Seroprevalence of Q fever ( in sheep in the Kwahu West municipality, Eastern Region, Ghana.

Query fever, also known as Q fever, is a zoonotic disease caused by . It is a cause of abortion in livestock and presents as a febrile illness in humans. A correlation between the incidence of the disease in humans and abortion in goats and sheep farms has been reported in countries such as the Netherlands and Australia.

Genetic diversity of glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from school-age children in Kinshasa, DRC.

Malaria infections in school-age children further make it difficult to control the disease's spread. Moreover, the genetic diversity of glutamate-rich protein, potentially a candidate for vaccine development, has not yet been investigated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, we aimed to assess the genetic diversity of the immunodominant C-terminal repetitive region (R2) of Plasmodium falciparum glutamate-rich protein gene (pfglurp) among school-age children living in Kinshasa, DRC.

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Resistance Genes in Isolates from Ghanaian Drinking Water Sources.

The control of infectious diseases is seriously threatened by the increase in the number of microorganisms resistant to antimicrobial agents. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have also been identified in the water environment. A field study was performed sampling drinking water sources in seven districts of southern Ghana targeting boreholes, dams, hand-dug wells, and streams during baseflow conditions.

It Is Time to Strengthen the Malaria Control Policy of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Include Schools and School-Age Children in Malaria Control Measures.

Despite a decade of sustained malaria control, malaria remains a serious public health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Children under five years of age and school-age children aged 5-15 years remain at high risk of symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria infections. The World Health Organization's malaria control, elimination, and eradication recommendations are still only partially implemented in DRC.

Identification of polymorphisms in genes associated with drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from school-age children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to antimalarial drugs constitutes an obstacle to malaria control and elimination. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of polymorphisms in pfk13, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps and pfcrt genes in isolates from asymptomatic and symptomatic school-age children in Kinshasa.

Methods: Nested-PCR followed by sequencing was performed for the detection of pfk13, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps and pfcrt polymorphisms.

Multiplex Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for Simultaneous Detection of and in Yaws-Like Lesions.

Yaws is a skin debilitating disease caused by subspecies with most cases reported in children. World Health Organization (WHO) aims at total eradication of this disease through mass treatment of suspected cases followed by an intensive follow-up program. However, effective diagnosis is pivotal in the successful implementation of this control program.

A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of subsp. .

The eradication of yaws caused by subsp. is constrained by the lack of rapid, accurate diagnosis. We sought to develop a molecular point-of-care test for the diagnosis of yaws.

Optimising the use of molecular tools for the diagnosis of yaws.

Background: Yaws is a neglected tropical disease and results in lesions of skin, soft tissues and bones. PCR plays an important part in surveillance.

Methods: Children suspected to have yaws were enrolled.

Seroprevalence of Q fever in cattle, sheep and goats in the Volta region of Ghana.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a causative agent of abortion in livestock and febrile illness in humans. Outbreaks of human cases of Q fever have been reported in Australia and the Netherlands, which was linked to abortions in goat and sheep farms. In Ghana, information on Q fever in both livestock and humans is scanty.

Molecular strain typing of the yaws pathogen, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue.

Yaws is a neglected tropical disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue. The disease primarily affects children under 15 years of age living in low socioeconomic conditions in tropical areas. As a result of a renewed focus on the disease owing to a recent eradication effort initiated by the World Health Organization, we have evaluated a typing method, adapted from and based on the enhanced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention typing method for T.

Community-based mass treatment with azithromycin for the elimination of yaws in Ghana-Results of a pilot study.

Introduction: The WHO yaws eradication strategy consists of one round of total community treatment (TCT) of single-dose azithromycin with coverage of > 90%.The efficacy of the strategy to reduce the levels on infection has been demonstrated previously in isolated island communities in the Pacific region. We aimed to determine the efficacy of a single round of TCT with azithromycin to achieve a decrease in yaws prevalence in communities that are endemic for yaws and surrounded by other yaws-endemic areas.

Comparative efficacy of low-dose versus standard-dose azithromycin for patients with yaws: a randomised non-inferiority trial in Ghana and Papua New Guinea.

Background: A dose of 30 mg/kg of azithromycin is recommended for treatment of yaws, a disease targeted for global eradication. Treatment with 20 mg/kg of azithromycin is recommended for the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. In some settings, these diseases are co-endemic.

Complete Genome Sequences of 11 Haemophilus ducreyi Isolates from Children with Cutaneous Lesions in Vanuatu and Ghana.

Haemophilus ducreyi causes chancroid and has recently been shown to be a significant cause of cutaneous lesions in tropical or subtropical regions where yaws is endemic. Here, we report the draft genome assemblies for 11 cutaneous strains of Haemophilus ducreyi, isolated from children in Vanuatu and Ghana.