Therapeutics for Nipah virus disease: a systematic review to support prioritisation of drug candidates for clinical trials.

Nipah virus disease is a bat-borne zoonosis with person-to-person transmission, a case-fatality rate of 38-75%, and well recognised potential to cause a pandemic. The first reported outbreak of Nipah virus disease occurred in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998, which has since been followed by multiple outbreaks in Bangladesh and India. To date, no therapeutics or vaccines have been approved to treat Nipah virus disease, and only few such candidates are in development.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization is dynamic over time, whilst GBS capsular polysaccharides-specific antibody remains stable.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to invasive infection. This study investigated longitudinal variation in GBS rectovaginal colonization, serum and vaginal GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific antibody levels. Non-pregnant women were recruited in the UK and were sampled every 2 weeks over a 12-week period.

A systematic review of tuberculosis detection and prevention studies in prisons.

Many studies have demonstrated that prisons are hotspots of tuberculosis disease and transmission. Despite this, it remains unclear which interventions are most effective at controlling tuberculosis in prisons. The objective was to determine the study designs used to investigate tuberculosis control in prisons, and the efficacy of interventions undertaken.

Mind the message: Referral letter quality at a South African medical outpatient department.

Background: Some patients need referral within the health system to achieve optimal care, and referral letters are an important part of this process. Healthcare practitioners often complain that referral letters lack information, are inaccurate, or direct patients to the wrong place. Poor communication affects patient experience and outcomes, has budgetary and service planning implications, and impacts on staff relationships and morale.

Improving TB infection control in a regional hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

This quality improvement (QI) work was carried out in Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (CMH), a regional public hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa (SA). SA has among the highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the world and this is a leading cause of death in SA. Nosocomial infection is an important source of TB transmission.

Tuberculosis Genetic Epidemiology: A Latin American Perspective.

There are an estimated 10 million new cases of tuberculosis worldwide annually, with 282,000 new or relapsed cases each year reported from the Americas. With improvements in genome sequencing technology, it is now possible to study the genetic diversity of tuberculosis with much greater resolution. Although tuberculosis bacteria do not engage in horizontal gene transfer, the genome is far more variable than previously thought.

The arrhythmogenic cardiotoxicity of the quinoline and structurally related antimalarial drugs: a systematic review.

Background: Several quinoline and structurally related antimalarial drugs are associated with cardiovascular side effects, particularly hypotension and electrocardiographic QT interval prolongation. A prolonged QT interval is a sensitive but not specific risk marker for the development of Torsade de Pointes-a potentially lethal polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The increasing use of quinoline and structurally related antimalarials in mass treatments to eliminate malaria rapidly highlights the need to review their cardiovascular safety profiles.