A serosurvey for measles, mumps and rubella was conducted in Italy; incidence based on statutory notifications over the last three decades was also calculated. In Italy the diseases followed an endemic–epidemic pattern, with an incidence peak every 2–4 years, and had a limited reduction of incidence attributable to childhood immunization. Lower notification rates were observed in the Southern regions. This is possibly related to greater under notification in the South and is confirmed by our seroprevalence data. Incidence of measles and rubella and proportion of cases among young adults increased significantly in the three decades considered, but not for mumps. Serological data confirmed that these infections are still very frequent in Italy, without significant geographic variation in the country. In the age groups 2–4 and 5–9 years the percentage of individuals still susceptible to each virus was higher than 30%. The proportion of susceptible subjects older than 15 years was similar for the three infections (6·1, 11·7 and 8·8% for measles, mumps and rubella, respectively). The low vaccine coverage for rubella and measles in Italy has so far only partially affected the occurrence of the diseases. No impact of mumps vaccination is visible. The average number of deaths, for each disease, has decreased during the three study periods. Today the priority in Italy is to halt the progressive increase of the mean age of acquisition of the three infections, to eliminate differences in coverage among regions and to conform to European standards. This will be achieved through a combination of increasing MMR vaccine coverage before 2 years of age, implementing vaccination campaigns for low seroprevalence age groups, and/or introducing a second dose of MMR, depending on the level of current MMR coverage.

Genomic variability within the sequences of VP1/2A junction among polioviruses from across the globe has revealed the existence of several endemic genotypes and their epidemiological inter-relationships; but such data on Indian isolates are scanty. The present work was intended to ascertain the persistence and transmission pattern of different genotypes of wild type 1 polioviruses circulating in India. Forty-eight wild type 1 poliovirus isolates obtained from different parts of India during 1996–8 were subjected to RT–PCR and nucleotide sequencing using M13 tailed primers. A 293 base pair region was amplified and sequenced for genetic variation study. Considering the 15% divergence of the sequences from Sabin 1, the isolates from six different states of India confirmed a single dominant genotype 4. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation and active inter-state transmission of many genetically distinct strains of wild poliovirus type 1 belonging to genotype 4. This warrants the need for insisting on more efficient surveillance mechanisms so as to assess the impact of an extensive pulse polio immunization programme in India.

Measles surveillance data in Blantyre, Malawi were reviewed for 1996–8 to describe the epidemiology of infection and to estimate vaccine efficacy (VE) by the screening method. A total of 674 measles cases were reported to the Blantyre District Health Office during this period. Age distribution showed that 108 (16.1%) of the cases were aged less than 1 year. The median age was 5 years. Eighty percent of the cases between 1 and 19 years had been previously vaccinated. VE was 68.6% (95% CI, 52.7–79.2) for children 12–23 months of age and 67.3% (95% CI, 48.3–79.3) for infants 9–11 months of age. Reasons for this low vaccine efficacy are discussed. Previous vaccination history was negatively associated with the risk for developing cough during measles infection (odds ratio (OR), 0.30; 95% CI, 0.09–0.91), diarrhoea (OR, 0.64; CI, 0.44–0.95) and pneumonia (OR, 0.40; CI, 0.25–0.62). Logistic regression analysis showed that pneumonia in adults was negatively associated with vaccination history. The passive surveillance system for measles in Malawi was useful to describe the epidemiology of measles.

A mumps outbreak occurred in a group of vaccinated children aged 3–4 years in San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain) in 2000 during the same period as a revaccination campaign against measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) was performed. The clinical cases were confirmed by viral culture, detection of viral RNA and/or specific IgM. Eighty-eight percent of the children had been vaccinated with the Rubini strain and the remainder with the Jeryl–Lynn strain. The attack rate was 47·9% (35 cases in 73 school-attending children of this age). The outbreak was caused by an H genotype strain of mumps virus which was circulating at the same time as a D genotype strain that caused sporadic cases. By sequencing the small hydrophobic (SH) gene, the strains of the clinical cases were identified as wild-type mumps virus with heterologous genotypes in comparison to the vaccine strains used in our area.

Several outbreaks of hepatitis A occurred in Norway in 1995–8. Molecular epidemiology was used to follow the spread of hepatitis A virus in the population. Distinct strains of hepatitis A virus (HAV) were detected by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and subsequent sequencing in serum from patients in different communities at risk of infection. Two HAV strains were detected in an outbreak among 26 men having sexual contact with other men. One of these strains was also detected in a geographically limited family outbreak. The family outbreak was first believed to be acquired abroad. The sequence information linked the two outbreaks, and epidemiological and serological analyses revealed the transmission route. This study demonstrates the importance of molecular epidemiology in outbreak investigation, surveillance and monitoring of hepatitis A in the population.

The aim was to evaluate hepatitis C surveillance in Poland during 1998. Hepatitis C reports were obtained from epidemiology offices. Public health staff were interviewed to collect information on surveillance operations. To estimate the proportion of acute cases among the total reported, a study was conducted in the Warsaw district to validate case reports. A total of 1661 (97.2%) hepatitis C cases were studied. Hepatitis C surveillance was timely and acceptable to the user, but did not provide a number of information elements required to differentiate acute from chronic cases of infection. Of the 268 case reports available in the Warsaw district, only 15 (5.6%) met the acute hepatitis C case definition. It is concluded that hepatitis C surveillance in Poland cannot provide useful incidence estimates and information regarding risk factors for acute infection. A strict case definition and a modified case form with specific questions for HCV transmission routes should be applied.

The aim of this study was to estimate the completeness of notification of malaria by physicians and laboratories in the Netherlands in 1996. We used a capture–recapture (CRC) analysis of three incomplete, partially overlapping registers of malaria cases: a laboratory survey, the Notification Office and the hospital admission registration. The response of the laboratories was 83.2%. In 1996 the laboratories microscopically identified 535 cases of malaria, 330 patients with malaria were admitted to hospital and physicians notified 311 malaria cases. 667 malaria cases were recorded in at least one register. CRC analysis estimated the total number of malaria cases at 774 (95% CI of 740–821). This implies a completeness of notification of 40.2% for physicians and 69.1% for the laboratories. It can be concluded that laboratory-based notification can considerably increase the number of officially reported malaria cases as compared to notification by physicians. However, possibly one-third of the cases may still go unreported.

We followed students in eight elementary schools for rubella antibody from 1993 to 1996 (602 pairs) and 1996–9 (588 pairs) in Gyeonggi Province, Korea. We tested rubella IgG and administered rubella vaccine to the children with the titres <10 IU/ml. The loss rates of rubella IgG during the follow-up periods were 14·3 and 15·8%, respectively. Among vaccinated groups, the loss rate was 18·8%, which was significantly higher than 13·8% of the mixture of natural and vaccine-induced immunity groups. The group that had the lower preceding antibody titre had a higher loss rate of 24·8% compared to 7·2% for the group whose titre was 40 IU/ml or above. In a multivariate analysis, age and gender were not related to antibody loss rate. Under this higher rubella antibody loss rate, in order to prevent congenital rubella syndrome, the immunization for women at childbearing age appears necessary until rubella can be eliminated or controlled.

We present the investigation of an outbreak of cercarial dermatitis that occurred in a recreational-tourist lake in the Québec City region (Canada) in the summer of 1999. A case-reporting form was sent to 450 families likely to have activities that would bring them in contact with the lake's water. The snails were characterized and the prevalence of their infestation by schistosomes was investigated. In total, 63 episodes consistent with cercarial dermatitis were reported. Sixty-nine percent of the cases occurred from swimming at the same beach. This location was the one where the only population of snails in the lake was identified. Shoreline residents were informed that they should not feed waterfowl, and a clean-up of the snail population was done at the start of the following summer. There were no cases of cercarial dermatitis at this site the following summer.

A large outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred among three different groups of guests and the employees of a Virginia hotel within a 2-week period in November 2000. At least 76 of the hotel's guests and 40 hotel employees had acute gastroenteritis during this period. All tested ill persons were infected with the same strain of Norwalk-like virus, as shown by cloning and sequencing of virus detected in stool specimens from the three guest groups and the employees. Epidemiologic investigation suggested food as the probable source for the guests. Most of the employees, including those sick, did not eat in the hotel, suggesting that environmental contamination and person-to-person transmission could have contributed to the outbreak. The disease continued to spread in the hotel, passing from one guest group to another, by food, environmental contamination, and/or by person-to-person transmission through infected employees and guests. The study describes procedures implemented to control the outbreak and makes recommendations for future outbreak control.

In a prospective observational study 4485 patients from 46 clinical centres in 17 European countries were followed between April 1994 and November 1996. Information on AIDS-defining events (ADEs) were collected together with basic demographic data, treatment history and laboratory results. The centres were divided into four geographical regions (north, central, south-west and south-east) so that it was possible to identify any existing regional differences in ADEs. The regional differences that we observed included a higher risk of all forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections (Tb) and wasting disease in the south-west and an increased risk of infections with the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in the north. In Cox multivariable analyses, where north was used as the reference group, we observed hazard ratios of 6·87, 7·77, 2·29 and 0·16 (P<0·05 in all cases) for pulmonary Tb, extrapulmonary Tb, wasting disease and MAC respectively in the south-west. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was less commonly diagnosed in the central region (RH=0·51, 95% CI 0·32–0·79, P=0·003) and most common in the south-east (RH=1·04, 95% CI 0·71–1·51, P=0·85). Comparisons with a similar ‘AIDS in Europe’ study that concentrated on the early phase of the epidemic reveal that most of the regional differences that were observed in the 1980s still persist in the mid-1990s.

An outbreak of Norwalk-like calicivirus (NLV) gastroenteritis occurred in a rehabilitation centre in southern Finland between December 1999 and February 2000. An epidemiological investigation was conducted to determine the source and extent of the outbreak. More than 300 guests and staff members became ill during the outbreak. No food or activity in the centre could be linked epidemiologically to illness. NLV genogroup II was detected by RT–PCR in stool samples of symptomatic guests and employees. All strains reacted similarly with the microplate hybridization probe panel and showed the same nucleotide sequence, indicating that they represented the same NLV strain. Food and water samples were negative for NLV, whereas NLV was detected in three environmental specimens. The strains from patients and environment were identical based on microplate hybridization probes, suggesting that environmental contamination may have been important for the spread of calicivirus and the protracted course of the outbreak.

The hypothesis tested was that dairy herds which import cattle for replacement or expansion have a higher prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis and a greater number of new Staphylococcus aureus strains enter their herds than closed herds. Fifteen commercial dairy herds were divided into four groups based on cattle importation practices. Composite foremilk samples were collected at 4-monthly intervals for 1 year from all lactating cattle. Additionally, foremilk samples were collected from cattle at parturition and skin swabs were taken from the udder of primiparous heifers. All samples were cultured for Staphylococcus aureus and isolates were strain-typed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Herds that purchased replacement heifers had a higher prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis than herds that purchased lactating cattle for expansion (P = 0.02). Herds that purchased replacement heifers had more total strains of Staphylococcus aureus (P = 0.01) and more new strains (P = 0.04) enter the herd than closed herds.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) among injecting drug users (IDUs) is one of the European Union's (EU) major public health problems. This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding HCV among IDUs in EU countries. Studies published between January 1990 and December 2000, were identified through a computerized search (MEDLINE and EMBASE). Ninety-eight studies have reported prevalence for HCV among groups of IDUs in all EU countries except Luxembourg. The prevalence of anti-HCV ranged from 30 to 98%. Incidence rates ranged from 6·2 to 39·3 per 100 person years. This review provides a comprehensive examination of HCV infection among IDUs in the countries of the EU, and quite clearly demonstrates that the quality and epidemiological relevance of the studies published varies widely. Thus, the reported data may not reflect accurately the current or recent past prevalence of HCV among IDUs in the EU. A strategic approach to the surveillance of HCV among IDUs in the EU, utilizing robust and consistent methods, is required urgently.

The ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), is one of the falciparum malaria vaccine candidates rarely studied in Brazil. Fieldwork logistics to conduct serology studies is simplified when eluates from whole blood dried on filter paper can be used. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the inter-test reliability for the anti-RESA ELISA-based indices using eluates from filter paper and from serum samples. The study population consisted of 210 individuals (Brazil) from whom matched samples were collected. Anti-RESA ELISA-based index means (±S.D.) were 15.29% (±28.13%) for filter paper and 11.79% (±23.67%) for serum samples. The intra-class correlation coefficient was estimated to be 82.38%, indicating high test reliability. However, there was a significant tendency for filter paper test results to have higher values than serum sample test results (P<0.001). Explanations for this finding may be the presence of haemoglobin in the eluates from filter paper, which may interfere with ELISA testing.

The English HCV lookback programme has identified some individuals with transfusion-transmitted HCV infection. The path from the collection of donations from HCV-infected donors to the identification of infected recipients was constructed. The probability of different outcomes at each branch was derived from data collected during this programme. This path of probabilities was then used to produce a complete estimate of the number of recipients infected by blood transfusions (dead and alive at the end of 1995) by re-entry of blood components that fell out of the lookback at various steps prior to recipient testing, and entry of components from HCV-infected donations that were never identified for lookback. Less than 14 000 recipients were estimated to have been infected with HCV during the decade prior to the start of donation testing. Over 60% of these were expected to have died by the end of 1995. Transfusion has infected a large group of individuals. However, this group constitutes a very small, and declining, proportion of all HCV infections in the population.

An ordinary differential equation model was developed to simulate dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. Data to estimate model parameters were obtained from an 18-month observational study in three commercial dairy herds. A deterministic simulation model was constructed to estimate values of the basic (R0) and effective (Rt) reproductive number in each herd, and to examine the effect of management on mastitis control. In all herds R0 was below the threshold value 1, indicating control of contagious transmission. Rt was higher than R0 because recovered individuals were more susceptible to infection than individuals without prior infection history. Disease dynamics in two herds were well described by the model. Treatment of subclinical mastitis and prevention of influx of infected individuals contributed to decrease of S. aureus prevalence. For one herd, the model failed to mimic field observations. Explanations for the discrepancy are given in a discussion of current knowledge and model assumptions.

Transmission is the driving force in the dynamics of any infectious disease. A crucial element in understanding disease dynamics, therefore, is the ‘transmission term’ describing the rate at which susceptible hosts are ‘converted’ into infected hosts by their contact with infectious material. Recently, the conventional form of this term has been increasingly questioned, and new terminologies and conventions have been proposed. Here, therefore, we review the derivation of transmission terms, explain the basis of confusion, and provide clarification. The root of the problem has been a failure to include explicit consideration of the area occupied by a host population, alongside both the number of infectious hosts and their density within the population. We argue that the terms ‘density-dependent transmission’ and ‘frequency-dependent transmission’ remain valid and useful (though a ‘fuller’ transmission term for the former is identified), but that the terms ‘mass action’, ‘true mass action’ and ‘pseudo mass action’ are all unhelpful and should be dropped. Also, contrary to what has often been assumed, the distinction between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixing in a host population is orthogonal to the distinction between density- and frequency-dependent transmission modes.

Recently, concern has increased regarding the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the community. We studied 812 subjects from central Italy to establish the rates of nasal carriage of S. aureus, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns, in the community. The prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage was 30.5%. Only one subject, with predisposing risk factors for acquisition, was identified as carrier of MRSA (prevalence of 0.12%). The presence of MRSA in the community of our area still appears to be a rare event. Among methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, a surprisingly high rate (18%) of resistance to rifampin was observed.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) suppresses many aspects of cell-mediated immunity but it is uncertain whether solar UV exposure alters resistance to human infectious diseases. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella (chickenpox) and can reactivate from latency to cause zoster (shingles). The monthly incidence of chickenpox and zoster in a defined Polish population over 2 years was recorded and ground level solar UV was measured daily. There was a significant seasonality of UVR. Evidence of seasonal variation was found for all zoster cases and for zoster in males, with the lowest number of cases in the winter. The number of zoster cases with lesions occurring on exposed body sites (the face) demonstrated highly significant seasonality with a peak in July/August. Seasonal models for UVR and zoster cases showed similar temporal patterns. By contrast, for varicella, the maximum number of cases was found in March and the minimum in August/September, probably explained by the respiratory spread of VZV. It is tempting to speculate that the increase in solar UVR in the summer could induce suppression of cellular immunity, thus contributing to the corresponding rise in the incidence of zoster.