Journal of Travel Medicine

Increasing human mobility and population connectivity have intensified the risks of global pathogen spread, while concurrent shifts in human demographic patterns, ecological factors, and climatic conditions have altered the global landscape of this risk. Genomic surveillance can serve as a critical tool for early detection of emerging pathogen threats; however, challenges remain in deciding where to monitor, in understanding trade-offs among surveillance modalities, and in translating detections...

BackgroundDengue fever is a major neglected tropical disease with a rapidly rising global burden, and localized outbreaks are increasingly reported in southern subtropical China. Fujian Province, a coastal subtropical region with favorable ecological conditions for Aedes albopictus breeding and frequent cross-border exchanges with dengue-endemic areas, has had continuous local dengue cases for over a decade, raising concerns about the establishment of a stable natural endemic focus. Sustained lo...

BackgroundConcern about long-term health effects of repetitive head impacts in football has increased, but it remains unclear whether position-specific exposure patterns were associated with differential long-term all-cause mortality among elite players across the 20th century. MethodsWe conducted two retrospective cohort studies of elite male professional football players. The World Cup cohort included all players on the team rosters from FIFA World Cup tournaments (1930-1990), and the UEFA Eu...

Vector-borne diseases represent a growing public health issue nationwide. Nebraska reports a sustained burden of mosquito-borne diseases and expanding tick-borne disease risk. This study aims to assess trends in vector abundance, vector infection rates, and human vector-borne disease reports using retrospective surveillance data and to examine the relationship between vector factors and human risk across the state. Vector abundance and pathogen infection rates were mapped alongside presence and ...

We evaluated the probability of need for public health action against trachoma in Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Compared to global references, seroconversion rates to Chlamydia trachomatis Pgp3 in children suggest high probability of action needed in rural villages (91%) and lower in more urban areas (32%), motivating further trachoma assessment.

ObjectiveTo estimate dengue virus (DENV) seroprevalence and assess parental vaccine perceptions among children in the US Virgin Islands (USVI). MethodsA cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted during April-May 2022 among 372 children aged 8-16 years from 15 schools across USVI. Past DENV infection was determined using a dengue IgG rapid diagnostic test. Data on demographics, dengue knowledge, and vaccine acceptance were collected from parents. Catalytic models estimated annual DENV force of in...

AbstractsO_ST_ABSBackgroundC_ST_ABSAccurate dengue forecasting is vital for public health preparedness. Despite a surge in forecasting approaches, a quantitative ranking of the relative performance and practical utility of dengue forecasting is lacking. MethodsA systematic review and Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) of studies comparing dengue forecasting methods (2014-2024) was conducted. Models were categorised into five groups: Time Series, Deep Learning (DL), Machine Learning (excluding DL), Hyb...

BackgroundDengue virus (DENV) is an increasingly recognized cause of febrile illness in sub-Saharan Africa, yet its epidemiology in Nigeria remains incompletely characterized due to fragmented surveillance and diagnostic variability. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate marker-specific seroprevalence and to evaluate geographic variation, seasonal patterns, and environmental risk factors associated with DENV infection in Nigeria between 2014 and 2024. MethodsFollowing P...

Schistosomiasis is a neglected parasitic disease caused by various trematode species of the genus Schistosoma for which 251 million people needed treatment in 2021. Many mathematical models of Schistosoma mansoni transmission incorporate the effect of chemoprophylaxis on parasite burden within the human host. While praziquantel is the most commonly implemented pharmaceutical used to control schistosomiasis, due to its applicability over several species and its negligible side effects, it is not ...

BackgroundCervical cancer, generally induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains one of the most prevalent and deadly female cancers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Cameroon, the impact of prevention strategies is limited by systemic challenges, and insufficient evidence base to guide effective interventions. This study aimed to synthesize available evidence on the prevalence and key determinants of HPV infection among Cameroonian women. MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted a...

PurposeTo develop and validate a prediction model for sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the general population. MethodsUsing claims and health checkup data held by JMDC Inc., linked to personal health records (Pep Up), we developed and internally validated a prediction model for SAS treated with CPAP, defined as a diagnosis of SAS and reimbursement records of CPAP. Every three months from January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2024 (i.e., 11 timepoints), ...

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, and increasing climate variability poses substantial threats to recent gains in control. However, malaria transmission does not respond uniformly to climate drivers across epidemiological settings, highlighting the need to explore climate-malaria dynamics within heterogeneous contexts. This study examined the non-stationary temporal dynamics of malaria incidence and two key climatic drivers--rainfall and temperature--in Lagos and Zamfar...

With significant population fractions in many societies who refuse vaccines, it is important to reconsider how vaccination is incorporated into compartmental epidemiology models. It is still most common to apply the vaccination rate to the entire class of susceptibles, rather than to use the more realistic assumption that the vaccination rate function should depend only on the population of susceptibles who are willing and able to receive a vaccination. This study uses a simple generic disease m...

BackgroundMalaria, transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, where approximately 97% of the population is at risk. Despite large-scale investments, Nigeria continues to bear the worlds highest malaria burden. Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are central to prevention, yet their effectiveness is increasingly undermined by non-usage, delayed replacement, and growing outdoor biting activity. National surveys (MIS, PMI) consistently report ...

Influenza A(H3N2) subclade K virus was detected in Canada early in the 2025/26 influenza season, bearing an antigenic transition in the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein. Analysis of 396 HA sequences from Canada showed antigenic divergence from 2025/26 influenza vaccine strains, consistent with partial mismatch. Phylodynamic analysis revealed sustained pre-vaccine transmission without clear post-vaccine expansion. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses indicated interprovincial mixing within a ...

We present results from the second season of Influcast, a multi-model collaborative forecasting hub focused on influenza in Italy. During the 2024/25 winter season, Influcast collected one-to four-week-ahead probabilistic forecasts of influenza-like illness (ILI) incidence alongside influenza A and B ILI+ incidence signals. New ILI+ targets were constructed integrating syndromic surveillance data with virological detections collected weekly by the Italian National Institute of Health. Forecasts ...

IntroductionObesity and related health conditions are unevenly distributed across neighborhoods, often co-occuring with multiple health challenges and socioeconomic disadvantages. Using an ecosyndemic framework, which integrates ecological and social dimensions that contribute to the clustering of health problems, this study examines how adverse obesity-related health outcomes spatially cluster in relation to obesogenic environments and socioeconomic position (SEP) across Dutch neighborhoods. M...

BackgroundSecondhand smoke (SHS) exposure remains a major public health concern among adolescents, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Evidence from Zambia is limited, despite increasing tobacco use and existing tobacco control policies. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of SHS exposure among adolescents in Zambia. MethodsWe analyzed data from the 2021 Zambia Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), a nationally representative, school-based survey. The sample included 6...

IntroductionTobacco smoking among school-going adolescents poses a major global public health challenge, contributing significantly to future disease burden. Understanding the prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking in this group is critical for effective interventions. MethodsThis study analyzed data from the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys collected between 2001 and 2021, covering 439, 322 school-going adolescents aged 11 to 19 across 45 African countries. Descriptive statistics estimat...

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major vulnerabilities of hospital capacity and management worldwide, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency rooms (ER), imposing prompt adaptation and resource reallocation. Although SARS-CoV-2 is no longer endangering healthcare systems, winter seasons continue to bring recurrent overload of critical care services, primarily due to respiratory infections. In France e.g., this pattern led to the reactivation of the national emergency response plan...