Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infections following intravesical BCG immunotherapy: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Although intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy usually exhibits a favorable safety profile, it can lead to the development of BCG infections, both localized and disseminated. Understanding of BCG infections following intravesical BCG immunotherapy is limited because of the lack of consensus definitions of BCG infections and limited post-instillation follow-up. We aim to perform a systematic review of the literature of BCG infections following intravesical BCG immunotherapy to elucidate the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of BCG infections.

TaqMan Array Card real-time polymerase chain reaction panel to detect pathogens in whole blood of febrile inpatients in northern Tanzania, 2016-2019.

Background: Acute febrile illness is a common reason for seeking healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. We describe the diagnostic utility of a TaqMan Array Card (TAC) real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel for pathogen detection in paediatric and adult inpatients admitted with febrile illness.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we screened medical admissions for a tympanic temperature ≥38.

Risk Factors for Invasive Surgical Site Infections Among Adult Single Liver Transplant Recipients at Duke University Hospital in the Period 2015-2020.

Background: Invasive primary surgical site infections (IP-SSI) are a severe complication of liver transplant surgery. Identification of risk factors for IP-SSI is critical to IP-SSI prevention.

Methods: All adult single liver transplants performed at Duke University Hospital in the period 2015-2020 were reviewed for IP-SSI occurring within 90 d of transplant.

Epidemiologic and genomic characterization of an outbreak of Rift Valley fever among humans and dairy cattle in northern Tanzania.

Background: A peri-urban outbreak of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among dairy cattle from May through August 2018 in northern Tanzania was detected through testing samples from prospective livestock abortion surveillance. We sought to identify concurrent human infections, their phylogeny, and epidemiologic characteristics in a cohort of febrile patients enrolled from 2016-2019 at hospitals serving the epizootic area.

Methods: From September 2016 through May 2019, we conducted a prospective cohort study that enrolled febrile patients hospitalized at two hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania.

Late surgical site infections among solid organ transplant recipients: an unrecognized clinical entity.

This study identified 26 late invasive primary surgical site infection (IP-SSI) within 4-12 months of transplantation among 2073 SOT recipients at Duke University Hospital over the period 2015-2019. Thoracic organ transplants accounted for 25 late IP-SSI. Surveillance for late IP-SSI should be maintained for at least one year following transplant.

Global distribution of Leptospira serovar isolations and detections from animal host species: A systematic review and online database.

Objectives: Leptospira, the spirochaete causing leptospirosis, can be classified into >250 antigenically distinct serovars. Although knowledge of the animal host species and geographic distribution of Leptospira serovars is critical to understand the human and animal epidemiology of leptospirosis, current data are fragmented. We aimed to systematically review, the literature on animal host species and geographic distribution of Leptospira serovars to examine associations between serovars with animal host species and regions and to identify geographic regions in need of study.

Limitations of antifungal prophylaxis in preventing invasive surgical site infections after liver transplant surgery.

Invasive primary surgical site infections (IP-SSIs) are a common complication of liver transplantation, and targeted antifungal prophylaxis is an efficient strategy to limit their occurrence. We performed a retrospective single-center cohort study among adult single liver transplant recipients at Duke University Hospital in the period between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020. The study aimed to determine the rate of IP-SSI according to the peri-transplant antifungal prophylaxis received.

Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania.

Background: Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.

Methods: We enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania.

Global distribution of serovar isolations and detections from animal host species: a systematic review and online database.

Objectives: , the spirochaete causing leptospirosis, can be classified into >250 antigenically distinct serovars. Although knowledge of the animal host species and geographic distribution of serovars is critical to understand the human and animal epidemiology of leptospirosis, currently data are fragmented. We aimed to systematically review the literature on animal host species and geographic distribution of serovars to examine associations between serovars with animal host species and regions, and to identify geographic regions in need of study.

Antibacterial Utilization for Febrile Illnesses and Laboratory-Confirmed Bloodstream Infections in Northern Tanzania.

Background: We describe antibacterial use in light of microbiology data and treatment guidelines for common febrile syndromes in Moshi, Tanzania.

Methods: We compared data from 2 hospital-based prospective cohort studies, cohort 1 (2011-2014) and cohort 2 (2016-2019), that enrolled febrile children and adults. A study team member administered a standardized questionnaire, performed a physical examination, and collected blood cultures.

'One Health´ approach to end zoonotic TB.

has a wide host range causing TB in animals, both in wildlife and cattle (bovine TB bTB), and in humans (zoonotic TB zTB). The real burden of bovine and zoonotic TB (b/zTB) remains unknown due to diagnostic challenges. Although progress has been made to reduce the burden of TB, b/zTB has been neglected in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with little improvement in prevention, diagnosis or treatment.

Facility-based disease surveillance and Bayesian hierarchical modeling to estimate endemic typhoid fever incidence, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, 2007-2018.

Growing evidence suggests considerable variation in endemic typhoid fever incidence at some locations over time, yet few settings have multi-year incidence estimates to inform typhoid control measures. We sought to describe a decade of typhoid fever incidence in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Cases of blood culture confirmed typhoid were identified among febrile patients at two sentinel hospitals during three study periods: 2007-08, 2011-14, and 2016-18.

Performance of Xpert Ultra nasopharyngeal swab for identification of tuberculosis deaths in northern Tanzania.

Objective: Numerous tuberculosis (TB) deaths remain undetected in low-resource endemic settings. With autopsy-confirmed tuberculosis as our standard, we assessed the diagnostic performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra; Cepheid) on nasopharyngeal specimens collected postmortem.

Methods: From October 2016 through May 2019, we enrolled pediatric and adult medical deaths to a prospective autopsy study at two referral hospitals in northern Tanzania with next-of-kin authorization.

The effects of gestational choline supplementation on cerebellar Purkinje cell number in the sheep model of binge alcohol exposure during the first trimester-equivalent.

Individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) incur enduring brain damage and neurodevelopmental impairments from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Preclinical rodent models have demonstrated that choline supplementation during development can reduce the severity of adverse neurodevelopmental consequences of PAE. This study used the sheep model to evaluate dietary choline supplementation during pregnancy as a therapeutic intervention, testing the hypothesis that choline can ameliorate alcohol-induced cerebellar Purkinje cell loss.

Performance Assessment of the Universal Vital Assessment Score vs Other Illness Severity Scores for Predicting Risk of In-Hospital Death Among Adult Febrile Inpatients in Northern Tanzania, 2016-2019.

Importance: Severity scores are used to improve triage of hospitalized patients in high-income settings, but the scores may not translate well to low- and middle-income settings such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To assess the performance of the Universal Vital Assessment (UVA) score, derived in 2017, compared with other illness severity scores for predicting in-hospital mortality among adults with febrile illness in northern Tanzania.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prognostic study used clinical data collected for the duration of hospitalization among patients with febrile illness admitted to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre or Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital in Moshi, Tanzania, from September 2016 through May 2019.

Trends in fever case management for febrile inpatients in a low malaria incidence setting of Tanzania.

Objectives: In 2010, WHO published guidelines emphasising parasitological confirmation of malaria before treatment. We present data on changes in fever case management in a low malaria transmission setting of northern Tanzania after 2010.

Methods: We compared diagnoses, treatments and outcomes from two hospital-based prospective cohort studies, Cohort 1 (2011-2014) and Cohort 2 (2016-2019), that enrolled febrile children and adults.

Investigation of Melioidosis Using Blood Culture and Indirect Hemagglutination Assay Serology among Patients with Fever, Northern Tanzania.

Prediction models indicate that melioidosis may be common in parts of East Africa, but there are few empiric data. We evaluated the prevalence of melioidosis among patients presenting with fever to hospitals in Tanzania. Patients with fever were enrolled at two referral hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania, during 2007-2008, 2012-2014, and 2016-2019.

Fatal respiratory infection due to ST308 VIM-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a lung transplant recipient: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Data regarding the prevalence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in cystic fibrosis patients are scarce. Furthermore, there is limited knowledge on the effect of MBL production on patient outcomes. Here we describe a fatal respiratory infection due to P.

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in association with remdesivir in severe COVID-19: A case report.

We report the first successful treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, in association with the most promising and available antiviral therapy, of a severe case of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We describe the diagnosis, clinical course, and management of the case, including the respiratory failure at presentation, the progression to a scenario characterized by profound inflammatory dysregulation similar to that observed during macrophage activation syndrome, and the clinical improvement after treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra. This case highlights the high tolerability and the interesting immunomodulatory profile of the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in the setting of severe COVID-19 associated with remdesivir therapy.