Longevity, high prevalence, and multifocal distribution of this disease pose unprecedented public health challenges.

: A two decades–long epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in northern México reached the U.S. border city of Tijuana in 2021. Cases were near the city periphery in marginalized areas, some lacking infrastructure such as streets or utilities. We worked in the three census areas where human cases were reported and in 12 additional control Áreas Geoestadisticas Básicas. There were dogs, the primary tick host and Rickettsia rickettsii reservoir, in 76% of homes, with 2.2 owned dogs per home on average, approximately equal numbers of roaming dogs were seen, and 46.2% of owned dogs were allowed to roam in the street. Sixty-eight percent of people had heard of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), and 35% self-reported tick infestation, including 19% of homes without dogs. Ticks appeared to move among houses of adjacent neighbors. Of 191 examined dogs, 61.8% were tick-infested, with 6-fold increased odds if they were allowed to roam. Although no dogs were Rickettsia polymerase chain reaction–positive, we found one R. rickettsii– and 11 Rickettsia massiliae–infected ticks. The rickettsial IgG seroprevalence by immunofluorescence antibody assay was 76.4%, associated with unhealthy body condition, adults, dogs with >10 ticks, more dogs being seen in the area, and dogs being permitted in the street. Insufficient medical and canine management resources have contributed to a case fatality rate of RMSF that has exceeded 50% in areas. High canine seroprevalence suggests risks to people and dogs; unfortunately, herd immunity is impeded by high turnover in the canine population owing to the birth of puppies and high death rates. Binational One Health workers should monitor disease spread, enact canine population management and tick eradication, and provide prevention, diagnostic, and treatment support.

Clinicians, providers and guideline panels use absolute effects to weigh the advantages and downsides of treatment alternatives. Relative measures have the potential to mislead readers. However, little is known about the reporting of absolute measures in systematic reviews. The objectives of our study are to determine the proportion of systematic reviews that report absolute measures of effect for the most important outcomes, and ascertain how they are analyzed, reported and interpreted.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a severe infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, with mortality rates ranging from 10% to 40%. IMD has been confirmed to be an endemic disease in Tijuana, Mexico, right across the border from San Diego, California. To date, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most severe pandemic, causing more than 5.5 million deaths globally. Prior or co-infections of influenza with IMD has been reported previously; however, the participation of other respiratory viruses facilitating the invasiveness of N. meningitidis is either not shown or remains unclear. Here, we report the case of an unvaccinated (for IMD and COVID-19) seven-year-old child who had confirmed fatal IMD caused by N. meningitidis, serogroup C, and was co-infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

After emergency authorization, different COVID-19 vaccines were administered across Mexico in 2021, including mRNA, viral vector, and inactivated platform vaccines. In the state of Baja-California, 3,516,394 doses were administered, and 2285 adverse events (AE) were registered in the epidemiological surveillance system in 2021. Incidence rates per 100,000 doses were calculated for total, mild (local and systemic), and severe AE for each vaccine. Symptoms were compared between mRNA and viral vector/inactivated virus vaccines. The overall incidence rate for all AE was 64.98 per 100,000 administered doses; 79.05 AE per 100,000 doses for mRNA vaccines; and 56.9 AE per 100,000 doses for viral vector/inactivated virus vaccine platforms. AE were at least five times higher in recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (AZ from SII). Local injection site symptoms were more common in mRNA vaccines while systemic were more prevalent in viral vector/inactivated virus vaccines. Severe AE rates were similar across all administered vaccines (0.72–1.61 AE per 100,000 doses), except for AZ from SII, which documented 12.6 AE per 100,000 doses. Among 32 hospitalized severe cases, 28 (87.5%) were discharged. Guillain–Barré Syndrome was the most common serious AE reported (n = 7). Adverse events rates differed among vaccine manufacturers but were consistent with clinical trials and population-based reports in the literature.

Background: In recent years, promising vaccination strategies against rickettsiosis have been described in experimental animal models and human cells. OmpB is considered an immunodominant antigen that is recognized by T and B cells. The aim of this study was to identify TCD4+INF-γ+ and TCD8+INF-γ+ lymphocytes in an autologous system with macrophages transfected with the vaccine candidate pVAX1-OmpB24. Lymphocytes and monocytes from 14 patients with Rickettsia were isolated from whole blood. Monocytes were differentiated into macrophages and transfected with the plasmid pVAX1-OmpB24 pVax1. Isolated lymphocytes were cultured with transfected macrophages. IFN-γ-producing TCD4+ and TCD8+ lymphocyte subpopulations were identified by flow cytometry, as was the percentage of macrophages expressing CD40+, CD80+, HLA-I and HLA-II. Also, we analyzed the exhausted condition of the T lymphocyte subpopulation by PD1 expression. Macrophages transfected with pVAX1-OmpB24 stimulated TCD4+INF-γ+ cells in healthy subjects and patients infected with R. typhi. Macrophages stimulated TCD8+INF-γ+ cells in healthy subjects and patients infected with R. rickettsii and R. felis. Cells from healthy donors stimulated with OmpB-24 showed a higher percentage of TCD4+PD1+. Cells from patients infected with R. rickettsii had a higher percentage of TCD8+PD-1+, and for those infected with R. typhi the larger number of cells corresponded to TCD4+PD1+. Human macrophages transfected with pVAX1-OmpB24 activated TCD4+IFN-γ+ and CD8+IFN-γ+ in patients infected with different Rickettsia species. However, PD1 expression played an important role in the inhibition of T lymphocytes with R. felis.