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COVID‐19 vaccine became available in Tanzania during the first wave of the Omicron variant. During that time community seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 was already at 50%–80%. To date, it remains largely unknown whether ongoing vaccination with the primary series vaccines has any meaningful immune‐boosting effects against newer Omicron subvariants. Therefore, we tested cross‐neutralizing capacity of antibodies elicited by infection, vaccination, or both against SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron subvariants BA.1, and the newer subvariants BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5. that were unexperienced by this population. Participants who were either SARS‐CoV‐2 infected‐only (n = 28), infected vaccinated (n = 22), or vaccinated‐only (n = 73) were recruited from Dar‐es‐Salaam, Tanzania, between April and December 2022. Plasma 50% neutralization titers (NT50) against SARS‐CoV‐2 wild‐type strain and Omicron subvariants were quantified by a lentiviral‐based pseudo‐virus assay. Percentage of participants with neutralizing activity against WT and BA.1 was high (>85%) but was reduced against BQ.1.1 (64%–77%) and XBB.1.5 (35%–68%) subvariants. The low median cross‐neutralization titer was slightly higher in the infected vaccinated group compared to vaccine‐only group against BQ.1.1 (NT50 148 vs. 85, p = 0.032) and XBB.1.5 (NT50 85 vs. 37 p = 0.022) subvariants. In contrast, vaccine‐boost among the infected vaccinated did not result to increased cross‐neutralization compared to infected‐only participants (BQ.1.1 [NT50 of 148 vs. 100, p = 0.501] and XBB.1.5 [NT50 86 vs. 45, p = 0.474]). We report severely attenuated neutralization titers against BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5 subvariants among vaccinated participants, which marginally improved in the infected vaccinated participants. Our findings call for further studies to evaluate effectiveness of the primary series vaccines in preventing severe infection and mortality against the newer variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The parasitic infection caused by Taenia solium represents a significant public health concern in developing countries. Larval invasion of body tissues leads to cysticercosis (CC), while central nervous system (CNS) involvement results in neurocysticercosis (NCC). Both conditions exhibit diverse clinical manifestations, and the potential impact of concomitant HIV infection especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa on peripheral and CNS immune responses remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify the potential impact of HIV coinfection in CC and NCC patients. Methodology: A nested study within a cross-sectional analysis in two Tanzanian regions was performed and 234 participants (110 HIV+ and 124 HIV-) were tested for cysticercosis antibodies, antigens, CD4 counts and serum Th1 and Th2 cytokines via multiplex bead-based immunoassay. 127 cysticercosis seropositive individuals underwent cranial computed tomography (CCT) and clinical symptoms were assessed. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with cytokine modulation due to HIV in CC and NCC patients. Results: Serologically, 18.8% tested positive for cysticercosis antibodies, with no significant difference HIV+ and HIV+. A significantly higher rate of cysticercosis antigen positivity was found in HIV+ individuals (43.6%) compared to HIV- (28.2%) (p = 0.016). CCT scans revealed that overall 10.3% had active brain cysts (NCC+). Our study found no significant changes in the overall cytokine profiles between HIV+ and HIV- participants coinfected CC and NCC, except for IL-5 which was elevated in HIV+ individuals with cysticercosis. Furthermore, HIV infection in general was associated with increased levels of pro-and some anti-inflammatory cytokines e.g. TNF-α, IL-8, and IFN-γ. However, based on the interaction analyses, no cytokine changes were observed due to HIV in CC or NCC patients. Conclusions: In conclusion, while HIV infection itself significantly modulates levels of key cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-8, and IFN-γ, it does not modulate any cytokine changes due to CC or NCC. This underscores the dominant influence of HIV on the immune system and highlights the importance of effective antiretroviral therapy in managing immune responses in individuals coinfected with HIV and CC/NCC. Author summary: Our study evaluates the interplay of immune responses in individuals coinfected with HIV and neurocysticercosis (NCC) in resource-limited settings. We analyzed cytokine profiles among 234 participants, discovering that HIV infection significantly modulates various key cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-8, and IFN-γ. Notably, our results indicate that while HIV has a dominant influence on cytokine levels, it does not cause additional cytokine alterations specifically due to NCC. This suggests that the immunomodulatory effects of NCC are minimal in the presence of HIV, pointing to the overarching impact of HIV on the immune system. Our findings emphasize the complexity of immune responses in coinfected individuals and underscore the critical role of effective antiretroviral therapy. Insights from our study are crucial for refining therapeutic strategies in managing such complex coinfections in endemic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarah MacFarlane and colleagues share their lessons engaging in educational reform and faculty development with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania and the University of California San Francisco.

Background: Cancer patients are among people at high risk of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing bacteriuria as a consequence of cancer-induced immunosuppression and complex cancer treatments. Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving the quantitative method of data collection was carried out to determine the prevalence of bacteriuria, antibacterial susceptibility pattern of the causative isolates and associated risk factors among cancer patients attending Ocean Road Cancer Institute. A convenient sampling technique was used to obtain 422 cancer patients. A urine sample was collected to establish the prevalence of bacteriuria and the antibacterial susceptibility pattern of the isolates. Interviews were carried out with study participants using a questionnaire to collect social-demographic data. A clinical record collection form was used to collect clinical data of each participant. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequencies and proportions) and binary logistic regression by using SPSS software version 20. Results: The prevalence of bacteriuria among asymptomatic and symptomatic cancer patients was 3.6% and 14.0%, respectively. Escherichia coli accounted for a large proportion of all Gram-negative bacteria isolates (53%). The other Gram-negative bacteria were Pseudomonas species (16%), Acinetobacter species (15%), Klebsiella species (10%), Enterobacter species (3%), Proteus mirabilis (1.5%), and Aeromonas species (1.5%). Enterococcus species contributed roughly two-thirds of all Gram-positive bacteria isolates (67%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 27 (75%) of Escherichia coli isolates. The factors associated with bacteriuria in cancer patients were sex, patients' settings, history of antibiotic use and occupation. Conclusion: Bacteriuria, particularly that caused by MDR Escherichia coli, is common among cancer patients at Ocean Road Cancer Institute and is associated with sex, patients' settings and occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of azithromycin for the treatment of syphilis in a developing country is analyzed. Observations reveal that syphilis could be effectively treated with a single dose of oral azithromycin, which might prove successful especially in developing countries where the use of penicillin G benzathine injections poses problems.

The mortality during the first 24 months after delivery in relation to CD4 T-lymphocyte levels and viral load at enrollment in a cohort of HIV-1-seroptive breast-feeding women at the Dar es Salaam site of the multicenter Petra trial is analyzed. It is concluded that the mortality was high among women with severe immunosuppression or high viral load at enrollment, but not in the rest of the women.