Occurrence of Taenia species and Toxoplasma gondii in pigs slaughtered in Bujumbura city, Kayanza and Ngozi provinces, Burundi.

Background: Taenia spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are foodborne parasites affecting humans and pigs. The magnitude of the burden of these parasites in pigs in Burundi is not known.

Arrayed CRISPR libraries for the genome-wide activation, deletion and silencing of human protein-coding genes.

Arrayed CRISPR libraries extend the scope of gene-perturbation screens to non-selectable cell phenotypes. However, library generation requires assembling thousands of vectors expressing single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs). Here, by leveraging massively parallel plasmid-cloning methodology, we show that arrayed libraries can be constructed for the genome-wide ablation (19,936 plasmids) of human protein-coding genes and for their activation and epigenetic silencing (22,442 plasmids), with each plasmid encoding an array of four non-overlapping sgRNAs designed to tolerate most human DNA polymorphisms.

The performance of a point-of-care test for the diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis in a resource-poor community setting in Zambia - a diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the main cause of epilepsy in endemic rural communities. NCC diagnosis is difficult due to unavailability and unaffordability of serologic assays and neuroimaging. This study aimed to assess the performance of a cheap, novel lateral-flow point-of-care (TS POC) test for the diagnosis of NCC in a community setting.

Direct and indirect regulation of β-glucocerebrosidase by the transcription factors USF2 and ONECUT2.

Mutations in GBA1 encoding the lysosomal enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) are among the most prevalent genetic susceptibility factors for Parkinson's disease (PD), with 10-30% of carriers developing the disease. To identify genetic modifiers contributing to the incomplete penetrance, we examined the effect of 1634 human transcription factors (TFs) on GCase activity in lysates of an engineered human glioblastoma line homozygous for the pathogenic GBA1 L444P variant. Using an arrayed CRISPR activation library, we uncovered 11 TFs as regulators of GCase activity.

Quantitative 3D histochemistry reveals region-specific amyloid-β reduction by the antidiabetic drug netoglitazone.

A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the extracellular aggregation of toxic amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides in form of plaques. Here, we identify netoglitazone, an antidiabetic compound previously tested in humans, as an Aβ aggregation antagonist. Netoglitazone improved cognition and reduced microglia activity in a mouse model of AD.

Could a ring treatment approach be proposed to control Taenia solium transmission in a post elimination setting? A pilot study in Zambia.

Background: Geographically targeted Taenia solium ring approaches consisting of treating individuals within a radius of 100-meter of a cysticercosis positive pig have been trialled in Peru. This study explored if a similar approach could be proposed to control T. solium transmission in a post elimination setting in Zambia, focussing on community members' willingness to be sampled and treated.

Neurocysticercosis Prevalence and Characteristics in Communities of Sinda District in Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: This study aimed at describing the epidemiology of (neuro)cysticercosis as well as its clinical and radiological characteristics in a Taenia solium endemic district of Zambia.

Methods: This was part of a cross-sectional community-based study conducted in Sinda district to evaluate an antibody-detecting T. solium point-of-care (TS POC) test for taeniosis and (neuro)cysticercosis.

The Vicious Worm education tool improves the knowledge of community health workers on Taenia solium cysticercosis in Rwanda.

The pork tapeworm Taenia solium causes human taeniasis and cysticercosis when ingested as viable cysts and eggs, respectively. Despite its high health burden in low-income countries, knowledge of the parasite in endemic areas such as Rwanda is often limited. Here, we assess whether The Vicious Worm education software can increase knowledge in endemic areas of Rwanda.

Gaps in treatment of epileptic seizures in a Zambian rural area.

Background: Epilepsy is a multifactorial neurological disorder, including parasitic infections of the brain such as neurocysticercosis (NCC). People with epileptic seizures (PWES) in low and middle-income countries often do not receive appropriate treatment, which besides epileptic seizures, may also lead to reduced quality of life and possibly death. The objective of this study was to describe gaps in treatment of epileptic seizures in a Zambian rural area.

Evaluation of a point-of-care test for the diagnosis of Taenia solium neurocysticercosis in rural southern Tanzania: a diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of epilepsy in Taenia solium-endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa but is often undiagnosed because of an absence of affordable diagnostic tools. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a T solium cysticercosis antibody-detecting lateral-flow point-of-care assay (TS POC test) for the neuroimaging-based diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.

Methods: Patients with epileptic seizures or severe progressive headache were recruited consecutively from three hospitals in southern Tanzania.

Aggregation of cysticerci in pigs: Implications for transmission and control.

Parasite aggregation within hosts is a fundamental feature of parasite distributions, whereby the majority of parasites are harboured by a minority of hosts. Parasite aggregation can influence their transmission and hence control. In this narrative review, possible sources of aggregation of cysticerci in pigs are discussed, along with implications for control of the parasite.

Continuous population-level monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a large European metropolitan region.

Effective public health measures against SARS-CoV-2 require granular knowledge of population-level immune responses. We developed a Tripartite Automated Blood Immunoassay (TRABI) to assess the IgG response against three SARS-CoV-2 proteins. We used TRABI for continuous seromonitoring of hospital patients and blood donors (n = 72'250) in the canton of Zurich from December 2019 to December 2020 (pre-vaccine period).

Whole-brain microscopy reveals distinct temporal and spatial efficacy of anti-Aβ therapies.

Many efforts targeting amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease thus far have resulted in failures during clinical trials. Regional and temporal heterogeneity of efficacy and dependence on plaque maturity may have contributed to these disappointing outcomes. In this study, we mapped the regional and temporal specificity of various anti-Aβ treatments through high-resolution light-sheet imaging of electrophoretically cleared brains.

Assessing the burden of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Burundi, 2020.

Background: Taenia solium cysticercosis is a zoonotic disease that is endemic in many low- and middle-income countries where risk factors for disease transmission are present. The economic impact of cysticercosis on public health and on the pig production sector is not well known in many of those countries, including Burundi. This study aimed at estimating the burden of T.

Movements of free-range pigs in rural communities in Zambia: an explorative study towards future ring interventions for the control of Taenia solium.

Background: Taenia solium typically affects resource-poor communities where pigs are allowed to roam freely, and sanitation and hygiene levels are suboptimal. Sustainable, long-term strategies are urgently needed to control the disease. Geographically targeted interventions, i.

Human health and economic impact of neurocysticercosis in Uganda.

Objective: Neurocysticercosis (NCC), caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium, is a major cause of acquired epilepsy in endemic regions. The Republic of Uganda, one of the great-lakes nations in East Africa, has undergone major strives of political instability in the past century, impeding control of T. solium and other foodborne diseases.

Challenges Encountered When Evaluating an Antibody-Detecting Point-of-Care Test for Taeniosis in an Endemic Community in Zambia: A Prospective Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

taeniosis diagnosis is challenging because current tests perform sub-optimally and/or are expensive, require sophisticated equipment, infrastructure and trained manpower, and therefore are not community deployable. A recently-developed, multi-strip, point-of-care test (TS POC) for simultaneous detection of tapeworm (TS POC T) and cysticercus (TS POC CC) human antibodies was evaluated for diagnostic accuracy on consecutively recruited community participants in Sinda district, Zambia. All participants were tested using the TS POC test.

Trial Design of a Prospective Multicenter Diagnostic Accuracy Study of a Point-of-Care Test for the Detection of Taeniosis and Neurocysticercosis in Hospital-Based Settings in Tanzania.

diagnosis is challenging as trained personnel, good diagnostic tools, and infrastructure is lacking in resource-poor areas. This paper aims to describe the study trial design adopted to evaluate a newly developed rapid point-of-care test that simultaneously detects taeniosis and neurocysticercosis (TS POC) in three district hospitals in Tanzania. The two-stage design included three types of patients: patients with specific neurological signs and symptoms (group 1); patients with complaints compatible with intestinal worm infections (group 2); patients with other symptom(s) (group 3).

Trial Design for a Diagnostic Accuracy Study of a Point-of-Care Test for the Detection of Taeniosis and (Neuro)Cysticercosis in Community Settings of Highly Endemic, Resource-Poor Areas in Zambia: Challenges and Rationale.

Field-applicable, high-quality, and low-cost diagnostic tools are urgently needed for . The aim of this paper is to describe the design, challenges, and rationale for the design of a diagnostic accuracy study in low-resource community settings in Zambia. The trial was designed as a prospective study with a two-stage design to evaluate a new point-of-care test (TS POC) for the detection of taeniosis and (neuro)cysticercosis.

Operational characteristics of an antibody detecting point of care test for Taenia solium infections in a community and hospital setting.

Background: Diagnostic test evaluation includes measures of performance and assessment of operational characteristics. The latter focuses on end-user understanding of instructions to perform the test, ease of use, test turnaround time and ease of result interpretation. This study aimed to assess user comprehension of training for and ease of use of a Taenia solium point of care test (TS POC) evaluated in a community and hospital setting in Zambia and Tanzania, respectively.

Prevalence and risk assessment of porcine cysticercosis in Ngozi province, Burundi.

Cysticercosis is a major zoonotic disease in many developing countries leading to substantial economic and public health impacts on affected communities. Due to a lack of updated data on T. solium cysticercosis in Burundi, the present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis and to identify potential associated risk factors in Ngozi province.