357 papers
Epidemiology is the study of how diseases spread through populations and what factors influence their patterns. Rather than focusing on individual patients, this field examines broader trends to identify outbreaks, track transmission, and guide public health decisions. By analyzing data on infection rates and risk factors, researchers work to prevent future health crises and protect communities worldwide.
On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from medRxiv to make these critical findings instantly accessible. For each study, we provide both a plain-language explanation for general readers and a detailed technical summary for specialists. This dual approach ensures that vital insights into disease dynamics are understood clearly and quickly by everyone who needs them.
Explore the latest research below to see how scientists are currently mapping disease trends and developing strategies to safeguard global health.
This paper evaluates statistical methods for mitigating index event bias in Mendelian randomization studies of disease progression, finding that while no single approach is universally effective, a strategic framework based on data availability and biological context can guide method selection.
Using a stochastic mechanistic model, this study demonstrates that achieving schistosomiasis elimination requires widespread treatment coverage (>75%) and more frequent dosing schedules to overcome the limitations of praziquantel's reduced efficacy against juvenile parasites and varying infection risks.
Analysis of nearly two decades of surveillance data from Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, reveals the sustained co-circulation and significant clinical burden of all four dengue serotypes, underscoring the critical need for balanced tetravalent vaccines that provide durable protection against each serotype rather than focusing on transiently dominant strains.
Based on a comprehensive 11-year assessment (2014–2024) utilizing four core evidence dimensions, this study concludes that Fujian Province, China, has not established a stable natural endemic focus for dengue fever, as local transmission remains entirely dependent on imported cases, evidenced by the complete interruption of local transmission during the pandemic, low population seroprevalence, minimal viral detection in vectors, and an adult-skewed age distribution.
This emulated target trial involving 3,553 rheumatoid arthritis patients found that treatment with IL-6 receptor antagonists was associated with significantly lower 12-month risks of mortality and both diagnosed and probable Long COVID compared to other biologic agents, suggesting these drugs may prevent severe post-COVID-19 outcomes.
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 studies (2014–2024) reveals that dengue virus transmission is widespread and geographically heterogeneous across Nigeria, with significant seasonal peaks during the rainy season and strong associations with modifiable environmental risk factors such as proximity to refuse dumps, open water storage, and lack of mosquito nets.
This study demonstrates that tracking pediatric emergency room visits during winter seasons serves as a reliable early warning signal for forecasting subsequent peaks in adult respiratory hospitalizations, thereby enabling improved local hospital resource management and preparedness.
This cross-sectional study protocol outlines an investigation into the relationship between work-related stress and the consumption of psychoactive substances, medications, and mental health outcomes among early childhood professionals in Orleans Metropole, CCTVL, and Fleury-les-Aubrais, aiming to inform targeted prevention strategies.
This retrospective cohort analysis of 1,330 retracted RCTs demonstrates that retraction significantly reduces evidence contamination in systematic reviews, with faster retraction times (particularly within 1.8 years) associated with a lower likelihood of such contamination.
This study demonstrates that the nationwide expansion of *Helicobacter pylori* eradication therapy in Japan since 2013 has already contributed to a 10.4% reduction in gastric cancer deaths by 2021, preventing an estimated 1,427 deaths through a counterfactual analysis framework that accounts for the disease's long natural history.