Antibiotics susceptibility patterns of uropathogenic bacteria: a cross-sectional analytic study at Kanifing General Hospital, The Gambia.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance poses a public health threat for the treatment of community-acquired urinary tract infections. This study determined the susceptibility patterns of uropathogens and associated risk factors among outpatients diagnosed with urinary tract infections at the Kanifing General Hospital in the Gambia.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among patients with suspected urinary tract infections at Kanifing General Hospital from March to May 2021.

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) to evaluate liver fibrosis and cancer in HBV-infected patients in West Africa.

Background: To reduce mortality associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, timely detection of cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential. In low-income countries, however, HBV-infected people have limited access to liver histopathology, a reference test. Recently, Asian studies have suggested the usefulness of an inexpensive serum biomarker called Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) in staging liver fibrosis and predicting HCC in HBV-infected patients.

Practice of preventive measures and vaccine hesitance for COVID 19 among households in The Gambia, 2021: Study protocol.

The first imported confirmed case of COVID 19 was reported in The Gambia on 16th of March 2020 which led to the implementation of relevant public health interventions to prevent further importation and spread of the virus. However, by 8th November 2021, the country had registered cumulatively 9.980 COVID-19 confirmed infection and 341 deaths.

Prevalence and risk factors of strongyloidiasis among schoolchildren in Sabach Sanjal and Upper Badibou districts in the North Bank East Region of The Gambia.

Background: Strongyloidiasis is a parasitic disease that mainly affects humans and is caused by a roundworm called . It is endemic in humid tropical regions that include Africa, Latin America and Southern Asia. Among the public health important soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) classified as neglected tropical diseases, is the most neglected.

Species diversity and distribution of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in The Gambia.

There is a need for recent information on intermediate snail hosts of schistosomes in The Gambia; the previous studies were conducted over three decades ago. This study assessed the incidence, species diversity, distribution and infection status of schistosome intermediate snail hosts in the country. Malacological surveys were conducted in all 5 regions of The Gambia: Central River Region (CRR), Upper River Region (URR), Western Region (WR), Lower River Region (LRR) and North Bank Region (NBR).

Laboratory capacity assessments in 25 African countries at high risk of yellow fever, August-December 2018.

Introduction: accurate and timely laboratory diagnosis of yellow fever (YF) is critical to the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance recognized the need to support and build capacity in the national and regional laboratories in the Global YF Laboratory Network (GYFLN) as part of this strategy.

Methods: to better understand current capacity, gaps and needs of the GYFLN laboratories in Africa, assessments were carried out in national and regional reference laboratories in the 25 African countries at high risk for YF outbreaks that were eligible for new financial support from Gavi.

Phylogeography and resistome of pneumococcal meningitis in West Africa before and after vaccine introduction.

Despite contributing to the large disease burden in West Africa, little is known about the genomic epidemiology of which cause meningitis among children under 5 years old in the region. We analysed whole-genome sequencing data from 185 . isolates recovered from suspected paediatric meningitis cases as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) invasive bacterial diseases surveillance from 2010 to 2016.

Mapping survey of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases towards mass drug administration in The Gambia.

Background: A national mapping survey of schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) was conducted in The Gambia in May, 2015. The survey aimed at establishing endemicity of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases to inform decisions on program planning and implementation of mass drug administration (MDA).

Methodology/principal Findings: A cross-section of 10,434 eligible school aged children (SAC), aged 7 to 14 years old were enrolled in the survey.

Prevalence and risk factors of schistosomiasis among primary school children in four selected regions of The Gambia.

Background: The Gambia initiated a control programme for schistosomiasis in 2015. In light of this, recent and comprehensive data on schistosomiasis is required to effectively guide the control programme. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors of schistosomiasis among primary school children in The Gambia.

Effects on childhood infections of promoting safe and hygienic complementary-food handling practices through a community-based programme: A cluster randomised controlled trial in a rural area of The Gambia.

Background: The Gambia has high rates of under-5 mortality from diarrhoea and pneumonia, peaking during complementary-feeding age. Community-based interventions may reduce complementary-food contamination and disease rates.

Methods And Findings: A public health intervention using critical control points and motivational drivers, delivered February-April 2015 in The Gambia, was evaluated in a cluster randomised controlled trial at 6- and 32-month follow-up in September-October 2015 and October-December 2017, respectively.

Impact of routine vaccination against type b in The Gambia: 20 years after its introduction.

Background: In 1997, The Gambia introduced three primary doses of type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine without a booster in its infant immunisation programme along with establishment of a population-based surveillance on Hib meningitis in the West Coast Region (WCR). This surveillance was stopped in 2002 with reported elimination of Hib disease. This was re-established in 2008 but stopped again in 2010.

Declining Trends of Pneumococcal Meningitis in Gambian Children After the Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines.

Background: Acute bacterial meningitis remains a major cause of childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. We document findings from hospital-based sentinel surveillance of bacterial meningitis among children <5 years of age in The Gambia, from 2010 to 2016.

Methods: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected from children admitted to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital with suspected meningitis.

Hepatitis B Core-related Antigen: An Alternative to Hepatitis B Virus DNA to Assess Treatment Eligibility in Africa.

Background: To eliminate hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, it is essential to scale up testing and treatment. However, conventional tools to assess treatment eligibility, particularly nucleic acid testing (NAT) to quantify HBV DNA, are hardly available and affordable in resource-limited countries. We therefore assessed the performance of a novel immunoassay, hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg), as an inexpensive (US$ <15/assay) alternative to NAT to diagnose clinically important HBV DNA thresholds (≥2000, ≥20 000, and ≥200 000 IU/mL) and to select patients for antiviral therapy in Africa.

Prevalence and risk factors for faecal carriage of Extended Spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae among food handlers in lower basic schools in West Coast Region of The Gambia.

Background: The isolation of Extended spectrum βlactamase (ESBLs) producing Enterobacteriaceae among food handlers and their implication as sources of food borne outbreaks are a public health concern. This study seeks to investigate the prevalence of faecal carriage of these bacteria among food handlers in the West Coast Region of The Gambia.

Method: This study enrolled 600 participants from 60 Lower Basic Schools in West Coast Region of the country.

Impact of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine against severe rotavirus diarrhoea in The Gambia.

Introduction: Rotavirus vaccines protect against the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhoea, and have been introduced in many low-income African countries. The Gambia introducedRotateq® (RV5) into their national immunization program in 2013. We revieweddata from an active rotavirus sentinel surveillancesitefor early evidence of vaccine impact.

Use of Antibody Tools to Provide Serologic Evidence of Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in The Gambia.

A current need in the global effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) is the availability of reliable diagnostic tools that can be used to guide programmatic decisions, especially decisions made in the final stages of the program. This study conducted in The Gambia aimed to assess antifilarial antibody levels among populations living in historically highly LF-endemic areas and to evaluate the use of serologic tools to confirm the interruption of LF transmission. A total of 2,612 dried blood spots (DBSs) collected from individuals aged 1 year and above from 15 villages were tested for antibodies to Wb123 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Field evaluation of a schistosome circulating cathodic antigen rapid test kit at point-of-care for mapping of schistosomiasis endemic districts in The Gambia.

Background: Studies in Sub Saharan Africa have shown that the Circulating Cathodic Antigen point-of-care-test (POC-CCA) is more accurate in the detections of S. mansoni than the microscopic Kato-Katz technique but less is known about the accuracy of this rapid test in detecting S. haematobium infections.

Seroprevalence of pertussis in the Gambia: evidence for continued circulation of bordetella pertussis despite high vaccination rates.

Background: Bordetella pertussis can cause severe respiratory disease and death in children. In recent years, large outbreaks have occurred in high-income countries; however, little is known about pertussis incidence in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We evaluated antibody responses to pertussis toxin (Ptx) from individuals aged between 2 and 90 years in rural Gambia.

Validation of rapid point-of-care (POC) tests for detection of hepatitis B surface antigen in field and laboratory settings in the Gambia, Western Africa.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Point-of-care tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) could be an ideal tool for a large-scale HBV screening/treatment program in SSA. Using data from the PROLIFICA (Prevention of Liver Fibrosis and Cancer in Africa) program, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the diagnostic accuracy of three point-of-care tests (Determine, Vikia, and Espline) for the detection of HBsAg in the field or a laboratory setting in the Gambia.

Polyfunctional CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses to tuberculosis antigens in HIV-1-infected patients before and after anti-retroviral treatment.

Tuberculosis (TB) kills 2 million people per year and infection with HIV is the most potent known risk factor for progression to active TB. An understanding of the immune response to TB Ags in HIV-infected patients is required to develop optimal TB vaccines and diagnostics. We assessed polyfunctional (IFN-gamma(+)IL-2(+)TNF-alpha(+)) T cell responses to TB Ags in three groups of HIV-1-infected patients dependent on their TB status, CD4 counts, and anti-retroviral exposure.