Impact of water, sanitation, and hygiene indicators on enteric viral pathogens among under-5 children in low resource settings.

Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are the primary risks of exposure to enteric viral infection. Our study aimed to describe the role of WASH conditions and practices as risk factors for enteric viral infections in children under 5. Literature on the risk factors associated with all-cause diarrhea masks the taxa-specific drivers of diarrhea from specific pathogens, limiting the application of relevant control strategies.

Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels for Advanced Biomedical Engineering Applications.

In recent years, numerous applications of hydrogels using polysaccharides have evolved, benefiting from their widespread availability, excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nonpoisonous nature. These natural polymers are typically sourced from renewable materials or from manufacturing processes, contributing collaboratively to waste management and demonstrating the potential for enhanced and enduring sustainability. In the field of novel bioactive molecule carriers for biotherapeutics, natural polymers are attracting attention due to their inherent properties and adaptable chemical structures.

Short-term associations of diarrhoeal diseases in children with temperature and precipitation in seven low- and middle-income countries from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study.

Background: Diarrhoeal diseases cause a heavy burden in developing countries. Although studies have described the seasonality of diarrhoeal diseases, the association of weather variables with diarrhoeal diseases has not been well characterized in resource-limited settings where the burden remains high. We examined short-term associations between ambient temperature, precipitation and hospital visits due to diarrhoea among children in seven low- and middle-income countries.

Identification of Enteric Pathogen Reservoirs and Transmission Pathways Associated with Short Childhood Stature in the Kolkata Indian Site of the Global Enteric Multicenter Study.

Age-stratified path analyses modeled associations between enteric pathogen reservoirs, transmission pathways and height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) to identify determinants of childhood growth in the Kolkata, India site of the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS). Models tested direct associations of potential pathogen reservoirs with HAZ at 60-day follow-up in separate moderate and severe diarrhea (MSD) case and control cohorts or indirectly when mediated by enteric infections. In the MSD cohort, rotavirus and typical EPEC (tEPEC) infections among children 0-11 months of age and ST-ETEC infections among children 12-23 months of age were associated with lower HAZ.