This study was undertaken to identify Lymphatic Filarial biomarkers which can detect LF infections in asymptomatic cases and would also serve as indicators for differentiating among different clinical stages of the disease. . . Functional pathway analysis suggested the involvement of differentially expressed proteins in vital physiological pathways like acute phase response, hemostasis, complement and coagulation cascades. Furthermore, the differentiation between different stages of LF cases and biomarkers identified in this study clearly demonstrates the potential of the human serum profiling approach for LF detection. 

In continued efforts to ensure the government of Liberia is prepared to respond to vector borne infections such as Schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Liberia with support from the WHO African Regional Office and HQ, today donated 2,512,000 tablets of praziquantel and 12,450 testing strips for Filariasis to the Ministry of Health in Liberia. These supplies will be distributed to 9 counties that have been earmarked due to their high prevalence rates in lymphatic disease mostly targeting school- going children. However, in 4 counties namely Bong, Nimba, Maryland and Lofa which have over 50% prevalence of schistosomiasis, both adults and school-going children will be targeted. It is estimated that at least 2 million children and adults will benefit from this consignment. These medications and testing kits are donated as part of the global fight to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.

Schistosomiasis is a serious threat to human sexual and reproductive health, as highlighted in this blog by Dingase Kumwneda, a specialist gynaecologist working at the Queen Elizabeth central hospital in Malawi. In this blog Dr Kumwenda describes the impact of FGS on women's health and ongoing research on Female Genital Schistosomiasis through collaborative projects such as the MORBID-FGS study.

The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, announced the commencement of Mass Administration of Medicines (MAM) for school-aged children against Schistosomiasis; . . He noted that the mass administration of medicines will be implemented in nine schistosomiasis endemic LGAs including Kosofe, Eti-Osa, Oshodi-Isolo, Ikorodu, Alimosho, Ikeja, Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, and Surulere. He stated that the MAM would be implemented in two phases explaining that the first phase of implementation will run from the 29th of June to the 8th of July, 2022 in the aforementioned LGAs while the second phase of implementation will commence immediately at four other LGAs; Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Ibeju-Lekki and Lagos Mainland where the disease is co-endemic with Soil-Transmitted Helminths.

So, it is concluded that factors other than HIV status are more likely to have influenced the occurrence of Schistosoma spp. infections in the assessed Ghanaian patients. Potential associations between HIV infection-associated factors, such as the viral load and the immune status of the patients, for which weak signals were observed in this hypothesis-forming retrospective assessment, should be confirmed by prospective, sufficiently powered investigations.

As most NTD programs mainly rely on microscopic examination of slides, automation of slide scanning coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to close this diagnostic gap by 2030. Therefore, we developed a device to automate scanning of stool smears and deployed it in four endemic countries to build an image data base for both intestinal and blood-dwelling worms. After the images were annotated, we used 90% to train and 10% to validate an AI model. As the AI model was able to reliably recognise worm eggs, we provided a proof-of-concept for automated scanning and detection of worm eggs in stool smears. 

The present paper analyses the concomitant reduction in the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to STH and schistosomiasis during the same period, from 6.3 to 3.5 million DALYs. The cumulative gain during the 19-year period was estimated at over 26 million DALYs. Given the low cost of the intervention, our study suggests that deworming for STH and schistosomiasis is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions.

This study evaluated the continuous intensive control program for parasitic diseases including clonorchiasis in areas near the 5 major river basins in Korea over the past 10 years (2011–2020). A total of 335,020 fecal samples (one sample per resident) prepared by the modified sedimentation technic were microscopically examined. Those who expelled helminth eggs were treated with anthelmintics through local health centers and re-examined 3 months later.

Finally, genome-wide analyses between human samples and between human and non-human primate samples reveal local regions of genetic differentiation between geographically distinct populations. These data provide insight into zoonotic reservoirs of human-infective T. trichiura and will support future efforts toward the implementation of genomic epidemiology of this globally important helminth.

Ms Mwari is among more than 130 residents of Igembe North, where trachoma is endemic, who have undergone surgeries this year in a campaign to eliminate the disease. . .“Over the last two years, we have concentrated on enhancing hygiene as well as house to house identification of trachoma patients. This has led to a reduction of prevalence to 0.84 per cent,” he [Mr Njeru] said.

I received my scholarship through an inclusive eye health programme called ‘Improved access to affordable, quality eye care services for people with and without disabilities in south-west region, Malawi and Karamoja, Uganda’. It’s a three-year programme to improve the sustainability and equity of access to affordable and quality eye care services for people living in Uganda and Malawi. The programme is funded by the UK government through UK Aid Match, and one of its goals is to strengthen the country’s health systems. For example, in Uganda, there aren’t enough ophthalmologists. 

Kenya and Tanzania have embarked on a joint cross-border mass drug administration exercise as efforts to fight blindness-causing trachoma intensifies.

These results strongly suggested the potential of boron compounds based on hydrophobic dipeptides for treating chlamydial infections, including persistent infections, which may be useful for future therapeutic use in chlamydial infectious diseases.

The ICMR's Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) is planning to repurpose the existing RT-PCR Covid testing facilities for monitoring vector-borne diseases to understand their distribution and assess the impact of their control and elimination programmes. Scientists at VCRC have developed a simple and less expensive RT-PCR-based Xeno monitoring (XM) test for filariasis which is being used as a pilot in Odisha's Khurda district, Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore and Puducherry.

Advances in biology and medicinal chemistry, in conjunction with rising investment in research, have led to the development of promising new candidate treatments for some of the main neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in recent years. However, scant progress has been made on parasitic worm diseases, which affect more people worldwide than other NTDs in absolute numbers, in terms of moving on from in vitro studies to clinical and pre-clinical trials. This is one of the conclusions of a study published in the journal Drug Discovery Today by researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) and Universidade Guarulhos (UnG) in Brazil.

If successful, this study will create a new paradigm for BU treatment, which could inform World Health Organization policy and practice. A shortened, highly effective, all-oral regimen will improve care of BU patients and will lead to a decrease in hospitalization-related expenses and indirect and social costs and improve treatment adherence. This trial may also provide information on treatment shortening strategies for other mycobacterial infections (tuberculosis, leprosy, or non-tuberculous mycobacteria infections).

In every country in the world, health care happens at the community level. When fighting disabling, disfiguring diseases called Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), simple, affordable tools help disease-affected countries in the fight. A dose pole or measuring stick is one such tool that is especially important in low-resource settings. Highly effective, the dose pole is powerful in its simplicity.

Publication of a series of 11 papers with data on vectors that transmit vector-borne diseases is a significant advance in the availability of such data in an easy and open access format. Published by the journal GigaByte by GigaScience Press, in partnership with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and supported by TDR, the papers improve knowledge on vectors and pave the way forward in data sharing.

 Formerly known as the Small Grants Scheme, these grants support researchers and public health practitioners as part of TDR’s collaboration with all WHO regional offices. The objective is to produce implementation research findings that can help build national strategies and action plans for better control and treatment of infectious diseases of poverty. These include malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, among others. TDR has compiled a report summarizing the results of this grant programme between 2014 and 2020. . . 

In Legatum’s first field visit since the outset of the pandemic, seven colleagues and I visited Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya to participate in a mass drug administration and meet our exceptional partners on the ground working to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Kenya.