320 results match your criteria: "*Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp[Affiliation]"

Background: The use of antimicrobials to treat food animals may result in antimicrobial residues in foodstuffs of animal origin. The European Medicines Association (EMA) and World Health Organization (WHO) define safe antimicrobial concentrations in food based on acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). It is unknown if ADI doses of antimicrobials in food could influence the antimicrobial susceptibility of human-associated bacteria.

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Mathematical modeling is widely used for describing infection transmission and evaluating interventions. The lack of reliable social parameters in the literature has been mentioned by many modeling studies, leading to limitations in the validity and interpretation of the results. Using data from the European MSM Internet survey 2017, we developed a network model to describe sex acts among MSM in Belgium.

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Article Synopsis
  • This text outlines a guidance developed for using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV in Belgium.
  • An expert group of Belgian clinicians assessed various aspects of PrEP care to reach a consensus on controversial issues.
  • The guidance emphasizes the importance of PrEP for high-risk HIV-negative individuals, the need for personal counseling, and regular follow-ups to monitor health and manage potential side effects.
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Urgent considerations for booster vaccination strategies against Ebola virus disease.

Lancet Infect Dis

October 2024

Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania.

With two endorsed and prophylactic vaccines against Zaire ebolavirus (referred to hereafter as EBOV), the number of individuals vaccinated against EBOV worldwide is estimated to range between 500 000 and 1 000 000 individuals, increasing with every renewed EBOV threat and vaccination campaign. Therefore, re-exposure of previously vaccinated health-care workers, and possibly community members, could become more frequent. In the absence of long-term data on vaccine efficacy and duration of protection, we urgently need to understand revaccination strategies that could maximise the level of protection.

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Background: Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emerging alphavirus, primarily transmitted by the mosquito Haemagogus janthinomys in Central and South America. However, recent studies have shown that Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and various Anopheles mosquitoes can also transmit the virus under laboratory conditions. MAYV causes sporadic outbreaks across the South American region, particularly in areas near forests.

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Data and indicator estimates are considered vital to document persisting challenges in maternal and newborn health and track progress towards global goals. However, prioritization of standardised, comparable quantitative data can preclude the collection of locally relevant information and pose overwhelming burdens in low-resource settings, with negative effects on the provision of quality of care. A growing body of qualitative studies aims to provide a place-based understanding of the complex processes and human experiences behind the generation and use of maternal and neonatal health data.

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Background: Conventional natural killer (cNK) cells play an important role in the innate immune response by directly killing infected and malignant cells and by producing pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Studies on their role in malaria and its complications have resulted in conflicting results.

Methods: Using the commonly used anti-NK1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is prevalent in northern Ethiopia, yet little is known about its transmission dynamics, highlighting the need for ecological and behavioral studies of its vectors, particularly sand flies.* -
  • Research in 2021 involved collecting sand flies from rural Gindmeteaye and urban Addis-Alem throughout different seasons, revealing seasonal variations in their locations and blood-feeding behaviors.* -
  • Results indicated that female sand flies were more abundant during the dry season outdoors, while indoor captures peaked in the wet season; the highest infection rates were found in caves, emphasizing the need for further investigation into transmission patterns.*
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Article Synopsis
  • Pathogen genomic epidemiology can enhance our understanding of tropical diseases, like malaria, aiding in intervention planning and monitoring efforts for better control and elimination.
  • The study analyzed 1,474 high-quality parasite genomes from 31 countries, revealing significant genetic diversity, especially in Latin America, where distinct populations and sub-populations exist tied to transmission intensity.
  • Findings show adaptive evolution in key genes related to parasite survival, providing insights into drug resistance, immune evasion, and transmission dynamics essential for effective control strategies.
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Introduction: Non-communicable diseases, such as arterial hypertension (HTN) and type-2 diabetes (T2D), pose a global public health problem. Integrated care with focus on person-centred principles aims to enhance healthcare quality and access. Previous qualitative research has identified facilitators and barriers for scaling-up integrated care, however the lack of standardized terms and measures hinder cross-country comparisons.

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Increasing antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus faecium necessitates the search for novel treatment agents, such as bacteriocins. In this study, we conducted an in vivo assessment of five bacteriocins, namely Lacticin Z, Lacticin Q, Garvicin KS (ABC), Aureocin A53 and Microbisporicin (NAI-107), against vanB-resistant Enterococcus faecium using a Galleria mellonella model. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated the efficacy of all five bacteriocins against vanB-resistant E.

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Background: Recently, global health has been confronting its visual culture, historically modulated by colonialism, racism and abusive representation. There have been international calls to promote ethicality of visual practices. However, despite this focus on the history and the institutional use of global health images, little is known about how in practice contemporary images are created in communities, and how consent to be in photographs is obtained.

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Objective: Foodborne zoonotic trematodes (FZT), which infect the liver, lungs and intestines of humans, are an emerging public health concern in tropical countries including Vietnam. In northern Vietnam, Clonorchis sinensis is recognised as the most important species of the FZT. Up to now, small-scale studies conducted in the country have indicated that health education could improve participants' knowledge and practices related to clonorchiasis, however strong evidence is still lacking.

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Background: Collecting data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an essential approach for defining the scope of the AMR problem, developing evidence-based interventions and detecting new and emerging resistances. Our study aimed to identify key factors influencing the implementation of a laboratory-based AMR surveillance system in Cambodia. This will add additional insights to the development of a sustainable and effective national AMR surveillance system in Cambodia and other low- and middle-income countries.

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This study contributes to the body of knowledge on IDPs in the context of security crisis related to terrorism. Very little research has been done on covid-19 amongst IDPs in Africa and this is one of the first studies in Burkina Faso. Our diversified sample allowed us to consider the discourses of humanitarian actors working with IDPs, but also the discourses of IDPs in a context of aggravated health and security crisis.

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Background: Leishmaniasis is a common neglected tropical disease in Ethiopia. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani presents in the lowlands, while cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) affects people living in the highlands. Although CL is described as being caused by Leishmania aethiopica, there is also evidence of L.

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Article Synopsis
  • The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance is making common bacterial infections harder to treat, pushing scientists to find new antimicrobial agents from the human microbiome.
  • The study analyzed a strain with antibiotic effects, using genome sequencing and bioinformatics tools to identify biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) linked to antimicrobial properties.
  • The research found six BGCs related to different types of antibiotic synthesis and identified three specific peptides, laying groundwork for developing new antibiotics against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
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Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common, yet massively underreported skin morbidity in Ethiopia. Most patients never seek treatment, as this is offered only in specialized treatment centers. Early diagnosis and treatment through decentralization is crucial to decrease transmission and to reach the NTD roadmap goals.

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Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review.

Glob Ment Health (Camb)

April 2023

Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

In Europe, migrants and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for mental disorders compared to the general population. However, little is known about which interventions improve their mental health and well-being and about their underlying mechanisms that reduce existing mental health inequities. To fill this gap, the aim of this scoping review was to synthesise the available evidence on health promotion, prevention, and non-medical treatment interventions targeting migrants and ethnic minority populations.

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We screened 66 bacteriocins to see if they exhibited anti-gonococcal activity. We found 12 bacteriocins with anti-gonococcal effects, and 4 bacteriocins showed higher anti-gonococcal activity. Three bacteriocins, lacticin Z, lacticin Q, and Garvicin KS (ABC), showed anti-gonococcal activity but no inhibitory effects against the (WHO-P) isolate.

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Background: Plasmodium vivax is the second most important cause of human malaria worldwide, and accounts for the majority of malaria cases in South America. A high-quality reference genome exists for Papua Indonesia (PvP01) and Thailand (PvW1), but is lacking for South America. A reference genome specifically for South America would be beneficial though, as P.

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Background: Sexual assault (SA) can induce a negative impact on victims' mental health. Specialised SA services generally offer medical care and a forensic examination to SA victims. However, there is a large variation in how these services provide mental health support.

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Intestinal helminthic infections are not uncommon in Western Europe, mainly due to modern travel, emigration and globalization. Moreover, some helminthic infections are endemic in Western Europe and are part of the everyday clinical practice. The hepatogastroenterologist should therefore recognize and manage these patients or at least refer them to appropriate reference centers.

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