In areas where malaria is endemic and microscopes are unavailable, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are essential tools for early diagnosis and prompt and effective treatment. However, HRP2-based RDTs are threatened by the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites that do not carry the pfhrp2 or pfhrp3 gene, leading to false-negative results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the ParaHIT RDT together with the proportion of pfhrp2/3 gene-deleted P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
July 2024
Background: The World Health Organization's 2021-2030 Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases boosted global commitment towards the elimination of onchocerciasis, but the timeline to elimination will vary strongly between countries in Africa. To assess progress towards elimination in the Republic of Togo, we reviewed the history of control and time trends in infection.
Methodology/principal Findings: We collated all available programmatic, entomological, and epidemiological data since the initiation of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in Togo through different data sources.
Background: Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) are the currently recommended first- and second-line therapies for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infections in Togo. This study assessed the efficacy of these combinations, the proportion of Day3-positive patients (D3 +), the proportion of molecular markers associated with P. falciparum resistance to anti-malarial drugs, and the variable performance of HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In Togo, malaria remains a major public health problem, and the management of suspected cases requires confirmation with appropriate biological methods. Malaria diagnosis has been improved by the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for areas where microscopy is not available. To be used, these RDTs must meet performance criteria defined by the WHO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Glob Health
May 2023
Introduction: Delivering preventive chemotherapy through mass drug administration (MDA) is a central approach in controlling or eliminating several neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Treatment coverage, a primary indicator of MDA performance, can be measured through routinely reported programmatic data or population-based coverage evaluation surveys. Reported coverage is often the easiest and least expensive way to estimate coverage; however, it is prone to inaccuracies due to errors in data compilation and imprecise denominators, and in some cases measures treatments offered as opposed to treatments swallowed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The World Health Organization has targeted lymphatic filariasis (LF) for elimination as a public health problem and recommends, among other measures, post-elimination surveillance of LF. The identification of sensitive and specific surveillance tools is therefore a research priority. The Wuchereria bancrofti-specific antigen Wb123-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Wb123 ELISA) detects antibodies to the recombinant Wb123 antigen of W.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfrican Histoplasmosis is deep mycosis caused by and genitourinary involvement is extremely rare. We report a case of African histoplasmosis in a 27-year-old subject with painful penis ulcer. Ulcer edge biopsy had revealed inflammatory granulomas made of epithelioid cells, lymphoplasmocytes, polynuclear eosinophils and giant multinucleated cells, with ovoid yeasts surrounded by a clear halo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mycetoma is a chronic inflammatory process caused either by fungi (eumycetoma) or bacteria (actinomycetoma). In this retrospective study, we report epidemiologic and histopathological data of mycetoma observed in the Lome Hospital, Togo in a 25-year period (1992-2016).
Methodology: This is a retrospective study, over a period of 25 years, to analyze epidemiological and etiological findings of mycetomas seen in the single laboratory of pathological anatomy of the Lomé, Togo.
Our study aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic aspects of African histoplasmosis in Togo through a descriptive and cross-sectional study on histological diagnosed African histoplasmosis in Pathology Department of Lomé from 2002 to 2016 (15 years). A total of 17 cases of African histoplasmosis were diagnosed. The sex ratio (M/F) was 1.
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