American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The success of the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) elimination program largely depends on cost-effective vector control measures. Our goal was to investigate the longevity of the efficacy of insecticidal wall painting (IWP), a new vector control tool, compared with a routine indoor residual spraying (IRS) program for reducing the VL vector density in Bangladesh. This study is the extension of our recent IWP study for VL vector management in Bangladesh, which was undertaken in seven highly VL endemic villages of the Mymensingh district with a 12-month follow-up...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Kocuria species are normal commensals of the skin that have been found in various environmental niches and are usually considered nonpathogenic. However, according to recent literature, Kocuria spp. have been associated with human infections. Kocuria palustris is an emerging opportunistic pathogen with great potential to cause disease in immunocompromised patients. The isolation and identification of this pathogen is necessary, as timely treatment with the appropriate antibiotics can help in reducing mortality among these patients...

There is a knowledge gap in the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in Peru. Through a surveillance study in 13 hospitals of 10 Peruvian regions (2017-2019), we assessed the proportion of MRSA among S. aureus BSIs as well as the molecular typing of the isolates. A total of 166 S. aureus isolates were collected, and 36.1% of them were MRSA. Of note, MRSA isolates with phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the hospital-associated Chilean-Cordobes clone (multidrug-resistant SCCmec I, non-Panton-Valentine leukocidin [PVL] producers) were most commonly found (70%), five isolates with genetic characteristics of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)-SCCmec IV, PVL-producer-(8...

Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is of critical importance, but data for Peru are not available. To fill this gap, a non-interventional hospital-based surveillance study was conducted in 15 hospitals across Peru from July 2017 to October 2019. Consecutive unique blood culture isolates of key GNB (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp.) recovered from hospitalized patients were collected for centralized antimicrobial susceptibility testing, along with linked epidemiological and clinical data...

Integration of vertical programs for the control of malaria, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis has been recommended to achieve elimination of malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTD) by 2030. This qualitative study was conducted within the context of a randomized controlled trial to explore the perceptions and views of parents/caregivers of at-risk children and healthcare providers to determine their acceptability of the integrated malaria-helminth treatment approach. Randomly selected parents/caregivers of children enrolled in the trial, healthcare providers, trial staff, malaria, and NTD program managers were interviewed using purpose-designed topic guides...

To assess the attracting capacity of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes to Triatoma infestans, the Chagas disease vector, laboratory tests were conducted using individual compounds and mixtures to evaluate their potential use in baited traps for intradomicile population dynamics analysis. Commercial samples of hexanal, nonanal, and benzaldehyde were used at 95% purity. The experiments were performed at 25°C and 65% relative humidity using two procedures: a glass arena with filter papers impregnated with 1, 5, and 10 μL of the tested compounds and a double-choice olfactometer...

Although studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are being undertaken widely worldwide, there is limited evidence in Tanzania. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and the reasons given by unvaccinated study participants. We conducted a mixed-method cross-sectional study with two components-health facilities and communities-between March and September 2022. A structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, respectively...

Scorpion sting envenomation (SSE) is a commonly encountered and a significant problem in the tropics, affecting rural and marginalized communities. However, it is not formally listed as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by the WHO. We designed this cross-sectional study to explore medical graduates' and resident doctors' perspectives on SSE as an NTD and to assess their experiences, knowledge, and confidence in managing these patients. An online questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered to interns and resident doctors across India...

The prevalence of cannabis usage is increasing worldwide, including among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The long-term effects of cannabis use on the lungs are well-known. However, the acute adverse effects on the lungs are sparsely reported. There are different ways in which cannabis can be inhaled, such as smoking or through a water vaporizing method known as a "bong." An improvised innovative bong device that is commonly used in Northern Australia, called a "bucket bong," uses water and air pressure to assist in cannabis inhalation...

Myiasis in humans is a disease caused by larvae of various fly families. It mainly occurs in communities with poor sanitation and low socioeconomic status. Meanwhile intrahospital or nosocomial myiasis represents a rare phenomenon but is of relevance to public health. Here, we report an outbreak of myiasis caused by Cochliomyia macellaria in five patients hospitalized for several diseases at the Service of Internal Medicine of the Hospital Regional Universitario de Colima, Mexico during June and July 2021. Three patients were males and two were females, aged 37 to 83 years...

Nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic infection mostly affecting the lungs, brain, or skin of immunocompromised individuals. Most pulmonary nocardiosis patients present with nonspecific clinical features such as productive cough, exertional dyspnea, and fever. The disease is uncommonly suspected, especially in tuberculosis-endemic regions, and clinical diagnosis is often delayed, resulting in high mortality. Pulmonary nocardiosis in apparently immunocompetent individuals is uncommon. Here, we present the case of an elderly gentleman with a background history of poorly controlled diabetes but no history of systemic steroid use who presented with worsening symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the form of productive cough and dyspnea...

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis (OV) are among the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) targeted for elimination in Ethiopia. We used a transmission assessment survey (TAS-1) to evaluate the serological status of OV in three co-endemic districts in Gambella simultaneously. During May and June 2019, blood samples were collected from 6- to 7-year-old children who were randomly selected through standard community-based TAS methodology. Children were tested for both circulating filarial antigen (CFA) for LF via filariasis test strip and for Onchocerca volvulus 16 (Ov16) antibody for OV via laboratory-based ELISA...

In 2017, Sri Lanka experienced its largest dengue epidemic and reported severe and unusual presentations of dengue with high morbidity. This outbreak was associated with the reemergence of dengue virus-2 (DENV-2), with the responsible strain identified as a variant of the previously circulating DENV-2 cosmopolitan genotype. In this study, we characterized the DENV-2 cosmopolitan genotype from patients during this epidemic. Also, we identified host factors that contributed to the severity of dengue infection in patients infected with this particular virus...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

There is a lack of real-world data on hepatitis B (HBV) treatment in Africa. We conducted a single-center 18-month prospective cohort study in Ethiopia to understand clinical, laboratory, and demographic variables associated with HBV treatment. One hundred fifty HBV-positive patients were included: 51 on treatment, 99 with no treatment. Median age was similar between groups. Those on treatment were more likely to be male (86%), report higher coffee intake (90% versus 70%, P < 0.05), lower khat intake (0% versus 9%, P = 0...

There are many techniques for malaria diagnosis. Currently, the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on a small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (18S rRNA) has been used as a confirmatory method. However, this method is time-consuming, laborious, and costly. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop nested multiplex PCR for Plasmodium species identification using the dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase-dihydropteroate synthase (hppk-dhps) gene. Genus- and species-specific primers for the hppk-dhps gene were designed...

Chagas disease affects approximately 300,000 patients in the United States. We evaluated a multicenter U.S.-based network to obtain clinical characteristics and outcomes of chronic Chagas disease by disease forms. This was a U.S.-based, multicenter, population-based, retrospective cohort study. We queried TriNetX, a global research network, to identify patients with dual-positive IgG serology for Trypanosoma cruzi. We captured outcomes of interest for up to 5 years. We found 429 patients with evidence of dual-positive T...

Implementation science enhances the efficient practice of solutions from research to real-world application. Low- and lower- to middle-income countries may benefit significantly from implementation research given their limited resources. The National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center D43 network consists of partnerships between foreign and U.S.-based institutions and aims to strengthen global health research. This paper assesses the D43 network's implementation research focus and training capacity...

Highly transmissible infections with short serial intervals, such as SARS-Cov-2 and influenza, can quickly overwhelm healthcare resources in institutional settings such as jails. We assessed the impact of intake screening measures on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in this setting. We identified which elements of the intake process created the largest reductions in caseload. We implemented an individual-based simulation representative of SARS-Cov-2 transmission in a large urban jail utilizing testing at entry, quarantine, and post-quarantine testing to protect its general population from mass infection...