PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Development and evaluation of fluorescent recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based method for rapid detection of Necator americanus.","authors":"Jia-Rui Liang, Shu-Ning Yan, Han-Yin Yang, Shuo Yang, Yu-Juan Shen, Le-Le Huo, Yu-Chun Cai, Zi-Ran Mo, Bin Zheng, Bin Xu, Wei Hu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Necator americanus is the predominant species causing hookworm infections in humans. Despite advancements in prevention strategies, mild cases of infection still occur, highlighting the need for improved detection technology. Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) is an isothermal molecular diagnostic known for its sensitivity, speed, portability, and widespread application in detecting various pathogens. Although several molecular assays are available for N. americanus, they have limitations in detecting mild N. americanus infections.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fluorescent RPA primers and probes targeting the N. americanus internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) gene were developed. The method's detection limit was assessed via serial dilution of genomic DNA. Specificity was confirmed against Clonorchis sinensis, Schistosoma japonicum, Fasciola hepatica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Enterobius vermicularis and Ancylostoma duodenale. Thirty samples identified as positive by Kato-Katz, along with 11 samples identified as negative by the method, were tested to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of fluorescent RPA. Additionally, 287 field samples were tested for validation with these methods. All positive samples were identified as either N. americanus or A. duodenale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study successfully developed a fluorescent RPA assay targeting the ITS2 gene of N. americanus. The length of the amplified fragment was 237 bp. Optimized conditions were achieved, resulting in a minimum detection limit of 1fg/µL, with no cross-reactivity with other pathogens. In laboratory validation, the fluorescent RPA assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity (30/30) and 100% specificity (11/11) compared to the Kato-Katz, and 100% sensitivity (29/29) and 91.7% specificity (11/12) when compared to the semi-nested PCR. In field validation using human fecal samples, the fluorescent RPA assay showed a sensitivity of 90.0% (36/40) and a specificity of 91.1% (225/247) compared to the Kato-Katz. And the sensitivity of the fluorescent RPA method compared to the semi-nested PCR method was 100% (34/34), while the specificity was 90.5% (229/252).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The fluorescent RPA assay presents a rapid and dependable method for detecting N. americanus in fecal samples. Its high sensitivity and specificity provide significant utility for field surveillance and early identification of N. americanus infections. This advancement could facilitate the rapid molecular diagnosis of N. americanus disease in hookworm-endemic regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0013007"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143812577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Voriconazole is inferior to amphotericin B deoxycholate as the initial induction therapy for HIV-associated Talaromyces marneffei fungemia: A multicenter retrospective study.","authors":"Shasha Ye, Jiaying Qin, Xingguo Miao, Guanjing Lang, Mengyan Wang, Gong Chen, Feifei Su, Lijun Xu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The optimal initial induction treatment for HIV-associated Talaromyces marneffei fungemia (HTMF) remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Three hundred and fifteen patients with HIV-associated Talaromyces marneffei were enrolled in this multicenter retrospective study. The effectiveness of induction regimens with amphotericin B deoxycholate (iAmBd), voriconazole (iVori), and a switch regimen from iVori to AmBd (iVori→AmBd switch) on 180-day all-cause mortality in HTMF patients was assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of HTMF was 75.9% (239/315) with a 180-day all-cause mortality of 20.1% (48/239). Among these HTMF patients, 44.4% (106/239) were treated with iAmBd, 41.8% (100/239) with iVori, and 13.8% (33/239) with other regimens. Additionally, 53% (53/100) of patients treated with iVori underwent an iVori→AmBd switch within 7 days. The 180-day cumulative survival rates were 88.7% for patients treated with iAmBd and 77.0% for those treated with iVori; 88.8% for patients who received AmBd within 3 days (iAmBd + 3-day iVori→AmBd switch) and 72.2% for those who continued iVori; 88.2% for patients who received AmBd within 5 days (iAmBd + 5-day iVori→AmBd switch) and 71.0% for those who continued iVori; 88.1% for those who received AmBd within 7 days (iAmBd + 7-day iVori→AmBd switch) and 66.0% for those who continued iVori (all log-rank P < 0.020). The prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was 24.5% in the iAmBd group and 9.0% in the iVori group in induction stage (P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Voriconazole is inferior to AmBd as an initial induction therapy for HTMF patients. Early AmBd administration or an early iVori→AmBd switch improves survival, despite the higher incidence of AmBd-related ADRs.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0013012"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143812748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Establishment of an I-ELISA method based on multi-epitope fusion protein for diagnosis of human brucellosis.","authors":"Yujia Xie, Liping Guo, Xinru Qi, Shiqi Zhao, Qichuan Pei, Yixiao Chen, Qi Wu, Meixue Yao, Dehui Yin","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012995","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012995","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease that impacts people globally, and its diagnosis has long posed challenges. This study aimed to explore the application value of multi-epitope fusion protein in the diagnosis of human brucellosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eight important Brucella outer membrane proteins (OMPs) were selected: BP26, omp10, omp16, omp25, omp2a, omp2b, and omp31. Bioinformatics techniques were used to predict the immune epitopes of these proteins, and a multi-epitope fusion protein was designed. This fusion protein was used as the antigen for indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) testing on 100 positive and 96 negative serum samples. The performance of the fusion protein in diagnosing brucellosis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 31 epitopes were predicted from the eight proteins, and a multi-epitope fusion protein was successfully obtained. For the detection of human serum samples, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the fusion protein was 0.9594, with a positive diagnostic accuracy of 91.26% and a negative diagnostic accuracy of 93.55%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was 0.9999, with a positive diagnostic accuracy of 100% and a negative diagnostic accuracy of 98.97%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The fusion protein constructed using bioinformatics techniques, as the diagnostic antigen, showed significantly reduced cross-reactivity and enhanced specificity, improving diagnostic accuracy. This not only saves time but also avoids the preparation of LPS antigens, making the diagnostic process safer and more convenient.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012995"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causes inhalational anthrax-like disease in rabbits that is treatable with medical countermeasures.","authors":"Allison M Ferris, David G Dawson, Andrea B Eyler, John J Yeager, Jordan K Bohannon, Jeremy A Boydston, Melissa L Krause, Charles L Balzli, Victoria Wahl, Tammy D Jenkins, Sherry L Rippeon, James E Miller, Susan E Miller, David W Clarke, Emmanuel Manan, Ashley F Harman, Kim R Rhodes, Tina M Sweeney, Heather D Cronin, Ron L Bowman, Michael P Winpigler, Heather A Zimmerman, Alec S Hail, Angelo Scorpio","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012973","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012973","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacillus anthracis is a zoonotic organism that causes the disease anthrax due to the activity of virulence factors harbored on plasmids pXO1 and pXO2. Inhalation of B. anthracis spores results in pneumonic disease that progresses quickly, and often results in lethality in the absence of medical countermeasure (MCM) intervention. Recently, reports have identified Bacillus cereus isolates that possess pXO1 and pXO2-like plasmids and cause an anthrax-like disease. These isolates have been named B. cereus biovar anthracis, or Bcbva. To evaluate disease course of Bcbva, the inhalational median lethal dose (INHLD50) was determined for two isolates, Bcbva Cameroon (CA) and Bcbva Cote d'Ivoire (CI), using the New Zealand white (NZW) rabbit inhalation anthrax model and compared to established B. anthracis inhalation data. Furthermore, disease progression and anthrax MCM efficacies were evaluated by quantifying temperature responses, bacteremia, and virulence factor production in both survivor and non-survivor animals. This study determined that the rabbit INHLD50 values for Bcbva CA and CI were similar to that published for B. anthracis Ames. The mean time to significant increase in body temperature (SIBT) and death were dose dependent for both Bcbva isolates, and all animals that succumbed to aerosol exposure displayed SIBT prior to death. Serum hyaluronic acid concentration increased prior to mortality in animals challenged with Bcbva and differences were observed in serum protective antigen concentration in animals challenged with Bcbva compared to B. anthracis. Pre-exposure vaccination with Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) and post-exposure prophylaxis of levofloxacin with or without AVA vaccination were effective against a challenge of ~200 INHLD50 of Bcbva CA or CI. Collectively, these data suggest that anthrax-like disease caused by Bcbva is similar to that caused by B. anthracis Ames 2084, and that currently available countermeasures are effective against inhalation exposure to Bcbva.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012973"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Refugees/Immigrants and leishmaniasis in the world's largest hosting country, Türkiye: A systematic review.","authors":"Nermin Şakru, Yusuf Özbel, Seray Töz","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012947","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012947","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This systematic literature analysis discusses cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Türkiye, emphasizing the increasing importance of species determination studies and epidemiological research due to the emergence of new causative agents post-2010. It highlights the influx of immigrants and refugees into Türkiye, particularly from the neighboring countries where conflict occur.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The study conducted a systematic review of research on leishmaniasis among refugees/immigrants in Türkiye between 2010 and 2022. A search in literature was carried out via English (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) and Turkish (TRDizin, and Council of Higher Education Thesis Center) databases published between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2022. Two reviewers assessed the full-text articles to determine final eligibility.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,356 studies were identified, and 20 studies for CL, two studies for CL/VL and one study for VL (23 studies, 25 data set) were included in this systematic review. In these 22 studies, a total of 4,337 positive CL cases were reported. Among these positives 1,381 cases were diagnosed in Turkish individuals. The remaining 2,956 positive CL cases were the immigrants from different countries including Syria (n=2,925), Iraq (n=13), Afghanistan (n=7), Somalia (n=4), Iran (n=3) and one case each of Libya, Turkmenistan, Tunisia and Morocco. We also identified the presence of 94 positive visceral leishmaniasis cases, with 75 cases being among Turkish individuals and 19 cases among Syrian refugees in three studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The systematic review underscores the significance of international epidemiological data sharing and robust health monitoring systems to manage the global public health threat posed by leishmaniasis and other infectious diseases related to population movements.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012947"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Survey on the burden, epidemiological and clinical characteristics of snakebite envenoming in the Health Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) of Taabo (Southern Côte d'Ivoire)\".","authors":"Tanoh Amany Serge Raymond N'Krumah, Bognan Valentin Koné, Yao Didier Koffi, Dognimin Ismael Coulibaly, Abdoulaye Tall, Siaka Koné, Simone Toppino, Marija Stojkovic, Bassirou Bonfoh, Thomas Junghanss","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012983","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012983","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In Sub-Saharan Africa, reliable data on the burden, clinical epidemiology and management of snakebites remains scarce. Mostly, crude population and institution-based estimates have been reported. The aim of this study was to estimate the burden and describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of snakebite envenoming based on population- (HDSS) data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional snakebite survey was conducted in all households in the Ahondo Health Area (AHA), a sub-population of the Taabo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) between October 2 to December 22, 2023. All household members were interviewed, and a questionnaire was administered to snakebite cases. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics were described, and the annual snakebite incidence calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>795 households were surveyed, representing 3,924 people in the AHA. The annual incidence of snakebites per 100,000 population was 280.3 (CI: 140.0 - 501.0), the case-fatality rate 2.0% (95%CI: 0.04 - 10.5) and the median age of snakebite victims 43 years. The annual incidence of snakebites was significantly higher in the seasonally used agricultural camps (3296.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) than in the villages (208.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). Snakebites most frequently occurred in the morning and at night. Patients employed dangerous \"first aid\" measures. Most snakebite victims were treated by traditional healers. None of the cases attending the health services received antivenoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Snakebite envenoming remains a threat for rural communities at an unacceptable high level unchanged since the second half of the last century. Reliable community-based data on the incidence, circumstances and management of snakebite envenoming is only the first step to mitigate the neglected health problem. Implementation of prevention measures, first aid and clinical management, including access to antivenoms, must immediately follow.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012983"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Household costs associated with zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi, P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae infections in Sabah, Malaysia.","authors":"Patrick Abraham, Campbell McMullin, Timothy William, Giri S Rajahram, Jenarun Jelip, Roddy Teo, Chris Drakeley, Abdul Marsudi Manah, Nicholas M Anstey, Matthew J Grigg, Angela Devine","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012180","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012180","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaysia has free universal access to malaria care; however, out-of-pocket costs are unknown. This study estimated and compared household costs of illness during a unique time when four species of malaria were present, due to the emergence of zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi during the elimination phase of non-zoonotic species in Sabah, Malaysia.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>Household costs were estimated from patient-level surveys collected from four hospitals between 2013 and 2016. Direct costs including medical and associated travel costs, and indirect costs due to lost productivity were included. One hundred and fifty-two malaria cases were enrolled: P. knowlesi (n=108), P. vivax (n=22), P. falciparum (n=16), and P. malariae (n=6). Costs were inflated to 2023 Malaysian Ringgits and reported in United States dollars (US$). Across all cases, the mean total costs were US$131 (SD=102), with productivity losses accounting for 58% of costs (US$76; SD=70). P. vivax had the highest mean total household cost at US$199 (SD=174), followed by P. knowlesi and P. falciparum at US$119 (SD=81 and SD=83, respectively), and P. malariae (US$99; SD=42). Most patients (80%) experienced direct health costs above 10% of monthly income, with 58 (38%) patients experiencing health spending over 25% of monthly income, consistent with catastrophic health expenditure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>Despite Malaysia's free health-system care for malaria, patients and families face other related medical, travel, and indirect costs. Household out-of-pocket costs were driven by productivity losses; primarily attributed to infections in working-aged males in rural agricultural-based occupations. Costs for P. vivax were higher than those of P. knowlesi and P. falciparum. This may be attributable to a younger age profile and the longer treatment required to clear the liver-stage parasites of P. vivax.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012180"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11970689/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-O1/O139 environmental Vibrio cholerae from Northern Cameroon reveals potential intra-/inter-continental transmissions.","authors":"Deborah Yebon Kang, Mohammad Tarequl Islam, Roméo Wakayansam Bouba, Zoua Wadoubé, Moussa Djaouda, Yann Felix Boucher","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012890","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012890","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Northern Cameroon in Central Africa has experienced recurring cholera outbreaks despite ongoing efforts to control the disease. While most cholera studies focus on O1 pandemic Vibrio cholerae strains, non-O1/O139 strains are increasingly recognized for their infection potential and dynamic relationships with O1 strains during outbreaks. Here we explore the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of non-O1/O139 V. cholerae (NOVC) isolated from environmental water sources in Northern Cameroon. These NOVC strains show significant genetic diversity and virulence potential. They are closely related to environmental strains from Kenya and clinical strains from Argentina and Haiti, suggesting transmissions across countries and continents, likely facilitated by human carriers. The highly conserved tcpA gene found in some strains from Cameroon is closely related to the tcpA O1 Classical type, suggesting direct or indirect genetic interactions between these environmental NOVC strains and pandemic strains. Our findings underscore the importance of environmental surveillance and further studies of NOVC strains to better understand cholera outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012890"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical presentation of Oropouche virus infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Zhilin Wang, Linzhu Huang, Xinyu Zhang, Xinyue Zhang, Liwei Huang, Xiaoying Zhu, Xidai Long, Demin Cao, Yulei Li","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012962","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012962","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The recent surge in incidence and geographic spread of OROV infections poses an escalating threat to global public health. However, studies exploring the clinical signs of OROV infection remains exceedingly limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched for OROV studies published until June 17, 2024, in several electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 15 studies involving 806 patients with OROV infection were eligible for inclusion. General symptoms with fever and headache were the most common. Gastrointestinal disturbances like nausea/vomiting, anorexia, and odynophagia were also prevalent, along with ocular symptoms, mainly retro-orbital pain, photophobia, and redness. Respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and nasal congestion, are present, and skin-related issues like rash, pruritus, and pallor were also identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, this study provides a foundational understanding of OROV's clinical manifestations to guide diagnosis, management, and public health interventions against this neglected tropical disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012962"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential vertical transmission of genetically diverse Trypanosoma cruzi in natural rodent populations.","authors":"Nathaniel L Gibson, Bruno M Ghersi, Bridget Knudson, Anna C Peterson, Claudia Riegel, Weihong Tu, Eric Dumonteil, Claudia Herrera, Michael J Blum","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012930","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, has been detected in mammalian hosts occupying densely populated urban environments. This suggests that the risk of transmission to humans is higher than prevailing estimates, which largely reflect conditions in rural and peri-urban areas. Understanding the risks posed by T. cruzi thus requires further study of transmission pathways in part because triatomines - the primary vectors for T. cruzi - appear to be uncommon or absent in urban landscapes. Here we test the hypothesis that vertical transmission contributes to the prevalence of infection and diversity of T. cruzi in urban reservoirs.</p><p><strong>Methodology and principal findings: </strong>We assessed whether embryos of T. cruzi-positive parous female rodents also exhibit evidence of infection. A diagnostic PCR assay detected T. cruzi in 15 out of 66 (22.7%) embryos from Norway rats, black rats, and house mice captured in New Orleans (LA, USA). Genotyping PCR identified the presence of TcI and non-TcI discrete typing units (DTUs) in individual infected embryos, providing evidence of mixed infection. Next-generation sequencing provided additional evidence of mixed infection in individual embryos.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide additional evidence that vertical transmission can occur in natural populations of reservoir species and demonstrates for the first time that multiple DTUs can transmit from mother to offspring. Our study also demonstrates that vertical transmission can contribute to the prevalence of infection and diversity of T. cruzi in multiple reservoir species occupying urban landscapes where vectors appear to be rare or absent, providing a new baseline for understanding transmission pathways and eco-epidemiological cycling of T.cruzi.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 4","pages":"e0012930"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143764947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}