Acquired rifamycin resistance among patients with tuberculosis and HIV in new York City, 2001-2023.

Introduction: Acquired rifamycin resistance (ARR) in tuberculosis (TB) has been associated with HIV infection and can necessitate complicated TB treatment regimens, particularly in people living with HIV (PLWH). This work examines clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of PLWH who developed ARR from 2001 to 2023 in New York City (NYC) to inform best practices for treating these patients.

Methods: PLWH who developed ARR 2001-2023 were identified from the NYC TB registry.

Rifampin Mono-Resistant Tuberculosis in New York City, 2010-2021: A Retrospective Case Series.

Background: Although relatively rare, rifampin mono-resistant tuberculosis (RMR TB) poses important challenges to effective TB treatment and control. Information on the burden of RMR TB and treatment outcomes is needed to inform diagnosis and management.

Methods: Standardized variables were collected from the New York City (NYC) tuberculosis surveillance system for patients treated for RMR TB in NYC during 2010-2021.

Cohort study of the mortality among patients in New York City with tuberculosis and COVID-19, March 2020 to June 2022.

Both tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system, and early findings suggest co-occurrence of these infectious diseases can result in elevated mortality. A retrospective cohort of patients who were diagnosed with TB and COVID-19 concurrently (within 120 days) between March 2020 and June 2022 in New York City (NYC) was identified. This cohort was compared with a cohort of patients diagnosed with TB-alone during the same period in terms of demographic information, clinical characteristics, and mortality.

Efficacy of triple dose albendazole treatment for soil-transmitted helminth infections.

In Malaysia, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections still persist among indigenous communities. In the past, local studies have focused mostly on epidemiologic aspects of STH infections with a scarcity of information on the efficacy of deworming treatment. The present study consisted of 2 phases: a cross-sectional phase on current epidemiological status and risk factors of STH infections and a longitudinal study over 6 weeks on triple dose albendazole efficacy against STH infections.

Immune Response and Microbiota Profiles during Coinfection with Plasmodium vivax and Soil-Transmitted Helminths.

The role of the gut microbiota during coinfection with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and spp. is poorly understood. We examined peripheral blood and fecal samples from 130 individuals who were either infected with only, coinfected with and STH, infected with STH alone, or not infected with either or STH.

Linking the effects of helminth infection, diet and the gut microbiota with human whole-blood signatures.

Helminth infection and dietary intake can affect the intestinal microbiota, as well as the immune system. Here we analyzed the relationship between fecal microbiota and blood profiles of indigenous Malaysians, referred to locally as Orang Asli, in comparison to urban participants from the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. We found that helminth infections had a larger effect on gut microbial composition than did dietary intake or blood profiles.

Targeting a highly repeated germline DNA sequence for improved real-time PCR-based detection of Ascaris infection in human stool.

Background: With the expansion of soil transmitted helminth (STH) intervention efforts and the corresponding decline in infection prevalence, there is an increased need for sensitive and specific STH diagnostic assays. Previously, through next generation sequencing (NGS)-based identification and targeting of non-coding, high copy-number repetitive DNA sequences, we described the development of a panel of improved quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based assays for the detection of Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Trichuris trichiura, and Strongyloides stercoralis. However, due to the phenomenon of chromosome diminution, a similar assay based on high copy-number repetitive DNA was not developed for the detection of Ascaris lumbricoides.

The Impact of Anthelmintic Treatment on Human Gut Microbiota Based on Cross-Sectional and Pre- and Postdeworming Comparisons in Western Kenya.

Murine studies suggest that the presence of some species of intestinal helminths is associated with changes in host microbiota composition and diversity. However, studies in humans have produced varied conclusions, and the impact appears to vary widely depending on the helminth species present. To demonstrate how molecular approaches to the human gut microbiome can provide insights into the complex interplay among disparate organisms, DNA was extracted from cryopreserved stools collected from residents of 5 rural Kenyan villages prior to and 3 weeks and 3 months following albendazole (ALB) therapy.

The optimal timing of post-treatment sampling for the assessment of anthelminthic drug efficacy against Ascaris infections in humans.

The egg reduction rate (ERR) is the current standard mean to assess the efficacy of drugs against human soil-transmitted helminths (STHs; Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm). Although the timing of post-treatment sampling is pivotal for a readily interpretation of drug efficacy, there is lack empirical data that allows recommending the optimal time point for a follow-up egg counting. In the present study, we re-analyzed both the kinetics of worm expulsion and egg output for Ascaris lumbricoides following a single oral dose of albendazole in a series of studies previously conducted in Kenyan communities.

Testing for soil-transmitted helminth transmission elimination: Analysing the impact of the sensitivity of different diagnostic tools.

In recent years, an increased focus has been placed upon the possibility of the elimination of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) transmission using various interventions including mass drug administration. The primary diagnostic tool recommended by the WHO is the detection of STH eggs in stool using the Kato-Katz (KK) method. However, detecting infected individuals using this method becomes increasingly difficult as the intensity of infection decreases.

Sources of variability in the measurement of Ascaris lumbricoides infection intensity by Kato-Katz and qPCR.

Background: Understanding and quantifying the sources and implications of error in the measurement of helminth egg intensity using Kato-Katz (KK) and the newly emerging "gold standard" quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique is necessary for the appropriate design of epidemiological studies, including impact assessments for deworming programs.

Methods: Repeated measurements of Ascaris lumbricoides infection intensity were made from samples collected in western Kenya using the qPCR and KK techniques. These data were combined with data on post-treatment worm expulsions.

Multi-parallel qPCR provides increased sensitivity and diagnostic breadth for gastrointestinal parasites of humans: field-based inferences on the impact of mass deworming.

Background: Although chronic morbidity in humans from soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections can be reduced by anthelmintic treatment, inconsistent diagnostic tools make it difficult to reliably measure the impact of deworming programs and often miss light helminth infections.

Methods: Cryopreserved stool samples from 796 people (aged 2-81 years) in four villages in Bungoma County, western Kenya, were assessed using multi-parallel qPCR for 8 parasites and compared to point-of-contact assessments of the same stools by the 2-stool 2-slide Kato-Katz (KK) method. All subjects were treated with albendazole and all Ascaris lumbricoides expelled post-treatment were collected.