Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Duncan McCloskey, Aggrey Semeere, Racheal Ayanga, Miriam Laker-Oketta, Robert Lukande, Matthew Semakadde, Micheal Kanyesigye, Megan Wenger, Philip LeBoit, Timothy McCalmont, Toby Maurer, Andrea Gardner, Juan Boza, Ethel Cesarman, Jeffrey Martin, David Erickson
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of a point-of-care device for molecular diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), achieving high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared to traditional pathology. The results highlight the potential for the use of this diagnostic method to overcome barriers in limited-resource settings.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Alexandra T. Roux, Leah Maharaj, Olukunle Oyegoke, Oluwasegun P. Akoniyon, Matthew Adekunle Adeleke, Rajendra Maharaj, Moses Okpeku
Summary: Malaria is a significant global health concern, particularly in Africa, with drug resistance being a major challenge in controlling the disease. Efforts to track drug resistance and monitor sensitivity are crucial to prevent further spread of resistant parasites and potential reappearance of sensitivity in sub-Saharan Africa.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ben Morton, Kayla G. Barnes, Catherine Anscombe, Khuzwayo Jere, Prisca Matambo, Jonathan Mandolo, Raphael Kamng'ona, Comfort Brown, James Nyirenda, Tamara Phiri, Ndaziona P. Banda, Charlotte Van der Veer, Kwazizira S. Mndolo, Kelvin Mponda, Jamie Rylance, Chimota Phiri, Jane Mallewa, Mulinda Nyirenda, Grace Katha, Paul Kambiya, James Jafali, Henry C. Mwandumba, Stephen B. Gordon, Jennifer Cornick, Kondwani C. Jambo
Summary: This study characterized clinical and immunological responses of patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 in a hospital in Malawi, revealing that suspected patients had inflammatory profiles similar to confirmed cases, potentially making them a target population for COVID-19 treatment strategies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanna Y. Ehrlich, Amy K. Bei, Daniel M. Weinberger, Joshua L. Warren, Sunil Parikh
Summary: Resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) poses a threat to global malaria control, with persistent circulation of parasite alleles associated with reduced partner drug susceptibility contributing to clinical resistance. Rainfall seasonality was identified as the strongest predictor of wild-type genotype prevalence, with other covariates showing weaker associations. Our models estimated a decrease in prevalence of the pfcrt 76T mutation in 90% of regions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Rebecca L. Brander, Marcia R. Weaver, Patricia B. Pavlinac, Grace C. John-Stewart, Stephen E. Hawes, Judd L. Walson
Summary: Targeted administration of azithromycin to high-risk children may be a cost-effective strategy to reduce child mortality while minimizing antibiotic exposure. However, it may not reach all children who would benefit, and the implications for antibiotic resistance must be considered.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Angela Makumi, Amos Lucky Mhone, Josiah Odaba, Linda Guantai, Nicholas Svitek
Summary: Sub-Saharan Africa has a rapidly growing population, and livestock farming is crucial for food supply and economic development in the region. However, the overuse of antibiotics by farmers to prevent diseases due to population growth has led to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, prompting the search for alternatives to control zoonotic diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benjamin L. Rice, Akshaya Annapragada, Rachel E. Baker, Marjolein Bruijning, Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Keitly Mensah, Ian F. Miller, Nkengafac Villyen Motaze, Antso Raherinandrasana, Malavika Rajeev, Julio Rakotonirina, Tanjona Ramiadantsoa, Fidisoa Rasambainarivo, Weiyu Yu, Bryan T. Grenfell, Andrew J. Tatem, C. Jessica E. Metcalf
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown low burdens in sub-Saharan Africa compared to other regions, potentially influenced by factors such as climate and population demographics. Caution is needed when interpreting analyses that aggregate data from low- and middle-income settings. Heterogeneity in connectivity across sub-Saharan Africa may contribute to variance in the pace of viral spread.
Editorial Material
Food Science & Technology
David Laborde, Valeria Pineiro
Summary: The Russia-Ukraine conflict had an impact on staple crop prices and stimulated interest in tropical wheat production. Regional consumption patterns and trade have a better potential to guide effective and sustainable food security policy strategies.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hongli Chen, Jing Hu, Chang Song, Miaomiao Li, Yesheng Zhou, Aobo Dong, Ruihua Kang, Jingjing Hao, Jiaxin Zhang, Xiu Liu, Dan Li, Yi Feng, Lingjie Liao, Yuhua Ruan, Hui Xing, Yiming Shao
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of pretreatment drug resistance (PDR), molecular transmission networks, and the impact of virological failure in HIV-positive individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in China. The findings showed a high prevalence of PDR, which significantly affected virological failure after 3 years of ART. The study also revealed the transmission of drug-resistant strains in the molecular transmission network.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Samuel K. Mutiga, Felix Rotich, Vincent M. Were, John M. Kimani, David T. Mwongera, Emmanuel Mgonja, Geoffrey Onaga, Kadougoudiou Konate, Claudine Razanaboahirana, Joseph Bigirimana, Alexis Ndayiragije, Emily Gichuhi, Mary J. Yanoria, Miriam Otipa, Lusike Wasilwa, Ibrahima Ouedraogo, Thomas Mitchell, Guo-Liang Wang, James C. Correll, Nicholas J. Talbot
Summary: Rice is a key food security crop in Africa, and efforts are being made at country-specific, regional, and multinational levels to develop germplasm and policies to boost production. Rice blast disease remains a major constraint to rice production in sub-Saharan Africa, and multinational collaborative research efforts are essential in enhancing sustainable rice production and advancing regional policies. Through international partnerships, progress has been made in establishing networks for disease surveillance, engaging with farmers, monitoring pathogen virulence, and developing blast-resistant rice varieties.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Thomas P. Higginbottom, Roshan Adhikari, Ralitza Dimova, Sarah Redicker, Timothy Foster
Summary: The study reveals that only 16% of the proposed irrigated area is being delivered in 79 irrigation schemes across sub-Saharan Africa, with 25% delivering over 80% and 20% completely inactive. The findings are attributed to low economic viability, excessive optimism, and inadequate central bureaucratic systems in irrigation development.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Philip J. Palumbo, Yinfeng Zhang, William Clarke, Autumn Breaud, Mariya Sivay, Vanessa Cummings, Erica L. Hamilton, Xu Guo, Arthur Ogendo, Noel Kayange, Ravindre Panchia, Karen Dominguez, Ying Q. Chen, Theodorus G. M. Sandfort, Susan H. Eshleman
Summary: Over a 12-month follow-up period, the use of ARV drugs in the cohort more than doubled, and viral suppression increased nearly threefold. There was no significant increase in ART failure or drug resistance, suggesting that ART can be successfully scaled up for HIV prevention and treatment in this high-risk population.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Richmond Silvanus Baye, Albert Ahenkan, Samuel Darkwah
Summary: This paper examines the underlying factors driving renewable energy output in Sub-Saharan African countries, finding that factors such as CO2 emissions, income levels, oil prices, trade openness, and natural resource rents play a significant role. The study proposes several policy recommendations, including incorporating environmental awareness into national development plans, encouraging middle-class consumption of renewable energy, and implementing and expanding feed-in-tariff systems.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Gillian M. Hunt, Mukhlid Yousif, Leon Levin, Johanna Ledwaba, Kim Steegen, Tendesayi Kufa, Hloniphile Zwane, Monalisa Kalimashe, Vibha Kana, Getahun Aynalem, Jaclyn Perlman, Kassahun Ayalew, Gurpreet Kindra, Karidia Diallo, Sergio Carmona, Gayle Sherman, Elliot J. Raizes
Summary: HIV drug resistance is highly prevalent among paediatric patients failing ART in South Africa, with 90% of patients harbouring resistance to NNRTIs and/or NRTIs. Scaling up resistance testing would facilitate access to second- and third-line regimens in South Africa.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ignatius Senteza, Barbara Castelnuovo, David Mukunya, Fredrick Makumbi
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of virological non-suppression among adult males attending HIV care services in fishing communities. The findings revealed alarmingly high rates of virological non-suppression in these communities, exceeding the threshold set by UNAIDS. Several key determinants were identified, including hazardous alcohol use, unemployment, and barriers to HIV treatment services.
Article
Pathology
Anura David, Margaretha de Vos, Lesley Scott, Pedro da Silva, Andre Trollip, Morten Ruhwald, Samuel Schumacher, Wendy Stevens
Summary: Four moderate-complexity automated nucleic acid amplification tests for tuberculosis diagnosis exhibited performance similar to the Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF assay. The study assessed the feasibility, ease of use, and operational characteristics of these assays/platforms.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Bernard Surial, Adria Ramirez Mena, Marie Roumet, Andreas Limacher, Colette Smit, Olivier Leleux, Amanda Mocroft, Marc van der Valk, Fabrice Bonnet, Lars Peters, Juergen K. Rockstroh, Huldrych F. Guenthard, Annalisa Berzigotti, Andri Rauch, Gilles Wandeler
Summary: HBV coinfection is the most important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among people living with HIV (PLWH). While risk prediction tools for HCC have been validated in patients with HBV monoinfection, they have not been evaluated in PLWH. This study performed an external validation of PAGE-B in PLWH with HBV coinfection, and found that PAGE-B is a valid tool to determine the need for HCC screening.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Marlou J. Jongkees, Daryl Geers, Kathryn S. Hensley, Wesley Huisman, Corine H. GeurtsvanKessel, Susanne Bogers, Lennert Gommers, Grigorios Papageorgiou, Simon P. Jochems, Jan G. den Hollander, Emile F. Schippers, Heidi S. M. Ammerlaan, Wouter F. W. Bierman, Marc van der Valk, Marvin A. H. Berrevoets, Robert Soetekouw, Nienke Langebeek, Anke H. W. Bruns, Eliane M. S. Leyten, Kim C. E. Sigaloff, Marit G. A. van Vonderen, Corine E. Delsing, Judith Branger, Peter D. Katsikis, Yvonne M. Mueller, Rory D. de Vries, Bart J. A. Rijnders, Kees Brinkman, Casper Rokx, Anna H. E. Roukens
Summary: The COVIH study examined the immune response of 1154 people with HIV who received COVID-19 vaccination, and found that 14% had reduced antibody levels after primary vaccination. Additional mRNA-1273 vaccination was shown to significantly enhance immune responses in 97% of participants, increasing antibody levels and specific immune cell populations.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Correction
Medicine, General & Internal
Kathryn S. Hensley, Marlou J. Jongkees, Daryl Geers, Corine H. GeurtsvanKessel, Yvonne M. Mueller, Virgil A. S. H. Dalm, Grigorios Papageorgiou, Hanka Steggink, Alicja Gorska, Susanne Bogers, Jan G. den Hollander, Wouter F. W. Bierman, Luc B. S. Gelinck, Emile F. Schippers, Heidi S. M. Ammerlaan, Marc van der Valk, Marit G. A. van Vonderen, Corine E. Delsing, Elisabeth H. Gisolf, Anke H. W. Bruns, Fanny N. Lauw, Marvin A. H. Berrevoets, Kim C. E. Sigaloff, Robert Soetekouw, Judith Branger, Quirijn de Mast, Adriana J. J. Lammers, Selwyn H. Lowe, Rory D. de Vries, Peter D. Katsikis, Bart J. A. Rijnders, Kees Brinkman, Anna H. E. Roukens, Casper Rokx
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lara Dominique Noble, Lesley Erica Scott, Riffat Munir, Mignon Du Plessis, Kim Steegen, Lucia Hans, Puleng Marokane, Pedro Da Silva, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: The performance of Xpert(X) Xpress SARS-CoV-2 and Xpert(X) Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV tests was evaluated rapidly. The results showed that both tests performed well in diagnosing and differentiating different viruses, with the exception of a lower NPA than the recommended value.
Article
Infectious Diseases
D. T. P. Buis, T. W. van der Vaart, J. M. Prins, J. T. M. van der Meer, M. J. M. Bonten, E. Sieswerda, C. H. van Werkhoven, K. C. E. Sigaloff, B. L. Herpers, R. R. Jansen, W. Rozemeijer, R. Soetekouw, G. van Twillert, J. Veenstra
Summary: This study compared the clinical effectiveness of empirical antibiotic treatment with flucloxacillin, cefuroxime, and ceftriaxone in adult patients with MSSA bacteraemia, and found no significant difference in duration of bacteraemia and 30-day SAB-related mortality among the three groups.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abdou M. Fofana, Harry Moultrie, Lesley Scott, Karen R. Jacobson, Anne N. Shapiro, Graeme Dor, Beth Crankshaw, Pedro Da Silva, Helen E. Jenkins, Jacob Bor, Wendy S. Stevens
Summary: Human migration contributes to the spread of tuberculosis in South Africa. A study analyzing longitudinal data found that each 1% increase in migration-adjusted tuberculosis prevalence was associated with a 0.47% increase in the incidence of drug-susceptible tuberculosis two years later. Similar results were observed for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis. Accounting for migration improved the ability to predict future incidence of tuberculosis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Daniela Matuozzo, Estelle Talouarn, Astrid Marchal, Peng Zhang, Jeremy Manry, Yoann Seeleuthner, Yu Zhang, Alexandre Bolze, Matthieu Chaldebas, Baptiste Milisavljevic, Adrian Gervais, Paul Bastard, Takaki Asano, Lucy Bizien, Federica Barzaghi, Hassan Abolhassani, Ahmad Abou Tayoun, Alessandro Aiuti, Ilad Alavi Darazam, Luis M. Allende, Rebeca Alonso-Arias, Andres Augusto Arias, Gokhan Aytekin, Peter Bergman, Simone Bondesan, Yenan T. Bryceson, Ingrid G. Bustos, Oscar Cabrera-Marante, Sheila Carcel, Paola Carrera, Giorgio Casari, Khalil Chaibi, Roger Colobran, Antonio Condino-Neto, Laura E. Covill, Ottavia M. Delmonte, Loubna El Zein, Carlos Flores, Peter K. Gregersen, Marta Gut, Filomeen Haerynck, Rabih Halwani, Selda Hancerli, Lennart Hammarstroem, Nevin Hatipoglu, Adem Karbuz, Sevgi Keles, Christele Kyheng, Rafael Leon-Lopez, Jose Luis Franco, Davood Mansouri, Javier Martinez-Picado, Ozge Metin Akcan, Isabelle Migeotte, Pierre-Emmanuel Morange, Guillaume Morelle, Andrea Martin-Nalda, Giuseppe Novelli, Antonio Novelli, Tayfun Ozcelik, Figen Palabiyik, Qiang Pan-Hammarstroem, Rebeca Perez de Diego, Laura Planas-Serra, Daniel E. Pleguezuelo, Carolina Prando, Aurora Pujol, Luis Felipe Reyes, Jacques G. Riviere, Carlos Rodriguez-Gallego, Julian Rojas, Patrizia Rovere-Querini, Agatha Schlueter, Mohammad Shahrooei, Ali Sobh, Pere Soler-Palacin, Yacine Tandjaoui-Lambiotte, Imran Tipu, Cristina Tresoldi, Jesus Troya, Diederik van de Beek, Mayana Zatz, Pawel Zawadzki, Saleh Zaid Al-Muhsen, Mohammed Faraj Alosaimi, Fahad M. Alsohime, Hagit Baris-Feldman, Manish J. Butte, Stefan N. Constantinescu, Megan A. Cooper, Clifton L. Dalgard, Jacques Fellay, James R. Heath, Yu-Lung Lau, Richard P. Lifton, Tom Maniatis, Trine H. Mogensen, Horst von Bernuth, Alban Lermine, Michel Vidaud, Anne Boland, Jean-Francois Deleuze, Robert Nussbaum, Amanda Kahn-Kirby, France Mentre, Sarah Tubiana, Guy Gorochov, Florence Tubach, Pierre Hausfater, C. O. V. I. D. Human Genetic Effort, Isabelle Meyts, Shen-Ying Zhang, Anne Puel, Luigi D. Notarangelo, Stephanie Boisson-Dupuis, Helen C. Su, Bertrand Boisson, Emmanuelle Jouanguy, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Qian Zhang, Laurent Abel, Aurelie Cobat
Summary: Through a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis, it was found that there is an association between at-risk variants in the TLR7 gene and rare loss-of-function variants in TLR3-dependent type I interferon immunity genes. These findings suggest that rare variants in TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon immunity genes may underlie life-threatening COVID-19 in patients under 60 years old.
Article
Microbiology
Riffat Munir, Lesley Erica Scott, Lara Dominique Noble, Kim Steegen, Lucia Hans, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: Laboratory diagnosis is crucial in controlling infection transmission and reducing delays in clinical and public health responses. Alternatives to the current standard of care assays for SARS-CoV-2 are important due to global demands and supply shortages. This study evaluated the analytical performance of four molecular assays designed for SARS-CoV-2 detection, and found them to be suitable alternatives to the current standard of care assays.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Naseem Cassim, Floyd Olsen, Lynsey Stewart-Isherwood, Manuel Pedro da Silva, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: This study aimed to determine the costs and utilization of the SMS printer program in South Africa. The results showed that 4,450,116 results were delivered to printers at 2,232 primary health care facilities, with an average annual cost of $687,727 and a cost per result delivered of $0.1618. However, only 69.5% of the printers were active, indicating the need for migration to an end-to-end electronic interface for improved patient care.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN AFRICA
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roos Wijnakker, Maurits S. van Maaren, Lonneke G. M. Bode, Maja Bulatovic, Bart J. C. Hendriks, Masja C. M. Loogman, Suzanne P. M. Lutgens, Ananja Middel, Chris M. G. Nieuwhof, Eveline E. Roelofsen, Jan W. Schoones, Kim C. E. Sigaloff, Aline B. Sprikkelman, Lieke M. M. de Vrankrijker, Mark G. J. de Boer
Summary: The Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) established a multidisciplinary expert committee to provide evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic therapy in patients with reported antibiotic allergies. A total of 60 recommendations were generated for suspected allergy to β-lactam antibiotics (BLAs) and non-β-lactam antibiotics, based on systematic literature searches and evaluations.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Naseem Cassim, Lucia Hans, W. D. Francois Venter, Sarang Somayya, Pedro Da Silva, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: This study assessed the impact of successive COVID-19 waves on HIV viral load suppression in South Africa and found that COVID-19 has not had a substantial impact on the percentage of samples with virological suppression at the national level.
JAIDS-JOURNAL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Naseem Cassim, Lindi-Marie Coetzee, Manuel P. da Silva, Deborah K. Glencross, Wendy S. Stevens
Summary: South Africa has the highest HIV epidemic in the world, and young women are more likely to be living with HIV compared to their male counterparts. This study found that adolescent girls in South Africa have a higher proportion of very advanced HIV disease compared to young women.
SOUTHERN AFRICAN JOURNAL OF HIV MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lesley Erica Scott, Nei-yuan Hsiao, Graeme Dor, Lucia Hans, Puleng Marokane, Manuel Pedro da Silva, Wolfgang Preiser, Helena Vreede, Jonathan Tsoka, Koleka Mlisana, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: The high demand for SARS-CoV-2 tests in South African laboratories during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the implementation of various molecular testing platforms. Monitoring the performance of these systems, especially during the circulation of variants, required new approaches. By collecting and analyzing cycle threshold (Ct) values from commonly used PCR assays, the National Health Laboratory Service identified delays and failures in the detection of specific targets due to different variants. This real-time monitoring helped inform the need for sequencing and emphasized the importance of multiplex molecular diagnostics in patient care.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lara Dominique Noble, Caitlin Dixon, Alison Moran, Charlotte Trottet, Mohammed Majam, Shameema Ismail, Vanessa Tiyamike Msolomba, Kegomoditswe Mathobela, Arthur Queval, Jaya George, Lesley Erica Scott, Wendy Susan Stevens
Summary: The Onflow Serum Gel is a promising blood collection device that utilizes needle-free technology to collect capillary blood. It is more acceptable and less painful than venepuncture, with successful blood collection in a short time. However, some collected specimens may experience hemolysis.