Publications by authors named "Angus M O'Ferrall"
Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni in children living along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi, five years after a disease outbreak, using advanced diagnostic techniques.
- They utilized various methods including microscopy and real-time PCR on fecal and urine samples to assess infection rates and found that the prevalence of S. mansoni varied greatly based on the diagnostic tool used.
- The study highlighted that while fecal-egg microscopy had very low sensitivity, the point-of-care test showed moderate sensitivity depending on how results were interpreted, also revealing notable DNA presence of another species, S. haematobium, in the samples.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers collected demographic and health data, along with urine and semen samples from 22 men, finding high rates of schistosome infection and co-infection with HPV and other STIs.
- * The study highlights the complex interactions between zoonotic and hybrid schistosomes in causing MGS, illustrating significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment in low-resource areas.
One Health surveillance involves the analysis of human, animal and environmental samples, recognising their interconnectedness in health systems. Such considerations are crucial to investigate the transmission of many pathogens, including drug-resistant bacteria and parasites. The highest rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-associated deaths are observed in sub-Saharan Africa, where concurrently the waterborne parasitic disease schistosomiasis can be highly endemic in both humans and animals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSchistosomiasis is an aquatic snail borne parasitic disease, with intestinal schistosomiasis (IS) and urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) caused by and infections, respectively. School-aged-children (SAC) are a known vulnerable group and can also suffer from co-infections. Along the shoreline of Lake Malawi a newly emerging outbreak of IS is occurring with increasing UGS co-infection rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic hepatitis B (CHB) most commonly occurs following infection in early childhood. Prevalence varies markedly around the globe. Country of birth is therefore a strong predictor of CHB risk in adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Intestinal schistosomiasis was not considered endemic in Lake Malawi until November 2017 when populations of Biomphalaria pfeifferi were first reported; in May 2018, emergence of intestinal schistosomiasis was confirmed. This emergence was in spite of ongoing control of urogenital schistosomiasis by preventive chemotherapy. Our current study sought to ascertain whether intestinal schistosomiasis is transitioning from emergence to outbreak, to judge if stepped-up control interventions are needed.
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