Publications by authors named "Lorraine T Pfavayi"

Objectives: The widespread adoption of self-testing for SARS-CoV-2 has proven effective in curbing the virus' spread, particularly in Western countries. However, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the feasibility, acceptance and factors influencing the uptake of self-testing in low-resource areas, notably rural Africa. Our aim was to assess the willingness and capability of rural Zimbabwean participants to self-diagnose COVID-19 using rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs) and adhere to post-positive test guidelines.

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Poorly controlled asthma is especially common in low resource countries. Aside from lack of access to, or poor technique with, inhaled beta-2 agonists and corticosteroids, the most problematic forms of asthma are frequently associated with both fungal allergy and exposure, especially in adults leading to more asthma exacerbations and worse asthma. The umbrella term 'fungal asthma' describes many disorders linked to fungal exposure and/or allergy to fungi.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Analyzed different fungal species, revealing 34 distinct proteins, with a significant reaction to the fungus A. alternata, including several novel immunogens.
  • * Suggested that these findings could lead to more effective diagnostic tools for fungal allergies in Zimbabwe, with further validation needed for the potential allergens in larger patient groups.
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Background: The prevalence of allergic diseases has increased over the last few decades, with sensitisation to fungal allergens and gut microbiome dysbiosis implicated in this trend. The fungal community in the gut (mycobiome) has yet to be characterised and related to fungal allergic sensitisation. Thus, we characterised the gut mycobiome and related it to fungal sensitisation and seroreactivity among Zimbabwean children.

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Zimbabwe currently faces several healthcare challenges, most notably HIV and associated infections including tuberculosis (TB), malaria and recently outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and COVID-19. Fungal infections, which are also a major public health threat, receive considerably less attention. Consequently, there is dearth of data regarding the burden of fungal diseases in the country.

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The prevalence of allergic diseases in the African continent has received limited attention with the allergic diseases due to fungal allergens being among the least studied. This lead to the opinion being that the prevalence of allergic disease is low in Africa. Recent reports from different African countries indicate that this is not the case as allergic conditions are common and some; particularly those due to fungal allergens are increasing in prevalence.

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Article Synopsis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects mainly individuals of African descent, with current diagnostic criteria inadequately reflecting their specific patterns of disease presentation.
  • The study analyzed serum samples from 61 Black African SLE patients and 100 controls, finding a much higher rate of detectable autoantibodies in SLE patients (97%) compared to controls (15%), with notable reactivities against dsDNA and PCNA.
  • The research identified two distinct patient groups based on autoantibody profiles, suggesting that including anti-PCNA in diagnostics could improve the accuracy of SLE identification and understanding of its clinical manifestations in Black African populations.
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Background: Recent research has shown that in schistosome-endemic areas preschool-aged children (PSAC), that is, ≤5 years, are at risk of infection. However, there exists a knowledge gap on the dynamics of infection and morbidity in this age group. In this study, we determined the incidence and dynamics of the first urogenital schistosome infections, morbidity and treatment in PSAC.

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