Characterization of population connectivity for enhanced cross-border surveillance of yellow fever at Mutukula and Namanga borders in Tanzania.

Objectives: Yellow fever (YF) remains a public health threat in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, with an estimated 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths annually. Although the World Health Organization considers Tanzania to be at low risk for YF because no YF cases have been reported, the country remains at alert to importation of the virus due to ecological factors and high connectivity to high-risk YF areas in other countries. This study aimed to identify points of interest with connectivity to high-risk YF areas to guide preparedness efforts in Tanzania.

Seroprevalence and molecular analysis of yellow fever virus in mosquitoes at Namanga and Mutukula borders in Tanzania.

Objectives: Yellow fever (YF) is a major public health concern, particularly in Africa and South America. This study aimed to detect YF in human and mosquito samples to understand transmission dynamics in the Tanzania-Uganda and Tanzania-Kenya cross-border areas.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from individuals aged ≥9 months for serological testing.

Effectiveness of Point of Entry Health Screening Measures among Travelers in the Detection and Containment of the International Spread of COVID-19: A Review of the Evidence.

COVID-19 remains a communicable disease with the capacity to cause substantial damage to health and health systems. Enhanced health screening at points of entry (POEs) is a public health measure implemented to support early detection, prevention and response to communicable diseases, such as COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to review the available evidence on the effectiveness of POE health screening in the detection and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Correlating food and nutritional patterns with cancers in the pediatric oncology population at two specialized hospitals in Tanzania.

Background: This study of nutritional patterns in relation to cancers among pediatric oncology population in Tanzania was motivated by the lack of up-to-date information about the nutritional practices, the controversy around the importance of nutritional support and the lack of consistent nutritional criteria among pediatric oncology populations.

Methods: A survey study in two cancer referral hospitals of children diagnosed with any cancers, aged between 1 and 17 years inclusive and being eligible for enteral feeding included 131 children. Their demographic, nutritional, feeding and cancer profiles were analyzed descriptively through mapping and other approaches as well as inferentially using multinomial regression models to understand different aspects of nutrition for children suffering from cancers.

Prevalence and risk factors of brain atrophy and associated confusion state among adults from three hospitals in northern Tanzania.

Introduction: brain atrophy is the reduction of brain volume often accompanied with cognitive changes. Despite the availability of computerized-tomography (CT) scanners in Tanzania, little is known about the magnitude of brain atrophy, its associated confusion state and the risk factors in adults. This study aimed to fill those knowledge gaps.

The neuroimaging magnitude of pediatric brain atrophy in northern Tanzania.

Introduction: The loss of parenchymal brain volume per normative age comparison is a distinctive feature of brain atrophy. While the condition is the most prevalent to elderly, it has also been observed in pediatric ages. Various causes such as trauma, infection, and malnutrition have been reported to trigger the loss of brain tissues volume.

One Health in Practice: Using Integrated Bite Case Management to Increase Detection of Rabid Animals in Tanzania.

Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease that causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths worldwide annually, mostly in Africa and Asia. A target of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies has been set for 2030, and large-scale control programs are now advocated. However, in most low-income endemic countries surveillance to guide rabies control is weak and few cases of rabies are recorded.

Toward Elimination of Dog-Mediated Human Rabies: Experiences from Implementing a Large-scale Demonstration Project in Southern Tanzania.

A Rabies Elimination Demonstration Project was implemented in Tanzania from 2010 through to 2015, bringing together government ministries from the health and veterinary sectors, the World Health Organization, and national and international research institutions. Detailed data on mass dog vaccination campaigns, bite exposures, use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and human rabies deaths were collected throughout the project duration and project areas. Despite no previous experience in dog vaccination within the project areas, district veterinary officers were able to implement district-wide vaccination campaigns that, for most part, progressively increased the numbers of dogs vaccinated with each phase of the project.

Viruses that cross borders: factors responsible for global dissemination of viral infections.

Objective: Pandemic viral infections as emerging infectious diseases are of a great global concern. However, for some viruses, particular strains are endemic to specific areas and can be genetically distinguished from strains in other regions. In contrast, for some other viruses, genetically similar strains can spread and circulate all over the world.