Three years experience with dried blood spot α-glucosidase screening for Pompe disease in British Columbia, Canada
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Horvath G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3667062 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ObjectivesGathering population-based data on prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is vital to the public health response and planning. Current seroprevalence data in BC are limited with respect to considerations of how socioeconomic and demographic factors, such as age, sex, gender, income, identifying as a visibility minority and occupation, are related to SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection due to infection-acquired immunity. We aimed to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a cohort of British Columbians, using at-home self-collected dried blood spot (DBS) samples.DesignThis cross-sectional study included online surveys that collected sociodemographic and COVID-19 vaccine receipt information, and an at-home DBS collection kit.SettingBritish Columbia (BC), Canada.ParticipantsEligible participants were aged 25-69 years and residents of BC.Primary outcome measureSARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG antibody detection in unvaccinated individuals. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) explored factors associated with seropositivity.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 serology was performed on a total of 4048 unvaccinated participants 25-69 years of age who submitted DBS samples taken from November 2020 to June 2021. A total of 118 seropositive cases were identified, for an estimated overall seropositivity of 2.92% (95% CI 2.42% to 3.48%). Participants identifying as a visible minority had a higher seropositivity, 5.1% vs 2.6% (p=0.003), compared with non-visible minority participants. After adjustment by age and sex, identifying as a visible minority (aIRR=1.85, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.84) remained the only significant factor associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection in this cohort of unvaccinated individuals.ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in the BC population due to infection-acquired immunity was low. Seropositivity indicated that among those unvaccinated, visible minority communities have been most impacted. Continued monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 serology due to both infection-acquired and vaccine-acquired immunity will be vital in public health planning and pandemic response.
| S-EPMC9438102 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE: This study examined the rates and distribution of serious work-related injuries by demographic, work and injury characteristics in British Columbia, Canada from 2002-2008, using population-based data. METHODS: Claims for workers with a serious injury were extracted from workers' compensation data. Serious injuries were defined by long duration, high cost, serious medical diagnosis, or fatality. Workforce estimates were used to calculate stratum-specific rates. Rate-ratios (RR) and 95% CIs were calculated using negative binomial regression for the comparison of rates, adjusting for gender, age and occupation. RESULTS: Women had a lower overall serious injury rate compared to men (RR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87-0.99). The 35-44 age group had the highest overall rate compared to the youngest age group. The rate for severe strains/sprains was similarly high for men and women in the 35-44 age group, although there was a differential pattern by gender for other injury types: the rate of fracture was similar across age groups for men, but increased with age for women (RR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.2-3.3); and the rate of severe falls increased with age for men and women, with a larger three-fold increase for older women (men: RR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.7-2.1; women: RR: 3.2, 95% CI: 2.7-3.7). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of serious injuries is higher among specific age groups with different patterns emerging for men and women. Variations persisted within similar injury types and occupation groups in our adjusted models. These results provide evidence for the burden of serious injuries and a basis for future analytic research. Given projected demographic shifts and increasing workforce participation of older workers, intervention programs should be carefully implemented with consideration to demographic groups at risk for serious injuries in the workplace.
| S-EPMC3378608 | biostudies-other
Project description:Forests are being clearcut over extensive areas of western North America, but plant community response to harvesting and slashburning under varying climatic conditions in central British Columbia, Canada is still largely unknown. Evaluation of resilience is hampered by the short history of logging, lack of long-term experiments and methodological limitations. To test the effect of clearcut logging, prescribed burning and reforestation on forest resilience, we recorded vascular plant cover repeatedly after treatment between 1981 and 2008 in 16 permanent research installations in three biogeoclimatic zones: Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir, Interior Cedar-Hemlock and Sub-Boreal Spruce. We created a plant-trait dataset for the 181 recorded species to define plant functional types representing groups of plants that behave in similar ways and/or produce similar ecological outcomes. These plant functional types, along with taxonomic analysis of diagnostic and indicator species, were then used to evaluate plant community response to disturbance. Twenty years post-treatment, species diversity increased in all zones and plant abundance was greatest in the Interior Cedar-Hemlock. Cover of understory plant functional types associated with mature conifer forests increased in all zones, constituting a significant proportion (> 40%) of the vegetation community by year 20. Response patterns varied by zone and with time. Understory species diagnostic of mature forests were present in all zones by year 20, but we identified indicator species sensitive to slashburning or requiring more time for recovery, including white-flowered rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum) and devil's club (Oplopanax horridus). Overall, loss of compositional or functional diversity following harvest and site remediation was not detected, suggesting that montane and subalpine forests in British Columbia are resilient to this treatment. However, because these forests can be slow to recover from disturbance, the post-disturbance assessment window of this study may not have been long enough to detect diminishment of ecosystem resilience.
| S-EPMC5325286 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionLives lost in North America due to the unregulated drug poisoning emergency are preventable and those who survive an opioid overdose may suffer long-term disability. Rates of opioid overdose more than doubled following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada.Materials and methodsOur analytical sample was comprised of 1447 participants from the 2018, 2019, and 2021 Harm Reduction Client Survey who responded yes or no to having experienced an opioid overdose in the past 6 months. Participants were recruited from harm reduction sites from across British Columbia. We used logistic regression to explore associations of experiencing an opioid overdose.ResultsOverall, 21.8% of participants reported experiencing an opioid overdose in the last six months (18.2% in 2019 and 26.6% in 2021). The following factors were positively associated with increased adjusted odds of experiencing a non-fatal opioid overdose: cis men relative to cis women (AOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.10-2.02), unstably housed compared to people with stable housing (AOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.40-2.50), and participants from 2021 compared to those from 2019 (AOR 3.06, 95% CI 1.57-5.97). The effects of both previous experience of a stimulant overdose and having witnessed an opioid overdose depended on the year of study, with both effects decreasing over subsequent years.ConclusionsOverdoses have increased over time; in 2021 more than one in four participants experienced an overdose. There is an urgent need for policy and program development to meaningfully address the unregulated drug poisoning emergency through acceptable life-saving interventions and services to prevent overdoses and support overdose survivors.
| S-EPMC10717189 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Tenacibaculum is a genus of Gram-negative filamentous bacteria with a cosmopolitan distribution. The research describing Tenacibaculum genomes stems primarily from Norway and Chile due to their impacts on salmon aquaculture. Canadian salmon aquaculture also experiences mortality events related to the presence of Tenacibaculum spp., yet no Canadian Tenacibaculum genomes are publicly available. Ribosomal DNA sequencing of 16S and four species-specific 16S quantitative-PCR assays were used to select isolates cultured from Atlantic salmon with mouthrot in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Ten isolates representing four known and two unknown species of Tenacibaculum were selected for shotgun whole genome sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore's MinION platform. The genome assemblies achieved closed circular chromosomes for seven isolates and long contigs for the remaining three isolates. Average nucleotide identity analysis identified T. ovolyticum, T. maritimum, T. dicentrarchi, two genomovars of T. finnmarkense, and two proposed novel species T. pacificus sp. nov. type strain 18-2881-AT and T. retecalamus sp. nov. type strain 18-3228-7BT. Annotation in most of the isolates predicted putative virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, most-notably toxins (i.e., hemolysins), type-IX secretion systems, and oxytetracycline resistance. Comparative analysis with the T. maritimum type-strain predicted additional toxins and numerous C-terminal secretion proteins, including an M12B family metalloprotease in the T. maritimum isolates from BC. The genomic prediction of virulence-associated genes provides important targets for studies of mouthrot disease, and the annotation of the antimicrobial resistance genes provides targets for surveillance and diagnosis in veterinary medicine.
| S-EPMC9864904 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Oil and gas well leakage is of public concern primarily due to the perceived risks of aquifer contamination and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study examined well leakage data from the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (BC OGC) to identify leakage pathways and initially quantify incident rates of leakage and GHG emissions from leaking wells. Three types of leakage are distinguished: "surface casing vent flow" (SCVF), "outside the surface casing leakage" (OSCL), and "cap leakage" (CL). In British Columbia (BC), the majority of reported incidents involve SCVF of gases, which does not pose a risk of aquifer contamination but does contribute to GHG emissions. Reported liquid leakage of brines and hydrocarbons is rarer. OSCL and CL of gas are more serious problems due to the risk of long-term leakage from abandoned wells; some were reported to be leaking gas several decades after they were permanently abandoned. According to the requirements of provincial regulation, 21,525 have been tested for leakage. In total, 2,329 wells in BC have had reported leakage during the lifetime of the well. This represents 10.8% of all wells in the assumed test population. However, it seems likely that wells drilled and/or abandoned before 2010 have unreported leakage. In BC, the total GHG emission from gas SCVF is estimated to reach about 75,000 t/y based on the existing inventory calculation; however, this number is likely higher due to underreporting.
| S-EPMC6969542 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThis study aimed to quantify the total cost of violent firearm-related offenses in British Columbia in 2016 Canadian dollars over a five-year period, 2012 to 2016. The purposes of this study were to estimate the direct costs to the health care system and indirect costs to society for violent firearm injuries and deaths; and to estimate criminal justice system costs pertaining to firearm incidents.MethodsHuman and economic costs to the health care system and productivity losses were calculated using health administrative datasets such as B.C. Vital Statistics and Discharge Abstract Database. Criminal justice system costs pertaining to firearm incidents were estimated by applying weighted average costs to aggregate expenditures using methodology consistent with that used by Statistics Canada.ResultsThere was a total of 108 deaths and 245 hospitalizations resulting from violent firearm injuries. The total estimated cost of all violent firearm crime averaged $294,378,985 per year; human costs averaged $188,416,841 per year, where health care costs averaged $3,910,317 per year, productivity losses from workforce and household averaged $17,299,054 and $4,559,470 per year, respectively, and loss of life averaged $162,648,000; and $105,021,145 in criminal justice system costs, and $941,000 in programming costs.ConclusionThis study clearly demonstrates the significant cost of violent firearm injury in British Columbia and the impacts on the health care system, criminal justice system, and to society at large, particularly within the criminal justice system where the costs were significantly higher than health care.
| S-EPMC9880035 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Legionella spp. present in some human-made water systems can cause Legionnaires' disease in susceptible individuals. Although legionellae have been isolated from the natural environment, variations in the organism's abundance over time and its relationship to aquatic microbiota are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the presence and diversity of legionellae through 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing of DNA from isolates collected from seven sites in three watersheds with varied land uses over a period of 1 year. Legionella spp. were found in all watersheds and sampling sites, comprising up to 2.1% of the bacterial community composition. The relative abundance of Legionella tended to be higher in pristine sites than in sites affected by agricultural activity. The relative abundance levels of Amoebozoa, some of which are natural hosts of legionellae, were similarly higher in pristine sites. Compared to other bacterial genera detected, Legionella had both the highest richness and highest alpha diversity. Our findings indicate that a highly diverse population of legionellae may be found in a variety of natural aquatic sources. Further characterization of these diverse natural populations of Legionella will help inform prevention and control efforts aimed at reducing the risk of Legionella colonization of built environments, which could ultimately decrease the risk of human disease. IMPORTANCE Many species of Legionella can cause Legionnaires' disease, a significant cause of bacterial pneumonia. Legionella in human-made water systems such as cooling towers and building plumbing systems are the primary sources of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. In this temporal study of natural aquatic environments, Legionella relative abundance was shown to vary in watersheds associated with different land uses. Analysis of the Legionella sequences detected at these sites revealed highly diverse populations that included potentially novel Legionella species. These findings have important implications for understanding the ecology of Legionella and control measures for this pathogen that are aimed at reducing human disease.
| S-EPMC5541159 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Antiretroviral therapy (ART) scale-up is central to the global strategy to control the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To accelerate efforts towards ending the AIDS epidemic, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS released the 90-90-90 and 95-95-95 targets, which have recently been approved by the United Nations (UN). This study characterizes the province of British Columbia (BC)'s progress towards achieving the UN targets, predicts a trajectory up to 2030 according to each of the individual steps (i.e. %Diagnosed, %On ART and %Virologically Suppressed), and identifies the population sub-groups at higher risk of not achieving these targets. The analyses were based on linked individual-level datasets of people living with HIV (PLWH) in BC, aged ≥18 months, from 2000 to 2013. Using past trends in HIV prevalence and of each individual UN targets, we forecasted these outcomes until 2030 via generalized additive models. We ran a second set of analyses to assess the associations between individual demographic and behavioural factors and each of the individual steps of the UN targets. Lastly, we performed sensitivity analyses to account for uncertainty associated with prevalence estimates and suppression definitions. Among the estimated 10666 PLWH in BC in 2013, 82% were diagnosed, 76% of those diagnosed were on ART and 83% of those on ART were virologically suppressed. We identified that females, PLWH aged <30 years and those with unknown risk or who self-identify as having a history of injection drug use were the population subgroups that experienced the most challenge in engaging on ART and achieving viral suppression. Our model projections suggest that BC will achieve 90%-91%-90% and 97%-99%-97% by 2020 and 2030 respectively. As we approach 2020, BC is rapidly moving towards achieving the UN targets. However, region-specific challenges persist. Identification of remaining regional challenges will be essential to achieving the proposed UN targets and therefore fulfilling the promise to end AIDS as a pandemic by 2030.
| S-EPMC5810311 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: Previous studies have shown reductions in the volume of emergency department visits early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have evaluated the pandemic’s impact over time or stratified analyses by reason for visits. We aimed to quantify such changes in British Columbia, Canada, cumulatively and during prominent nadirs, and by reason for visit, age and acuity. Methods: We included data from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System for 30 emergency departments across BC from January 2016 to December 2022. We fitted generalized additive models, accounting for seasonal and annual trends, to the monthly number of visits to estimate changes throughout the pandemic, compared with the expected number of visits in the absence of the pandemic. We determined absolute and relative differences at various times during the study period, and cumulatively since the start of the pandemic until the overall volume of emergency department visits returned to expected levels. Results: Over the first 16 months of the pandemic, the volume of emergency department visits was reduced by about 322 300 visits, or 15% (95% confidence interval 12%–18%), compared with the expected volume. A sharp drop in pediatric visits accounted for nearly one-third of the reduction. The timing of the return to baseline volume of visits differed by subgroup. The largest and most sustained decreases were in respiratory-related emergency department visits, visits among children, visits among oldest adults and non-urgent visits. Later in the pandemic, we observed increased volumes of highest-urgency visits, visits among children and visits related to ear, nose and throat. Interpretation: We have extended evidence that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation strategies on emergency department visits in Canada was substantial. Both our findings and methods are relevant in public health surveillance and capacity planning for emergency departments in pandemic and nonpandemic times.
| S-EPMC10480001 | biostudies-literature