Field evaluation of validity and feasibility of Pan-Lassa rapid diagnostic test for Lassa fever in Abakaliki, Nigeria: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever with few options for diagnosis and treatment; it is also under-researched with knowledge gaps on its epidemiology. A point-of-care bedside test diagnosing Lassa fever, adhering to REASSURED criteria, is not currently available but is urgently needed in west African regions with high Lassa fever burden. We aimed to assess the validity and feasibility of a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to confirm Lassa fever in people in Nigeria.

Pharmacokinetics of plasma lopinavir and ritonavir in tuberculosis-HIV co-infected African adult patients also receiving rifabutin 150 or 300 mg three times per week.

Background: To evaluate the pharmacokinetic of plasma lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV) when co-administered with three times weekly (TPW) rifabutin (RBT) at a dose of either 150 or 300 mg in African tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infected adult patients.

Methods: This is a pharmacokinetic study conducted in Ouagadougou among patients treated with a standard dosage of LPV/RTV 400/100 mg twice daily and RBT 150 mg TPW (arm A = 9 patients) or rifabutin 300 mg TPW (arm B = 7 patients) based regimens. Patients were recruited from the Bogodogo and Kossodo district hospitals in Ouagadougou from May 2013 to December 2015.

Burden and Characteristics of the Comorbidity Tuberculosis-Diabetes in Europe: TBnet Prevalence Survey and Case-Control Study.

Background: The growing burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) is posing a threat to global tuberculosis (TB) control. DM triples the risk of developing TB, modifies the presenting features of pulmonary TB, and worsens TB treatment outcomes. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of DM among TB patients and to describe the characteristics and clinical presentation of TB-DM patients in Europe.

Implementation of tuberculosis prevention for exposed children, Burkina Faso.

Objective: To develop and test a simple system for recording and reporting the diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection and to compare the effects of passive and active tracing of child contacts on indicators of such infection.

Methods: We revised Burkina Faso's latent tuberculosis infection register and quarterly tuberculosis reporting form. Subsequently, coverage of the routine screening of contacts, who were younger than five years, for active tuberculosis and the corresponding percentages of such contacts who, if eligible, initiated preventive therapy were measured, nationwide, between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017.

Policies and practices on the programmatic management of LTBI: a survey in the African Region.

Background: Although the management of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) is a core component of the End TB Strategy, there is limited information about the status of implementation of such interventions in most African countries.

Methods: A web-based survey involving the 47 countries of the African Region was conducted between November 2016 and April 2017.

Results: The questionnaire was completed by 32/47 (68.