{"title":"Incidence and warning signs for complications of human brucellosis: a multi-center observational study from China.","authors":"Qing-Nan Shi, Hui-Jie Qin, Qiao-Shan Lu, Shu Li, Zhong-Fa Tao, Meng-Guang Fan, Mu-Heta Aishan, Zeng-Qiang Kou, Qiu-Lan Chen, Wen-Wu Yin, Yan-Ping Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01186-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01186-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Brucellosis is a severe zoonotic disease that is often overlooked, particularly in impoverished countries. Timely identification of focal complications in brucellosis is crucial for improving treatment outcomes. However, there is currently a lack of established indicators or biomarkers for diagnosing these complications. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate potential warning signs of focal complications in human brucellosis, with the goal of providing practical parameters for clinicians to aid in the diagnosis and management of patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in China from December 2019 to August 2021. The study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and complications of patients with brucellosis using a questionnaire survey and medical record system. The presence of warning signs for complications was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were used for variable screening and model evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 880 participants diagnosed with human brucellosis were enrolled. The median age of the patients was 50 years [interquartile range (IQR): 41.5-58.0], and 54.8% had complications. The most common organ system affected by complications was the osteoarticular system (43.1%), with peripheral arthritis (30.0%), spondylitis (16.6%), paravertebral abscess (5.0%), and sacroiliitis (2.7%) being the most prevalent. Complications in other organ systems included the genitourinary system (4.7%), respiratory system (4.7%), and hematologic system (4.6%). Several factors were found to be associated with focal brucellosis. These factors included a long delay in diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) = 3.963, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.906-8.238 for > 90 days], the presence of underlying disease (OR = 1.675, 95% CI 1.176-2.384), arthralgia (OR = 3.197, 95% CI 1.986-5.148), eye bulging pain (OR = 3.482, 95% CI 1.349-8.988), C-reactive protein (CRP) > 10 mg/L (OR = 1.910, 95% CI 1.310-2.784) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) elevation (OR = 1.663, 95% CI 1.145-2.415). The optimal cutoff value in ROC analysis was > 5.4 mg/L for CRP (sensitivity 73.4% and specificity 51.9%) and > 25 mm/h for ESR (sensitivity 47.9% and specificity 71.1%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>More than 50% of patients with brucellosis experienced complications. Factors such as diagnostic delay, underlying disease, arthralgia, eye pain, and elevated levels of CRP and ESR were identified as significant markers for the development of complications. Therefore, patients presenting with these conditions should be closely monitored for potential complications, regardless of their culture results and standard tube agglutination test titers.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10877768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139906672","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}
Reginaldo Bazon Vaz Tavares, Thaís Zamboni Berra, Yan Mathias Alves, Marcela Antunes Paschoal Popolin, Antônio Carlos Vieira Ramos, Ariela Fehr Tártaro, Clara Ferreira de Souza, Ricardo Alexandre Arcêncio
{"title":"Unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment outcomes across Brazil's geographical landscape before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: are we truly advancing toward the sustainable development/end TB goal?","authors":"Reginaldo Bazon Vaz Tavares, Thaís Zamboni Berra, Yan Mathias Alves, Marcela Antunes Paschoal Popolin, Antônio Carlos Vieira Ramos, Ariela Fehr Tártaro, Clara Ferreira de Souza, Ricardo Alexandre Arcêncio","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01184-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01184-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tuberculosis is one of the most significant infectious diseases for global public health. The reallocation of healthcare resources and the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered access to TB diagnosis and treatment. Increases in unfavorable outcomes of the disease have been observed in Brazil. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of unfavorable TB treatment outcomes in Brazil before and during the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An ecological study with spatial analysis was conducted with all 5569 municipalities in Brazil. All reported cases of tuberculosis between January 2010 and December 2021, as well as reported cases of COVID-19 from February 2020 to December 2021, were included. The outcomes studied encompass loss to follow-up, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and death. The Getis Ord GI* technique was employed to assess spatial association, and the Kernel density estimator was used to identify areas with concentrated increases or decreases in outcomes. Bivariate Local Moran's I was used to examine the spatial association between outcomes and COVID-19 incidence. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Ribeirão Preto Nursing School, University of São Paulo.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 134,394 cases of loss to follow-up, 10,270 cases of drug resistance, and 37,863 deaths. Clusters of high and low values were identified for all three outcomes, indicating significant changes in the spatial distribution patterns. Increases in concentrations were observed for lost to follow-up cases in the Southeast, while reductions occurred in the Northeast, South, and Midwest. Drug-resistant tuberculosis experienced an increase in the Southern and Southeastern regions and a decrease in the Northeast and South. TB-related deaths showed notable concentrations in the Midwest, Northeast, South, and Southeast. There was an increase in high occurrence clusters for deaths after 2020 and 2021 in the Northeast.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The pandemic has brought additional challenges, emphasizing the importance of enhancing efforts and disease control strategies, prioritizing early identification, treatment adherence, and follow-up. This commitment is vital for achieving the goal of tuberculosis elimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10874548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139900772","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}
Abdallah Zacharia, Clemence Kinabo, Twilumba Makene, Huda Omary, George Ogweno, Faraja Lyamuya, Billy Ngasala
{"title":"Accuracy and precision of dried urine spot method for the detection of Schistosoma mansoni circulating cathodic antigens in resource-limited settings.","authors":"Abdallah Zacharia, Clemence Kinabo, Twilumba Makene, Huda Omary, George Ogweno, Faraja Lyamuya, Billy Ngasala","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01183-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01183-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The World Health Organization recommends the use of Schisto point-of-care circulating cathodic antigens (Schisto POC-CCA) for screening of Schistosoma mansoni as it offers better sensitivity than microscopy. However, there are limitation facing the use of this method including timely availability of the test cassettes. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of dried urine spot (DUS) method for collection of urine and detection of S. mansoni using Schisto POC-CCA cassettes in a resource-limited settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November 2022 among 250 primary school children in Sengerema District, northwestern Tanzania. S. mansoni CCA was detected in filter paper-based DUS, liquid urine using DUS Schisto POC-CCA (index), and direct urine Schisto POC-CCA (comparator) methods respectively. S. mansoni eggs in stool were detected using duplicate Kato-Katz (KK) method. The measures of accuracy were computed and compared between the index and comparator methods. The strength of agreement between inter-raters precisions was tested using Cohen's kappa (k).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study revealed S. mansoni prevalence rates of 28.8%, 54.0% and 50.8% by duplicate KK, direct urine Schisto POC-CCA and DUS Schisto POC-CCA methods respectively. The mean intensity of infection among infected participants was 86.3 eggs per gram of stool (EPG) ranging from 12.0 EPG to 824.0 EPG. The sensitivity of DUS Schisto POC-CCA and direct urine Schisto POC-CCA was 94.44% (95% CI: 89.15-99.74%) and 97.22% (95% CI: 93.43-100.00%) respectively. The DUS Schisto POC-CCA method had slightly higher specificity (66.85%) than direct urine Schisto POC-CCA method (63.48%). The accuracy of the DUS Schisto POC-CCA was found to be slightly high (74.80%, 95% CI: 68.94-79.06%) compared to that of direct urine Schisto POC-CCA (73.20%, 95% CI: 67.25-78.59%). There was good agreement between two laboratory technologists who performed the DUS Schisto POC-CCA method on similar samples (k = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.59-0.95).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The DUS Schisto POC-CCA method had comparable S. mansoni detection accuracy to direct urine Schisto POC-CCA. This suggests that the method could be a potential alternative to direct urine Schisto POC-CCA for screening S. mansoni in resource-limited situations.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10874577/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139900751","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}
Brandon Le, Naomi E Clarke, Nicolas Legrand, Susana Vaz Nery
{"title":"Effectiveness of ivermectin mass drug administration in the control of soil-transmitted helminth infections in endemic populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Brandon Le, Naomi E Clarke, Nicolas Legrand, Susana Vaz Nery","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01185-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01185-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Current soil-transmitted helminth (STH) control guidelines endorse the use of albendazole or mebendazole for school-based targeted preventive chemotherapy (PC), yet their reduced efficacy against Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichuris trichiura presents significant limitations. Emerging evidence indicates that community-wide PC [or mass drug administration (MDA)] using ivermectin, commonly used in other neglected tropical disease (NTD) control programs, may play an important role in controlling these parasites. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of ivermectin PC in reducing STH prevalence in endemic populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched Pubmed, EMBASE, and Web of Science on February 14, 2023, for studies that investigated the effectiveness of ivermectin PC, either alone or in combination with other anthelmintic drugs, on STH infections, and provided a measure of STH prevalence before and after PC. We calculated pooled prevalence reductions for each STH using random-effects meta-analyses. Our protocol is available on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42023401219).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 21 were eligible for the systematic review, of which 15 were eligible for meta-analysis. All studies delivered ivermectin through MDA. The pooled prevalence reduction of S. stercoralis following MDA with ivermectin alone was 84.49% (95% CI 54.96-94.66) across five studies and 81.37% (95% CI 61.62-90.96) across seven studies with or without albendazole. The prevalence reduction of T. trichiura was 49.93% (95% CI 18.23-69.34) across five studies with ivermectin alone, and 89.40% (95% CI 73.66-95.73) across three studies with the addition of albendazole. There was high heterogeneity for all syntheses (I<sup>2</sup> > 65%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study underscores the key role of ivermectin-based MDA in addressing limitations in current global STH guidelines in terms of limited efficacy against S. stercoralis and T. trichiura. Based on these findings, revising international STH guidelines to include ivermectin is a promising option to progress the control and eventual elimination of STHs and other NTDs.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10874526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139900771","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":"Correction: New clinical application prospects of artemisinin and its derivatives: a scoping review.","authors":"Yangmu Huang, Yang Yang, Guangqi Liu, Ming Xu","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01180-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01180-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10854166/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139713249","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}
Jiuling Li, Shu Chen, Edwin Asturias, Shenglan Tang, Fuqiang Cui
{"title":"Promoting higher-valent pediatric combination vaccines in China: challenges and recommendations for action.","authors":"Jiuling Li, Shu Chen, Edwin Asturias, Shenglan Tang, Fuqiang Cui","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01181-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01181-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many countries have adopted higher-valent pediatric combination vaccines to simplify vaccination schedules and minimize health expenditures and social costs. However, China is conservative in the use of pediatric combination vaccines. By reviewing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data, in this commentary we identify gaps and challenges to combination vaccine use and make recommendations for promoting use of higher-valent pediatric combination vaccines in China. Challenges are in four dimensions: (1) legislation and regulation, (2) immunization schedule design, (3) vaccine awareness and price, and (4) research and development capacity. To optimize the use of combination vaccines to reduce vaccine-preventable disease burden, we make recommendations that address key challenges: (1) develop policies and regulations to strengthen enforcement of the Vaccine Administration Law and remove regulatory hurdles that hinder combination vaccine research and development, (2) establish an evidence-informed policy-making mechanism for combination vaccines, (3) resolve immunization schedule conflicts between monovalent and combination vaccines, and (4) implement effective interventions to increase vaccine awareness and reduce price.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10832179/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139651975","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}
Hammed O Mogaji, Babatunde Adewale, Stella I Smith, Ehimario U Igumbor, Chidumebi J Idemili, Andrew W Taylor-Robinson
{"title":"Combatting anthrax outbreaks across Nigeria's national land borders: need to optimize surveillance with epidemiological surveys.","authors":"Hammed O Mogaji, Babatunde Adewale, Stella I Smith, Ehimario U Igumbor, Chidumebi J Idemili, Andrew W Taylor-Robinson","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01179-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01179-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anthrax is a non-contagious zoonotic disease caused by the Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Infection is common in livestock and wild animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, camels, and antelopes. In humans, anthrax may occur after contact with contaminated carcasses or animal products like milk and meat. The best method to prevent anthrax in people is to ensure livestock are vaccinated, which significantly limits the risk of zoonotic spread to humans. However, the rate of vaccination of domesticated animals kept by nomadic pastoralists in West Africa is low. These groups regularly cross over national boundaries with their grazing herds. Nigeria is a country that historically has done comparatively well to contain this public health threat. However, in 2023 several outbreaks of human disease appear linked to the consumption of anthrax-contaminated animal products brought into Nigeria by pastoralists from neighboring countries. Clinical manifestations include skin sores or ulcers, nausea, vomiting, and fever. This article aims to raise awareness of recent outbreaks of anthrax in West Africa and to call for a renewed focus on measures to combat this neglected public health concern to the region.</p><p><strong>Main body: </strong>The imperative to pinpoint pivotal issues relating to the ongoing emergence of anthrax cases in Nigeria cannot be overstated. By delving into the prevalence of anthrax in both livestock and human populations residing along Nigeria's borders, unraveling the genetic diversity and potential sources of B. anthracis strains, and identifying the primary animal host(s) responsible for transmission, we stand to enhance our understanding of this critical issue. Furthermore, investigating the multifaceted factors contributing to anthrax transmission, assessing community knowledge and practices, mapping common migratory routes of pastoralists, and formulating targeted intervention strategies tailored to the challenges of border communities, are each crucial steps towards effective control and prevention.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Closing these knowledge gaps on anthrax is not only essential for safeguarding both animal and human health but also for fostering sustainable and resilient communities. Addressing research questions on these interdisciplinary concerns will undoubtedly pave the way for informed decision-making, proactive measures, and a more secure future for Nigeria and its border regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10832123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139651974","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":"Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry traces the geographical source of Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus forskalii, involved in schistosomiasis transmission.","authors":"Papa Mouhamadou Gaye, El Hadj Ibrahima Ndiaye, Souleymane Doucouré, Doudou Sow, Mapenda Gaye, Ndiaw Goumballa, Carole Cassagne, Coralie L'Ollivier, Oleg Medianikov, Cheikh Sokhna, Stéphane Ranque","doi":"10.1186/s40249-023-01168-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-023-01168-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Freshwater snails of the genera Bulinus spp., Biomphalaria spp., and Oncomelania spp. are the main intermediate hosts of human and animal schistosomiasis. Identification of these snails has long been based on morphological and/or genomic criteria, which have their limitations. These limitations include a lack of precision for the morphological tool and cost and time for the DNA-based approach. Recently, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, a new tool used which is routinely in clinical microbiology, has emerged in the field of malacology for the identification of freshwater snails. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of MALDI-TOF MS to identify Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus forskalii snail populations according to their geographical origin.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was conducted on 101 Bi. pfeifferi and 81 Bu. forskalii snails collected in three distinct geographical areas of Senegal (the North-East, South-East and central part of the country), and supplemented with wild and laboratory strains. Specimens which had previously been morphologically described were identified by MALDI-TOF MS [identification log score values (LSV) ≥ 1.7], after an initial blind test using the pre-existing database. After DNA-based identification, new reference spectra of Bi. pfeifferi (n = 10) and Bu. forskalii (n = 5) from the geographical areas were added to the MALDI-TOF spectral database. The final blind test against this updated database was performed to assess identification at the geographic source level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified 92.1% of 101 Bi. pfeifferi snails and 98.8% of 81 Bu. forskalii snails. At the final blind test, 88% of 166 specimens were correctly identified according to both their species and sampling site, with LSVs ranging from 1.74 to 2.70. The geographical source was adequately identified in 90.1% of 91 Bi. pfeifferi and 85.3% of 75 Bu. forskalii samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings demonstrate that MALDI-TOF MS can identify and differentiate snail populations according to geographical origin. It outperforms the current DNA-based approaches in discriminating laboratory from wild strains. This inexpensive high-throughput approach is likely to further revolutionise epidemiological studies in areas which are endemic for schistosomiasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10823745/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139571211","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":"Reduced efficacy of single-dose albendazole against Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura, and high reinfection rate after cure among school children in southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study.","authors":"Tigist Dires Gebreyesus, Eyasu Makonnen, Tafesse Tadele, Kalkidan Mekete, Habtamu Gashaw, Heran Gerba, Eleni Aklillu","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01176-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01176-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mass drug administration (MDA) program of albendazole to at-risk populations as preventive chemotherapy is the core public health intervention to control soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Achieving this goal relies on drug effectiveness in reducing the parasite reservoirs in the community and preventing reinfection. We assessed the efficacy of albendazole against STH parasite infection and reinfection status after cure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 984 schoolchildren infected with at least one type of STH parasite (hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura) in southern Ethiopia were enrolled and received albendazole and praziquantel in MDA campaign conducted from January to March 2019. Stool exams at week-4 and at week-8 of post-MDA were done using Kato Katz technique. The primary outcome was efficacy assessed by cure rate (CR) and fecal egg reduction rates (ERRs) at four weeks of post-MDA. The secondary outcome was reinfection status defined as parasite egg positivity at eight weeks among those who were cured at 4 weeks of post-MDA. Group comparisons in CR and related factors were assessed with chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Predictors of CR were examined through univariate and multivariate regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall CR and ERR for hookworm infection were 97.2% (95% CI 94.6-99.4) and 97.02%, respectively. The overall CR and ERR for A. lumbricoides were 71.5% (95% CI 68.3-74.6) and 84.5% respectively. The overall CR and ERR and for T. trichiura were 49.5% (95% CI 44.8-54.2) and 68.3%, respectively. The CR among moderate T. trichiura infection intensity was 28.6%. Among children cured of hookworm, A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura at week 4 post-MDA, 4.6%, 18.3% and 52.4% became reinfected at week-8 post-MDA, respectively. Significantly lower CR (36.6%) and higher reinfection after cure (60.6%) among A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura coinfected children than A. lumbricoides only (CR = 69.6%, reinfection rate = 15.1%) or T. trichiura only infected children (CR = 55.6%, reinfection rate = 47.1%) was observed. Pre-treatment coinfection with ≥ two types of STH parasites was significantly associated with re-infection after cure.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Albendazole MDA is efficacious against hookworm but has reduced efficacy against A. lumbricoides and is not effective against T. trichiura. The low drug efficacy and high reinfection rate after cure underscore the need for alternative treatment and integration of other preventive measures to achieve the target of eliminating STHs as a public health problem by 2030.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10802031/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139514007","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}
Jian Wang, Li Qiu, Shuang Bai, Wei Zhao, Ao Zhang, Jing Li, Jun-Nan Zhang, Shan-Shan Zhou, Ren Qiu, Zhu Huang, Jv-Xia Liu, Ting-Bin Wang, Xue Sun, Jiang Wu, Qun Zheng, Bin He, Min Lv
{"title":"Prevalence and serotype distribution of nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae among healthy children under 5 years of age in Hainan Province, China.","authors":"Jian Wang, Li Qiu, Shuang Bai, Wei Zhao, Ao Zhang, Jing Li, Jun-Nan Zhang, Shan-Shan Zhou, Ren Qiu, Zhu Huang, Jv-Xia Liu, Ting-Bin Wang, Xue Sun, Jiang Wu, Qun Zheng, Bin He, Min Lv","doi":"10.1186/s40249-024-01175-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40249-024-01175-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is not included in the national immunization program and is administered voluntarily with informed consent in China. In preparation for assessing the impact of pilot introduction in Hainan Province, we conducted a carriage study among children under 5 years of age from four locations in Hainan Province, China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From March to June 2022, nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, collected from healthy children aged younger than 59 months who lived in the 4 different locations (Haikou, Wanning, Baisha and Qiongzhong) in Hainan Province, were tested for pneumococcus using conventional culture. Pneumococcal isolates were serotyped using the Quellung reaction. Risk factors associated with pneumococcal colonization were assessed using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, daycare attendance and other factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pneumococcus was isolated in 710 (30.4%) of the 2333 children enrolled. Of 737 pneumococci, 29 serotypes were identified; 60.9% were PCV13 serotypes; the most common vaccine serotypes were 6B (20.4%), 19F (13.0%), 6A (11.9%) and 23F (6.1%); and the most common nonvaccine serotypes were 23A (12.9%), 34 (6.1%) and nontypeable (NT) pneumococci (5.6%). Children vaccinated with PCV13 had lower carriage (17.7% vs 32.5%; P = 0.0001) and fewer PCV13 serotypes (41.9% vs 62.7%; P = 0.0017) compared to unimmunized children. After adjustment, NP carriage was higher among children attending daycare (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.7-3.2), living in rural areas (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8), living with siblings (aOR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6) and whose mothers had completed senior high/technical secondary school (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.0). In contrast, completion of 3-4 doses of PCV13 were associated with a lower carriage rate (aOR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We established the baseline of pneumococcal carriage, serotype distribution and PCV13 immunization rates among healthy children under 5 years of age in Hainan Province, prior to the introduction of PCV13 into the national immunization program. The high proportion of PCV13 serotypes suggests that PCV13 introduction will likely have a substantial impact on pneumococcal carriage in Hainan Province.</p>","PeriodicalId":48820,"journal":{"name":"Infectious Diseases of Poverty","volume":"13 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10797996/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139492597","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}