Journal of Tropical Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Assessment of Factories on Adherence to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures: A Case Study of Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, and Jinja Districts, Uganda","authors":"Joseph M. Kungu, Edity Namyalo, Angella Musewa, Sarah Nitumusiima, Phiona Keije, Catherine Nakakooza, Osborn Oyirwoth","doi":"10.1155/2024/6670510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6670510","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Background</i>. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Uganda confirmed the first case of COVID-19 on 21st March, 2020, which led to the first total lockdown in the country. During the lockdown, some factories remained operational; hence, there is a need for a study aimed at assessing the level of adherence to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in factories as a mitigator for the pandemic. <i>Methods</i>. A cross-sectional study to assess compliance of factories to COVID-19 SOPs was conducted in Wakiso, Mukono, Buikwe, and Jinja districts during the month of September, 2021. This involved visitation of factories and collection of data using the KoboCollect tool by interviewing general managers as well as human resource managers of the factories. A total of 39 factories were included in the study and were categorized into four major groups; food and beverages (15), plastics (5), construction (8), and others (11). Data analysis was done using STATA version 14.2. <i>Results</i>. Overall adherence to COVID-19 SOPs by the factories was 64.1% (95% CI = 49.1–79.1). Communication and training of employees (79.5%; 95% CI = 66.8–92.2), wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and respiratory protection (79.5%; 95% CI = 66.8–92.2) as well as enhanced cleaning and disinfection of surfaces (74.4%; 95% CI = 60.6–88.1) were the most implemented SOPs in the factories. Implementation of the SOPs was the highest in Mukono district (88.9%; 95% CI = 68.4–100) and the least in Wakiso district (40.0%; 95% CI = 9.6–70.4). The COVID-19 SOPs were followed mostly in construction material factories (87.5%; 95% CI = 64.6–100) and least in food and beverage factories (40%; 95% CI = 15.2–64.8). There was no significant difference in the adherence of COVID-19 SOPs among the districts (<svg height=\"11.6412pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.04979992pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -11.5914 15.0284 11.6412\" width=\"15.0284pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,9.945,-5.741)\"></path></g></svg> = 5.02 and <span><svg height=\"8.8423pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.2064009pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 19.289 8.8423\" width=\"19.289pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.658,0)\"></path></g></svg><span></span><span><svg height=\"8.8423pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.2064009pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"22.8711838 -8.6359 21.918 8.8423\" width=\"21.918pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.921,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,29.161,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,32.125,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.365,0)\"></p","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139474988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Deltamethrin-Laced Attractive Toxic Sugar Bait to Control Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) Population","authors":"Sarita Kumar, Aarti Sharma, Roopa Rani Samal, Vaishali Verma, Ravinder Kumar Sagar, Shri Pati Singh, Kamaraju Raghavendra","doi":"10.1155/2024/6966205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6966205","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Background</i>. The attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) is a promising strategy for controlling mosquitoes at the adult stage. The strategy is based on the use of a combination of fruit juice, sugar, and a toxin in order to attract and kill the adult mosquitoes. The selection of the components and optimization of their concentrations is significant for the formulation of an effective ATSB. <i>Methods</i>. The present study formulated nine ATSBs and evaluated their efficacy against two laboratory strains (AND-<i>Aedes aegypti</i> and AND-<i>Aedes aegypti-</i>DL10) and two wildcaught colonized strains of <i>Aedes aegypti</i> (GVD-Delhi and SHD-Delhi). Initially, nine attractive sugar baits (ASBs) were prepared using a mixture of 100% fermented guava juice (attractant) with 10% sucrose solution (w/v) in 1 : 1 ratio. ATSBs were formulated by mixing each ASB with different concentrations of deltamethrin in the ratio of 9 : 1 to obtain final deltamethrin concentration of 0.003125–0.8 mg/10 mL ATSB. Cage bioassays were conducted with 50 mosquitoes for 24 h in order to evaluate the efficacy of each ATSB against the four strains of <i>Ae. aegypti</i>. The data were statistically analyzed using PASW software 19.0 program and 2-way ANOVA. <i>Results</i>. The ATSB formulations registered 8.33–97.44% mortality against AND-<i>Aedes aegypti</i> and 5.15–96.91% mortality against AND-<i>Aedes aegypti</i>-DL10 strains of <i>Ae. aegypti</i>, while GVD-Delhi strain registered 2.04–95.83% mortality and SHD-Delhi strain showed 5.10–97.96% mortality. The administration of 0.8 mg of deltamethrin within 10 mL of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) has led to the maximum mortality rate in adult mosquitoes. <i>Conclusions</i>. The ATSBs formulated with guava juice-ASB and deltamethrin (9 : 1) showed toxin dose-dependent toxicity by all the four strains of <i>Ae. aegypti.</i> Most effective dosage was found as 0.8 mg deltamethrin/10 mL ATSB which imparted 96% to 98% mortality in adult mosquitoes. The investigations demonstrated the efficacy of deltamethrin-laced ATSB formulations against <i>Ae. aegypti</i> and highlighted the need for conduct of structured field trials and investigating the impact on disease vectors and nontarget organisms.","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139374244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Diagnostic Performance of Microscopy, SD-Bioline Rapid Diagnostic Test, and Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Detection of Malaria Infection among Pregnant Women at Delivery in Kumba Health District Area in the Southwest Region of Cameroon","authors":"Bekindaka Ngemani Obase, Esemu Livo Forgu, Awanakam Honore Awanakam, Zeukeng Francis, Agnenga Balonga Annie, Nchankou Loic, Jude Daiga Bigoga, Rose Leke, Dickson Shey Nsagha","doi":"10.1155/2023/2056524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2056524","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Introduction</i>. Malaria during pregnancy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Microcopy and rapid diagnostic test (RDT) recommended by the World Health Organization for clinical diagnosis have poor sensitivity to detect individuals with very low levels of parasitemia. Previous studies have shown that malaria in pregnancy is associated with mastitis and excessive uterine blood loss during delivery. However, information evaluating the performance of these tools in detecting malaria in pregnancy at the national level is limited. This study therefore evaluates the performance of microscopy, RDT, and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) in the detection of pregnancy-associated malaria at delivery. <i>Methods</i>. A total of 227 participants constituting of 201 pregnant women without and 26 with HIV were recruited from five health facilities within the Kumba health district area. Mother venous and cord blood were collected at delivery to test for malaria using the thick-film microscopy, SD-bioline RDT, and 18SrRNA-nested PCR. <i>Results</i>. The percentage of malaria-positive cases detected by thick-film microcopy (TFM), RDT, and PCR in pregnant women with and without HIV was 7.69%, 53.85%, and 50% and 3.48%, 23.38%, and 49.25%, respectively. Plasmodium falciparum was detected in 1.99% cord blood samples of women without HIV by PCR. The positivity rate in at least two of the test methods (composite positive) was 42.31% for women with and 19.90% for women without HIV. The sensitivity of TFM and RDT when using PCR as a reference was 7.21% and 49.00%, respectively, in all samples. The specificity was 99.14% and 90.55% with kappa values of 0.064 and 0.461, respectively. When using the composite test as a reference, the sensitivity of TFM, RDT, and nPCR was 15.69%, 94.12%, and 100%, respectively. Specificity was 99.43%, 93.18%, and 65.34% with kappa values of 0.213, 0.821, and 0.458, respectively. <i>Conclusion</i>. This study shows that PCR is more sensitive in the detection of malaria parasite followed by SD-bioline RDT kit. However, in resource-limited settings where access to molecular diagnosis of malaria is a problem, RDT should be considered as the first option to microscopy in the diagnosis of malaria.","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138579731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frequency of Gastrointestinal Parasites, Anemia, and Nutritional Status among Children from Different Geographical Regions of Bolivia","authors":"Ceilan Apaza, Washington Cuna, Froilán Brañez, Roberto Passera, Celeste Rodriguez","doi":"10.1155/2023/5020490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5020490","url":null,"abstract":"The study aimed to measure the frequency of occurrence of infections with helminths, protozoa, and risk factors of undernutrition and anemia among schoolchildren from the Bolivian highland (altiplano) and lowland (subtropical) rural regions, with a high frequency of gastrointestinal parasite infections. Cross-sectional data were collected from 790 children, 5–13 years old. Microscopic examination of stool using the Ritchie technique, hemoglobin testing using the HemoCue analyzer, and anthropometric measurements were performed. Over 60% and 20% of children were infected with protozoa and helminth parasites, respectively. Infections caused by pathogenic <i>Hymenolepis nana</i> (15.7–5.2%), <i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> (41.9–28.5%), <i>Giardia lamblia</i> (30.1–11.2%), <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i> (5.7–0.7%), and nonpathogenic <i>Entamoeba coli</i> (48.9–16%), <i>Blastocystis hominis</i> (40.2–28.5%), <i>Iodamoeba butschli</i> (16.1–2.5%), <i>Chilomastix mesnili</i> (19.2–7.3%), and <i>Entamoeba histolytica/dispar</i> (7.4–5.5%) parasites, were more prevalent in the highlands than the lowlands. Single parasitic infections were more prevalent in the lowlands; polyparasitism of light or heavy intensity predominated in the highlands. A strongly increased risk of anemia and a low prevalence of wasting were determined in children in the highlands. A higher risk for stunting was associated with children of older age, and a low burden of intestinal helminths would prevent wasting in children of highlands. Infections with <i>A. lumbricoides</i> and <i>G. lamblia</i> pathogens in older children were not significant covariates for stunting. Environmental, nutritional, and parasitic factors may predispose to anemia in the highlands. A nutritional intervention and parasite control effort will substantially improve children´s health in the highlands.","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138563585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Malaria Parasite among Pregnant Women Attending to Saudi Kassala Teaching Hospital in Kassala State, Eastern Sudan","authors":"Alnaeem Abdalla Idris Nour, Tafawl Ibrahim Karrar, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed Kebayer, Nada Ali Abd Elwahid Mohamed, Khadega Suleiman Mohammed Zarroug, Hajrhma Ismael Hajrhma Mohammedahmed, Mohamed Ahmed Salah Mohamed Ahmed","doi":"10.1155/2023/2289552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2289552","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;i&gt;Objective&lt;/i&gt;. Malaria during pregnancy is a priority area for malaria research and control as pregnant women represent a high risk group for severe malaria, and the presentation of malaria during pregnancy varies according to the level of transmission in the area; so the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rates of malaria parasite among pregnant women attending to Saudi Kassala Teaching hospital in Kassala state, 2022. &lt;i&gt;Methods&lt;/i&gt;. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Saudi Kassala Teaching hospital in Kassala State. This study involved one hundred and eighty-five blood samples collected from pregnant women who was then examined by using blood films and ICT for malaria, and the data were collected by a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21. &lt;i&gt;Results&lt;/i&gt;. The prevalence of malaria among pregnant women was 2.2% (95% CI: 0.006–0.054). There was no significant difference among the different age groups with respect to the prevalence of malaria (&lt;svg height=\"8.68572pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.0498209pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.15071 8.68572\" width=\"8.15071pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"&gt;&lt;g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"&gt;&lt;/path&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt; value = 0.483). The prevalence of malaria in rural residency was 2.2%, and this was significantly more common than the urban residency (&lt;svg height=\"8.68572pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.0498209pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.15071 8.68572\" width=\"8.15071pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"&gt;&lt;g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"&gt;&lt;use xlink:href=\"#g113-81\"&gt;&lt;/use&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt; value = 0.021). When compared across the gestational trimesters, there was no significant difference between them (&lt;svg height=\"8.68572pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.0498209pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.15071 8.68572\" width=\"8.15071pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"&gt;&lt;g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"&gt;&lt;use xlink:href=\"#g113-81\"&gt;&lt;/use&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt; value = 0.518). The number of gravidity is not related to malaria infection (&lt;svg height=\"8.68572pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.0498209pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.15071 8.68572\" width=\"8.15071pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"&gt;&lt;g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"&gt;&lt;use xlink:href=\"#g113-81\"&gt;&lt;/use&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt; value = 0.737). The presence of symptom compliant of malaria during pregnancy does not suggest the presence of malaria (&lt;svg height=\"8.68572pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.0498209pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 8.15071 8.68572\" width=\"8.15071pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"&gt;&lt;g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"&gt;&lt;use xlink:href=\"#g113-81\"&gt;&lt;/use&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt; value = 0.152). No difference was found between the different e","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"230 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138536117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and Determinants of Geohelminthiasis among School-Age Children in Jimma City, Ethiopia.","authors":"Ahmed Zeynudin, Teshome Degefa, Sultan Suleman, Abdulhakim Abamecha, Zuber Hajikelil, Andreas Wieser","doi":"10.1155/2023/8811795","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/8811795","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>School-age children (SAC) are at a higher risk of geohelminth or soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections due to their practice of walking and playing barefoot, lack of adequate sanitary facilities, and poor personal hygiene. In Ethiopia, periodic deworming has been implemented since 2013 with the aim of interrupting the transmission of STH in children by 2025. To evaluate the likely success of such a control program, it is crucial to monitor the transmission of STH, especially in peri-urban settings where environmental sanitation is modest. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of STH infections among SAC in peri-urban areas of Jimma City, Southwestern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five peri-urban <i>Kebeles</i> of Jimma City from July to September, 2021. Systematic random sampling was used to select 522 households with at least one child, and 478 children (5-15 years old) were recruited randomly from the households. Data on sociodemographic and potential risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Stool samples from each study participant were collected and examined microscopically using the Kato-Katz technique. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors associated with STH infections. The prevalence of any STH among SAC was 23.4%, with <i>Ascaris lumbricoides</i> being the predominant STH species (15.7%), followed by <i>Trichuris trichiura</i> (9%) and hookworm (2.1%). Most (86.6%) of the STH-positive SAC had a single infection and a light infection intensity (88.2%), with a mean intensity of 367.4 eggs per gram. Location of <i>Kebele</i> (AOR = 2.73; 95% CI: 1.21-6.16, <i>p</i>=0.016), lack of hand washing after defecation (AOR = 6.39; 95% CI: 3.16-12.95, <i>p</i> < 0.001), untrimmed fingernails (AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.56-4.51, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and lack of previous deworming (AOR = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.47-5.74, <i>p</i>=0.002) were significant predictors for STH infections among SAC. In conclusion, the study revealed that STH infections are significant health problem in the peri-urban areas of Jimma City. Strengthening periodic deworming and improving children's hygiene through health education are required to reduce the transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"2023 ","pages":"8811795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10696475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138498726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Novel Multiplex LAMP Assay for the Rapid and Accurate Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis Caused by <i>Leishmania infantum</i> from Iran.","authors":"Sahar Samsami, Sahar Namavari, Saeed Ataei, Abdolmajid Ghasemian, Ava Yazdanpanah, Neda Sepahi, Gholamreza Hatam, Hossein Faramarzi, Hadi Mirzaei, Razie Ranjbar, Ali Ghanbariasad","doi":"10.1155/2023/9326183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9326183","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) is one of the neglected tropical diseases despite being responsible for serious clinical symptoms, some of which lead to fatal outcomes. Thus, there is a need to apply accurate, rapid, and specific diagnostic measurements in order to control the disease and reduce the mortality rate. We aimed to develop and validate a multiplex LAMP assay for the diagnosis of VL caused by <i>Leishmania infantum</i> (<i>L. infantum</i>). Moreover, a thorough assessment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of multiplex LAMP in identifying various <i>Leishmania</i> species, such as <i>Leishmania tropica</i> (<i>L. tropica</i>) and <i>Leishmania major</i> (<i>L. major</i>) in comparison to <i>Leishmania infantum</i> (<i>L. infantum</i>). The diagnostic performance of the multiplex LAMP method for VL was compared to each LAMP assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and nested PCR technique. Two separated primers were set and used in a multiplex LAMP assay which was designed based on the ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer II) and were selected on the basis of conserved and high copy number region. Multiplex LAMP primers were designed using an online tool available at https://www.primerexplorer.jp/e. The alignment was performed using MEGA5, and the primers were further adjusted utilizing GENE Runner software. All molecular methods were tested on the serial dilution of cloned plasmid containing ITS region from standard strains of <i>L. infantum</i>, <i>L. tropica</i>, and <i>L. major</i>. Moreover, multiplex LAMP assay was evaluated and compared based on both standard strains and 55 clinical samples from humans as well as dogs. Various approaches were applied to interpret the multiplex LAMP reaction which deciphered a higher sensitivity when compared to the RT-qPCR for <i>L. infantum</i> (one copy number of plasmid, equal to 0.85 femtograms (fg) of plasmid concentration, and 0.004 parasite DNA per <i>μ</i>L) detection while these three standard strains of <i>Leishmania</i> were confirmed to contain 40 DNA copies using RT-qPCR. Additionally, the multiplex LAMP detection limit was approximately equivalent to RT-qPCR for <i>L. major</i> and <i>L. tropica</i>, which included 0.342 picograms (pg) and 342 femtograms (fg) of plasmid concentration, 4 × 10³ and 4 × 10² copy number of plasmid, and 17.1 and 1.71 parasite DNA per <i>μ</i>L for <i>L. major</i> and <i>L. tropica</i>, respectively. Nested PCR exhibited a lower detection limit for <i>L. infantum</i> of 4 × 10⁶ plasmid copy number compared to multiplex LAMP and RT-qPCR. Multiplex LAMP has the potential for accurate and rapid detection of infectious disease, successful treatment, and finding and monitoring asymptomatic cases, especially in low-income countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"2023 ","pages":"9326183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10676275/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138460700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and Associated Factors of Dengue Virus Circulation in the Rural Community, Handeni District in Tanga, Tanzania","authors":"Debora C. Kajeguka, Francis M. Mponela, Emmanuel Mkumbo, Anna N. Kaaya, Daniel Lasway, Robert D. Kaaya, Michael Alifrangis, Emmanuel Elanga-Ndille, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Reginald Kavishe","doi":"10.1155/2023/5576300","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5576300","url":null,"abstract":"Dengue virus is among the most important re-emerging arbovirus that causes global public health attention. Dengue has historically been thought of as an urban disease that frequently occurs in rapidly urbanized settings. However, dengue has become more widespread in rural regions in recent years. Understanding the changing dengue epidemiology in different geographical settings is important for targeted intervention. In Tanzania, dengue fever is not frequently reported because of the poor surveillance infrastructure, underestimation, and a lack of consideration of dengue as a priority. Therefore, the true burden as well as the risk factors for increased transmission has not been fully ascertained, particularly in rural areas. A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted in June 2021, involving a total of 362 participants of all age groups. We investigated the prevalence of acute dengue infection, seroprevalence, and associated factors among the community in three villages of the rural Handeni district. The prevalence of acute dengue infection (based on PCR) was 2.2% (8/362). Dengue-specific IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in 3.3% (12/362) and 5.2% (19/362) of the participants, respectively. Adult participants who were having vegetation around their houses were more likely to be DENV seropositive (AOR = 2.4, CI = 1.88–4.18, <math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" id=\"M1\"> <mi>p</mi> </math> value = 0.05). Children living in houses with garbage pit around their households were less likely to be DENV seropositive (AOR = 0.13, CI = 0.03–0.56, <math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" id=\"M2\"> <mi>p</mi> </math> value <0.01). DENV continues to circulate in rural Tanzania, causes an alarming situation, and necessitates prompt public health action to enhance vector surveillance and control in rural communities.","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135391413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities, and Metabolite Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants of Nepal.","authors":"Amit Kumar Shrivastava, Muskan Keshari, Manisha Neupane, Sheshbhan Chaudhary, Purna Kala Dhakal, Laxmi Shrestha, Anjan Palikhey, Chandrajeet Kumar Yadav, Gopal Lamichhane, Mohammad Ujair Shekh, Rakesh Kumar Yadav","doi":"10.1155/2023/6641018","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/6641018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antiarthritic, and anti-inflammatory properties of extracts from the leaves of twelve different medicinal plants in Nepal. We then evaluated the total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents of the extract using in-vitro assays and characterized it using GC-MS analysis. Results revealed that most of the leaf extracts contained phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins. Few plants also showed the presence of glycosides, phytate, and vitamin C. Among the studied plants, <i>Neolamarckia cadamba</i> exhibited the highest total phenolic and tannin contents, as 241.53 ± 0.20 <i>µ</i>g of gallic acid equivalent/mg and 74.48 ± 1.081 <i>µ</i>g of tannic acid equivalent/mg, respectively. <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> exhibited the highest total flavonoid content, as 53.051 ± 1.11 <i>µ</i>g of quercetin equivalent/mg. Moreover, <i>Raphanus sativus</i> demonstrated significant ferrous ion chelating, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and total antioxidant activities with IC₅₀ value of 4.76 ± 0.68 <i>µ</i>g/mL, 5.84 ± 0.14 <i>µ</i>g/mL, 6.89 ± 0.16 <i>µ</i>g/mL, and 8.99 ± 0.20 <i>µ</i>g/mL, respectively. Similarly, <i>Colocasia esculenta</i> and <i>Cicer arietinum</i> exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging activities, measuring IC₅₀ value of 7.22 ± 0.56 <i>µ</i>g/mL and 9.06 ± 0.10 <i>µ</i>g/mL, respectively. Among all the extracts, <i>Amorphophallus paeoniifolius</i> displayed significant human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization activity (IC₅₀ = 6.22 ± 0.78 <i>µ</i>g/mL). Furthermore, <i>Raphanus sativus</i>, <i>Chenopodium album, Cicer arietinum</i>, and <i>Murraya koenigii</i> exhibited the highest inhibitory activities against protein denaturation with bovine serum albumin, antiarthritic, lipoxygenase inhibitory, and proteinase inhibitory, measuring IC₅₀ of 7.48 ± 0.48 <i>µ</i>g/mL, 9.44 ± 1.62 <i>µ</i>g/mL, 14.67 ± 1.94 <i>µ</i>g/mL, and 28.57 ± 2.39 <i>µ</i>g/mL, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the twelve leaf extracts' significant antioxidant, antiarthritic, and anti-inflammatory activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"2023 ","pages":"6641018"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10637841/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89718735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coinfection with <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Enhances Disease Severity in Human African Trypanosomiasis.","authors":"Nancy S Mitalo, Naomi N Waiganjo, John Mokua Mose, David O Bosire, James O Oula, Alfred Orina Isaac, James Nyabuga Nyariki","doi":"10.1155/2023/1063169","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/1063169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and schistosomiasis are neglected parasitic diseases found in the African continent. This study was conducted to determine how primary infection with <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> affects HAT disease progression with a secondary infection with <i>Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense</i> (<i>T.b.r</i>) in a mouse model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Female BALB-c mice (6-8 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups of 12 mice each. The different groups were infected with <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> (100 cercariae) and <i>Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense</i> (5.0 × 104) separately or together. Twenty-one days after infection with <i>T.b.r</i>, mice were sacrificed and samples were collected for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The primary infection with <i>S. mansoni</i> significantly enhanced successive infection by the <i>T.b.r</i>; consequently, promoting HAT disease severity and curtailing host survival time. <i>T.b.r</i>-induced impairment of the neurological integrity and breach of the blood-brain barrier were markedly pronounced on coinfection with <i>S. mansoni.</i> Coinfection with <i>S. mansoni</i> and <i>T.b.r</i> resulted in microcytic hypochromic anemia characterized by the suppression of RBCs, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and red cell indices. Moreover, coinfection of the mice with the two parasites resulted in leukocytosis which was accompanied by the elevation of basophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. More importantly, coinfection resulted in a significant elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, creatinine, urea, and uric acid, which are the markers of liver and kidney damage. Meanwhile, <i>S. mansoni</i>-driven dyslipidemia was significantly enhanced by the coinfection of mice with <i>T.b.r.</i> Moreover, coinfection with <i>S. mansoni</i> and <i>T.b.r</i> led to a strong immune response characterized by a significant increase in serum TNF-<i>α</i> and IFN-<i>γ</i>. <i>T.b.r</i> infection enhanced <i>S. mansoni</i>-induced depletion of cellular-reduced glutathione (GSH) in the brain and liver tissues, indicative of lethal oxidative damage. Similarly, coinfection resulted in a significant rise in nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Primary infection with <i>S. mansoni</i> exacerbates disease severity of secondary infection with <i>T.b.r</i> in a mouse model that is associated with harmful inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and organ injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":17527,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Tropical Medicine","volume":"2023 ","pages":"1063169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10637842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89718734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}