The Lancet October 25, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01540-9
As climate change’s impacts continue to accrue, countries are persistently making wrong choices that are harming human health.
A desperate global thirst for fossil fuels is worsening climate change, leading to more extr...eme weather events that have hit every continent, led to thousands of deaths, and caused $250+ billion in damage in 2021.
• People 65+ and children <1 experienced 3.7 billion more heatwave days in 2021 than the annual average from 1986–2005.
• Heat-related deaths shot up 68% from 2000–2004 to 2017–2021.
• Climate change is abetting infectious disease transmission, warming coastal waters and leading to the spread of Vibrio bacteria like the one that causes cholera, and expanding the reach of the malaria parasite.
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PLoS ONE 13(8): e0202499. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202499
This was a school-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2015 among 305 school children aged 7–16 years from two primary schools located in Ilemela and Magu Districts, north-western Tanzania. Single stool and urine samples w...ere collected from each participant and examined for the presence of Schistosoma mansoni eggs, parasite antigen, and parasite DNA using KK thick smears, POC-CCA tests, and real-time PCR, respectively.
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Severe and difficult asthma in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) can relate to lack of availability of basic medications; potentially reversible factors such as poor adherence or comorbidities such as obesity inhibiting a good response to treatment; and (rarely) true severe, therapy-resistant ...asthma. However, definitions of severity should encompass not merely doses of prescribed medication, but also underlying risk. The nature of asthmatic airway disease shows geographical variation, and LMIC asthma should not be assumed to be phenotypically the same as that in high-income countries (HICs). The first assessment step is to ensure another diagnosis is not being missed. Largely, political action is needed if children with asthma are to get access to basic medications. If a child is apparently not responding to low dose, simple medications, the next step is not to increase the dose but perform a detailed assessment of what factors (for example co-morbidities such as obesity, or social factors like poor adherence) are inhibiting a treatment response; in most cases, an underlying reason can be found. An assessment of risk of future severe asthma attacks, side-effects of medication and impaired lung development is also important. True severe, therapy-resistant asthma is rare and there are multiple underlying molecular pathologies. In HICs, steroid-resistant eosinophilia would be treated with omalizumab or mepolizumab, but the cost of these is prohibitive in LMICs, the biomarkers of successful therapy are likely only relevant to HICs. In LMICs, a raised blood eosinophil count may be due to parasites, so treating asthma based on the blood eosinophil count may not be appropriate in these settings.
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Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are targeted for global control or elimination. Recognising that the populations most in need of medicines to target NTDs are those least able to support and sustain them financially, the pharmaceutical industry created mechanisms for donating medicines and experti...se to affected countries through partnerships with the WHO, development agencies, non-governmental organisations and philanthropic donors. In the last 30 y, companies have established programmes to donate 17 different medicines to overcome the burden of NTDs. Billions of tablets, capsules, intravenous and oral solutions have been donated, along with the manufacturing, supply chains and research necessary to support these efforts. Industry engagement has stimulated other donors to support NTDs with funds and oversight so that the ‘heath benefit’ return on investment in these programmes is truly a ‘best value in public health’. Many current donations are ‘open-ended’, promising support as long as necessary to achieve defined health targets. Extraordinary global health advances have been made in filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, intestinal parasites and others; and these advances are taking place in the context of strengthening health systems and meeting the global development goals espoused by the WHO. The pharmaceutical manufacturers, already strong collaborators in initiating or supporting these disease-targeted programmes, have committed to continuing their partnership roles in striving to meet the targets of the WHO’s new NTD roadmap to 2030.
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For the molecular diagnosis of Chagas disease by real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction), optimization of diagnostic accuracy is desirable. The detection limit of real-time PCR assays for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi in human serum is affected by various influences including the choice of th...e nucleic acid extraction assay. In this study, three nucleic acid extraction assays were compared regarding their influence on the sensitivity of a T. cruzi-specific real-time PCR with 62 reference sera containing T. cruzi target DNA (deoxyribonucleotide acid). More than 95% of the positive sera were correctly identified after all three nucleic acid extraction strategies with a detection rate ranging from 96.8% (60/62) for the worst assay to 100% (62/62) for the best one. A matched pairs analysis for the comparison of the cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained with the 59 reference samples with positive real-time PCR results after all three nucleic acid extraction schemes indicated differences in a range of about 3 Ct steps. Summarized, all three compared nucleic acid extraction schemes were basically suitable for T. cruzi-specific PCR from serum with some minor differences. However, in the case of low quantities of circulating parasite DNA in the serum of a patient with Chagas disease, even minor effects can make a difference in the individual diagnosis.
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A parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of tapeworms in the Echinococcus.
The disease often starts without symptoms and this may last for years. The symptoms depend on the cyst's location and size.
Alveolar disease usually begins in the liver, but can spread to other parts of the body, such... as the lungs or brain.
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Chagas is a parasitic disease that affects over 6 million people in the
world. As the disease typically remains asymptomatic for years, new cases
often go unnoticed and unreported, and most people with the disease
are unaware of their condition. Less than 10% of people affected are
diagnosed and... the vast majority do not receive the treatment they need.
If not treated, Chagas may cause irreversible, life-threatening damage to
the heart and other vital organs.
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Background: Despite several cycles of Mass Drug Administration (MDA), however, the prevalence of Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) remains high in Bangladesh. A clear understanding of local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to the acceptance and utilization of MDA is critical for ...effective implementation of this intervention.
Methods: This research, a cross-sectional descriptive study that utilized quantitative methods, was conducted between February and June 2017. A total of 380 questionnaire surveys were distributed to school-aged children (SAC), the parents of SAC, and school teachers.
Results: Out of 160 SACs, 81.9% knew of STH and 75.6% knew of MDA. SAC showed a high awareness of STH and recognized the importance of preventive measures and MDA. In terms of the parents of SAC and school teachers, close to half of the respondents were knowledgeable about STH and MDA. While nearly all of the participants held positive attitudes toward MDA, the respondents pointed out that school-based MDA presents severe limitations, as non-school-going children are neglected by this effort. A total of 68.3% of all school teachers and 56.8% of all parents of SAC found MDA efforts to be effective.
Conclusion: STH infections still remain a significant public health burden in Bangladesh. Reforming the MDA policy is necessary to achieve the target of STH elimination.
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Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a parasitic disease that is a major cause of chronic disability in the developing world. According to the 2021–2030 road map for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the global goal for LF is elimination as a public healt...h problem by 2030 through repeated rounds of mass drug administration (MDA). Critical components of any elimination program are monitoring and surveillance. Appropriate assessment tools and methods are needed for each stage of an elimination program; mapping to identify which areas require intervention, monitoring to assess the impact of interventions, and post-intervention surveillance to validate elimination or detect recrudescence.
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La enfermedad de Chagas es parasitaria y afecta a más de 6 millones
de personas en el mundo. Como normalmente es asintomática durante
años, los nuevos casos suelen no detectarse ni reportarse y la mayoría
de las personas con la enfermedad no tiene conciencia de su condición.
Se diagnostica ...a menos del 10% de las personas afectadas, y en su gran
mayoría estas no reciben el tratamiento que necesitan. Sin tratamiento,
la enfermedad de Chagas puede causar daños irreversibles al corazón y
otros órganos vitales, o la muerte.
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Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by blood flukes (trematode worms) of the genus Schistosoma. Estimates show that at least 251.4 million people required preventive treatment in 2021. Preventive treatment, which should be repeated over a number of years, will reduce and... prevent morbidity. Schistosomiasis transmission has been reported from 78 countries. However, preventive chemotherapy for schistosomiasis, where people and communities are targeted for large-scale treatment, is only required in 51 endemic countries with moderate-to-high transmission.
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Schistosomiases are acute or chronic visceral parasitic diseases due to 5 species of trematodes (schistosomes). The three main species infecting humans are Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum. Schistosoma mekongi and Schistosoma intercalatum have a more limited dis...tribution.
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La esquistosomiasis es una enfermedad parasitaria aguda y crónica causada por duelas sanguíneas (trematodos) del género Schistosoma. Se calcula que al menos 251,4 millones de personas necesitaron tratamiento profiláctico en 2021. El tratamiento profiláctico, que se debería repetir durante algu...nos años, permite reducir y prevenir la morbilidad. Hay constancia de la transmisión de la enfermedad en 78 países. Sin embargo, la quimioprofilaxis para la esquistosomiasis, en la que se aplica un tratamiento a gran escala a personas y comunidades, solamente se requiere en 51 países en los que la enfermedad es endémica y tienen una transmisión de moderada a alta.
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داء البلهارسيات هو مرض طفيلي حاد ومزمن تسبّبه الديدان المثقوبة الدموية (المثقوبات) من جنس البلهارسية. وتشير التقديرات إلى أن 251.4 مليون شخص على الأقل كانوا بحاجة إلى ...لعلاج الوقائي من داء البلهارسيات في عام 2021. ومن شأن العلاج الوقائي، الذي ينبغي تكراره على مدى عدة سنوات، أن يحد من المراضة ويمنعها. وقد أُبلغ عن سريان المرض في 78 بلداً. ومع ذلك، فإن العلاج الكيميائي الوقائي لداء البلهارسيات الذي يُستهدف فيه الأشخاص والمجتمعات المحلية بالعلاج على نطاق واسع، لا يلزم إلا في 51 بلداً موطوناً يشهد مستويات سريان المرض المتوسطة أو العالية.
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Шистосомоз является острой и хронической паразитарной болезнью, вызываемой кровяными сосальщиками (трематодными червями) из рода Schistosoma. В 2021 г. количество нуждаю...ихся в профилактическом лечении шистосомоза оценивалось на уровне не менее 251,4 млн человек. Профилактическое лечение, которое необходимо повторять через несколько лет, снижает и предотвращает заболеваемость шистосомозом. Передача шистосомоза регистрируется в 78 странах. Однако профилактическая химиотерапия в рамках широкомасштабного лечения шистосомоза среди людей и общин требуется только в 51 эндемичной стране с умеренными и высокими показателями передачи инвазии.
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La schistosomiase est une parasitose aiguë et chronique provoquée par des vers (trématodes) du genre Schistosoma. Selon les estimations, au moins 251,4 millions de personnes avaient besoin d’un traitement préventif en 2021. Le traitement préventif, qui devrait être renouvelé pendant un cert...ain nombre d’années, permettra de réduire et de prévenir la morbidité. La transmission de la schistosomiase est avérée dans 78 pays. Cependant, la chimioprophylaxie de la maladie, dont le but est de traiter à grande échelle les populations et les communautés, n’est nécessaire que dans 51 pays d’endémie où la transmission est de modérée à forte.
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La dracunculose est rarement mortelle, mais les personnes touchées peuvent souffrir d’invalidité pendant plusieurs semaines, voire plusieurs mois. La maladie sévit dans des communautés rurales défavorisées et isolées qui sont essentiellement tributaires de points d’eau stagnante superfici...els non aménagés, comme des étangs, pour s’approvisionner en eau de boisson.
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La dracunculosis rara vez es mortal, pero las personas infectadas quedan incapacitadas durante semanas o meses. Afecta a personas de comunidades rurales, desfavorecidas y aisladas que para beber dependen principalmente de fuentes superficiales abiertas en que el agua se estanca, como charcas o estan...ques.
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About a year after infection, a painful blister forms – 90% of the time on the lower leg – and one or more worms emerge accompanied by a burning sensation. To soothe the burning pain, patients often immerse the infected part of the body in water. The worm(s) then releases thousands of larvae (ba...by worms) into the water. These larvae reach the infective stage after being ingested by tiny crustaceans or copepods, also called water fleas.
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ونادراً ما يسبب داء التنينات الوفاة، بيد أن المصابين به يعجزون عن القيام بأعمالهم على مدى أسابيع وأشهر من الزمن. ويصيب الداء الناس الذين يعيشون في مجتمعات ريفية ومح...ومة ومعزولة ويعتمدون بشكل رئيسي على مصادر المياه المفتوحة الراكدة كالبرك للحصول على مياه الشرب
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