American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Gastroenteritis is the frequent clinical manifestation of infection by Campylobacter spp., whereas invasive infections such as bacteremia are less commonly reported. We report 12 cases of Campylobacter bacteremia from a tertiary-care hospital in India and describe their relatively unique characteristics compared with the previously published reports. These cases were detected after the introduction of new blood culture media. The most common symptoms were fever (eight cases, 67%), abdominal pain (six cases, 50%), and vomiting (four cases, 33%), whereas only two cases (17%) had diarrhea...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge level and perception of dengue fever management among Peruvian physicians and to determine the factors associated with higher knowledge. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study based on an online survey. To evaluate the factors associated with a high level of knowledge (≥70% of correct answers), we used crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios by the Poisson regression model. Of 359 respondents (median age: 33 years; male: 56...

The largest outbreak of human leishmaniasis in Europe took place in Fuenlabrada, Spain, between 2009 and 2017. The University Hospital "12 de Octubre" in Madrid serves the population residing in three districts of Madrid located just north of the outbreak area (Villaverde, Usera, and Carabanchel). Villaverde and Usera are connected by rail to the outbreak area, unlike Carabanchel. We performed a retrospective study including all cases of leishmaniasis diagnosed between 2011 and 2020. Fifty-one cases were documented...

Substantial gains have been achieved in the control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the four endemic states of India; however, cases are sporadically reported from other nonendemic regions of India such as the sub-Himalayan region, which can be a hurdle to VL elimination. We analyzed VL reports published from the sub-Himalayan regions of India over seven decades (1967-2023) in this systematic review. Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for VL cases from sub-Himalayan regions of India...

Lymphedema, hydrocele, and acute adenolymphangitis (ADL) are chronically disabling consequences in patients with lymphatic filariasis (LF). Provision of morbidity management and disability prevention and concurrent mass drug administration of anthelmintics are two pillars for elimination of LF. This study assessed the impact of strict hygiene protocols with or without doxycycline on the progression of filarial lymphedema. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted in two regions in Tanzania...

Vaccine hesitancy has played a major role in slowing the global COVID-19 response. Using cross-sectional, primarily qualitative data collected in four rural districts in Zambia, we aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 disease and vaccines, including perceived motivators, cues to action, benefits, and barriers to vaccine uptake as guided by the Health Belief Model. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted in late 2021 with women of reproductive age who were enrolled in an early childhood development study...

Antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic infections immediately before or at the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves prognosis and decreases death rates among patients with advanced HIV disease (AHD). In this study, we estimated the average cost per patient receiving AHD services (PP) and per client retained (PR) at 12 months. The study population included children, adolescents, and adults enrolled in the AHD program at 13 hub and 19 spoke sites in Malawi. To evaluate the cost PP and PR, we divided the cost of providing AHD services at 12 months by the total number of patients who received these services and who were retained in AHD services care at 12 months, respectively...

Panstrongylus geniculatus is the most widely distributed species of Panstrongylus in Brazil and merits attention from vector control programs due to its potential for domiciliation. Specimens infected with Trypanosoma cruzi have already been reported in both peridomiciliary and domiciliary environments. Building on these findings, we report, for the first time, the presence of P. geniculatus in the state of Alagoas and provide an updated dichotomous key (based on cytogenetic data) for species in Alagoas. Panstrongylus geniculatus has been identified in Boca da Mata, Joaquim Gomes, and Novo Lino...

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Respiratory cryptosporidiosis is considered an occasional, late-stage complication of HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to assess the clinical importance of respiratory cryptosporidiosis in children with diarrhea and respiratory symptoms at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Children aged 9 to 36 months presenting with diarrhea and cough or unexplained tachypnea (N = 1,918) were screened for fecal Cryptosporidium using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Children with positive stool samples were eligible for further diagnostic tests, including sputum induction...

Assessing the COVID-19 surveillance system is vital. It identifies cases swiftly and is crucial in curbing COVID-19 spread, especially among vulnerable groups. Public health surveillance collects, analyzes, and shares data systematically, informing actions to lessen disease impact. Here we used a mixed-approach method to assess the COVID-19 surveillance system in Sudan by reviewing the secondary data (line list) from January 28, 2020 to November 2, 2022. The system's effectiveness was rated weak based on the poor quality and incompleteness of the collected data, as well as the reporting process to policymakers and responders...

The burden of tuberculosis (TB) is disproportionate in tropical and subtropical regions, where parasitic coinfections are common. Given the significant geographical overlap between TB and intestinal parasitic infections, it is important to consider the implications of intestinal parasitic infections for the TB pandemic. Intestinal parasitic infections have been theorized to increase vulnerability to TB by altering the inflammatory milieu, inducing undernutrition that blunts the immune response, and affecting drug pharmacokinetics...

Typbar-TCV®, a typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), was prequalified by the World Health Organization in 2017. We evaluated its effectiveness in a mass vaccination program targeting children 9 months to 14 years in Navi Mumbai, India, from September 2018 to July 2020. We compared laboratory-confirmed typhoid cases from six clinical sites with age-matched community controls. Of 38 cases, three (8.6%) received TCV through the campaign, compared with 53 (37%) of 140 controls. The adjusted odds ratio of typhoid fever among vaccinated children was 0...

Accurate diagnosis of strongyloidiasis is crucial for effective treatment and prevention of complications. We reviewed the current landscape of diagnostic assays used in detecting Strongyloides infection in Southeast Asia. A literature search was performed using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases spanning the last three decades. Based on the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 52 papers were included in this review. We outlined the diagnostic methods used and their advantages and drawbacks. Insensitive parasitological methods were commonly used, thus underscoring the underestimation of Strongyloides infection rates in Southeast Asia...

Dengue virus (DENV) infection is associated with plasma leakage, which may progress to shock. The angiopoietin (Ang)-tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin and epidermal growth factor homology domain 2 (Tie-2) axis regulates endothelial permeability. We examined the clinical utility of Ang-1, Ang-2, and the Ang-2-to-Ang-1 ratio for prediction of progression to severe DENV in a prospective cohort study of children and young adults (age 1 to <26 years) with DENV infection. Ang-1, Ang-2, Tie-2 were measured at presentation to an outpatient clinic in the Philippines from stored plasma by multiplex Luminex® assay...

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a devastating disease globally. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) has identified five different phenotypes of deranged cerebrovascular hemodynamics in children with CM, each associated with different outcomes. For TCD to be used as a point of care neurodiagnostic and neuromonitoring tool in CM patients, proper interpretation of examinations is paramount. Comparison of measured cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFVs) to age-matched normative values is needed to interpret any pediatric TCD study...

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that most commonly affects the lungs. Ocular involvement as part of extrapulmonary TB is noted in around 2-18% of cases of extrapulmonary TB. Any part of the eyes can be affected by the tubercular disease process, and a high index of suspicion is required for accurate diagnosis. Because the location is extrapulmonary, obtaining a proper sample is difficult, and the paucibacillary nature of the disease also makes microbiological detection a diagnostic challenge...

The Ministry of Public Health and Population in Haiti is committed to malaria elimination. In 2017, we used novel methods to conduct a census, monitor progress, and return to sampled households (HH) before a cross-sectional survey in La Chapelle and Verrettes communes in Artibonite department ("the 2017 Artibonite HH census"). Geospatial PDFs with digitized structures and basemaps were loaded onto tablets. Enumerators captured GPS coordinates and details of each HH and points of interest. The census used 1 km2 enumeration areas (EAs) to draw a representative sample...