What types of contacts are important for the spread of infections? Using contact survey data to explore European mixing patterns

Melegaro, Alessia; Jit, Mark; Zagheni, Emilio; Edmunds, W. John

doi:10.1016/j.epidem.2011.04.001

Cited by 138 publications

(152 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…There is, however, strong circumstantial evidence that the contact diary approach, with a definition of contact which includes conversational or physical touch encounters, can capture aspects of social interaction important for the transmission of infection [59, 65, 70]. These studies have investigated the utility of social contact data in explaining patterns of serological prevalence in a population.…”

Section: Future Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Close encounters of the infectious kind: methods to measure social mixing behaviour

et al. 2012

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SUMMARY A central tenet of close-contact or respiratory infection epidemiology is that infection patterns within human populations are related to underlying patterns of social interaction. Until recently, few researchers had attempted to quantify potentially infectious encounters made between people. Now, however, several studies have quantified social mixing behaviour, using a variety of methods. Here, we review the methodologies employed, suggest other appropriate methods and technologies, and outline future research challenges for this rapidly advancing field of research.

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Section: Future Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Close encounters of the infectious kind: methods to measure social mixing behaviour

et al. 2012

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“…Available projections on mortality, birth and migration rates [34] relative to the period 2010-2050 were used for model predictions about future dynamics. For what concerns the transmission model, as no survey data on social mixing patterns [35,36] are available for Spain, we parametrized age-specific contact patterns with estimates based on census-type data provided by a previously published study [37]. Calibration was done using age-specific VZV seroprevalence data in 1996 for Spain, made available by the European Seroepidemiological Network 2 [38], and agespecific data on HZ incidence from 2005 to 2006 [39].…”

Section: Methods (A) Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of demographic changes on the epidemiology of herpes zoster: Spain as a case study

et al. 2015

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Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella upon first exposure and may reactivate later in life into herpes zoster (HZ), with a risk that is thought to be reduced by re-exposures to VZV. Given the decades-long time scales of reactivation and its dependence on the accumulation of re-exposure episodes, adopting a long-term perspective may be useful to correctly interpret current epidemiological trends of VZV. In this study, we investigate the possible impact of demographic changes on varicella and HZ in Spain, using an agestructured mathematical model informed with historical demographic data and calibrated against age-specific profiles of varicella seroprevalence and HZ incidence data. The model qualitatively reproduces the remarkable growth of HZ incidence observed in Spain between 1997 and 2004, before the introduction of varicella vaccination programmes. We demonstrate that this growth may be partially ascribed to the reduction of varicella circulation that followed the overall decline of the birth rate in the twentieth century. Model predictions further suggest that, even under the most optimistic projections, HZ incidence will continue its rise until at least 2040. Considering the effect of demographic changes can help interpreting variations in epidemiological trends of HZ, contributing to a more accurate evaluation of vaccination programmes against VZV.

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“…The prevalence of antibodies to B19 has been reported at higher rates in studies carried out in different geographic regions. Approximately 15% of preschool children, 50% of adults, and 85% of the elderly are seropositive (7). B19-specific IgG antibody prevalence varies worldwide, ranging from 2% to 15% in children aged 1-5 years and from 30% to 60% in adults (8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological prevalence of human parvovirus B19 in diseases or disordersrelated to different human body systems

2016

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IntroductionHuman parvovirus B19 (B19), frequently seen all over the world, is a pathogenic agent associated with various diseases and disorders that affect different body systems. Erythema infectiosum, chronic arthritis, spontaneous abortion, hematological disorders, myocarditis, and glomerulonephritis are only some of these (1-3). B19 is spread from person to person by infected respiratory secretions, by infected blood and blood-product transfusions, and by vertical transmission from mother to fetus (4,5).B19-specific IgM antibodies appear 10-12 days after exposure to the virus and may be detected in serum for 3-6 months. IgG antibodies appear after approximately 2 weeks and persist for life (6). The prevalence of antibodies to B19 has been reported at higher rates in studies carried out in different geographic regions. Approximately 15% of preschool children, 50% of adults, and 85% of the elderly Background/aim: Human parvovirus B19 is a pathogen that affects different parts of the body. We planned this study because of the lack of data on B19 seroprevalence based on different body-system diseases. Materials and methods:The prevalence of parvovirus B19 antibodies was investigated retrospectively in 1239 patients by review of medical records from 2009-2012, according to their diseases classified under general titles in compliance with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Parvovirus B19-specific antibodies were detected by quantitative enzyme immunoassays. Results:The positivity rate was 27.8% for only IgG, 8.5% for only IgM, and 2.6% for both IgG and IgM. The highest positivity for IgG alone was found in musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases (55.9%), while the highest positivity for IgM was found in neoplasms (16.4%). The highest positivity for IgG was seen in rheumatoid arthritis (72.2%) and pregnancy (52.6%), and the highest positivity for total IgM was found in upper respiratory tract disease (21.0%) and hepatic failure (17.1%).Conclusions: Parvovirus B19 seroprevalence was relatively low in northeastern Anatolia compared to most serological studies conducted in other regions. We think that this study has provided the first wide-ranging information on the seroprevalence of B19 in diseases and disorders of the major human body systems.

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What types of contacts are important for the spread of infections? Using contact survey data to explore European mixing patterns

Cited by 138 publications

References 31 publications

Close encounters of the infectious kind: methods to measure social mixing behaviour

Close encounters of the infectious kind: methods to measure social mixing behaviour

The impact of demographic changes on the epidemiology of herpes zoster: Spain as a case study

Serological prevalence of human parvovirus B19 in diseases or disordersrelated to different human body systems

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