[Telephone surveys for the study of catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Colombia: a novel toolPesquisas telefônicas para um estudo de custos catastróficos da tuberculose na Colômbia: uma ferramenta inovadora].

The study of catastrophic costs incurred by people affected by tuberculosis (TB), conducted in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided the opportunity to implement telephone surveys for data collection. This constitutes a methodological innovation regarding the standards established by the World Health Organization (WHO) which, for this type of study, usually rely on face-to-face surveys of patients attending health facilities. The study design, objectives, and methodology were adapted from the WHO publication .

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Colombia, 2020: A population-based study.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to cause very high morbidity and mortality throughout Latin American countries. However, few population-based seroprevalence surveys have been conducted to quantify attack rates and characterize drivers of transmission.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study to assess the seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in ten cities in Colombia between September and December 2020.

In vitro biological activity of extracts from marine bacteria cultures against Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Aims: To evaluate the biological activity of extracts from cultures of marine bacteria against Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Methods And Results: Ethyl acetate extracts obtained from seven marine bacteria were tested against T. gondii GFP-RH and M.

Patient- and provider-related factors in the success of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in Colombia.

Objective: To identify patient- and provider-related factors associated with the success of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment in the six municipalities of Colombia with the highest number of MDR-TB cases.

Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the association between treatment success (cure or treatment completion) and characteristics of the patients and physicians, nursing professionals, and psychologists involved in their treatment. The importance of knowledge in the management of MDR-TB cases was explored through focus groups with these providers.

[Patient- and provider-related factors in the success of multidrug tuberculosis treatment in ColombiaFatores de êxito do tratamento da tuberculose multirresistente relacionados com o paciente e com a equipe de saúde na Colômbia].

Objective: To identify patient- and provider-related factors associated with the success of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment in the six municipalities of Colombia with the highest number of MDR-TB cases.

Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the association between treatment success (cure or treatment completion) and characteristics of the patients and physicians, nursing professionals, and psychologists involved in their treatment. The importance of knowledge in the management of MDR-TB cases was explored through focus groups with these providers.

[Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in workers of bovine tuberculosis sanitation farms in Antioquia, Boyacá and Cundinamarca].

Objective: To perform classic and molecular epidemiological surveillance of human tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in bovine supply chains at farms with PPD positive bovines in the departments of Antioquia, Boyacá and Cundinamarca during a one-year period.

Methods: Livestock farms with PPD positive bovines or buffalos were visited in the study departments according to information obtained in the "Programa Nacional de Tuberculosis bovina" (National program on bovine Tuberculosis) released by ICA (Colombian Agriculture and Livestock Institute). Data on socio-demographic information and tuberculosis risk factors associated to the occupation were collected through a survey applied to all workers at the visited farms.

A molecular platform for the diagnosis of multidrug-resistant and pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis based on single nucleotide polymorphism mutations present in Colombian isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Developing a fast, inexpensive, and specific test that reflects the mutations present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates according to geographic region is the main challenge for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) control. The objective of this study was to develop a molecular platform to make a rapid diagnosis of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant TB based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutations present in therpoB, katG, inhA,ahpC, and gyrA genes from Colombian M. tuberculosis isolates.