Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Soka J. Moses, Ian Wachekwa, Collin Van Ryn, Greg Grandits, Alice Pau, Moses Badio, Stephen B. Kennedy, Michael C. Sneller, Elizabeth S. Higgs, H. Clifford Lane, Mosoka Fallah, Stephen A. Migueles, Cavan Reilly
Summary: Two cohorts in Liberia showed higher HIV prevalence and incidence rates compared to national estimates in 2018, highlighting the need for further research to address knowledge gaps and improve care for HIV-positive individuals in the country.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mosoka Fallah, Stephen Lavalah, Tina Gbelia, Myers Zondo, Morris Kromah, Lucy Tantum, Gartee Nallo, Joseph Boakai, Kemoh Sheriff, Laura Skrip, S. Harris Ali
Summary: Based on research conducted in Liberia, we found that individuals traveled during the Ebola outbreak for various reasons, such as avoiding stigmatization, fear of the disease, and attending burial rites. Improvements in infectious disease response could be made through personalizing public health messaging, activating community surveillance systems, and involving local leaders and community members.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Monique Mitchell Turner, Skylar Lisse, Rajiv Rimal, Tamah Kamlem, Hina Shaikh, Nilakshi Biswas
Summary: During the Ebola epidemic in Liberia, there was a widespread misunderstanding of the virus and proliferation of rumors among citizens. To reduce public's fears about the disease, a tracking system was developed to detect and control rumors through SMS text messaging. The study found that more rumors appeared in newspapers, but they were more likely to be identified as such on the radio. The tracking system accurately predicted rumors before they appeared in newspapers or on the radio, demonstrating its usefulness in future health epidemics.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ronan F. Arthur, Lily M. Horng, Amos F. Tandanpolie, John R. Gilstad, Lucy K. Tantum, Stephen P. Luby
Summary: The majority of disease transmission during the 2014-16 West Africa Ebola epidemic was driven by difficult-to-change community-based behaviors influenced by misinformation, denial, and distrust of government. A 2018 study conducted in Liberia found that some behaviors adopted during Ebola persisted, while others reverted, and distrust of the government and denial of the epidemic continued. This suggests a persistent lack of trust in the biomedical paradigm and government health institutions in Liberia.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ronan F. Arthur, Lily M. Horng, Fatorma K. Bolay, Amos Tandanpolie, John R. Gilstad, Lucy K. Tantum, Stephen P. Luby
Summary: Behavior change was crucial during the West African Ebola epidemic in Liberia. Trust in the government was associated with compliance, while hardships related to Ebola were linked to lower trust. Trust in international NGOs was consistently higher than trust in the government. Trust decreased significantly during the peak of the epidemic, especially in the hardest-hit community. Increase in Ebola awareness and knowledge positively influenced trust, while exposure to the epidemic reinforced mistrust of government institutions.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Keith L. Gray, Naomi F. Walker, Frederick Martineau, Nahid Bhadelia, Wahdae-mai Harmon-Gray, Laura A. Skrip, Jean DeMarco, Patrick Konwloh, Nelson Dunbar
Summary: Interrupted time-series analyses were conducted in Liberia to estimate the impact of the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease epidemic on tuberculosis care services. Findings showed a significant decline in presumptive TB cases during the EVD outbreak, with increases in treatment success rates. The study suggests that the Ebola outbreak negatively affected TB care services.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jonathan Dyal, Aaron Kofman, Jomah Z. Kollie, John Fankhauser, Romeo Orone, Moses J. Soka, Uriah Glaybo, Armah Kiawu, Edna Freeman, Giovanni Giah, Henry D. Tony, Mylene Faikai, Mary Jawara, Kuku Kamara, Samuel Kamara, Benjamin Flowers, Mohammed L. Kromah, Rodel Desamu-Thorpe, James Graziano, Shelley Brown, Maria E. Morales-Betoulle, Deborah L. Cannon, Kaihong Su, Susanne L. Linderman, Mateusz Plucinski, Eric Rogier, Richard S. Bradbury, W. Evan Secor, Katherine E. Bowden, Christi Phillips, Mary N. Carrington, Yeon-Hwa Park, Maureen P. Martin, Maria Del Pilar Aguinaga, Robert Mushi, Dana L. Haberling, Elizabeth D. Ervin, John D. Klena, Moses Massaquoi, Tolbert Nyenswah, Stuart T. Nichol, David E. Chiriboga, Desmond E. Williams, Steven H. Hinrichs, Rafi Ahmed, Benjamin T. Vonhm, Pierre E. Rollin, Lawrence J. Purpura, Mary J. Choi
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for prolonged Ebola virus persistence in the semen of male Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors. The results showed that older age, decreased illness severity, intraocular lens opacifications, elevated total serum immunoglobulin G3 levels, and expression of the HLA-C*03:04 allele may be associated with the persistence of Ebola virus in semen.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Faical Ndairou, Moein Khalighi, Leo Lahti
Summary: The paper discusses the development of mathematical models to simulate the dynamics of Ebola transmission. It focuses on models with a variable population. A compartmental model consisting of 8-dimensional nonlinear differential equations with a dynamic population is presented, and its basic reproduction number is investigated. Additionally, a dimensionless model is introduced for numerical analysis, demonstrating the stability of the disease-free equilibrium when the basic reproduction number is less than one. The fractional differential form of the model is used to fit long time-series data from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, showing the model's performance.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Didi S. Odinkemelu, Aaron K. Sonah, Etienne T. Nsereko, Bernice T. Dahn, Marie H. Martin, Troy D. Moon, Jonathan A. Niconchuk, Camila B. Walters, J. Matthew Kynes
Summary: The study revealed critical gaps in anesthesia and surgical capacity in Liberia, despite the massive global response post-Ebola directed toward health system development. Further investment across all domains is necessary to attain minimum international standards and to facilitate the provision of safe surgery and anesthesia in Liberia.
ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Young Eun Kim
Summary: This study assessed the impact of the Ebola virus disease outbreak on child mortality in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016. The results showed that the child mortality rate decreased significantly for children born after the outbreak, but the association with the increase in Ebola cases remained strong. Additionally, there were variations in the utilization of maternal health services after the outbreak.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
J. Daniel Kelly, Collin Van Ryn, Moses Badio, Tamba Fayiah, Kumblytee Johnson, Dehkontee Gayedyu-Dennis, Sheri D. Weiser, Travis C. Porco, Jeffery N. Martin, Michael C. Sneller, George W. Rutherford, Cavan Reilly, Mosoka P. Fallah, J. Soka Moses
Summary: This study assessed the clinical sequelae of Ebola virus disease among survivors and contacts. The findings showed that individuals with unrecognised Ebola virus disease had higher prevalence of symptoms, such as joint pain and memory loss, compared to those with pauci-symptomatic or asymptomatic infection or no infection. Survivors also had an increased odds of joint pain and memory loss compared to unrecognised Ebola virus disease contacts.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fulton Quincy Shannon II, Luke L. Bawo, John A. Crump, Katrina Sharples, Richard Egan, Philip C. Hill
Summary: The current EVD surveillance system in Liberia shows some deficiencies in its structure, core functions, support functions, and quality indicators at various levels. There are gaps in performance in case detection, reporting, and managing patients with EVD. Limited resources, stock out of sample collection materials, and staff attrition pose major challenges to the system's operations. Specific improvements and regular evaluations are needed, and standardized patient studies are crucial for evaluating surveillance systems for rarely occurring diseases that require early detection.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Nauman Ahmed, Tahira sumbal Shaikh, Muhammed Rafiq, Sayed M. Eldin, Abdul hamid Ganie, Mubasher Ali, Ali Raza, Ilyas Khan, M. I. Khan
Summary: This paper presents the numerical solution of the reaction-diffusion Ebola epidemic model. The inclusion of diffusion in the model allows for a more comprehensive study of disease dynamics. The numerical schemes used aim to preserve the positivity of the solution. Two different techniques, explicit nonstandard finite difference operator splitting (ENSFD-OS) and implicit nonstandard finite difference operator splitting (INSFD-OS), are employed. These schemes maintain the physical features of the state variables and uphold the positivity of the solution. The stability of the steady states in the epidemic model is retained by the suggested approaches. A numerical example and simulations are conducted to validate the proposed techniques.
FRACTALS-COMPLEX GEOMETRY PATTERNS AND SCALING IN NATURE AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Aaron Kofman, Susanne Linderman, Kaihong Su, Lawrence J. Purpura, Elizabeth Ervin, Shelley Brown, Maria Morales-Betoulle, James Graziano, Deborah L. Cannon, John D. Klena, Rodel Desamu-Thorpe, John Fankhauser, Romeo Orone, Soka Moses, Uriah Glaybo, Moses Massaquoi, Tolbert Nyenswah, Stuart T. Nichol, Jomah Kollie, Armah Kiawu, Edna Freeman, Giovanni Giah, Henry Tony, Mylene Faikai, Mary Jawara, Kuku Kamara, Samuel Kamara, Benjamin Flowers, Kromah Mohammed, David Chiriboga, Desmond E. Williams, Steven H. Hinrichs, Rafi Ahmed, Benjamin Vonhm, Pierre E. Rollin, Mary J. Choi
Summary: The study found that blood from EVD survivors collected during asymptomatic periods is unlikely to pose a risk for EBOV transmission. One participant who tested negative for antibodies still had PBMCs that produced antibodies upon stimulation. The findings suggest that immunogenicity following acute EBOV infection may vary, and lack of antibody response should not be a definitive factor in determining EVD survivor status.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sachin Agnihotri, Charles Alpren, Brima Bangura, Sarah Bennett, Yelena Gorina, Jadnah D. Harding, Sara Hersey, Ansumana S. Kamara, Mohamed A. M. Kamara, John D. Klena, Fiona McLysaght, Nishi Patel, Lance Presser, John T. Redd, Thomas T. Samba, Alexander K. Taylor, Mohamed A. Vandi, Scott Van Heest
Summary: This study details the process of consolidating epidemic records and establishing a database during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, with a focus on assisting families in locating the graves of loved ones who passed away during the epidemic through the SLED Family Reunification Program. The project aimed to create a data source for epidemiological research and highlighted the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of this unique information source for public health research.
ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonia Andre, Morgane Picard, Renaud Cezar, Florence Roux-Dalvai, Aurelie Alleaume-Butaux, Calaiselvy Soundaramourty, Andre Santa Cruz, Ana Mendes-Frias, Clarisse Gotti, Mickael Leclercq, Alexandre Nicolas, Alexandra Tauzin, Alexandre Carvalho, Carlos Capela, Jorge Pedrosa, Antonio Gil Castro, Lucy Kundura, Paul Loubet, Albert Sotto, Laurent Muller, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Claire Roger, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Sandra Duvnjak, Tu-Anh Tran, Gina Racine, Ouafa Zghidi-Abouzid, Pierre Nioche, Ricardo Silvestre, Arnaud Droit, Fabrizio Mammano, Pierre Corbeau, Jerome Estaquier
Summary: By comparing COVID-19 patients with healthy donors, the study found a strong correlation between T cell apoptosis and lymphopenia in severe cases. The plasma levels of soluble FasL (sFasL) and T cell surface expression of Fas/CD95 were positively correlated with T cell death and CD4 T cell counts. The study also identified modulations in the Bcl-2 family and demonstrated the potential of a pan-caspase inhibitor, Q-VD, to prevent T cell apoptosis and enhance Th1 transcripts.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Simon Galmiche, Liem Binh Luong Nguyen, Eric Tartour, Xavier de Lamballerie, Linda Wittkop, Paul Loubet, Odile Launay
Summary: This article systematically reviews the immunogenicity, efficacy, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised populations. The results highlight the risk of low immunogenicity in solid organ transplant recipients and patients with hematological malignancy. Enhanced vaccine regimens may be necessary despite the lack of vaccine effectiveness data.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Mathilde Lecuit, Pierre Aucouturier, Aicha Abbas, Jacques Cadranel, Christine Silvain, Jean-Marie Berthelot, Anne-Laure Fauchais, Paul Loubet, Claude Bachmeyer, Francoise Montravers, Antoine Dossier, Hilario Nunes, Pascale Cervera, Paul Coppo
Summary: IgG4-related disease is characterized by tissue infiltration leading to fibrosis and organomegaly, with clinical presentation varying widely. High serum IgG4 concentration, previously considered a diagnostic hallmark, may not always be present in patients. Elevated IgG2, IgG1, and IgG3 levels were observed in some cases, underscoring the complexity of diagnosing IgG4-RD.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Paul Loubet, Odile Launay
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lucy Kundura, Renaud Cezar, Sonia Andre, Mauricio Campos-Mora, Claire Lozano, Thierry Vincent, Laurent Muller, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Claire Roger, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Sandra Duvnjak, Paul Loubet, Albert Sotto, Tu-Ahn Tran, Jerome Estaquier, Pierre Corbeau
Summary: T cell cytotoxicity, specifically the expression of perforin, may play a role in determining acute disease severity and the onset of long COVID in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, perforin expression is not correlated with disease severity or predictive of death. The percentage of perforin-positive T8 cells in the acute phase of the disease may predict the occurrence of long COVID.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Jean-Christophe Gris, Florence Guillotin, Taissa Pereira dos Santos, Mathias Chea, Paul Loubet, Didier Laureillard, Albert Sotto, Laurent Muller, Saber Davide Barbar, Claire Roger, Jean-Yves Lefrant, Boris Jung, Kada Klouche, Thibault Mura, Isabelle Quere, Antonia Perez-Martin
Summary: In this study, thrombin generation assays were performed on severe COVID-19 patients, and it was found that these assays could not predict the early or late survival rates of the patients, nor were they associated with thrombotic events. However, by detecting the changes in endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), it was possible to predict whether patients would need to be transferred to an intensive care unit in the future.
THROMBOSIS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christine Durier, Laetitia Ninove, Maeva Lefebvre, Anne Radenne, Corinne Desaint, Jacques Ropers, Rebecca Bauer, Said Lebbah, Diane Carette, Marie Lachatre, Anne-Sophie Lecompte, Dominique Deplanque, Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers, Anne Conrad, Bertrand Dussol, Zoha Maakaroun-Vermesse, Giovanna Melica, Jean-Francois Nicolas, Renaud Verdon, Jacques Kiladjian, Paul Loubet, Catherine Schmidt-Mutter, Christian Duale, Severine Ansart, Stephane Priet, Axel Levier, Diana Molino, Louis-Victorien Vieillard, Beatrice Parfait, Jean-Daniel Lelievre, Eric Tartour, Xavier de Lamballerie, Odile Launay
Summary: The immune response generated by a COVID-19 vaccine booster against delta and omicron variants was evaluated in 65 adults (aged 65-84) shortly after receiving the first booster dose. The study showed an increase in SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in individuals who had not been previously infected, regardless of age, while a smaller increase was observed in those who had been infected before receiving a single dose of the primary vaccine. It is important to note that the humoral response was only observed starting from the 5th day after the booster dose.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Romaric Larcher, Paul Laffont-Lozes, Claire Roger, Regine Doncesco, Celine Groul-Viaud, Aurelie Martin, Paul Loubet, Jean-Philippe Lavigne, Alix Pantel, Albert Sotto
Summary: This study described the use of last resort beta-lactam antibiotics in hospitalized patients and evaluated the microbiological and clinical outcomes. The results showed that the use of these antibiotics in real-life settings was a safe and efficient therapeutic option for severe infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria with Difficult-to-Treat Resistance.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Koko Barrigah-Benissan, Jerome Ory, Claire Simon, Paul Loubet, Aurelie Martin, Jean-Paul Beregi, Jean-Philippe Lavigne, Albert Sotto, Romaric Larcher
Summary: This study aimed to assess the clinical factors associated with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related bloodstream infections (PR-BSI), with a focus on clinical symptoms. The results showed that fever and chills were factors associated with the occurrence of PR-BSI.
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND INFECTION CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Paul Laffont-Lozes, Didier Laureillard, Paul Loubet, Robin Stephan, Myriam Chiaruzzi, Edouard Clemmer, Aurelie Martin, Claire Roger, Laurent Muller, Pierre-Geraud Claret, Radjiv Goulabchand, Clarisse Roux, Jean-Philippe Lavigne, Albert Sotto, Romaric Larcher
Summary: We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the factors associated with mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia treated with tocilizumab. Our results showed that age, Charlson index, WHO-CPS, and early administration of tocilizumab were independently associated with mortality. There was no significant difference in mortality between patients treated with tocilizumab and standard of care alone, but better survival was observed in patients who received tocilizumab within 48 hours of hospital admission.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Tayma Naciri, Boris Monnin, Alix Pantel, Claire Roger, Jean-Marie Kinowski, Paul Loubet, Jean-Philippe Lavigne, Albert Sotto, Romaric Larcher
Summary: This study compared the outcomes of beta-lactam allergic (BLA) patients and non-beta-lactam allergic (NBLA) patients with intra-abdominal infections (IAI). The results showed that BLA patients treated without beta-lactam had the same treatment outcomes as NBLA patients treated with beta-lactam.
Article
Microbiology
Aurelie Martin, Paul Loubet, Florian Salipante, Paul Laffont-Lozes, Julien Mazet, Jean-Philippe Lavigne, Nicolas Cellier, Albert Sotto, Romaric Larcher
Summary: This study describes the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with enterococcal bone and joint infections and identifies factors associated with treatment failure. The study found that enterococcal BJIs have poor prognosis, with a treatment failure rate of 39%. Coinfection with Staphylococcus epidermidis and the presence of local signs of inflammation at the time of diagnosis were identified as risk factors for treatment failure.
Article
Respiratory System
Marie Pierre Debray, Marie France Carette, Paul Loubet, Blandine Pasquet, Nadhira Houhou Fidouh, Mikhael Benjoar, Emmanuelle Varon, Anne Laure Brun, Yann Erick Claessens, Xavier Duval, Antoine Khalil
Summary: This study describes the different patterns of CAP in chest CT and finds that lobar pneumonia and lobular pneumonia are the most common patterns. Compared to other patterns, lobar pneumonia is less likely to be missed on CXR. Therefore, chest CT is very useful in identifying CAP.
RESPIRATORY MEDICINE AND RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cecile Janssen, Marine Cachanado, Laetitia Ninove, Marie Lachatre, Jocelyn Michon, Olivier Epaulard, Zoha Maakaroun-Vermesse, Christian Chidiac, Bruno Laviolle, Hugues Aumaitre, Ady Assaf, Karine Lacombe, Catherine Schmidt-Mutter, Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers, Magali Briere, Thomas Boisson, Paul Loubet, Boris Bienvenu, Olivier Bouchaud, Amel Touati, Christine Pereira, Alexandra Rousseau, Laurence Berard, Melissa Montil, Xavier de Lamballerie, Tabassome Simon, Odile Launay
Summary: The study aimed to compare the immune response induced by heterologous and homologous SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations. Results showed higher levels of neutralizing antibodies with heterologous vaccination, but also more severe adverse reactions.
Article
Respiratory System
Alexandre Descamps, Nezha Lenzi, Florence Galtier, Fabrice Laine, Zineb Lesieur, Philippe Vanhems, Selilah Amour, Anne-Sophie L'Honneur, Nadhira Fidouh, Vincent Foulongne, Gisele Lagathu, Xavier Duval, Corinne Merle, Bruno Lina, Fabrice Carrat, Odile Launay, Paul Loubet
Summary: This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of RSV infection in adults hospitalized with influenza-like illness, compared to patients admitted for influenza. The results show that RSV infection results in worse in-hospital outcomes compared to influenza, but similar post-discharge outcomes.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2022)
