nitrogen-dioxide and Communicable-Diseases

Air pollution and global temperature change are expected to affect infectious diseases. Air pollution usually causes inflammatory response and disrupts immune defense system, while temperature mainly exacerbates the effect of vectors on humans. Yet to date overview of systematic reviews assessing the exposure risk of air pollutants and temperature on infectious diseases is unavailable. This article aims to fill this research gap. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigated the exposure risk of pollutants or temperature on infectious diseases were included. Two investigators screened literature, extracted data and performed the risk of bias assessments independently. A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria, which 3 (13%) were "low" quality and 20 (87%) were "critically low" quality. COVID-19 morbidity was associated with long-term exposure PM

Topics: Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Biodiversity; Communicable Diseases; COVID-19; Dengue; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Nitrogen Dioxide; Particulate Matter; Risk Assessment; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Temperature

The aim of the study is to develop a method for early diagnosis of intrauterine infection (IUI). A study of markers of inflammation in the venous blood of 60 pregnant women was conducted. The study was followed by a retrospective assessment of the outcomes of pregnancies and childbirth. Of these, 33 patients with a gestation period of more than 37 weeks (full-term pregnancy) and, accordingly, 27 patients from whom the blood sample was taken at a period of less than 37 weeks - patients with the threat of premature birth (PB). PB is the main factor contributing to the development of IUI. 27 patients were diagnosed with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM). Of these, 15 are with the threat of PB. 8 of them had a diagnosed IUI. In all cases of diagnosed PROM, including those with IUI, the concentration of nitrite and nontiolate nitroso compounds (NO2-+RNO) in the mother's blood plasma was 2.3±1.2 µM, while normally it does not exceed 0.1 µM (p<0.001). Regardless of the duration of pregnancy. The use of antibiotics in the case of PROM contributed to the normalization of the concentration (NO2-+RNO). Therefore, increasing of this indicator is result of bacterial infection. Indications of other markers of inflammation: the number of leukocytes in venous blood and in a smear of vaginal contents, the level of C-RB did not significantly change in both PROM and IUI (p>0.1). Since the concentration index (NO2-+RNO) increased in almost all cases of PREM, unlike all other clinical and biochemical indicators used in modern medicine, there is an obvious sense of its use for the current monitoring of the health of pregnant women. But it is still impossible to say unequivocally about the possibility of monitoring the fetal health by concentration (NO2-+RNO) in the mother's blood.

Topics: Communicable Diseases; Female; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture; Humans; Inflammation; Nitrites; Nitrogen Dioxide; Nitroso Compounds; Plasma; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Premature Birth; Retrospective Studies

In this paper we review the status of new applications research of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for global health promotion using information derived from Earth observation data by satellites in cooperation with inter-disciplinary collaborators. Current research effort at JAXA to promote global public health is focused primarily on the use of remote sensing to address two themes: (i) prediction models for malaria and cholera in Kenya, Africa; and (ii) air quality assessment of small, particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). Respiratory and cardivascular diseases constitute cross-boundary public health risk issues on a global scale. The authors report here on results of current of a collaborative research to call attention to the need to take preventive measures against threats to public health using newly arising remote sensing information from space.

Topics: Air Pollution; Communicable Diseases; Disease Outbreaks; Eichhornia; Global Health; Humans; Japan; Kenya; Malaria; Nitrogen Dioxide; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Satellite Imagery; Spacecraft

There has been an increasing concern about the effect of climatic change on human health in recent years. It has been suggested that young children are particularly at risk due to the reduced regulating mechanism against extreme climatic changes. However, few studies on the associations between climatic factors and childhood illness, specifically among young children, have been found in the literature. This epidemiological study utilized data collected on all young patients aged less than 6 years who presented to an emergency department for a period of two years. Information on climate and outdoor air quality variables was obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology. Data were analysed with various ARIMA time series models for each common childhood illness. Results suggested that maximum daily temperature was a significant risk factor for fever (t = 5.29, p < 0.001) with a regression coefficient of 0.37 (SE = 0.07) and gastroenteritis (t = 2.69, p = 0.007) with a regression coefficient of 0.10 (SE = 0.04). The UV index was also found to be significantly but negatively related to gastroenteritis (t = -2.37, p = 0.018). However, none of the climatic variables were associated with respiratory problems after adjusting for other air quality variables and infectious disease.

Topics: Air Pollutants; Child, Preschool; Climate; Communicable Diseases; Emergency Service, Hospital; Environmental Monitoring; Epidemiological Monitoring; Fever; Gastroenteritis; Hospitals, Pediatric; Humans; Humidity; Infant; Infant, Newborn; New South Wales; Nitrogen Dioxide; Ozone; Particulate Matter; Rain; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Sulfur Dioxide; Sunlight; Temperature

A review of the health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments suggests that relative humidity can affect the incidence of respiratory infections and allergies. Experimental studies on airborne-transmitted infectious bacteria and viruses have shown that the survival or infectivity of these organisms is minimized by exposure to relative humidities between 40 and 70%. Nine epidemiological studies examined the relationship between the number of respiratory infections or absenteeism and the relative humidity of the office, residence, or school. The incidence of absenteeism or respiratory infections was found to be lower among people working or living in environments with mid-range versus low or high relative humidities. The indoor size of allergenic mite and fungal populations is directly dependent upon the relative humidity. Mite populations are minimized when the relative humidity is below 50% and reach a maximum size at 80% relative humidity. Most species of fungi cannot grow unless the relative humidity exceeds 60%. Relative humidity also affects the rate of offgassing of formaldehyde from indoor building materials, the rate of formation of acids and salts from sulfur and nitrogen dioxide, and the rate of formation of ozone. The influence of relative humidity on the abundance of allergens, pathogens, and noxious chemicals suggests that indoor relative humidity levels should be considered as a factor of indoor air quality. The majority of adverse health effects caused by relative humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%. This would require humidification during winter in areas with cold winter climates. Humidification should preferably use evaporative or steam humidifiers, as cool mist humidifiers can disseminate aerosols contaminated with allergens.

Topics: Aerosols; Allergens; Bacterial Infections; Communicable Diseases; Formaldehyde; Fungi; Humans; Humidity; Hypersensitivity; Mites; Nitrogen Dioxide; Occupational Diseases; Ozone; Respiratory Tract Infections; Skin Diseases; Sulfur Dioxide; Virus Diseases