PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Unmasking and tackling the underestimation of the cholera burden in Africa: A viewpoint.","authors":"Olushayo Oluseun Olu, Sylvester Maleghemi, Adebola Olayinka, Argata Guracha Guyo, Solomon Fisseha Woldetsadik, Ida-Marie Ameda, Chinwe Iwu-Jaja, Amos Petu, Abdulmumini Usman","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013128","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013128","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cholera remains a significant public health challenge in Africa, with the continent recording the highest Case Fatality Ratio of 1.9% among all regions from 2014 to 2023. Despite ongoing efforts, the true burden of cholera is substantially underestimated due to poor quality and incomplete data. This article aims to review the factors contributing to the underestimation of cholera in Africa and explore potential solutions to better characterize the disease epidemiology and burden on the continent. We drew on our field experiences and existing literature to identify the key factors responsible for cholera underestimation in Africa. We also propose strategies to improve cholera surveillance and reporting. We identified several factors contributing to cholera underestimation, including weaknesses in the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, insecurity due to conflict situations, limited healthcare access, and the politicization of cholera outbreak data. We propose a comprehensive approach to address these challenges, including strengthening disease surveillance, adopting digital technologies to improve data collection and management, improving healthcare access, increasing public awareness and enhancing community engagement and participation in cholera reporting, and fostering political commitment to transparent data reporting. We urge African ministries of health and public health stakeholders to increase their commitment to and investment in strengthening cholera data management on the continent.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013128"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12140239/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144235618","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":"Uncovering the antifungal potential of Cannabidiol and Cannabidivarin.","authors":"Hue Dinh, Kenya E Fernandes, Paige E Erpf, Evie J M Clay, Aidan P Tay, Stephanie S Nagy, Sebastian Schaefer, Ram Maharjan, Megan D Lenardon, Dylan H Multari, Paul A Haynes, Ian T Paulsen, Marina J Santiago, Mark Connor, Dee Carter, Amy K Cain","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013081","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal infections pose a major threat to human health with increasing incidence of antifungal resistance globally. Despite the need for novel antifungal drugs, few are currently in clinical development. Here we evaluate the antifungal activity of five phytocannabinoids against several clinically relevant fungal pathogens, with a focus on the priority pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Our results demonstrate that Cannabidiol (CBD), and particularly Cannabidivarin (CBDV), have broad activity against C. neoformans and other fungal pathogens, including dermatophytes that cause common tinea. We found that both CBD and CBDV acted in a fungicidal manner and prevented biofilm formation in C. neoformans. Phytocannabinoid treatment impeded factors important for virulence and antifungal resistance, including reduced capsule size and disruption of mature biofilms. Proteomics analysis revealed that the antifungal activity of CBD and CBDV was linked to destabilisation of the membrane, alterations in ergosterol biosynthesis, disruption of metabolic pathways, as well as selective involvement of mitochondrial-associated proteins. We next tested the ability of CBD to topically clear a C. neoformans fungal infection in vivo using the Galleria mellonella burn wound model, and we observed greatly improved survival in the CBD treated larvae. This study illustrates the potential of phytocannabinoids as antifungal treatments and opens up new routes towards development of novel antifungal drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013081"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12139526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227348","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":"Point-of-care detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei: A method integrating LAMP and LFSA with RNase HII hydrolysis.","authors":"Yue Zhang, Xiuqiong Liang, Juan Yao, Wei Liu, Nan Zhang, Zhang Zhang, Qianfeng Xia","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013109","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a tropical disease known for its long incubation period and high mortality rate. However, the traits of this \"great imitator\" present significant challenges for clinical diagnosis and pose a serious threat to populations in epidemic regions. A rapid, accurate, and low environment requirement diagnostic method is needed to enable timely diagnoses. Here, we developed a strategy for point-of-care testing (POCT) using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with RNase HII for efficient detection of B. pseudomallei, through real-time fluorescence analysis or lateral flow strip assay (LFSA). Briefly, RNase HII-based cleavage dual-functional probe LAMP (RCDP-LAMP) utilizes RNase HII cleave the \"rG\" from the probe which hybridized with target. FAM group was cleaved, detaching from BHQ1, and exciting fluorescence or Biotin group on the same side as BHQ1 was used as the target captured in LFSA for the results. The limit of detection (LOD) for is 50 fg/reaction. In summary, RCDP-LAMP presents a versatile tool for detecting B. pseudomallei in both professional clinical laboratories and POCT scenes, suitable for large-scale screening efforts. This approach is essential for controlling costs in primary healthcare units and significantly enhances the prevention and management of the severely neglected tropical disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013109"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227347","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":"Institutionalising urogenital schistosomiasis surveillance: Best practices to improve female genital and urinary schistosomiasis control in South Africa.","authors":"Takalani Girly Nemungadi, Tsakani Furumele, Absalom Mwazha, Myra Taylor, Saloshni Naidoo, Eyrun F Kjetland","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012640","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012640","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;In the absence of an active schistosomiasis control programme, the affected community is vulnerable to complications such as female genital schistosomiasis. Research has shown that female genital schistosomiasis is a challenge faced by many African women including those from South Africa. Since 2008, the South African National Department of Health has been trying to resuscitate the schistosomiasis control programme; the programme has not been fully established or implemented. However, there are some surveillance best practices that the country can institutionalise to improve control.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Materials and methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A descriptive analysis of urogenital schistosomiasis data from the National Health Laboratory Services, Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System, and District Health Information System was conducted in 2023. A document review was also carried out in 2023 to determine surveillance best practices to guide the establishment of sentinel sites for improving schistosomiasis and female genital schistosomiasis control.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The Health Laboratory Services, Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System, and District Health Information System are the existing surveillance and reporting systems. According to the Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System (the overall and central notification system for the notifiable medical conditions), a total of 56529 urogenital schistosomiasis cases were reported nationwide between 2017 and 2021 (ranging from annual cases of 4140-15032). Most cases (&gt;90%) were reported from public health facilities. The country's Regulations on the surveillance and control of notifiable medical conditions stipulate that schistosomiasis is one of the priority conditions that should be notified (within 7 days of clinical or laboratory diagnosis) by all public and private health care providers, as well as public and private health laboratories. The Regulations did not specify female genital schistosomiasis as one of the notifiable medical conditions. As a result, there was no reported data on female genital schistosomiasis and true burden was not known.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;The data collected through the National Health Laboratory Services, Notifiable Medical Conditions Surveillance System, and District Health Information System demonstrate that there are formalised schistosomiasis reporting systems, but no female genital schistosomiasis reporting. The existence and use of these surveillance systems demonstrate the country's potential to integrate the systems to enhance the prevention, surveillance, reporting, and management of schistosomiasis and introduction of surveillance for female genital schistosomiasis surveillance. Prioritisation of urogenital schistosomiasis and female genital schistosomiasis surveillance is paramount and will generate valuable information that will guide the review and implementation of the curren","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0012640"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12164197/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227346","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":"Characteristics, Post-exposure prophylaxis usage, and clinical features of Chinese human rabies cases, 2016-2020.","authors":"Qian Ren, Ning Chen, Di Mu, Man-Tong Zhu, Qing-Nan Shi, Shi-Jian Zhou, Hui-Jie Qin, Si-Han Li, Jun-Yuan Chen, Yu Li, Wen-Wu Yin, Qiu-Lan Chen, Yan-Ping Zhang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013089","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rabies continues to pose a significant public health challenge in China. Here we reported the risk factors associated with the failure to initiate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination in China for period 2016-2020. It is essential for identifying strategies to decrease the incidence of these preventable fatalities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 1,733 case investigations in China between 2016 and 2020. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analyses were utilized to identify factors associated with the failure to initiate PEP vaccination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A majority of the incidents (n = 1,295; 84.3%) involved animal bites, with dog wounds constituting 94.0% of these cases (n = 1,437). Domestic animals from the victims' own residences accounted for 48.5% (n = 690) of human rabies cases, followed by free-roaming animals at 34.4% (n = 489). Among the domesticated animals, 95.7% (n = 779) had not been vaccinated against rabies. Category III wounds were present in 66.1% (n = 952) of all cases. In the multivariable model, factors occupation, exposure category, and source of attacking animal were significantly associated with failure to initiate PEP vaccination. However, only 4.3% (n = 41) received rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and a mere 1.2% (n = 11) underwent complete PEP vaccination in addition to RIG administration. The median incubation period for rabies was recorded at 72 days, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 35.0-173.0 days.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The majority of individuals affected by rabies did not pursue PEP vaccination, especially those with category II wounds or those bitten by domestic animals from their own households. To decrease mortality from rabies, it is imperative to launch prevention campaigns directed at these groups. Furthermore, enhancing the regular vaccination of domestic dogs is crucial for long-term control of the disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013089"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136364/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227343","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":"Correction: Study of the population genetic structure of Opisthorchis-like eggs in northern Thailand using mitochondrial genes.","authors":"Picha Suwannahitatorn, Mathirut Mungthin, Ittisak Subrungruang, Lakhanawan Charoensuk, Nithikoon Aksorn, Saiwasan Buathong","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013173","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012445.].</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136345/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227344","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":"Expression of Concern: A Cytoplasmic New Catalytic Subunit of Calcineurin in Trypanosoma cruzi and Its Molecular and Functional Characterization.","authors":"","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013162","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013162","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136285/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144227345","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":"Decade-long protection of the mumps vaccine: Insights from a large-scale serological study.","authors":"Zixia Qian, Yueling Chen, Lilian Zeng, Chumin Liang, Weizhao Lin, Can Xiong, Xinxin Li, Yingyin Deng, Liang Chen, Ying Yang, Limei Sun, Jianfeng He, Jiufeng Sun","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013125","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Serological surveys of mumps are important for estimating susceptibility in the population and for evaluating the effectiveness of current vaccination strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional serological survey using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted on 5,147 participants in Guangdong, China, to evaluate the immunological effects of 2 doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. In accordance with the instructions of the ELISA kit, the final readings represent the anti-mumps antibody titers, which are expressed in \"NovaTec units\".</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 5,147 participants, 3,888 were positive for mumps IgG antibodies, with a seroprevalence of 75.54% (95% CI: 74.34%-76.71%). For each age group, the mumps IgG seroprevalence rates were 74.40%, 89.02%, 85.58%, 68.60%, 69.28%, 78.42%, and 80.63% for those <8 months, 8 months-2 years, 3-5 years, 6-17 years, 18-39 years, 40-59 years, and>=60 years, respectively. In terms of the percentage decreases in anti-mumps antibody titers, in the population receiving the 1-dose vaccine, there was a mean decrease of 2.06% per year. In the population receiving 2 doses of the vaccine, the mean annual decreases were 10.33% and reached protective thresholds of approximately 12.3 years.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The high mumps seroprevalence in the unvaccinated population revealed neglected hidden mumps infections. A time-lapse assay of IgG antibodies indicated that the mumps vaccine provided protection for one decade, which highlights that booster vaccinations may be needed in adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013125"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12165342/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144217357","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":"Development of a novel EV-A71 monoclonal antibody for monitoring vaccine potency.","authors":"Thi-Hong-Loc Le, Tzu-Yu Weng, Hua Yen, Min-Yuan Chia, Min-Shi Lee","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013127","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is one of the major causes of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), primarily affecting children under five. It can lead to neurological and cardiac complications, or even death, in some cases. Inactivated monovalent vaccines have been licensed in China and Taiwan; however, the stability of EV-A71 vaccines is often compromised by factors such as extreme temperatures or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Currently, no commercially available tools can assess the stability of EV-A71 throughout vaccine development. In this study, we report the development of a monoclonal antibody (mAb), NHRI2016-1, which can be used in in vitro immunoassays to evaluate EV-A71 vaccine potency and effectiveness. NHRI2016-1 exclusively recognizes effective EV-A71 antigens in in vitro potency assays. Similarly, rat experiment confirmed that effective vaccine antigens could induce neutralizing antibodies, while ineffective antigens could not. Thus, NHRI2016-1 shows potential for correlating in vitro potency with in vivo immunogenicity of EV-A71 vaccine antigens. These data suggest that NHRI2016-1 could be a promising tool for characterizing EV-A71 vaccines and monitoring vaccine potency.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0013127"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12157779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144217358","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":"How improvements to drug effectiveness impact mass drug administration for control and elimination of schistosomiasis.","authors":"John R Ellis, Nyamai Mutono, Andreia Vasconcelos, Samuel M Thumbi, T Déirdre Hollingsworth, Roy M Anderson","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012624","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012624","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schistosomiasis affects more than 230 million people worldwide. Control and elimination of this parasitic infection is based on mass drug administration of praziquantel (PZQ), which has been in use for several decades. Because of the limitations of the efficacy of PZQ especially against juvenile worms, and the threat of the emergence of resistance, there is a need to consider alternative formulations or delivery methods, or new drugs that could be more efficacious. We use an individual-based stochastic model of parasite transmission to investigate the effects of possible improvements to drug efficacy. We consider an increase in efficacy compared to PZQ, as well as additional efficacy against the juvenile life stage of schistosome parasites in the human host, and a slow-release formulation that would provide long-lasting efficacy for a period of time following treatment. Analyses suggest a drug with a high efficacy of 99%, or with efficacy lasting 24 weeks after treatment, are the two most effective individual improvements to the drug profile of PZQ. A drug with long lasting efficacy is most beneficial when MDA coverage is low. However, when prevalence of infection has already been reduced to a low level, a high efficacy is the most important factor to accelerate interruption of transmission. Our results indicate that increased efficacy against juvenile worms can only result in modest benefits, but the development of a new drug formulation with higher efficacy against adult worms or long-lasting efficacy would create an improvement to the community impact over the currently used formulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 6","pages":"e0012624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12129348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144209935","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}