PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers towards noma in Zambezia, Mozambique.","authors":"Marta Ribes, Fizaa Halani, Abdala Atumane, Milagre Andurage, Eldo Elobolobo, Gemma Moncunill, Romina Rios-Blanco, Tairo Sumine, Luis Transval, Fernando Padama, Carlos Chaccour","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012939","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012939","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Noma is a neglected tropical disease primarily affecting children living in poverty. Despite being preventable and treatable with readily accessible medicines, an estimated 90% of patients die due to lack of access to prompt and appropriate care.</p><p><strong>Methodology and principal findings: </strong>Primary, secondary and quaternary health facilities were visited on a convenience-sampling basis in Zambezia Province, central Mozambique. Health professionals were invited to participate on a quota-sampling basis, and were administered a questionnaire including open and close-ended questions assessing their oral health practices, theoretical knowledge on noma and attitudes towards receiving a noma training. A total of 41 health professionals from 23 different health facilities participated in the study. Of these, 59% were aware of noma, and 26.8% reported having personally attended to an acute noma patient. However, their knowledge of noma's clinical characteristics and  management was poor, especially in its early stages. Only 12% correctly diagnosed noma at stage 1, and 5% at stage 2. University-level professionals had a significantly better understanding of the disease than nurses and technicians. All participants were keen on receiving specific noma training.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Noma management competencies in Zambezia are extremely low, particularly among nurses and medical technicians, who serve as the first point of care for noma patients. There is an urgent need to implement comprehensive training programs across all levels of Mozambican healthcare providers, to prevent further avoidable deaths and reduce the severe outcomes associated with delayed treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012939"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11952756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665090","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":"Incidence, risk factors, and control of Rabies in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Belay Tafa Regassa, Wagi Tosisa, Daniel Eshetu, Andargachew Mulu, Gadissa Bedada Hundie","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012874","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012874","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Globally, rabies is found in several geographical areas, with tens of thousands of deaths annually, mainly in developing countries. However, though Ethiopia is highly endemic for rabies, the overall risk of rabies has not yet been estimated. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at estimating a pooled incidence rate of human exposure to suspected rabid animals as well as the incidence rates of rabies in humans and other domestic animals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Published articles search was systematically performed through PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases to identify the available studies on rabies until October 2023. The Joanna Brigg's Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklists were used for assessing the quality of the studies. The PRISMA 2020 guideline was followed. A qualitative synthesis was made describing the characteristics of the included studies. The quantitative synthesis was performed with a random effects model using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) version 3.0 software. The Q statistic quantified by I2 was used to check for heterogeneity among the included studies. To explain the source of heterogeneity, subgroup analysis was performed. Egger's regression test was used to evaluate publication biases. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023468791.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For this study, a total of 439 articles were retrieved; of which fifteen studies were included in the final review. The annual pooled incidence rate of human exposure to suspected rabid animals was 33.65 (95% CI: 31.82 to 35.49) per 100,000 humans. The suspected rabies deaths in humans were also estimated to be 4.57 (95% CI: 2.93 to 6.21) per one million humans annually. In both cases, considerable heterogeneities were presented across the included studies, and obvious publication biases were detected using Egger's regression test. Among animals, the highest combined estimate per 100,000 population was recorded in dogs, 120.99 (95% CI: 46.29 to 195.69), followed by equines and cattle, with pooled incidence rates of 19.57 (95% CI: -1.85 to 40.98) and 18.08 (95% CI: 1 to 35.15), respectively. It was also described that human exposure to rabid animals and human rabies deaths were more common among children.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The current study showed a high pooled incidence rate of human exposure to rabid animals. Significant overall incidence rates of rabies in humans and animals were also indicated. Therefore, strengthening intersectoral and transdisciplinary collaborations through one health approach are key components for rabies prevention and control.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012874"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11922250/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665044","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":"Population genetic diversity of Schistosoma japonicum arises from the host switching in the life cycle.","authors":"Juan Long, Zhen-Yu Xu, Lang Ma, Hongying Zong, Jiali Wu, Zhipeng Zhou, Peijun Qian, Wenya Wang, Limeng Feng, Hao Yan, Shuying Xiao, Yi Yuan, Yuwan Hao, Zelin Zhu, Shizhu Li, Qin-Ping Zhao","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012931","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Schistosoma japonicum is a multi-host parasite, including asexual amplification in snail hosts and sexual reproduction in mammalian hosts. The genetic diversity of S. japonicum by host switching is less understood, which could help elucidate the genetic evolution of S. japonicum under host pressure and provide instruction for host sampling and the infection pattern to make S. japonicum infection models.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Different developmental stages of S. japonicum were collected and genotyped with 24 microsatellite loci, including 345 cercariae from naturally infected snails and 472 and 540 adult worms from artificially infected mice and rabbits, separately. The genetic distribution of S. japonicum within and among hosts by different sampling was assessed, and the genetic diversity and population structure were calculated at different population levels during host switching.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven cercariae were the minimum sample size to retrieve 85% of alleles for S. japonicum in each snail, and meanwhile, sampling parasites from 19 snails could recover 85% of the total Na of S. japonicum in all snails in this study. After infection in mice and rabbits, 8 worms per mouse and 76 worms per rabbit were the minimum samplings to retrieve 90% of alleles from each corresponding definitive host. Further, 16 mice and 2 rabbits were the least sampling size to recover 85% of the total Na of S. japonicum in all mice and rabbits, respectively. Although no significant difference was shown for S. japonicum between mice and rabbits at the suprapopulation level, it is clear that the genetic diversity of worms from 20 (or 40) mice was significantly higher than that from 1 (or 2) rabbits, especially when the host sampling was not sufficiently enough. The differentiation of worms at the infrapopulation level among mice is less than among rabbits. In addition, genetic differentiation was shown between cercaria and adult worms, which was considered to relate to allele loss after host switching.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The population genetic diversity of S. japonicum differs in different developmental stages. Host species and sampling number significantly affect the distribution pattern of alleles and the genetic structure of S. japonicum at the suprapopulation level.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012931"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11949366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665094","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":"Patient-centric analysis of Orientia tsutsugamushi spatial diversity patterns across Hainan Island, China.","authors":"Chuanning Tang, Yi Huang, Gaoyu Wang, Liying Xue, Xiaoyuan Hu, Ruoyan Peng, Jiang Du, Jinyan Yang, Yi Niu, Wanxin Deng, Yibo Jia, Yijia Guo, Siqi Chen, Nan Ge, Liyuan Zhang, Fahui Wang, Yongguo Du, Yueping Wang, Long Sun, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Biao Wu, Feifei Yin","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012909","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scrub typhus, traditionally caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a re-emerging public health concern within the Tsutsugamushi Triangle. Despite growing awareness, prevention strategies remain inadequate on Hainan Island, China, where scrub typhus poses a significant threat, especially in field-related environments.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>Gene flow analysis of the tsa56 gene and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were conducted on 156 previously confirmed scrub typhus cases from 2018 to 2021 across Hainan Island. By integrating published datasets, we identified 12 major sub-genotypes and traced their origins, revealing that these sub-genotypes share origins with isolates from Southeast Asia and coastal provinces and island of China, but also demonstrate unique local adaptations across all isolates. Alpha diversity index analysis was applied across administrative regions to identify hotspot regions. This analysis showed that nine out of the detected fourteen administrative regions, particularly along the northern and western coastlines and inland areas, exhibited relatively high genetic diversity, with the highest incidence observed in Qiongzhong, a centrally located city. Related major sequence types were mapped, and distances between locations were estimated, showing that identical MLST sequence types were observed to transfer across distances of 23 to 125 km between different sites on the island. Pathogen density was analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR targeting the tsa56 gene. Without accounting for potential confounding factors or dataset limitations, the Karp_B_2 sub-genotype showed a significant increasing trend in pathogen density with prolonged fever duration, while Gilliam sub-genotypes exhibited a slower or even declining trend.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted public health interventions, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations in rural and agricultural areas of nine key administrative regions where high genetic diversity and pathogen spread were observed. Additionally, this study provides valuable insights into the transmission dynamics and infection progression of scrub typhus, using gene flow analysis and multilocus sequence typing to identify major sub-genotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012909"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659349","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":"Effects of temperature and environmental covariates on the dynamic transmission of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Zhejiang, China.","authors":"Wanqi Wen, Ziping Miao, Dashan Zheng, Feng Ling, Zhengmin Min Qian, Benjamin de Foy, Steven W Howard, Jimin Sun, Hualiang Lin","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012884","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012884","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Studies have documented the impact of temperature on the incidence of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD); however, no study has examined its impact on the transmissibility.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The longitudinal surveillance data of HFMD in Zhejiang Province during 2013-2019 were collected from National Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reporting Information System. The incidence of HFMD was represented by daily case counts, and the transmissibility was quantified as the instantaneous reproductive number ([Formula: see text]). The case time series design was applied to investigate the association between temperature and HFMD incidence at small-scale spatial patterns (i.e., townships). General additive model was further employed to analyze the effects of temperature and other driving factors on the transmissibility of HFMD. Separate models were also conducted for each city, along with seasonal and spatial stratified analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We observed an inverted V-shaped association between temperature and HFMD incidence, with the highest cumulative relative risk (RR: 3.81, 95% CI: 3.75-3.86) at 28°C compared to the reference temperature. Notably, we discovered that HFMD transmissibility exhibited a similar but more pronounced sensitivity to temperature changes, peaking at a lower temperature of 19.69°C. City-specific and stratified results were aligned with the overall provincial pattern. Additionally, other significant driving factors of HFMD transmissibility included the depletion of susceptible individuals, school holidays, vaccination program, relative humidity, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Nonlinear associations between temperature and HFMD incidence, as well as transmissibility, are observed. Other driving factors potentially contribute to changes in HFMD dynamic transmission. These findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted policies aimed at early intervention, particularly when HFMD transmissibility begins to reach its peak.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012884"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659410","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":"Mapping the potential suitable habitats for Hyalomma rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) in Africa and Western Eurasia.","authors":"Ruobing Zhou, Hein Sprong, Qiyong Liu, Thomas Krafft, Agustin Estrada-Peña","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012923","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012923","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a broadly distributed tick-borne disease and is caused by the arthropod-borne Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). Hyalomma ticks have been associated with the circulation of the virus in natural foci and in laboratory experiments. One of the main species, Hyalomma rufipes, is originally distributed in Africa. However, anthropogenic activities, bird migration, and domestic animal movement, could break the natural barriers that prevent its spread out of its natural area of colonization. This study explored the potential suitable areas for H. rufipes in Africa, Southern Europe and Central Asia using an environmental niche model. Explanatory variables based on climate were generated by harmonic regression of long-term climate; records of H. rufipes were obtained from public databases or provided by other scientists and researchers. The model indicated that areas likely to support permanent populations of H. rufipes are distributed across Southern Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Caucasus. Data on migratory birds infested with H. rufipes further supports the need for surveillance activities in these regions to monitor and manage both the vectors and the pathogens they carry.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012923"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918435/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659416","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":"Comprehensive analysis of intervention and control studies for the computational identification of dengue biomarker genes.","authors":"Jibon Kumar Paul, Mahir Azmal, Tasnim Alam, Omar Faruk Talukder, Ajit Ghosh","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012914","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012914","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), presents a significant global health concern, with millions of cases reported annually. Despite significant progress in understanding Dengue fever, effective prognosis and treatment remain elusive due to the complex clinical presentations and limitations in current diagnostic methods. The virus, transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, exists in four closely related forms, each capable of causing flu-like symptoms ranging from mild febrile illness to severe manifestations such as plasma leakage and hemorrhagic fever. Although advancements in diagnostic techniques have been made, early detection of severe dengue remains difficult due to the complexity of its clinical presentations. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of differential gene expression in dengue fever patients using multiple microarray datasets from the NCBI GEO database. Through bioinformatics approaches, 163 potential biomarker genes were identified, with some overlapping previously reported biomarkers and others representing novel candidates. Notably, AURKA, BUB1, BUB1B, BUB3, CCNA2, CCNB2, CDC6, CDK1, CENPE, EXO1, NEK2, ZWINT, and STAT1 were among the most significant biomarkers. These genes are involved in critical cellular processes, such as cell cycle regulation and mitotic checkpoint control, which are essential for immune cell function and response. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the dysregulated genes were predominantly associated with immune response to the virus, cell division, and RNA processing. Key regulatory genes such as AURKA, BUB1, BUB3, and CDK1 are found to be involved in cell cycle regulation and have roles in immune-related pathways, underscoring their importance in the host immune response to Dengue virus infection. This study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying Dengue fever pathogenesis, highlighting key regulatory genes such as AURKA and CDK1 that could serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and targets for therapeutic intervention, paving the way for improved management of the disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012914"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918421/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659406","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":"Comparative gene expression pattern of immune-related genes using dual-color RT-MLPA in the lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. major and L. tropica.","authors":"Nasrin Masoudzadeh, Mouad Ait Kbaich, Suzanne van Veen, Björn Andersson, Marielle C Haks, Josefine Persson, Vahid Mashayekhi Goyonlo, Shima Hadifar, Reza Erfanian Salim, Idris Mhaidi, Myriam Riyad, Khadija Akarid, Ali M Harandi, Tom Hm Ottenhoff, Meryem Lemrani, Sima Rafati","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012812","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012812","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most prevalent type of leishmaniasis disease and causes skin lesions, mainly ulcers, on exposed parts of the body. The Americas, Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia account for approximately 95% of all CL cases. Leishmania (L.) major and L. tropica are the most significant species causing CL. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of CL caused by Leishmania parasite species in patients' skin lesions may help inform intervention approaches. Using dual-color reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (dcRT-MLPA), we evaluated the expression of 144 host immune-related genes in lesions from CL patients infected with two Leishmania species, L. major and L. tropica, in Morocco and Iran, respectively. Distinct gene expression patterns were identified in the lesions of patients infected with L. major and L. tropica. The results revealed that L. tropica-infected patients had rather more significant gene expression than L. major-infected patients relative to healthy volunteers. However, CD14 and IFI6 (interferon alpha inducible protein 6), were two common genes expressed in the lesions of patients infected with L. major and L. tropica. Our analysis revealed that gene expression changes related to the IFN signaling pathway were significant in both lesion groups. This research advances our understanding of the host immune response to zoonotic and anthroponotic leishmaniasis and shows immune transcript signatures in the skin lesions of CL patients infected with L. major and L. tropica. These findings can inform further investigation into the processes underpinning immunity and immunopathology of CL caused by L. major and L. tropica.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012812"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659404","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":"Establishment of an RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a combined diagnostic system for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.","authors":"Yun Wu, Yuhan Shao, Wei Li, Ying Yu, Xia Rao, Jingyi Li, Nicholas R Waterfield, Guowei Yang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012922","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pneumocystis jirovecii causes severe pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals, leading to high mortality and an economic burden. There is a need for early detection methods suitable for low-resource settings and rapid point-of-care diagnostics. This study developed a detection method using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) followed by CRISPR/Cas12a with fluorescence detection. The RPA primers and CRISPR-derived RNAs (crRNAs) were specifically designed to target the mitochondrial small subunit rRNA (mtSSU rRNA) gene of P. jirovecii. A total of 83 clinical samples were tested using this method, including 39 confirmed and 44 suspected cases of P. jirovecii infection. The combination of crRNA5 and crRNA6 demonstrated higher sensitivity compared to the current real-time PCR detection method, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 copy per reaction and showed no cross-reactions with other respiratory pathogens. The concordance of this method was validated with both infected and non-infected patients. In conclusion, the method developed in this study potentially provides a highly sensitive and rapid tool suitable for the early and on-site detection of P. jirovecii pneumonia. Furthermore, this method holds potential applications for the detection of other human pathogens, representing a significant advancement in diagnostic capabilities for low-resource settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012922"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11918415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143659414","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":"Prevalence of leptospirosis among soldiers: A systematic review.","authors":"Pavlo Petakh, Valentyn Oksenych, Oleksandr Kamyshnyi","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that spreads through water and soil contaminated with infected animal urine. Soldiers have a higher risk of infection because they often work in wet and muddy conditions. This systematic review examines how common leptospirosis is among military personnel. Studies published between January 2000 and November 2024 were collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, following PRISMA guidelines. The review included studies that used laboratory tests to confirm leptospirosis cases in soldiers. Out of 67 studies, three met the inclusion criteria. These studies were conducted in Malaysia, Hawaii, and Honduras, with sample sizes between 488 and 1,000 soldiers. The infection rate ranged from 1.4% to 16.2%, with higher rates in tropical regions. Leptospirosis is often underdiagnosed in military personnel because symptoms are similar to other diseases, and testing is not always available. More awareness, better protective measures, and improved laboratory tests are needed to prevent infections. This review highlights the importance of better surveillance and health strategies for soldiers at risk of leptospirosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 3","pages":"e0012927"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143651273","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}