High incidence of tuberculosis in the first year of antiretroviral therapy in the Botswana National antiretroviral therapy programme between 2011 and 2015.

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among people living with HIV. We sought to estimate the incidence of TB in a national database of HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Botswana.

Design: A retrospective analysis of HIV-infected adult patients (≥18years) who initiated ART between 2011 and 2015 in the Botswana ART program.

Whole genome sequencing for drug-resistant tuberculosis management in South Africa: What gaps would this address and what are the challenges to implementation?

Global control of tuberculosis (TB) has been seriously impacted by the emergence and transmission of its drug-resistant forms. Delayed detection and incomplete characterisation of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) contributes to morbidity and mortality, and to ongoing transmission of drug-resistant strains. Current culture-based and molecular diagnostic tools for TB present numerous disadvantages that could potentially lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment initiation and the amplification of drug resistance.

Detection of Second Line Drug Resistance among Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Isolates in Botswana.

The emergence and transmission of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains is a threat to global tuberculosis (TB) control. The early detection of drug resistance is critical for patient management. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of isolates with additional second-line resistance among rifampicin and isoniazid resistant and MDR-TB isolates.

Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains circulating in Botswana.

Background: Molecular typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) isolates can inform Tuberculosis (TB) control programs on the relative proportion of transmission driving the TB epidemic. There is limited data on the M.

Next-Generation Whole Genome Sequencing: Opportunities and Challenges.

drug resistance is a threat to global tuberculosis (TB) control. Comprehensive and timely drug susceptibility determination is critical to inform appropriate treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) is the gold standard for drug resistance determination.

Correction: Immunological non-response and low hemoglobin levels are predictors of incident tuberculosis among HIV-infected individuals on Truvada-based therapy in Botswana.

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

Immunological non-response and low hemoglobin levels are predictors of incident tuberculosis among HIV-infected individuals on Truvada-based therapy in Botswana.

Background: There is a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV antiretroviral programmes in Africa. However, few studies have looked at predictors of incident TB while on Truvada-based combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) regimens.

Methods: We estimated TB incidence among individuals enrolled into an observational cohort evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of Truvada-based cART in Gaborone, Botswana between 2008 and 2011.

Afri-Can Forum 2 : Johannesburg, South Africa. 16-18 February 2015.

A1 Introduction to the 2nd synchronicity forum of GHRI/CHVI-funded Canadian and African HIV prevention and vaccine teams O1 Voluntary medical male circumcision for prevention of heterosexual transmission of HIV in adult males in Soweto: What do indicators and incidence rate show? Hillary Mukudu, Neil Martinson, Benn Sartorius O2 Developing a peer-led community mobilization program for sex workers in Soweto: HIV risk and demographics Jenny Coetzee, Janan Dietrich, Kgaugelo Mokgatswana, Rachel Jewkes, Glenda E. Gray O3 Salient beliefs about adherence: A qualitative survey conducted as part of the demonstration study on "treatment as prevention" (TasP) and "pre-exposure prophylaxis" (PrEP) among female sex workers (FSWS) in Cotonou, Benin Marylène Dugas, Luc Béhanzin, Fernand A. Guédou, Marie-Pierre Gagnon, Michel Alary O4 Relative perception of risk as a driver of unsafe sexual practices among key populations: Cases of fisherfolk and women and their partners involved in multiple sexual partnerships in Uganda Rwamahe Rutakumwa, Martin Mbonye, Thadeus Kiwanuka, Sarah Nakamanya, Richard Muhumuza, Winfred Nalukenge, Janet Seeley O5 Exploring the acceptability of new biomedical HIV prevention technologies among MSM, adolescents and heterosexual adults in South Africa Millicent Atujuna, Melissa Wallace, Ben Brown, Linda Gail Bekker, Peter A.

Plasma Cytokine Levels in Chronic Asymptomatic HIV-1 Subtype C Infection as an Indicator of Disease Progression in Botswana: A Retrospective Case Control Study.

HIV infects cells of the immune system causing immune activation and proliferation of immune cells, leading to alteration of production and activity of a number of cytokines. These changes in cytokine levels can affect the immune function, and have the potential to directly impact the course of HIV disease. We characterized plasma cytokine concentration profiles in HIV-1 subtype C chronically infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive participants to establish their influence on disease progression and viremia.

No clinically significant drug-resistance mutations in HIV-1 subtype C-infected women after discontinuation of NRTI-based or PI-based HAART for PMTCT in Botswana.

Risk of developing drug resistance after stopping antiretroviral regimens to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission is unknown. The Mma Bana Study randomized treatment-naive pregnant women with CD4 ≥200 cells per cubic millimeter to receive either abacavir/zidovudine/lamivudine [triple nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) arm] or lopinavir/ritonavir/zidovudine/lamivudine [protease inhibitor (PI) arm]. Drugs were discontinued after 6 months of breastfeeding.