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Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World...
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Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 107454

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri Niyom

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Interests: epidemiology; tropical infectious diseases; public health informatics
Dr. Daniel M. Parker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, College of Health Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
Interests: infectious diseases epidemiology; GIS; global health; disease ecology; anthropology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Thundon Ngamprasertchai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Interests: traveller’s health; immunization; general infectious diseases; epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since 2020, our world has been suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the disease now affecting nearly all regions and populations and impacting healthcare systems and economies. The dynamics of population movements, especially international ones, were paused by travel restrictions. The epidemiology of some important tropical and infectious diseases also changed. The incidence of some respiratory viruses, such as influenza, virtually disappeared during the pandemic, while the epidemiology of some tropical diseases, such as dengue, also differed. Fortunately, with effective vaccine rollouts, “new normal” societies are gradually re-emerging. Mask wearing and other personal protective measures, such as hand hygiene, became essential for everyday life in many places. We anticipate that these changes will have a major impact on disease epidemiology after the pandemic era.

This Special Issue accepts articles from various disciplines to demonstrate the impact the pandemic has had on the changing epidemiology of infectious and tropical diseases involving viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths. We welcome original articles, reviews (both narrative and systematic) and meta-analyses.

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri Niyom
Dr. Daniel M. Parker
Dr. Thundon Ngamprasertchai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • tropical diseases
  • epidemiology
  • spatial epidemiology
  • social epidemiology
  • lockdown
  • reopening
  • travel
  • COVID-19
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • pandemic

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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11 pages, 802 KiB  
Article
Clinical Characteristics Associated with Detected Respiratory Microorganism Employing Multiplex Nested PCR in Patients with Presumptive COVID-19 but Negative Molecular Results in Lima, Peru
by Juan Carlos Gómez de la Torre Pretell, Miguel Hueda-Zavaleta, José Alonso Cáceres-DelAguila, Claudia Barletta-Carrillo, Cesar Copaja-Corzo, Maria del Pilar Suarez Poccorpachi, María Soledad Vega Delgado, Gloria Maria Magdalena Levano Sanchez and Vicente A. Benites-Zapata
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(11), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7110340 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2633
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic circumstances have varied the pathogens related to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and most specialists have ignored them due to SARS-CoV-2’s similar symptomatology. We identify respiratory pathogens with multiplex PCR in samples with presumptive SARS-CoV-2 but negative RT-qPCR results. We performed [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic circumstances have varied the pathogens related to acute respiratory infections (ARI), and most specialists have ignored them due to SARS-CoV-2’s similar symptomatology. We identify respiratory pathogens with multiplex PCR in samples with presumptive SARS-CoV-2 but negative RT-qPCR results. We performed a retrospective transversal study employing clinical data and nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients with suspected clinical SARS-CoV-2 infection and a negative PCR result in a private laboratory in Lima, Peru. The samples were analyzed using the FilmArray™ respiratory panel. Of 342 samples, we detected at least one pathogen in 50% of the samples. The main ones were rhinovirus (54.38%), influenza A(H3N2) (22.80%), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (14.04%). The clinical characteristics were sore throat (70.18%), cough (58.48%), nasal congestion (56.43%), and fever (40.06%). Only 41.46% and 48.78% of patients with influenza met the definition of influenza-like illness (ILI) by the World Health Organization (WHO) (characterized by cough and fever) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (characterized by fever and cough and sore throat), respectively. A higher prevalence of influenza was associated with ILI by WHO (aPR: 2.331) and ILI by CDC (aPR: 1.892), which was not observed with other respiratory viruses. The clinical characteristic associated with the increased prevalence of rhinovirus was nasal congestion (aPR: 1.84). For patients with ARI and negative PCR results, the leading respiratory pathogens detected were rhinovirus, influenza, and RSV. Less than half of patients with influenza presented ILI, although its presence was specific to the disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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10 pages, 812 KiB  
Article
Clinical Course and Outcomes among COVID-19 Patients at the Hospitel in Bangkok: A Retrospective Study
by Jackrapong Bruminhent, Yosapan Kaewsanga, Werapoj Jiraaumpornpat, Vanlapa Arnuntasupakul, Thitiporn Suwatanapongched and Sasisopin Kiertiburanakul
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(9), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7090238 - 10 Sep 2022
Viewed by 2330
Abstract
A hospitel is a hotel that has been designated as an extension of the healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in resource-limited settings. However, the clinical course and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to this unique type of facility have never been [...] Read more.
A hospitel is a hotel that has been designated as an extension of the healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in resource-limited settings. However, the clinical course and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to this unique type of facility have never been studied. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of adult patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to a single hospitel in Bangkok, Thailand. Risk factors with respect to chest X-ray progression and clinical progression were analyzed using a logistic regression. A total of 514 patients were recruited, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 35.6 (13.4) years, and 58.6% were women. Patients were admitted after a median (interquartile range) of 3 (2–6) days of illness and were classified with mild (12.3%), moderate (86.6%), and severe (1.1%) conditions. Favipiravir and corticosteroids were prescribed in 26.3% and 14.9% of patients, respectively. Chest X-ray progression was found in 7.6% of patients, and hospital transfer occurred in 2.9%, with no deaths. Favipiravir use (odds ratio (OR) 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–7.5, p = 0.005), nausea/vomiting after admission (OR 32.3, 95% CI 1.5–700.8, p = 0.03), and higher oxygen saturation on admission (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.22–3.23, p = 0.005) were factors associated with chest X-ray progression. Additionally, an oxygen requirement on admission was an independent risk factor for hospital transfer (OR 904, 95% CI 113–7242, p < 0.001). In a setting where the hospitel has been proposed as an extension facility for patients with relatively non-severe COVID-19, most patients could achieve a favorable clinical outcome. However, patients who require oxygen supplementation should be closely monitored for disease progression and promptly transferred to a hospital if necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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15 pages, 1008 KiB  
Article
Temporal Trend of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Factors Influencing International Travellers
by Manasvin Onwan, Wasin Matsee, Saranath Lawpoolsri, Phimphan Pisutsan, Tanaya Siripoon, Suda Punrin and Watcharapong Piyaphanee
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(9), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7090223 - 2 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2163
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen disrupted international travel due to travel restrictions and public health measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus. With increasing evidence of the COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to mitigate disease severity, reopening tourism is desirable to promote the [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen disrupted international travel due to travel restrictions and public health measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus. With increasing evidence of the COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to mitigate disease severity, reopening tourism is desirable to promote the recovery of the global economy. However, the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination passport for international travellers remains an ongoing debate. Little is known of the acceptance of these and the influencing factors among this population group. Therefore, this study sought to determine the temporal trend in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and influencing factors among international travellers. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among international travellers who visited the Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Mahidol University, Thailand from June 2021 to December 2021 (3 different variants dominated during this period). Study data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 23. Chi-square was used to demonstrate associations. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the magnitude of effect, demonstrated by odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. All significant variables were included in a multinomial logistic regression model to estimate adjusted odds ratios. The study enrolled 1068 travellers, 719 (67.3%) Thai and 349 (32.7%) foreign travellers. Most travellers were female (55.4%) and aged 18–30 years. The three main purposes for visiting the clinic were: for study, visiting friends and relatives, and returning to their home country. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among the travellers was 96.2%. The temporal trend of acceptance among Thai and non-Thai travelers varied from 93–99% and 93–100%, respectively. Vaccine efficacy, protective duration of the vaccine, risk of infection, and travel plan were factors strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. In conclusion, the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among these international travellers was very high. The safe and effective reopening of tourism to international travellers will facilitate economic recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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13 pages, 1152 KiB  
Article
Cardiovascular Manifestation of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents
by Suyanee Mansanguan, Prakaykaew Charunwatthana, Watcharapong Piyaphanee, Wilanee Dechkhajorn, Akkapon Poolcharoen and Chayasin Mansanguan
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2022, 7(8), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7080196 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 93902
Abstract
This study focuses on cardiovascular manifestation, particularly myocarditis and pericarditis events, after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine injection in Thai adolescents. This prospective cohort study enrolled students aged 13–18 years from two schools, who received the second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. [...] Read more.
This study focuses on cardiovascular manifestation, particularly myocarditis and pericarditis events, after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine injection in Thai adolescents. This prospective cohort study enrolled students aged 13–18 years from two schools, who received the second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Data including demographics, symptoms, vital signs, ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac enzymes were collected at baseline, Day 3, Day 7, and Day 14 (optional) using case record forms. We enrolled 314 participants; of these, 13 participants were lost to follow-up, leaving 301 participants for analysis. The most common cardiovascular signs and symptoms were tachycardia (7.64%), shortness of breath (6.64%), palpitation (4.32%), chest pain (4.32%), and hypertension (3.99%). One participant could have more than one sign and/or symptom. Seven participants (2.33%) exhibited at least one elevated cardiac biomarker or positive lab assessments. Cardiovascular manifestations were found in 29.24% of patients, ranging from tachycardia or palpitation to myopericarditis. Myopericarditis was confirmed in one patient after vaccination. Two patients had suspected pericarditis and four patients had suspected subclinical myocarditis. In conclusion, Cardiovascular manifestation in adolescents after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination included tachycardia, palpitation, and myopericarditis. The clinical presentation of myopericarditis after vaccination was usually mild and temporary, with all cases fully recovering within 14 days. Hence, adolescents receiving mRNA vaccines should be monitored for cardiovascular side effects. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05288231. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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9 pages, 3365 KiB  
Case Report
Cerebral Cryptococcosis Associated with CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia in Non-HIV Patients after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Case Series in a Specialized Institute in Lima, Peru
by Juana M. Huamani-Córdova, Miguel Hueda-Zavaleta, Victor Vargas-Bellina, Lourdes Simbron-Ribbeck, Katty del Rosario Chong-Chinchay, Juan Carlos Gómez de la Torre and Vicente A. Benítes-Zapata
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(3), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8030182 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1755
Abstract
Cases of cryptococcosis have been reported in patients with COVID-19. The majority are in patients with severe symptoms or who received immunosuppressants. However, there is still no clear association between COVID-19 and cryptococcosis. We report eight cases of cerebral cryptococcosis associated with CD4+ [...] Read more.
Cases of cryptococcosis have been reported in patients with COVID-19. The majority are in patients with severe symptoms or who received immunosuppressants. However, there is still no clear association between COVID-19 and cryptococcosis. We report eight cases of cerebral cryptococcosis associated with CD4+ T lymphocytopenia in non-HIV patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The median age was 57 years and 5/8 were male. In addition, 2/8 of patients had diabetes, and 8/8 had a history of mild COVID-19, with a median of 75 days before diagnosis of cerebral cryptococcosis. All patients denied having received prior immunosuppressive therapy. The most frequent symptoms were confusion (8/8), headache (7/8), vomiting (6/8), and nausea (6/8) All patients were diagnosed by isolating Cryptococcus in cerebrospinal fluid. The median CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes were 247 and 173.5, respectively. Other causes of immunosuppression, such as HIV or HTLV infection, were excluded in all patients. Finally, three patients died, and one presented long-term visual and auditory sequelae. The CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte count normalized during follow-up in those patients who survived. We hypothesize that CD4+ T lymphocytopenia in the patients in this case series could increase the risk of cryptococcosis after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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18 pages, 846 KiB  
Systematic Review
Severity of COVID-19 in Patients with Diarrhoea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Sunita Dhakal, Pimphen Charoen, Wirichada Pan-ngum, Viravarn Luvira, Chaisith Sivakorn, Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn, Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn and Kittiyod Poovorawan
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2023, 8(2), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed8020084 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3403
Abstract
COVID-19 patients occasionally present with diarrhoea. Our objective was to estimate the risk of developing the severe disease in COVID-19 patients with and without diarrhoea and to provide a more precise estimate of the prevalence of COVID-19-associated digestive symptoms. A total of 88 [...] Read more.
COVID-19 patients occasionally present with diarrhoea. Our objective was to estimate the risk of developing the severe disease in COVID-19 patients with and without diarrhoea and to provide a more precise estimate of the prevalence of COVID-19-associated digestive symptoms. A total of 88 studies (n = 67,794) on patients with a COVID-19 infection published between 1 January 2020 and 20 October 2022 were included in this meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of digestive symptoms was 27% (95% confidence interval (CI): 21–34%; I2 = 99%). According to our data, the pooled prevalence of diarrhoea symptoms in the 88 studies analysed was 17% (95% CI: 14–20%; I2 = 98%). The pooled estimate of nausea or vomiting in a total of 60 studies was 12% (95% CI: 8–15%; I2 = 98%). We also analysed 23 studies with eligible individuals (n = 3800) to assess the association between the disease severity and diarrhoea. Individuals who had diarrhoea were more likely to have experienced severe COVID-19 (odds ratio: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.31–2.24; p < 0.0001; I2 = 10%). Gastrointestinal symptoms and diarrhoea are frequently presenting COVID-19 manifestations that physicians should be aware of. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes in Tropical and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Following the World Re-opening)
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