PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Spatial distribution patterns and risk factors of hookworm disease in China: A study based on successive national surveillance.","authors":"Huihui Zhu, Jilei Huang, Jinxin Zheng, Changhai Zhou, Tingjun Zhu, Mizhen Zhang, Luyuan Zhao, Xiaohong Wu, Jingbo Xue, Xiao-Nong Zhou, Shizhu Li, Menbao Qian","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013526","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hookworm infection, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) causing iron-deficiency anaemia and malnutrition in low-income populations with poor sanitation, poses a considerable public health challenge in China and worldwide.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>National surveillance across 31 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) from 2016 to 2021 assessed regional and population-specific hookworm prevalence. Geospatial methods, such as global and local autocorrelation, hotspot detection, spatiotemporal clustering detection and standard deviation ellipse (SDE) analysis characterized distribution patterns. Machine learning identified key determinants and their associations with infection rates, revealing primary influence factors based on 7,929 township records and 40 environmental, climatic and anthropogenic variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant geographic disparities emerged, with the highest infection rates in south-western regions and the lowest in the Northeast. Spatial analyses demonstrated significant clustering, with persistent south-western hotspots and north-eastern coldspots (P < 0.001). Spatiotemporal scanning identified three significant clusters, while SDE analysis indicated stable northeast-southwest orientation with minimal centroid variation. Females and individuals ≥60 years showed elevated susceptibility. Machine learning demonstrated strong predictive capacity, with key risk factors identified as the frequency of barefoot farming, land cover, average relative humidity in the third quarter and average monthly sunshine duration in the third quarter.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hookworm disease clusters in south-western China, disproportionately affecting women and the elderly. Barefoot farming emerged as the primary risk factor, with infection rates positively associated with temperature, humidity and negatively with sunlight duration. The results support recommendations to target intervention zones in endemic areas, implement population-specific prevention programs and intensify health education to advance transmission control.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013526"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483247/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201906","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":"Local drivers of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in Mauritania: A one health approach combining ecological, vector, host and livestock movement data.","authors":"Yahya Barry, Markus Metz, Lina Krisztian, Julia Haas, Victoria-Leandra Brunn, Abdellahi Diambar Beyit, Ahmed El Bara, Ahmed Bezeid El Mamy Beyat, Habiboulah Habiboulah, Markus Neteler, Catherine Cêtre-Sossah, Elena Arsevska","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013553","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013553","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease with recurrent epidemic and epizootic outbreaks in Mauritania caused by the RVF virus (RVFV). In recent years, outbreaks have occurred with increasingly shorter inter-epidemic periods. The primary objective of this study was to utilise a high-resolution spatiotemporal model and identify the drivers and ecological suitability for RVFV infections, as well as areas for RVF outbreaks and emergence in humans and animals, respectively, in Mauritania. We used geolocated data from 2019 to 2023 for modelling, including human RVF cases confirmed by viral RNA detection, animal cases identified through serology or viral RNA detection, and mosquito samples in which the virus was detected by RNA analysis. Negative RVFV results were used as absence (or background) data to represent an environmental contrast between places with and without cases. Duplicates of occurrences at the exact location were kept, as multiple cases in the same place indicate a potentially higher risk. The main drivers of RVFV infection were the precipitation of the current and the preceding month of the outbreaks, followed by the average daily temperature of the current month of the outbreaks. August, September, and October were the most ecologically favourable months for RVFV infection, starting in the country's southeastern regions and expanding to the entire southern area by September and October. The RVF outbreak potential was highest in the wet season, between August and October, in most of the south and western parts of the country. Although the RVF outbreak potential is substantially reduced during the dry season, some smaller areas in Mauritania have a relatively high outbreak potential throughout the year, and some of these areas are also located further north. These results can be used to improve sentinel active surveillance and establish an early warning model for RVFV infections in Mauritania, enabling the setting of appropriate control measures to prevent future RVF outbreaks and minimise human and animal losses.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013553"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201954","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":"Circulating Angiopoietin-like proteins in Strongyloides Stercoralis infection and reversal following treatment.","authors":"Anuradha Rajamanickam, Saravanan Munisankar, Subash Babu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013559","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013559","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss) is a parasitic infection affecting 50-100 million people globally, with significant immune and metabolic consequences, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. While Strongyloides infection is known to modulate the host immune system, the role of angiopoietin-like proteins (AGPTLs), which regulate inflammation and immune responses, has not been explored in this context. In this study, we investigated the systemic levels of AGPTL-2, -3, -4, -6, and -8 in 60 Ss-infected (Ss+) and 56 uninfected (Ss-) individuals. AGPTL levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). We also assessed the effect of anthelmintic treatment on AGPTL levels in Ss+ individuals. Our results show that Ss+ individuals had significantly elevated levels of AGPTL-2, -3, -6, and -8 compared to Ss- individuals. After anthelmintic treatment, these elevated levels were significantly reduced. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct clustering of AGPTLs between Ss+ and Ss- groups, explaining 25.1% and 36.1% of the variance, respectively. Additionally, a positive correlation between AGPTL levels and IgG suggested an association with immune activation. These findings suggest that Strongyloides infection is associated with elevated AGPTL levels, which decrease following effective treatment. This highlights the potential role of AGPTLs as biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring infection and treatment response. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of AGPTL regulation in parasitic infections and their impact on immune modulation and metabolic alterations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013559"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201820","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":"Effect of behavioral interventions on schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of schoolchildren in Pemba, Tanzania: A 4-year repeated cross-sectional study.","authors":"Naomi Chi Ndum, Lydia Trippler, Ulfat Amour Mohammed, Mohammed Nassor Ali, Jan Hattendorf, Shaali Makame Ame, Fatma Kabole, Jürg Utzinger, Said Mohammed Ali, Stefanie Knopp","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013462","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013462","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that mostly affects school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa. Preventive chemotherapy is the mainstay of control. Other interventions, including behavior change communication (BCC), are recommended to reduce transmission and ultimately achieve elimination. We determined the effect of BCC interventions on schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among children who were exposed to different BCC intervention frequencies and durations within the 4-year SchistoBreak project in Pemba, Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Annual surveys were carried out from 2020 to 2024 in 18 primary schools. Schistosomiasis-related KAP were assessed in randomly selected children attending grades 3-5. BCC interventions were implemented for one period (4 schools), two periods without gap (3 schools), two periods with a 1-year gap (1 school), or never (10 schools). Linear and logistic mixed-models with random effect were applied to assess associations between BCC exposure categories as predictors and knowledge or attitude scores, or unsafe washing practices as the outcome variable in 2024.</p><p><strong>Principal findings: </strong>A total of 4196 children participated in the surveys. Knowledge and attitude improved with continuous or repeated exposure to BCC interventions. In 2024, the knowledge scores were significantly higher in children who received BCC intervention once (difference: 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6-1.9) or twice (difference: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4-2.7), as compared to children who never received BCC interventions. Children who were exposed to BCC interventions twice (difference: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.8-1.6) had significantly higher attitude scores in 2024. Washing practices improved regardless of whether or not children were exposed to BCC. The washing platforms installed in intervention areas were known by up to half of the children exposed to BCC interventions, but their use was considerably lower, varying between 7.5% and 43.1%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>We demonstrated that BCC interventions were able to improve schistosomiasis-related knowledge and attitudes in schoolchildren. Repeated BCC interventions might be required for sustainable long-term impact.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ISRCTN, ISRCTN91431493. Registered 11 February. 2020, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN91431493.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013462"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12483267/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145201773","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":"A district-level ensemble model to enhance dengue prediction and control for the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam.","authors":"Wala Draidi Areed, Thi Thanh Thao Nguyen, Kien Quoc Do, Thinh Nguyen, Vinh Bui, Elisabeth Nelson, Joshua L Warren, Quang-Van Doan, Nam Vu Sinh, Nicholas John Osborne, Russell Richards, Nu Quy Linh Tran, Hong Le, Tuan Pham, Trinh Manh Hung, Son Nghiem, Hai Phung, Cordia Chu, Robert Dubrow, Daniel M Weinberger, Dung Phung","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013571","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Mekong Delta Region (MDR) of Vietnam faces increasing vulnerability to severe dengue outbreaks due to urbanization, globalization, and climate change, necessitating effective early warning systems for outbreak mitigation. This study developed a probabilistic forecasting model to predict dengue incidence and outbreaks with 1-3-month lead times, incorporating meteorological, sociodemographic, preventive, and epidemiological data. A total of 72 models were evaluated, with top performers from spatiotemporal models, supervised PCA, and semi-mechanistic hhh4 frameworks combined into an ensemble. Using data from 2004-2011 for development, 2012-2016 for cross-validation, and 2017-2022 for evaluation, the ensemble model integrated five individual models to forecast dengue incidence up to three months ahead. Performance was assessed using Brier Score, Continuous Ranked Probability Score, bias, and diffuseness, and we evaluated performance by horizon, geography, and seasonality. Using the 95th percentile of the historical distribution as the epidemic threshold, the ensemble model achieved 69% accuracy at a 3-month horizon during evaluation, surpassing the reference model's 58%, though it struggled in years with atypical seasonality, such as 2019 and 2022, possibly due to COVID-19 disruptions. By providing critical lead time, the model enables health systems to allocate resources, plan interventions, and engage communities in dengue prevention and control.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013571"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12507206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145193763","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":"Leptospirosis in Campinas, Brazil: The interplay between drainage, impermeable areas, and social vulnerability.","authors":"Thiago Salomão de Azevedo, Shahista Nisa, Stuart Littlejohn, Renata L Muylaert","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013560","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013560","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leptospirosis is an epidemic disease caused by bacteria of the Leptospira genus. Its risk is closely associated with inadequate sanitation and flooding, a common public health challenge in large urban centers together with urban environmental modifications, and socio-economic factors. This retrospective observational research investigated the association between the distribution of leptospirosis cases and three contextual factors, drainage, soil impermeability and social vulnerability in Campinas city, São Paulo, Brazil. We hypothesized that the number of cases will increase in areas that are impermeable and in proximity to drainage systems as well as where social vulnerability is high. We investigated the associations based on 86 autochthonous cases, comparing cases where infection risk was linked to contact with floodwater or mud (n = 54) to cases associated with other exposures (n = 32). Spatial statistics were used to map disease distribution and investigate the relationship between leptospirosis cases and contextual factors. Our results indicate that leptospirosis cases density rises near drainage systems, peaking at 200 m. Risk is elevated in socially vulnerable areas, particularly where floodwater or mud exposure is high, and in highly impermeable areas. This study demonstrated that leptospirosis risk remains highly determined by living and working conditions. These findings support targeted strategies to deliver effective prevention, treatment and control interventions in highly populated urban areas of the Global South and similar contexts. Furthermore, combining local contextual environmental information with spatial analysis produces relevant evidence for guiding health public policy and spatial planning and provides precise parameters for future epidemiological models and prevention actions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013560"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145193694","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":"Passive surveillance of human African trypanosomiasis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: clinical presentation and prospective evaluation of rapid diagnostic and reference laboratory test accuracy.","authors":"Jacquies Makabuza, Ipos Ngay Lukusa, Crispin Lumbala, Erick Mwamba Miaka, Pathou Nganzobo, Alain Fukinsia, Jean Kwete, Nicolas Bebronne, Philippe Büscher, Dieudonné Mumba Ngoyi, Veerle Lejon","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013045","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Passive screening of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is based on rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), but sensitivity of the currently commercialised RDTs has hardly been assessed prospectively. In view of the increasing importance of remote testing for HAT, the diagnostic performance of reference laboratory tests also needs further documentation.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov under identifier NCT03356665. Clinical suspects in 29 health facilities in DR Congo were screened consecutively between October 2017 and December 2020 with 3 HAT RDTs, including HAT Sero K-SeT, an RDT that is nowadays still commercialised. HAT RDT positives were examined parasitologically and their dried blood spots tested in trypanolysis, indirect ELISA/T.b. gambiense, LAMP Trypanosoma brucei Detection Kit and m18S and TgsGp qPCR. Association of clinical signs with HAT, and sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the screening and reference laboratory tests were estimated using parasitology as the gold standard. Trypanosomes were detected in 42/3113 study participants. Logistic regression revealed that sleep disruption, enlarged lymph nodes, psychiatric problems, recurrent fever not responding to anti-malarials and motor disorders were significantly associated with HAT (p < 0.05, odds 3.0-10.6). Together, the RDTs detected 253/3113 seropositives. Sensitivity and specificity of HAT Sero K-SeT were respectively 100% (42/42; 95% CI 91.6-100%) and 93.9% (2882/3071; 95% CI 92.9-94.6%). Specificities of the reference laboratory tests were ≥ 91.6%, except for LAMP. Sensitivity of ELISA/T.b. gambiense and trypanolysis were 93.9% (31/33; 95% CI 80.4-98.9) and 84.9% (28/33; 95% CI 69.1-93.4), and were ≤ 63.6% for LAMP, m18S and TgsGp qPCR.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>Compared to the WHO's target product profiles for gambiense HAT RDTs, the HAT Sero K-SeT RDT had ideal sensitivity but its specificity was on the borderline of minimally acceptable. Sub-optimal sensitivities of trypanolysis and to a lesser extent, indirect ELISA/T.b. gambiense when applied on DBS, were confirmed. Molecular tests for remote testing need to be improved and evaluated further.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013045"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12503250/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145193723","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":"Landscape-scale analysis of raccoon rabies surveillance reveals different drivers of disease dynamics across latitude.","authors":"Matthew Michalska-Smith, Meggan E Craft, Amy J Davis, Amy T Gilbert, Richard B Chipman, Jordona Kirby, Kathleen M Nelson, Xiaoyue Ma, Ryan Wallace, Grace Miller, Kim M Pepin","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013581","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013581","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>When raccoon rabies first invaded the mid-Atlantic United States, epizootics were larger, longer, and more pronounced than those in its historic, more southern, range, suggesting a North-South gradient in disease dynamics. In addition, due to higher raccoon densities and concentrated feeding sources, urban areas might sustain larger epizootics, suggesting an urban-rural gradient might likewise influence dynamics. Here we leverage long-term surveillance data on raccoon rabies, collated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture, and state and local public health agencies to better understand the role of latitude and urbanness for raccoon rabies epizootiology. Our analysis utilizes surveillance data from the 20 states composing the raccoon rabies enzootic area across 2006-2018. We identified effects of latitude and human population density (a proxy for urbanness) on the county-level probability of detecting raccoon rabies. We find that: 1) in the northeastern US, more samples are submitted in the summer, and more positive results are obtained, albeit with a lower likelihood of a given sample being found to be rabid, while these trends are independent of season at southern latitudes; 2) the association between urbanness and risk of rabies cases varies across latitude, with greater rabies presence in rural vs. urban counties in the south and a more consistent risk across urbanness in the north; and 3) the most consistent predictors of raccoon rabies detection are spatiotemporal effects, suggesting that recent detection of cases in a county or its neighbors are more informative of raccoon rabies dynamics than are general metrics like latitude and urbanness. Statistical and spatial long-term studies like these not only can improve understanding of wildlife disease patterns but can help guide public health and wildlife management efforts in areas most at risk for raccoon rabies virus infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013581"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12500145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179721","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":"Hematological diseases-related mucormycosis: A retrospective single center study.","authors":"Yu Cui, Rui Zhao, Ruihua Mi, Lin Chen, Lin Wang, Dongbei Li, Cheng Cheng, Mengjuan Li, Xudong Wei","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013531","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013531","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aim: </strong>Mucormycosis is a life-threatening invasive fungal infection. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with hematologic malignancies complicated with mucormycosis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study investigated the clinical characteristics, epidemiological features, treatment, and prognosis of 46 patients with hematological diseases and Mucor infection as indicated by mNGS from August 28, 2020 to September 11, 2023. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) refers to the application of high-throughput sequencing technology for the comprehensive analysis of nucleic acid content in patient samples, facilitating the detection and characterization of microbial DNA and/or RNA, and then comparing and analyzing the results with an information database to determine the types of pathogenic microorganisms present in the sample.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median age of admission for the included patients was 49 years (9-78). Multivariate analysis identified age over 60 years (p = 0.006 < 0.05), high-dose corticosteroids (p = 0.001 < 0.05), neutropenia lasting more than 10 days (p = 0.041 < 0.05), and two or more Mucor infections (p = 0.004 < 0.05) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with hematological diseases. Moreover, differences between groups were analyzed using the Fisher exact probability method, and no significant difference was observed in the efficacy of various types of antifungal therapies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients with hematologic malignancies benefit greatly from early diagnosis and treatment when suspected of Mucor infection. mNGS is an important supplementary method for early diagnosis of Mucor infection. Moderated use of corticosteroids, reducing the duration of neutropenia, and enhancing autologous immune function are important measures to reduce patient mortality rate.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013531"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12468762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179715","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":"Drivers of rabies virus spillover risk from vampire bats to livestock in Colombia.","authors":"Paige Van de Vuurst, Cassidy Rist, Tatiana Medina-Rodriguez, Andres Felipe Osejo-Varona, Diego Soler-Tovar, Luis E Escobar","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013508","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013508","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rabies is an acute and progressive viral zoonotic disease of the nervous system, which widely affects domestic animals in Latin America. Vampire bat-borne rabies virus (RABV) has significant negative impacts on the livestock industry via animal mortality. Nevertheless, the landscape level factors that facilitate or limit RABV transmission from vampire bats to livestock remain elusive.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To determine how abiotic and biotic factors modulate RABV spillover from vampire bats to livestock, we assessed the role of different landscape variables on the occurrence of RABV spillover from Desmodus rotundus to livestock in Colombia. Using ecological niche modeling as the theoretical and analytical framework, we analyzed ecological and epidemiological RABV data to reconstruct spillover transmission events.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Anthropogenic variables including livestock and human density were consistently selected as predictors of RABV spillover from vampire bats to livestock. Cattle density had the highest average relative contribution to final ecological niche models (64.7%). We also found improvement of RABV spillover risk estimates when sampling bias in the form of cattle density was used in the modeling process. High risk for RABV spillover (0.75-0.98) was consistently predicted in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Nevertheless, more widespread moderate RABV spillover risk was predicted more broadly across the country when sampling bias was accounted for.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our modelling effort revealed that variable selection and use of bias surface have tractable impacts on final projections of spillover risk. Our results also indicate that human activity drives RABV spillover risk to a greater extent than ecological or climatological factors. Results from this study provide important information about landscape conditions linked to RABV transmission risk, where livestock vaccination should be prioritized.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 9","pages":"e0013508"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12469178/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145179750","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}