Publications by authors named "Diana Prah"
Article Synopsis
- Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating effective strategies for its elimination, particularly through improved detection methods for the parasite, especially in asymptomatic cases.
- Recent advancements in malaria diagnostics include rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), molecular technologies, and non-invasive methods, which have been reviewed using various scientific databases.
- However, only 26% of low and lower-middle-income countries utilize modern diagnostic methods, highlighting the need for increased investment and research to enhance malaria detection and elimination efforts in resource-limited regions.
Ghana and other parts of West Africa have experienced lower COVID-19 mortality rates than other regions. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to be associated with previous exposure to infections such as malaria. This study investigated the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the influence of previous malaria exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical immunity to malaria develops slowly after repeated episodes of infection and antibodies are essential in naturally acquired immunity against malaria. However, chronic exposure to malaria has been linked to perturbation in B-cell homeostasis with the accumulation of atypical memory B cells. It is unclear how perturbations in B cell subsets influence antibody breadth, avidity, and function in individuals naturally exposed to malaria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA large body of evidence suggests that low parasite carriage in Plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic infection is required for the maintenance of malaria immunity. However, the fact that treating such infections has little to no impact on subsequent clinical malaria is rarely noted. In this paper, we review data and argue that low-density parasite carriage in asymptomatic infection may not support host immune processes and that parasites are virtually under the host's immunological radar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * Since the introduction of PCR testing in the 1980s, many molecular tests for infections have been developed, but their application in resource-limited settings faces challenges despite technological advances.
- * The review examined data from various sources to assess current molecular diagnostic approaches for neglected tropical diseases and highlighted the need for improvement in the availability and applicability of these techniques to meet global health goals.
Genomic epidemiological analysis identifies high relapse among individuals with recurring tuberculosis and provides evidence of recent household-related transmission of tuberculosis in Ghana.
Int J Infect Dis
May 2021
Objective: To retrospectively investigate the cause of recurring tuberculosis (rcTB) among participants with pulmonary TB recruited from a prospective population-based study conducted between July 2012 and December 2015.
Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates obtained from rcTB cases were characterized by standard mycobacterial genotyping tools, whole-genome sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis carried out to assess strain relatedness.
Results: The majority (58.
Background: The immune mechanisms that determine whether a Plasmodium falciparum infection would be symptomatic or asymptomatic are not fully understood. Several studies have been carried out to characterize the associations between disease outcomes and leucocyte numbers. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted in adults with acute uncomplicated malaria, despite children being the most vulnerable group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhole genome sequencing (WGS) is progressively being used to investigate the transmission dynamics of complex (MTBC). We used WGS analysis to resolve traditional genotype clusters and explored the spatial distribution of confirmed recent transmission clusters. Bacterial genomes from a total of 452 MTBC isolates belonging to large traditional clusters from a population-based study spanning July 2012 and December 2015 were obtained through short read next-generation sequencing using the illumina HiSeq2500 platform.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Understanding transmission dynamics is useful for tuberculosis (TB) control. A population-based molecular epidemiological study was conducted to determine TB transmission in Ghana.
Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates obtained from prospectively sampled pulmonary TB patients between July 2012 and December 2015 were characterized using spoligotyping and standard 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing for transmission studies.