Vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus in the WHO African region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: More new infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) occur annually in the WHO African region than in the rest of the world combined. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in pregnant women and vertical transmission events in the region.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Africa Index Medicus, and Africa Journals Online for publications between Jan 1, 1992, and Jan 7, 2024, with no language restrictions.

Hepatitis C Virus Seroprevalence, Incidence, and Screening Patterns in Ontario Preexposure Prophylaxis Users.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as a sexually transmitted infection in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). We estimated the seroprevalence and incidence of HCV infection and examined patterns of HCV testing among GBM using human immunodeficiency virus preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Ontario, Canada.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Ontario PrEP Cohort Study (ON-PrEP), a prospective cohort of PrEP users from 10 Ontario clinics.

Intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate concentrations in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis users who underwent bariatric surgery.

Objective: To measure concentrations of tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots (DBS) among individuals taking tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) or tenofovir alafenamide plus emtricitabine (TAF/FTC) who were scheduled to undergo or had already undergone bariatric surgery.

Methods: We enrolled pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users attending clinics in Toronto or Ottawa who were undergoing or had undergone bariatric surgery. After participants completed a minimum of 7 days of consecutive PrEP dosing, we collected DBS samples immediately before they administered their next daily dose of PrEP.

Low concordance between QIAreach QuantiFERON-TB, a novel interferon-gamma release assay, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, in a population-based survey in Blantyre, Malawi.

Unlabelled: Urgent improvements in the diagnosis and management of infection are required to reach End TB goals. Conventional interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus), require substantial laboratory infrastructure and large blood volumes, limiting use in high-burden settings. The QIAreach QuantiFERON-TB (QIAreach QFT) was developed to overcome these challenges but has not previously been evaluated in field conditions in a low-income, high-burden country, or at scale in children.