Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis have been recognized by the WHO as ‘Neglected Diseases’. Minimal attention has been paid to the spatial and temporal distribution of disease incidence patterns. Using disease notification data, we detected spatio-temporal clusters of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis across three time periods: (i) 1997–2000, (ii) 2001–2004, (iii) 2005–2008. There was substantial variation in the geographical location and timing of recurrent cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis clusters. Statistically significant (P < 0·05) giardiasis clusters tended to occur in predominantly urban areas with little apparent seasonal influence, while statistically significant cryptosporidiosis clusters were detected in spring, in areas with high livestock land use. The location and timing of cryptosporidiosis clusters suggest an influence of livestock production practices, while urban exposures and host behaviour are likely to influence giardiasis clusters. This approach provides a resource-efficient method for public health authorities to prioritize future research needs and areas for intervention.

Death certificate reports and laboratory-confirmed influenza deaths probably underestimate paediatric deaths attributable to influenza. Using US mortality data for persons aged <18 years who died during 28 September 2003 to 2 October 2010, we estimated influenza-attributable deaths using a generalized linear regression model based on seasonal covariates, influenza-certified deaths (deaths for which influenza was a reported cause of death), and occurrence during the 2009 pandemic period. Of 32 783 paediatric deaths in the death categories examined, 853 (3%) were influenza-certified. The estimated number of influenza-attributable deaths over the study period was 1·8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·3–2·8] times higher than the number of influenza-certified deaths. Influenza-attributable deaths were 2·1 (95% CI 1·5–3·4) times higher than influenza-certified deaths during the non-pandemic period and 1·1 (95% CI 1·0–1·8) times higher during the pandemic. Overall, US paediatric deaths attributable to influenza were almost twice the number reported by death certificate codes in the seasons prior to the 2009 pandemic.

We report the first study of macrolide resistance in respiratory tract pathogens in a Serbian paediatric population. It included 5293 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4297 Streptococcus pyogenes, 2568 Moraxella catarrhalis and 1998 Haemophilus influenzae isolates derived from the respiratory tract and 110 invasive isolates from children aged up to 18 years during 2004–2009. Over the 6-year period, a significant increase (P < 0·01) in macrolide resistance was found in both S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes that reached 45% and 19%, respectively, in 2009. In the same period, consumption of macrolides increased continually from 2·46 to 5·8 defined daily dose/1000 inhabitants per day. The increase in macrolide resistance in S. pyogenes correlated with consumption of total macrolide and long-acting macrolides (r = 0·879, P = 0·05 and r = 0·922, P = 0·026, respectively). A similar trend was observed in pneumoccoci, although it did not reach statistical significance. The growing problem of macrolide resistance in pneumococci and S. pyogenes in Serbia requires further vigilant surveillance.

An observational study was conducted to describe the epidemiology of bacteriuria and candiduria in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the occurrence of blood stream infection (BSI) associated with ICU-acquired positive urine culture. Between 2006 and 2011, 444 episodes of either bacteriuria or candiduria defined by positive urine culture (microorganisms ⩾105 c.f.u./ml) occurred in 406 patients. Three hundred and seventy-seven (85%) were hospital-acquired including 221 which were ICU-acquired (6·4 ± 0·8 episodes/1000 ICU days). Escherichia coli was the most common bacteria of both community- and ICU-acquired bacteriuria/candiduria (49·2% and 29%, respectively). Candida spp. represented 55% (129/236) of pathogens responsible for ICU-acquired positive urine cultures. Patients with ICU-acquired candiduria had greater illness severity at ICU admission than those with ICU-acquired bacteriuria (APACHE III score 79 ± 25 vs. 66 ± 31, P = 0·0015). BSI associated with ICU-acquired positive urine culture occurred in 0·15/1000 ICU days and was more often due to Candida. In this study, Candida was the most common pathogen responsible for ICU-acquired positive urine cultures and illness severity was a risk factor for candiduria in the study population.

Little is known about HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) in newly diagnosed HIV-infected adults in eastern China where the HIV epidemic is spreading predominantly through sexual contact. During 2008–2011, newly HIV-diagnosed adults in Taizhou prefecture, Zhejiang province in eastern China were examined for HIVDR by amplifying and sequencing the HIV-1 pol gene. Of 447 genotyped participants, 53·7% were infected with CRF01_AE, 20·1% with CRF07_BC, 12·5% with subtype B, and 11·6% with CRF08_BC. Most of the participants had one or more minor genetic mutations in the pol gene that are associated with HIVDR. Twelve (2·7%) participants met the standard guidelines of having low to high HIVDR, suggesting that the prevalence of HIVDR in newly HIV-diagnosed adults was low in the study area and current antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens are likely to remain effective. However, given high frequency of minor HIVDR in HIV patients and the scaling up of ART programmes in China, larger HIVDR surveillance programmes are needed.