Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Tropical Medicine, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mass drug administration (MDA) with artemisinin combination therapy is a potentially useful tool for malaria elimination programs, but its success depends partly on drug effectiveness and treatment coverage in the targeted population. As part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Southern Province, Zambia evaluating the impact of MDA and household focal MDA (fMDA) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAp), sub-studies were conducted investigating population drug adherence rates and effectiveness of DHAp as administered in clearing infections following household mass administration. Adherence information was reported for 181,534 of 336,821 DHAp (53. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.

The antimalarial drug lumefantrine (LF) exhibits erratic pharmacokinetics (PK). Intersubject variability might be attributed, in part, to differences in the gut microbiome-mediated drug metabolism. We assessed LF disposition in healthy mice stratified by enterotype to explore associations between the gut microbiota and LF PK. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

National Malaria Control Centre, Zambia Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia.

From December 2014 to February 2016, a cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out in 60 health facility catchment areas along Lake Kariba in Zambia's Southern Province. The trial sought to evaluate the impact of four rounds of a mass drug administration (MDA) intervention with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) or focal MDA with DHAP at the household level compared with a control population that received the standard of care. This study was the first randomized controlled trial with DHAP for MDA in sub-Saharan Africa and was conducted through a collaboration between the National Malaria Elimination Programme in the Zambian Ministry of Health, the PATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa, and the Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation at Tulane University. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Global Malaria Program, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

The Role of Mass Drug Administration of Antimalarials. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Asymptomatic and/or low-density malaria infection has been acknowledged as an obstacle to achieving a malaria-free country. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic and/or low-density malaria infection in previously reported malarious localities using nested PCR in four states, namely, Johor, Pahang, Kelantan, and Selangor, between June 2019 and January 2020. Blood samples ( = 585) were collected and were extracted using a QIAamp blood kit. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Radiology, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milan, Italy.

Chest X-ray (CXR) is an essential first-line tool in COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis and management. Our study aimed at assessing 1) CXR manifestations, frequency, and distribution; 2) the feasibility and repeatability of a CXR severity score; and 3) the correlation between the CXR severity score and clinical and laboratory parameters. We reviewed baseline CXRs and clinical data of consecutive patients who presented to our emergency department and resulted positive at SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-PCR oropharyngeal swab test from March 1, 2020 to April 6, 2020. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Réanimation Polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Felix Guyon Allée des Topazes, Saint Denis, France.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of pulmonary embolism in returning travelers with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19. All returning travelers to Reunion Island with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and were included in the cohort. Thirty-five patients were returning travelers with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 and had recently returned from one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 outbreak (mainly from France and Comoros archipelago). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Our understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), its clinical manifestations, and treatment options continues to evolve at an unparalleled pace. This review sought to summarize the key literature regarding transmission, case definitions, clinical management, and the burden of COVID-19. Our review of the literature showed that SARS-CoV-2 was mainly transmitted via inhalation of respiratory droplets containing the virus and had a mean incubation period of 4-6 days. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Fascioliasis is reported in five Vietnamese children aged 4 years or younger. A 10-month-old girl child and a 12-month-old boy child are the youngest patients ever diagnosed. Eggs in stools suggested an infection occurred at 5-6 months and 7-8 months of age, respectively. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Nutrition, Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different strategies for delivering supplemental zinc on fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO), neopterin (NEO), and calprotectin (CAL) among young Laotian children. In a double-blind controlled trial, children aged 6-23 months were randomized to receive either daily preventive zinc (PZ) tablets (7 mg/day), daily micronutrient powder (MNP; containing 10 mg zinc and 14 other micronutrients), therapeutic zinc (TZ) supplements for diarrhea treatment (20 mg/day for 10 days), or daily placebo powder and followed for ∼36 weeks. Stool samples were collected at baseline and endline. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.

We report a case of acquired fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance under short-course multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment. The patient was managed at Kabutare hospital, one of the two specialized MDR-TB clinics in Rwanda. A low dose of moxifloxacin was used in the first three critical months. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

In Haiti, measles, rubella, and maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated, but a diphtheria outbreak is ongoing as of 2019. We conducted a national representative, household-based, two-stage cluster survey among children aged 5-7 years in 2017 to assess progress toward maintenance of control and elimination of selected vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). We stratified Haiti into west region (west department, including the capital city) and non-west region (all other departments). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

A mass drug administration trial was carried out in Southern Province, Zambia, between 2014 and 2016, in conjunction with a standard of care package that included improved surveillance, increased access to malaria case management, and sustained high levels of vector control coverage. This was preceded by mass test and treatment in the same area from 2011 to 2013. Concordant decreases in malaria prevalence in Southern Province and deaths attributed to malaria in Zambia over this time suggest that these strategies successfully reduced the malaria burden. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis Control Program, Temple, Texas.

In the United States, phlebotomine sand flies carrying () are endemic along the southern border. However, relatively little is known about the enzootic and zoonotic transmission of () within the United States, and autochthonous cases of the consequent disease are rarely reported. We investigated an atypical case of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by () in a patient from central Texas which did not respond to a typical antileishmanial chemotherapy. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia.

Costs related to tuberculosis (TB) can impose a significant burden on patients and their families and create barriers to diagnosis and treatment. Our study aimed to quantify out-of-pocket costs expended by TB patients in Bandung, Indonesia. This cross-sectional study recruited adults with TB from community health centers (CHCs), public and private hospitals, and private practitioners (PPs). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

PATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.

Malaria burden in Zambia has significantly declined over the last decade because of improved coverage of several key malaria interventions (e.g., vector control, case management, bed net distributions, and enhanced surveillance/responses). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Tropical Medicine, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mass drug administration (MDA) is currently being considered as an intervention in low-transmission areas to complement existing malaria control and elimination efforts. The effectiveness of any MDA strategy is dependent on achieving high epidemiologic coverage and participant adherence rates. A community-randomized controlled trial was conducted from November 2014 to March 2016 to evaluate the impact of four rounds of MDA or focal MDA (fMDA)-where treatment was given to all eligible household members if anyone in the household had a positive malaria rapid diagnostic test-on malaria outcomes in Southern Province, Zambia (population approximately 300,000). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Tropical Medicine, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

As Zambia continues to reduce its malaria incidence and target elimination in Southern Province, there is a need to identify factors that can reintroduce parasites and sustain malaria transmission. To examine the relative contributions of types of human mobility on malaria prevalence, this analysis quantifies the proportion of the population having recently traveled during both peak and nonpeak transmission seasons over the course of 2 years and assesses the relationship between short-term travel and malaria infection status. Among all residents targeted by mass drug administration in the Lake Kariba region of Southern Province, 602,620 rapid diagnostic tests and recent travel histories were collected during four campaign rounds occurring between December 2014 and February 2016. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

PATH MACEPA, Lusaka, Zambia.

Community-wide administration of antimalarial drugs in therapeutic doses is a potential tool to prevent malaria infection and reduce the malaria parasite reservoir. To measure the effectiveness and cost of using the antimalarial drug combination dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAp) through different community-wide distribution strategies, Zambia's National Malaria Control Centre conducted a three-armed community-randomized controlled trial. The trial arms were as follows: 1) standard of care (SoC) malaria interventions, 2) SoC plus focal mass drug administration (fMDA), and 3) SoC plus MDA. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

National Malaria Control Centre, Zambia Ministry of Health, Chainama Hospital Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia.

Implications of the MDA Trial in Southern Province, Zambia, for Malaria Control and Elimination. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

PATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.

Over the past decade, Zambia has made substantial progress against malaria and has recently set the ambitious goal of eliminating by 2021. In the context of very high vector control and improved access to malaria diagnosis and treatment in Southern Province, we implemented a community-randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of four rounds of community-wide mass drug administration (MDA) and household-level MDA (focal MDA) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHAP) implemented between December 2014 and February 2016. The mass treatment campaigns achieved relatively good household coverage (63-79%), were widely accepted by the community (ranging from 87% to 94%), and achieved very high adherence to the DHAP regimen (81-96%). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 1. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Erratum. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Department of Tropical Medicine, Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Rigorous evidence of effectiveness is needed to determine where and when to apply mass drug administration (MDA) or focal MDA (fMDA) as part of a malaria elimination strategy. The Zambia National Malaria Elimination Centre recently completed a community-randomized controlled trial in Southern Province to evaluate MDA and fMDA for transmission reduction. To assess the role of MDA and fMDA on infection incidence, we enrolled a longitudinal cohort for an 18-month period of data collection including monthly malaria parasite infection detection based on polymerase chain reaction and compared time to first infection and cumulative infection incidence outcomes across study arms using Cox proportional hazards and negative binomial models. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

SADC Malaria Elimination Eight Secretariat, Windhoek, Namibia.

Whereas data on insecticide resistance and its underlying mechanisms exist for parts of Zambia, data remain limited in the southern part of the country. This study investigated the status of insecticide resistance, metabolic mechanisms, and parasite infection in along Lake Kariba in southern Zambia. Indoor-resting mosquitoes were collected from 20 randomly selected houses within clusters where a mass drug administration trial was conducted and raised to F1 progeny. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

Identifying predictors of loss to follow-up (LTFU; treatment lapse ≥ 2 months) among people with tuberculosis (TB) may assist programmatic efforts in controlling the spread of TB. Newly diagnosed smear-positive TB patients were enrolled in the Regional Prospective Observational Research for TB study in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, India. Treatment records were used to identify LTFU of those who were enrolled from May 2014 through December 2017. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

PATH Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA), Lusaka, Zambia.

From 2014 to 2016, a community-randomized controlled trial in Southern Province, Zambia, compared mass drug administration (MDA) and focal MDA (fMDA) with the standard of care. Acceptability of the intervention was assessed quantitatively using closed-ended and Likert scale-based questions posed during three household surveys conducted from April to May in 2014, 2015, and 2016 in 40 health catchments that implemented MDA and fMDA and 20 catchments that served as trial controls. In 2014 and 2015, 47 households per catchment were selected, targeting 1,880 households in MDA and fMDA trial arms; in 2016, 55 households per catchment were selected for a target of 2,200 households in MDA and fMDA trial arms. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Critical Care, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, India.

Dengue-related mortality has significantly reduced with early and appropriate fluid resuscitation. However, we continue to see dengue-related fatalities in patients despite early intervention and advanced critical care support. This was a retrospective study conducted at a tertiary care private hospital in Mumbai, India. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Department of Endocrinology, Manipal Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Snake envenoming is a neglected, public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions. Local tissue necrosis, neurotoxic, and hemo-vasculotoxic effects are well-recognized features, whereas the endocrine and metabolic derangements are not as well known. In addition to contributing to morbidity, some of these manifestations can be potentially life-threatening if not recognized early. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Laboratorio di Parassitologia - Ospedale Didattico Veterinario, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.

Public spaces are common sites of fecal contamination which is concerning considering the prevalence rates of gastrointestinal pathogens carried by pets. Multiple pet-bound parasite species capable of infecting humans have previously been reported in fecal samples collected from urban areas around the globe, including Italy In addition, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites has recently been shown in pets from the island of Sardinia, a well-known touristic destination. For these reasons, this study aims to evaluate the level of fecal contamination of two of the most important cities on Sardinia. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona.

In the United States, Chagas disease is diagnosed in less than 1% of the estimated > 300,000 people who have the disease. However, the actual prevalence remains unknown, and these estimates may be wide of the mark (too high or too low). The greater part of those living with the disease acquired the infection in an endemic region of Latin America, but autochthonous transmission in the United States is increasingly being described. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

GeneXpert Edge (GX-Edge) is a new point-of-care platform not yet tested in the field. In this proof-of-concept study conducted for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in communities living alongside two large rivers of the Brazilian Amazon, we demonstrate that GX-Edge implemented in boats to offer onsite testing is a feasible strategy to investigate potentially devastating diseases such as tuberculosis in difficult-to-reach populations, such as riverside communities. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

In moving toward malaria elimination, finer scale malaria risk maps are required to identify hotspots for implementing surveillance-response activities, allocating resources, and preparing health facilities based on the needs and necessities at each specific area. This study aimed to demonstrate the use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in conjunction with geographic information systems (GISs) to create a spatial model and risk maps by integrating satellite remote-sensing and malaria surveillance data from 18 counties of Yunnan Province along the China-Myanmar border. The MCDA composite and annual models and risk maps were created from the consensus among the experts who have been working and know situations in the study areas. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.

Subarachnoid neurocysticercosis (SANCC) is a severe and progressive brain infection with . We performed a pilot study of noninvasive screening for SANCC in two endemic villages in northern Peru using a urine antigen screen followed by brain magnetic resonance imaging for participants with elevated levels of antigen. Among the 978 participants screened, we identified eight individuals with SANCC, many of whom were asymptomatic. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.

Nine criteria regarding the infectious agent, mode of transmission, portal of entry, route of spread, target organs, target cells, pathologic lesions, incubation period, and modifiable spectrum of disease and outcomes appropriate to the intended experimental purpose are described. To provide context for each criterion, mouse models of two vector-borne zoonotic infectious diseases, scrub typhus and dengue, are summarized. Application of the criteria indicates that intravenous inoculation of into inbred mice is the best current model for life-threatening scrub typhus, and intradermal inoculation accurately models sublethal human scrub typhus, whereas the immunocompromised mouse models of dengue provide disease outcomes most closely associated with human dengue. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Chulabhorn International College of Medicine (CICM), Thammasat University (Rangsit Campus), Patum Thani, Thailand.

Primaquine is an effective anti-hypnozoite drug for and However, it can trigger erythrocyte hemolysis in people with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. In a previous report from South Central Timor (SCT), Indonesia, we described the prevalence of Vanua Lava, Chatham, and Viangchan variants; in this study, other G6PD variants (Kaiping, Coimbra, Gaohe, Canton, and Mahidol) were subsequently analyzed. For clarity, all of these results are described together. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Med Biotech Laboratories, Kampala, Uganda.

The ultrasensitive Alere Malaria Ag histidine-rich protein 2 rapid diagnostic test (Alere uRDT) is a new diagnostic tool which is more expensive than other malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) routinely used in Ugandan clinics. The manufacturer recommends testing samples within 2 days and scoring results after 20 minutes, which may be impractical in high-volume resource-poor clinics. We compared testing by the Alere Ag rapid diagnostic test (uRDT), CareStart RDT, microscopy, and an ultrasensitive I8S rRNA quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using survey and clinical samples. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, Brazil.

The aims of this study were to describe a smartphone app aimed at healthcare professionals who work in areas endemic for visceral and tegumentary leishmaniases, and to report the user's perception of the app in these areas. The software, called LeishCare, has the following features: data registration, image filter to record the evolution of skin lesions using photos, calculation of a score set to identify the risk of death from visceral leishmaniasis, and guides to the diseases. LeishCare was made available to healthcare professionals in endemic municipalities in Brazil, and the perception of potential users was evaluated at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 26. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase globally, fragile health systems already facing challenges with health system infrastructure, SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic capacity, and patient isolation capabilities may be left with few options to effectively care for acutely ill patients. Haiti-with only two laboratories that can perform reverse transcriptase PCR for SARS-CoV-2, a paucity of hospital beds, and an exponential increase in cases-provides an example that underpins the need for immediate infrastructure solutions for the crisis. We present two COVID-19 treatment center designs that leverage lessons learned from previous outbreaks of communicable infectious diseases and provide potential solutions when caseload exceeds existing capacity, with and without access to SARS-CoV-2 testing. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 26. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Medical Entomology and Tropical Medicine Laboratory LEMMT, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.

Population adoption of social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic is at times deficient, increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Healthcare workers and those living in areas of intense transmission may benefit from implementing biosafety measures in their daily lives. A mixed-methods approach, combining components of single negotiation text and the Delphi method, was used to create a COVID-19 biosafety-at-home protocol. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Gnathostomiasis is a helminthic infection caused by the third-stage larvae of nematodes of the genus . The life cycle in humans starts with an enteric phase, with the worm perforating the gastric or intestinal mucosa to reach the peritoneal cavity and migrating through the human body. Subsequent penetration through the diaphragm may produce pleuropulmonary symptoms. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

is an emerging environmental pathogen that causes life-threatening infection in humans and animals. In October 2017, a Bangladeshi farmer was hospitalized with high-grade fever due to an agricultural injury-related wound infection. Bacteriological and 16S rRNA gene investigation detected in the wound discharge. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Zoonotic pathogens such as arboviruses have comprised a significant proportion of emerging infectious diseases in humans. The role of wildlife species as reservoirs for arboviruses is poorly understood, especially in endemic areas such as Southeast Asia. This study aims to determine the exposure history of different macaque species from national parks in Thailand to mosquito-borne flaviviruses and alphavirus by testing the serum samples collected from 25 northern pigtailed macaques, 33 stump-tailed macaques, and 4 long-tailed macaques for the presence of antibodies against dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses by plaque reduction neutralization assay. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 25. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.

Approximately 20% of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) develop potentially life-threatening pathologies involving hyperinflammation, cytokine storm, septic shock complications, coagulation dysfunction, and multiple organ failure. Blood levels of the prototypic acute phase reactant, C-reactive protein (CRP), which is hepatically synthesized and released in response to interleukin-6 stimulation, is markedly elevated in patients with COVID-19. Markedly high CRP levels correlate with poor prognosis for survival. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

Immediately after declaring COVID-19 as a pandemic, numerous wild conspiracy theories sprouted through social media. Pakistan is quite vulnerable to such conspiracy narratives and has experienced failures of polio vaccination programs because of such claims. Recently, two well-known political figures raised conspiracy theories against COVID-19 vaccines in Pakistan, stating that COVID-19 is a grand illusion and a conspiracy against Muslim countries. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

COVID-19 Response in Sub-Saharan Low-Resource Setting: Healthcare Soldiers Need Bullets. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.

Liver fluke infection caused by is recognized as a potential risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The National Strategic Plan to Control Liver Fluke Infection and Cholangiocarcinoma has implemented microscopic-based stool examination screening. However, eggs of and minute intestinal flukes (MIFs) are nearly morphologically similar and could result in inaccurate diagnosis. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

Wambabya-Rwamarongo onchocerciasis focus is one of the eight foci Uganda verified using the WHO verification guidelines. The approach for elimination was twice yearly treatment with ivermectin for every round, treating at least 90% of all the eligible population. This was in combination with vector elimination using Abate since elimination nationwide policy was launched. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.

Quality of care is essential for improving health outcomes, but heterogeneity in theoretical frameworks and metrics can limit studies' generalizability and comparability. This research aimed to compare definitions of care quality across research articles that incorporate data from Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines, we used a keyword search in PubMed. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Jun 22. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

For the last decade, the New Jersey (NJ) Department of Health has reported between 42 and 144 new cases each year of "spotted fever group rickettsiosis" (SFGR), a statistic that reflects uncertainty regarding which rickettsial agents (Proteobacteria: Rickettsiaceae: ) are infecting NJ residents. To identify the circulating in NJ ticks, we used a combination of conventional and qPCR approaches to screen 560 Say and 245 L. obtained from a 1-day state-wide surveillance in May 2018 and an additional 394 collected across NJ in 2013-2018. Read More