Infectious Diseases of Poverty最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating the effectiveness of mass drug administration on lymphatic filariasis transmission and assessment of post-mass drug administration surveillance in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.","authors":"Juliana Ajuma Amanyi-Enegela, Joseph Kumbur, Faizah Okunade, Donald Ashikeni, Rinpan Ishaya, Girija Sankar, William Enan Adamani, Moses Aderogba, Louise Makau-Barasa, Achai Emmanuel, Bosede Eunice Ogundipe, Chinwe Okoye, Babar Qureshi","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01333-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01333-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) launched annual mass drug administration (MDA) in its four lymphatic filariasis (LF)-endemic councils in 2011, achieving sustained high coverage and pre-transmission assessment survey success. This study aimed to confirm transmission interruption in Bwari and Gwagwalada and to evaluate post-MDA surveillance efficacy in Abaji and Kuje.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Transmission Assessment Surveys (TAS) were systematically conducted in four distinct evaluation units (EUs) within the FCT. TAS 1 was carried out in Bwari and Gwagwalada EUs that had recently achieved pre-TAS thresholds indicating potential interruption of transmission, whereas TAS 2 was conducted in Abaji and Kuje EUs, where MDA had been discontinued since 2021 following successful TAS 1 evaluations. Abbott Filarial Test Strips (FTS) were employed to test children aged 6-7 years attending selected schools. Data collection adhered to standardized WHO guidelines, utilizing both paper-based and electronic data-capture tools to enhance accuracy and reduce human error.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 6,448 children participated in surveys across the four EUs, with gender distribution closely balanced (53% male, 47% female). In TAS 1 (Bwari and Gwagwalada), no LF-positive cases were identified well below the WHO-defined critical cutoff of 18 cases. In TAS 2 (Abaji and Kuje), a single LF-positive case was detected in Abaji, still below the critical threshold. Participant refusal rates were minimal, reflecting strong community support and engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings provide compelling evidence of significant progress toward LF elimination in Nigeria's FCT; however, the single positive case in Abaji underscores the continued importance of vigilant surveillance and integrated vector-management strategies to maintain elimination status and guard against residual transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"63"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12239499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144601954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trypanosoma dionisii in China: ecology and tentative epidemiology.","authors":"Qin Liu, Mu-Xin Chen, Yu-Chun Cai, Yuan-Yuan Li, Zi-Yi Wang, Yun-Hai Guo, Yu-Wan Hao, Jing-Bo Xue, Yi-Dan Jing, Fan-Na Wei, Yong-Bin Wang, Yue-Jin Li, Hai-Fang Wang, Jun-Ling Sun, Ya-Li Wang, Gang Wang, Na Wang, Nai-Li Guo, Jian-Cun Fang, Wei-Xiao Chen, Xun-Ming Zhou, Yang Yu, Yi Zhang, Jun-Hu Chen, Qiang Wang, Shi-Zhu Li, Ge Yan, Qun Li","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01336-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01336-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Trypanosoma dionisii, one of several species that parasitizes Chiroptera worldwide, was first reported in a 30 year-old pregnant woman in China. It is important to improve our understanding of ecological and epidemiological patterns to identify potential transmission vectors and to estimate the risk of T. dionisii infection in the local population as well as in various species of domestic and wild animals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed an ecological survey with epidemiological features in the area where the first T. dionisii case was found, including parasitological and serological tests and local demographic information for six surrounding villages. Sylvatic and domestic mammals and potential vector organisms in the same locality were investigated by nested-PCR for Trypanosoma and the phylogenetic analysis was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 241 samples from the local population were screened for trypanosomiasis by parasitological and serological tests with no positive cases identified. However, 11 out of 18 bats collected from the village tested positively for Trypanosoma spp. by microscopy and nested-PCR, while 9 were positive for T. dionisii and 2 for T. vespertilionis. With regard to cats, 5 from a pet hospital in local showed 3 were co-infected with of T. dionisii and T. vespertilionis, and one having T. dionisii only, as well as one of the 29 animals examined was found infected with T. vespertilionis. Other animals seemed even less affected as all 163 blood samples collected from livestock and poultry, such as cows, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese, tested negative. Also 35 mosquito and mite pools tested negatively, while 4 out of 30 tick pools tested positive by nested-PCR with their sequences close to T. conorhini.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The survey indicates that a natural epidemic foci of T. dionisii, exists in Dongying Region, Shandong Province, China. Although no evidence of a high risk for human epidemic was found, the widespread presence of this parasites in bat species and a relatively high infection rate observed in the surveyed cats and dogs emphasize the emerging threat it poses to human health. Further surveillance and analysis are warranted to evaluate the transmission risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"61"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12232846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zoonotic diseases in China: epidemiological trends, incidence forecasting, and comparative analysis between real-world surveillance data and Global Burden of Disease 2021 estimates.","authors":"Yun-Fei Zhang, Shi-Zhu Li, Shi-Wen Wang, Di Mu, Xi Chen, Sheng Zhou, Hai-Jian Zhou, Tian Qin, Qin Liu, Shan Lv, Yan Lu, Ji-Chun Wang, Yu Qin, Guo-Bing Yang, Yong-Jun Li, Jian-Yun Sun, Xiao-Nong Zhou, Mai-Geng Zhou, Can-Jun Zheng, Biao Kan, Shun-Xian Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01335-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01335-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Zoonotic diseases remain a significant public health challenge in China. This study examines the temporal trends, disease burden, and demographic patterns of major zoonoses from 2010 to 2023.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study analyzed data from China's National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System (NNIDRS, 2010-2023) on nine major zoonoses, including echinococcosis, brucellosis, leptospirosis, anthrax, leishmaniasis, encephalitis (Japanese encephalitis), hemorrhagic fever, rabies, and schistosomiasis. Joinpoint regression was applied to assess annual trends in incidence rates, while autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and exponential smoothing models were used to forecast incidence trends from 2024 to 2035. To assess the performance of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 model in China, disease-specific multipliers-defined as the ratio of GBD estimates to national surveillance data-along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to quantify discrepancies and evaluate the consistency between modeled estimates and empirical observations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 2010 to 2023, the incidence rates of leptospirosis [average annual percent change (AAPC) = - 5.527%, 95% CI: - 11.054, - 0.485], encephalitis (AAPC = - 16.934%, 95% CI: - 23.690, - 11.245), hemorrhagic fever (AAPC = - 5.384%, 95% CI: - 7.754, - 2.924), rabies (AAPC = - 20.428%, 95% CI: - 21.076, - 19.841), and schistosomiasis (AAPC = - 28.378%, 95% CI: - 40.688, - 15.656) showed a declining trend in China. In contrast, brucellosis exhibited a modest but statistically significant increase (AAPC = 0.151%, 95% CI: 0.031, 0.272). For most diseases, incidence rates were consistently higher in males than females. Children aged 0-5 years accounted for a substantial proportion of encephalitis and leishmaniasis cases, while adults aged 14-65 years represented the primary affected group across the majority of diseases. Occupationally, farmers and herders were the most affected populations. Compared to national surveillance data, the GBD 2021 model substantially overestimated the burden of zoonotic diseases in China, particularly for echinococcosis (by 3.611-7.409 times) and leishmaniasis (by 3.054-10.500 times).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study revealed significant decline in several major zoonoses in China, while brucellosis showed a continued upward trend. These findings highlight the urgent need for a One Health-based prevention and control system to interrupt cross-species transmission and reduce long-term public health risks.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"60"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231708/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonality and mycobacterial infectious diseases in animals and humans: is there a generality of seasonal patterns for mycobacterial infections?","authors":"Carlos Adrian Vargas Campos, Christine Chevillon, Ahmadou Sylla, Magdalene Dogbe, Kayla M Fast, Jennifer Pechal, Alex Rakestraw, Matthew E Scott, Michael W Sandel, Heather Jordan, M Eric Benbow, Jean-François Guégan","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01319-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01319-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Seasonal patterns of mycobacterial infections affecting humans and animals remain a complex and understudied aspect of infectious disease dynamics. These intra-annual patterns are increasingly relevant in the context of global climate change, which may influence the timing and geographic spread of these diseases. A better understanding of such patterns could improve surveillance, prevention, and control strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a mixed-methods bibliometric review combining bibliographic searches and scoping analysis to synthesize decades of research on the seasonality of mycobacterial infections in humans and animals. We systematically searched three major scientific databases-Scopus, PubMed-MEDLINE, and Web of Science-for articles published between 1971 and April 2023. From an initial dataset of 1830 unique articles, we identified and analysed 122 studies that met predefined inclusion criteria. We extracted information on pathogen type, statistical methods, geographic location, and host species. In addition, we conducted a co-citation network analysis to identify key methodological influences and research clusters.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The retained studies encompassed tuberculosis, Buruli ulcer, bovine tuberculosis, and other mycobacterial diseases such as leprosy and Johne's disease. Most articles focused on tuberculosis in humans, followed by Buruli ulcer caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. There was a marked increase in studies on seasonal trends in tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer over time, with notable variation in geographic and methodological coverage. Research was heavily concentrated in the northern hemisphere, especially in China, while southern regions remained underrepresented. Advanced statistical tools, including generalized linear models and time-series analyses, were instrumental in detecting seasonality, particularly for tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Seasonality appears to be a common yet understudied feature of many mycobacterial infections. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of appropriate analytical tools are essential to better understand these patterns, especially in underrepresented regions. Addressing methodological and geographic gaps will be crucial to improve responses to these diseases in a changing global environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"59"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12225213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144561602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vectors, host range, and spatial distribution of Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in Europe: a systematic review.","authors":"Carolin Hattendorf, Renke Lühken","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01328-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01328-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens are mosquito-borne nematodes with dogs as primary hosts, but other mammalian species including humans can be also infected. In the last century, circulation of both pathogens was predominantly restricted to Southern Europe. However, different studies indicated a potential establishment in Central, Eastern and Western parts of Europe as an increasing threat to animal and human health. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review of Dirofilaria data in Europe to give a comprehensive overview of potential mosquito vectors and vertebrate hosts, including the collection of different metadata (e.g. sampling year and site), allowing to analyse the spread pattern of the parasites in Europe.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>On 24 January 2022, we conducted a systematic literature review of all available publications in the PubMed database reporting D. immitis and D. repens screening in mosquitoes and mammalian vertebrates in Europe. We only included acute infection of Dirofilaria spp., i.e. excluding studies only screening antibodies, and in addition noted the travel history and the accuracy of the sampling locations. These data were used to analyse the range of potential vectors and hosts and for a comparison of the spatial distribution between the twentieth and twenty-first century.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both nematodes appear to have a high overlap of Aedes, Anopheles and Culex as potential vector species, which are abundant in Europe. Most published D. immitis infections were reported in dogs, while D. repens predominantly were reported in humans. Dirofilaria immitis infections were detected in a wider range of wild and zoo animals. Compared to the last century, many more countries especially in Central Europe were affected by Dirofilaria spp. circulation, illustrating a significant spread over the last 20 years.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings suggest that D. immitis and D. repens are a growing health concern for animals and humans in Europe. Continuous globalisation and climate warming will probably lead to a further spread and increased circulation in the future. All data are made available open access, which will enable further analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"58"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12217203/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144555471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a new wealth index for South Sudan: association between household wealth and malaria prevention practices in the context of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan.","authors":"Sikai Huang, Jamshed Khan, Francis Lokang, Abubaker Rom Ayuiel, Kevin Baker, Ahmed Julla, Sol Richardson","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01327-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01327-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The World Health Organization recommends seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine (SPAQ) to prevent malaria among children aged 3-59 months in regions with marked seasonality of malaria transmission. Socioeconomic disparities in household malaria prevention within the SMC context remain uncharacterized. This study aimed to construct a household wealth index and examine its association with SMC implementation, children malaria infection, and malaria prevention practices in South Sudan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We utilized data from repeated cross-sectional household surveys conducted in Aweil County in 2022, involving 2767 households. The survey included asset-based questions tailored to the local context. We constructed a 12-item wealth score scale based on asset ownership using Mokken scale analysis and calculated weighted scores using multiple correspondence analysis to obtain wealth index quintiles. Survey-weighted logistic regressions were performed to assess the association of household wealth index quintiles with SMC implementation, children malaria infection, and malaria prevention practices.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The constructed 12-item wealth scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.72). However, households in the lower wealth quintiles (1st quintile) had lower odds of ownership of mosquito nets compared with those in the 3rd quintile [odds ratio (OR) = 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05-0.26, P < 0.001)]. Households in the highest wealth quintile (5th quintile) had higher odds of access to alternative malaria prevention tools (e.g., repellents) compared with the 3rd quintile (OR = 2.75, 95% CI: 1.30-5.83, P = 0.010). However, household wealth was not significantly associated with SMC implementation (household visits by SMC boma distributors, child receipt of Day 1 SPAQ, and caregiver SMC knowledge) or malaria infection outcomes within SMC context.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The new wealth index tailored to South Sudan is a useful tool for assessing socioeconomic health determinants. While household access to SMC showed a low degree of wealth-associated disparities, reflecting the equitable coverage of the door-to-door SMC delivery model, significant inequities remain in household access to other malaria prevention practices, such as mosquito nets. These findings imply the need for strategies to enhance equity in distributing essential malaria prevention resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"57"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12210560/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An ultrasensitive and specific CRISPR-Cas13a-mediated point-of-care assay for monkeypox detection and PCR-based clade detection.","authors":"Qin Zhang, Yan Yu, Bin Yin, Liang Xu, Hui Chen, Runjie Qiao, Ang Chen, Na Zhu, Xuping Wu","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01325-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01325-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The rapid increase in the number of monkeypox cases poses a considerable threat to the international community, necessitating sensitive, fast, and available diagnostic methods. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a rapid, sensitive and simple method with high clinical applicability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a simple, rapid point-of-care assay to detect monkeypox virus (MPXV) using multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) coupled with the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas13a system. The detection system was optimized by synthesizing plasmids, and the detection sensitivity was explored by the continuous dilution of the plasmid. We validated the accuracy of this assay on 202 clinical MPXV samples and 104 interference samples through the kappa test. The visual interpretation of the results was realized by combining the assay with lateral flow strips. In addition, we developed a PCR-based method to identify MPXV Clades I and II, and the accuracy was tested through a kappa test on 202 clinical monkeypox samples and 104 interference samples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our assay achieved an analytical sensitivity of 14.4 copies/ml and high selectivity, as it differentiated MPXV from three other Orthopoxvirus species. The clinical testing results for 202 monkeypox samples and 104 interference samples demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity. Compared with quantitative PCR (qPCR), three samples tested as positive using our assay, which showed that the performance of this assay was superior to that of the qPCR assay. Combined with lateral flow strips, its availability and simplicity provide an alternative point-of-care diagnostic method for MPXV testing in remote settings and resource-poor areas. The results of 32 clinical samples showed that lateral flow strips had a high detection sensitivity and could identify samples with Ct value of 39 as positive. The clade identification assay detected as few as 200 copies/ml within 40 min and no cross-reaction was observed between Clades I and II. The clinical samples tested were all Clade II, which was consistent with the circulating clade in the Chinese mainland.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The MIRA-CRISPR-Cas13a-MPXV system offers a rapid, sensitive and specific approach for monkeypox diagnosis, with significance for monitoring monkeypox epidemics. The clade identification assay based on PCR could accurately distinguish Clade I from Clade II within 40 min and can be implemented for high-throughput operation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"56"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183853/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Technologies for the point-of-care diagnosis of malaria: a scoping review.","authors":"Florinda Coro, Carmelo De Maria, Valentina D Mangano, Arti Ahluwalia","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01329-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01329-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria continues to pose a significant health challenge, particularly in low-resource settings (LRS), where access to reliable and timely diagnostics is often limited. In this context, point-of-care (POC) in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) play a key role in supporting early detection and treatment. The aim of this scoping review was to better understand the landscape of malaria IVD technologies, with the aim of identifying both their strengths and limitations to guide and accelerate the development of POC diagnostics suitable for endemic regions and LRS. To support this analysis, the ASSURED (Affordability, Sensitivity, Specificity, User-friendliness, Rapidity, Equipment-free, Deliverability) criteria were applied to rank each technology in terms of its potential for POC applications in LRS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science for original research articles on malaria POC diagnostic devices published in English over the last 20 years (2003-2023). Records were screened based on eligibility criteria. For each paper, we identified biomarkers, biological specimens used, analytical methods, and readout technologies. Each record was ranked from low to high for its compatibility with the seven ASSURED criteria and for the Technology Readiness Level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final dataset included 118 records. Of the methods considered, immunoassays were the most frequently reported (41.5%), followed by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP, 22.8%), polymerase chain reaction (PCR, 6.7%) and optical microscopy (4.2%). The limit of detection was highest for LAMP and PCR. Biomarkers employed for diagnosis included the Plasmodium parasite, parasite protein antigens and hemozoin. Blood was the most commonly employed biological specimen (76.2%), followed by urine and saliva (5.1%). Despite a focus on malaria IVDs for POC applications, only 8% of the records mentioned ASSURED criteria, with most studies manifesting low compatibility with the criteria.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although meeting the ASSURED criteria remains challenging, microscopy is still the gold standard because of its diagnostic accuracy. Recent developments in low-cost, high-magnification lenses and innovative manufacturing techniques have enabled the production of microscopy devices in LRS. Combined with advancements in image processing and shape recognition through machine learning, there is strong potential for intellectual and economic investments to enhance microscopy for POC malaria diagnostics.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"54"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 combined quadrivalent self-amplifying mRNA-LNP vaccine provokes protective immunity against acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in mice.","authors":"Qinli Wu, Zhongao Zhang, Hongkun Chu, Bing Xia, Weiqi Li, Jianzu Ding, Haojie Ding, Bin Zheng, Meng Gao, Youru Wang, Eman E El Shanawany, Feng Tan, Huayue Ye, Xunhui Zhuo, Shaohong Lu","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01332-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01332-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasitic protozoan, which infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, causes toxoplasmosis. However, we lack effective drugs and vaccines to control toxoplasmosis, representing a clinical challenge. Therefore, safe and effective vaccines are urgently needed. In this study, a self-replicating mRNA vaccine comprising four T. gondii antigens: ROP18, TGME49_237490, TGME49_268230, and MIC13, named 4x-mRNA-LNP (lipid nanoparticle), was developed, and its protective efficacy was evaluated in mice.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The expression of this vaccine in eukaryotic Human embryonic kidney 293 T (HEK-293 T) cells and mouse myoblast (C2C12) cells were analyzed, followed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) evaluation of the elicited humoral immune response. Subsequently, the vaccine-triggered immune responses in mice were detected, including antibody titers, T lymphocyte subsets, and cytokine levels. Finally, its immunoprotective effects were evaluated after challenging mice with T. gondii PRU oocysts or tachyzoites of different strains and analyzing the pathological changes, parasite loads, and mouse survival time. Western blotting and ELISA confirmed the successful eukaryotic expression and immunogenicity of 4x-mRNA, respectively. Statistical analyses, including the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test, Student's t-test, and one-way ANOVA, were performed using GraphPad Prism software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mice vaccinated with 4x-mRNA-LNP generated higher levels of IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies (P < 0.05) and cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-γ) (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. The high specific IgG titer was maintained for at least 10 weeks after the last vaccination. The proportion of CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells and CD3⁺CD8⁺ T cells also increased significantly (P < 0.05), along with increased spleen cell proliferation in 4x-mRNA-LNP-vaccinated mice. Notably, limited pathological changes and < 10 fg of parasites/mg were found in the immunized mice tissues post-pathogen challenge. During observation for 30 days, 4x-mRNA-LNP-immunized mice survived significantly longer under challenge with lethal doses of RH, ME49, or WH6 tachyzoites (survival rates = 60%, 80%, and 60%, respectively). Following PRU oocyst challenge, vaccinated mice had notably decreased cyst burdens (72.5%, P < 0.05) compared with control mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The 4x-mRNA-LNP vaccine triggered effective long-term antibody levels in mice, thus representing a promising candidate to further develop anti-toxoplasmosis vaccines.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"55"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The social determinants of tuberculosis: a case-control study characterising pathways to equitable intervention in Peru.","authors":"Matthew J Saunders, Rosario Montoya, Luz Quevedo, Eric Ramos, Sumona Datta, Carlton A Evans","doi":"10.1186/s40249-025-01324-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-025-01324-6","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Despite being key components of global tuberculosis policy, poverty reduction and social protection interventions have been inconsistently implemented. We aimed to characterise how poverty and interrelated personal risk factors increase tuberculosis risk in Peru to inform the design of locally appropriate, person-centred, equity-oriented interventions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We undertook a case-control study among people aged 15 years and over in 32 communities in Peru between 2016 and 2019. Cases (n = 2337) were people diagnosed with any form of tuberculosis. Controls (n = 981) were people living in randomly selected households in the same communities. We derived measures of household poverty from three dimensions (physical, human, and financial capital) and investigated the associations between these; personal risk factors more specifically linked to health (e.g. smoking); and tuberculosis. We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and population attributable fractions (PAF). A directed acyclic graph was used to inform the analytical approach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Household poverty was strongly associated with tuberculosis (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 2.3-4.2 for people from the 'poorer' versus 'less poor' half of households). There was a non-linear social gradient across deciles of household poverty, with odds of tuberculosis increasing exponentially as poverty deepened (aOR = 12.6; 95% CI: 6.8-23.2 for the 'poorest' decile versus the 'least poor' decile). Overall, tuberculosis burden could be halved by reducing poverty in the 'poorer' half of households to the level of the 'less poor' half (PAF = 47%; 95% CI: 40-54). For key personal risk factors, we estimated PAF for alcohol excess (PAF = 12.3%, 95% CI: 7.2-17.2); underweight (PAF = 10.3%, 95% CI: 8.7-11.8); smoking (PAF = 8.8%, 95% CI: 3.8-13.5); HIV (PAF = 5.7%, 95% CI: 4.6-6.7); and diabetes (PAF = 4.6%, 95% CI: 3.3-6.0). We also identified other important risk factors including previous tuberculosis (PAF = 14.8%, 95% CI: 11.6-17.9); incarceration (PAF = 9.5%, 95% CI: 6.8-12.1); and lower social capital (PAF = 4.1%, 95% CI: 2.6-5.6). Most personal risk factors, particularly education and substance misuse, tuberculosis exposures (e.g. incarceration and homelessness), and undernutrition, exhibited a social gradient across quintiles of household poverty and were more prevalent in people living in poorer households (Cochran-Armitage test for linear trend P &lt; 0.001 for variables showing these social gradients).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Interventions addressing multidimensional household poverty and interrelated personal risk factors could substantially reduce tuberculosis burden. Our results provide an evidence base for designing person-centred, equity-oriented interventions; and support more effective implementation of poverty reduction and social protection within the global tu","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"14 1","pages":"53"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12180230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144334193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}