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  1. Article ; Online: Response to Comments on Whiley Legionella Risk Management and Control in Potable Water Systems

    Harriet Whiley

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 14, Iss 1, p

    Argument for the Abolishment of Routine Testing. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 12

    2017  Volume 103

    Abstract: ... n/ ... ...

    Abstract n/a
    Keywords n/a ; Medicine ; R
    Language English
    Publishing date 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  2. Article ; Online: Climate Change and Health

    James C. Smith / Harriet Whiley / Kirstin E. Ross

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 20, Iss 1750, p

    Local Government Capacity for Health Protection in Australia

    2023  Volume 1750

    Abstract: Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century, with numerous direct and indirect human health consequences. Local governments play a critical role in communities’ response to climate change, both through strategies to reduce ... ...

    Abstract Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century, with numerous direct and indirect human health consequences. Local governments play a critical role in communities’ response to climate change, both through strategies to reduce emissions and adaption plans to respond to changing climate and extreme weather events. Australian local government environmental health officers (EHOs) have the relevant skills and expertise to inform and develop adaptation plans for health protection in the context of climate change. This study used an online survey followed by phone interviews of local government management to determine the extent to which EHOs are involved in adaptation planning in health protection climate change plans. Questions were also asked to determine whether local councils are aware of EHOs’ capability to contribute and to gauge the willingness of management to provide EHOs with the workload capacity to do so. The findings demonstrated that although climate adaptation and mitigation planning is occurring in local government, it is not including or considering the public health impacts on the community. Primarily, it was found that this oversight was due to a lack of awareness of the health impacts of climate change outside of a disaster or emergency scenario. Currently, EHOs are an untapped source of knowledge and skills that can contribute to climate change adaption planning. To support this, a framework of local environmental health practice was developed to assist the reconceptualization of the scope of practice required for the planning and response to climate change.
    Keywords climate change ; local government ; environmental health ; environmental health officers ; EHOs ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  3. Article ; Online: Legionella Risk Management and Control in Potable Water Systems

    Harriet Whiley

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 14, Iss 1, p

    Argument for the Abolishment of Routine Testing

    2016  Volume 12

    Abstract: Legionella is an opportunistic pathogen of public health significance. One of the main sources of Legionella is potable water systems. As a consequence of aging populations there is an increasing demographic considered at high risk for Legionellosis and, ...

    Abstract Legionella is an opportunistic pathogen of public health significance. One of the main sources of Legionella is potable water systems. As a consequence of aging populations there is an increasing demographic considered at high risk for Legionellosis and, as such, a review of the guidelines is required. Worldwide, Legionella has been detected from many potable water sources, suggesting it is ubiquitous in this environment. Previous studies have identified the limitations of the current standard method for Legionella detection and the high possibility of it returning both false negative and false positive results. There is also huge variability in Legionella test results for the same water sample when conducted at different laboratories. However, many guidelines still recommend the testing of water systems. This commentary argues for the removal of routine Legionella monitoring from all water distribution guidelines. This procedure is financially consuming and false negatives may result in managers being over-confident with a system or a control mechanism. Instead, the presence of the pathogen should be assumed and focus spent on managing appropriate control measures and protecting high-risk population groups.
    Keywords Legionella ; L. pneumophila ; Legionnaires disease ; potable water ; water distribution systems ; guidelines ; risk assessment ; risk management ; monitoring ; Medicine ; R
    Language English
    Publishing date 2016-12-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  4. Article ; Online: Defining Food Safety Inspection

    Jason Barnes / Harriet Whiley / Kirstin Ross / James Smith

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 19, Iss 789, p

    2022  Volume 789

    Abstract: Food safety inspections are a key health protection measure applied by governments to prevent foodborne illness, yet they remain the subject of sustained criticism. These criticisms include inconsistency and inadequacy of methods applied to inspection, ... ...

    Abstract Food safety inspections are a key health protection measure applied by governments to prevent foodborne illness, yet they remain the subject of sustained criticism. These criticisms include inconsistency and inadequacy of methods applied to inspection, and ineffectiveness in preventing foodborne illness. Investigating the validity of these criticisms represent important areas for further research. However, a defined construct around the meanings society attributes to food safety inspection must first be established. Through critical examination of available literature, this review identified meanings attributed to food safety inspection and explicates some of the key elements that compose food safety inspection as a social construct. A total of 18 meanings were found to be attributed to food safety inspection. Variation in meanings were found between consumers, food business associates and food safety inspectors. For some, inspection meant a source of assurance, for others a threat to fairness, while most view inspection as a product of resources and inspector training. The meanings were then examined in light of common criticisms directed at food safety inspection, to expound their influence in how food safety inspection is realized, shaped, and rationalized. This review highlights the influence of sociological factors in defining food safety inspection.
    Keywords food safety ; inspection ; health protection ; meaning attribution ; constructionism ; consumer ; Medicine ; R
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  5. Article ; Online: Can Aggregate-Associated Organisms Influence the Fouling in a SWRO Desalination Plant?

    Tamar Jamieson / Harriet Whiley / Jason R. Gascooke / Sophie C. Leterme

    Microorganisms, Vol 10, Iss 682, p

    2022  Volume 682

    Abstract: This pilot study investigates the formation of aggregates within a desalination plant, before and after pre-treatment, as well as their potential impact on fouling. The objective is to provide an understanding of the biofouling potential of the feed ... ...

    Abstract This pilot study investigates the formation of aggregates within a desalination plant, before and after pre-treatment, as well as their potential impact on fouling. The objective is to provide an understanding of the biofouling potential of the feed water within a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant, due to the limited removal of fouling precursors. The 16S and 18S rRNA was extracted from the water samples, and the aggregates and sequenced. Pre-treatment systems, within the plant remove < 5 µm precursors and organisms; however, smaller size particles progress through the plant, allowing for the formation of aggregates. These become hot spots for microbes, due to their nutrient gradients, facilitating the formation of niche environments, supporting the proliferation of those organisms. Aggregate-associated organisms are consistent with those identified on fouled SWRO membranes. This study examines, for the first time, the factors supporting the formation of aggregates within a desalination system, as well as their microbial communities and biofouling potential.
    Keywords biofouling ; biofilm ; seawater reverse osmosis ; marine snow ; aggregate ; TEP ; Biology (General) ; QH301-705.5
    Subject code 660
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-03-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  6. Article ; Online: The New Environmental Health in Australia

    James C. Smith / Harriet Whiley / Kirstin E. Ross

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 18, Iss 1402, p

    Failure to Launch?

    2021  Volume 1402

    Abstract: Background: The New Environmental Health is an approach to environmental health adopted in 1999. The new approach was in response to emerging health risks from the pressures that development placed on the environment, climate change, and increasing ... ...

    Abstract Background: The New Environmental Health is an approach to environmental health adopted in 1999. The new approach was in response to emerging health risks from the pressures that development placed on the environment, climate change, and increasing vulnerabilities of local communities. The new approach heralded a change in perception and roles within environmental health. Twenty years on, it seems these changes have not been embraced by local government. Methods: To determine whether this was the case, we assessed the use of the term “environmental health” in local government annual reports, and where environmental health functions sit within the organisational structure of councils. Results: We found that the New Environmental Health has not been adopted by councils and environmental health relates solely to the delivery of statutory services and legislative compliance. Conclusions: One result of this is local environmental health practitioners, who constitute the major health protection capability of councils, are defined by the narrow legislative obligations imposed on councils. This represents a significant lost opportunity as public health is not protected in the way that was envisaged with the adoption of the New Environmental Health.
    Keywords environmental health ; practice ; policy ; New Environmental Health ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 333
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  7. Article ; Online: A Review of Streptococcus pyogenes

    Nelly Janira Avire / Harriet Whiley / Kirstin Ross

    Pathogens, Vol 10, Iss 2, p

    Public Health Risk Factors, Prevention and Control

    2021  Volume 248

    Abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes, (colloquially named “group A streptococcus” (GAS)), is a pathogen of public health significance, infecting 18.1 million people worldwide and resulting in 500,000 deaths each year. This review identified published articles on the ... ...

    Abstract Streptococcus pyogenes, (colloquially named “group A streptococcus” (GAS)), is a pathogen of public health significance, infecting 18.1 million people worldwide and resulting in 500,000 deaths each year. This review identified published articles on the risk factors and public health prevention and control strategies for mitigating GAS diseases. The pathogen causing GAS diseases is commonly transmitted via respiratory droplets, touching skin sores caused by GAS or through contact with contaminated material or equipment. Foodborne transmission is also possible, although there is need for further research to quantify this route of infection. It was found that GAS diseases are highly prevalent in developing countries, and among indigenous populations and low socioeconomic areas in developed countries. Children, the immunocompromised and the elderly are at the greatest risk of S. pyogenes infections and the associated sequelae, with transmission rates being higher in schools, kindergartens, hospitals and residential care homes. This was attributed to overcrowding and the higher level of social contact in these settings. Prevention and control measures should target the improvement of living conditions, and personal and hand hygiene. Adherence to infection prevention and control practices should be emphasized in high-risk settings. Resource distribution by governments, especially in developed countries, should also be considered.
    Keywords group A strep ; group A streptococcus ; Strep A ; GAS ; streptococcus pyogenes ; risk assessment ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 360
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  8. Article ; Online: Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment and Opportunist Waterborne Infections–Are There Too Many Gaps to Fill?

    Richard Bentham / Harriet Whiley

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 15, Iss 6, p

    2018  Volume 1150

    Abstract: Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is a relatively new approach in identifying health risks associated with the ubiquitous presence of pathogens and opportunists in the human environment. The methodology builds on experimental and meta- ... ...

    Abstract Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is a relatively new approach in identifying health risks associated with the ubiquitous presence of pathogens and opportunists in the human environment. The methodology builds on experimental and meta-analytical data to identify measurable factors that contribute to, and can quantify, the likely extent of disease given a particular exposure. Early modelling was particularly focused on food-borne disease, and subsequently water-borne disease, with the emphasis focused on ingestion and its role in enteric disease. More recently, there has been a focus on translating these principles to opportunist waterborne infections (OWI) with primary focus on Legionella spp. Whereas dose and susceptibility are well documented via the ingestion route of exposure there is considerably less certainty regarding both factors when understanding Legionella spp. and other OWI. Many OWI can arise through numerous routes of transmission with greatly differing disease presentations. Routes of Legionella spp. infection do not include ingestion, but rather aspiration and inhalation of contaminated water are the routes of exposure. The susceptible population for OWI is a vulnerable sub-set of the population unlike those associated with enteric disease pathogens. These variabilities in dose, exposure and susceptibility call in to question whether QMRA can be a useful tool in managing risks associated with OWI. Consideration of Legionella spp. as a well-documented subject of research calls into question whether QMRA of OWI is likely to be a useful tool in developing risk management strategies.
    Keywords opportunistic pathogens ; QMRA ; risk assessment ; public health ; manufactured water systems ; drinking water ; Mycobacterium avium ; Pseudomonas ; non-tuberculous mycobacteria ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 610
    Language English
    Publishing date 2018-06-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  9. Article ; Online: Opportunistic Mapping of Strongyloides stercoralis and Hookworm in Dogs in Remote Australian Communities

    Meruyert Beknazarova / Harriet Whiley / Rebecca Traub / Kirstin Ross

    Pathogens, Vol 9, Iss 398, p

    2020  Volume 398

    Abstract: Both S trongyloides stercoralis and hookworms are common soil-transmitted helminths in remote Australian communities. In addition to infecting humans, S. stercoralis and some species of hookworms infect canids and therefore present both environmental and ...

    Abstract Both S trongyloides stercoralis and hookworms are common soil-transmitted helminths in remote Australian communities. In addition to infecting humans, S. stercoralis and some species of hookworms infect canids and therefore present both environmental and zoonotic sources of transmission to humans. Currently, there is limited information available on the prevalence of hookworms and S. stercoralis infections in dogs living in communities across the Northern Territory in Australia. In this study, 274 dog faecal samples and 11 faecal samples of unknown origin were collected from the environment and directly from animals across 27 remote communities in Northern and Central Australia. Samples were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for the presence of S. stercoralis and four hookworm species: Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ancylostoma braziliense and Uncinaria stenocephala . The prevalence of S. stercoralis in dogs was found to be 21.9% (60/274). A. caninum was the only hookworm detected in the dog samples, with a prevalence of 31.4% (86/274). This study provides an insight into the prevalence of S. stercoralis and hookworms in dogs and informs future intervention and prevention strategies aimed at controlling these parasites in both dogs and humans . A “One Health” approach is crucial for the prevention of these diseases in Australia.
    Keywords Strongyloides stercoralis ; soil-transmitted helminths ; hookworms ; zoonotic parasites ; Australian remote communities ; One Health ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 630
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-05-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  10. Article ; Online: Strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia

    Yitagele Terefe / Kirstin Ross / Harriet Whiley

    Infectious Diseases of Poverty, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    systematic review on risk factors, diagnosis, prevalence and clinical outcomes

    2019  Volume 11

    Abstract: Abstract Background Strongyloidiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis. It is estimated to infect up to 370 million people globally and is predominately found in tropical and subtropical areas of ... ...

    Abstract Abstract Background Strongyloidiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis. It is estimated to infect up to 370 million people globally and is predominately found in tropical and subtropical areas of socioeconomic disadvantage. Main body This systematic literature review identified studies published in the last ten years on the risk factors, diagnosis, prevalence and/or clinical outcomes of strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia. The prevalence of S. stercoralis ranged from 0.2 to 11.1% in adults, 0.3% to 20.7% in children, 1.5% to 17.3% in HIV positive adults and 5% in HIV positive children. The identified studies primarily used microscopy based techniques that potentially underestimated the prevalence four fold compared with serology and PCR. Strongyloidiasis in children presents a particularly significant issue in Ethiopia as children often presented with anemia, which is associated with impaired mental and cognitive development. The most significant risk factor for strongyloidiasis was HIV status and although other risk factors were identified for helminth infections, none were statistically significant for S. stercoralis specifically. Several studies detected S. stercoralis in dogs and non-biting cyclorrhaphan flies. However, future research is needed to explore the role of these reservoirs in disease transmission. Conclusions This review demonstrated that strongyloidiasis is an overlooked and neglected disease in Ethiopia. There is a need for a systematic approach using a combination of molecular and serology based diagnostic methods to ascertain the true incidence and burden of strongyloidiasis in Ethiopia. Further research is also needed to break the cycle of transmission by identifying environmental reservoirs, risk factors and exploring the potential for zoonotic transfer.
    Keywords Neglected tropical disease ; Soil transmitted helminth ; Public health ; Strongyloides stercoralis ; AIDS ; HIV ; Infectious and parasitic diseases ; RC109-216 ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 610
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-06-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher BMC
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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