Treatment Failure in a UK Malaria Patient Harboring Genetically Variant Plasmodium falciparum From Uganda With Reduced In Vitro Susceptibility to Artemisinin and Lumefantrine.

BACKGROUND: Recent cases of clinical failure in malaria patients in the United Kingdom (UK) treated with artemether-lumefantrine have implications for malaria chemotherapy worldwide. METHODS: Parasites were isolated from an index case of confirmed Plasmodium falciparum treatment failure after standard treatment, and from comparable travel-acquired UK malaria cases. Drug susceptibility in vitro and genotypes at 6 resistance-associated loci were determined for all parasite isolates and compared with clinical outcomes for each parasite donor. RESULTS: A traveler, who returned to the UK from Uganda in 2022 with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, twice failed treatment with full courses of artemether-lumefantrine. Parasites from the patient exhibited significantly reduced susceptibility to artemisinin (ring-stage survival, 17.3% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 13.6%-21.1%]; P < .0001) and lumefantrine (effective concentration preventing 50% of growth = 259.4 nM [95% CI, 130.6-388.2 nM]; P = .001). Parasite genotyping identified an allele of pfk13 encoding both the A675V variant in the Pfk13 propeller domain and a novel L145V nonpropeller variant. In vitro susceptibility testing of 6 other P. falciparum lines of Ugandan origin identified reduced susceptibility to artemisinin and lumefantrine in 1 additional line, also from a 2022 treatment failure case. These parasites did not harbor a pfk13 propeller domain variant but rather the novel nonpropeller variant T349I. Variant alleles of pfubp1, pfap2mu, and pfcoronin were also identified among the 7 parasite lines. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm, in a documented case of artemether-lumefantrine treatment failure imported from Uganda, the presence of pfk13 mutations encoding L145V and A675V. Parasites with reduced susceptibility to both artemisinin and lumefantrine may be emerging in Uganda.

An epidemiological analysis of severe imported malaria infections in Sri Lanka, after malaria elimination.

BACKGROUND: Imported malaria continues to be reported in Sri Lanka after it was eliminated in 2012, and a few progress to life-threatening severe malaria. METHODS: Data on imported malaria cases reported in Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2023 were extracted from the national malaria database maintained by the Anti Malaria Campaign (AMC) of Sri Lanka. Case data of severe malaria as defined by the World Health Organization were analysed with regard to patients' general characteristics and their health-seeking behaviour, and the latter compared with that of uncomplicated malaria patients. Details of the last three cases of severe malaria in 2023 are presented. RESULTS: 532 imported malaria cases were diagnosed over 11 years (2013-2023); 46 (8.6%) were severe malaria, of which 45 were Plasmodium falciparum and one Plasmodium vivax. Most severe malaria infections were acquired in Africa. All but one were males, and a majority (87%) were 26-60 years of age. They were mainly Sri Lankan nationals (82.6%). Just over half (56.5%) were treated at government hospitals. The average time between arrival of the person in Sri Lanka and onset of illness was 4 days. 29 cases of severe malaria were compared with 165 uncomplicated malaria cases reported from 2015 to 2023. On average both severe and uncomplicated malaria patients consulted a physician equally early (mean = 1 day) with 93.3% of severe malaria doing so within 3 days. However, the time from the point of consulting a physician to diagnosis of malaria was significantly longer (median 4 days) in severe malaria patients compared to uncomplicated patients (median 1 day) (p = 0.012) as was the time from onset of illness to diagnosis (p = 0.042). All severe patients recovered without sequelae except for one who died. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of severe malaria among imported cases increases significantly beyond 5 days from the onset of symptoms. Although patients consult a physician early, malaria diagnosis tends to be delayed by physicians because it is now a rare disease. Good access to expert clinical care has maintained case fatality rates of severe malaria at par with those reported elsewhere.

Vaccine Literacy and Hesitancy on routine and travelers' vaccines: a preliminary online survey.

Background: The vast amount of conflicting information during the COVID-19 pandemic might have had a detrimental effect on people's opinions about vaccinations, including groups like travelers. This study aimed at assessing Vaccine Literacy in a sample of the general Italian population, together with antecedents of Vaccine Hesitancy, such as confidence, complacency, and convenience, the so-called "3Cs", and their effects on accepting routine and travelers' vaccines. Study Design: A specifically designed anonymous questionnaire was created by using Google forms and validated through a face validity process. Subsequently, it was employed in an online cross-sectional survey. Methods: The assessment Vaccine Literacy scale used in this survey was similar to that employed in earlier surveys. In addition to demographic data and information sources used by participants, the questionnaire was composed, in total, of nine multiple choice questions on Vaccine Literacy, and six questions on the 3Cs. Considered outcomes were self-reported participants' beliefs, attitudes, behaviors and intentions toward recommended routinary adulthoods vaccines and arboviral vaccines for travelers. A section of the questionnaire focused on chikungunya awareness, taken as an example of arboviral disease that has caused outbreaks in Italy, but not yet vaccine-preventable at the time of the investigation. Results: After cleaning the database, 357 responses were suitable for analysis. Vaccine Literacy mean functional score was 2.81 ± 0.74 (lower than in an earlier survey, p = 0.012), while the interactive-critical (score 3.41 ± 0.50) was higher (p<0.001). Vaccine literacy was confirmed to be associated with attitudes and behaviors towards vaccination, with the 3Cs often acting as a mediator. However, interactive Vaccine Literacy was misaligned with respect to functional and critical ones, as if looking for information sources or discussing about vaccination was less relevant than amidst the pandemic. Also, there was an increase in Vaccine Hesitancy, particularly with regard to travel vaccinations, with 10-17% of individuals refusing to be vaccinated if travelling in areas at risk. The main limitation of the study was the unbalance in demographic variables, in particular the education level. Conclusions: The study highlights the risks associated with current travel, including those related to climate change and the spread of vector-borne infections. It underscores the importance of raising awareness about arboviral diseases and the vaccines available to prevent them. As with all online surveys that employ convenience sampling, this study might not have provided a comprehensive representation of the entire population. Nevertheless, a dedicated analysis has been conducted to reduce biases and make data interpretation easier. Despite the need for further research, the findings indicate potential new approaches for assessing Vaccine Literacy and Vaccine Hesitancy, to ease the development of new communication strategies to enhance routine and travel vaccinations.

Early Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants Using Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance at 4 US Airports, September 2021-January 2022.

We enrolled arriving international air travelers in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomic surveillance program. We used molecular testing of pooled nasal swabs and sequenced positive samples for sublineage. Traveler-based surveillance provided early-warning variant detection, reporting the first US Omicron BA.2 and BA.3 in North America.

Impact of Chemoprophylaxis on Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale Infection Among Civilian Travelers: A Nested Case-Control Study With a Counterfactual Approach on 862 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The impact of chemoprophylaxis targeting Plasmodium falciparum on Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale, which may remain quiescent as hypnozoites in the liver, is debated. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control analysis of the outcomes of P. vivax and P. ovale infections in imported malaria cases in France among civilian travelers from 1 January 2006, to 31 December 2017. Using adjusted logistic regression, we assessed the effect of chemoprophylaxis on the incubation period, time from symptoms to diagnosis, management, blood results, symptoms, and hospitalization duration. We analyzed the effect of blood-stage drugs (doxycycline, mefloquine, chloroquine, chloroquine-proguanil) or atovaquone-proguanil on the incubation period. We used a counterfactual approach to ascertain the causal effect of chemoprophylaxis on postinfection characteristics. RESULTS: Among 247 P. vivax- and 615 P. ovale-infected travelers, 30% and 47%, respectively, used chemoprophylaxis, and 7 (3%) and 8 (1%) were severe cases. Chemoprophylaxis users had a greater risk of presenting symptoms >2 months after returning for both species (P. vivax odds ratio [OR], 2.91 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.22-6.95], P = .02; P. ovale OR, 2.28 [95% CI, 1.47-3.53], P < .001). Using drugs only acting on the blood stage was associated with delayed symptom onset after 60 days, while using atovaquone-proguanil was not. CONCLUSIONS: Civilian travelers infected with P. vivax or P. ovale reporting chemoprophylaxis use, especially of blood-stage agents, had a greater risk of delayed onset of illness. The impact of chemoprophylaxis on the outcomes of infection with relapse-causing species calls for new chemoprophylaxis acting against erythrocytic and liver stages.

Simulation Study of Surveillance Strategies for Faster Detection of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

Earlier global detection of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants gives governments more time to respond. However, few countries can implement timely national surveillance, resulting in gaps in monitoring. The United Kingdom implemented large-scale community and hospital surveillance, but experience suggests it might be faster to detect new variants through testing England arrivals for surveillance. We developed simulations of emergence and importation of novel variants with a range of infection hospitalization rates to the United Kingdom. We compared time taken to detect the variant though testing arrivals at England borders, hospital admissions, and the general community. We found that sampling 10%-50% of arrivals at England borders could confer a speed advantage of 3.5-6 weeks over existing community surveillance and 1.5-5 weeks (depending on infection hospitalization rates) over hospital testing. Directing limited global capacity for surveillance to highly connected ports could speed up global detection of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Evidence of malarial chemoprophylaxis among travellers who died from malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chemoprophylaxis is a prevention method for malaria during travel in malaria-endemic countries. This study aimed to collate and synthesize the evidence of malarial chemoprophylaxis among malaria death cases. METHODS: Studies documenting malarial chemoprophylaxis related to malaria deaths were searched in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL until 3 July 2022. The pooled proportion of malarial chemoprophylaxis among death cases was synthesized using logit transformation and back transformation to a proportion performed using generalized linear mixed models. The pooled log odds ratio (log-OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of malarial chemoprophylaxis in death cases compared to survivors were synthesized. RESULTS: Fifty-eight studies were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis. Of 602 pooled malaria death cases, the number of patients who took chemoprophylaxis was 187 (30%) (95% CI 22-40, P < 0.01, 58 studies), and those who took adequate chemoprophylaxis were 24 (5%) (95% CI 2-13, P < 0.01, 42 studies). A comparable log-OR of underwent chemoprophylaxis was observed between malaria death cases and survivors (P = 0.94, pooled log-OR: - 0.02, 95% CI - 0.46-0.42, I2: 0%, 17 studies). Similarly, a comparable log-OR of adequate chemoprophylaxis was identified between malaria death cases and survivors (P = 0.15, pooled log-OR: 0.83, 95% CI - 0.30-1.97, I2: 47.08%, 11 studies). CONCLUSIONS: Among the studies where malarial chemoprophylaxis was reported, approximately 30% of malaria death cases had taken such prophylaxis. Notably, only 5% of these cases adhered fully or adequately to the recommended chemoprophylactic regimen. However, the analysis did not reveal a significant difference in the odds of malarial chemoprophylaxis between malaria death cases and survivors.

Characteristics of preventive intervention acceptance for international travel among clients aged 60 years and older from a Japanese multicenter pretravel consultation registry.

OBJECTIVES: Pretravel consultation (PTC) is important for older adults owing to health problems associated with overseas travel. Although older adults in Japan, their PTC characteristics are less known. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of clients aged ≥ 60 years based on data from the Japan Pre-travel Consultation Registry (J-PRECOR). METHODS: Clients aged ≥ 60 years who visited J-PRECOR cooperative hospitals from February 1, 2018, to May 31, 2022, were included. The primary endpoint was a comparison of prescriptions for vaccines for hepatitis A, tetanus toxoid, and malaria prophylaxis in travelers to high-risk malaria countries in yellow fever vaccination (YFV)-available facilities with and without YFV. RESULTS: In total, 1000 clients (median age: 67 years) were included. Although 523 clients were immunized with YFV, only 38.6% of the 961 unimmunized clients were vaccinated with the tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine. Malaria chemoprophylaxis was prescribed to 25.7% of clients traveling for ≤55 days. At YFV-capable institutes, 557 clients traveling to yellow fever risk countries took PTC, 474 of whom received YFV and 83 were unvaccinated. Lower age (odds rate 0.85 per 1 year; 95% CI 0.80-0.90) and lower hepatitis A vaccination rate (0.29; 95% CI 0.14-0.63) were significantly associated with YFV. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive interventions other than YFV should be offered to older adults.

Research on Heterogeneous Traveler Travel Mode Choices with Differences under a Mixed Traffic Environment.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been made possible by advances in sensing and computing technologies. However, the high cost of AVs makes privatization take longer. Therefore, companies with autonomous vehicles can develop shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) projects. AVs with a high level of automation require high upgrade and use costs. In order to meet the needs of more customers and reduce the investment cost of the company, SAVs with different levels of automation may coexist for a long time. Faced with multiple travel modes (autonomous cars with different levels of automation, private cars, and buses), travelers' travel mode choices are worth studying. To further differentiate the types of travelers, this paper defines high-income travelers and low-income travelers. The difference between these two types of travelers is whether they have a private car. The differences in time value and willingness to pay of the two types of travelers are considered. Based on the above considerations, this paper establishes a multi-modal selection model with the goal of maximizing the total utility of all travelers and uses the imperial competition algorithm to solve it. The results show that low-income travelers are more likely to choose buses and autonomous vehicles with lower levels of automation, while high-income travelers tend to choose higher levels of automation due to their high value of travel time.

The Controlled Human Infection Model for Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

The controlled human infection model (CHIM) for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) has been instrumental in defining ETEC as a causative agent of acute watery diarrhea, providing insights into disease pathogenesis and resistance to illness, and enabling preliminary efficacy evaluations for numerous products including vaccines, immunoprophylactics, and drugs. Over a dozen strains have been evaluated to date, with a spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms that appear to replicate the clinical illness seen with naturally occurring ETEC. Recent advancements in the ETEC CHIM have enhanced the characterization of clinical, immunological, and microbiological outcomes. It is anticipated that omics-based technologies applied to ETEC CHIMs will continue to broaden our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and facilitate the development of primary and secondary prevention strategies.

Epidemiology and clinical features of imported malaria: a 14-year retrospective single-centre descriptive study in Prague, Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND: Malaria represents one of the most important imported tropical infectious diseases in European travellers. The objective of the study was to identify changes in the epidemiological features of imported malaria and to analyse the clinical findings and outcomes of imported malaria. METHODS: This single-centre descriptive study retrospectively analysed the medical records of all imported malaria cases in travellers treated at the Department of Infectious Diseases of University Hospital Bulovka in Prague from 2006 to 2019. RESULTS: The study included 203 patients with a median age of 37 years (IQR 30-48) and a male to female ratio of 3.72:1. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species (149/203), and its proportion significantly increased from 35/60 cases (58.3%) in 2006-2011 to 69/80 (86.3%) in 2016-2019 (p < 0.001). In contrast, the incidence of Plasmodium vivax malaria decreased from 19/60 cases (31.7%) in 2006-2011 to 5/80 (6.3%) in 2016-2019 (p < 0.001). Malaria was imported from sub-Saharan Africa in 161/203 cases (79.3%). The proportion of travellers from Southeast and South Asia decreased from 16/60 (26.7%) and 6/60 (10.0%) in 2006-2011 to 2/80 (2.5%) and no cases (0.0%) in 2016-2019, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006). Tourism was the most common reason for travel (82/203), however, the proportion of non-tourists significantly increased over time from 29/60 (48.3%) in 2006-2011 to 55/80 (68.8%) in 2016-2019, p = 0.015. Severe malaria developed in 32/203 (15.8%) patients who were significantly older (p = 0.013) and whose treatment was delayed (p < 0.001). Two lethal outcomes were observed during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significant increase in P. falciparum malaria, which frequently resulted in severe disease, especially in older patients and those with delayed treatment initiation. The rising proportion of imported malaria in non-tourists, including business travellers and those visiting friends and relatives, is another characteristic finding analogous to the trends observed in Western European and North American centres. The described changes in the aetiology and epidemiology of imported malaria may serve to optimize pre-travel consultation practices and improve post-travel diagnostics and medical care.

Prevalence of HIV-1 infection among foreign applicant to residency in Shanghai, China, 2005-2016.

Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China and has the highest proportion of inbound travelers in the world. The HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection status of this population can reflect the global HIV epidemic trend to a certain extent. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective epidemic survey to clarify the prevalence and characteristics of HIV-1 infection among inbound travelers applying for Shanghai residency. The retrospective cohort analysis included a total of 50,830 inbound tourists/travelers who applied for Shanghai residency from 2005 to 2016. HIV-1 infection rates were determined based on HIV-1 antibody testing. Among all the recruited inbound travelers, 245 were HIV-1 positive, with an infection rate of 0.48%. The detection rate of HIV in males was significantly higher than in females (χ2 = 62.584, P < 0.0001). Those aged 18-30 years, 31-40 years, and >40 years accounted for 34.3%, 39.6%, and 26.1% of the infected population, respectively. Although the annual detection rates were different, the trend analysis results showed no increase in HIV-1 prevalence rates among the sampling years (Cochran-Armitage Z = 2.543, P = 0.111). Proportions of individuals infected through homosexual transmission increased over the study period (Cochran-Armitage Z = 5.41, P < 0.001), while the proportion infected through heterosexual declined over time (Cochran-Armitage Z = 3.38, P = 0.001). The rate and characteristics of HIV-1 infection among foreign applicants for residency in Shanghai were identified in the study. The results provide the necessary epidemiological data for monitoring the HIV-1 epidemic among international entry travelers and contribute to establishing relevant policies and regulations for HIV control and prevention.

Shadows into Light: The Potential Investigative Utility of Voice Analysis with Two Types of Online Child-Sex Predators.

Over 390,000 child sexual abuse victims in the United States have not yet been identified. Due to the increased prevalence of Internet-driven child-sex offenders (e.g., child pornographers and travelers), detection becomes more elusive, and disclosure elicitations are more challenging for law enforcement. The current retrospective study examines an innovative, investigative method of voice stress analysis use, and describes its possible utility in identifying previously undetected sexual offending within these two offender populations. In the total sample of 82 arrestees with no known history of "hands-on" sexual offending, 0% initially admitted to sexually abusing at least one child. However, coinciding with voice stress analysis procedures, 40.2% of the suspect pool (57.1% of child pornographers and 36.7% of travelers) provided admissions to hands-on offenses. Also, 80.5% admitted to at least one sex crime offense during the pre and posttest stages of the investigation. All voice stress analysis "Stress Indicated" examinations resulted in verifiable disclosures (of victims and sex crimes). Critically, as a result of voice stress analysis procedures, 87 previously undiscovered live victims were identified. Finally, this study's description of specific characteristics and predictive qualities of victimizers vs. non-victimizers in each offender-type should benefit future investigators, researchers, and therapists alike.

Searching and Finding the Hidden Treasure: A Retrospective Analysis of Rickettsial Disease Among Dutch International Travelers.

BACKGROUND: Rickettsial disease (RD) is a prevalent and underestimated cause of febrile illness worldwide, especially in the absence of an inoculation eschar. We attempted to quantify this underestimation at our clinic, by investigating past cases of febrile illness in travelers who had tested negative for leptospirosis, a disease that can initially present similarly to non-eschar RD, and which we routinely consider when other important causes of unspecified febrile illness have tested negative. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis in febrile returned travelers from Asia, Africa, or the Americas between 2010 and 2017, who had tested negative for leptospirosis. Serologic immunofluorescence assays were performed for Orientia tsutsugamushi (scrub typhus), typhus group, and spotted fever group RD. We performed a medical records review of all patients who tested positive. In case of a fitting medical history, cases were deemed either confirmed (based on convalescent serology) or suspected (based on single serology). RESULTS: Among 97 patients, convalescent serology was available in 16 (16.5%) patients, and a single serology in 81 (83.5%) patients. RD was the likely diagnosis in 8 of 16 (50.0%) patients with convalescent serology, and in 8 of 81 (9.9%) with single serology. Of the 16 confirmed/suspected cases, 11 (69%) had been missed and 7 (44%) had not received adequate empiric antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that non-eschar RD is an important and poorly recognized cause of illness in travelers, even in a specialized travel clinic. A lower threshold to test and treat for RD is warranted in returning travelers with febrile illness.

Acute Schistosomiasis With a Schistosoma mattheei × Schistosoma haematobium Hybrid Species in a Cluster of 34 Travelers Infected in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of schistosomiasis remains elusive soon after infection. We evaluated several diagnostic methods in a cluster of travelers with simultaneous freshwater exposure in South Africa. METHODS: Eosinophil count, schistosome antibody tests, stool and urine microscopy, and serum Dra1 PCR assays were performed at weeks 4-5 (early symptomatic phase), 7-8 (praziquantel treatment), and 13-14 (after treatment). Sequencing was done on serum samples from 3 patients to identify the species. RESULTS: Of the 34 travelers (16 adults and 18 children), 32 developed symptoms 2-6 weeks after exposure. A raised eosinophil count (>750/µL) was seen in 12 of 33 at weeks 4-5, and in 22 of 34 at weeks 7-8. Schistosoma antibodies were detected in 3 of 33 at weeks 4-5 and in 12 of 34 at weeks 7-8 and weeks 13-14. The Dra1 PCR result was positive in 24 of 33 travelers at weeks 4-5, in 31 of 34 at weeks 7-8, in 25 of 34 at weeks 13-14, and at least once in all. Ova were absent in all urine and stool samples obtained. Sequencing identified Schistosoma mattheei nuclear and Schistosoma haematobium mitochondrial DNA, indicative of a hybrid species. CONCLUSIONS: The Dra1 PCR confirmed the diagnosis in all exposed travelers at a much earlier stage than conventional tests. The causative species is probably an S. mattheei × S. haematobium hybrid.

Typhoid Fever in the US Pediatric Population, 1999-2015: Opportunities for Improvement.

BACKGROUND: Typhoid fever in the United States is acquired primarily through international travel by unvaccinated travelers. There is currently no typhoid vaccine licensed in the United States for use in children <2 years. METHODS: We reviewed Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi infections reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and antimicrobial-resistance data on Typhi isolates in CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System from 1999 through 2015. RESULTS: 5131 cases of typhoid fever were diagnosed and 5004 Typhi isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. Among 1992 pediatric typhoid fever patients, 1616 (81%) had traveled internationally within 30 days of illness onset, 1544 (81%) of 1906 were hospitalized (median duration, 6 days; range, 0-50), and none died. Forty percent (799) were <6 years old; 12% were <2 years old. Based on age and travel destination, 1435 (83%) of 1722 pediatric patients were vaccine-eligible; only 68 (5%) of 1361 were known to be vaccinated. Of 2003 isolates tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, 1216 (61%) were fluoroquinolone-nonsusceptible, of which 272 (22%) were also resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (multidrug-resistant [MDR]). All were susceptible to ceftriaxone and azithromycin. MDR and fluoroquinolone-nonsusceptible isolates were more common in children than adults (16% vs 9%, P < .001, and 61% vs 54%, P < .001, respectively). Fluoroquinolone nonsusceptibility was more common among travel-associated than domestically acquired cases (70% vs 17%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 95% of currently vaccine-eligible pediatric travelers were unvaccinated, and antimicrobial-resistant infections were common. New public health strategies are needed to improve coverage with currently licensed vaccines. Introduction of an effective pretravel typhoid vaccine for children <2 years could reduce disease burden and prevent drug-resistant infections.

Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 and 3 Gene Deletions in Strains from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan.

Deletion of histidine-rich protein genes pfhrp2/3 in Plasmodium falciparum causes infections to go undetected by HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests. We analyzed P. falciparum malaria cases imported to Australia (n = 210, collected 2010-2018) for their pfhrp2/3 status. We detected gene deletions in patients from 12 of 25 countries. We found >10% pfhrp2-deletion levels in those from Nigeria (13.3%, n = 30), Sudan (11.2%, n = 39), and South Sudan (17.7%, n = 17) and low levels of pfhrp3 deletion from Sudan (3.6%) and South Sudan (5.9%). No parasites with pfhrp2/3 double deletions were detected. Microsatellite typing of parasites from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan revealed low relatedness among gene-deleted parasites, indicating independent emergences. The gene deletion proportions signify a risk of false-negative HRP2-RDT results. This study's findings warrant surveillance to determine whether the prevalence of gene-deleted parasites justifies switching malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan.

Phylogenetic characteristics of HIV among female cross-border travelers in Yunnan province between 2003 and 2012.

Sexual transmission is currently the main mode of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In this study, 181 HIV-infected female cross-border travelers entering Yunnan province were recruited between 2003 and 2012. HIV RNAs were extracted from their frozen serum and gag-pol gene sequences were obtained for phylogenetic and recombination analyses. In total, 131 gag-pol gene sequences were obtained successfully, at a rate of 72.4%. The most prevalent subtypes were CRF01_AE, followed by CRF08_BC, subtypes B and C. The other four subjects were classified as undefined subtypes and other recombinants. The subtype distribution of intravenous drug users was significantly different from that of sexually transmitted infections and unknown groups. The genetic distances of subtype B, C, and CRF01_AE strains were all close to the reference sequences from Yunnan province and Southeast Asian countries. Gene diversity and cocirculation of multiple subtypes were observed in female cross-border travelers, and CRF01_AE was the dominant epidemic subtype. The advantages of these subtype preferences for sexual transmission were obvious in HIV infection and transmission among this population. Our findings also suggest that close attention should be given to the HIV infection status of the female migrant population. In addition, a description of their epidemic characteristics is significant for the surveillance and prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the Yunnan province.

Dengue fever outbreak in Cook Island: A rising concern, efforts, challenges, and future recommendations.

The Cook Island government has made several efforts to ensure zero confirmed cases and transmission of COVID-19, especially among visiting travelers. However, the Cook Island ministry of health has to deal with the new strain of dengue fever outbreak, known as dengue fever type 2 (DEN-2), by adopting several measures to control its spread, especially in the affected parts of the subtropical country. This paper aims to describe the dengue fever response taken in Cook Island and suggest recommendations to control the risk of transmission in endemic parts of the world.

Clinical Characteristics and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome During Travel.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death among travelers, but the clinical characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who develop acute coronary syndrome (ACS) while traveling have not been assessed. We evaluated 2548 patients with ACS who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 1999 and 2015 and compared the incidences of all-cause and cardiac death during follow-up between travelers and locals. We assessed 192 (7.5%) patients who developed ACS while traveling. These patients were younger and had a higher prevalence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction than local patients. During a median follow-up period of 5.3 years, 632 (24.8%) all-cause deaths were identified, including 310 cardiac deaths (12.2%). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the cumulative incidence of all-cause death was significantly lower among the travelers than locals (P = 0.001, log-rank test). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that travel was significantly associated with a lower rate of all cause death (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.80; P = 0.002). Cardiac mortality did not significantly differ between travelers and locals (P = 0.29). Patients with ACS treated with primary PCI while traveling had more favorable long-term clinical outcomes than local patients. Appropriate initial treatments and secondary preventions might improve the prognosis of travelers.