Can malaria rapid diagnostic tests be used to detect simian malaria?

Background: The increasing recognition of zoonotic malaria, particularly from Plasmodium species infecting non-human primates (NHP), poses significant diagnostic challenges. Performance of human malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) has not been evaluated in simian malaria.

Methods: A total of 131 blood samples from NHP hosts with confirmed malaria were analyzed using 14 different commercially available RDTs, detecting the antigens P.

Combined effects of hydrological conditions and socioeconomic factors on the seasonal dynamics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in China, 2011-2022: a modelling study.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever with expanding geographical range. The determinants of the seasonal dynamics of SFTS remain poorly understood.

Methods: Monthly SFTS cases from 604 counties in five provinces with high-notification rate in China (2011-2022) were analyzed using hierarchical Bayesian spatiotemporal and distributed lag nonlinear models.

Single low dose primaquine to block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum-proposed stand-alone and ACT-adapted regimens.

Background: Despite the 2012 WHO recommendation to add single low dose primaquine (SLDPQ, 0.25 mg/kg body weight) to artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs) for blocking the transmission of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, there are currently no weight-based regimens founded on robust evidence.

Methods: Applying published safety, transmission blocking and pharmacokinetic data, and exploring pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of age-based dosing of SLDPQ in African children with acute, uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum, we derived weight-based, stand-alone, ACT-, triple ACT-, and vivax-matched regimens by following allometric dosing principles and simulating PQ exposure (area under the concentration time curve).

Understanding the primary healthcare context in rural South and Southeast Asia: a village profiling study.

Background: Understanding contextual factors is critical to the success of health service planning and implementation. However, few contextual data are available at the village level in rural South and Southeast Asia. This study addressed the gap by profiling representative villages across seven sites in Thailand (n=3), Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Comparing HemoCue® and Quantitative Buffy Coat® and Coulter Counter-measured haemoglobin concentrations in African children with acute uncomplicated malaria: a Bland-Altman analysis.

Background: Anaemia is a deleterious consequence of malaria, and its accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective management. However, laboratory methods for measuring haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, like the Coulter Counter and the Quantitative Buffy Coat® (QBC®), are costly and not widely accessible in resource-limited settings. The point-of-care HemoCue® test is a cheaper alternative and suitable in rural areas.

History of scrub typhus in Indonesia.

Scrub typhus is a common but underrecognized cause of fever in the Asia-Pacific region. This review is the first to examine the history of scrub typhus in the context of notable historical events in Indonesia. Scrub typhus was first observed in 1902 and has since been documented through colonial and modern times.

Advancing artemisinin resistance monitoring using a high sensitivity ddPCR assay for Pfkelch13 mutation detection in Asia.

The spread of Pfkelch13 mutations in Southeast Asia threatens the effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for malaria. Previous studies revealed a high prevalence of key mutations, including C580Y, P574L, and R561H, emphasizing the need for the surveillance to combat drug resistance. This study, we developed a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay for the rapid screening of common mutations including P441L, Y493H, P527H, G538V, R539T, I543T, R561H, P574L, C580Y, and A675V.

Antiviral efficacy of fluoxetine in early symptomatic COVID-19: an open-label, randomised, controlled, adaptive platform trial (PLATCOV).

Background: The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine and fluvoxamine were repurposed for the treatment of early COVID-19 based on their antiviral activity , and observational and clinical trial evidence suggesting they prevented progression to severe disease. However, these SSRIs have not been recommended in therapeutic guidelines and their antiviral activity has not been characterised.

Methods: PLATCOV is an open-label, multicentre, phase 2, randomised, controlled, adaptive pharmacometric platform trial running in Thailand, Brazil, Pakistan, and Laos.

Experiences, perceptions and ethical considerations of the malaria infection study in Thailand.

Background: Thailand has made significant progress in malaria control efforts in the past decade, with a decline in the number of reported cases. However, due to cross-border movements over the past 5 years, reported malaria cases in Thailand have risen. The Malaria Infection Study in Thailand (MIST) involves deliberate infection of healthy volunteers with Plasmodium vivax malaria parasites, and the assessment of the efficacy of potential vaccine and drug candidates in order to understand acquired protection against malaria parasites.

Leptospirosis, melioidosis, and rickettsioses in the vicious circle of neglect.

The global priorities in the field of infectious diseases are constantly changing. While emerging viral infections have regularly dominated public health attention, which has only intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous bacterial diseases have previously caused, and continue to cause, significant morbidity and mortality-deserving equal attention. Three potentially life-threatening endemic bacterial diseases (leptospirosis, melioidosis, and rickettsioses) are a huge public health concern especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Community responses to a novel house design: A qualitative study of "Star Homes" in Mtwara, southeastern Tanzania.

Introduction: To evaluate the impact of a novel design "Star Home" on the incidence of malaria, respiratory tract infections and diarrheal diseases among children, randomly selected households in Mtwara, Tanzania were offered a free, new Star Home. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative research that accompanied the Star Homes study, this article describes the experiences of residents and the wider community of living with these buildings.

Methods: A total of four rounds of face-to-face interviews were undertaken with residents of Star Homes (n = 37), control (wattle/daub) homes (n = 21), neighboring households n = 6), community members (n = 17) and community leaders (n = 6).

Sustainable antimicrobial resistance surveillance: time for a global funding mechanism.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is predicted to outstrip malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis combined as the leading infectious cause of death by 2050. Strengthening the knowledge and evidence base for AMR with surveillance and research is one of the five main objectives of the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR. While recent efforts to strengthen diagnosis and surveillance have been encouraging, these are unlikely to be sustainable without continued funding support in most low-resource settings.

Population genomics and transcriptomics of Plasmodium falciparum in Cambodia and Vietnam uncover key components of the artemisinin resistance genetic background.

The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to artemisinins compromises the efficacy of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), the global first-line malaria treatment. Artemisinin resistance is a complex genetic trait in which nonsynonymous SNPs in PfK13 cooperate with other genetic variations. Here, we present population genomic/transcriptomic analyses of P.

Evaluation of an electronic clinical decision support algorithm to improve primary care management of acute febrile illness in rural Cambodia: protocol for a cluster-randomised trial.

Introduction: Acute febrile illness (AFI), traditionally attributed to malaria, is a common reason for seeking primary healthcare in rural South and Southeast Asia. However, malaria transmission has declined while health workers are often poorly equipped to manage non-malarial AFIs. This results in indiscriminate antibiotic prescribing and care escalation, which promotes antibiotic resistance and may increase healthcare costs.

Safety and pharmacokinetic properties of a new formulation of parenteral artesunate in healthy Thai volunteers.

Background: Parenteral artesunate is the first-line therapy for severe malaria. Artesunate, in its current formulation, must be prepared immediately before administration by first dissolving in sodium bicarbonate solution and then diluting in saline. A novel solvent for rapid and stable single step reconstitution of artesunate was recently developed showing improved solubility and stability.

Evaluation of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the prevention of COVID-19 (COPCOV): A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has proved ineffective in treating patients hospitalised with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but uncertainty remains over its safety and efficacy in chemoprevention. Previous chemoprevention randomised controlled trials (RCTs) did not individually show benefit of HCQ against COVID-19 and, although meta-analysis did suggest clinical benefit, guidelines recommend against its use.

Methods And Findings: Healthy adult participants from the healthcare setting, and later from the community, were enrolled in 26 centres in 11 countries to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial of COVID-19 chemoprevention.

Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in edible ice in Thailand.

Background: The presence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in edible ice in tropical countries is largely unknown.

Methods: We evaluate the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales in 100 edible ice samples from drink carts in 20 markets in four provinces (five markets/province) in Thailand. Ten samples of commercially sold edible ice in sealed packages were tested as controls.

Southeast Asia initiative to combat SARS-CoV-2 variants (SEACOVARIANTS) consortium.

A strong and effective COVID-19 and future pandemic responses rely on global efforts to carry out surveillance of infections and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and to act accordingly in real time. Many countries in Southeast Asia lack capacity to determine the potential threat of new variants, or other emerging infections. Funded by Wellcome, the Southeast Asia initiative to combat SARS-CoV-2 variants (SEACOVARIANTS) consortium aims to develop and apply a multidisciplinary research platform in Southeast Asia (SEA) for rapid assessment of the biological significance of SARS-CoV-2 variants, thereby informing coordinated local, regional and global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Genetic diversity, determinants, and dissemination of Burkholderia pseudomallei lineages implicated in melioidosis in Northeast Thailand.

Melioidosis is an often-fatal neglected tropical disease caused by an environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. However, our understanding of the disease-causing bacterial lineages, their dissemination, and adaptive mechanisms remains limited. To address this, we conduct a comprehensive genomic analysis of 1,391 B.

A randomised trial of malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M™ with and without antimalarial drugs in Thai adults.

In preparation for mass vaccinations with R21/Matrix-M™ combined with mass administrations of dihydroartemisinin, piperaquine, and a single low dose primaquine we assessed the tolerability, safety, and potential interactions of this combination affecting immunogenicity or pharmacokinetics. 120 healthy Thai volunteers were randomised to receive either antimalarials combined with vaccinations (n = 50), vaccinations alone (n = 50), or antimalarials only (n = 20). Three rounds of vaccines and antimalarials were administered one month apart.