Hematological profiles of patients with tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria infections in Bamako, Mali.

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Mali. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are very common but are often cofounded with TB because of the similarity of symptoms, which makes the diagnosis difficult. Hematological abnormalities associated with TB have been described, but not with NTM.

Use of light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy to detect acid-fast bacilli in sputum as proficient alternative tool in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in countries with limited resource settings.

Background: Despite recent advances in the development of more sensitive technologies for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), in resource-limited settings, the diagnosis continues to rely on sputum smear microscopy. This is because smear microscopy is simple, cost-efficient and the most accessible tool for the diagnosis of TB. Our study evaluated the performance of light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy (LED-FM) using auramine/rhodamine (auramine) and the fluorescein di-acetate (FDA) vital stain in the diagnostic of pulmonary TB in Bamako, Mali.

Sex Differences in Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Outcomes in Mali, West Africa.

Men and women often respond differently to infectious diseases and their treatments. Tuberculosis (TB) is a life-threatening communicable disease that affects more men than women globally. Whether male sex is an independent risk factor for unfavorable TB outcomes, however, has not been rigorously investigated in an African context, where individuals are likely exposed to different microbial and environmental factors.

High SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers in Bamako, Mali.

In Mali, a country in West Africa, cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths among healthcare workers (HCWs) remain enigmatically low, despite a series of waves, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, the country's weak healthcare system, and a general lack of adherence to public health mitigation measures. The goal of the study was to determine whether exposure is important by assessing the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in HCWs. The study was conducted between November 2020 and June 2021.