Development and Validation of a Prediction Score for Critical Admission in Children With Dengue.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a clinical score for the prediction of critical care entrance in children with dengue.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using admissions from January 2019 to August 2021, at Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Pareja, in Cartagena, Colombia. We included all children 18 years or younger, with a positive immunoglobulin M or nonstructural protein 1 laboratory test and admitted for follow-up at the emergency department.

Correction: Diagnostic performance of two rapid tests for syphilis screening in people living with HIV in Cali, Colombia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Comparative effectiveness and duration of protection of ChAdOx1, CoronaVac, BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccines for symptomatic and hospitalized Mu, Delta, and Omicron: A test-negative case-control study.

Objective: We carried out a study to estimate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of homologous vaccination schedules against COVID-19, using data from mandatory information systems from Bogota, Colombia.

Methods: A test-negative case-control study in adults from Bogota (Colombia), between March 1st of 2021 and February 25th of 2022. We assess VE among symptomatic COVID-19 cases during the Mul, Delta, and Omicron predominance periods in Bogota, with controls matched by sex, age (±5 years), and date of testing (±7 days), using a case:control ratio of 1:1.

Reductions in Childhood Pneumonia Mortality After Vaccination in the United States.

Background: We aim to estimate the magnitude of the reduction in pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis mortality after the mass introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)7 and PCV13 in children in the United States.

Methods: We assessed the trends in mortality rates from pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis, in the United States between 1994 and 2017. We fitted an interrupted time-series negative binomial regression model (adjusted by trend, seasonality, PCV7/PCV13 coverage, and H.

Phylogeographic Assessment Reveals Geographic Sources of HIV-1 Dissemination Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Kenya.

HIV-1 transmission dynamics involving men who have sex with men (MSM) in Africa are not well understood. We investigated the rates of HIV-1 transmission between MSM across three regions in Kenya: Coast, Nairobi, and Nyanza. We analyzed 372 HIV-1 partial sequences sampled during 2006-2019 from MSM in Coast ( = 178, 47.

Experiences and challenges in sexual health service access among men who have sex with men in Kenya.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya bear a heavy burden of HIV/STIs and are a priority population in the national HIV/AIDS response, yet remain criminalised and stigmatised within society. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers an opportunity to significantly impact the HIV epidemic, as does the concept of U = U, whereby those who are living with HIV and on treatment are uninfectious when their viral load has been suppressed so as to be undetectable. However, the value of such innovations will not be realised without sufficient understanding of, and respect for, the sexual health service provision needs of MSM.

Impact of mobility restrictions on the dynamics of transmission of COVID-19 in Colombian cities.

Background: Our aim was to study the association between case rates and reductions in urban mobility in state capitals of Colombia.

Methods: We designed an ecological time-series study to correlate the Colombian incidence rate with reductions in mobility trends of retail stores.

Results: The meta-analysis of β coefficients describing the association between case rates and reductions in mobility trends of retail stores resulted in a mean estimate of 0.

HIV burden and correlates of infection among transfeminine people and cisgender men who have sex with men in Nairobi, Kenya: an observational study.

Background: Transgender people are disproportionately affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide, and culturally competent prevention and treatment services are often unavailable or inaccessible. Despite recent improvements in national HIV responses for many key populations in east Africa, evidence of effective responses informed by transgender sexual health needs is sparse. We aimed to assess gender identity among men and transgender people who have sex with men in Kenya, and to explore its associations with sexual health-related outcomes, risk behaviours, and uptake of HIV prevention and care interventions.

Online socializing among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Nairobi and Johannesburg and implications for public health-related research and health promotion: an analysis of qualitative and respondent-driven sampling survey data.

Introduction: There is little published literature about gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender individuals (MSM and TG)'s use of social media in sub-Saharan Africa, despite repressive social and/or criminalizing contexts that limit access to physical HIV prevention. We sought to describe MSM and TG's online socializing in Nairobi and Johannesburg, identifying the characteristics of those socializing online and those not, in order to inform the development of research and health promotion in online environments.

Methods: Respondent-driven sampling surveys were conducted in 2017 in Nairobi (n = 618) and Johannesburg (n = 301) with those reporting current male gender identity or male sex assigned at birth and sex with a man in the last 12 months.

HIV testing, care and viral suppression among men who have sex with men and transgender individuals in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Introduction: Men who have sex with men and transgender individuals (MSM/TG) carry a disproportionately high burden of HIV, including in South Africa. However, there are few empirical population-representative estimates of viral suppression and the HIV care cascade including HIV testing among this population, nor of factors associated with these outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a respondent driven sampling (RDS) survey among 301 MSM/TG in Johannesburg in 2017.

Risk factors associated with hospitalisation for influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in South Africa: A case-population study.

Background: Influenza is a common cause of severe respiratory illness, but risk factors for hospitalisation in low income settings with a high HIV prevalence are not well described. We aimed to assess risk factors associated with influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) hospitalisation in South Africa.

Methods: We conducted a case-population study using data on risk conditions in patients hospitalised with SARI and the national prevalence of these conditions.

Heterosexual behaviours among men who sell sex to men in coastal Kenya.

Objective: African men who have sex with men often sell sex to men, and MSM who sell sex (MSM-SW) often also have female partners. We compared sexual risk behaviour of MSM-SW who were sexually active with female partners (bisexual MSW) to MSM-SW with only male partners (exclusive MSW).

Design: Descriptive behavioural study

Methods: : A novel, validated daily event and partner diary self-completed by 82 MSM who sold sex over a follow-up period of 42 days with weekly review.

Risk of sexual, physical and verbal assaults on men who have sex with men and female sex workers in coastal Kenya.

Background: Violence toward MSM and female sex workers (FSW) is associated with HIV risk, and its prevention is prioritized in international HIV/AIDS policy.

Methods: Sociodemographic and behavioural data derived from HIV risk and follow-up cohorts including MSM and FSW in coastal Kenya between 2005 and 2014 was used to estimate the risk of rape, physical assault and verbal abuse, and to assess associations between first occurrence of assault with individual and recent behavioural factors.

Results: Incidence of first reported rape was similar for MSM [3.

Hospitalizations associated with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus among patients attending a network of private hospitals in South Africa, 2007-2012.

Background: Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection are common causes of lower respiratory tract illness. Data on their burden in low and middle-income settings and from Africa are scarce. We aimed to estimate age-specific rates of hospitalization attributable to influenza and RSV among patients attending private hospitals in South Africa during 2007-2012.