PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Investigating post-COVID-19 confidence in emergency use authorization vaccines: A hypothetical case of mpox.","authors":"Li Ping Wong, Haridah Alias, Hai Yen Lee, Qinjian Zhao, Zhiwen Huang, Zhijian Hu, Yulan Lin","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013037","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly influenced public trust in vaccines, particularly those authorized under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). In light of the recent monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, the primary aim of this study is to uncover how experiences with the COVID-19 vaccination have shaped public trust in hypothetical EUA vaccines for mpox.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A nationwide cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was conducted across six regions in China. Trust in future EUA vaccines, influenced by the COVID-19 vaccination experience as well as other attitudinal and behavioral factors associated with the willingness to receive an EUA-authorized mpox vaccine, was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall willingness to receive an EUA-authorized mpox vaccine across all regions is 67.9%. The less economically developed Northeastern and Northwestern regions, with willingness rates of 84.9% and 81.8%, respectively, showed higher intention to be vaccinated than the more affluent Eastern region, which reported a willingness rate of 71.2%. There is a generally positive influence of the COVID-19 vaccination experiences on trust in future EUA vaccines, with a combined total of 61.8% (41.5% reported a somewhat increased level of trust and 20.3% reported a significantly increased level of trust). This trust emerged as the strongest determinant of vaccination willingness (β = 0.441, p < 0.001). Other factors influencing willingness include fear of the disease (β = 0.096, p < 0.001), knowledge (β = 0.064, p = 0.017), and prevention practices (β = 0.066, p = 0.005). Additionally, significant but smaller effects were noted for education (β = 0.059, p = 0.005) and urban-rural locality (β = -0.053, p = 0.012).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings underscore the importance of bolstering public trust in EUA vaccines, as well as addressing related attitudinal and behavioral factors, to enhance acceptance of mpox vaccines. This requires transparent communication about the rigorous approval process, continuous safety monitoring, and real-world effectiveness of EUA vaccines.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013037"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144180442","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":"Estimated incidence and clinical presentation of Noma in Northern Nigeria (1999-2024).","authors":"Ramat Oyebunmi Braimah, John Adeoye, Abdurrazaq Olanrewaju Taiwo, Seidu Bello, Mujtaba Bala, Azeez Butali, Bruno Oludare Ile-Ogedengbe, Abubakar Abdullahi Bello","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012818","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012818","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Noma (Cancrum Oris), a recent addition to the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases, is a severe, rapidly progressing necrotizing disease of the oral cavity and facial complex with a case fatality rate of 90% if untreated. Active disease is common among children between two and six years in Sub-Saharan Africa while noma sequelae may be seen in individuals at any age. Though most cases have been reported in northern Nigeria, little research is available on the incidence of noma and its clinical presentation in this region using comprehensive data. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the incidence of noma and its clinical presentation in Northern Nigeria among different age groups. We collected retrospective data of 1,383 consecutive patients managed at Noma Children's Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria between 1999 and 2024 for incidence estimation and description of the clinical presentation of noma. Incidence calculation was done using the WHO Oral Health Unit strategy designed with the Delphi method. Our results showed that patients were between 8 months and 80 years old with a median age (IQR) of 6 years (3-15). More patients presented with acute noma than arrested noma (67.3% vs 32.7%). The estimated incidence of noma in northern Nigeria during the study period was 87.8 cases per 100,000, with Sokoto state having the highest incidence of 691.4 cases per 100,000, while Adamawa state had the lowest incidence of 11.2 cases per 100,000. The annual average and median incidence of noma across all years was 3.4 and 1.6 cases per 100,000 (range: 0.2-16.6 cases per 100,000), although between 2020 and 2024, the annual average and median incidence estimates were 12.0 and 12.6 cases per 100,000. Also, this study found the incidence of noma cases with gangrene to be higher than cases with oedema or acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. These findings confirm the high incidence and impact of noma in northern Nigeria in the last two and half decades and highlight the need to intensify awareness of risk factors and early signs of noma within communities in the region and to conduct community-based screening to promote the identification and cost-effective treatment of reversible early noma disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0012818"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12143531/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183649","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":"Transitory impact of subclinical Shigella infections on biomarkers of environmental enteropathy in children under 2 years.","authors":"Haley A Liakakos, James A Platts-Mills, Maria Garcia Quesada, Jie Liu, Eric R Houpt, Elizabeth T Rogawski McQuade","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012791","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0012791","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clinical and subclinical Shigella infections among children living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been associated with long-term adverse effects such as impaired linear growth. The mechanism for the impact of subclinical infections has been theorized to occur through contributions to environmental enteropathy (EE). While Shigella has previously been associated with biomarkers of EE at the time of infection, we evaluated whether this impact was sustained after infections, which would support EE being the mechanism for the effects of Shigella on growth. A prospective birth cohort study of 1,715 children living in 8 different LMICs was conducted. Over the course of 24 months, monthly non-diarrheal stool samples were analyzed for subclinical Shigella infections through quantitative PCR methods. EE was reflected by elevated concentrations of 3 fecal biomarkers: myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT). MPO concentrations were found to be significantly higher by 0.30 ln(nm/mL) (95% CI: 0.23, 0.37) in the initial month of Shigella detection among stools with subclinical Shigella infections. After the Shigella infection, MPO concentrations declined throughout the following 6 months, and concentrations were lower by 6 months post-infection [MPO 6-month difference: -0.16 ln(nm/mL) (95% CI: -0.26, -0.04)]. Subclinical Shigella infections had no effect on NEO concentration levels within the initial month of Shigella detection but did decrease post-infection. Subclinical Shigella infections had no effect on AAT concentration levels until 6 months post-infection [AAT difference: -0.13 ln(mg/g) (95% CI: -0.24, -0.03)]. These findings did not differ by antibiotic use around time of index infection. The impact of Shigella on biomarkers of EE was not sustained, suggesting the negative association between Shigella and growth could be explained by the accumulation of time-limited rather than persistent effects on inflammation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0012791"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12143526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183255","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":"Breaking the cycle of parasitic diseases with edutainment: The intersection of entertainment and education.","authors":"Muhammad Furqan Arshad, Ibrahim Abbas, Francesca Porcu, Alessandro Ricci, Gabriella Gaglio, Emanuele Brianti, Silvia Carta, Lia Cavallo, Claudia Tamponi, Simona Gabrielli, Camila González, Cinzia Cantacessi, Antonio Scala, Antonio Varcasia","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013072","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasitic diseases represent a substantial public health challenge worldwide. Traditional educational strategies have often fallen short in driving sustained behavioral shifts that are nonetheless essential for reducing the burden of these diseases. Edutainment, a blend of education and entertainment, is the synthesis of pedagogical content with recreational frameworks, leveraging narrative and visual appeal to elevate the learning experience through enriched experiences, aligning with the principles of \"warm cognition\". Human cognitive processes, including attention, learning and memory, are influenced by emotions. As a result, emotional experiences are remembered vividly and accurately, with great resilience over time. Several edutainment approaches have been successfully utilized to inspire positive behavioral changes against soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, and other diseases. This scoping review delves into several documented approaches with sustainable positive post-intervention outcomes. Approaches such as animated cartoons, gamification, songs, videos, and music, mobile health applications, hands-on experience, posters, comics and educational booklets, puppet shows, toy animals, cardboard and plastic-coated drawings, drawing activities and competitions, group discussions, illustrated booklets and questionnaires have yielded statistically significant improvements in participant's knowledge related to parasitic diseases (up to 60% increase in knowledge scores), alongside notable reductions in risks of parasite transmission and infection prevalence. These improvements highlight the potential of edutainment to enhance community awareness, promote long-term behavioral changes, and ultimately contribute to reducing spread of disease. Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) can be integrated into edutainment approaches to meet the growing demand for personalized and effective learning methods. We argue that such AI-driven edutainment can underpin sustainable progress in the control of parasitic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013072"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12119011/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175467","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 and systems analyses of Leishmania spp. non-coding RNAs through developmental stages.","authors":"J Eduardo Martinez-Hernandez, Victor Aliaga-Tobar, Carolina González-Rosales, Rubens Monte-Neto, Alberto J M Martin, Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013108","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leishmania spp. is the etiological agent of leishmaniases, neglected diseases that seek to be eradicated in the coming years. The life cycle of these parasites involves different host and stress environments. In recent years, many studies have shown that several protein-coding genes are directly involved with the development and host interactions. However, little is still known about the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in life cycle progression. In this study, we aimed to identify the genomic structure and function of ncRNAs from Leishmania spp. and to get insights into the repertoire of ncRNAs (RNAome) of this protozoan genus. We studied 26 strains corresponding to 16 different species of Leishmania. Our RNAome analysis revealed the presence of several ncRNAs that are shared among different species, allowing us to differentiate between subgenera as well as between species that are canonically related to visceral leishmaniasis. We also studied co-expression relationships between coding genes and ncRNAs which in the amastigote developmental stage for Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania donovani revealed the presence of miRNA-like transcripts co-expressed with several coding genes involved in starvation, survival and histone modification. This work represents the first effort to characterize the Leishmania ssp. RNAome, supporting further approaches to better understand the role of ncRNAs in gene regulation, infective process, and host-parasite interaction.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013108"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12169548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175483","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":"Calcium-dependent protein kinases 2A involved in the growth of both asexual and sexual stages of Cryptosporidium parvum.","authors":"Fanfan Shu, Yujin Huang, Fuxian Yang, Yaqiong Guo, Rui Xu, Lihua Xiao, Yaoyu Feng, Na Li","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013107","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan pathogen that causes moderate to severe diarrhea in both humans and animals. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are attractive drug targets against cryptosporidiosis given their critical role in the life cycle of Cryptosporidium spp. and their absence in human and animal hosts.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>We used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to endogenously tag the CpCDPK2A gene in C. parvum IIdA20G1-HLJ strain with the hemagglutinin (HA) epitope and to delete the CpCDPK2A gene. An immunofluorescence assay was performed to localize the CpCDPK2A expression in the tagged strain and a luciferase assay was performed to compare growth rates of the tagged and deletion strains in vitro. Oocyst shedding, parasite load, villus length/crypt height ratio and survival of infected mice were used to evaluate the function of CpCDPK2A in vivo. The results revealed that CpCDPK2A was expressed in all the intracellular developmental stages, especially in the motile stages of sporozoites and merozoites. While CpCDPK2A is dispensable, deletion of the gene significantly reduced the growth of late asexual and sexual stages in vitro. In an interferon-γ knockout mouse model, gene deletion of CpCDPK2A reduced oocyst shedding by 25-fold and increased survival of infected mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/significance: </strong>These observations suggest that CpCDPK2A may contribute to both asexual and sexual replication of C. parvum and may be a potential target to block the transmission of this important zoonotic pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013107"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12119106/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175481","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":"Real-time dynamic monitoring and multiplex PCR identification of vector mosquitoes in Zhejiang, China.","authors":"Qing He, Qinbao Lu, Ningzi Xie, Xiaohua Liu, Xinyi Wang, Jinren Pan, Sofia Litchev, Yuxin Hu, Xiaodong Li, Bin Zheng, Junfen Lin, Enfu Chen, Xiao-Guang Chen, Xiaohong Zhou, QingMing Kong, Shaohong Lu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013129","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The monitoring and identification of mosquito vectors are crucial for controlling the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Traditional mosquito morphological identification and surveillance methods, such as human landing catches, human-baited double net traps and BG-Sentinel mosquito traps, require a large amount of manpower but can only provide fragmented data. We utilized the MS-300, an internet-based vector mosquito monitor, to continuously capture and upload real-time data to cloud services across ten monitoring sites located in seven cities in Zhejiang Province, China from May to December 2023. A new multiplex PCR system was developed for amplifying the internal transcribed spacer 2 region, followed by employing both multiplex PCR and DNA barcoding techniques for detecting wild mosquitoes. A comprehensive monitoring of 9749 mosquitoes was conducted. The mosquito density gradually increased from May 2023, peaked around June 22nd, and then declined in a wave-like pattern. The mosquitoes have two peak activity times, the peak times may vary depending on different locations and seasons. The study showed the high specificity of a multiplex PCR system in distinguishing six mosquito species: Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens pallens, Armigeres subalbatus, Anopheles sinensis and Anopheles anthropophagus. Notably, the sensitivity of detecting An. anthropophagus reached an impressive 1fg/µL. With the exception of Ae. aegypti and An. anthropophagus, all four other mosquito species have been identified in Zhejiang Province, with Cx. p. pallens being the predominant population. The results were highly consistent with DNA barcoding technology. The MS-300 continuously and automatically monitors mosquito population density and activity, providing effective guidance for mosquito control based on the environment and reducing labor costs. Our newly established multiple PCR system enables precise identification of crucial vector mosquitoes, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of population structures across diverse regions for selecting effective control measures.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013129"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12140415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162928","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":"Analysis and forecast of the disease burden of trachoma in China and the Global Population over 15 years of age, 1990-2021.","authors":"Chaohui Li, Hui Liu, Kai Wang","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013155","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Trachoma is primarily transmitted through direct contact, and its complications-such as trichiasis and corneal opacity-significantly impair patients' quality of life and result in substantial productivity losses. This study explores the differences in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and prevalence of trachoma globally, across regions with varying Socio-demographic Index (SDI) levels, and in China, while also projecting future trends specific to China.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This study, based on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, utilized Joinpoint regression to analyze temporal trends in the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of trachoma in China from 1990 to 2021. The age-period-cohort (APC) model is used to estimate the net effects of age, period, and cohort on disease burden. Through decomposition analysis, the impact of aging, population growth, and epidemiological changes on trachoma disease burden is explored. In addition, the Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model was used to project trends in the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate and prevalence over the next 15 years, offering valuable insights for optimizing prevention and control strategies and consolidating achievements in disease elimination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 1990 to 2021, the ASPR and ASDR of trachoma exhibited a consistent downward trend in China, globally, and across regions with varying SDI levels. In 2021, the crude prevalence and crude DALYs rates of trachoma in China increased with age, reaching their peak in the 70-74-year age group. Marked disparities were observed among different SDI regions, with high-SDI areas recording the lowest prevalence and DALYs burden, while low-SDI regions experienced the highest. It is expected that from 2022 to 2036, the ASPR and ASDR of male and female populations aged 15 and above in China will both show a downward trend and continue to approach 0.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The continuous decline in the burden of trachoma disease in China from 1990 to 2021 indicates significant achievements in trachoma prevention and treatment. However, attention still needs to be paid to the elderly population aged 60 and above, and health education for the entire population should be strengthened to reduce the disease burden caused by trachoma in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013155"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12140427/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162688","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":"Long-term persistence and boostability of immune responses following different rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis priming schedules of a purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine administered alone or concomitantly with a Japanese encephalitis vaccine.","authors":"Tomas Jelinek, Mirjam Schunk, Emil C Reisinger, Marylyn M Addo, Ursula Wiedermann, Marco Costantini, Maria Lattanzi, Michele Pellegrini, Ilaria Galgani","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013118","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended to individuals at risk for exposure to rabies. Three intramuscular doses of the purified chick embryo cell (PCEC) rabies vaccine can be administered according to a conventional (four-week) or an accelerated (one-week) regimen.</p><p><strong>Methodology/principal findings: </strong>This phase III, open-label study (NCT02545517) was an extension of the NCT01662440 study where immune responses of different primary PrEP regimens with PCEC rabies vaccine and Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine were assessed. Adults who had completed the parent study and received three doses of rabies PrEP regimens, concomitantly with a JE vaccine or alone (i.e., Rabies+JE-Accelerated, Rabies+JE-Conventional, and Rabies-Conventional groups) were enrolled in this extension study. Here we evaluated the long-term (up to 10 years after completing the primary vaccination) immunogenicity and boostability of PCEC rabies vaccine, and the safety of booster dose(s). Immunogenicity was assessed in terms of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) concentrations, and titers ≥0.5 international units (IU)/mL were considered adequate for protection. Participants with RVNA concentrations <0.5 IU/mL were eligible for receiving PCEC rabies vaccine booster(s). Of the 459 participants enrolled in this study, 77.6% completed the trial. At the study end, the probability of detecting adequate RVNA concentrations in unboosted participants was 57.8%, 60.2%, and 62.0% for the Rabies+JE-Accelerated, Rabies+JE-Conventional, and Rabies-Conventional groups, respectively. Overall, 68.6% of all participants had RVNA concentrations ≥0.5 IU/mL at any timepoint and did not require a booster dose during the study follow-up period. Of the 144 participants with RVNA concentrations <0.5 IU/mL at any timepoint, 132 needed one booster dose throughout the follow-up period (Years 3-10) and 12 needed multiple booster administrations. No safety concerns were identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion/significance: </strong>The PCEC rabies vaccine administered alone/concomitantly with the JE vaccine provides adequate immunity for up to 62% of unboosted participants at study end.</p>","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013118"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162926","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 model predicting the 6-year all cause mortality of patients with advanced schistosomiasis after discharge: Derived from a large population-based cohort study.","authors":"Lanyue Pan, Chunmei Wu, Ping Li, Jiaquan Huang, Yizhi Wu, Guo Li","doi":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013134","DOIUrl":"10.1371/journal.pntd.0013134","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Advanced schistosomiasis imposed a heavy economic burden on society and had a high rate of mortality and disability. However, methods for assessing its long-term prognosis were currently insufficient, and there was a lack of predictive tools to aid clinical decision-making and personalized follow-up plans for patients. We sought to determine risk factors associated with six-year all-cause mortality in advanced schistosomiasis, deriving and validating a six-year all-cause mortality prediction model through a retrospective cohort study based on a large population-based cohort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methodology: &lt;/strong&gt;We collected information from 4,136 patients with advanced schistosomiasis who were discharged between December 2014 and January 2015. After excluding 17 patients with the less common subtypes of colonic tumoroid proliferation and dwarfism, as well as 92 patients who were lost to follow-up or had incomplete information, data from 4,027 patients were included in the study. These patients were randomly assigned to the derivation cohort and the external validation cohort in a 7:3 ratio, with 1,400 patients randomly selected from the derivation cohort for internal validation. Sixteen candidate variables were collected: age, gender, nutritional status, splenectomy history, presence of other conditions (such as cardiovascular and digestive diseases), clinical classification, disease duration, ascites occurrence frequency, levels of serum total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin (ALB), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). High-risk factors associated with the 6-year mortality outcome were identified through univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The predictive value of different models was evaluated and compared using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Akaike information criterion (AIC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), C statistic, and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Findings: &lt;/strong&gt;The derivation cohort comprised 2819 patients and we randomly selected 1400 cases from this cohort for internal validation. The external cohort consisted of 1208 patients. The mortality rate for three groups was around 27%-28%. We identified ten variables associated with increased risk of death, including age, course of disease, frequence of ascites, hepatitis B co-infection, and levels of DBil, ALT, AST, ALP, ALB, and AFP at baseline. Using these variables, we developed a ten-variable model and three simpler models. In the derivation cohort, the ten-variable model showed the highest C statistic (0.759; 95% CI, 0.739-0.778) and the lowest AIC (2834.2). ROC curves indicated an AUC of 0.759 for the ten-variable model, outperforming the simpler models. External validation also demonstrated superior performance of th","PeriodicalId":49000,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases","volume":"19 5","pages":"e0013134"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12136624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162612","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}