symptoms (91%), and sore throat (79%). Limited spread in the school may have been due to a combination of school closure and mass prophylaxis. However, transmission continued through household contacts to other schools.

BackgroundMalaria is a major health problem in Thailand, especially in areas adjacent to the borders of Myanmar. Delay in seeking treatment is an important factor in the development of severe complications, death and the transmission of the disease. This study aimed to investigate factors affecting delays in seeking treatment of malaria patients.MethodsA cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in 456 malaria patients along the Thailand-Myanmar border. Patients were selected by stratified sampling from 11 malaria clinics and five public hospitals in Tak Province, Thailand. Data were collected by the use of a structured interview questionnaire and from patient’s medical records.ResultsThe majority of patients were categorized with an ethnicity of ‘hill tribe’ (65.8%), followed by Thai (34.2%). Seventy-nine per cent of patients delayed seeking treatment. A simple logistic regression identified significant factors affecting delays in seeking treatment: people of “hill tribe” ethnicity; plasmodium species; self-treatment; visiting sub-district health promotion hospital/malaria post before visiting a malaria clinic or public hospital; and low to medium social support. After being subjected to multivariate analysis, factors significantly associated with the delay were “hill tribe” ethnicity (ORadj = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.34-4.04); infection with P.vivax (ORadj=2.02, 95% CI: 1.19-3.41; self-treatment (ORadj = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.04-2.85); and receiving a low degree of social support (ORadj = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.24-5.35).ConclusionsEmphasis should be placed on need for early diagnosis and treatment in malaria patients as well as on ensuring the first facility for detection and treatment of malaria is a malaria clinic or public hospital, and the promotion of social support. These are especially important issues for the health of hill tribe people.

BackgroundIn the UK, the majority of imported malaria infections occur in the London area among UK residents of African origin who travel to Africa visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). Effective malaria prevention measures are available but there is little understanding of the factors that enhance and constrain their use among VFRs.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were undertaken with Africans resident in London who visited friends and relatives in Nigeria and Ghana (n = 20) and with African VFRs recently treated for malaria (n = 6). Data collection took place between December 2007 and February 2011. Information on migration patterns and travel of respondents was collected and the data were analysed using a framework analysis approach.ResultsKnowledge of the link between mosquitoes and malaria was high. Factors influencing the use of mosquito avoidance methods included knowledge about the local environment, perceptions of the inevitability of contracting malaria, and a desire to fit with the norms of host families. Previous experience of bed nets, and the belief that more modern ways of preventing mosquito bites were available deterred people from using them. Chemoprophylaxis use was varied and influenced by: perceptions about continuing immunity to malaria; previous experiences of malaria illness; the cost of chemoprophylaxis; beliefs about the likely severity of malaria infections; the influence of friends in the UK; and, the way malaria is perceived and managed in Nigeria and Ghana. Malaria treatment was considered by many to be superior in Nigeria and Ghana than in the UK. A conceptual framework was developed to illustrate the manner in which these factors interact to affect malaria decisions.ConclusionsThe use of malaria prevention among VFRs needs to be understood not only in terms of individual risk factors but also in relation to the context in which decisions are made. For VFRs, malaria decisions are undertaken across two distinct social and environmental contexts and within the structural constraints associated with each. Strategies for reducing the burden of malaria among VFRs that ignore this complexity are likely to face challenges. New approaches that take account of contextual as well as individual factors are required.