Publications by authors named "Daniel Puga"

Severe malaria is an uncommon diagnosis in the United States. However, awareness of signs, symptoms, and treatment options is imperative in order to promptly initiate optimal therapy. False positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) results are rare in the setting of acute malaria infection and with the introduction of newer fourth-generation immunoassays.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on antiretroviral therapy (ART) define treatment failure as 2 consecutive viral loads (VLs) ≥1000 copies/mL. There is, however, little evidence supporting 1000 copies as an optimal threshold to define treatment failure. Objective of this study was to assess the correlation of the WHO definition with the presence of drug-resistance mutations in patients who present with 2 consecutive unsuppressed VL in a resource-limited setting.

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This survey assessed virologic outcomes of children on antiretroviral therapy and potential predictors in 10 nurse-led clinics in Lesotho. Viral suppression was achieved in 72% of the 191 children. No predictors for virologic outcome were found, underlining the need for routine viral load testing in resource-limited settings to achieve 90-90-90.

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Objective: To compare virologic success between adult patients on tenofovir (TDF) and zidovudine (AZT)-containing first-line antiretroviral (ART) regimens in 10 rural clinics in Lesotho, Southern Africa.

Methods: Multicentre cross-sectional study, patients ≥16 years, on first-line ART ≥6 months, receiving AZT/lamivudine (3TC) or TDF/3TC combined with efavirenz (EFV) or nevirapine (NVP). Patient characteristics and clinical/therapeutic history were collected on the day of blood draw for viral load (VL).

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Introduction: In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended scaling up of routine viral load (VL) monitoring for patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings [1]. During the transition phase from no VL-testing at all to routine VL-monitoring, targeted VL for groups at particular risk of virologic failure (VF) may be an option [2]. We present socio-demographic and clinical risk factors for VF in a cohort in rural Lesotho with no access to VL prior to the study.

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Parasitic infections are an uncommon but potentially severe complication in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. An increase in donors who have emigrated from tropical areas and more transplant recipients traveling to endemic areas have led to a rise in parasitic infections reported among SOT recipients. Clinicians should include these infections in their differential diagnosis and promote adherence to preventive measures in SOT recipients.

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