Association of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections with the alteration of the oropharyngeal microbiome in a cohort of school children in Côte d'Ivoire.

Introduction: The oropharyngeal microbiome plays an important role in protection against infectious agents when in balance. Despite use of vaccines and antibiotic therapy to prevent respiratory tract infections, they remain one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in Low- and middle-income countries. Hence the need to explore other approaches to prevention by identifying microbial biomarkers that could be leveraged to modify the microbiota in order to enhance protection against pathogenic bacteria.

Narrative review of application of metagenomic approaches to study the link between oropharyngeal microbiome and infectious diseases.

Context: Viral and bacterial infections are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The oropharyngeal microbiome could play an important role in preventing invasion of viral and bacterial pathogens by modulating its content and the host's innate immune response. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies now enable in-depth study of the genomes of microbial communities.

Control of Streptococcal Infections: Is a Common Vaccine Target Achievable Against and .

Both [group B streptococcus (GBS)] and (pneumococcus) remain significant pathogens as they cause life threatening infections mostly in children and the elderly. The control of diseases caused by these pathogens is dependent on antibiotics use and appropriate vaccination. The introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) against some serotypes has led to reduction in pneumococcal infections, however, the subsequent serotype switching, and replacement has been a serious challenge.

Factors Influencing the Transborder Transmission of Brucellosis in Cattle Between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali: Evidence From Literature and Current Key Stakeholders.

Brucellosis is one of the main zoonoses affecting ruminants. Cattle and small ruminants are involved in transhumance and trade between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. The endemic nature of the disease in both countries, connected through transhumance, poses unique challenges and requires more information to facilitate disease surveillance and the development of integrated control strategies.

Molecular diagnostic assays for the detection of common bacterial meningitis pathogens: A narrative review.

Bacterial meningitis is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Rapid identification of the aetiological agent of meningitis is essential for clinical and public health management and disease prevention given the wide range of pathogens that cause the clinical syndrome and the availability of vaccines that protect against some, but not all, of these. Since microbiological culture is complex, slow, and often impacted by prior antimicrobial treatment of the patient, molecular diagnostic assays have been developed for bacterial detection.

Genomic characterization of novel Neisseria species.

Of the ten human-restricted Neisseria species two, Neisseria meningitidis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, cause invasive disease: the other eight are carried asymptomatically in the pharynx, possibly modulating meningococcal and gonococcal infections. Consequently, characterizing their diversity is important for understanding the microbiome in health and disease. Whole genome sequences from 181 Neisseria isolates were examined, including those of three well-defined species (N.

Development of a PCR algorithm to detect and characterize Neisseria meningitidis carriage isolates in the African meningitis belt.

Improved methods for the detection and characterization of carried Neisseria meningitidis isolates are needed. We evaluated a multiplex PCR algorithm for the detection of a variety of carriage strains in the meningitis belt. To further improve the sensitivity and specificity of the existing PCR assays, primers for gel-based PCR assays (sodC, H, Z) and primers/probe for real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays (porA, cnl, sodC, H, E, Z) were modified or created using Primer Express software.

Narrative review of methods and findings of recent studies on the carriage of meningococci and other Neisseria species in the African Meningitis Belt.

Objective: To review the findings of studies of pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and related species conducted in the African meningitis belt since a previous review published in 2007.

Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched in July 2018 using the terms 'meningococcal OR Neisseria meningitidis OR lactamica AND carriage AND Africa', with the search limited to papers published on or after 1st January 2007. We conducted a narrative review of these publications.

Investigation of correlates of protection against pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis genogroups W and Y in the African meningitis belt.

Background: Serum bactericidal antibody titres that correlate with protection against invasive meningococcal disease have been characterised. However, titres that are associated with protection against acquisition of pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis are not known.

Methods: Sera were obtained from the members of a household in seven countries of the African meningitis belt in which a pharyngeal carrier of N.

Hierarchical genomic analysis of carried and invasive serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis during the 2011 epidemic in Chad.

Background: Serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis (NmA) was the cause of the 2011 meningitis epidemics in Chad. This bacterium, often carried asymptomatically, is considered to be an "accidental pathogen"; however, the transition from carriage to disease phenotype remains poorly understood. This study examined the role genetic diversity might play in this transition by comparing genomes from geographically and temporally matched invasive and carried NmA isolates.

Alternative Molecular Methods for Improved Detection of Meningococcal Carriage and Measurement of Bacterial Density.

Conventional methods for detecting pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis are complex. There is a need for simpler methods with improved performance. We have investigated two alternative approaches.

Correction: A Seroepidemiological Study of Serogroup A Meningococcal Infection in the African Meningitis Belt.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria species in the African meningitis belt.

Objectives: Neisseria meningitidis, together with the non-pathogenic Neisseria species (NPNs), are members of the complex microbiota of the human pharynx. This paper investigates the influence of NPNs on the epidemiology of meningococcal infection.

Methods: Neisseria isolates were collected during 18 surveys conducted in six countries in the African meningitis belt between 2010 and 2012 and characterized at the rplF locus to determine species and at the variable region of the fetA antigen gene.

A Seroepidemiological Study of Serogroup A Meningococcal Infection in the African Meningitis Belt.

The pattern of epidemic meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt may be influenced by the background level of population immunity but this has been measured infrequently. A standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibodies was established at five centres within the meningitis belt. Antibody concentrations were then measured in 3930 individuals stratified by age and residence from six countries.

Methods for identifying Neisseria meningitidis carriers: a multi-center study in the African meningitis belt.

Objective: Detection of meningococcal carriers is key to understanding the epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis, yet no gold standard has been established. Here, we directly compare two methods for collecting pharyngeal swabs to identify meningococcal carriers.

Methods: We conducted cross-sectional surveys of schoolchildren at multiple sites in Africa to compare swabbing the posterior pharynx behind the uvula (U) to swabbing the posterior pharynx behind the uvula plus one tonsil (T).

Global cellular changes induced by Legionella pneumophila infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages.

The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (Nod)-like receptor (NLR) family member Naip5 plays an essential role in restricting Legionella pneumophila growth inside primary macrophages. Upon interaction with bacterial flagellin, the intracellular receptor Naip5 forms a multi-protein complex, the inflammasome, which activation has a protective role against infection. The A/J mouse strain carries a Naip5 allele (Naip5(A/J)), which renders its macrophages susceptible to Legionella infection.