Publications by authors named "Karl P Puchner"

Article Synopsis
  • * It highlights evidence of possums, cattle, and armadillos as key reservoirs for Buruli ulcer, tuberculosis, and leprosy respectively, with implications for zoonotic transmission to humans.
  • * The study emphasizes the need for further research and public health measures to address the complex transmission routes and control efforts for these diseases.
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Hookworm, a parasitic infection, retains a considerable burden of disease, affecting the most underprivileged segments of the general population in endemic countries and remains one of the leading causes of mild to severe anemia in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), particularly in pregnancy and children under 5. Despite repeated large scale Preventive Chemotherapy (PC) interventions since more than 3 decades, there is broad consensus among scholars that elimination targets set in the newly launched NTD roadmap will require additional tools and interventions. Development of a vaccine could constitute a promising expansion of the existing arsenal against hookworm.

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Background: Little is known about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning Chagas disease (CD) among Latin American migrants in Germany to inform public health decision making.

Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between March 2014 and October 2019 among Latin American migrants in six cities in Germany to obtain information on migration history, socioeconomic and insurance status, knowledge about CD, potential risk factors for infection, and willingness to donate blood or organs.

Results: 168 participants completed the questionnaire.

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Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which can be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy. There is no consensus on the proportion of infected infants with clinical signs of congenital Chagas disease (cCD). The objective of this systematic review is to determine the burden of cCD.

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Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, the annual new case detection in 2019 was 202,189 globally. Measuring endemicity levels and burden in leprosy lacks a uniform approach. As a result, the assessment of leprosy endemicity or burden are not comparable over time and across countries and regions.

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Background: Contact tracing as an epidemiological strategy has repeatedly contributed to the containment of various past epidemics and succeeded in controlling the spread of disease in the community. Systematic training of contact tracers is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness of epidemic containment.

Methods: An intensive training course was offered to 216 health and other professionals who work with vulnerable population groups, such as Roma, refugees, and migrants in Greece, by the scientific team of the postgraduate programme "Global Health-Disaster Medicine" of the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with the support of the Swiss embassy in Greece.

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Objectives: To report on an active case finding (ACF) intervention that took place in the migrant camp of Oinofyta, Greece, upon suspicion of active TB transmission.

Methods: Upon diagnosis of 3 TB cases among camp residents, an ACF intervention among contacts was implemented. All camp residents were offered two-step screening, that is tuberculin skin testing (TST) followed by chest X-ray in case of positive TST (defined as ≥5 mm).

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Article Synopsis
  • Leprosy, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), and Chagas disease (CD) are neglected tropical diseases prevalent in Colombia, causing significant psychosocial burden, particularly in mental distress and stigma.
  • In a 2018 study with 305 patients, it was found that 50% of CD and 49% of leprosy patients experienced mental distress, while participation restrictions were highest in leprosy patients (27%).
  • The study concluded that leprosy patients faced greater stigma and psychosocial issues compared to CL and CD patients, suggesting a need for targeted, evidence-based interventions to address these challenges.
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The epidemiological transitions that have occurred in low and middle income countries (LMIC) during the past decades have led to an increased prevalence on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in these countries, where the burden of infectious diseases (IDs), especially tuberculosis (TB), remains high. Although the true dimensions of this comorbidity have not yet been fully understood, there is a growing amount of data, over the last 10 years, that suggest a clear association between NCDs and TB. In particular, there is a continuously increasing body of evidence that diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory conditions, tobacco use, mental health illnesses and chronic kidney disease increase TB morbidity and mortality and vice versa.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to measure the average time it takes for leprosy symptoms to be diagnosed and identify factors that contribute to delays in diagnosis.
  • - Researchers interviewed 249 leprosy patients in northern Colombia and found that the average diagnostic delay was 33.5 months, with some patients showing significant visible deformities by the time they were diagnosed.
  • - The findings indicate that multiple consultations and delayed treatment seeking are linked to longer diagnosis times, highlighting the need for improved public awareness and quicker referrals to specialists for leprosy diagnosis.
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Background: This paper analyzes the trends of key indicators reflecting the epidemiological situation of leprosy in nine different states of the Republic of the Sudan after the introduction of a systematic contact screening in 2010.

Methods: The routinely assessed data from the leprosy control program from 2010 to 2016 were analyzed.

Results: Despite, intense contact screening, the overall number of new cases detected showed a decreasing trend.

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Objective: To investigate whether stature is associated with two highly prevalent cardiom- etabolic disorders-diabetes mellitus (DM) and high blood pressure (HBP) -in middle-aged Mexican women.

Methods: ESMaestras

Results: After adjusting for birth cohort, ethnicity, family history, birthweight, occupation of household's head during participant's childhood, menopausal status, and geographical region of birthplace, stature was inversely associated with DM, with the odds for DM being 9% higher in the lowest stature quintile when compared to the highest stature quintile. Stratification for location of residence resulted in confirmation of the above-mentioned findings only in partici- pants living in urban environments.

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Background: RLS is a common chronic disorder characterized by an irresistible need to move the lower limbs that affects sleep. Poor sleep has been associated with increased blood pressure (BP). Thus, we evaluated the cross-sectional relationship between RLS and hypertension (HTN) in a large cohort study in Mexico.

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Monocyte-chemotactic-protein-1 (MCP-1) plays vital roles in immune response, angiogenesis, and pregnancy outcome. We investigated plasma MCP-1 concentrations in 40 mothers and their 20 intrauterine-growth-restricted (IUGR) and 20 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses and neonates on postnatal days 1 (N1) and 4 (N4). Maternal and fetal MCP-1 concentrations were decreased (P<001 and P = .

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