Persistent T cell unresponsiveness associated with chronic visceral leishmaniasis in HIV-coinfected patients.

A large proportion of HIV-coinfected visceral leishmaniasis (VL-HIV) patients exhibit chronic disease with frequent VL recurrence. However, knowledge on immunological determinants underlying the disease course is scarce. We longitudinally profiled the circulatory cellular immunity of an Ethiopian HIV cohort that included VL developers. We show that chronic VL-HIV patients exhibit high and persistent levels of TIGIT and PD-1 on CD8+/CD8- T cells, in addition to a lower frequency of IFN-γ+ TIGIT- CD8+/CD8- T cells, suggestive of impaired T cell functionality. At single T cell transcriptome and clonal resolution, the patients show CD4+ T cell anergy, characterised by a lack of T cell activation and lymphoproliferative response. These findings suggest that PD-1 and TIGIT play a pivotal role in VL-HIV chronicity, and may be further explored for patient risk stratification. Our findings provide a strong rationale for adjunctive immunotherapy for the treatment of chronic VL-HIV patients to break the recurrent disease cycle.

Spliced-Leader RNA as a Dynamic Marker for Monitoring Viable Leishmania Parasites During and After Treatment.

Accurate detection of viable Leishmania parasites is critical for evaluating visceral leishmaniasis (VL) treatment response at an early timepoint. We compared the decay of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and spliced-leader RNA (SL-RNA) in vitro, in vivo, and in a VL patient cohort. An optimized combination of blood preservation and nucleic acid extraction improved efficiency for both targets. SL-RNA degraded more rapidly during treatment than kDNA, and correlated better with microscopic examination. SL-RNA quantitative polymerase chain reaction emerges as a superior method for dynamic monitoring of viable Leishmania parasites. It enables individualized treatment monitoring for improved prognoses and has potential as an early surrogate endpoint in clinical trials.

Evaluation of Less Invasive Sampling Tools for the Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Background: Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) usually relies on invasive samples, but it is unclear whether more patient-friendly tools are good alternatives for diverse lesions when used with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods: Patients with suspected CL were enrolled consecutively in a prospective diagnostic accuracy study. We compared dental broach, tape disc, and microbiopsy samples with PCR as index tests, using PCR with skin slit samples as reference test. Subsequently, we constructed a composite reference test including microscopy, the 3 index tests and skin slit PCR, and we compared these same tests with the composite reference test. We assessed diagnostic accuracy parameters with 95% confidence intervals for all comparisons. Results: Among 344 included patients, 282 (82.0%) had CL diagnosed, and 62 (18.0%) CL absence, by skin slit PCR. The sensitivity and specificity by PCR were 89.0% (95% confidence interval, 84.8%-92.1%) and 58.1% (45.7%-69.5%), respectively, for dental broach, 96.1% (93.2%-97.8%) and 27.4% (17.9%-39.6%) for tape disc, and 74.8% (66.3%-81.7%) and 72.7% (51.8%-86.8%) for microbiopsy. Several reference test-negative patients were consistently positive with the index tests. Using the composite reference test, dental broach, and skin slit had similar diagnostic performance. Discussion: Dental broach seems a less invasive but similarly accurate alternative to skin slit for diagnosing CL when using PCR. Tape discs lack specificity and seem unsuitable for CL diagnosis without cutoff. Reference tests for CL are problematic, since using a single reference test is likely to miss true cases, while composite reference tests are often biased and impractical as they require multiple tests.

Chronic high level parasitemia in HIV-infected individuals with or without visceral leishmaniasis in an endemic area in North-West Ethiopia: potential superspreaders?

BACKGROUND: HIV patients with recurrent visceral leishmaniasis (VL) could potentially drive Leishmania transmission in areas with anthroponotic transmission such as East-Africa, but studies are lacking. Leishmania parasitemia has been used as proxy for infectiousness. METHODS: This study is nested within the PreLeish prospective cohort study, following a total of 490 HIV infected individuals free of VL at enrollment for upto 24-37 months in North-West Ethiopia. Blood Leishmania PCR was done systematically. This case series reports on ten HIV-coinfected individuals with chronic VL (≥3 VL episodes during follow-up) for upto 37 months, and three individuals with asymptomatic Leishmania infection for upto 24 months. RESULTS: All ten chronic VL cases were male, on antiretroviral treatment, with 0-11 relapses before enrollment. Median baseline CD4 counts were 82 cells/µL. They displayed three to six VL treatment episodes over a period upto 37 months. Leishmania blood PCR levels were strongly positive for almost the entire follow-up time (median Ct value 26 (IQR 23-30), including during periods between VL treatment. Additionally, we describe three HIV-infected individuals with asymptomatic Leishmania infection and without VL history, with equally strong Leishmania parasitemia over a period of upto 24 months without developing VL. All were on antiretroviral treatment at enrollment, with baseline CD4 counts ranging from 78 to 350 cells/µL. CONCLUSION: These are the first data on chronic parasitemia in HIV-infected individuals from L donovani endemic areas. HIV patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic Leishmania infection could potentially be highly infectious and constitute Leishmania superspreaders. Xenodiagnosis studies are required to confirm infectiousness.

First report of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a common neglected tropical disease in Ethiopia. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani presents in the lowlands, while cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) affects people living in the highlands. Although CL is described as being caused by Leishmania aethiopica, there is also evidence of L. tropica and L. major isolated from a patient, sand flies and potential reservoirs. Information on species causing CL in Ethiopia is patchy, and no nation-wide study has ever been done. Understanding which species are causing CL in Ethiopia can have important implications for patient management and disease prevention. METHODS: We analyzed stored routine samples and biobanked DNA isolates from previously conducted studies of CL patients from different centers in the north, center and south of Ethiopia. Species typing was performed using ITS-1 PCR with high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis, followed by HSP70 amplicon sequencing on a selection of the samples. Additionally, sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 226 CL samples collected, the Leishmania species could be determined for 105 (45.5%). Leishmania aethiopica was identified in 101 (96.2%) samples from across the country. In four samples originating from Amhara region, northwestern Ethiopia, L. donovani was identified by ITS-1 HRM PCR, of which two were confirmed with HSP70 sequences. While none of these four patients had symptoms of VL, two originated from known VL endemic areas. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of CL was caused by L. aethiopica, but CL due to L. tropica and L. major cannot be ruled out. Our study is the first to our knowledge to demonstrate CL patients caused by L. donovani in Ethiopia. This should spark future research to investigate where, how and to which extent such transmission takes place, how it differs genetically from L. donovani causing VL and whether such patients can be diagnosed and treated successfully with the currently available tools and drugs.

Community-based treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis using cryotherapy and miltefosine in Southwest Ethiopia: the way forward?

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common, yet massively underreported skin morbidity in Ethiopia. Most patients never seek treatment, as this is offered only in specialized treatment centers. Early diagnosis and treatment through decentralization is crucial to decrease transmission and to reach the NTD roadmap goals. However, little information is available on outcomes and challenges of community-based treatment initiatives. Methods: A community-based prospective cohort study was conducted in Ochollo. Patients with clinically or microscopy confirmed CL were included. Cryotherapy was (to be) given weekly with at least four sessions for uncomplicated lesions, and miltefosine was given for 4 weeks for complicated lesions. Miltefosine adherence was assessed by counting pill strips. Clinical and patient-reported outcomes (dermatological life quality index and patient-global assessment) were assessed at month 6 (M6). Results: A total of 107 patients were included, with a median age of 6 years. Two patients refused, and 15 could not be treated as they were too young (<4 years) for miltefosine. Giving cryotherapy to patients weekly was not feasible due to long wound healing times and required use of topical antibiotics. Only 52.4% of miltefosine patients finished >90% of their tablets by M1. Among 46 patients treated with cryotherapy, 24 (52.2%) were cured at M6, and 9 (19.6%) had substantial improvement. The cure rate was 16/39 (41.0%) for miltefosine with 28.2% (11/39) substantial improvement. Before treatment, more than half (57.8%) of patients reported that CL did not negatively impact their life, which significantly increased to 95.2% at M6. At this time, 61.7% of patients said their lesion was clear, which was 1% before treatment. Conclusion: Our study is the first to identify the challenges and opportunities of miltefosine and cryotherapy for community treatment of CL. Although overall cure rates were lower than expected, patient-reported outcomes were generally positive and quite some patients had good improvement.

Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis with Sodium Stibogluconate and Allopurinol in a Routine Setting in Ethiopia: Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes and Operational Challenges.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is common in Ethiopia, but the national guideline does not offer specific treatment recommendations. Consequently, different treatment regimens are used in the country, without quality evidence. In Boru Meda Hospital, sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is routinely used in combination with allopurinol for systemic CL treatment, although evidence on its effectiveness is limited. An observational cohort study was carried out to document clinical treatment outcomes in patients receiving SSG/allopurinol at the end of each 28-day treatment cycle and after 180 days. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed by asking patients to rate lesion severity, and by the dermatological life quality index. A total of 104 patients were included. After one treatment cycle, only four patients were clinically cured, although patient-reported outcomes significantly improved. The majority (88) of patients were appointed for a second treatment cycle, of whom only 37 (42%) attended. Among the 36 patients who came for final outcome assessment, 50% were cured. Follow-up and treatment were severely affected by conflict; drug stock-outs and insufficient ward capacity for treatment were additional challenges. The treatment outcomes of SSG/allopurinol were relatively poor, and most patients required more than one cycle of treatment. Shortages of drugs and beds indicate the existing gaps in providing CL treatment in Ethiopia.

Atypical Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis Presentation Mimicking Rectal Cancer.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting mostly the exposed skin, causing severe and disfiguring lesions in Ethiopia. In this report, we present two cases of atypical mucocutaneous leishmaniasis; one HIV positive and one HIV negative patient. Cases. A 32-year-old male HIV patient presented with 40 days of bleeding per-rectum and a perianal lesion of 5 years. An erythematous nontender plaque measuring 5 cm by 5 cm was observed over the right perianal area with circumferential constricting firm swelling of the rectum. The patient was cured with AmBisome and miltefosine after an incisional biopsy revealed leishmaniasis. A 40-year-old presented with bleeding per-rectum and stool incontinence of 3 months, generalized body swelling of 2 months, and mass around his anus for ten years. A 6 by 3 cm indurated ulcerating mass surrounding the anus and a fungating circumferential mass of 8 cm were seen above the proximal anal verge. An excisional biopsy revealed leishmaniasis, and the patient was treated with AmBisome but passed away due to complications with colostomy diarrhea. Conclusion. Clinicians should consider atypical mucocutaneous leishmaniasis as a possible diagnosis in patients with chronic skin lesions resembling hemorrhoids and colorectal masses, especially in endemic areas such as Ethiopia, regardless of their HIV status.

Characteristics of confirmed mpox cases among clinical suspects: A prospective single-centre study in Belgium during the 2022 outbreak.

Background: The presentation of mpox clade IIb during the 2022 outbreak overlaps with a range of other diseases. Understanding the factors associated with mpox is important for clinical decision making. Methods: We described the characteristics of mpox patients who sought care at Belgian sexual health clinic. Furthermore we compared their characteristics to those of patients with a clinical suspicion of mpox but who tested negative on polymerase chain reaction. Results: Between May 23 and September 20, 2022, 155 patients were diagnosed with mpox, and 51 patients with suspected symptoms tested negative. All mpox patients self-identified as men and 148/155 (95.5%) as gay or bisexual MSM. Systemic symptoms were present in 116/155 (74.8%) patients. All but 10 patients (145/155, 93.5%) presented with skin lesions. Other manifestations were lymphadenopathy (72/155, 46.5%), proctitis (50/155, 32.3%), urethritis (12/155, 7.7%), tonsillitis (2/155, 1.3%). Complications involved bacterial skin infection (13/155, 8.4%) and penile oedema with or without paraphimosis (4/155, 2.6%). In multivariable logistic regression models, the presence of lymphadenopathy (OR 3.79 95% CI 1.44-11.49), skin lesions (OR 4.35 95% CI 1.15-17.57) and proctitis (OR 9.41 95% CI 2.72-47.07) were associated with the diagnosis of mpox. There were no associations with age, HIV status, childhood smallpox vaccination, number of sexual partners and international travel. Conclusions: The presence of proctitis, lymphadenopathies and skin lesions should increase clinical suspicion of mpox in patients with compatible symptoms.

PCR for detection of Leishmania donovani from microscopically negative tissue smears of suspected patients in Gondar, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: As untreated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is fatal, reliable diagnostics are pivotal for accurate treatment allocation. The current diagnostic algorithm for VL in Ethiopia, which is based on the rK39 rapid diagnostic test and microscopy of tissue smears, lacks sensitivity. This probably leads to missed cases and patients not receiving treatment. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a retrospective study on stored microscopically negative spleen and bone marrow smears from suspected VL patients collected at the Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Center (LRTC) in Gondar, northern Ethiopia between June 2019 and November 2020. Sociodemographic, clinical and treatment data were collected and samples were tested by real-time PCR targeting kinetoplast DNA. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Among the 191 eligible samples (135 spleen and 56 bone marrow) with a microscopically negative and valid PCR result, 119 (62.3%) were positive by PCR, although Ct values for some were high (median 33.0). Approximately three quarters of these undiagnosed primary VL (77.3%) and relapse (69.6%) patients did not receive antileishmanial treatment. Of the 56 microscopically negative bone marrow samples, 46 (82.1%) were PCR positive, which is considerably higher compared to the microscopically negative spleen samples, for which 73 out of 135 (54.1%) were PCR positive. The odds of being PCR positive were significantly higher for bone marrow aspirates and higher when white blood cell values were lower and splenomegaly (in cm) was more pronounced. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a lot of suspected VL patients remain undiagnosed and untreated. This indicates the urgent need for better diagnostics for VL in the East-African region. The outcomes of PCR positive should be closely monitored and treatment should be provided if the patient deteriorates. In resource limited settings, implementation of PCR on bone marrow aspirate smears of patients with low WBC values and splenomegaly could lead to considerable improvements in patient management.

Alternative sampling specimens for the molecular detection of mpox (formerly monkeypox) virus.

BACKGROUND: Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), endemic in Central and West Africa and currently causing a global outbreak of international concern. Much remains unknown about sample types most suited for mpox laboratory diagnosis. While it is established that high viral loads can be found in active skin lesions (currently the recommended mpox laboratory confirmation specimen type), WHO mpox testing guidelines encourage the use of oropharyngeal swabs as an additional sample type for mpox diagnosis and suggest investigating the value of other specimens like blood samples. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we verified the value of select alternative specimen types for mpox laboratory confirmation. METHODS: We included 25 patients with MPXV-confirmed skin lesions to compare diagnostic sensitivity of MPXV PCR testing on EDTA plasma and two upper respiratory specimens: oropharyngeal swabs and saliva. RESULTS: In our patient cohort with MPXV-confirmed skin lesions, diagnostic sensitivity of MPXV PCR was 80% in EDTA plasma, 64% in oropharyngeal swabs, and 88% in saliva. MPXV viral loads were significantly higher in saliva compared to oropharyngeal swabs and EDTA plasma. DISCUSSION: The WHO recommendation to collect oropharyngeal swabs as an additional specimen for mpox diagnosis might need to be revised to include saliva wherever feasible. We suggest investigating saliva as a diagnostic specimen in the absence of active skin lesions or during the phase preceding skin manifestations. Moreover, the relatively high MPXV DNA content of saliva warrants elucidating its potential role in disease transmission.

Slit-skin smear for the classification of leprosy; are we wasting time and resource?

INTRODUCTION: Leprosy is a chronic neglected tropical disease, classified into two groups: multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy based on the number of skin lesions and nerve involvement. A positive skin slit smear (SSS) result automatically puts a patient in the MB category. Although guidelines do not recommend routine use of SSS for classification and diagnosis of leprosy, it is performed for most patients in Ethiopia. However, the added value of performing SSS for the classification of leprosy on top of clinical classification is unclear. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional study was done using routine laboratory and clinical data from September 2018 to January 2020 at Boru Meda General Hospital, Ethiopia. All newly diagnosed leprosy cases were included. Descriptive statistics were performed to calculate frequencies and proportions. RESULTS: We included 183 new leprosy patients in our study, of which 166/183 (90.7%) were MB patients and 17/183 (9.3%) were PB patients. All clinical PB cases and 150/166 (90.4%) clinical MB patients had SSS done. All PB patients had negative SSS result and 68 (45.3%) clinical MB patients had a positive result. Based on the SSS, no patient with a clinical classification of PB was reclassified to MB. CONCLUSIONS: SSS microscopy was performed routinely for all leprosy cases without changing the classification and management of patients in Boru Meda Hospital. Therefore, we recommend restricted and rational use of the SSS for PB cases in which SSS could change management.

Mycetoma patients in Ethiopia: case series from Boru Meda Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Mycetoma is a chronic infection that can affect the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and bone. Although Ethiopia is in the so-called mycetoma belt, very little has been published about the disease in Ethiopia. There are no data about mycetoma in Ethiopia yet. Here, we present the first detailed description of mycetoma patients in Ethiopia. CASES PRESENTATION: Seven cases of clinically diagnosed mycetoma from Boru Meda Hospital are described. All patients presented with swelling of the foot, although sinuses and grains were identified for only one patient. Patients presented late with a median lesion duration of five years, and most had previously tried modern or traditional treatment. Differentiation between lesions of bacterial or fungal origin was not possible in our hospital, and therefore all patients were started on combined treatments of antifungals and antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm that mycetoma is present in Ethiopia, although there is no formal reporting system. Well-designed systematic studies are warranted to determine the exact burden of mycetoma in Ethiopia. A national strategy for mycetoma disease control should be designed with a focus on reporting, diagnosis, and management.

Effectiveness of intralesional sodium stibogluconate for the treatment of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis at Boru Meda general hospital, Amhara, Ethiopia: Pragmatic trial.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is generally caused by Leishmania aethiopica in Ethiopia, and is relatively hard to treat. Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is the only routinely and widely available antileishmanial treatment, and can be used systemically for severe lesions and locally for smaller lesions. There is limited data on the effectiveness of intralesional (IL) SSG for localized CL in Ethiopia and therefore good data is necessary to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of the treatment. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A pragmatic (before and after Quazi experimental) study was done to assess the effectiveness of intralesional SSG among localized CL patients at Boru Meda general hospital, Northeast Ethiopia. Patients who were assigned to intralesional SSG by the treating physician were eligible for this study. Study subjects were recruited between January and August 2021. Infiltration of intralesional SSG was given weekly to a maximum of six doses. However, when a patient's lesions were already cured before getting 6 doses, treatment was not conintued, and patient were only asked to come for lesion assessment. Skin slit smears (SSS) were taken each week until they became negative. Outcomes were assessed at day 90, with patients who had 100% reepithelization (for ulcerative lesions) and/or flattening (for indurated lesions) defined as cured. Multi-level logistic regression was done to assess factors associated with cure. A total of 83 patients were enrolled, and final outcomes were available for 72 (86.75%). From these 72, 43 (59.7%, 95% confidence interval 0.44-0.69) were cured at day 90. Adverse effects were common with 69/72 patients (95.8%) reporting injection site pain. Factors associated with cure were age (OR 1.07 95% CI: 1.07-1.27), being male (OR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.25), size of the lesion (OR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.078-0.94) and skin slit smear (SSS) result +1 grading (OR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.24-1.73) and +2 grading (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.41-3.89) compared to the SSS grade +6. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that intralesional sodium stibogluconate resulted in a cure rate of around 60%, with almost all patients experiencing injection site pain. This emphasizes the need for local treatment options which are more patient-friendly and have better cure rates.

Treatment outcome of imported cutaneous leishmaniasis among travelers and migrants infected with Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: a retrospective study in European centers 2013 to 2019.

OBJECTIVES: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Asia, Northern, and Sub-Saharan Africa is mainly caused by Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica. We describe and evaluate the treatment outcome of CL among travelers and migrants in Europe. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of parasitological confirmed CL cases caused by L. major and L. tropica during 2013-2019 in Europe. Data were collected from medical records and databases within the LeishMan network. RESULTS: Of 206 included cases of CL, 75 were identified as L. major and 131 as L. tropica. Of patients with L. tropica infection, 80% were migrants, whereas 53% of patients with L. major infection had been visiting friends and relatives. Among patients with L. tropica, 48% were younger than 15 years. Pentavalent antimony cured 73% (L. major) and 78% (L. tropica) of patients. The cure rate for intralesional administration was 86% and 67% for systemic, on L. tropica. Liposomal amphotericin B had a cure rate of 44-63%. CONCLUSION: L. major infections were mostly found in individuals visiting friends and relatives, whereas L. tropica were mainly identified in migrants. No patients with L. major relapsed. Pentavalent antimony, liposomal amphotericin B, and cryotherapy had cure rates in accordance with previous studies.

Culture Requests and Multi-Drug Resistance among Suspected Urinary Tract Infections in Two Tertiary Hospitals in Freetown, Sierra Leone (2017-21): A Cross-Sectional Study.

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited information about the use of microbiology laboratory services in patients with suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs). This cross-sectional study assessed the requests for urine culture in patients with suspected UTI in two tertiary (maternal and paediatric) hospitals-Freetown and Sierra Leone, during May 2017-May 2021-and determined antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns among bacterial isolates. One laboratory served the two hospitals, with its electronic database used to extract information. Overall, there were 980 patients, of whom 168 (17%) had cultures requested and performed. Of these, 75 (45%) were culture positive. During 2017-2019, there were 930 patients, of whom 156 (17%) had cultures performed. During 2020-2021, when services were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 50 patients, of whom 12 (24%) had cultures performed. The four commonest isolates were Escherichia coli (36), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10), Staphylococcus aureus (9), and Pseudomonas spp. (6). There were high levels of AMR, especially for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (47%), nalidixic acid (44%), nitrofurantoin (32%) and cefotaxime (36%). Overall, 41 (55%) bacterial isolates showed multidrug resistance, especially E. coli (58%), Pseudomonas spp. (50%), and S. aureus (44%). These findings support the need for better utilization of clinical microbiology services to guide antibiotic stewardship and monitoring of trends in resistance patterns.

Hand Hygiene Compliance at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Hand hygiene actions are essential to reduce healthcare-associated infections and the development of antimicrobial resistance. In this cross-sectional study at two tertiary hospitals, Freetown, Sierra Leone, we observed hand hygiene compliance (defined as using handwash with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) amongst healthcare workers between June and August 2021. Using the WHO Hand Hygiene tool, observations were made in relation to the type of opportunity, different wards and types of healthcare worker. Overall, 10,461 opportunities for hand hygiene were observed, of which 5086 (49%) resulted in hand hygiene actions. ABHR was used more often than handwash (26% versus 23%, p < 0.001). Overall, compliance was significantly better: after being with a patient/doing a procedure than before (78% after body fluid exposure risk compared with 24% before touching a patient­p < 0.001); in Paediatric (61%) compared with Medical wards (46%)­p < 0.001; and amongst nurses (52%) compared with doctors (44%)­p < 0.001. Similar patterns of compliance were observed within each hospital. In summary, hand hygiene compliance was sub-optimal, especially before being with a patient or before clean/aseptic procedures. Improvement is needed through locally adapted training, hand hygiene reminders in wards and outpatient departments, uninterrupted provision of ABHR and innovative ways to change behaviour.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among healthcare workers in Ethiopia: Do we practice what we preach?

OBJECTIVE: We assessed healthcare workers (HCWs) COVID-19 vaccine acceptability in Ethiopia. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional survey from February to April 2021 in HCWs from five teaching hospitals. HCWs were selected using convenient sampling, and data were collected through a survey link. Descriptive analysis and mixed-effect logistic regression were performed. A total of 1,314 HCWs participated in the study. RESULTS: We found that 25.5% (n = 332) of the HCWs would not accept a COVID-19 vaccine and 20.2% (n = 264) were not willing to recommend COVID-19 vaccination to others. Factors associated with vaccine non-acceptance were female sex (AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.5), the perception that vaccines are unsafe (AOR = 15.0; 95% CI: 8.7-25.9), not considering COVID-19 as health risk (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.0-9.5) and being unconcerned about contracting COVID-19 at work (AOR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.5-8.4). Physicians were more willing to accept vaccination than other HCWs. Higher vaccine acceptability was also noted with increasing age. Participants most often indicated safety concerns as the determining factor on their decision to get vaccinated or not. CONCLUSION: Overall, a quarter of HCWs would not accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Communications and training should address vaccine safety concerns. Additionally, emphasis should be given to showing current and future impact of COVID-19 on the personal, public and country level unless control efforts are improved. Interventions aimed to increase vaccine uptake should focus their efforts on younger and non-physician HCWs.

Evaluation of the CL Detect Rapid Test in Ethiopian patients suspected for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is common in Ethiopia, mainly affecting impoverished populations in rural areas with poor access to health care. CL is routinely diagnosed using skin slit smear microscopy, which requires skilled staff and appropriately equipped laboratories. We evaluated the CL Detect Rapid Test (InBios, Washington, USA), which is supplied with a dental broach sampling device, as a diagnostic alternative which could be used in field settings. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the CL Detect Rapid Test on skin slit and dental broach samples from suspected CL patients at the Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Center in Gondar, Ethiopia. A combined reference test of microscopy and PCR on the skin slit sample was used, which was considered positive if one of the two tests was positive. We recruited 165 patients consecutively, of which 128 (77.6%) were confirmed as CL. All microscopy-positive results (n = 71) were also PCR-positive, and 57 patients were only positive for PCR. Sensitivity of the CL Detect Rapid Test on the skin slit was 31.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 23.9-39.7), which was significantly higher (p = 0.010) than for the dental broach (22.7%, 95% CI 16.3-30.6). Sensitivity for both methods was significantly lower than for the routinely used microscopy, which had a sensitivity of 55.5% (IQR 46.8-63.8) compared to PCR as a reference. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The diagnostic accuracy of the CL Detect Rapid Test was low for skin slit and dental broach samples. Therefore, we do not recommend its use neither in hospital nor field settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03837431.