Comparison of the Causes of Death Identified Using Automated Verbal Autopsy and Complete Autopsy among Brought-in-Dead Cases at a Tertiary Hospital in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Background: Over one-third of deaths recorded at health facilities in Zambia are brought in dead (BID) and the causes of death (CODs) are not fully analyzed. The use of automated verbal autopsy (VA) has reportedly determined the CODs of more BID cases than the death notification form issued by the hospital. However, the validity of automated VA is yet to be fully investigated.

Analysis of causes of death among brought-in-dead cases in a third-level Hospital in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia, using the tariff method 2.0 for verbal autopsy: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Over one third of deaths in Zambian health facilities involve someone who has already died before arrival (i.e., Brough in Dead), and in most BiD cases, the CoD have not been fully analyzed.

Influenza surveillance in Zambia, 2008-2009.

Background: Limited information exists about influenza viruses in Africa. We used data from a new sentinel surveillance system to investigate the seasonality and characteristics of influenza, including pandemic (pdm) influenza A H1N1, in Zambia.

Methods: In June 2008, we established sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) at 4 healthcare facilities in Zambia.

Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection among HIV discordant partners using interferon gamma release assays.

Background: There is limited data on the effect of HIV status and CD4 counts on performance of Interferon-g Release assays (IGRAs) for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for a positive diagnostic test for LTBI, using tuberculin skin test (TST) and IGRAs among HIV-discordant couples in Zambia.

Results: A total of 596 subjects (298 couples) were enrolled.