Visual Acuity Outcomes and Influencing Factors in a Cohort of UK Real-World Diabetic Macular Oedema Patients During the First Two Years of Anti-VEGF Treatment.

Background/objectives: The visual acuity (VA) outcomes after the first and second years of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) were evaluated, and the factors associated with treatment success were investigated.

Methods: Using Medisoft electronic medical records (UK), this retrospective cohort study analysed VA outcomes, changes, and determinants in DMO patients at year 1 and year 2 after initial anti-VEGF injection. Descriptive analysis examined baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, while regression models were used to assess associations between these factors and changes in VA.

Long term health outcomes in people with diabetes 12 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK: a prospective cohort study.

Background: People with diabetes are at increased risk of hospitalisation, morbidity, and mortality following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Long-term outcomes for people with diabetes previously hospitalised with COVID-19 are, however, unknown. This study aimed to determine the longer-term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19 in people with and without diabetes.

Effectiveness and user experience of nose and throat swabbing techniques for SARS-CoV-2 detection: results from the UK COVID-19 National Testing Programme.

Background: The UK's National Health Service Test and Trace (NHSTT) program aimed to provide the most effective and accessible SARS-CoV-2 testing approach possible. Early user feedback indicated that there were accessibility issues associated with throat swabbing. We report the results of service evaluations performed by NHSTT to assess the effectiveness and user acceptance of swabbing approaches, as well as qualitative findings of user experiences from research reports, surveys, and incident reports.

The Impact of COVID-19 on People with a Visual Impairment in Northern Ireland: A Sensory Support View.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges for all and especially for people with a visual impairment. As a result, many healthcare services had to close or be reduced, and new rules and regulations were implemented. These rules, regulations and testing procedures were challenging for many people with a visual impairment.

Malaria elimination challenges in countries approaching the last mile: a discussion among regional stakeholders.

Background: The national malaria control programmes in Cambodia, Nepal, and Bhutan aim to achieve malaria elimination by 2025-2030. While the vivax malaria burden remains challenging, the consistent decline in falciparum malaria in these countries over the last five years suggests that the goal is achievable. However, unexpected cases in previously falciparum malaria-free districts continue to occur.

Anti-VEGF drugs compared with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of sight loss in people with diabetes. The most severe form, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, carries a high risk of vision loss, vitreous haemorrhage, macular oedema and other harms. Panretinal photocoagulation is the primary treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Rethinking village malaria workers in Cambodia: Perspectives from the communities, programme managers, and international stakeholders.

Since the early 2000s, malaria cases in Cambodia have declined steadily. Village malaria workers (VMWs) have played a critical role in reducing malaria transmission and progress towards malaria elimination. To prevent malaria re-establishment, however, implementation strategies need to consider carefully the changing healthcare needs in the communities as well as challenges to, and opportunities for, programme adaptation.

Correction: Expanding the role of village malaria workers in Cambodia: Implementation and evaluation of four health education packages.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Population genomics and transcriptomics of Plasmodium falciparum in Cambodia and Vietnam uncover key components of the artemisinin resistance genetic background.

The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to artemisinins compromises the efficacy of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), the global first-line malaria treatment. Artemisinin resistance is a complex genetic trait in which nonsynonymous SNPs in PfK13 cooperate with other genetic variations. Here, we present population genomic/transcriptomic analyses of P.

Adherence to diabetic retinopathy screening among children and young adults in Bangladesh.

Background: Effective diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) programmes are important in preventing vision impairment and blindness caused by diabetes. This study focuses on identifying the factors affecting attendance or non-adherence to DRS among children and young adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Bangladesh.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used, which included patients diagnosed with DM aged 12-26 years from Bangladesh who were registered at BIRDEM Women and Children hospital in Dhaka.

Longitudinal Assessment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Ultrawidefield Imaging: The Optos Peripheral Retina Follow-up Study.

Purpose: With the widespread availability of Ultrawidefield (UWF) imaging, peripheral retinal abnormalities in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have garnered attention. However, longitudinal studies of AMD peripheral findings are limited. This study aimed to characterize and quantify these features over 5 years.

Dementia risk reduction in the African context: Multi-national implementation of multimodal strategies to promote healthy brain aging in Africa (the Africa-FINGERS project).

Dementia prevention in Africa is critically underexplored, despite the continent's high prevalence of modifiable risk factors. With a predominantly young and middle-aged population, Africa presents a prime opportunity to implement evidence-based strategies that could significantly reduce future dementia cases and mitigate its economic impact. The multinational Africa-FINGERS program offers an innovative solution, pioneering culturally sensitive, multidomain interventions tailored to the unique challenges of the region.

Insecticide-treated bednets and chemoprophylaxis reduce malaria mortality and parasite prevalence.

This commentary discusses an influential study from 1993 that demonstrated, among West African children, an overall mortality benefit of insecticide-impregnated bednets, and the reduction of malaria prevalence by chemoprophylaxis. Led by Brian Greenwood and colleagues in The Gambia, the trial also showed these tools to be affordable and practicable. In the years since, >2 billion bednets have been provided to high-risk populations and have contributed greatly to reductions in malaria-attributable mortality.

Comparative evaluation of swabbing sites for Omicron variant detection in PCR testing.

Purpose: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 raised concerns about the best sampling sites for PCR testing, with early indications suggesting throat swab samples were better than nasal swab samples. Our study evaluated the sensitivity of detecting SARS-CoV-2 across different swabbing sites.

Methods: Participants undergoing testing at NHS Test and Trace sites in England provided self-collected samples using nose only, throat only, and combined nose and throat swabs, which were analysed by realtime PCR.

Evaluation of an electronic clinical decision support algorithm to improve primary care management of acute febrile illness in rural Cambodia: protocol for a cluster-randomised trial.

Introduction: Acute febrile illness (AFI), traditionally attributed to malaria, is a common reason for seeking primary healthcare in rural South and Southeast Asia. However, malaria transmission has declined while health workers are often poorly equipped to manage non-malarial AFIs. This results in indiscriminate antibiotic prescribing and care escalation, which promotes antibiotic resistance and may increase healthcare costs.

Exploring uncatalogued genetic variation in antimicrobial resistance gene families in Escherichia coli: an observational analysis.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli is a global problem associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. AMR-associated genes are typically annotated based on similarity to variants in a curated reference database, with the implicit assumption that uncatalogued genetic variation within these is phenotypically unimportant. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the AMRFinder tool and, subsequently, the potential for discovering new AMR-associated gene families and characterising variation within existing ones to improve genotype-to-susceptibility phenotype predictions in E coli.

Genomic epidemiology and longitudinal sampling of ward wastewater environments and patients reveals complexity of the transmission dynamics of -carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in a hospital setting.

Background: Healthcare-associated wastewater and asymptomatic patient reservoirs colonized by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) contribute to nosocomial CPE dissemination, but the characteristics and dynamics of this remain unclear.

Methods: We systematically sampled wastewater sites ( = 4488 samples; 349 sites) and patients ( = 1247) across six wards over 6-12 months to understand bla-associated CPE (KPC-E) diversity within these reservoirs and transmission in a healthcare setting. Up to five KPC-E-positive isolates per sample were sequenced (Illumina).

Caregiver Experience Survey of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction: Diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) require frequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment and monitoring visits. We aimed to understand the burden of treatment on caregivers.

Methods: This multinational, noninterventional study used a cross-sectional survey of adult patients with DME or nAMD treated with anti-VEGF injections in the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

Reproducibility of SIMPLE classification for diabetic retinopathy screening and its comparison to current Italian guidelines.

Purpose: To evaluate the reproducibility of SIMPLE (Single field Image Multi Parameters defined Lesions Extent), a new Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) classification for screening of 45° single field fundus pictures of patients with diabetes (PwDM), assessing DR, Diabetic Maculopathy (DMac) and referral rate agreement and comparing it to current Italian Guidelines (IG).

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational, multicentre study, collecting 1000 retinal 45° single field images of PwDM obtained during routine visits in two diabetes clinics. Three ophthalmologists evaluated each image, determining the presence and number of specific DR lesions and then assigning a stage according to the current IG for screening.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tele-ophthalmology-Based Retinal Screening.

Introduction: This study reports our experiences with systematic retinal screening in Denmark through optometrists with access to tele-ophthalmological services before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We evaluated an optometrist-based retinal screening system with a referral option for tele-ophthalmological service by a consultant ophthalmologist within the time period of August 1, 2018 to September 30, 2023. The optometrist collected patient history, refraction, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, basic slit-lamp examination, 4-in-1 visual field report, and retinal imaging using color fundus 45° photography.

Acceptability of Home Monitoring for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Reactivation: A Qualitative Study.

This study formed part of a diagnostic test accuracy study to quantify the ability of three index home monitoring (HM) tests (one paper-based and two digital tests) to identify reactivation in Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The aim of the study was to investigate views about acceptability and explore adherence to weekly HM. Semi-structured interviews were held with 98 patients, family members, and healthcare professionals.