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Abstract Background In the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), cervical cancer is the third leading cause of women cancer. Aims The objective of this cross‐sectional study was to compare the efficacy of careHPV™ test versus conventional Pap smear or Siriraj liquid‐based cytology in the detection of cervical cancer in women living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1). Materials & Methods Overall, 631 women consented to participate. Four cervical specimens were taken for the purpose of conventional Pap smear, Siriraj liquid‐based cytology, careHPV™ test, and HPV‐16 genotyping. The exact McNemar test was used to compare the efficacy and diagnostic performance of the tests. Results Of the 631 women with follow‐up, 331 were human papillomavirus (HPV) negative. High‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were found in 37 women, biopsy‐proven high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in 50 women, and invasive carcinoma in seven women. The proportion of women with high‐grade cervical lesion or carcinoma detected after abnormal careHPV™ test was higher (6.02%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.4–8.1) than that detected by conventional Pap smear (4.59%; 95% CI: 3.2–6.5). careHPV™ and HPV‐16 genotyping had, respectively, the highest sensitivity (80.8%; 95% CI: 67.4–89.5) and specificity (92.2%; 95% CI: 89.8–94.2). HPV‐16 was the most frequently detected genotype. Conclusions careHPV™ test represents a screening option in Lao PDR, particularly in women living with HIV‐1 because of higher prevalence of chronic HPV in this population.

Abstract The World One Health Congresses are biennial gatherings of approximately 1500 professionals from relevant international organisations, OIE, FAO, WHO, World Bank, leading scientific experts and researchers in the field of One Health, animal production and trade, food safety, animal health, human health and environmentology/ecology, government representatives in public health, human health, food safety, environmental health and global health security. The Congress is organized by the One Health Platform. This white paper summarizes highlights of the 5th International One Health Congress in Saskatoon, Canada, June 2018 and serves as a roadmap for the future, detailing several concrete action points to be carried out in the run-up to the 6th World One Health Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2020.

OBJECTIVE:To better understand factors contributing to underutilization of laboratory services for health care delivery in sub-Saharan Africa, we conducted a study in Senegalese Antenatal Care clinics (ANC) and laboratories to determine the extent of underutilization, contributing factors, and bottlenecks in the cascade of care from first ANC visit, test uptake, to availability of test results and appropriate clinical management. METHODS:At 16 health facilities, pregnant women attending for their first ANC visit were consecutively recruited and information was prospectively collected on the request, execution, results and clinical management of seven nationally recommended laboratory screening tests for normal pregnancy: hemoglobin concentration (Hb), syphilis serology, HIV serology, determination of proteinuria (PU), determination of blood group and Rhesus factor, Emmel test to detect sickle cell disease, and glycaemia. Health facility staff were interviewed on human resource capacity, management of the ANC and the laboratory, and availability and use of guidelines. RESULTS:Of 1246 ANC attendants, 400 (32%) had complete results. Completeness varied between facilities from 0-99%. In multilevel logistic regression analysis of women nested in facilities, complete uptake was lower if women started ANC later in pregnancy; very low in rural ANC attendants who ever delivered compared to urban primigravidae (OR 0.064; 95%CI 0.00-0.52); and higher if the facility routinely recommended all seven tests. In the cascade from test request to clinical management, the most frequent bottleneck was non-execution of requested tests, while unavailability of results for executed test was uncommon (

Objective To assess the antibiotic prescribing practices of doctors working in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and their knowledge of local antibiotic resistance patterns. Methods Doctors attending morning meetings in 25 public hospitals in four provinces were asked to complete a knowledge, attitude and practice survey. The questionnaire contained 43 multiple choice questions that the doctor answered at the time of the meeting. Findings The response rate was 83.4% (386/463). Two hundred and seventy doctors (59.8%) declared that they had insufficient information about antibiotics. Only 14.0% (54/386) recognized the possibility of cephalosporin cross-resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Most participants had no information about local antibiotic resistance for Salmonella Typhi (211/385, 54.8%) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (253/384, 65.9%). Unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions were considered as harmless by 115 participants and 148 considered locally-available generic antibiotics to be of poor quality. Nearly three-quarters (280/386) of participants agreed that it was difficult to select the correct antibiotics. Most participants (373/386) welcomed educational programmes on antibiotic prescribing and 65.0% (249/383) preferred local over international antibiotic guidelines. Conclusion Doctors in the Lao People's Democratic Republic seem to favour antibiotic prescribing interventions. Health authorities should consider a capacity building programme that incorporates antibiotic prescribing and hospital infection control.

BACKGROUND:Interferon-release assays (IGRAs) for diagnosing active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are not yet fully validated, particularly in high TB-endemic areas as the People's Republic of China (PRC). The aim of this report was to assess the performance of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT-GIT) and tuberculin skin test (TST), in addition to microbiological results, as contributors for diagnosing active PTB in the PRC. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:A total of 300 PTB patients, 41 disease controls (DC) and 59 healthy community controls (HCC) were included prospectively between May 2010 and April 2011 from two provinces of the PRC (Heilongjiang and Zhejiang). The QFT-GIT and TST yielded an overall sensitivity for active TB of 80.9% and 86.2%, and a specificity of 36.6% and 26.8%, respectively. The province of origin and smear microscopy status did not significantly impact the diagnostic values for PTB. However, using the TST with a 10 mm cut-off point, a significantly higher proportion of LTBI was observed in the DC than the HCC (p=0.01). Discordant results between the QFT-GIT and TST were found among 1/3 of the PTB, HCC and DC. Two-thirds of the individuals presented TST-positive/QFT-GIT-negative discordant results. The TST-negative/QFT-GIT-positive result was not associated with age or bacillary load. Cumulative QFT-GIT and TST positive results increased the overall sensitivity (95.9%), but it was associated with a dramatic decrease of the overall specificity (24.8%) leading to a suboptimal PPV (80.1%) and a low NPV (61.1%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The usefulness of the QFT-GIT to diagnose active TB in high TB-endemic countries remains doubtful because like the TST, the QFT-GIT cannot distinguish between LTBI and active TB. Used as single stand-alone tests, both the QFT-GIT and TST have very limited roles in the diagnosis of active PTB. However, the combined use of SM, the TST and QFT-GIT may allow for the exclusion of ATB.

Education is one of the most important drivers behind helping people in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty. However, even when schooling is available absenteeism rates can be high. Recently interest has focussed on whether or not WASH interventions can help reduce absenteeism in developing countries. However, none has focused exclusively on the role of drinking water provision. We report a study of the association between absenteeism and provision of treated water in containers into schools.We undertook a quasi-experimental longitudinal study of absenteeism rates in 8 schools, 4 of which received one 20 L container of treated drinking water per day. The water had been treated by filtration and ultraviolet disinfection. Weekly absenteeism rates were compared across all schools using negative binomial model in generalized estimating equations. There was a strong association with provision of free water and reduced absenteeism (Incidence rate ratio = 0.39 (95% Confidence Intervals 0.27-0.56)). However there was also a strong association with season (wet versus dry) and a significant interaction between receiving free water and season. In one of the intervention schools it was discovered that the water supplier was not fulfilling his contract and was not delivering sufficient water each week. In this school we showed a significant association between the number of water containers delivered each week and absenteeism (IRR = 0.98 95%CI 0.96-1.00).There appears to be a strong association between providing free safe drinking water and reduced absenteeism, though only in the dry season. The mechanism for this association is not clear but may in part be due to improved hydration leading to improved school experience for the children.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multi-centric prospective study in India was to assess the accuracy of a serological test as an additional tool for diagnosing active tuberculosis (ATB). In particular, an assay based on ELISA using a phenolic glycolipid (PGL-Tb1) or a fusion protein (ESAT-6/CFP10) was compared to the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the microbiological results according to HIV status. METHODS: Individuals with and without ATB and HIV infection were enrolled. Serology and TST results were analyzed per se and in combination with the microbiological data. RESULTS: Among the 778 ATB patients, 102 were HIV-infected, 316 HIV-uninfected and 360 had an HIV-unknown status. Of the 945 non-ATB subjects, 559 were at low risk (community adults) and 386 at high risk of M. tuberculosis exposure. Among those with ATB, the sensitivity of ELISA-PGL-Tb1 for ATB was higher than that of ELISA-ESAT-6/CFP10, both in HIV-infected (72.3% versus 63.7%, p = 0.29) and HIV-uninfected/HIV-unknown groups (40.5% versus 28.6%; p

ObjectiveTo assess 2009 A(H1N1) seroconversion rates and their determinants within an unvaccinated population in Vientiane Capital, Laos.MethodsCoPanFlu Laos, a general population cohort of 807 households and 4,072 participants was established in March 2010. Sociodemographic data, epidemiological data, and capillary blood samples were collected from all the household members in March, and again in October 2010, in order to assess the level of antibodies to 2009 A(H1N1) with the haemagglutination inhibition assay. 2009 A(H1N1) seroconversion was defined as a fourfold or greater increase in titre between inclusion and follow-up. Determinants for pandemic influenza infection were studied using the generalized estimating equations model, taking household clustering into account.ResultsBetween March and November 2010, 3,524 paired sera were tested. Prior to the pandemic, our cohort was almost completely vaccine-naive for seasonal influenza. The overall seroconversion rate among nonvaccinated individuals (n = 2,810) was 14.3% (95%CI [13.0, 15.6]), with the highest rate for participants under 20 yo (19.8%, 95%CI [17.4, 22.4]) and the lowest rate for participants over 60 yo (6.5%, 95%CI [3.7, 10.4]). Participants with lower baseline titres had significantly higher infection rates, with a dose-effect relationship. Odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 76.5 (95%CI [27.1, 215.8]), for those with a titre at inclusion of 1∶10, to 8.1 (95%CI [3.3, 20.4]), for those with a titre of 1∶40. Having another household member with a titre ≥1∶80 was associated with a higher likelihood of immunity (OR = 3.3, 95%CI [2.8, 3.9]).ConclusionThe determinants and age distribution for seroconversion within a vaccine-naive population were similar to those found in developed countries. This pandemic was characterized by strong epidemiological determinants, regardless of geographical zone and level of development. Moreover, we detected pre-existing cross-reacting antibodies in participants over 60 yo, which could not have originated from former multiple vaccination as has been suggested elsewhere.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicentric prospective study in India was to assess the performance of the QuantiFERON TB-Gold in tube (QFT-GIT), Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and microbiological results as additional tools for diagnosing active tuberculosis (TB) and latent infection (LTBI) according to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status. METHODS: Individuals with and without active TB and HIV infection were enrolled between 2006-2008. QFT-GIT and TST results were analyzed per se and in combination with microbiological data. RESULTS: Among the 276 individuals (96 active pulmonary TB and 180 no active TB) tested by QFT-GIT, 18 indeterminate results (6.5%) were found, more significantly numerous in the HIV-infected (15/92; 16.3%) than the HIV-uninfected (3/184; 1.6%)(p

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicentric prospective study in India was to assess the value of several microbiological tools that contribute to the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) according to HIV status. METHODS: Standard microbiological tools on individual specimens were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 807 patients with active TB, 131 were HIV-infected, 316 HIV-uninfected and 360 had HIV-unknown status. Among the 980 non-active TB subjects, 559 were at low risk and 421 were at high risk of M. tuberculosis (Mtb) exposure. Sensitivity of smear microscopy (SM) was significantly lower in HIV-infected (42.2%) than HIV-uninfected (75.9%) (p = 0.0001) and HIV-unknown pulmonary TB patients (61.4%) (p = 0.004). Specificity was 94.5% in non-TB patients and 100% in health care workers (HCW) and healthy family contacts. Automated liquid culture has significantly higher diagnostic performances than solid culture, measured by sensitivity (74.7% vs. 55.9%) (p = 0.0001) and shorter median time to detection (TTD) (12.0 vs. 34.0 days) (p = 0.0001). Specificity was 100% in HCW and cured-TB patients, but was lower in non-TB patients (89%) due to isolation of Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis (MOTT). TTD by both methods was related to AFB score. Contamination rate was low (1.4%). AccuProbe hybridization technique detected Mtb in almost all culture-positive specimens, but MOTT were found in 4.7% with a significantly higher frequency in HIV-infected (15%) than HIV-uninfected TB patients (0.5%) (p = 0.0007). Pre-test classification significantly increased the diagnostic value of all microbiological tests in pulmonary TB patients (p

BackgroundThe suboptimal sensitivity of Interferon (IFN)-γ-based in-vitro assays, especially in immunocompromised individuals, emphasizes the need for alternative markers for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-2 and interleukin (IL)-2 can be useful biomarkers for evaluating a specific response to RD1 antigens associated to active TB disease in HIV-infected individuals.Methodology/principal findingsThe study was carried out in India, the country with the highest TB burden in the world. Sixty-six HIV-infected individuals were prospectively enrolled, 28 with active-pulmonary-TB and 38 without. The whole blood assay based on RD1-selected peptides (experimental test) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In tube (QFT-IT) was performed. Plasma was harvested at day-1-post-culture and soluble factors were evaluated by ELISA. The results indicate that by detecting IP-10, the sensitivity of the experimental test and QFT-antigen (75% and 85.7% respectively) for active TB was higher compared to the same assays based on IFN-γ (42.9% and 60.7% respectively) and was not influenced by the ability to respond to the mitogen. By detecting IP-10, the specificity of the experimental test and QFT-antigen (57.9% and 13.2% respectively) for active TB was lower than what was reported for the same assays using IFN-γ-detection (78.9% and 68.4% respectively). On the other side, in vitro IL-2 and MCP-2 responses were not significantly associated with active TB.ConclusionsHIV infection does not impair RD1-specific response detected by IP-10, while it significantly decreases IFN-γ-mediated responses. At the moment it is unclear whether higher detection is related to higher sensitivity or lower specificity of the assay. Further studies in high and low TB endemic countries are needed to elucidate this.