The xTAG GPP was more likely to be affected by amplification inhibitors. Several defects of xTAG GPP were found in detecting ETEC.

FilmArray was more sensitive. For specimens with low target concentrations or containing ETEC heat stable enterotoxin, the false negatives of xTAG GPP need to be considered.

FilmArray was more sensitive. For specimens with low target concentrations or containing ETEC heat stable enterotoxin, the false negatives of xTAG GPP need to be considered.

Deadly emerging infectious pathogens pose an unprecedented challenge to health systems and economies, especially across Africa, where health care infrastructure is weak, and poverty rates remain high. Genomic technologies are vital for enhancing the understanding and development of intervention approaches against these pathogens, including Ebola and the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Africa has contributed few genomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the global pool in growing open access repositories. To bridge this gap, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC) is coordinating continent-wide initiatives to establish genomic hubs in selected well-resourced African centres of excellence. This will allow for standardisation and efficient and rapid data generation and curation. However, the strategy to ensure capacity for high-throughput genomics at selected hubs should not overshadow the deployment of portable, field-friendly and technically less demanding genomics technologies in all affected countries. This will enhance small-scale local genomic surveillance in outbreaks, leaving validation and large-scale approaches to be taken at central genomic hubs.

The ACDC needs to scale-up its campaign for government support across African Union countries to ensure the sustainable financing of its strategy for increased pathogen genomic intelligence and other interventions in current and inevitable future epidemics in Africa.

The ACDC needs to scale-up its campaign for government support across African Union countries to ensure the sustainable financing of its strategy for increased pathogen genomic intelligence and other interventions in current and inevitable future epidemics in Africa.

The World Health Organization has identified the need for a non-sputum-based test capable of detecting active tuberculosis (TB) as a priority. The plasma kynurenine-to-tryptophan (K/T) ratio, largely mediated by activity of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, may have potential as a suitable biomarker for active TB.

We evaluated a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in comparison to mass spectrometry for measuring the K/T ratio. We also used ELISA to determine the K/T ratio in plasma from patients with active TB compared to latently infected controls, with and without HIV.

The two methods showed good agreement, with a mean bias of 0.01 (limit of agreement from -0.06 to 0.10). Using ELISA, it was found that HIV-infected patients with active TB disease had higher K/T ratios than those without TB (median, 0.101 [interquartile range (IQR), 0.091-0.140] versus 0.061 [IQR, 0.034-0.077], P<0.0001). At a cutoff of 0.080, the K/T ratio produced a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 80%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90%. In a receiver operating characteristics analysis, the K/T ratio had an area under the curve of 0.93. HIV-uninfected patients with active TB also had higher K/T ratios than those with latent TB infections (median, 0.064 [IQR, 0.040-0.088] versus 0.022 [IQR, 0.016-0.027], P<0.0001). A cutoff of 0.040 gave a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 92%, a PPV of 91%, and an NPV of 84%.

The plasma K/T ratio is a sensitive biomarker for active TB. The K/T ratio can be measured from blood using ELISA. The K/T ratio should be evaluated as an initial test for TB.

The plasma K/T ratio is a sensitive biomarker for active TB. The K/T ratio can be measured from blood using ELISA. The K/T ratio should be evaluated as an initial test for TB.

Epidemic modelling studies predict that physical distancing is critical in containing COVID-19. However, few empirical studies have validated this finding. Our study evaluates the effectiveness of different physical distancing measures in controlling viral transmission.

We identified three distinct physical distancing measures with varying intensity and implemented at different times-international travel controls, restrictions on mass gatherings, and lockdown-type measures-based on the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker. We also estimated the time-varying reproduction number (R

) for 142 countries and tracked R

temporally for two weeks following the 100th reported case in each country. We regressed R

on the physical distancing measures and other control variables (income, population density, age structure, and temperature) and performed several robustness checks to validate our findings.

Complete travel bans and all forms of lockdown-type measures have been effective in reducing average R

g from home, and a full lockdown in the case of a probable uncontrolled outbreak.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) was characterized at the end of 2019, and soon spread around the world, generating a pandemic. It has been suggested that men are more severely affected by the viral disease (COVID-19) than women.

The aim of this systematic literature review (SRL) and meta-analysis was to analyse the influence of gender on COVID-19 mortality, severity, and disease outcomes. A SRL was performed in PubMed and Embase, searching terms corresponding to the ‘PEO’ format population = adult patients affected with COVID-19; exposure = gender; outcome = any available clinical outcomes by gender, including mortality and disease severity. The search covered the period from January 1 to April 30, 2020. signaling pathway Exclusion criteria were case reports/series, reviews, commentaries, languages other than English. Full-text, original articles were included. Data on study type, country, and patients’ characteristics were extracted. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS).