Comparative evaluation of plasma biomarkers of Schistosoma haematobium infection in endemic populations from Burkina Faso.

Infection with Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital disease associated with organ disfunction, bleeding, pain, and higher susceptibility to infections and cancer. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for prompt and appropriate treatment as well as surveillance efforts, and the use of plasma biomarkers offers important advantages over parasitological examination of urine, including increased sensitivity and the possibility to use the same specimen for multiple investigations. The present study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different plasma biomarkers in endemic populations from Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Impact of antibiotic intake on the incidence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in sub-Saharan Africa: results from a community-based longitudinal study.

Objectives: The global prevalence of intestinal extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) is approximately 17% in communities, with significant variations among regions. This longitudinal study aimed to assess the impact of antibiotic intake on the incidence of intestinal ESBL-PE in Ghanaian pharmacy customers outside of hospitals.

Methods: Screening for ESBL-PE was performed in four independent pharmacies in Kumasi, Ghana, using rectal swabs and an ESBL-PE-selective medium.

Clustering of Cryptosporidium species infections among sheep and cattle but not children in remote highland communities of Madagascar.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify local transmission patterns of Cryptosporidium spp. infections among livestock and humans in four extremely rural and remote highland communities in Madagascar.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, households were randomly sampled throughout a 1-year study period, with one feces sample collected from each child (≤ 5 years old), sheep and cattle.

Prediction of Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles of Isolates From Whole Genome Illumina and Nanopore Sequencing Data: CholerAegon.

During the last decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global public health concern. Nowadays multi-drug resistance is commonly observed in strains of , the etiological agent of cholera. In order to limit the spread of pathogenic drug-resistant bacteria and to maintain treatment options the analysis of clinical samples and their AMR profiles are essential.

Comparative genomics revealed adaptive admixture in in Africa.

Cryptosporidiosis is a major cause of diarrhoeal illness among African children, and is associated with childhood mortality, malnutrition, cognitive development and growth retardation. is the dominant pathogen in Africa, and genotyping at the glycoprotein 60 () gene has revealed a complex distribution of different subtypes across this continent. However, a comprehensive exploration of the metapopulation structure and evolution based on whole-genome data has yet to be performed.

A cross-sectional study on risk factors for infection with Parvovirus B19 and the association with anaemia in a febrile paediatric population in Ghana.

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) occurs globally and can cause severe anaemia. The role of co-infections with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) has been controversially discussed.

Performance of a rapid diagnostic test for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in African children admitted to hospital with diarrhea.

Background: Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes mild to severe diarrhoeal disease in humans. To date, several commercial companies have developed rapid immunoassays for the detection of Cryptosporidium infection. However, the challenge is to identify an accurate, simple and rapid diagnostic tool for the estimation of cryptosporidiosis burden.

Viral metagenomics revealed novel betatorquevirus species in pediatric inpatients with encephalitis/meningoencephalitis from Ghana.

The cause of acute encephalitis/meningoencephalitis in pediatric patients remains often unexplained despite extensive investigations for large panel of pathogens. To explore a possible viral implication, we investigated the virome of cerebrospinal fluid specimens of 70 febrile pediatric inpatients with clinical compatible encephalitis/meningoencephalitis. Using viral metagenomics, we detected and genetically characterized three novel human Torque teno mini virus (TTMV) species (TTMV-G1-3).

TP53 mutation and survival in aggressive B cell lymphoma.

TP53 is mutated in 20-25% of aggressive B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL). To date, no studies have addressed the impact of TP53 mutations in prospective clinical trial cohorts. To evaluate the impact of TP53 mutation to current risk models in aggressive B-NHL, we investigated TP53 gene mutations within the RICOVER-60 trial.

No serological evidence for Zika virus infection and low specificity for anti-Zika virus ELISA in malaria positive individuals among pregnant women from Madagascar in 2010.

It was previously reported that a malaria infection may interfere with the specificity of a commercial ELISA test against Zika virus (ZIKV). We analyzed 1,216 plasma samples from healthy, pregnant women collected in two sites in Madagascar in 2010 for ZIKV antibodies using a commercial ELISA and for Plasmodium infection by PCR. This screen revealed six putative ZIKV-positive samples by ELISA.

Infection in Febrile Children, Ghana.

AbstractRickettsial infections are an underrecognized cause of febrile illness in sub-Saharan Africa. To evaluate the epidemiology and clinical features of rickettsial disease in pediatric patients in Ghana, we screened blood samples from febrile children aged less than 15 years presenting to an outpatient department in Ghana's Ashanti Region for the presence of rickettsial DNA. We detected in 7/470 (1.