Overview of Unilateral and Bilateral Pediatric Facial Paralysis: Workup, Treatment, and Frontiers.

Pediatric facial nerve paralysis can present significant challenges based on its various etiologies, unique approach to treatment options, and overall outcomes. It can impact both the child and parent when regarding function, appearance, and psychosocial implications. The etiology of facial nerve palsy can include congenital, traumatic, iatrogenic, and idiopathic causes.

Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Zambia: An Early Warning Tool.

Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as an important method for monitoring the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Zambia. We conducted a longitudinal study in the Copperbelt and Eastern provinces of Zambia from October 2023 to December 2023 during which 155 wastewater samples were collected.

Biohacking Nerve Repair: Novel Biomaterials, Local Drug Delivery, Electrical Stimulation, and Allografts to Aid Surgical Repair.

The regenerative capacity of the peripheral nervous system is limited, and peripheral nerve injuries often result in incomplete healing and poor outcomes even after repair. Transection injuries that induce a nerve gap necessitate microsurgical intervention; however, even the current gold standard of repair, autologous nerve graft, frequently results in poor functional recovery. Several interventions have been developed to augment the surgical repair of peripheral nerves, and the application of functional biomaterials, local delivery of bioactive substances, electrical stimulation, and allografts are among the most promising approaches to enhance innate healing across a nerve gap.

Rabies Realities: Navigating Barriers to Rabies Control in Rural Zambia-A Case Study of Manyinga and Mwansabombwe Districts.

Rabies persists as a longstanding issue in Zambia, despite being preventable. The current control measures, including dog vaccination, population control, and movement restriction, guided by 'The Control of Dogs Act Chapter 247 of the Laws of Zambia', have not yielded the desired impact in many areas of the country including Manyinga and Mwansabombwe districts. These two districts continue to report low dog vaccination rates, unrestricted dog movements, and escalating cases of animal and human rabies, along with dog bites.