Tropical Medicine & International Health最新文献

{"title":"Retrospective clinical performance evaluation of the Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0, a rapid diagnostic test for human African trypanosomiasis based on recombinant antigens.","authors":"Sara Tablado Alonso, Sylvain Biéler, Raquel Inocêncio da Luz, Paul Verlé, Philippe Büscher, Epco Hasker","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14077","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rapid diagnostic tests for the serological detection of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) have been developed to overcome the limitations of the traditional screening method, CATT/T. b. gambiense. The Abbott Bioline human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) 2.0 rapid diagnostic test has recently been developed by Abbott using only recombinant antigens. The objective of this study was to evaluate its clinical sensitivity and specificity, in comparison with the other available rapid diagnostic tests and CATT.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>For this study, archived plasma samples from 150 gHAT cases and 150 endemic controls originating from Chad, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda were analysed on the following tests: CATT/T. b. gambiense, the HAT Sero K-SeT, SD BIOLINE HAT and Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 rapid diagnostic tests, and the immune trypanolysis test. The sensitivity and specificity of Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 were 96.7% and 78.4%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of SD BIOLINE HAT were 99.3% and 74.1%. The sensitivity and specificity of CATT were 98.7% and 89.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of HAT Sero K-SeT were 99.3% and 81.3%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>The sensitivity and specificity of the Abbott Bioline HAT 2.0 are comparable to those of its predecessors HAT Sero K-SeT and SD BIOLINE HAT. However, considering the decreasing prevalence of gHAT, a higher specificity of the tests used for screening is desirable to improve their positive predictive value.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"135-142"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11791878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142882885","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":"Assessment of bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in external ocular infections among patients attending eye clinic at Kafrelsheikh University Hospitals.","authors":"Sally Hassan Essawy, Mohamed Ahmed ELShafie, Yasmeen Mohamed Mohamed Ghazy, Mo'men Mahmoud Saadoun, Nahla A Nosair, Hebatalla Abdelmaksoud Ahmed, Ayat Shaban Mousa El Nahal","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14075","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ocular infections can harm the eye's anatomic structure on numerous levels. They are a global health issue. Endophthalmitis, a serious complication following cataract surgery, can result in substantial ocular morbidity and vision loss despite the administration of antibiotics. Bacterial ocular flora are the primary causative agents. This study aimed to assess the types of bacterial isolates on the external ocular surface and evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in pre-operative cataract patients at Kafrelsheikh University Hospitals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study enrolled 691 patients scheduled for routine cataract surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology at Kafrelsheikh University Hospitals, Egypt. Each patient underwent a comprehensive assessment of medical history, including the use of traditional medicine, past eye trauma, and any prior eye surgeries, as well as ophthalmic clinical data such as visual acuity and ocular surface disorders. Conjunctival swabs were collected and processed using standard microbiological procedures to identify bacterial isolates and their respective antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 691 patients enrolled (median age 60 years, IQR 54-66), 59.8% were female. Conjunctival cultures yielded positive results in 38 cases (5.6%). The most frequently isolated organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for 52.6% of isolates, followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis at 15.8%. Notably, S. aureus demonstrated the highest resistance to erythromycin and vancomycin, with all 20 isolates showing resistance. In contrast, linezolid exhibited high efficacy, with 19 isolates showing sensitivity and only one displaying resistance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study indicated that ocular conditions such as dry eye syndrome, Meibomian gland dysfunction, and scaly blepharitis are strongly associated with the prevalence of culture-confirmed ocular infections. Regarding antibiotic susceptibility, most Staphylococcus species demonstrated the greatest sensitivity to linezolid and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"118-124"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142898604","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":"Effect of case detection strategies on the prognosis of tuberculosis patients in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, 2010-19: A retrospective cohort study.","authors":"José Mário Nunes da Silva, Fredi Alexander Diaz-Quijano","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14074","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite existing recommendations, there is still a scarcity of evidence on the impact of active case finding strategies versus passive case finding strategies, especially with regard to the mortality of tuberculosis patients. Therefore, our aim was to estimate the effect of case detection strategies on the prognosis of tuberculosis patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 160,384 new cases of tuberculosis patients diagnosed between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2019 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We classified exposure into: passive case finding (emergency room, outpatient clinics or hospital settings) and active case finding (institutions, community or contact investigation). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was a composite outcome with treatment outcomes. We investigated associations using logistic regression, allowing for municipality-level random effects.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with outpatient passive case finding, passive case finding in the emergency room and in the hospital showed higher odds of death (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.69; 95% CI: 3.47-3.93 and 4.47; 95% CI: 4.22-4.74, respectively) and unfavourable treatment outcomes (1.92; 95% CI: 1.84-1.99 and 2.06; 95% CI: 1.98-2.14, respectively). By contrast, patients detected through community-based active case finding and contact investigation showed lower odds of death (0.77; 95% CI: 0.61-0.97 and 0.71; 95% CI: 0.54-0.92, respectively) and unfavourable treatment outcomes (0.85; 95% CI: 0.77-0.95 and 0.82; 95% CI: 0.74-0.91, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Community-based active case finding and contact investigation were associated with better prognosis than passive strategies in tuberculosis patients. Our results highlight the importance of strengthening active case finding as a fundamental part of mitigating the disease burden and controlling tuberculosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"108-117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142898621","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":"Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrating mass drug administration for helminth control with seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Ghanaian children: Protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.","authors":"Muhammed O Afolabi, Dennis Adu-Gyasi, Lucy Paintain, Theresa Tawiah, Mohammed Sanni Ali, Brian Greenwood, Kwaku Poku Asante","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14062","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrating seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with mass drug administration for helminth control among school-aged children living in communities where the burden of malaria and helminths is high in Ghana, West Africa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cluster randomised controlled trial will enrol 1200 children aged 5-10 years. Eligible children randomised to intervention clusters will receive SMC drugs (sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine) and anthelminthic drugs for soil-transmitted helminths-(albendazole), and for schistosomiasis (praziquantel), while children randomised to control clusters will receive SMC drugs alone. Pre- and post-intervention blood, urine and stool samples will be collected from children in both clusters. The effectiveness of the concomitant delivery will be determined by checking whether the combination of SMC and anthelminthic drugs prevents anaemia in the children randomised to the intervention clusters compared to the children in the control clusters. Cost analysis and cost-effectiveness of this integrated delivery approach will be determined by estimating the incremental costs and effects of co-administration of SMC drugs with mass drug administration of anthelminthic drugs compared to SMC alone, including cost savings due to cases of moderate and severe anaemia averted.</p><p><strong>Expected findings: </strong>The findings of this study will provide evidence to inform public health recommendations for an integrated control of malaria and helminths among children living in the poorest countries of the world.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"22-30"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11697521/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142733297","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":"Severe community-acquired pneumonia compared to severe community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia in Reunion Island: A retrospective study.","authors":"Giacomo Rotini, Axel de Mangou, Agathe Combe, Amelie Renou, Chloe Combe, Radj Cally, Marie Lagrange-Xelot, Nicolas Allou, Guillaume Miltgen, Charles Vidal","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14067","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) has emerged in the last decades as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in tropical and subtropical regions. We previously conducted the first investigation on this topic in France with a case series of severe CAP-Ab in Reunion Island over an eight-year period. In the present work, we aim to highlight the specific aspects of CAP-Ab by comparing our case series with an historical cohort (PAC_RUN), obtained by retrospective chart review (2016-2021) of severe community-acquired pneumonia cases on Reunion Island, in which CAP-Ab was ruled out. During the study period, eight CAP-Ab cases were identified, giving an incidence of 0.1 cases per 100,000 people/year, and an incidence of 16.5 cases per 100,000 people/year for non-Ab-related CAP (n = 761). By comparing with non-Ab-related CAP, patients had more excessive alcohol use (75% vs. 25.6%, p = 0.005) and lower body mass index (21 vs. 24 kg/m², p = 0.004). Six cases (75%) of CAP-Ab occurred during the rainy season (p = 0.06). Mortality was higher (62.5% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.02) and time to death was shorter (median 2 days vs. 7, p = 0.009) in the CAP-Ab group. Bacteraemic pneumonia was strongly associated with CAP-Ab (62.5% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.004). Significant differences were found in the need for renal replacement therapy (75% vs. 17.2%, p < 0.001), catecholamine use (100% vs. 54.5%, p = 0.01) and use of invasive mechanical ventilation (100% vs. 62.7%, p = 0.03). Also, in the proportion of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (62.5% vs. 23.2%, p = 0.02), septic shock (100% vs. 40.6%, p < 0.001), and cardiogenic shock (87.5% vs. 15.9%, p < 0.001). Compared to severe non-Ab-related CAP, severe CAP-Ab is characterised by higher mortality, associated with a high frequency of multiple organ failure. Excessive alcohol consumption and malnutrition seem to be risk factors. To improve outcomes, broader spectrum antibiotic therapy must be immediately proposed when CAP-Ab is suspected.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"43-50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11697532/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142772814","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":"Inequalities in tuberculosis control in Ethiopia: A district-level distributional modelling analysis.","authors":"Fentabil Getnet, Tom Forzy, Latera Tesfaye, Awoke Misganaw, Solomon Tessema Memirie, Shewayiref Geremew, Tezera Moshago Berheto, Naod Wendrad, Bantalem Yeshanew Yihun, Mizan Kiros Mirutse, Fasil Tsegaye, Mesay Hailu Dangisso, Stéphane Verguet","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14066","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Implementation studies indicate that the addition of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services into the community health extension workers' tasks-that is 'task-shifting'-improved case detection and treatment outcomes in Ethiopia. Given resource and operational constraints, only a limited number of areas can be targeted by an expanded task-shifting program. Therefore, we mapped the distributional disparities in tuberculosis services across regions and districts and modelled the equity pathways towards optimising national scale-up of this task-shifting intervention in Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used data from various sources including District Health Information Software 2; demographic, geospatial and topographic data; and previously published implementation study findings. We developed methods to integrate these datasets and to calculate the proportion of health facilities with tuberculosis services, the district population to health centre ratio, and the proportion of district population living within 2h walking distance from a health centre. Equity and disparities were then measured in terms of: tuberculosis services coverage; health centre adequacy, that is the district population served by health centres; and spatial access adequacy, that is the district population with health centre access within a two-hour walking distance. Subsequently, districts were ranked according to these measures to allow prioritisation of the health extension worker task-shifting intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Tuberculosis services coverage varied from 54% in Afar region to 100% in Harari region, and health centre inadequacy ranged from 10% of districts in Benishangul-Gumuz to 87% in Sidama. After spatial access adjustment, health centre inadequacy ranged from 7% of districts in Sidama to 91% in Somali; and tuberculosis services inadequacy from 7% of districts in Sidama to 97% in Afar. Task-shifting implemented in inadequate districts (55% of all districts) could raise national case detection rate from 66% (currently) to 88% and treatment success rate from 93% to 99%; Benishangul-Gumuz achieving the largest increase of all regions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Access to effective tuberculosis services presents substantial disparities across districts in Ethiopia, due to both health system and tuberculosis-specific factors. Jointly considering both types of factors would enable prioritisation of districts where health extension workers would be most impactful.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"31-42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142781150","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":"Associations of poor water, sanitation, and hygiene and parasite burden with markers of environmental enteric dysfunction in preschool-age children infected with Schistosoma mansoni in Uganda.","authors":"Susannah Colt, Andrew Edielu, David Lewander, Hannah W Wu, Emily L Webb, Patrice A Mawa, Racheal Nakyesige, A Gloria K Ayebazibwe, Jennifer F Friedman, Amaya L Bustinduy","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14061","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is an acquired subclinical condition of the small intestine with lasting health implications for nutritional status, linear growth and development among children. EED is characterised by structural and functional changes to the gut barrier. There are no standardised diagnostic criteria, however, a number of biomarkers have been evaluated to capture EED domains. While the causes of EED are not fully understood, risk factors include poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions and exposure to enteric pathogens. Very few studies have evaluated the impact of schistosomiasis on EED despite repeated intestinal damage from parasite eggs passing across the gut barrier.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a cohort of 354 preschool-aged children aged 12-47 months with Schistosoma mansoni infection recruited from the Lake Albert region of Uganda, we assessed exposure to water, sanitation and hygiene conditions and measured markers from each EED domain: intestinal inflammation (faecal calprotectin), epithelial damage (serum intestinal fatty-acid binding-protein), increased permeability (urine lactulose to mannitol ratio and faecal alpha-1 antitrypsin) and microbial translocation (serum endotoxin core antibody).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In multivariable linear regression models, we found that children whose drinking water was sourced from Lake Albert had higher concentrations of intestinal fatty-acid binding-protein (β = 0.48, 95% CI 0.20-0.76, p < 0.001), and lack of toilet/latrine access was associated with higher concentrations of calprotectin (β = 0.48, 95% CI 0.18-0.78, p < 0.01). Higher schistosomiasis intensity (eggs per gram of stool) was associated with higher calprotectin (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.02-0.17, p = 0.01), but not with other EED markers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Few studies have investigated schistosomiasis-related morbidities in very young children infected with schistosomiasis. Our findings from Uganda show that poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions and heavier schistosomiasis burden are associated with intestinal inflammation and damage, contributing to EED. Improved treatment coverage for preschool-aged children infected with schistosomiasis may reduce the burden from EED and associated long-term morbidities.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"14-21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11698645/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142772891","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":"HBV, HCV and HIV among inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mariana Cavalheiro Magri, Caroline Manchiero, Bianca Peixoto Dantas, Wanderley Marques Bernardo, Edson Abdala, Fátima Mitiko Tengan","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14070","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affect 340 million people worldwide and have a high impact on vulnerable populations. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the prevalence of these infections among inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, LILACS and Web of Science databases on 17 May 2024, without time or language restriction, according to PRISMA guidelines. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the bias risk in the selected studies. Meta-analysis was performed by using the random-effects model and heterogeneity between studies was assessed with I² statistic. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to investigate possible sources of heterogeneity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seventy-nine studies were included, encompassing over 230,000 inmates. The estimated prevalences of HBV, HCV and HIV were 1.0% (95% CI: 0.0-1.0), 7.0% (95% CI: 6.0-8.0) and 4.0% (95% CI: 3.0-4.0), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed the following prevalences: HBV among females was 1.0% (95% CI: 0.0-3.0) and among males was 10.0% (95% CI: 3.0-17.0); HCV among females and males was 12.0% (95% CI: 7.0%-17.0%); and HIV among females was 10.0% (95% CI: 5.0-15.0) and among males was 8.0% (95% CI: 6.0-10.0).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A substantial proportion of inmates in Latin America and the Caribbean are infected with HBV, HCV or HIV, underscoring the need for viral infection testing, primary care for inmates and increased efforts to promote public health policies for the prison system.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"4-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142824522","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":"Differences in clinical, radiological and laboratory parameters between elderly and young patients with newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Vietnam.","authors":"Khanh Linh Duong, Duc Manh Bui, Khanh Linh Dang, Manh Cuong Nguyen, Thi Huong Quynh Pham, Thi Huyen Trang Tran, Thi Thuy Vo, Van Du Pham, Van Duc Doan, Nang Trong Hoang, Thi Van Anh Tran, Xuan Thuy Tran, Thi Hanh Nguyen, Trung Kien Nguyen, Thi Han Bui, Philippe Gautret, Van Thuan Hoang, Thi Loi Dao","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14068","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate the differences in clinical, radiological and laboratory parameters between elderly and young patients with newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Vietnam.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective analysis included all patients hospitalised with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis with acid-fast bacilli-positive smear. Clinical symptoms, laboratory results and chest X-ray findings were collected using a standardised questionnaire. Elderly was defined as those patients aged 65 years and older.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 183 patients diagnosed with new acid-fast bacilli-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included in this study, with a mean age of 56.2 ± 16.3 years (minimum = 18 and maximum = 87 years). Seventy-seven participants were aged ≥65 years, accounting for 42.1% of participants. A total of 147 (80.3%) patients were male, and the sex ratio of male/female was 4.1. Night sweats were statistically more frequent among younger patients (34.9% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.04), whereas muscle and joint pain were more predominant among the elderly (7.6% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.01). A proportion of 67.0% of younger patients and 63.6% of the elderly group were bilaterally affected. Cavitation lesions were significantly more frequent in the younger group (55.7% vs. 39.0%, p = 0.03), whereas pulmonary fibrosis occurred more frequently in elderly patients (29.3% vs. 45.4%, p = 0.02). No other significant differences in clinical symptoms, laboratory results and chest X-ray findings were observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings underscore the importance of considering age-related variations in the clinical and radiological presentation of tuberculosis, which can guide tailored approaches in diagnosis, management and treatment strategies for different age groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"51-56"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142792437","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":"Mpox as an emerging health threat for survivors of sex trafficking.","authors":"Olabode Ekerin, Deborah Oluwaseun Shomuyiwa, Isaac Olushola Ogunkola, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Emery Manirambona","doi":"10.1111/tmi.14064","DOIUrl":"10.1111/tmi.14064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The resurgence of mpox, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization in 2024, highlights gaps in global preparedness, particularly for marginalised populations. While much of the focus has been on men who have sex with men, survivors of sex trafficking remain overlooked, despite being highly vulnerable to mpox transmission. These individuals face significant health disparities, including limited access to healthcare, exposure to violence and forced sexual encounters in unsafe conditions, which amplify their risk of infection. The clandestine nature of trafficking further complicates public health interventions like contact tracing and vaccination efforts, leaving survivors at heightened risk of infection and limited access to critical health resources. Addressing these inequities requires targeted interventions, such as confidential testing, outreach, culturally sensitive healthcare and integrating mpox awareness into existing survivor support programmes. Additionally, public health systems must ensure equitable vaccine distribution, enhance surveillance and collaborate with anti-trafficking organisations to improve prevention and care. A holistic approach that includes mental health support is crucial to address the unique challenges faced by trafficking survivors, ensuring they receive the protection and care needed during this global outbreak.</p>","PeriodicalId":23962,"journal":{"name":"Tropical Medicine & International Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142772892","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}