Health preparedness plan for dengue detection during the 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic games in Tokyo

Abstract

BackgroundParticipants in mass gathering events are at risk of acquiring imported and locally endemic infectious diseases. The 2014 dengue outbreak in Tokyo gathered attention since it was the first time in 70 years for Japan to experience an autochthonous transmission. Preparation for emerging infectious threats is essential even in places where these outbreaks have been largely unknown. The aim of this study is to identify strategies for early detection and prevention of dengue infection during the 2020 summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.Methodology/Principal findingsWe modified and adapted the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) methodology, generally used in industrial manufacturing, to examine the current controls for dengue detection and assessment. Information on existing controls were obtained from publicly available resources. Our analysis revealed that the national infectious disease control system to detect dengue in Japan is robust. However, in the case of large assemblies of international visitors for special events when the spread of communicable and vector-borne diseases increases, there are three main gaps that could be reinforced. First, cyclical training or a certification program on tropical disease management is warranted for physicians, especially those working in non-infectious disease-designated hospitals or clinics. Second, multi-language communication methods need to be strengthened especially in the health and hospitality sector. Third, owners of accommodations should consider incorporating a formal tropical disease-training program for their staff members and have a contingency plan for infectious disease-suspected travelers.Conclusions/SignificanceOur findings may facilitate physicians and public health officials where new controls would be beneficial for the 2020 summer Olympics and Paralympics. The FMEA framework has the potential to be applied to other infectious diseases, not just dengue.

Effect of Characteristics of Health Worker in Sub Distric Public Health Centre and Endicimity Status to Preparedness in Facing Outbreak of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Banda Aceh City

“…The next results of this study showed that there was no relationship between endemicity status and the preparedness of health workers in dealing with DHF outbreaks in Banda Aceh City (P = 0.838). The results of this study are different from the opinions expressed by Yanagisawa, Wada, Spengler, & Sanchez-Pina [36] namely the preparation for the emergence of the threat of infection is very important given the nature of infectious DHF disease. The pragmatic approach that must be taken is to have a preparedness plan so that health workers together with the community know how to recognize the symptoms and how to respond.…”

Feasibility of Obtaining Sufficient Numbers of Responses to Questions About Travel Intentions, Thereby Facilitating Effective Health Messaging

“…The large number of responses obtained in one month suggests that the method we used can garner useful information about travel and travel health risks not only for China, but, by extension, for any other geographic region. Such results allow the regionally-targeted dissemination of warnings about weather conditions, natural disasters (cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, avalanches), epidemics, [23][24][25] civil unrest, 26 water safety, 27 altitude, 28 air quality, 29 local drug use laws, 30 mass gatherings such as large-scale religious events, [31][32][33] sports events, 34 and open air music festivals that breed outbreaks of communicable disease, accidents, violent assaults, and infrastructure breakdowns, 35 and inform travelers about geographic pockets of inadequate or unsafe health service availability. Time-targeted messaging can be applied to different world regions as mass travel occurs at different times in different countries.…”

Risk Assessment of Dengue Autochthonous Infections in Tokyo during Summer, Especially in the Period of the 2020 Olympic Games

“…albopictus, which leads to reduced occurrence of autochthonous infections in a view of ANOVA. Furthermore, Yanagisawa et al (6) suggested the reinforcement of early detection of dengue infection to prevent further transmission in the Olympiad.…”

“…A lot of participants and spectators from abroad will visit Tokyo during this season. Therefore, introduction of dengue virus (DENV) is highly possible, and the risk of outbreak of autochthonous dengue fever will build up (6,7).…”