Publications by authors named "J Muwonga"
Screening for cryptococcal antigenemia and meningeal cryptococcosis, genetic characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans in asymptomatic patients with advanced HIV disease in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sci Rep
December 2024
We evaluated the prevalence of serum and meningeal cryptococcosis in asymptomatic outpatients with advanced HIV disease (CD4 < 200 cells/mm3) in a cross-sectional screening context in Kinshasa clinics (DRC). Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed in patients with positive serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test, and Cryptococcus spp. isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, and characterized using serotyping-PCR, ITS-sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Despite global reductions in hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence, an estimated 6.2 million children are infected, two-thirds of whom live in the WHO Africa region. We sought to characterize childhood HBV to inform elimination efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the largest and most populous African countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The dynamics of the spread of cholera epidemics in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), from east to west and within western DRC, have been extensively studied. However, the drivers of these spread processes remain unclear. We therefore sought to better understand the factors associated with these spread dynamics and their potential underlying mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study focuses on the high genetic diversity of HIV-1M in the Congo Basin, where the epidemic began over a century ago, analyzing 148 samples from the Democratic Republic of the Congo collected between 1997 and 2013.
- Researchers used PCR and sequencing methods to identify 22 different subtypes and 15% unique recombinant forms (URFs), alongside rare subtypes such as H, J, and K.
- Two specific amino acid motifs related to HIV-1 replication and fitness were found in the samples, but there was no clear correlation between these motifs and the different subtypes, indicating a need for further research on their effects.
Association between domesticated animal ownership and Plasmodium falciparum parasite prevalence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a national cross-sectional study.
Lancet Microbe
July 2023
Background: Domesticated animal ownership is an understudied aspect of the human environment that influences mosquito biting behaviour and malaria transmission, and is a key part of national economies and livelihoods in malaria-endemic regions. In this study, we aimed to understand differences in Plasmodium falciparum prevalence by ownership status of common domesticated animals in DR Congo, where 12% of the world's malaria cases occur and anthropophilic Anopheles gambiae vectors predominate.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used survey data from individuals aged 15-59 years in the most recent (2013-14) DR Congo Demographic and Health Survey and previously performed Plasmodium quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to estimate P falciparum prevalence differences by household ownership of cattle; chickens; donkeys, horses, or mules; ducks; goats; sheep; and pigs.