BOHEMIA a cluster randomized trial to assess the impact of an endectocide-based one health approach to malaria in Mozambique: baseline demographics and key malaria indicators.

BACKGROUND: Many geographical areas of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural settings, lack complete and up-to-date demographic data, posing a challenge for implementation and evaluation of public health interventions and carrying out large-scale health research. A demographic survey was completed in Mopeia district, located in the Zambezia province in Mozambique, to inform the Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa (BOHEMIA) cluster randomized clinical trial, which tested ivermectin mass drug administration to humans and/or livestock as a potential novel strategy to decrease malaria transmission. METHODS: The demographic survey was a prospective descriptive study, which collected data of all the households in the district that accepted to participate. Households were mapped through geolocation and identified with a unique identification number. Basic demographic data of the household members was collected and each person received a permanent identification number for the study. RESULTS: 25,550 households were mapped and underwent the demographic survey, and 131,818 individuals were registered in the district. The average household size was 5 members and 76.9% of households identified a male household head. Housing conditions are often substandard with low access to improved water systems and electricity. The reported coverage of malaria interventions was 71.1% for indoor residual spraying and 54.1% for universal coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets. The median age of the population was 15 years old. There were 910 deaths in the previous 12 months reported, and 43.9% were of children less than 5 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the district had good coverage of vector control tools against malaria but sub-optimal living conditions and poor access to basic services. The majority of households are led by males and Mopeia Sede/Cuacua is the most populated locality in the district. The population of Mopeia is young (< 15 years) and there is a high childhood mortality. The results of this survey were crucial as they provided the household and population profiles and allowed the design and implementation of the cluster randomized clinical trial. Trial registration NCT04966702.

Burden, clinical presentation and risk factors of advanced HIV disease in pregnant Mozambican women.

BACKGROUND: Information on the frequency and clinical features of advanced HIV disease (AHD) in pregnancy and its effects on maternal and perinatal outcomes is limited. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and clinical presentation of AHD in pregnancy, and to assess the impact of AHD in maternal and perinatal outcomes in Mozambican pregnant women. METHODS: This is a prospective and retrospective cohort study including HIV-infected pregnant women who attended the antenatal care (ANC) clinic at the Manhiça District Hospital between 2015 and 2020. Women were followed up for 36 months. Levels of CD4 + cell count were determined to assess AHD immune-suppressive changes. Risk factors for AHD were analyzed and the immune-suppressive changes over time and the effect of AHD on pregnancy outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 2458 HIV-infected pregnant women were enrolled. The prevalence of AHD at first ANC visit was 14.2% (349/2458). Among women with AHD at enrolment, 76.2% (260/341) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The proportion of women with AHD increased with age reaching 20.5% in those older than 35 years of age (p < 0.001). Tuberculosis was the only opportunistic infection diagnosed in women with AHD [4.9% (17/349)]. There was a trend for increased CD4 + cell count in women without AHD during the follow up period; however, in women with AHD the CD4 + cell count remained below 200 cells/mm3 (p < 0.001). Forty-two out of 2458 (1.7%) of the women were severely immunosuppressed (CD4 + cell count < 50 cells/mm3). No significant differences were detected between women with and without AHD in the frequency of maternal mortality, preterm birth, low birth weight and neonatal HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS: After more than two decades of roll out of ART in Mozambique, over 14% and nearly 2% of HIV-infected pregnant women present at first ANC clinic visit with AHD and severe immunosuppression, respectively. Prompt HIV diagnosis in women of childbearing age, effective linkage to HIV care with an optimal ART regimen and close monitoring after ART initiation may contribute to reduce this burden and improve maternal and child survival.

Neighbors' use of water and sanitation facilities can affect children's health: a cohort study in Mozambique using a spatial approach.

BACKGROUND: Impact evaluation of most water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions in health are user-centered. However, recent research discussed WASH herd protection - community WASH coverage could protect neighboring households. We evaluated the effect of water and sanitation used in the household and by household neighbors in children's morbidity and mortality using recorded health data. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort including 61,333 children from a district in Mozambique during 2012-2015. We obtained water and sanitation household data and morbidity data from Manhiça Health Research Centre surveillance system. To evaluate herd protection, we estimated the density of household neighbors with improved facilities using a Kernel Density Estimator. We fitted negative binomial adjusted regression models to assess the minimum children-based incidence rates for every morbidity indicator, and Cox regression models for mortality. RESULTS: Household use of unimproved water and sanitation displayed a higher rate of outpatient visit, diarrhea, malaria, and anemia. Households with unimproved water and sanitation surrounded by neighbors with improved water and sanitation high coverage were associated with a lower rate of outpatient visit, malaria, anemia, and malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Household and neighbors' access to improve water and sanitation can affect children's health. Accounting for household WASH and herd protection in interventions' evaluation could foster stakeholders' investment and improve WASH related diseases control. Distribution of main water and sanitation facilities used during study period.

Initiation and adherence to isoniazid preventive therapy in children under 5 years of age in Manhiça, Southern Mozambique.

The WHO recommends preventive treatment for all pediatric contacts of a confirmed TB case, but coverage remains low in many high TB burden countries. We aimed to assess the coverage and adherence of the isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) program among children under 5 years of age with household exposure to an adult pulmonary TB case in a rural district of Southern Mozambique. The estimated IPT coverage was 11.7%. A longer distance to the health center and lower age of the children hindered IPT initiation. Among patients who started IPT, 12/18 (69.9%) were adherent to the 6-month treatment.

Incremental impact on malaria incidence following indoor residual spraying in a highly endemic area with high standard ITN access in Mozambique: results from a cluster-randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Attaining the goal of reducing the global malaria burden is threatened by recent setbacks in maintaining the effectiveness of vector control interventions partly due to the emergence of pyrethroid resistant vectors. One potential strategy to address these setbacks could be combining indoor residual spraying (IRS) with non-pyrethroids and standard insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). This study aimed to provide evidence on the incremental epidemiological benefit of using third-generation IRS product in a highly endemic area with high ITN ownership. METHODS: A cluster-randomized, open-label, parallel-arms, superiority trial was conducted in the Mopeia district in Zambezia, Mozambique from 2016 to 2018. The district had received mass distribution of alphacypermethrin ITNs two years before the trial and again mid-way. 86 clusters were defined, stratified and randomized to receive or not receive IRS with pirimiphos-methyl (Actellic®300 CS). Efficacy of adding IRS was assessed through malaria incidence in a cohort of children under five followed prospectively for two years, enhanced passive surveillance at health facilities and by community health workers, and yearly cross-sectional surveys at the peak of the transmission season. FINDINGS: A total of 1536 children were enrolled in the cohort. Children in the IRS arm experienced 4,801 cases (incidence rate of 3,532 per 10,000 children-month at risk) versus 5,758 cases in the no-IRS arm (incidence rate of 4,297 per 10,000 children-month at risk), resulting in a crude risk reduction of 18% and an incidence risk ratio of 0.82 (95% CI 0.79-0.86, p-value < 0.001). Facility and community passive surveillance showed a malaria incidence of 278 per 10,000 person-month in the IRS group (43,974 cases over 22 months) versus 358 (95% CI 355-360) per 10,000 person-month at risk in the no-IRS group (58,030 cases over 22 months), resulting in an incidence rate ratio of 0.65 (95% CI 0.60-0.71, p < 0.001). In the 2018 survey, prevalence in children under five in the IRS arm was significantly lower than in the no-IRS arm (OR 0.54, 95% CI, 0.31-0.92, p = 0.0241). CONCLUSION: In a highly endemic area with high ITN access and emerging pyrethroid resistance, adding IRS with pirimiphos-methyl resulted in significant additional protection for children under five years of age. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02910934, registered 22 September 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02910934?term=NCT02910934&draw=2&rank=1 .

Blood cytokine, chemokine and growth factor profiling in a cohort of pregnant women from tropical countries.

The immune status of women changes during and after pregnancy, differs between blood compartments at delivery and is affected by environmental factors particularly in tropical areas endemic for multiple infections. We quantified the plasma concentration of a set of thirty-one TH1, TH2, TH17 and regulatory cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and growth factors (altogether biomarkers), in a cohort of 540 pregnant women from five malaria-endemic tropical countries. Samples were collected at recruitment (first antenatal visit), delivery (periphery, cord and placenta) and postpartum, allowing a longitudinal analysis. We found the lowest concentration of biomarkers at recruitment and the highest at postpartum, with few exceptions. Among them, IL-6, HGF and TGF-ß had the highest levels at delivery, and even higher concentrations in the placenta compared to peripheral blood. Placental concentrations were generally higher than peripheral, except for eotaxin that was lower. We also compared plasma biomarker concentrations between the tropical cohort and a control group from Spain at delivery, presenting overall higher biomarker levels the tropical cohort, particularly pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Only IL-6 presented lower levels in the tropical group. Moreover, a principal component analysis of biomarker concentrations at delivery showed that women from Spain grouped more homogenously, and that IL-6 and IL-8 clustered together in the tropical cohort but not in the Spanish one. Plasma cytokine concentrations correlated with Plasmodium antibody levels at postpartum but not during pregnancy. This basal profiling of immune mediators over gestation and in different compartments at delivery is important to subsequently understand response to infections and clinical outcomes in mothers and infants in tropical areas.

Differential expression of var subgroups and PfSir2a genes in afebrile Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Poor knowledge on the afebrile Plasmodium falciparum biology limits elimination approaches to target asymptomatic malaria. Therefore, the association of parasite factors involved in cytoadhesion, parasite multiplication and gametocyte maturation with afebrile malaria was assessed. METHODS: Plasmodium falciparum isolates were collected from febrile (axillary temperature ≥ 37.5 °C or a reported fever in the previous 24 h) and afebrile (fever neither at the visit nor in the previous 24 h) individuals residing in Southern Mozambique. var, PfSir2a and Pfs25 transcript levels were determined by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCRs (RT-qPCRs) and compared among 61 pairs of isolates matched by parasite density, age and year of sample collection. RESULTS: The level of varC and PfSir2a transcripts was higher in P. falciparum isolates from afebrile individuals (P ≤ 0.006), while varB and DC8 genes (P ≤ 0.002) were higher in isolates from individuals with febrile infections. After adjusting the analysis by area of residence, doubling the relative transcript unit (RTU) of varC and PfSir2a was associated with a 29.7 (95% CI 4.6-192.3) and 8.5 (95% CI 1.9-32.2) fold increases, respectively, of the odds of being afebrile. In contrast, doubling the RTU of varB and DC8 was associated with a 0.8 (95% CI 0.05-0.6) and 0.2 (95% CI 0.04-0.6) fold changes, respectively, of the odds of being afebrile. No significant differences were found for Pfs25 transcript levels in P. falciparum isolates from afebrile and febrile individuals. CONCLUSIONS: var and gametocyte-specific transcript patterns in febrile and afebrile infections from southern Mozambique matched by age, parasite density and recruitment period suggest similar transmissibility but differential expression of variant antigens involved in cytoadhesion and immune-evasion.

Thoracoscopic vs. catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: long-term follow-up of the FAST randomized trial.

AIMS: Our objectives were to compare effectiveness and long-term prognosis after epicardial thoracoscopic atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation vs. endocardial catheter ablation, in patients with prior failed catheter ablation or high risk of failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were randomized to thoracoscopic or catheter ablation, consisting of pulmonary vein isolation with optional additional lines (2007-2010). Patients were reassessed in 2016/2017, and those without documented AF recurrence underwent 7-day ambulatory electrocardiography. The primary rhythm outcome was recurrence of any atrial arrhythmia lasting >30 s. The primary clinical endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or cerebrovascular event, analysed with adjusted Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs). One hundred and 24 patients were randomized with 34% persistent AF and mean age 56 years. Arrhythmia recurrence was common at mean follow-up of 7.0 years, but substantially lower with thoracoscopic ablation: 34/61 (56%) compared with 55/63 (87%) with catheter ablation [adjusted HR 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.64; P < 0.001]. Additional ablation procedures were performed in 8 patients (13%) compared with 31 (49%), respectively (P < 0.001). Eleven patients (19%) were on anti-arrhythmic drugs at end of follow-up with thoracoscopy vs. 24 (39%) with catheter ablation (P = 0.012). There was no difference in the composite clinical outcome: 9 patients (15%) in the thoracoscopy arm vs. 10 patients (16%) with catheter ablation (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.40-3.10; P = 0.84). Pacemaker implantation was required in 6 patients (10%) undergoing thoracoscopy and 3 (5%) in the catheter group (P = 0.27). CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic AF ablation demonstrated more consistent maintenance of sinus rhythm than catheter ablation, with similar long-term clinical event rates.

[Community-acquired pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with inhaled corticosteroids or other bronchodilators. Study PNEUMOCORT]. / Neumonías adquiridas en la comunidad en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica tratados con corticoides inhalados u otros broncodilatadores. Estudio PNEUMOCORT.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the risk of pneumonia and/or exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who receive treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (CI), in comparison with those who are not treated with inhaled corticosteroids (NCI). To estimate the risk of pneumonia according to CI dose. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: Primary Healthcare. Institut Català de la Salut. PARTICIPANTS: Patients ≥45 years-old diagnosed with COPD between 2007 and 2009 in the Information System for Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP). INTERVENTION: Two cohorts; patients initiating CI and patients initiating bronchodilators after COPD diagnosis. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Demographics, smoking, medical history, pneumonias, exacerbations, vaccinations, and drug therapy. RESULTS: A total of 3,837 patients were included, 58% in the CI and 42% in the NCI group. Higher incidence rates of pneumonia and exacerbations were detected in the CI group compared with the NCI (2.18 vs. 1.37). The risk of pneumonia and severe exacerbations was not significantly different between groups, HR; 1.17 (95% CI; 0.87-1.56) and 1.06 (95% CI; 0.87-1.31), respectively. Patients in the CI group had a higher risk of mild exacerbations, HR; 1.28 (95% CI; 1.10-1.50). Variables associated with a higher risk of pneumonia were age, diabetes, previous pneumonias and bronchitis, very severe COPD, treatment with low doses of ß2-adrenergic or anticholinergic agents, and previous treatment with oral corticosteroids. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences between cohorts in the risk of pneumonia and severe exacerbations. The risk of mild exacerbations was higher in the CI group. Pneumonias and severe exacerbations were more frequent in patients with severe COPD and in patients receiving high doses of CI.

Identifying Immune Correlates of Protection Against Plasmodium falciparum Through a Novel Approach to Account for Heterogeneity in Malaria Exposure.

Background: A main criterion to identify malaria vaccine candidates is the proof that acquired immunity against them is associated with protection from disease. The age of the studied individuals, heterogeneous malaria exposure, and assumption of the maintenance of a baseline immune response can confound these associations. Methods: Immunoglobulin G/immunoglobulin M (IgG/ IgM) levels were measured by Luminex® in Mozambican children monitored for clinical malaria from birth until 3 years of age, together with functional antibodies. Studied candidates were pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic antigens, including EBAs/PfRhs, MSPs, DBLs, and novel antigens merely or not previously studied in malaria-exposed populations. Cox regression models were estimated at 9 and 24 months of age, accounting for heterogeneous malaria exposure or limiting follow-up according to the antibody's decay. Results: Associations of antibody responses with higher clinical malaria risk were avoided when accounting for heterogeneous malaria exposure or when limiting the follow-up time in the analyses. Associations with reduced risk of clinical malaria were found only at 24 months old, but not younger children, for IgG breadth and levels of IgG targeting EBA140III-V, CyRPA, DBL5ε and DBL3x, together with C1q-fixation activity by antibodies targeting MSP119. Conclusions: Malaria protection correlates were identified, only in children aged 24 months old when accounting for heterogeneous malaria exposure. These results highlight the relevance of considering age and malaria exposure, as well as the importance of not assuming the maintenance of a baseline immune response throughout the follow-up. Results may be misleading if these factors are not considered.

BCG vaccination in southern rural Mozambique: an overview of coverage and its determinants based on data from the demographic and health surveillance system in the district of Manhiça.

BACKGROUND: Over the past four decades, the World Health Organization established the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to foster universal access to all relevant vaccines for all children at risk. The success of this program has been undeniable, but requires periodic monitoring to ensure that coverage rates remain high. The aim of this study was to measure the BCG vaccination coverage in Manhiça district, a high TB burden rural area of Southern Mozambique and to investigate factors that may be associated with BCG vaccination. METHODS: We used data from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) run by the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) in the district of Manhiça. A questionnaire was added in the annual HDSS round visits to retrospectively collect the vaccination history of children under the age of 3 years. Vaccinations are registered in the National Health Cards which are universally distributed at birth. This information was collected for children born from 2011 to 2014. Data on whether a child was vaccinated for BCG were collected from these National Health Cards and/or BCG scar assessment. RESULTS: A total of 10,875 number of children were eligible for the study and 7903 presented the health card. BCG coverage was 97.4% for children holding a health card. A BCG-compatible scar was observed in 99.0% of all children and in 99.6% of children with recorded BCG in the card. A total of 93.4% of children had been vaccinated with BCG within their first 28 days of life. None of the factors analysed were found to be associated with lack of BCG vaccination except for living in the municipality of Maluana compared to living in the municipality of Manhiça; (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.18-3.00). Coverage for other EPI vaccines during the first year of life was similarly high, but decreased for subsequent doses. CONCLUSIONS: BCG coverage is high and timely administered. Almost all vaccinated infants develop scar, which is a useful proxy for monitoring BCG vaccine implementation.

Interferon-γ-Inducible Protein 10 (IP-10) as a Screening Tool to Optimize Human Immunodeficiency Virus RNA Monitoring in Resource-Limited Settings.

BACKGROUND: Achieving effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) monitoring is a key determinant to ensure viral suppression and reach the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. The gold standard for detecting virological failure is plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA (viral load [VL]) testing; however, its availability is very limited in low-income countries due to cost and operational constraints. METHODS: HIV-1-infected adults on first-line ART attending routine visits at the Manhiça District Hospital, Mozambique, were previously evaluated for virologic failure. Plasma levels of interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression was used to build an IP-10-based model able to identify individuals with VL >150 copies/mL. From the 316 individuals analyzed, 253 (80%) were used for model training and 63 (20%) for validation. Receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to evaluate model prediction. RESULTS: From the individuals included in the training set, 34% had detectable VL. Mean age was 41 years, 70% were females, and median time on ART was 3.4 years. IP-10 levels were significantly higher in subjects with detectable VL (108.2 pg/mL) as compared to those with undetectable VL (38.0 pg/mL) (P < .0001, U test). IP-10 univariate model demonstrated high classification performance (area under the curve = 0.85 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .80-.90]). Using a cutoff value of IP-10 ≥44.2 pg/mL, the model identified detectable VL with 91.9% sensitivity (95% CI, 83.9%-96.7%) and 59.9% specificity (95% CI, 52.0%-67.4%), values confirmed in the validation set. CONCLUSIONS: IP-10 is an accurate biomarker to screen individuals on ART for detectable viremia. Further studies should evaluate the benefits of IP-10 as a triage approach to monitor ART in resource-limited settings.

Continuous determination of blood glucose in children admitted with malaria in a rural hospital in Mozambique.

BACKGROUND: Hypoglycaemia is a frequent complication among admitted children, particularly in malaria-endemic areas. This study aimed to estimate the occurrence of hypoglycaemia not only upon admission but throughout the first 72 h of hospitalization in children admitted with malaria. METHODS: A simple pilot study to continuously monitor glycaemia in children aged 0-10 years, admitted with malaria in a rural hospital was conducted in Southern Mozambique by inserting continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in subcutaneous tissue of the abdominal area, producing glycaemia readings every 5 min. RESULTS: Glucose was continuously monitored during a mean of 48 h, in 74 children. Continuous measurements of blood glucose were available for 72/74 children (97.3%). Sixty-five of them were admitted with density-specific malaria diagnosis criteria (17 severe, 48 uncomplicated). Five children (7.7%) had hypoglycaemia (<54 mg/dL) on admission as detected by routine capillary determination. Analysing the data collected by the CGMs, hypoglycaemia episodes (<54 mg/dL) were detected in 10/65 (15.4%) of the children, of which 7 (10.8%) could be classified as severe (≤45 mg/dL). No risk factors were independently associated with the presence of at least one episode of hypoglycaemia (<54 mg/dL) during hospitalization. Only one death occurred among a normoglycaemic child. All episodes of hypoglycaemia detected by CGMs were subclinical episodes or not perceived by caregivers or clinical staff. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoglycaemia beyond admission in children with malaria appears to be much more frequent than what had been previously described. The clinical relevance of these episodes of hypoglycaemia in the medium or long term remains to be determined.

Poor tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Southern Mozambique (2011-2012).

BACKGROUND: In Mozambique, there is limited data regarding the monitoring of Tuberculosis (TB) treatment results and determinants of adverse outcomes under routine surveillance conditions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate treatment outcomes among TB patients, analyze factors associated with a fatal outcome and determine the proportion of deaths attributable to TB in the district of Manhiça, Southern Mozambique. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study based on TB patients diagnosed in the period 2011-2012. We used three different data sources: a) TB related variables collected by the National TB Control Program in the district of Manhiça for all TB cases starting treatment in the period 2011-2012. b) Population estimates for the district were obtained through the Mozambican National Statistics Institute. c) Deaths and other relevant demographic variables were collected from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System at Manhiça Health Research Center. WHO guidelines were used to define TB cases and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 1957 cases starting TB treatment in the period 2011-2012, 294 patients (15.1 %) died during anti-tuberculous treatment. Ten per cent of patients defaulted treatment. The proportion of patients considered to have treatment failure was 1.1 %. HIV infection (OR 2.73; 95 % CI: 1.70-4.38), being male (OR: 1.39; 95 % CI 1.01-1.91) and lack of laboratory confirmation (OR: 1.54; 95 % CI 1.12-2.13) were associated with dying during the course of TB treatment (p value <0.05). The contribution of TB to the overall death burden of the district for natural reasons was 6.5 % (95 % CI: 5.5-7.6), higher for males than for females (7.8 %; 95 % CI: 6.1-9.5 versus 5.4 %; 95 % CI: 4.1-6.8 respectively). The age group within which TB was responsible for the highest proportion of deaths was 30-34 among males and 20-24 among females (20 % of all deaths in both cases). CONCLUSION: This study shows a very high proportion of fatal outcomes among TB cases starting treatment. There is a high contribution of TB to the overall causes of mortality. These results call for action in order to improve TB (and TB/HIV) management and thus treatment outcomes of TB patients.

Evaluation and validation of a PrintrLab-based LAMP assay to identify Trypanosoma cruzi in newborns in Bolivia: a proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi represents approximately 20% of new Chagas disease cases. Early detection and treatment for women of childbearing age and newborns is a public health priority, but the lack of a simple and reliable diagnostic test remains a major barrier. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a point-of-care loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of T cruzi. METHODS: In this proof-of-concept study, we coupled a low-cost 3D printer repurposed for sample preparation and amplification (PrintrLab) to the Eiken T cruzi-LAMP prototype to detect vertically transmitted T cruzi, which we compared with standardised PCR and with the gold-standard algorithm (microscopy at birth and 2 months and serological study several months later). We screened pregnant women from two hospitals in the Bolivian Gran Chaco province, and those who were seropositive for T cruzi were offered the opportunity for their newborns to be enrolled in the study. Newborns were tested by microscopy, LAMP, and PCR at birth and 2 months, and by serology at 8 months. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 17, 2018, 986 mothers were screened, among whom 276 were seropositive for T cruzi (28·0% prevalence, 95% CI 25·6-31·2). In total, 224 infants born to 221 seropositive mothers completed 8 months of follow-up. Congenital transmission was detected in nine of the 224 newborns (4·0% prevalence, 1·9-7·5) by direct microscopy observation, and 14 more cases were diagnosed serologically (6·3%, 3·6-10·3), accounting for an overall vertical transmission rate of 10·3% (6·6-15·0; 23 of 224). All microscopy-positive newborns were positive by PrintrLab-LAMP and by PCR, while these techniques respectively detected four and five extra positive cases among the remaining 215 microscopy-negative newborns. INTERPRETATION: The PrintrLab-LAMP yielded a higher sensitivity than microscopy-based analysis. Considering the simpler use and expected lower cost of LAMP compared with PCR, our findings encourage its evaluation in a larger study over a wider geographical area. FUNDING: Inter-American Development Bank.

Burden and risk factors of snakebite in Mopeia, Mozambique: Leveraging larger malaria trials to generate data of this neglected tropical disease.

BACKGROUND: Snakebite is a neglected disease that disproportionally affects the rural poor. There is a dearth of evidence regarding incidence and risk factors in snakebite-endemic countries. Without this basic data, it will be impossible to achieve the target of a 50% reduction of snakebite morbidity and mortality by 2030 as set by the World Health Organization. METHODS: This was a descriptive analysis nested in a 2021 community-based demographic survey of over 70,000 individuals conducted in Mopeia, Mozambique, in preparation for a cluster randomized trial to test an intervention for malaria. We describe the incidence rate, demographics, socioeconomic indicators and outcomes of snakebite in this population. FINDINGS: We found the incidence of self-reported snakebite in Mopeia to be 393 bites per 100,000 person-years at risk, with 2% of households affected in the preceding 12 months. Whilst no fatalities were recorded, over 3,000 days of work or school days were lost with an individual household economic impact higher than that of uncomplicated malaria. 1 in 6 of those affected did not fully recover at the time of the study. We found significant relationships between age older than 15, use of firewood for household fuel, and animal possession with snakebite. CONCLUSIONS: This study exposes higher than expected incidence and burden of snakebite in rural Mozambique. Whilst snakebite elimination in Mozambique seems unattainable today, it remains a preventable disease with manageable sequelae. We have shown that snakebite research is particularly easy to nest in larger studies, making this a practical and cost-effective way of estimating its incidence.

Alternative approaches for creating a wealth index: the case of Mozambique.

INTRODUCTION: The wealth index is widely used as a proxy for a household's socioeconomic position (SEP) and living standard. This work constructs a wealth index for the Mopeia district in Mozambique using data collected in year 2021 under the BOHEMIA (Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa) project. METHODS: We evaluate the performance of three alternative approaches against the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) method based wealth index: feature selection principal components analysis (PCA), sparse PCA and robust PCA. The internal coherence between four wealth indices is investigated through statistical testing. Validation and an evaluation of the stability of the wealth index are performed with additional household income data from the BOHEMIA Health Economics Survey and the 2018 Malaria Indicator Survey data in Mozambique. RESULTS: The Spearman's rank correlation between wealth index ventiles from four methods is over 0.98, indicating a high consistency in results across methods. Wealth rankings and households' income show a strong concordance with the area under the curve value of ~0.7 in the receiver operating characteristic analysis. The agreement between the alternative wealth indices and the DHS wealth index demonstrates the stability in rankings from the alternative methods. CONCLUSIONS: This study creates a wealth index for Mopeia, Mozambique, and shows that DHS method based wealth index is an appropriate proxy for the SEP in low-income regions. However, this research recommends feature selection PCA over the DHS method since it uses fewer asset indicators and constructs a high-quality wealth index.

Screening and routine diagnosis of mental disorders among migrants in primary care: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Migrants in host countries are at risk for the development of mental health conditions. The two aims of the study were to describe routine diagnoses of mental disorders among migrant patients at primary healthcare level and the associated risk factors, and to test the utility of an innovative migrant mental health assessment by evaluating whether the health professionals followed the recommendations proposed by the clinical decision support system (CDSS) tool. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in eight primary care centres (PCCs) in four non-randomly selected health regions of Catalonia, Spain from March to December 2018. Routine health data and mental health diagnoses based on the International Classification of Diseases (10th edition), including mental, behavioural and neuro developmental disorders (F01-F99), symptoms and signs involving emotional state (R45), and sleep disorders (G47), were extracted from the electronic health records. The proportion of mental health conditions was estimated and logistic regression models were used to assess any possible association with mental health disorders. The utility of the mental health assessment was assessed with the proportion of questionnaires performed by health professionals for migrants fulfilling the mental health screening criterion (country of origin with an active conflict in 2017) and the diagnoses given to the screened patients. Results: Of 14,130 migrants that visited any of the PCCs during the study period, 7,358 (52.1 %) were women with a median age of 38.0 years-old. There were 520/14,130 (3.7 %) migrant patients diagnosed with a mental disorder, being more frequent among women (342/7,358; 4.7 %, p-value < 0.001), migrants from Latin-America (177/3,483; 5.1 %, p < 0.001) and those who recently arrived in Spain (170/3,672; 4.6 %, p < 0.001). A lower proportion of mental disorders were reported in migrants coming from conflicted countries in 2017 (116/3,669, 3.2 %, p = 0.053).Out of the 547 mental health diagnoses reported in 520 patients, 69/14,130 (0.5 %) were mood disorders, 346/14,130 (2.5 %) anxiety disorders and 127/14,130 (0.9 %) sleeping disorders. Mood disorders were more common in migrants from Eastern Europe (25/2,971; 0.8 %, p < 0.001) and anxiety disorders in migrants from Latin-America (126/3,483; 3.6 %, p < 0.001), while both type of disorders were more often reported in women (p < 0.001).In the adjusted model, women (aOR: 1.5, [95 % CI 1.2-1.8, p < 0.001]), migrants with more than one visit to the health center during the study period (aOR: 4.4, [95 %CI 2.8-6.8, p < 0.001]) and who presented an infectious disease (aOR: 2.1, [95 %CI 1.5-3.1, p < 0.001]) had higher odds of having a mental disorder.Lastly, out of the 1,840 migrants coming from a conflicted country in 2017 who were attended in centres where the CDSS tool was implemented, 29 (1.6 %) had a mental health assessment performed and the tool correctly identified one individual. Conclusions: Mental health is a condition that may be overlooked in migrants at primary healthcare. Interventions at this level of care must be reinforced and adapted to the needs and circumstances of migrants to ensure equity in health services.

BOHEMIA: Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa-a phase III cluster-randomized, open-label, clinical trial to study the safety and efficacy of ivermectin mass drug administration to reduce malaria transmission in two African settings.

BACKGROUND: Residual malaria transmission is the result of adaptive mosquito behavior that allows malaria vectors to thrive and sustain transmission in the presence of good access to bed nets or insecticide residual spraying. These behaviors include crepuscular and outdoor feeding as well as intermittent feeding upon livestock. Ivermectin is a broadly used antiparasitic drug that kills mosquitoes feeding on a treated subject for a dose-dependent period. Mass drug administration with ivermectin has been proposed as a complementary strategy to reduce malaria transmission. METHODS: A cluster randomized, parallel arm, superiority trial conducted in two settings with distinct eco-epidemiological conditions in East and Southern Africa. There will be three groups: human intervention, consisting of a dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) administered monthly for 3 months to all the eligible population in the cluster (>15 kg, non-pregnant and no medical contraindication); human and livestock intervention, consisting human treatment as above plus treatment of livestock in the area with a single dose of injectable ivermectin (200 mcg/kg) monthly for 3 months; and controls, consisting of a dose of albendazole (400 mg) monthly for 3 months. The main outcome measure will be malaria incidence in a cohort of children under five living in the core of each cluster followed prospectively with monthly RDTs DISCUSSION: The second site for the implementation of this protocol has changed from Tanzania to Kenya. This summary presents the Mozambique-specific protocol while the updated master protocol and the adapted Kenya-specific protocol undergo national approval in Kenya. BOHEMIA will be the first large-scale trial evaluating the impact of ivermectin-only mass drug administration to humans or humans and cattle on local malaria transmission TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04966702 . Registered on July 19, 2021. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202106695877303.

Five-year serological and clinical evolution of chronic Chagas disease patients in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected infectious disease that exerts the highest public health burden in the Americas. There are two anti-parasitic drugs approved for its treatment-benznidazole and nifurtimox-but the absence of biomarkers to early assess treatment efficacy hinders patients´ follow-up. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a longitudinal, observational study among a cohort of 106 chronically T. cruzi-infected patients in Cochabamba (Bolivia) who completed the recommended treatment of benznidazole. Participants were followed-up for five years, in which we collected clinical and serological data, including yearly electrocardiograms and optical density readouts from two ELISAs (total and recombinant antigens). Descriptive and statistical analyses were performed to understand trends in data, as well as the relationship between clinical symptoms and serological evolution after treatment. Our results showed that both ELISAs documented average declines up to year three and slight inclines for the following two years. The recorded clinical parameters indicated that most patients did not have any significant changes to their cardiac or digestive symptoms after treatment, at least in the timeframe under investigation, while a small percentage demonstrated either a regression or progression in symptoms. Only one participant met the "cure criterion" of a negative serological readout for both ELISAs by the final year. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The study confirms that follow-up of benznidazole-treated T. cruzi-infected patients should be longer than five years to determine, with current tools, if they are cured. In terms of serological evolution, the single use of a total antigen ELISA might be a more reliable measure and suffice to address infection status, at least in the region of Bolivia where the study was done. Additional work is needed to develop a test-of-cure for an early assessment of drugs´ efficacy with the aim of improving case management protocols.