Article
Microbiology
Luis Fonte, Maria Ginori, Enrique J. Calderon, Yaxsier de Armas
Summary: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of helminth infections worldwide. Helminths modulate their immune responses to protect themselves from host defensive mechanisms, which has clinical and epidemiological consequences. Despite the high incidence of HIV infection in the sub-Saharan region, the prevalence of Pneumocystis pneumonia is lower than expected, which may be related to helminth immune modulation. This immune modulation achieved by helminths may also be an important factor to consider during the design and evaluation of vaccines against Pneumocystis jirovecii in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David Bell, Kristian Schultz Hansen
Summary: Comparing the mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost due to malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS with COVID-19 burden in sub-Saharan African populations, it was found that COVID-19 had relatively low impact. In South Africa and Lesotho, COVID-19 DALYs lost were less than 12% of other compared diseases, with the mortality of these diseases dominating in age groups younger than 65.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabina Rodriguez Velasquez, Lea Jacques, Jyoti Dalal, Paolo Sestito, Zahra Habibi, Akarsh Venkatasubramanian, Benedict Nguimbis, Sara Botero Mesa, Cleophas Chimbetete, Olivia Keiser, Benido Impouma, Franck Mboussou, George Sie William, Nsenga Ngoy, Ambrose Talisuna, Abdou Salam Gueye, Cristina Barroso Hofer, Joseph Waogodo Cabore
Summary: The study found that the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 among children in Sub-Saharan African countries is significantly lower compared to adults. The number of cases and deaths in children is also smaller than in the adult population. These differences may be related to biases in COVID-19 testing and reporting protocols implemented by different countries.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Allan Kalungi, Eugene Kinyanda, Dickens Howard Akena, Pontiano Kaleebu, Innocent M. Bisangwa
Summary: The low cases of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa may be due to population characteristics, early lockdown measures, and potential underreporting, with recent malaria infection possibly offering protection against severe COVID-19 cases. The hypothesis suggests that immunological memory against malaria may prime cells for early phagocytosis of SARS-CoV-2, protecting individuals with recent malaria infection against COVID-19. This highlights the potential biological link between malaria and COVID-19 infection, emphasizing the importance of CD147 immunoglobulin as an entry point for both viruses.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
For Yue Tso, Salum J. Lidenge, John R. Ngowi, Phoebe B. Pena, Ashley A. Clegg, Owen Ngalamika, Chacha J. Mwita, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood
Summary: Despite the high burden of other infectious diseases and overwhelmed healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 morbidity rates in the region remain relatively low. This study found that cancer patients in the region have a lower seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 compared to potential blood donors, and there is a potential association between mild COVID-19 symptoms and prior tuberculosis vaccination among cancer patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Jack N. Losso, MerryJean N. Losso, Marco Toc, Joseph N. Inungu, John W. Finley
Summary: The lower infection and death rates of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa compared to other regions may be attributed to the combination of a plant-based diet and a younger population, which reduces risk factors. This unique diet results in different gut microbiota and lower rates of obesity, diabetes, and dysbiosis, potentially contributing to less severe infections and better survival rates. However, further clinical and biostatistics data is needed to support these hypotheses.
PLANT FOODS FOR HUMAN NUTRITION
(2021)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Smriti Mallapaty
Summary: Innate immunity may be the reason why children have better outcomes with the virus, but the Delta variant introduces new uncertainties.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heather Richardson
Summary: Detecting coronavirus in samples from treatment plants can provide early warning of outbreaks and new variants.
Review
Virology
Bariaa A. Khalil, Sarra B. Shakartalla, Swati Goel, Bushra Madkhana, Rabih Halwani, Azzam A. Maghazachi, Habiba AlSafar, Basem Al-Omari, Mohammad T. Al Bataineh
Summary: This review examines the role of cytokines and chemokines in SARS-CoV-2 and its predecessors, highlighting the elevated levels of inflammatory mediators associated with disease severity. It also discusses potential treatment strategies targeting these factors.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jean B. Nachega, Nathan Kapata, Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, Eric H. Decloedt, Patrick D. M. C. Katoto, Tumaini Nagu, Peter Mwaba, Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Pascalina Chanda-Kapata, Francine Ntoumi, Elvin H. Geng, Alimuddin Zumla
Summary: This perspective discusses the impact of COVID-19 on TB/HIV health services and approaches to mitigate the growing burden of these three colliding epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic has added an additional burden to already overstretched health systems in SSA, and modelling studies predict significant increases in associated morbidity and mortality over the next five years. Limited empirical evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 coinfections with TB and HIV are associated with increased mortality risk in SSA, highlighting the need for further research on the impact of COVID-19 on communicable diseases and non-communicable disease comorbidities in the region.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hassan H. Musa, Taha H. Musa, Idriss H. Musa, Ibrahim H. Musa, Alessia Ranciaro, Michael C. Campbell
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread to almost every region of the world, but the number of cases in Africa has been relatively low, possibly due to the continent's experience with infectious diseases and young population. Despite this, it is still important for African countries to adopt aggressive measures to prevent a rapid increase in cases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Anna Sabrina Kuechler, Sandra Weinhold, Fritz Boege, Ortwin Adams, Lisa Mueller, Florian Babor, Sabrina B. Bennstein, T-X Uyen Pham, Maryam Hejazi, Sarah B. Reusing, Derik Hermsen, Markus Uhrberg, Karin Schulze-Bosse
Summary: This study describes a diagnostic procedure for scheduling (re-)vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 based on individual humoral immunization status. The researchers monitored individuals before, during, and six months after vaccination with the Spikevax vaccine. The study found that measuring serum-based SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels could potentially support personalized vaccination schedules.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard J. Sheppard, Oliver J. Watson, Rachel Pieciak, James Lungu, Geoffrey Kwenda, Crispin Moyo, Stephen Longa Chanda, Gregory Barnsley, Nicholas F. Brazeau, Ines C. G. Gerard-Ursin, Daniela Olivera Mesa, Charles Whittaker, Simon Gregson, Lucy C. Okell, Azra C. Ghani, William B. MacLeod, Emanuele Del Fava, Alessia Melegaro, Jonas Z. Hines, Lloyd B. Mulenga, Patrick G. T. Walker, Lawrence Mwananyanda, Christopher J. Gill
Summary: The severity of COVID-19 epidemic in Lusaka, Zambia is comparable to global norms, but true impact in sub-Saharan countries is difficult to estimate due to limitations in data quality and surveillance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Antonio Arenas, Carmen Borge, Alfonso Carbonero, Ignacio Garcia-Bocanegra, David Cano-Terriza, Javier Caballero, Antonio Arenas-Montes
Summary: After a year of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, there is still no specific effective treatment, so finding pharmacological and immunological mechanisms to control the infection is important. Using cow's milk immune to BCoV as a possible control measure against COVID-19, due to the close phylogenetic relationship between COVID-19 and BCoV viruses, can help with specific immune response.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Chen Jia, Zhiguo Zhou, Wenjing Pan, Pan Zhang, Ming Yang, Mingming Zhao, Bo Li, Ping Liu, Qianqian Zhang, Xianglong Kong, Keyu Li, Tingting Yue, Ting Cai, Zijun Wang, Erik De Clercq, Song Li, Guangdi Li, Jiyang Liu, Haijing Wu, Qianjin Lu
Summary: Accumulating evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 impairs the adaptive immune system during acute infection, but it is unclear whether T and B cell frequencies and functions return to normal after COVID-19 recovery. This study analyzed immune repertoires and neutralization antibodies in COVID-19 survivors with a 6-month follow-up and found abnormal T and B cell expression and function, decreased diversity, and abnormal class-switch recombination. Survivors had a decreased number of B cells but an increased proportion of CD19(+)CD138(+) B cells, an increased proportion of CD4(+) T cells, and a decreased frequency of CD3(+)CD4(-) T cells. SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralization antibodies were detectable after 6 months, suggesting the need for extended medical care for immune abnormalities and tissue damage.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
