Schistosomiasis is a prevalent parasitic, neglected tropical disease (NTD) affecting over 220 million people globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The pathology of this disease in terms of intestinal, liver and urinary presentations is well-known, yet its chronic effect on host genitalia... is often ignored or overlooked. Male genital schistosomiasis (MGS) is a gender-specific manifestation of urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS), associated with the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs and related pathologies in genitalia of men inhabiting or visiting endemic areas in SSA. Despite the first reported by Madden, the epidemiology, diagnostic testing and case management of MGS are not well-described owing to limited research and diminishing focus over several decades.
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HIV-1 infection disproportionately affects women in sub-Saharan Africa, where areas of high HIV-1 prevalence and Schistosoma haematobium endemicity largely overlap. Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), caused most frequently by S. haematobium egg deposition in the genital tract, has been associated... with prevalent HIV-1 infection in cross-sectional studies. The presence of S. haematobium eggs in genital tissue is also associated with vascularization and the accumulation of CD4+ lymphocytes and macrophages, making the granuloma-associated environment a potential contributor to HIV-1 vulnerability. In addition to modulation of the local cervicovaginal environment, FGS has also been associated with a higher frequency of systemic CD4 T-cells expressing the chemokine receptor CCR5. Tissue-entrapped eggs are also associated with clinically visible FGS-associated manifestations in the cervicovaginal mucosa. FGS lesions may breach the intact cervicovaginal immune barrier and are hypothesized to provide an entry point for HIV-1 infection. However, the underlying mechanism for potential HIV-1 vulnerability in FGS has not been fully characterized and requires further investigation.
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PLoS Neglected Tropical diseases August 16, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009697
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a neglected tropical disease transmitted by triatomine insects, first identified in 1909. Chagas disease affects approximately 6–7 million peop...le globally and is highly prevalent in Latin America where most cases are reported. However, there is increasing evidence that Chagas disease is now an important public health issue outside the “classical” endemic countries due to population migration. Our understanding of Chagas disease, including its pathologies and factors relating to progression, remains to date limited, and is also challenged by lack of diagnosis and highly effective treatment. This systematic review aims to describe studies with Chagas patients receiving antiparasitic treatment. Databases were searched for relevant studies published after 1997, and the results of these searches were screened.
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A qualitative assessment of knowledge gaps about female genital schistosomiasis among communities living in Schistosoma haematobium endemic districts of Zanzibar and Northwestern Tanzania.
PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases September 30, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009789
Schistosoma... haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis and is widely distributed in Tanzania. In girls and women, the parasite can cause Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS), a gynecological manifestation of schistosomiasis that is highly neglected and overlooked by public health professionals and policy makers. This study explored community members’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) on and health seeking behavior for FGS.
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Rev. Panam Salud Publica. 2017;41:e153. doi: 10.26633/RPSP.2017.153
Worldwide, over 6 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the pathogen that causes Chagas disease (CD). In the Americas, CD creates the greatest burden in disability-adjusted life years of any parasitic infection. In Co...lombia, 437 000 people are infected with T. cruzi, of whom 131 000 suffer from cardiomyopathy. Colombia’s annual costs for treating patients with advanced CD reach US$ 175 016 000. Although timely etiological treatment can significantly delay or prevent development of cardiomyopathy—and costs just US$ 30 per patient—fewer than 1% of people with CD in Colombia and elsewhere receive it.
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This is a summary of the following peer-reviewed, scientific article:
Comparative Evaluation of Immunoassays to Improve Access to Diagnosis for Chagas Disease in Colombia.
Microorganisms . 2022 Jul 14;10(7):1427.
Chagas disease (CD) is endemic in about 21 countries of the Americas. The disease has spread to recently Chagas-free regions, mainly due to migration, and can now also be diagnosed in countries such as the USA, Canada, many European and some African, eastern... Mediterranean and western Pacific countries. About 6 million people are infected and 70 million live with a daily risk of infection. Although many efforts have been made to control the disease, and some improvements were achieved, still, less than about 1% of the infected have access to diagnosis and treatment. This causes high morbidity and mortality rates with more than 12,000 deaths per year
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Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine 2022:13 25–40
Chagas disease (CD) or American trypanosomiasis is a neglected parasitic disease associated with significant mortality and morbidity that includes long-term disability, social stigma and a mental health toll. Perceived as a disease of the ve...ry poor, this infection, once limited to rural areas of Latin America (LA), has now spread via migration to non-endemic areas and countries, where transmission is maintained via non-vectorial routes.
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Front. Public Health, 02 July 2019 Sec. Infectious Diseases: Epidemiology and Prevention
Volume 7 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00166
Chagas disease (CD) is an anthropozoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, that affects about 6–8 million people worldwide (1) a...nd causes approximately 50,000 deaths per year. Another 65–100 million people are living in areas at risk for infection worldwide (2–4). Even though over a century has passed since its discovery, CD remains one of the leading public health problems for most Latin American countries
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J Clin Med . 2020 May 18;9(5):1517. doi: 10.3390/jcm9051517.
Chagas disease (CD) is a major burden in Latin America, expanding also to non-endemic countries. A gold standard to detect the CD causing pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi is currently not available. Existing real time polymerase chain reaction...s (RT-PCRs) lack sensitivity and/or specificity. We present a new, highly specific RT-PCR for the diagnosis and monitoring of CD.
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Lymphatic filariasis (LF) infection if untreated results in fluid accumulation in the limbs or breasts (lymphedema) or genitalia (hydrocele) that is painful and causes great discomfort. Morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) strategies such as surgery for hydrocele, treatment of acute... attacks and management of lymphedema are necessary for the management of the advanced stages of LF. However, very few countries including Zambia, have adequate information on the health beliefs and health seeking behavior of communities living in endemic areas towards MMDP services for LF. This study sought to explore community and health provider perspectives towards MMDP services for LF in a highly endemic region, Luangwa District, Zambia, between February and April 2019.
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Transmission of Chagas disease (CD) has decreased in recent decades, but the disease remains an important problem in endemic areas. There was an increase in the proportion of nonvector transmission, mainly in nonendemic countries. The aim of this study was to gather evidence concerning healthcare pr...ofessional’s knowledge about CD.
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Carlos Chagas discovered American trypanosomiasis, also named Chagas disease (CD) in his honor, just over a century ago. He described the clinical aspects of the disease, characterized by its etiological agent (Trypanosoma cruzi) and identified its insect vector. Initially, CD occurred only in Latin... America and was considered a silent and poorly visible disease. More recently, CD became a neglected worldwide disease with a high morbimortality rate and substantial social impact, emerging as a significant public health threat. In this context, it is crucial to better understand better the epidemiological scenarios of CD and its transmission dynamics, involving people infected and at risk of infection, diversity of the parasite, vector species, and T. cruzi reservoirs. Although efforts have been made by endemic and non-endemic countries to control, treat, and interrupt disease transmission, the cure or complete eradication of CD are still topics of great concern and require global attention. Considering the current scenario of CD, also affecting non-endemic places such as Canada, USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan, in this review we aim to describe the spread of CD cases worldwide since its discovery until it has become a global public health concern.
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A systematic review of clinical and observational antiparasitic treatment studies to assess the potential for establishing an individual participant-level data platform.
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects ~6–7 million people worldwide. Significant limitations s...till exist in our understanding of CD. Harnessing individual participant data (IPD) from studies could support more in-depth analyses to address the many outstanding research questions. This systematic review aims to describe the characteristics and treatment practices of clinical studies in CD and assess the breadth and availability of research data for the potential establishment of a data-sharing platform.
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Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz . 2021 Jan 29;115:e200287. doi: 10.1590/0074-02760200287. eCollection 2021. Sensitivity and negative predictive value were directly affected by sample storage conditions. RT-PCR and virus isolation showed greater dependence on well-conserved samples for an accurate diagnosis
The country profiles incorporate facts indicating the national status of medical devices in areas such as: medical device policies, regulations, incorporation, lists, inventories, nomenclature, health technology assessment, management, and biomedical engineering resources. This publication is int...ended for use as a reference by decision-makers in Ministries of Health, nongovernmental organizations and academic institutions involved in health technology at the district, national, regional, or global levels.
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PLoS ONE 13(11): e0207554. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.020755
PLOS One November 20, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241799 . The first autochthonous case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in Brazil was in September 2014 in the State of Amapá, and from there it rapidly spread across the country. The present study was conducted in 2016 in the st...ate of Rio Grande do Norte, and the aims were to describe the epidemiological and the clinical aspects of the CHIKV outbreak.
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Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is currently one of the most relevant arboviruses to public health. It is a member of the Togaviridae family and alphavirus genus and causes an arthritogenic disease known as chikungunya fever (CHIKF). It is characterized by a multifaceted disease, which is distinguished fr...om other arbovirus infections by the intense and debilitating arthralgia that can last for months or years in some individuals. Despite the great social and economic burden caused by CHIKV infection, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral drugs currently available. Recent outbreaks have shown a change in the severity profile of the disease in which atypical and severe manifestation lead to hundreds of deaths, reinforcing the necessity to understand the replication and pathogenesis processes. CHIKF is a complex disease resultant from the infection of a plethora of cell types. Although there are several in vivo models for studying CHIKV infection, none of them reproduces integrally the disease signature observed in humans, which is a challenge for vaccine and drug development. Therefore, understanding the potentials and limitations of the state-of-the-art experimental models is imperative to advance in the field. In this context, the present review outlines the present knowledge on CHIKV epidemiology, replication, pathogenesis, and immunity and also brings a critical perspective on the current in vitro and in vivo state-of-the-art experimental models of CHIKF.
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Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 25, No. 12, December 2019 2183
Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease caused by Myocobacterium ulcerans; it manifests as a skin lesion, nodule, or ulcer that can be extensive and disabling. To assess the global burden and the progress ...on disease control, we analyzed epidemiologic data reported by countries to the World Health Organization during 2010–2017.
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