Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases

The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, and new variants continue to emerge. Various examination methods and sampling specimens are continuously being developed and published. The standard for sampling is in the nasopharynx. However, in children, this is often uncomfortable and at risk of eliciting complications. Therefore, it is necessary to look for other alternative sampling sites such as fluid from the middle ear. Scientific evidence shows that the middle ear can be a place for the attachment and growth of the SARS-CoV-2 virus...

Purpose: Lophomonas spp., is an emerging protozoan parasite that belongs to the Parabasalids (Parabasalia, lophomonadida) which infects the respiratory tracts of humans. Despite the presence of a few reports of human lophomoniasis, the true burden of Lophomonas infection is unknown. This systematic review aimed to elucidate the latest global status of publications reporting human cases of lophomoniasis as a new emerging protozoal disease. Methods: A comprehensive and systematic search was performed in 10 (five English and five Persian) databases for studies reporting cases of lophomoniasis between 1993 and March 2020 (27 years)...

The Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, had an outbreak of COVID-19 from early August 2020. The aim of this paper was to describe the outbreak investigation. The investigation's specific objectives were to describe the COVID-19 cases in terms of person, place, and time (PPT) and to determine measures to prevent further transmission of the infection. The data reported herein were collected over a 3-month period from beginning of August to end of October 2020. The investigation included all COVID-19 cases i...

Introduction: The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was known to be affected by hyperinflammation. Identification of important proteins associated with hyperinflammation is critical. These proteins can be a potential target either as biomarkers or targets in drug discovery. Therefore, we combined enrichment analysis of these proteins to identify biological knowledge related to hyperinflammation. Moreover, we conducted transcriptomic data analysis to reveal genes contributing to disease severity...

Introduction: Moraxella catarrhalis causes mild to severe disease in all age groups, mainly in children. This study investigates the prevalence of M. catarrhalis , its cocolonization with other common nasal flora, and associated risk factors in kindergarten children in Bhaktapur. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 136 healthy school-going children from four kindergartens of Bhaktapur Municipality. Nasal swabs were examined for identification and isolation of M...

Background: The HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) epidemic enters its fifth decade amid a global pandemic. Nearly 61% of the people newly infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The virus is transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and breastfeeding, warranting routine counselling at antenatal care (ANC). Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and trend of HIV infection among pregnant women on ANC follow-up at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH) in Ethiopia from November 2018 to 2021...

Background: Resistance among the commensal flora is a serious threat because they are highly populated ecosystems like the gut, maybe a source of extraintestinal infections. Infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase (CPM)-producing Enterobacteriaceae family of bacteria impose a major global issue because they are usually resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. Data on the fecal ESBL- and CPM-producing group of bacteria in developing countries including Ethiopia are limited mainly due to resource constraints...

Purpose: Brucellosis is widespread globally and one of the most important zoonotic diseases. Therefore, to fully comprehend the disease and discover ways of prevention and treatment, researchers have conducted some research in this field. Hence, this study will focus on the topic trend of scientific publications of brucellosis. Methods: This study is an applied research using text mining techniques with an analytical approach. The statistical population of the present research is all global publications related to brucellosis...

BACKGROUND: Irrational use of antimicrobials (ATMs) triggers microbial resistance (AMR) which has severe consequences for human health. ATM consumption varies among countries and within each territory. These data should be known, in order to perform local policies towards AMR reduction. This work aimed to expose the association of the level of consumption of carbapenems and fluoroquinolones with their resistance rates in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Argentina. METHOD: Consumption of antimicrobials was expressed by defined daily dose (DDD)/1000 inhabitants for each ATM during one year period, discriminating by each country region...

The first 140 days of pregnancy are critical as regards rubella virus infection because of the likelihood of a poor pregnancy outcome. This study was undertaken to investigate the likelihood of exposure to poor pregnancy outcomes due to seroprevalence of rubella among selected pregnant women attending Mile Four Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The seroprevalence of rubella immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies was investigated among pregnant women. A total of 187 sera samples collected from the women were screened for rubella virus IgM antibody using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)...

Background: Antibody titer and the life span of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have been found to be associated with the clinical presentation in individuals. The extent of exposure of healthcare workers and the general public to SARS-CoV-2 needs to be assessed to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study is an attempt in assessing the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in health care workers. Methods: This laboratory-based cross-sectional study was performed in Manmohan Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu from November 2020 to January 2021...

BACKGROUND: Bromhexine hydrochloride has been suggested as a TMPRSS2 protease blocker that precludes the penetration of SARS-CoV-2 into cells. We aimed to assess the preventive potential of regular bromhexine hydrochloride intake for COVID-19 risk reduction in medical staff actively involved in the evaluation and treatment of patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: In a single-centre randomized open-label study, medical staff managing patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and followed up for 8 weeks...

COVID-19 was reported in China in 2019 and has spread worldwide. Transmission occurs through respiratory secretions and, less commonly, through contaminated surfaces. The severity of the disease can range from asymptomatic to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of two agents (oral colchicine and budesonide inhaler) in COVID-19 infection management, compared with supportive care alone. 77 patients were admitted to the isolation section of Al Assad University Hospital, between the 1st of August and the 30th of August...

Introduction: Typhoid fever is a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the globe, and it is a serious illness in developing countries. Typhoid fever is prevalent in Ethiopia, and the burden differs with diverse demography, environment, and climate. The study aimed to determine the incidence of typhoid fever cases by person, place, and time. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the five years (2015-2019) of surveillance data of typhoid fever in the Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia...

Rituals are an integral part of human life but a wide range of rituals (both religious and non-religious), from self-flagellation to blood brotherhood to ritual sprinkling of holy water, have been associated with transmission of infections. These infections include angiostrongyliasis, anthrax, brucellosis, cholera, COVID-19, cutaneous larva migrans, Ebola, hepatitis viruses, herpes simplex virus, HIV, human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), kuru, Mycobacterium bovis , Naegleria fowleri meningoencephalitis, orf, rift valley fever, and sporotrichosis...

INTRODUCTION: Recent research has shown conflicting evidence on the connection between vitamin D deficiency and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. Thus, we hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency could be a risk factor for CAP. METHODS: Hospitalized children between 2 and 60 months with physician-diagnosed, radiologically confirmed severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were enrolled as cases. Age-matched controls were enrolled from immunization and weighing clinics...

Background: It has been found that there is overactivation of immune response in patients with COVID-19. Several studies are going on to assess the role of immunomodulation. IL-6 antibodies such as tocilizumab have been found to have efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19. We aim to assess the role of sarilumab in the treatment of COVID-19 through this review. Main Body . Functional outcomes were assessed on the basis of PaO2 /FiO2 ratio, mortality, and ventilation. Adverse events of studies were also noted...

Despite some cases of severe or critical manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) described among children, the prevalence of this infection in the pediatric population is quite low worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Current data suggest indeed that, independent of the population considered overall, severe and critical cases of COVID-19 are rare among children. This observation prompted us to discuss the possible hypotheses which could explain the low prevalence of COVID-19 among children; amongst others, we discuss (1) immunomodulation by the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine or by some parasitic infections such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and helminthiasis and (2) cross immunization with other coronaviruses commonly found in the sub-Saharan African setting...

Background: The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms causing infections is increasing worldwide and becoming more serious in developing countries. Among those, Acinetobacter species are becoming prominent. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of antimicrobial resistance of the bacteria causing infections, Acinetobacter s pecies in particular, in local public hospitals in Firuzabad, Fars province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on different clinical specimens collected from patients who were suspected of infections hospitalized from March 2016 to March 2019 in local hospitals of Firuzabad, Fars province, Iran...

Background: The current global pandemic of COVID-19 is considered a public health emergency. The diagnosis of COVID-19 depends on detection of the viral nucleic acid by real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, false-negative RT-PCR tests are reported and could hinder the control of the pandemic. Chest computed tomography could achieve a more reliable diagnosis and represent a complementary diagnostic tool. Aim: To perform a meta-analysis and systematic review to find out the role of chest computed tomography versus RT-PCR for precise diagnosis of COVID-19 infection...