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Annals of Global Health Jan 2019Tuberculosis (TB) presents new challenges as a global public health problem, especially at a time of increasing threats to some particular patients due to Human... (Review)
Review
Tuberculosis (TB) presents new challenges as a global public health problem, especially at a time of increasing threats to some particular patients due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The World Health Assembly strives to reduce TB deaths by 95% and to decrease TB incidence by 95% by 2035. However, new approaches are necessary in order to attain these objectives. Such approaches include active ascertainment of cases in high risk populations, increasing the availability of accurate point-of-care testing, rapid detection of drug resistance, novel vaccines, and new prophylaxis and treatment regimens (particularly for MDR and XDR TB). The ultimate objective of those programs is to develop highly effective drug regimens that can achieve high cure rates regardless of strains' resistance patterns.
Topics: Antitubercular Agents; Coinfection; Culture; Drug Development; Drug Therapy, Combination; Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis; HIV Infections; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Interferon-gamma Release Tests; Latent Tuberculosis; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Point-of-Care Testing; Radiography, Thoracic; Sputum; Tuberculin Test; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis Vaccines; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant
PubMed: 30741506
DOI: 10.5334/aogh.2415 -
Advances in Clinical and Experimental... Jul 2020The current global burden of tuberculosis (TB) is one of the greatest challenges to public health, particularly in developing countries, and thus effective diagnostic... (Review)
Review
The current global burden of tuberculosis (TB) is one of the greatest challenges to public health, particularly in developing countries, and thus effective diagnostic methods and treatment options for TB remain a central topic in basic and clinical research. Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA)-specific immune responses have been linked to protection against TB. The binding of HBHA-coated beads to epithelial and endothelial cell layers may trigger transcytosis of the beads, which is the basis for extrapulmonary dissemination. In addition, HBHA has been confirmed as a potential diagnostic marker for TB, and it is important in developing new TB vaccines and anti-TB drugs. Recently, basic research on HBHA has been intensified. The HBHA application in the field of prevention and treatment should be further explored. In addition, the existing research achievements have shown its broad application prospects. Currently, there are no relevant specialized products, and research should be accelerated. These products may contribute to the application of HBHA in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of TB.
Topics: Humans; Lectins; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 32735088
DOI: 10.17219/acem/121011 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jan 2017By definition, humanitarian crises can severely affect human health, directly through violence or indirectly through breakdown of infrastructure or lack of provision for... (Review)
Review
By definition, humanitarian crises can severely affect human health, directly through violence or indirectly through breakdown of infrastructure or lack of provision for basic human needs, such as safe shelter, food, clean water, and suitable clothing. After the initial phase, these indirect effects are the most important determinants of morbidity and mortality in humanitarian emergencies, and infectious diseases are among the most significant causes of ill health. Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in humanitarian emergencies varies depending on a number of factors, including the country background epidemiology, but will be elevated compared with precrisis levels. TB morbidity and mortality are associated with access to appropriate care and medications, and will also be elevated due to barriers to access to diagnosis and appropriate treatment, including robust TB drug supplies. While reestablishment of TB control is challenging in the early phases, successful treatment programs have been previously established, and the WHO has issued guidance on establishing such successful programs. Such programs should be closely linked to other health programs and established in close collaboration with the country's national treatment program. Individuals who flee the emergency also have a higher TB risk and can face difficulties accessing care en route to or upon arrival in host countries. These barriers, often associated with treatment delays and worse outcomes, can be the result of uncertainties around legal status, other practical challenges, or lack of health care worker awareness. It is important to recognize and mitigate these barriers with an increasing number of tools now available and described.
Topics: Civil Defense; Emergencies; Health Policy; Humans; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 28155816
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.TNMI7-0031-2016 -
Mammalian Genome : Official Journal of... Aug 2018Mycobacterial diseases are caused by members of the genus Mycobacterium, acid-fast bacteria characterized by the presence of mycolic acids within their cell walls.... (Review)
Review
Mycobacterial diseases are caused by members of the genus Mycobacterium, acid-fast bacteria characterized by the presence of mycolic acids within their cell walls. Claiming almost 2 million lives every year, tuberculosis (TB) is the most common mycobacterial disease and is caused by infection with M. tuberculosis and, in rare cases, by M. bovis or M. africanum. The second and third most common mycobacterial diseases are leprosy and buruli ulcer (BU), respectively. Both diseases affect the skin and can lead to permanent sequelae and deformities. Leprosy is caused by the uncultivable M. leprae while the etiological agent of BU is the environmental bacterium M. ulcerans. After exposure to these mycobacterial species, a majority of individuals will not progress to clinical disease and, among those who do, inter-individual variability in disease manifestation and outcome can be observed. Susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases carries a human genetic component and intense efforts have been applied over the past decades to decipher the exact nature of the genetic factors controlling disease susceptibility. While for BU this search was mostly conducted on the basis of candidate genes association studies, genome-wide approaches have been widely applied for TB and leprosy. In this review, we summarize some of the findings achieved by genome-wide linkage, association and transcriptome analyses in TB disease and leprosy and the recent genetic findings for BU susceptibility.
Topics: Animals; Buruli Ulcer; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic Linkage; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genome-Wide Association Study; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Leprosy; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium Infections; Quantitative Trait Loci; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 30116885
DOI: 10.1007/s00335-018-9765-4 -
Respiration; International Review of... 2016Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include more than 160 ubiquitous, environmental, acid-fast-staining bacterial species, some of which may cause disease in humans.... (Review)
Review
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include more than 160 ubiquitous, environmental, acid-fast-staining bacterial species, some of which may cause disease in humans. Chronic pulmonary infection is the most common clinical manifestation. Although patients suffering from chronic lung diseases are particularly susceptible to NTM pulmonary disease, many affected patients have no apparent risk factors. Host and pathogen factors leading to NTM pulmonary disease are not well understood and preventive therapies are lacking. NTM isolation and pulmonary disease are reported to rise in frequency in Europe as well as in other parts of the world. Differentiation between contamination, infection, and disease remains challenging. Treatment of NTM pulmonary disease is arduous, lengthy, and costly. Correlations between results of in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing and clinical treatment outcomes are only evident for the Mycobacterium avium complex, M. kansasii, and some rapidly growing mycobacteria. We describe the epidemiology of NTM pulmonary disease as well as emerging NTM pathogens and their geographical distribution in non-cystic fibrosis patients in Europe. We also review recent innovations for the diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease, summarize treatment recommendations, and identify future research priorities to improve the management of patients affected by NTM pulmonary disease.
Topics: Europe; Humans; Lung; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Mycobacterium avium Complex; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection; Mycobacterium kansasii; Mycobacterium xenopi; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
PubMed: 27207809
DOI: 10.1159/000445906 -
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious... Oct 2022Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) is increasingly recognized as the key to eliminating tuberculosis globally and is particularly critical for children with TB... (Review)
Review
Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) is increasingly recognized as the key to eliminating tuberculosis globally and is particularly critical for children with TB infection or who are in close contact with individuals with infectious TB. But many barriers currently impede successful scale-up to provide TPT to those at high risk of TB disease. The cascade of care in TB infection (and the related contact management cascade) is a conceptual framework to evaluate and improve the care of persons who are potential candidates for TPT. This review summarizes recent literature on barriers and solutions in the TB infection care cascade, focusing on children in both high- and low-burden settings, and drawing from studies on children and adults. Identifying and closing gaps in the care cascade will require the implementation of tools that are new (e.g. computer-assisted radiography) and old (e.g. efficient contact tracing), and will be aided by innovative implementation study designs, quality improvement methods, and shared clinical practice with primary care providers.
Topics: Child; Adult; Humans; Tuberculosis; Latent Tuberculosis; Quality Improvement
PubMed: 36314552
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piac070 -
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2015Rhodococcus equi pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals. Much effort has been made to identify preventative measures and new treatments... (Review)
Review
Rhodococcus equi pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals. Much effort has been made to identify preventative measures and new treatments for R. equi with limited success. With a growing focus in the medical community on understanding the genetic basis of disease susceptibility, investigators have begun to evaluate the interaction of the genetics of the foal with R. equi. This review describes past efforts to understand the genetic basis underlying R. equi susceptibility and tolerance. It also highlights the genetic technology available to study horses and describes the use of this technology in investigating R. equi. This review provides readers with a foundational understanding of candidate gene approaches, single nucleotide polymorphism-based, and copy number variant-based genome-wide association studies, and next generation sequencing (both DNA and RNA).
Topics: Actinomycetales Infections; Animals; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Horse Diseases; Horses; Rhodococcus equi
PubMed: 26340305
DOI: 10.1111/jvim.13616 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024
Topics: Humans; Tuberculosis; Adaptive Immunity; Latent Tuberculosis; Vaccines
PubMed: 38322257
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1366976 -
The Veterinary Record Sep 2019
Topics: Animals; Cat Diseases; Cats; Mycobacterium Infections; Scotland
PubMed: 31541054
DOI: 10.1136/vr.l5594 -
International Journal of Infectious... May 2023Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, are constantly changing. These genetic changes (aka mutations) occur over time and can lead to the emergence of new...
INTRO
Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, are constantly changing. These genetic changes (aka mutations) occur over time and can lead to the emergence of new variants that may have different characteristics. After the first SARS-CoV-2 genome was published in early 2020, scientists all over the world soon realized the immediate need to obtain as much genetic information from as many strains as possible. However, understanding the functional significance of the mutations harbored by a variant is important to assess its impact on transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics.
METHODS
Here in Canada, we have developed an interactive framework for visualizing and reporting mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants. This framework is composed of three stand-alone yet connected components; an interactive visualization (COVID-MVP), a manually curated functional annotation database (pokay), and a genomic analysis workflow (nf-ncov-voc). Findings: COVID-MVP provides (i) an interactive heatmap to visualize and compare mutations in SARS-CoV-2 lineages classified across different VOCs, VOIs, and VUMs; (ii) mutation profiles including the type, impact, and contextual information; (iii) annotation of biological impacts for mutations where functional data is available in the literature; (iv) summarized information for each variant and/or lineage in the form of a surveillance report; and (v) the ability to upload raw genomic sequence(s) for rapid processing and annotating for real-time classification.
DISCUSSION
This comprehensive comparison allows microbiologists and public health practitioners to better predict how the mutations in emerging variants will impact factors such as infection severity, vaccine resistance, hospitalization rates, etc.
CONCLUSION
This framework is cloud-compatible & standalone, which makes it easier to integrate into other genomic surveillance tools as well. COVID-MVP is integrated into the Canadian VirusSeq data portal (https://virusseqdataportal.ca) - a national data hub for SARS-COV-2 genomic data. COVID-MVP is also used by the CanCOGeN and CoVaRR networks in national COVID-19 genomic surveillance.
Topics: Humans; Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; World Health Organization
PubMed: 38039194
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.04.006