Publications by authors named "Robert Mugo"
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the effects of a helminth (parasitic worm) infection in pigs, revealing that it significantly affects the immune response when combined with a bacterial infection, leading to higher bacterial loads.
- Experimental results show that coinfected pigs had depressed immune responses, including reduced interferon gamma and altered macrophage function, which negatively impacted their ability to control the bacterial infection.
- This demonstrates an important interaction between the helminth and bacterial infections, highlighting the consequences for both pig health and potential zoonotic implications for humans, particularly in regions with high rates of these infections.
Article Synopsis
- Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for fighting off Salmonella infections, especially in the initial stages.
- Research found that pigs infected with both Ascaris suum and Salmonella enterica showed significantly decreased NK cell activity compared to those with only Salmonella, as indicated by lower levels of important immune markers like IFN-γ and perforin.
- The study suggests that Ascaris infection weakens the NK cell response, making it harder for the host to combat additional bacterial infections like Salmonella.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates the effectiveness of different antibody tests for diagnosing Ascaris lumbricoides infections in school children, comparing these with standard methods like copromicroscopy and quantitative PCR (qPCR).
- The research found that copromicroscopy methods had relatively low sensitivity, while qPCR proved to be more reliable in detecting infections.
- Specifically, the IgG1 antibody response against adult Ascaris excretory-secretory products emerged as a highly accurate diagnostic tool, indicating its potential to enhance existing diagnostic techniques for monitoring Ascaris infections.
spp. undergo extensive migration within the body before establishing patent infections in the small intestinal tract of humans and pigs. However, whether larval migration is critical for inducing efficient type 2 responses remains poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTheileria annulata is a protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle involving a bovine host and a tick vector. It is transmitted by Hyalomma ticks and is the causative agent of tropical theileriosis, a debilitating and often fatal disease in southern Europe, northern Africa and large parts of Asia. Understanding the biology of different life cycle stages is critical for the control of tropical theileriosis and requires the use of experimental animals which poses an ethical concern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: RTS,S/AS01 induced anti-circumsporozoite protein (CSP) IgG antibodies are associated with the vaccine efficacy. There is currently no international standardisation of the assays used in the measurement of anti-CSP IgG antibody concentrations for use in evaluations of the vaccine's immunogenicity and/or efficacy. Here, we compared the levels of RTS,S/AS01 induced anti-CSP IgG antibodies measured using three different enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assays (ELISA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: RTS,S/AS01, the leading malaria vaccine has been recommended by the WHO for widespread immunization of children at risk. RTS,S/AS01-induced anti-CSP IgG antibodies are associated with the vaccine efficacy. Here, the long-term kinetics of RTS,S/AS01-induced antibodies was investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKenya introduced the monovalent Rotarix® rotavirus group A (RVA) vaccine nationally in mid-2014. Long-term surveillance data is important prior to wide-scale vaccine use to assess the impact on disease and to investigate the occurrence of heterotypic strains arising through immune selection. This report presents baseline data on RVA genotype circulation patterns and intra-genotype genetic diversity over a 7-year period in the pre-vaccine era in Kilifi, Kenya, from 2002 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2013.
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