Letter
Immunology
David Squarre, Herman M. Chambaro, Kyoko Hayashida, Lavel C. Moonga, Yongjin Qiu, Yasuyuki Goto, Elizabeth Oparaocha, Chisoni Mumba, Walter Muleya, Patricia Bwalya, Joseph Chizimu, Mwelwa Chembensofu, Edgar Simulundu, Wizaso Mwasinga, Nelly Banda, Racheal Mwenda, Junya Yamagishi, King S. Nalubamba, Fredrick Banda, Musso Munyeme, Hirofumi Sawa, Paul Fandamu
Summary: Leishmania infantum was detected in 3 mixed-breed dogs in Zambia, indicating the potential emergence of leishmaniasis in the country. This highlights the importance for physicians and veterinarians to consider the disease during diagnosis.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Malgorzata Anna Domagalska, Michael P. Barrett, Jean-Claude Dujardin
Summary: Treatment failure (TF), particularly in leishmaniasis, is a major concern in the management of parasitic diseases. It is unclear whether drug resistance (DR), measured by in vitro drug susceptibility assays, is the sole contributor to TF. This article addresses three key questions to clarify the relationship between TF and DR.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Pragya Prasanna, Rakesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar Singh, Arun Upadhyay
Summary: Neglected diseases like leishmaniasis remain a major health issue in poor countries, with a lack of effective treatments and ongoing vaccine development efforts. Researchers have isolated a potential therapeutic target from leishmania, which could lead to the development of new treatments.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Shuai Han, Sheng-bang Chen, Zhang-hong Yang, Yu Feng, Wei-ping Wu
Summary: This study investigated the potential reservoir hosts for Leishmania by conducting an epidemiological study of Leishmania carriers. The results showed that dogs, patients, and domesticated animals carrying Leishmania are potential sources of infection for leishmaniasis, providing a basis for developing disease prevention and control strategies.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Nibedeeta Rani Sarraf, Saikat Mukhopadhyay, Anindyajit Banerjee, Anjan Kumar Das, Syamal Roy, Saikat Chakrabarti, Madhumita Manna, Partha Saha
Summary: The study conducted whole genome sequencing of L. donovani strains from Indian patients, revealing unique genomic variations in 24 genes among para-KDL strains compared to other strains. These distinctive genomic changes among para-KDL strains could be significant for the parasites to become dermatotropic.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ilka Grewe, Thomas Theo Brehm, Benno Kreuels, Oliver M. Steinmetz, Bernhard Dumoulin, Anne Marie Asemissen, Dennis Tappe, Michael Ramharter, Stefan Schmiedel
Summary: We report a case of Leishmania infantum reactivation in an immunocompetent patient who developed visceral leishmaniasis with secondary IgA nephropathy nine years after an initial episode of mucosal leishmaniasis, which had been treated with liposomal amphotericin B.
JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Madhu Puri, Harsimran Kaur Brar, Nimisha Mittal, Evanka Madan, Rajesh Srinivasan, Kapil Rawat, Srija Moulik, Mitali Chatterjee, Sai Siva Gorthi, Rohini Muthuswami, Rentala Madhubala
Summary: L. donovani is a parasite causing visceral leishmaniasis, and the portable LAMP device developed in this study can detect and amplify its DNA with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, potentially serving as a reliable point-of-care diagnostic and prognostic tool for Leishmania infections in the future.
JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kristien Cloots, Pia Marino, Sakib Burza, Naresh Gill, Marleen Boelaert, Epco Hasker
Summary: The study found that VL-HIV+ and PKDL cases were both associated with a more than twofold increase in VL incidence at the village level in Bihar, India, indicating the importance of VL-HIV+ patients as infectious reservoirs for Leishmania.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anurag Kumar Kushwaha, Ashish Shukla, Breanna M. Scorza, Tulika Kumari Rai, Rahul Chaubey, Dharmendra Kumar Maurya, Shweta Srivastva, Shreya Upadhyay, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Paritosh Malviya, Om Prakash Singh, Vivek Kumar Scholar, Puja Tiwary, Shakti Kumar Singh, Phillip Lawyer, Edgar Rowton, Scott A. Bernhardt, Christine A. Petersen, Shyam Sundar
Summary: This study provides clinical evidence that domestic animals, other than humans, do not play a significant role in transmitting Leishmania donovani to sand flies on the Indian subcontinent. Monitoring the absence of transmission in the post-elimination phase is crucial to prevent the establishment of a non-human reservoir.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna K. Fortunato, Casey P. Glasser, Joy A. Watson, Yongjin Lu, Jan Rychtar, Dewey Taylor
Summary: This study used mathematical modeling to investigate the impact of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) on the prevention of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The results suggest that in order to eliminate VL, ITN usage would have to stay above 96%, higher than the 91% observed at the end of a large trial in Nepal and India. Additionally, the model indicates that asymptomatic individuals play a crucial role in VL transmission.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Supriya Khanra, Shantanabha Das, Nibedeeta Rani Sarraf, Sanchita Datta, Anjan Kumar Das, Madhumita Manna, Syamal Roy
Summary: This study identified common features in genetically different antimony-resistant Leishmania parasites that contribute to their resistance, specifically in terms of enhanced expression of thiol-synthesizing and antimony transporter genes.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. S. Devipriya, Ashok Kumar Gupta, Rajendra Babu Veeri, Pavan Garapati, Rishikesh Kumar, Sameer Dhingra, Krishna Murti, V. Ravichandiran, Krishna Pandey
Summary: The study found a significant gap in knowledge, attitude, and practices towards visceral leishmaniasis among people living with HIV in Bihar, highlighting the need for enhanced health education initiatives in endemic areas to improve awareness and preventive practices for VL.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ushnish Guha, Moytrey Chatterjee, Ashif Ali Sardar, Kingsuk Jana, Pabitra Saha, Ardhendu Kumar Maji, Subhasish Kamal Guha
Summary: Despite the long-term endemicity of the disease, the knowledge level about kala-azar was found to be poor in the community, attributed to low education level and socioeconomic status. However, the attitude and practices towards the disease were good, indicating room for improvement in knowledge through proper health education.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Iyasu Melkie, Mulat Yimer, Getaneh Alemu, Banchamlak Tegegne
Summary: This study aimed to assess asymptomatic Leishmania donovani infection and associated factors among blood donors in Metema district, Northwest Ethiopia. The prevalence of asymptomatic infection was found to be 15.6% among blood donors. The presence of a family or neighbor history of infection was significantly associated with asymptomatic Leishmania donovani infection. Therefore, laboratory screening of blood donors for visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas is recommended.
ARCHIVES OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Konstantin Tanida, Carsten Balczun, Andreas Hahn, Alexandra Veit, Beatrice Nickel, Sven Poppert, Patrick Leander Scheid, Ralf Matthias Hagen, Hagen Frickmann, Ulrike Loderstadt, Egbert Tannich
Summary: The study compared the sensitivity and specificity of different molecular targets in PCR from serum for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. Kinetoplast-DNA PCR from serum was confirmed as a sensitive and specific approach for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
Editorial Material
Endocrinology & Metabolism
David Beran, Sigiriya Aebischer Perone, Montserrat Castellsague Perolini, Chappuis Francois, Pierre Chopard, Dagmar M. Haller, Frederique Jacquerioz Bausch, Hubert Maisonneuve, Nicolas Perone, Giacomo Gastaldi
Summary: The current COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges for the diabetes community, with increased infection risk and severity for diabetes patients. Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 disrupt diabetes care and may lead to unhealthy behaviors and delayed healthcare-seeking. The focus on hospital care overlooks the importance of Primary Care in ensuring continuity of care, highlighting the global concerns for individuals with chronic conditions.
PRIMARY CARE DIABETES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie Therese Ngo Nsoga, Ilona Kronig, Francisco Javier Perez Rodriguez, Pascale Sattonnet-Roche, Diogo Da Silva, Javan Helbling, Jilian A. Sacks, Margaretha de Vos, Erik Boehm, Angele Gayet-Ageron, Alice Berger, Frederique Jacquerioz-Bausch, Francois Chappuis, Laurent Kaiser, Manuel Schibler, Adriana Renzoni, Isabella Eckerle
Summary: In a high incidence setting in Switzerland, the study showed that using Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test on oropharyngeal swabs, if conducted by trained individuals and meeting quality standards, can meet the WHO criteria for Ag-RDTs (sensitivity >= 80% and specificity >= 97%).
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Stephanie Baggio, Nathalie Vernaz, Herve Spechbach, Julien Salamun, Frederique Jacquerioz, Silvia Stringhini, Yves Jackson, Idris Guessous, Francois Chappuis, Hans Wolff, Laurent Getaz
Summary: The study found that 38.5% of patients reported forgoing health care, with younger patients, women, patients with a low level of education, and patients with chronic diseases being more likely to do so. No significant association was found between the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and forgoing health care. It is crucial to avoid delayed health care to prevent adverse health consequences.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mary Cruz Torrico, Anna Fernandez-Arevalo, Cristina Ballart, Marco Solano, Ernesto Rojas, Eva Ariza, Silvia Tebar, Daniel Lozano, Alba Abras, Joaquim Gascon, Albert Picado, Carmen Munoz, Faustino Torrico, Montserrat Gallego
Summary: A systematic analysis of the L. braziliensis complex in Bolivia revealed different subpopulations with distinct clinical characteristics, and treatment failure was observed in some patients infected with specific species.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Antonio Leidi, Amandine Berner, Roxane Dumont, Richard Dubos, Flora Koegler, Giovanni Piumatti, Nicolas Vuilleumier, Laurent Kaiser, Jean-Francois Balavoine, Didier Trono, Didier Pittet, Francois Chappuis, Omar Kherad, Delphine Sophie Courvoisier, Andrew S. Azman, Maria Eugenia Zaballa, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: This cohort study found that anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositive essential workers had a reduced risk of subsequent infection, confirming the protective effect of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 regardless of their occupational sector, even 6 months after infection.
OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Aude Richard, Ania Wisniak, Javier Perez-Saez, Henri Garrison-Desany, Dusan Petrovic, Giovanni Piumatti, Helene Baysson, Attilio Picazio, Francesco Pennacchio, David De Ridder, Francois Chappuis, Nicolas Vuilleumier, Nicola Low, Samia Hurst, Isabella Eckerle, Antoine Flahault, Laurent Kaiser, Andrew S. Azman, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: The study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the first epidemic wave in Geneva, Switzerland, finding that the highest seroprevalence was among 18-49 year-olds, while female retirees, unemployed men, and smokers had lower seropositivity rates. The most strongly associated symptom with seropositivity was anosmia/dysgeusia.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Helene Baysson, Francesco Pennachio, Ania Wisniak, Maria Eugenia Zabella, Nick Pullen, Prune Collombet, Elsa Lorthe, Stephane Joost, Jean-Francois Balavoine, Delphine Bachmann, Andrew Azman, Didier Pittet, Francois Chappuis, Omar Kherad, Laurent Kaiser, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini
Summary: The objective of this study is to conduct a long-term follow-up of adult participants in serosurveys, monitoring COVID-19 related symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, and the overall impact of the pandemic on health and socioeconomic factors over a period of at least 2 years.
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Ravikar Ralph, Mohammad Abul Faiz, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Isabela Ribeiro, Francois Chappuis
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Emmanuel Bottieau, Lukas Van Duffel, Sayda El Safi, Kanika Deshpande Koirala, Basudha Khanal, Suman Rijal, Narayan Raj Bhattarai, Thong Phe, Kruy Lim, Deby Mukendi, Jean-Roger Lilo Kalo, Pascal Lutumba, Barbara Barbe, Jan Jacobs, Marjan Van Esbroeck, Nikki Foque, Achilleas Tsoumanis, Philippe Parola, Cedric P. Yansouni, Marleen Boelaert, Kristien Verdonck, Francois Chappuis
Summary: This study investigated the frequencies and diagnostic predictors of the ubiquitous priority infections causing persistent fever in the tropics. The results showed that leptospirosis, rickettsiosis, and enteric fever accounted for a substantial proportion of the persistent fever cases across all tropical areas, in addition to malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV. However, very few discriminative features were identified, and rapid diagnostic tests for leptospirosis and Salmonella Typhi infection performed poorly.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mayssam Nehme, Olivia Braillard, Francois Chappuis, Delphine S. Courvoisier, Laurent Kaiser, Paola M. Soccal, Jean-Luc Reny, Frederic Assal, Guido Bondolfi, Aglae Tardin, Christophe Graf, Dina Zekry, Silvia Stringhini, Herve Spechbach, Frederique Jacquerioz, Julien Salamun, Frederic Lador, Matteo Coen, Thomas Agoritsas, Lamyae Benzakour, Riccardo Favale, Stephane Genevay, Kim Lauper, Philippe Meyer, Nana K. Poku, Basile N. Landis, Stephanie Baggio, Marwene Grira, Jose Sandoval, Julien Ehrsam, Simon Regard, Camille Genecand, Garance Kopp, Ivan Guerreiro, Gilles Allali, Pauline Vetter, Idris Guessous
Summary: Persistent symptoms, including fatigue, dyspnea, headache, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating, can be observed in COVID-19 patients up to 12 months after infection. Functional impairment is also commonly reported in these individuals. These symptoms have the potential to significantly impact an individual's quality of life.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Debashish Das, Ranitha Vongpromek, Thanawat Assawariyathipat, Ketsanee Srinamon, Kalynn Kennon, Kasia Stepniewska, Aniruddha Ghose, Abdullah Abu Sayeed, M. Abul Faiz, Rebeca Linhares Abreu Netto, Andre Siqueira, Serge R. Yerbanga, Jean Bosco Ouedraogo, James J. Callery, Thomas J. Peto, Rupam Tripura, Felix Koukouikila-Koussounda, Francine Ntoumi, John Michael Ong'echa, Bernhards Ogutu, Prakash Ghimire, Jutta Marfurt, Benedikt Ley, Amadou Seck, Magatte Ndiaye, Bhavani Moodley, Lisa Ming Sun, Laypaw Archasuksan, Stephane Proux, Sam L. Nsobya, Philip J. Rosenthal, Matthew P. Horning, Shawn K. McGuire, Courosh Mehanian, Stephen Burkot, Charles B. Delahunt, Christine Bachman, Ric N. Price, Arjen M. Dondorp, Francois Chappuis, Philippe J. Guerin, Mehul Dhorda
Summary: The EasyScan Go microscopy device shows promising results in automated parasite detection and quantification. It achieves a high level of accuracy in parasite species identification, but improvement is needed in sensitivity for low parasite density and parasite density estimation.
Letter
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Galyna Maystruk, Sigiriya Aebischer Perone, Valentyna Anufriyeva, Philippa Boulle, Francois Chappuis, Bruno Lab, David Beran
LANCET DIABETES & ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sara Babo Martins, Isabelle Bolon, Gabriel Alcoba, Carlos Ochoa, Paul Torgerson, Sanjib K. Sharma, Nicolas Ray, Francois Chappuis, Rafael Ruiz de Castaneda
Summary: This study aims to assess the health and socioeconomic effect of snakebite, emphasizing the importance of a One Health perspective. The results show that snakebite has a significant burden on rural communities, primarily in terms of health effects and livelihood losses.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gabriel Alcoba, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Isabelle Bolon, Carlos Ochoa, Sara Babo Martins, Manish Subedi, Bhupendra Shah, Anup Ghimire, Etienne Gignoux, Francisco Luquero, Rafael Ruiz de Castaneda, Nicolas Ray, Francois Chappuis
Summary: This study provides the first epidemiological estimates of snakebite envenoming in humans and domestic animals across Nepal's Terai lowlands. It calls for a strengthening of preventive measures and better access to life-saving treatments.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Joonas Terava, Alejandra Verhassel, Orsola Botti, Md Khirul Islam, Janne Leivo, Saara Wittfooth, Pirkko Harkonen, Kim Pettersson, Kamlesh Gidwani
Summary: The study aimed to develop an approach for detecting abnormal glycosylation of mucins and extracellular vesicle-associated glycoproteins from human sera using fluorescent nanoparticles, and to preliminarily evaluate its efficacy for the differential diagnosis of breast cancer. It was found that detecting cancer-associated glycosylation of mucin 1 and mucin 16, as well as the total concentration of CD63, in human serum may aid in the successful differential diagnosis of primary breast cancer.