International Journal of Infectious Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Emerging evidence to reduce the burden of tuberculosis in children and young people","authors":"Julie Huynh ,&nbsp;Yara-Natalie Abo ,&nbsp;Rina Triasih ,&nbsp;Varinder Singh ,&nbsp;Gordon Pukai ,&nbsp;Pauline Masta ,&nbsp;Bazarragchaa Tsogt ,&nbsp;Boi Khanh Luu ,&nbsp;Felisia Felisia ,&nbsp;Naomi Pank ,&nbsp;Aung Aung ,&nbsp;Alison Morton ,&nbsp;Pete Azzopardi ,&nbsp;Raspati C. Koesoemadinata ,&nbsp;Bachti Alisjahbana ,&nbsp;Philip C. Hill ,&nbsp;Ben J. Marais ,&nbsp;Silvia S. Chiang ,&nbsp;Stephen M. Graham","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge. Children, adolescents, and young mothers are high-risk populations for TB with unique challenges and needs. Children are often misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late, resulting in long-term sequelae or mortality, while adolescents, despite having more recognizable adult-type TB and being an important source of community transmission, can be difficult to engage in care as they often fall between pediatric and adult models of care. TB during pregnancy poses significant risks to the mother-infant pair, yet antenatal screening to ensure timely treatment initiation is often inadequate. Recent research advancements to address these challenges include more accessible TB management aids, shorter effective drug regimens, child-friendly drug formulations, strategies for active case finding to expand treatment coverage including of asymptomatic disease, and more options for preventive therapy. These advances have informed global policy and guidelines; however, major gaps in translation from policy to practice remain. This narrative review discusses the progress and identifies potential solutions with insights from the Asia-Pacific region to ongoing challenges in TB detection, treatment, and prevention in children and young people, with a view to TB elimination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"155 ","pages":"Article 107869"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The pathway to Viral Hepatitis Elimination – Where are we in Africa?","authors":"Wendy Spearman","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2016, WHO set a goal to eliminate Hepatitis B and C by 2030, reducing the incidence by 90% and mortality by 65%. Yet in 2022, there was estimated 254 million people living with hepatitis B and 50 million living with hepatitis C; with 1.2 million new hepatitis B infections and nearly 1.0 million hepatitis C infections. However, only 13% of people living with chronic hepatitis B had been diagnosed and 2.6% received antiviral therapy. Only 36% of people living with hepatitis C had been diagnosed between 2015 and 2022, and 20% received curative treatment.</div><div>In the WHO Africa region, 64.7 M are estimated to be HBV-infected with 771 000 new infections but only 4.2% had been diagnosed and 0.2% had received treatment. The WHO Africa Region accounts for 66% of new hepatitis B infections, and yet only 18% of newborns receive the preventative hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination.</div><div>7.8 million people are estimated to be living with Hepatitis C in the WHO Africa region but only 13% have been diagnosed and 3% have received curative Direct acting antiviral therapy.</div><div>Achieving the WHO 2030 targets will globally save 2.85 million lives and avert 9.5 million new infections and 2.1 million cases of cancer. To address the burden of viral hepatitis in WHO Africa, we need to implement the Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine, decentralise management with affordable point-of-care diagnostics, simplified treatment algorithms with universal access to affordable antiviral therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107825"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First seroprevalence study of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in blood donors after abrupt increase in West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND) cases in Southern Italy in 2023","authors":"Dr Francesca Centrone ,&nbsp;Dr Rossella Procacci ,&nbsp;Dr Raffaella Melilli ,&nbsp;Dr Vito Colella ,&nbsp;Dr Emilio Serlenga ,&nbsp;Dr Alessia Stichi Damiani ,&nbsp;Dr Luciano Abbruzzese ,&nbsp;Dr Angela Maria Iannone ,&nbsp;Dr Tommaso Granato ,&nbsp;Dr Marco De Michele ,&nbsp;Dr Luciano Lorusso ,&nbsp;Dr Marina D'Alagni ,&nbsp;Dr Daniela Loconsole ,&nbsp;Dr Giulietta Venturi ,&nbsp;Dr Angelo Ostuni ,&nbsp;Dr Maria Chironna","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>WNV is an emerging arbovirus commonly transmitted by the Culex species. Human WNV infection can be asymptomatic (80% of cases) or presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations. Less than 1% of cases evolve into a WNND. Until 2023, the Apulia region was classified as a non-endemic area. In 2023 eight autochthonous cases of WNV infection were recorded in Apulia (six manifested WNND and two were identified through blood donor screening). The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anti-WNV antibodies in a wide sample of blood donors in order to obtain a more accurate estimate of the virus circulation in the Apulia region.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective observational study was conducted on blood donors (aged ≥ 18 years), who attended one of the seven blood donation centers located in five of the six provinces in the Apulia region, between November 2023 and February 2024. All patients answered a short anonymous questionnaire. An anonymized serum sample was collected from each subject. All sera were tested for anti-WNV IgG by ELISA (EUROIMMUN, Lübeck, Germany) and by CLIA (VIRCELL, Granada, Spain). All positive samples were confirmed through the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 1,579 subjects were enrolled. The median age was 47 years (IQR:37-53), and 75% were male. The questionnaires administered showed that 68.6% had not made any trips in the past few weeks prior to blood sampling and 30.5% remembered being bitten by mosquitoes. While 17 samples tested by ELISA were positive for anti-WNV IgG, only six were also positive when tested by CLIA. Analysis by PRNT confirmed 5 cases, representing 0.32% (IC95%:0.07-0.59) of the sera. Of the subjects who tested positive, only one reported having traveled in the past week. None recalled being bitten by mosquitoes or habitually using mosquito repellents.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Mosquito-borne diseases are an emerging threat in Europe. In recent years, global climate change has been identified as a significant driver of the increased spread of the virus. In particular, increased temperatures and precipitation have played a crucial role in WNV spreading in horses and humans. The average temperature in the Apulia region in 2023 was higher than in previous years. The neuroinvasive form of WNV infection occurs in less than 1% of cases. Based on the prevalence data in blood donors (0.32%) and the Apulian population (about 4milion), it could be estimated that more than 12 thousand infections have occurred.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study confirmed the wide circulation of WNV in Apulia and the potential human health concern of this emergent virus. Strengthening the integrated surveillance system is crucial to address a potential massive spread of WNV in Southern Italy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107421"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in vaccine-preventable diseases","authors":"Prof Helena Maltezou","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107821","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107821","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Introduction&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Recent advances in VPDs were reviewed.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;A modelling study showed that vaccinations accounted for 40% of the reduction of infant mortality during 1974-2024. Measles vaccines accounted for most of the averted mortality the past 50 years. During 2000-2023 alone, measles deaths were reduced by 87%, while vaccination averted 60.3 million deaths globally. Regarding HPV vaccine, a US study showed a 62% drop in cervical cancer deaths in women &lt;25 years over the last decade, which is mainly attributed to the HPV vaccines. From 2022, the WHO recommends 1-dose HPV vaccination schemes in low-income countries to surpass financial barriers. After the introduction of this schedule, 6 m more girls were vaccinated globally in 2023. Regarding RSV, a meta-analysis of trials of RSV vaccination during pregnancy found a risk ratio of 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43-0.96) of medically attended lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants whose mothers were vaccinated and a risk ratio of 0.37 (95% CI: 0.18-0.79) of severe LRTIs in infants of vaccinated mothers. The effectiveness against LRTIs was documented at day 90, 120, 150 and 180 after birth and against severe LRTIs at day 90, 120 and 150 after birth. The study also showed that RSV vaccination during pregnancy is associated with a vaccine effectiveness (VE) against antimicrobial use of 16.9% (95% CI: 1.4-29.4%). The third topic concerned the efficacy and safety of the Butantan-dengue vaccine in children followed for a mean of 3.7 years. VE against any dengue serotype was 64.6% in 2-6 years children and 70.6% in 7-17 years old children. VE was higher in those with past infection. VE against severe dengue was 89%. No difference in vaccine safety was noted between vaccinated and control groups. The next study concerned the reduction in antibiotic use that occurred after the introduction of pneumococcus conjugate and the Haemophilus influenzae vaccines in the vaccination program in India in mid-2010 as well as future gains to 2028 if vaccination rates were to increase. The authors reported that a coverage similar to the coverage of DTP3 vaccine would avert 61.4% of attributable antibiotic use compared with 0%. It is also expected that 90% coverage would reduce health inequalities in antibiotic demand in this country. Regarding influenza vaccine, the US FDA approved the self- or caregiver-administration of the nasal spray influenza vaccine. Lastly, a large observational study from Italy found that COVID-19 vaccination was associated with lower risk of long-COVID at 3, 6, and 12 months after infection, particularly in adolescents.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Discussion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;In 2024 there have been considerable advances in major VPDs and vaccinations.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This overview showed the current ","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107821"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"mRNA Nanovaccine Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Elicits Robust Immunity in Mice","authors":"Mr Bubacarr J. B Touray","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), remains a major global health concern. Despite the availability of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, there is an urgent need for more effective TB vaccines. Here, we developed an mRNA nanoadjuvant vaccine targeting key M.tb antigens and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in a murine model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>C57BL/6 mice (N=15/group) were immunized with a two-dose regimen of 10 µg mRNA encoding Ag85B, Hsp70, and ESAT-6 at 4-week intervals through the subcutaneous or intranasal routes. Mice vaccinated with PBS or BCG served as unvaccinated and positive controls, respectively. The immunogenicity and protective immunity of the vaccine were evaluated by stimulating splenocytes and lung cells with M.tb purified protein derivative (PPD), Ag85B, and HSP70 purified proteins. Cellular immune responses were assessed by flow cytometry.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mRNA nanoadjuvant vaccine elicited robust cellular and humoral immune responses in immunized mice comparable to BCG. Elevated levels of antigen-specific IgG antibodies were detected post-immunization. Additionally, significant IFN-γ, TNF-a, IL-17A, and IL-2 production by antigen-specific T cells was observed. Overall, mRNA nanovaccines induce robust T cell responses characterized by activation of both memory and effector T cell populations that are polyfunctional.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Our findings highlight the potential of the mRNA nanoadjuvant vaccine encoding immunogenic antigens as a promising candidate for TB vaccine development. This vaccine robustly elicited an immune profile that is known to be protective against M.tb infection in both animals and humans. Further studies are warranted to optimize the vaccine formulation and evaluate its long-term protective efficacy and safety in larger animal models and clinical trials.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study elucidates the promising immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines encoding M.tb immunodominant antigens in mice, with adjuvant and diverse administration routes significantly enhancing vaccine immunogenicity. The absence of adverse effects on mice body weight, combined with superior immune responses, validates the effectiveness of this vaccination strategy against M.tb. Future research endeavors should focus on evaluating the vaccine's performance in more relevant models of M.tb infection, such as non-human primates, and assessing its potential to prevent TB disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107446"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the LGBT+ rights on reporting cases and deaths of Mpox globally: Relationships with the LGBT+ rights index during 2022-2024 epidemics","authors":"Prof A Rodríguez-Morales ,&nbsp;Dr D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana ,&nbsp;Dr Jaime A. Cardona-Ospina","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107422","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Introduction&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Multiple aspects of the epidemics of mpox during 2022-2024 have been explored, including clinical features, diagnostic aspects, therapies and vaccines. However, factors associated with reporting of cases and death of Mpox have been poorly assessed. No studies regarding the relationships between the LGBT+ rights and the morbidity and mortality from Mpox have been published yet.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methods&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;An ecological study for 106 countries was done using the LGBT+ rights index (LGBT-RI) per country that were obtained from the State Sponsored Homophobia Reports produced by ILGA, LexisNexis, Factiva, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the U.S. State Department, and Velasco report (2020), from Our World in Data, and the cases, calculating the incidence rates (cases per 100,000 pop.), from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Also, mortality rates (cases per 100,000 pop.) and case fatality rates (deaths per 100 cases, %CFR) were calculated. The annual variation of the variables was assessed, and non-linear regression models (exponential) were done at Stata/MP® v.14.0.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Results&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The non-linear regression models revealed significant findings. The relationship between epidemiological factors and LGBT-RI was found to be significant. During this epidemic, there was a positive relationship between LGBT-RI and reported of Mpox cases (r2=0.1006; p=0.0040), countries with higher LGBT-RI had higher Mpox cases. Similarly, higher LGBT-RI values were also significantly associated with higher Mpox incidence rates (cases/100,000 pop) (r2=0.5062; p&lt;0.0001). Number of deaths notified were also associated with the LGBT-RI (r2=0.0636; p=0.0328). Consistently, the Mpox mortality rate was also associated with the LGBT-RI (r2=0.1390; p=0.0005). Finally, the %CFR, as expected, this variable was not associated with LGBT-RI (r2=0.0216; p=0.3287).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Discussion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;These findings underscore the significant influence of stigma and discrimination that may be associated with Mpox. In particular, the LGBT+ rights allow trust in the health system, diagnostic and management. At the same, the proper notification of a Mpox case and its associated outcomes. Even in 2024, there are 88 countries or territories, specially in Africa, Middle East, and Asia, that have not reported yet, even a single case of Mpox. Even in Latin American and the Caribbean, ten countries are included in that list. Despite the epidemics of 2022-2024, Mpox remains a neglected condition worldwide, with a resurgence in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023-2024. The need for further studies on multiple epidemiological factors of Mpox is therefore paramount.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Sexual rights still influence not just HIV and other sexually transmitted infections epidemiology, but also of the reemerging/emerging Mpox globally.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107422"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One Health intervention for elimination of animal to human disease transmission of Anthrax in an endemic district of Odisha: A baseline and endline study","authors":"Dr. Debaprasad Parai ,&nbsp;Mr. Matrujyoti Pattnaik ,&nbsp;Dr. Hari Ram Choudhary ,&nbsp;Dr Arun Kumar Padhi ,&nbsp;Dr. Niranjana Sahoo ,&nbsp;Dr. Sanghamitra Pati ,&nbsp;Dr Debdutta Bhattacharya","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107424","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Introduction&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Anthrax is a rare but serious infectious disease of public health importance caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax cases have been documented in various states of India, including Odisha. In Odisha, Koraput district stands out with more than 300 reported human cases and over 10 confirmed deaths due to Anthrax infection in the past six years.The present study is a baseline and endline survey to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices with regards to the anthrax disease among the communities of indigenous population residing in the region pre and post of the tailored made One Health intervention for elimination of human Anthrax in this endemic district.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Methodology&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This is a repeated cross-sectional survey conducted both as a baseline survey in mid of 2020 among 2670 respondents and again as endline survey during end of 2022 among 2511 respondents using a structured 85 item questionnaire by multi-stage sampling method. Descriptive statistics were reported and logistic regression was performed to estimate the relationship between the variables and knowledge of anthrax. One Health intervention package was developed with the help of various multistakeholders from the Koraput district which include establishing an active surveillance, developing a dedicated anthrax diagnostic facility in the state for the early diagnosis, sensitization and capacity-building training for all the stakeholders, behavioral Change Communication (BCC) and Information Education Communication (IEC) activities at the community and free livestock vaccination drive across the district with the help of district veterinary department and coordination or support from the other stakeholders for smooth execution of the vaccination drive.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Result&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;Out of the total participants in the study, males were about (76.25% in baseline) and (72.08% in endline) and about half had no formal education in both the groups. Most of the respondents (54.19% in baseline) and (54.56% in endline) were involved in agriculture as an occupation. More than 50% of the respondents had livestock in their houses and farming was the main purpose for keeping the livestock in both the groups. Around 20.26% of respondents knew about anthrax during the baseline and after intervention 53.64% of the respondents had knowledge about it. Almost 21.29% of livestock owners had vaccinated their animals against anthrax disease which increased to 66.5% during the endline survey.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Discussion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;The results indicate a noteworthy enhancement in the knowledge, attitude and practices among the study population from the baseline to endline survey.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;This study highlights a significant increase in both knowledge and practices related to anthrax within the community after One Health interventions. The findings can address various health challenges related to zoonotic dis","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107424"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating transmission heterogeneity and case ascertainment from variations in case counts in surveillance data","authors":"Dr Judith Bouman ,&nbsp;Dr Jantien Backer ,&nbsp;Dr Christian Althaus","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The reported numbers of infectious disease case counts in surveillance data typically show considerable variation. This variation is a result of the process and observation noise. The process noise stems from the stochastic element of transmission at the individual level, i.e., the overdispersion of secondary cases. The observation noise results from variations in testing uptake and the sampling error. Our objective was to better understand how the process and observation noise shape the observed variation in infectious disease case counts in surveillance data.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We derived a mechanistic model of the data generating process of infectious disease case counts in surveillance data that incorporates a negative binomial offspring distribution for individual cases and the binomial sampling error from the observation process. We validated the model using data from stochastic simulations of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and case ascertainment. Finally, we applied the model to SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data from Switzerland.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Assuming a constant observation probability, we showed that the daily numbers of reported cases in surveillance data are expected to follow a quasi Poisson distribution. The overdispersion in reported cases is a function of the expected number of cases, the effective reproduction number, the overdispersion in secondary cases k, and the observation probability. Using simulated data, we found that one can estimate the overdispersion in secondary cases when the observation probability is known, or vice versa. We illustrated this property with data from the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Switzerland from 2020 to 2022. Using previous estimates for the overdispersion in secondary cases, we were able to estimate and track the upper bound of the observation probability of SARS-CoV-2 over time.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>We showed how the process noise at the individual level of transmission and the observation noise result in the observed variation in infectious disease case counts in surveillance data.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our model has the potential to continuously monitor either the transmission heterogeneity or the case ascertainment for various infectious diseases from routine surveillance data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107435"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A rapid and sensitive extraction-free HiFi-LAMP assay for detecting Mycobacterium leprae","authors":"Zhengfang Wang ,&nbsp;Xi Yang ,&nbsp;Zhi-Ze Wang ,&nbsp;Xiu-Feng Yu ,&nbsp;Zhe Li ,&nbsp;Shangwen Song ,&nbsp;Yongjuan Zhao ,&nbsp;Yi-Qun Kuang ,&nbsp;Yu-Ye Li ,&nbsp;Chiyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Timely and accurate detection of <em>Mycobacterium leprae</em> (<em>M. leprae</em>) is crucial for efficient treatment and early intervention of leprosy, which requires a simple and rapid extraction-free assay.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A HiFi-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for detection of <em>M. leprae</em>. The performance of the assay was assessed by comparing with qPCR and nested PCR assays using clinical samples. The extraction-free HiFi-LAMP assay was assessed by saliva from individuals with leprosy.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The <em>M. leprae</em> HiFi-LAMP assay has high specificity and sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 43 copies/25 µL reaction. Both sensitivity and specificity of the HiFi-LAMP assay were 100% for 130 purified DNA from nasal and oral samples, and the sensitivity was slightly higher than 50%-88.9% by the qPCR assay. A higher detection rate of <em>M. leprae</em> was observed in nasal swabs than oral swabs. The extraction-free assay directly using 6 µL saliva has a LOD of 11,833 <em>M. leprae</em> RLEP copies/mL saliva, can be completed within 30 mins, and showed 66.7% sensitivity for three saliva samples when compared with the assay using purified DNA.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The standard and/or extraction-free HiFi-LAMP assays can be used for detecting and monitoring <em>M. leprae</em> in endemic areas in resource-limited settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107835"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143390828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward the elimination of HAT in Nigeria: leaving no community behind","authors":"Rolayo T. Emmanuel ,&nbsp;Kelly Zongo ,&nbsp;Olaleye O. Olusola","doi":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is a tsetse fly-borne neglected tropical disease that affects underserved rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the advancements in diagnostics, the actual status of sleeping sickness in Nigeria remains unclear. In our quest for clarity, we conducted a human population survey to ascertain the prevalence of HAT in tsetse fly-infested remote rural hamlets.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Blood samples were collected from 72 consenting participants by finger pricking. Blood samples were blotted on a Flinders Technology Associate Classic Card and screened for <em>T. b. gambiense</em> infection using colorimetric loop-mediated amplification with <em>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense surface glycoprotein</em>-specific (<em>TgsGP</em>) primers.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 72 consenting individuals, 40.28% (55.17% men, 44.83% women) were infected with <em>T. b. gambiense</em> (<em>P</em> = 0.738). Age group 51-60 years had the highest prevalence of 77.78% (<em>P</em> = 0.214). The infection rate was higher among uneducated individuals, with a prevalence of 34.48% (<em>P</em> = 0.007). Alaho had the highest prevalence (66.67%), followed by Arabata (38.10%) and Oloya (31.43%) (<em>P</em> = 0.035).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Silent transmission of HAT is ongoing at the study sites, warranting intensified community sensitization and surveillance scale-up. An urgent, health-guided, strategic control approach is imperative to prevent epidemics in hamlets and a devastating resurgence in Nigeria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14006,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107808"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143074412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}