Socio-ecological risk factors associated with human flea infestations of rural household in plague-endemic areas of Madagascar
by Ad élaïde Miarinjara, Annick Onimalala Raveloson, Stephen Gilbert Mugel, Nick An, Andry Andriamiadanarivo, Minoarisoa Esther Rajerison, Rindra Vatosoa Randremanana, Romain Girod, Thomas Robert Gillespie Plague is a flea-borne fatal disease caused by the bacteriumYersinia pestis, which persists in rural Madagascar. Although fleas parasitizing rats are considered the primary vectors ofY.pestis, the human flea,Pulex irritans, is abundant in human habitations in Madagascar, and has been found naturally infected by the plague bacterium during outbreaks. WhileP.irritans may therefore play a role in plague transmission if p...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - March 7, 2024 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Ad élaïde Miarinjara Source Type: research

You may have a higher risk of MS and other diseases if you ’re descended from these ancient people
Like many diseases, multiple sclerosis hits some populations harder than others. For example, Scandinavians are an estimated 17 times more likely than people from sub-Saharan Africa to develop the devastating chronic disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks nerves. “It’s very puzzling,” says University of Copenhagen paleogeneticist Eske Willerslev. Some have speculated that “Viking genes” or some aspect of Northern Europe’s diet or environment might boost risk. New data from ancient skeletons show part of the answer arose in the Bronze Age. About 5000 years ago, people from the steppes near th...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - January 10, 2024 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research

You may have a higher risk of MS and other diseases if you're descended from these ancient people
Like many diseases, multiple sclerosis hits some populations harder than others. For example, Scandinavians are an estimated 17 times more likely than people from sub-Saharan Africa to develop the devastating chronic disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks nerves. “It’s very puzzling,” says University of Copenhagen paleogeneticist Eske Willerslev. Some have speculated that “Viking genes” or some aspect of Northern Europe’s diet or environment might boost risk. New data from ancient skeletons show part of the answer arose in the Bronze Age. About 5000 years ago, people from the steppes near th...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - January 10, 2024 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research

Bubonic plague: can the size of buboes be accurately and consistently measured with a digital calliper?
Conducting clinical research on treatments for emerging infectious diseases is often complicated by methodological challenges, such as the identification of appropriate outcome measures to assess treatment res... (Source: Trials)
Source: Trials - December 19, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: Josephine Bourner, Ravaka Randriamparany, Tsinjo Fehizoro Rasoanaivo, Emmanuelle Denis, Rindra Vatosoa Randremanana, Michel Vaillant, Alex Paddy Salam, Bronner P. Gon çalves and Piero Olliaro Tags: Research Source Type: research

A systematic review of the clinical profile of patients with bubonic plague and the outcome measures used in research settings
Conclusions/SignificanceThis systematic review elucidates the restrictions that limited disease characterisation places on clinical trials for infectious diseases such as plague, which not only impacts the definition of trial endpoints but has the knock-on effect of challenging the interpretation of a trial ’s results. For this reason and despite interventional trials for plague having taken place, questions around optimal treatment for plague persist. (Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases)
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - November 9, 2023 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Josephine Bourner Source Type: research

A self-amplifying RNA vaccine provides protection in a murine model of bubonic plague
Mice were immunized with a combination of self-amplifying (sa) RNA constructs for the F1 and V antigens of Yersinia pestis at a dose level of 1 μg or 5 μg or with the respective protein sub-units as a reference vaccine. The immunization of outbred OF1 mice on day 0 and day 28 with the lowest dose used (1 μg) of each of the saRNA constructs in lipid nanoparticles protected 5/7 mice against subsequent sub-cutaneous challenge on day 56 with 180 cfu (2.8 MLD) of a 2021 clinical isolate of Y. pestis termed 10-21/S whilst 5/7 mice were protected against 1800cfu (28MLD) of the same bacteria on day 56. By comparison, on...
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology - November 2, 2023 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research

Syphilis, < em > blanchiment < /em > and French colonial medicine in sub-Saharan Africa during the interwar period
This article demonstrates the contradictory nature of the colonial medicine approach to this disease during the interwar years. The negative impact of syphilis on population growth in Africa made it a major threat to the colonial project, and France put significant, costly investment into tackling the disease, focusing its efforts on maternal and child health. However, a closer look at syphilis control in sub-Saharan Africa reveals that the disease was also minimised as a public health issue, under-resourced and downplayed by colonial doctors and administrators. This neglect was embodied in the invention of a new colonial ...
Source: Medical History - October 13, 2023 Category: History of Medicine Authors: Guillaume Linte Source Type: research

Syphilis, < em > blanchiment < /em > and French colonial medicine in sub-Saharan Africa during the interwar period
This article demonstrates the contradictory nature of the colonial medicine approach to this disease during the interwar years. The negative impact of syphilis on population growth in Africa made it a major threat to the colonial project, and France put significant, costly investment into tackling the disease, focusing its efforts on maternal and child health. However, a closer look at syphilis control in sub-Saharan Africa reveals that the disease was also minimised as a public health issue, under-resourced and downplayed by colonial doctors and administrators. This neglect was embodied in the invention of a new colonial ...
Source: Medical History - October 13, 2023 Category: History of Medicine Authors: Guillaume Linte Source Type: research

Zoonotic diseases: understanding the risks and mitigating the threats
Zoonotic diseases are like a sneaky game of “tag” between animals and humans, where the stakes are high and the consequences can be deadly. From the bubonic plague to COVID-19, zoonotic diseases have affected ... (Source: BMC Veterinary Research)
Source: BMC Veterinary Research - October 3, 2023 Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Ibrahim Elsohaby and Luca Villa Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: Am J Trop Med Hyg - October 2, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - October 2, 2023 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: Am J Trop Med Hyg - October 2, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - October 2, 2023 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: Am J Trop Med Hyg - October 2, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research

Engagement with Traditional Healers for Early Detection of Plague in Uganda
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 2:tpmd230101. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0101. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn rural Uganda, many people who are ill consult traditional healers prior to visiting the formal healthcare system. Traditional healers provide supportive care for common illnesses, but their care may delay diagnosis and management of illnesses that can increase morbidity and mortality, hinder early detection of epidemic-prone diseases, and increase occupational risk to traditional healers. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 11 traditional healers in the plague-endemic West Nile...
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - October 2, 2023 Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Titus Apangu Gordian Candini Janet Abaru Bosco Candia Felix J Okoth Linda A Atiku Kevin S Griffith Mary H Hayden Emily Zielinski-Guti érrez Amy M Schwartz David W McCormick Paul S Mead Kiersten J Kugeler Source Type: research