Buruli Ulcer: a Review of the Current Knowledge
This article aims to review the current knowledge of this disease and challenges ahead.Recent FindingsAround 60,000 cases of BU have been reported from over 33 countries between 2002 and 2017. Encouraging findings for development of point-of-care tests for BU are being made, and its treatment is currently in the transition period from rifampicin plus streptomycin (injection) to all-oral regimen. A major recent advance in our understanding of its pathogenesis has been agreement on the mechanism of action of the major virulence toxin mycolactone in host cells, targeting the Sec61 translocon during a major step in protein bio...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 28, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Mycobacterium abscessus Complex Cutaneous Infection
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe worldwide increase in skin infections due toMycobacterium abscessus, especially in Latin America, and its difficult diagnosis and treatment, makes a review of literature crucial in reminding and updating physicians about its presentation, diagnosing techniques, and management.Recent FindingsOutbreaks are associated with cosmetic surgeries and medical tourism, but any kind of skin lesion can become infected presenting as negative typical cultures and unsuccessful empirical treatments; therefore, a high clinical suspicion is required. Molecular techniques are promising new diagnosing alternatives...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Cryptosporidiosis in Colombia: a Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewCryptosporidium is an intestinal apicomplexan recently classified as a gregarine. It is associated with diarrhea both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Direct person-to-person, zoonotic, and waterborne are the principal transmission routes. Despite the significant impact on public health of cryptosporidiosis, especially in developing countries, there are few studies on this parasitic disease. This systematic review will focus on the cryptosporidiosis situation in Colombia, describing the prevalence data on humans, other animals, and environmental sources. Species and subtypes, risk...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
The Epidemiology of Diarrhea in Children Under 5 Years of Age in Mozambique
This article aims to review the available data on the burden and etiology of diarrhea in Mozambique.Recent FindingsEpidemiological studies defining the burden and etiology of diarrhea (mostly from Southern Mozambique) have demonstrated a high disease burden and an associated case fatality rate of nearly 10%. Rotavirus,Shigella spp., enterotoxigenic, and enteroaggregativeEscherichia coli,Vibrio cholerae, andCryptosporidium spp. have been reported to be associated with infantile diarrhea. Rotavirus vaccine has greatly impacted in the reduction of diarrheal hospitalization cases across the country.SummaryUnderstanding the loc...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Evidence in Medical and Nutritional Management
AbstractPurpose of ReviewChagas cardiomyopathy (CC) is a prevalent manifestation of Chagas disease, responsible for high mortality. Treatment and management have not changed significantly, and there is still a lack of consensus about the proper approach. Particular characteristics in the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of CC cause inadequate treatment. This review aims to describe the treatment and management of CC currently indicated and describe topics of discussion and future medical and nutritional interventions.Recent FindingsNew evidence suggests benznidazole (BZ) is beneficial in the treatment of CC. Also, ...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Rapidly Growing Mycobacterial Infections of the Skin and Soft Tissues Caused by M. fortuitum and M. chelonae
AbstractPurpose of ReviewNon-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have emerged as pathogens of clinical importance in human health as etiological agents of opportunist infections. Although NTM are known to cause systemic infections in immunocompromised subjects primarily in HIV patients, yet the growing number of immunosuppressed patients with new therapies and even more recently in non-immunocompromised subjects often localized infections of the lungs or skin and soft tissues (S&STI) but with a new clinical spectrums. Our goal is to report distinct patterns of infections according to the clinical and immunological settings ...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Nutritional Approach in Tropical Sprue Patients
The objective of the present review is to determine whether if there is new evidence for a specific nutritional approach for TS, since the management remains the same from several years ago and the treatment can also be confounded by other conditions such as celiac disease, tropical enteropathy, and parasitic infections.Recent FindingsTropical sprue accounts for a large proportion of cases of malabsorption in South Asia. Since tropical sprue requires a specific test for its diagnosis, it could have been mistaken with other conditions. However, epidemics of tropical sprue have not been reported.SummaryTS has been thought to...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Child Mortality in Mozambique: a Review of Recent Trends and Attributable Causes
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn the last 25 years, child mortality has significantly dropped at a global level. Understanding particularities of child mortality at the national level is useful to tailor health policy to those conditions requiring more attention. In Mozambique, a variety of efforts have been made to better characterize the o verall child mortality and to describe the main contributors for death. In this review, we attempt to contextualize current knowledge on causes of pediatric deaths in Mozambique.Recent FindingsThe available data regarding the principal causes of death in Mozambican children point out to i...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Measuring Retention in Antiretroviral Therapy Programs —a Synthetic Review of Different Approaches for Field Use in Low- and Middle-Income Settings
AbstractPurpose of ReviewRetention measures in antiretroviral therapy programs are important, but there is wide variation in their calculation and relatively little systematic discussion of their relative advantages and limitations.Recent FindingsWe extracted and compared distinctive approaches to quantifying retention through a systematic search in PubMed and undertook a purposive selection of articles published in peer-reviewed journals and policy documents. We also created a simulated dataset and code examples to help illustrate observations about each metric. Among identified retention approaches, were metrics based on...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Paracoccidioidomycosis: Global Vision of a Forgotten Endemic Mycosis
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review aims to evaluate the disease globally from its immunopathogenesis to clinical manifestations and treatment. We would like to call attention to an infectious disease, restricted to some countries in Latin America and with serious sequelae mainly at the pulmonary level.Recent FindingsParacoccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by a complex of thermal dimorphic fungi namedParacoccidioides brasiliensis andP. lutzii. It is the second most prevalent endemic mycosis in Latin America and is usually restricted to this geographical area. It is characterized by a primary pulmonary...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Giardiasis in Colombia: a Review of the Current Knowledge
This article aims to review the current prevalence of human giardiasis in Colombia, using data published in scientific literature available until January 2018.Recent FindingsAccording to the last Colombian National Survey of Intestinal Parasites in 2015 conducted in school children, giardiasis continues to be a public health problem, with a prevalence of 15.4% similar to that reported in the population-based survey performed in 1980 (18.4%).SummarySeveral protozoa and helminthes affect the health in patients from Colombia, but giardiasis is a serious problem, especially in children, for whom consumption of non-drinkable wa...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Advantages of Breastfeeding During Acute Infections: What The Evidence Says
AbstractPurpose of ReviewBreastfeeding has been studied for its multiple benefits to both, the infant and the mother. This review aims to expose the benefits of breastfeeding during acute infections, the main cause of morbidity in infants.Recent FindingsBreastfeeding has the ability to modify the infant ’s microbiome, and consequently its immune system. It also protects against viral infections mainly due to oligosaccharides. The longer the duration of breastfeeding, the greater the benefits (benefits have been observed up to 4 years after).SummaryIt has been shown that breastfeeding provides greater benefits when recei...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Alterations of Glucose Metabolism in HIV-Infected Patients
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe life expectancy of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has dramatically improved with newer antiretroviral therapy (ART), but these agents are associated with significant increase in metabolic and other non-communicable diseases. The potential for alteration in glucose metabolism should be kept in mind to optimize diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this review is to assess the pathophysiologic mechanisms by which patients living with HIV may have their glucose metabolism altered and mention the available evidence to improve prompt screening, diagnosis, and treatment.Rec...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
Update of Hepatitis C in Colombia
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe goal is to describe the epidemiology, disease burden and detection, available therapies, and current challenges to access care for people with chronic hepatitis C infection in Colombia.Recent FindingsThere are no detailed statistics about the prevalence of HCV in Colombia; nonetheless, majority of patients with hepatitis C are infected with genotype 1 and having received blood products before 1996 represents the main risk factor. The use of intravenous drugs has started to be recognized as a population at risk that is in increment. Direct-acting antivirals became available in 2016 in Colombia t...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - September 1, 2018 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research
