Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
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Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Jul 2014
Cholera in Africa: new momentum in fighting an old problem.
Cholera remains a grave public health problem in Africa. It is endemic with seasonal variations around the central African Great Lakes. ⋯ Insufficient safe water and sanitation coverage are the main causes of persistent cholera in Africa and this is unlikely to improve soon. However, an efficacious oral cholera vaccine is now available and new groups and initiatives like the African Cholera Surveillance Network (Africhol) allow countries to enhance their capacities for an integrated cross-border approach using all means necessary to tackle cholera in Africa.
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Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Jun 2014
ReviewThe bacterial aetiology of adult community-acquired pneumonia in Asia: a systematic review.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of adult mortality in Asia. Appropriate empirical treatment depends on knowledge of the pathogens commonly responsible. However, assessing the aetiological significance of identified organisms is often difficult, particularly with sputum isolates that might represent contamination with oropharyngeal flora. ⋯ These data have major implications for diagnostic strategies and empirical treatment. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics targeting S. pneumoniae may be inappropriate in many Asian settings, and agents active against TB may lead to partial response and delayed TB diagnosis.
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Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. · May 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyDo shoes reduce hookworm infection in school-aged children on Pemba Island, Zanzibar? A pragmatic trial.
A non-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial to test whether footwear reduces prevalence and intensity of hookworm infection in school-aged children on Pemba Island, Zanzibar. ⋯ Due to contamination, the trial could not conclude that shoes were protective against hookworm infection but the intervention led to behavioural change, and observational data suggest that shoes are protective against hookworm. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01869127.
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Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. · May 2014
Epidemiology of snakebite and use of antivenom in Argentina.
The incidence and case fatality rate of snakebite in Argentina are poorly known. ⋯ These preliminary results should enable manufacturers to increase the availability of appropriate antivenom and health authorities to improve the management of snakebites where they are most common.