{"title":"Mortality and associated factors among children with the double burden of human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis in African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Derara Girma Tufa, Leta Adugna Geleta, Hiwot Dejene Dissassa, Erean Shigign Malka, Addisu Waleligne Tadesse, Befekadu Tesfaye Oyato, Husen Zakir Abasimel, Feyiso Bati Wariso, Dursa Hussein, Getahun Fetensa","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11637-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11637-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The dual burden of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) in children is leading to significant mortality. Although primary studies have reported wide ranges of mortality rates among HIV-TB co-infected children in various African countries, a comprehensive estimate of mortality and associated factors is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to assess mortality and associated factors among HIV-TB co-infected children in Africa, which will address existing inconsistencies and assist the development of preventive strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted to retrieve studies from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, HINARI, and other relevant sources. All studies conducted in Africa on mortality among HIV-TB co-infected children were included. The study was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline. A random-effects model was used to estimate the mortality rate, and the Higgins heterogeneity statistic (I²) was applied to assess variation between studies. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression were conducted to detect the source of heterogeneity, while the quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). Publication bias was checked with the funnel plots and regression tests. The summary estimates were presented with forest plots and tables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 30 studies with 13,406 HIV-TB co-infected children between 2007 and 2023 in 11 African countries were included. The pooled estimate of the mortality rate was 15.89% (95%CI:13.62, 18.17) heterogeneity (I<sup>2</sup> = 92.1%, p < 0.001). The highest mortality was observed in the Central African region (41.00%, 95% CI: 27.62, 54.37), followed by Western (16.89%, 95% CI: 8.47, 25.32), Southern (14.57%, 95% CI: 10.86, 18.29), and Eastern Africa region 11.33% (95% CI:9.63, 13.04). Factors like being rural residents (Pooled Odds Ratio (POR) = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.90), low hemoglobin (POR = 7.41, 95% CI: 2.20, 12.61), extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) (POR = 5.67, 95% CI:1.68, 9.66), severe immunosuppression (POR = 5.82, 95% CI: 1.55, 10.08), and poor antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence (POR = 10.17, 95% CI: 3.52, 16.82) were found to increase the odds of mortality. Conversely, Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy (CPT) (POR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.73) was observed as a protective factor of mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates that HIV-TB co-infected children in Africa have a high burden of mortality, underscoring the implementation of dual infection testing and prompt treatment to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of mortality reduction. To reduce mortality, strengthening care and treatment are needed with a special focus on rural residents and regular screening of hemoglobin status, CD4 counts, ART adherence, and EPTB infection. B","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1183"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482352/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clinical score for early escalation in pediatric A2063G Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Junjie Ning, Lina Qiao, Zhidong Yu, Zhang Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11634-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11634-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP), primarily driven by the 23 S rRNA A2063G mutation, is increasingly prevalent among East Asian children, diminishing azithromycin efficacy. Although some patients benefit from its anti-inflammatory properties, delayed escalation in non-responders can prolong fever and increase complications. Given the age-related risks of tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, determining which children truly require second-line therapy remains a clinical challenge.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively reviewed 112 children with MRMP carrying the 23 S rRNA A2063G mutation. Patients were categorized into an azithromycin group (n = 66) and a second-line therapy group (n = 46). Between-group comparisons were performed using the χ² test, independent-sample t test, or Mann-Whitney U test. Independent predictors of escalation were identified via multivariable logistic regression, and model performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the second-line group, the azithromycin group had longer fever duration (median 7.00 vs. 5.00 days, P = 0.003) and slightly higher peak temperatures (39.20 °C vs. 39.00 °C, P = 0.016). In contrast, escalated patients exhibited significantly higher procalcitonin (PCT) levels (1.23 vs. 0.30 ng/mL, P < 0.001), greater chest CT total severity scores (TSS) (13.50 vs. 4.00, P < 0.001), and more frequent Streptococcus pneumoniae co-infection (65.22% vs. 39.39%, P = 0.012). Logistic regression identified elevated PCT, higher TSS, and ≥ 2 co-pathogens as independent predictors of escalation, while therapeutic bronchoscopy was protective; age was included as a covariate. The model demonstrated excellent discrimination (AUC 0.938, 95% CI 0.89-0.99; sensitivity 100%, specificity 78.8%). A five-item bedside score (cutoff ≥ 3.6) retained high accuracy (AUC 0.926; sensitivity 95.7%, specificity 86.4%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A simple clinical scoring model incorporating PCT, TSS, co-pathogen burden, bronchoscopy status, and age demonstrated good predictive accuracy in identifying children with A2063G-positive MRMP pneumonia who may benefit from early escalation to second-line therapy. Its use in clinical practice may support timely intervention for high-risk patients while minimizing unnecessary antibiotic escalation. Further prospective validation in multicenter cohorts is needed to confirm its generalizability and clinical utility.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1198"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481833/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Abolghasemi, Masoud Mardani, Maryam Valikhani, Amirhassan Rabbani, Mahmood Amiri
{"title":"Co-infection of active pulmonary tuberculosis and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis following a liver transplant: a case report.","authors":"Sara Abolghasemi, Masoud Mardani, Maryam Valikhani, Amirhassan Rabbani, Mahmood Amiri","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11603-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11603-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We report a rare case of co-infection involving pulmonary tuberculosis and invasive aspergillosis following a liver transplant.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 25-year-old female housewife immigrant from Afghanistan, who had autoimmune hepatitis and underwent a liver transplant, presented with a history of fever and cough for over a month. Probable diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and invasive aspergillosis was made by chest CT, as evidenced by a positive AFB and aspergillosis smear, and MTB PCR, along with the presence of galactomannan antigen in the BAL fluid. The patient improved after 9 months of treatment with anti-tuberculosis and anti-fungal.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In an endemic setting, the probability of pulmonary tuberculosis is elevated, and co-infection with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, though rare, is significantly more complex. Early detection and targeted management are crucial for improving outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1177"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laith B Alhusseini, Bita Hasani, Firas Nabeeh Jaafar, Masoumeh Beig, Sara Abbasian, Khalil Azizian
{"title":"Temporal and geographic trends in extended-spectrum cephalosporins resistance among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Laith B Alhusseini, Bita Hasani, Firas Nabeeh Jaafar, Masoumeh Beig, Sara Abbasian, Khalil Azizian","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11601-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11601-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global emergence of antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections poses a critical public health challenge. This study aimed to evaluate global resistance rates to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) in N. gonorrhoeae, considering factors such as time, geography, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), and resistance interpretation. A systematic review and meta-analysis (from 1988 to 2025) of 252 studies from 71 countries reported a weighted pooled resistance rate (WPR) of ≤ 2.5% for ESCs. Significant temporal variation in ESCs-resistant isolates (P < 0.05) underscores the dynamic nature of resistance development. Significantly, there was a difference in penicillin resistance rates between countries/ continents, and AST (P < 0.001). These findings emphasize the urgent need for effective antimicrobial stewardship, enhanced contact tracing, and comprehensive monitoring systems to combat antimicrobial resistance in gonococcal infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1175"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482267/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandros Angelakis, Bryan O Nyawanda, Penelope Vounatsou
{"title":"Modeling sparse Rift Valley fever incidence data: a Bayesian perspective on zero-inflated self-exciting and autoregressive models.","authors":"Alexandros Angelakis, Bryan O Nyawanda, Penelope Vounatsou","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11506-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11506-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease for which predictive modeling is often hindered by sparse data, particularly the high frequency of zero counts in both human and livestock surveillance systems. While zero-inflated models are commonly used for sparse data, several temporal count modelling frameworks exist, including less common self-exciting models that assume an initial case increases the likelihood of subsequent cases.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study compares three zero-inflated Bayesian models: the negative binomial (ZINB) with autoregressive temporal random effects, the self-exciting negative binomial (SE-NB) and the generalized autoregressive moving average negative binomial (GARMA-NB). The models were evaluated across simulated datasets with varying levels of sparsity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that zero-inflation substantially improves predictive performance within specific sparsity thresholds: 29-94.5% (ZINB), 25-93% (SE-NB), and 30-95% (GARMA-NB). Applied to monthly RVF incidence data from northern Kenya (2018-2024), the ZINB model with a three-month rainfall lag provided the most accurate forecasts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings underscore the importance of zero-inflated negative binomial models and climate-based covariates in enhancing early warning systems for RVF-endemic regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1221"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuting Luo, Chaohui Zhao, Huili Chen, Ziliang Lin, Jinyu Xia, Xi Liu, Xinghua Li
{"title":"Clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii infection.","authors":"Yuting Luo, Chaohui Zhao, Huili Chen, Ziliang Lin, Jinyu Xia, Xi Liu, Xinghua Li","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11581-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11581-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a new pathogen detection technique, but the current experience of clinical application in Coxiella burnetii infection is relatively limited. This study aimed to investigate the clinical application value of mNGS in diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective study that included patients with Coxiella burnetii infection detected by mNGS from December 2018 to August 2024. Their clinical information and mNGS test results were retrieved for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 70 patients with Coxiella burnetii infection were included in this study. The mean age of these patients was 43.5 years and the common clinical manifestations were fever (67/70, 95.7%), followed by headache (43/70, 61.4%), weakness (36/70, 51.4%), and muscle and joint pain (27/70, 38.6%). The mean length of hospitalization was five days. 92.9% (65/70) patients were discharged with improvement, and one patient died. The median duration of fever for these patients was seven days. Most patients temperatures returned to normal within 2-3 days after receiving targeted antibiotic therapy. No correlation was observed between the duration of fever and the reads of mNGS in febrile patients. The specimens tested by mNGS were mainly blood specimens. The reads of mNGS detected fluctuated from one to 826, with the range of one to 50 being the most frequent. 43 (61.4%) samples of mNGS detected only Coxiella burnetii. Pathogens detected along with Coxiella burnetii include viruses, bacteria, and fungi. None of the 63 patients followed up for six months had clinical manifestations of chronic Q fever.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Q fever is a disseminated infectious disease that deserves attention for its nonspecific clinical symptoms. mNGS emerges as a powerful novel tool for pathogen detection, demonstrating significant value in diagnosing Q fever, particularly in where conventional serological and PCR testing is unavailable or inconclusive.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1219"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481755/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In search of pragmatic measures and models from routinely collected electronic records to inform continuous optimization of antibiotics stewardship at primary care settings: preliminary findings from Anhui, China.","authors":"Dongying Xiao, Xin Yang, Ying Zheng, Jia Xu, Ningjing Yang, Yin Li, Yuning Wang, Ruirui Cui, Nana Li, Rong Liu, Manman Lu, Debin Wang, Xingrong Shen","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11646-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11646-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Antimicrobial resistance caused by inappropriate antibiotic use has become a global public health crisis. The majority of antibiotics are prescribed at primary care settings which often lack sufficient capacity and surveillance. This study aimed at identifying and testing pragmatic measures and models derived from routinely collected electronic records of primary care encounters to inform continuous antibiotics stewardship.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We first extracted a total of 7.097 million records of primary care visits over 25 months from Anhui, China, through stratified random cluster sampling and a minimum set of data about related communities. We then identified pragmatic measures and models for examining antibiotic prescribing at primary care settings through repeated cycles of measure/model identification and relevance analysis. The 'identification' used multidisciplinary group meetings while the analysis adopted hybrid methodologies, including descriptive analysis, random forest classification modeling, and data visualization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study revealed that: (a) antibiotic prescribing rates ranged from 36.82 to 86.25% for the 7 categories of diagnoses studied, including respiratory diseases (RD), digestive diseases (DD), urogenital diseases (UD), skin infections (SI), injuries (IJ), eye infections (EI), and oral and dental diseases (OD); (b) although overall antibiotic prescribing decreased from 67.80 to 47.11% over the study period, the proportion of broad-spectrum added up to 78.96%; (c) the top 10% and 20% clinicians prescribed 59.9% and 80.0% of all the antibiotic prescriptions; (d) 50.8% of the antibiotic recipients received 2 or more antibiotic prescriptions within the 25-months; (e) the AUC of models of antibiotic prescribing ranged from 0.92 to 0.97 for the 7-category- diagnoses, in which the patient, clinician and spatiotemporal variables contributed 0.08 ~ 0.27, 0.30 ~ 0.70 and 0.16 ~ 0.62 respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The measures and models derived out of routinely collected electronic records of primary healthcare encounters in this study are both feasible and useful.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1204"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482261/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early identification and diagnosis of fournier gangrene: a machine learning approach integrating serological characterization.","authors":"Jiayuan Zhang, Jingen Lu, Changfang Xiao, Jingwen Wu, Chen Wang, Yibo Yao","doi":"10.1186/s12879-025-11575-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12879-025-11575-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fournier Gangrene (FG) and Generalized Perianal Abscess (GPA) have similar clinical features. But FG has a high mortality and disability rate and needs to be identified and treated as early as possible. This study utilized machine learning methods to integrate clinical and metabolic features to promote early diagnosis of FG.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Serological characteristics were screened for patients with FG (n = 20) and GPA (n = 16). The metabolomic changes of FG were described based on untargeted metabolomics. We used machine learning tools to combine demographic data, clinical serology, and metabolomics data to establish disease-specific boundary points.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were significant differences in the serum metabolic profiles between the FG and GPA groups. 118 different metabolites were detected, mainly fatty acids. Based on machine learning integration of metabolic and clinical features, a differential diagnosis combination of Myo-inositol (MI), Procalcitonin (PCT) and Bistris was established for early identification and diagnosis of FG. The diagnostic performance was evaluated using GBDT, SVM, and LR algorithms, demonstrating robust discriminative ability (AUC: 0.80, 0.82, and 0.95; sensitivity: 0.90, 0.92, and 1.00). In addition, we identified 14 differential metabolic pathways. The activation of Necroptosis may lead to the occurrence of explosive perianal and perineal infections.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings provide a biomarker combination for early diagnosis of FG in clinical applications. On the other hand, it provides important insights into the pathological mechanism differences between FG and GPA.</p>","PeriodicalId":8981,"journal":{"name":"BMC Infectious Diseases","volume":"25 1","pages":"1199"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482003/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145190712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}