The Moroccan Health Ministry launched a Process of Eliminating Schistosomiasis in 1994. During 2005-2009, the epidemiologic status showed a clear interruption of disease transmission at the national level; only a few residual cases were recorded. Our present study is the first systematic serologic survey to evaluate the transmission status in remaining disease-endemic foci. A study population of 2,382 children born after the date of the last autochthonous cases were selected from provinces with histories of high schistosomiasis transmission (Tata, Chtouka Ait Baha, Errachidia, El Kelaa Des Sraghna, and Beni Mellal). To identify the presence of disease, specific antibodies directed against Schistosoma haematobium adult worm microsomal antigens were detected by using an enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay. The results showed an absence of antibodies in all serum samples. Consequently, our findings confirm either a low transmission status or an interruption of schistosomiasis transmission within the last disease endemic foci.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0378 | DOI Listing |
BMC Res Notes
January 2025
Helen Keller International, New York, USA.
Objective: Sierra Leone, a country where onchocerciasis is endemic in 14 of the 16 districts, was the focus of our investigation. Despite 17 rounds of annual ivermectin treatment since 2005, a report circulated by a local politician indicated an increase in cases of suspected onchocerciasis-related vision impairment in two villages (Mangobo and Petifu) in Tonkolili district. In response, the National Neglected Tropical Disease Program conducted a comprehensive investigation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Microbiol
January 2025
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
Serological studies uniquely strengthen infectious disease surveillance, expanding prevalence estimates to encompass asymptomatic infections, and revealing the otherwise inapparent landscape of immunity, including who is and is not susceptible to infection. They are thus a powerful complement to often incomplete epidemiological and public health measures (administrative measures of vaccination coverage, incidence estimates, etc.).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTunis Med
January 2025
Laboratory of viruses, vectors and hosts: LR20IPT10, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 13, Place Pasteur, 1002 Tunis Belvédère, Tunisia.
Since the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as an international concern of public health emergency in the early 2020, several strategies have been initiated in many countries to prevent healthcare services breakdown and collapse of healthcare structures. The most important strategy was the increased testing, diagnosis, isolation, contact tracing to identify, quarantine and test close contacts. In this context, finding a rapid, reliable and affordable tool for COVID-19 screening was the main challenge to address the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne Health
December 2024
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
An incursion and outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was reported in Australia in 2021 and 2022, respectively. There was speculation that JEV may have been circulating in Australia unknowingly prior to the detection. In this study, we determined sero-prevalence and transmission of West Nile virus (WNV), Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) and JEV, prior to and post JEV incursion in a sentinel equine population in south-east Queensland (SEQ), Australia, using blocking ELISAs (screening test) and virus neutralisation test (confirmatory).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine
January 2025
Zhengding County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shijiazhuang 050800, China. Electronic address:
To evaluate the long-term efficacy and anamnestic response of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-derived hepatitis B vaccine (CHO-HepB) after 18-20 years, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in seven communities in Zhengding County at the end of 2017. The birth cohort 1997-1999 vaccinated primarily with three doses of CHO-HepB were enrolled in the survey. The HBV serological markers were quantified using the Chemiluminescence method.
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