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Belgian National Burden of Disease Study. Guidelines for the calculation of risk factor attributable burden
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Wheezing Episodes in Children Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brussels.
No full textPURPOSE: Studies have demonstrated important changes in the seasonality of pediatric respiratory illnesses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of childhood wheezing episodes before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their potentially associated environmental triggers.
METHODS: Files of all children treated with salbutamol for an acute wheezing episode in September and October 2019, 2020, and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Infection epidemiology, daily concentrations of air pollutants (NO, O, PM, and PM), and fungal spores were collected over the same time period.
RESULTS: In 2021, 298 episodes of wheezing were observed compared to 111 in 2020 and 86 in 2019 (p < 0.001). Compared to 2019, children with wheezing in 2021 were significantly older (p < 0.001), less likely to have a history of recurrent wheezing (p < 0.001) and required less hospitalization (p = 0.034). Adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 were more prevalent in 2021 as compared to 2019 (p < 0.001). The concentration of PM, PM, and O was higher in 2021, as compared to both 2019 and 2020 (p < 0.001) while the concentration of NO and airborne spores was lower in 2021 compared to 2019 (p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION: A threefold increase in wheezing episodes was observed in the autumn post-COVID (2021) compared to pre-COVID (2019) together with very high circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and a significant increase of PM, PM, and O</p
Implications of spatial and seasonal air pollution patterns, socioeconomic disparities, and 15-minute communities for achieving WHO air quality guidelinesAbstract
No full textImpact assessment of local traffic interventions on disease burden: A case study on paediatric asthma incidence in two European cities
No full textFrom concept to approval: human genomic data integration with population observational data – insights from a Belgian pilot study
No full textLinking genomic data with population-level observational data sources offers a powerful approach to advance public health genomics research, providing a more comprehensive view of health outcomes by incorporating information on various health determinants. However, integrating data from scattered sources poses significant challenges. Genomic data, with its unique identifying properties and ethical concerns, is particularly sensitive and requires strict security measures and transparent participant communication to ensure confidentiality and maintain public trust. In Belgium, a pilot study has been set up to evaluate genetic and non-genetic health determinants associated with cancer. As a crucial step towards this scientific objective, the study also aims to assess the feasibility and complexity of linking genomics data with national population-based datasets. The process, ranging from conceptualisation and data discovery to securing approvals and finalising agreements, took two years. Each phase of this process offers opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance coordination between stakeholders, and address legal and ethical challenges. Establishing comprehensive, interoperable data catalogues can facilitate data discovery, while standardising data access requests can simplify processes. Pre-established partnerships or agreements can reduce administrative burdens and consequently, improve the timeliness of the research. Additionally, planning for sustainability in advance and rethinking consent procedures could reduce ad hoc approval procedures and support structural solutions for secondary use and linkage of health data in the public interest. This paper highlights practical challenges and considerations relevant to data linkage studies in general, offering insights for researchers conducting integrated public health genomics research.</p
Screening of plant food supplements for fraud concerning the presence of medicinal or regulated plants based on multi-dimensional chromatographic fingerprints
No full textThe presentation gives an overview of the national project “PF-Fraud” focused on the detection and identification of forbidden and regulated plants in herbal preparations. During the project an approach was developed based on chromatographic fingerprinting, mass spectrometry and chemometrics to detect four regulated plants with slimming properties: Ilex Paraguariensis, Hoodia Gordonii, Garcinia Cambogia, Aristolochia Fanghi.
In a first step an approach was developed recording chromatograms at different UV wavelength, followed by an approach based on mass spectrometry and the combination of both. Finally the mass spectrometric approach was chosen to conduct a small market study comprising 21 samples purchased on the Belgian regular market and 24 from irregular sources.
For the regular market one sample was found not to contain Ilex Paraguariensis, although declared and 3 samples were found to contain undeclared Aristolochia Fanghi. For the irregular sources 12 samples contained undeclared Ilex Paraguariensis and 4 Aristolochia Fanghi.
These results show the feasibility of the approach, though modelling errors should be taken into account and the “positive” samples should be confirmed by a complementary technique like for example next generation sequencing.</p
Epidemiologische surveillance van invasieve pneumokokkeninfecties (IPD) - 2024
No full textHoofdpunten
• Na de covid-19-pandemie, waarin een sterke daling van IPD-gevallen werd waargenomen, is het aantal gevallen in 2024 opnieuw sterk gestegen. Het NRC rapporteerde 2.120 gevallen, het hoogste aantal sinds de introductie van vaccinatie.
• De stijging van IPD wordt voornamelijk gezien in Vlaanderen en Wallonië, maar niet in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest.
• De afname van PCV13niet10-serotypes lijkt een plateau te hebben bereikt. Opvallend is een toename van PCV7-serotypes en de opkomst van serotype 12F, dat in 2024 het meest voorkomende serotype was over alle leeftijden heen.
• Bij de oudere populatie is de incidentie verder toegenomen ten opzichte van voorgaande jaren, voornamelijk door PCV20-serotypes. Vaccinatie van oudere risicogroepen vereist verdere aandacht.
• Geconjugeerde pneumokokkenvaccins werden in 2007 geïntroduceerd in het Belgische kindervaccinatieprogramma. Aanvankelijk werd gevaccineerd met PCV7, gevolgd door PCV13 vanaf 2011. Dit leidde tot een daling van invasieve infecties over alle leeftijden, in het bijzonder bij kinderen jonger dan 2 jaar.
• De vervanging van PCV13 door PCV10 in 2015/2016 ging gepaard met een stijging van de incidentie, vooral door PCV13-exclusieve serotypes. In 2019 werd daarom opnieuw overgeschakeld naar PCV13, het vaccin dat tot op heden in het basisvaccinatieschema zit.</p