A5023901783- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Malaria Research and Control
- Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Digital Imaging for Blood Diseases
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Otolaryngology and Infectious Diseases
- interferon and immune responses
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research
- Imbalanced Data Classification Techniques
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter Research
- Complement system in diseases
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
University of Sheffield
2020-2025
Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution
2025
MRC Unit the Gambia
2016-2024
University of Glasgow
2023-2024
University of Ghana
2018-2023
University of Edinburgh
2016-2018
Abstract The Eukaryotic Pathogen, Vector and Host Informatics Resource (VEuPathDB, https://veupathdb.org) is a Bioinformatics Center funded by the National Institutes of Health with additional funding from Wellcome Trust. VEuPathDB supports >600 organisms that comprise invertebrate vectors, eukaryotic pathogens (protists fungi) relevant free-living or non-pathogenic species hosts. Since 2004, has analyzed omics data public domain using contemporary bioinformatic workflows, including...
At the end of 2022 into early 2023, UK Health Security Agency reported unusually high levels scarlet fever and invasive disease caused by
Malaria causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, disproportionately impacting sub-Saharan Africa. Disease phenotypes associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection can vary widely, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. To date, prevention efforts, particularly those related vaccine development, have been hindered by an incomplete understanding of which factors impact host immune responses resulting in these divergent outcomes. Here, we conducted a field study 224 individuals...
Background High burden of Streptococcus pyogenes (S pyogenes) disease is seen in Africa which also the continent with least epidemiological data on circulating strains. We aimed to better characterise emm-types and emm-clusters associated carriage a setting high rheumatic heart (RHD) burden, peri-urban area The Gambia. Methods A one-year household cohort study was conducted 2021-2022, recruiting 442 healthy participants from 44 households, looking for S non-invasive infection. Pharyngeal...
Streptococcus pyogenes causes more than 500 000 deaths per year globally, which occur disproportionately in low-income and middle-income countries. The roles of S skin pharyngeal carriage transmission are unclear. We aimed to investigate the clinical epidemiology household dynamics both asymptomatic infection a high-burden setting.
Abstract Background Malaria is still a major global health burden, with more than 3.2 billion people in 91 countries remaining at risk of the disease. Accurately distinguishing malaria from other diseases, especially uncomplicated (UM) non-malarial infections (nMI), remains challenge. Furthermore, success rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) threatened by Pfhrp2/3 deletions and decreased sensitivity low parasitaemia. Analysis haematological indices can be used to support identification possible...
Streptococcus pyogenes is a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality, especially in resource-limited settings. The development vaccine against S. global health priority to reduce the burden postinfection rheumatic heart disease. To support this, molecular characterization circulating isolates needed. We performed whole-genome analyses from skin soft tissue infections Sukuta, Gambia, low-income country (LIC) West Africa where there high such infections. act as comparator these LIC...
ObjectivesTo define bacterial aetiology of neonatal sepsis and estimate the prevalence infection from maternal genital tract carriage among mother-newborn pairs.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study newborns with clinical admitted to three hospitals in Gambia wards. Neonatal blood cultures swabs were obtained at recruitment. We used whole-genome sequencing explore vertical transmission for neonates microbiologically confirmed bloodstream by comparing phenotypically-matched paired...
Abstract Background This detailed genomic study characterised multi-drug resistant-Gram negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) carriage in neonates < 2 kg and paired mothers at a low-resource African hospital. Methods cross-sectional cohort was conducted the neonatal referral unit The Gambia with weekly skin peri-anal sampling maternal recto-vaginal swabs. Prospective bacteriological culture used MacConkey agar species identification by API20E API20NE. All GNB isolates underwent whole genome...
Background Whole blood expression profiling is a mainstay for delineating differential diagnostic signatures of infection yet subject to high variability that reduces power and complicates clinical usefulness. To date confirmatory confidence use, remain uncertain. Here we have sought evaluate the reproducibility nature signatures, comprising molecular cellular pathways, across multiple international observational studies investigating children adult whole transcriptome responses tuberculosis...
The research identified norovirus genotypes that circulated among Gambian children less than five years of age with diarrhoea during 2007-2012. study highlights the importance continuous surveillance for detecting emergence new genotypes.
ABSTRACT Our overall understanding of the developmental biology malaria parasites has been greatly enhanced by recent advances in transcriptomic analysis. However, most these investigations rely on laboratory strains (LS) that were adapted into vitro culture many years ago, and transcriptomes clinical isolates (CI) circulating human populations have not assessed. In this study, RNA-seq was used to compare global transcriptome mid-stage gametocytes derived from three short-term cultured CI,...
Background Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is one of the most economically important diseases affecting livestock productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease caused by a broad range Trypanosoma spp., infecting both wild and domesticated animals through cyclical mechanical transmission. This study aimed to characterize trypanosomes present cattle at regular intervals over two years an AAT endemic non-endemic region Ghana. Methodology/Principal findings Groups Accra Adidome were...
Abstract Background Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen and an important cause of maternal neonatal sepsis. Asymptomatic bacterial colonization considered necessary step towards Intra-partum azithromycin may reduce GAS carriage. Methods posthoc analysis double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized-trial was performed to determine the impact 2 g oral dose intra-partum on carriage antibiotic resistance. Following screening, 829 mothers were randomized who delivered 843 babies....
Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum uses a repertoire of merozoite-stage proteins for invasion erythrocytes. Antibodies against some these halt the replication cycle parasite by preventing erythrocyte and are implicated as contributors to protective immunity malaria. Methods We assayed antibody reactivity panel 9 recombinant antigens based on erythrocyte-binding antigen (EBA) reticulocyte-like homolog (Rh) in plasma from children with malaria healthy adults residing 3 endemic areas...
Abstract At the end of 2022 into early 2023 UK Health Security Agency reported unusually high levels scarlet fever and invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA or group A ). During this time, we collected genome sequenced 341 non-invasive throat skin S. isolates identified during routine clinical diagnostic testing in Sheffield, a large city. We compared data with that obtained from similar collection 165 2016-17. Numbers throat-associated peaked December 2022, reflecting...
Abstract Malaria causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, disproportionately impacting sub-Saharan Africa. Disease phenotypes associated with malarial infection can vary widely, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. To date, prevention efforts, particularly those related vaccine development, have been hindered by an incomplete understanding of which factors impact host immune responses resulting in these divergent outcomes. Here, we conducted a field study 224 malaria positive...
Abstract Background Malaria is still a major global health burden, with more than 3.2 billion people in 91 countries remaining at risk of the disease. Accurately distinguishing malaria from other diseases, especially uncomplicated (UM) non-malarial infections (nMI) remains challenge. Furthermore, success rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) threatened by Pfhrp2/3 deletions and decreased sensitivity low parasitemia. Analysis haematological indices can be used to support identification possible cases...
Abstract Streptococcus pyogenes is a leading cause of human morbidity and mortality, especially in resource limited settings. The World Health Organisation has recently made vaccine for S. global health priority to reduce the burden post-infection rheumatic heart disease. For be active against all relevant strains each region, molecular characterisation circulating isolates needed. We performed extensive comparative whole genome analyses from skin soft tissue infections Gambia, West Africa,...
Objective The increasing emergence of drug-resistant malaria parasites highlights the need for new interventions to eliminate malaria. Vaccines would be appropriate; however, functions many parasite components are unknown. This study sought identify proteins that could serve as good antigens vaccine development. Methods Two genes encoding crucial parasite’s survival and with a chance found on surface were selected from existing databases. Analysis their DNA sequences Pf3K database was done...
Abstract Background Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a major human pathogen and an important cause of maternal neonatal sepsis. Methods We performed posthoc analysis double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized-trial (ratio 1:1) carried out in The Gambia to determine the impact one oral dose (2g) intra-partum azithromycin on GAS carriage. Breast milk, nasopharyngeal vaginal swabs were collected at different time points during 4 weeks post-treatment. All samples processed using conventional...