A5056122707- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis
- Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Gut microbiota and health
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Biomedical and Engineering Education
- Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Genomics and Rare Diseases
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders
- Quality and Safety in Healthcare
- Ultrasound in Clinical Applications
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
Ifakara Health Institute
2016-2025
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
2015-2024
University of Basel
2015-2023
Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology
2023
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
2023
National Institute for Medical Research
2023
University of Bagamoyo
2020
There is an urgent need for rapid, non-sputum point-of-care diagnostics to detect tuberculosis. This prospective trial in seven high tuberculosis burden countries evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of urine-based lipoarabinomannan assay FUJIFILM SILVAMP TB LAM (FujiLAM) among inpatients and outpatients living with HIV. Diagnostic performance FujiLAM was assessed against a mycobacterial reference standard (sputum culture, blood Xpert Ultra from urine sputum at enrollment, additional culture ≤7...
Background Chest radiography to diagnose and screen for pulmonary tuberculosis has limitations, especially due inter-reader variability. Automating the interpretation potential overcome this drawback deliver objective reproducible results. The CAD4TB software is a computer-aided detection system that shown promising preliminary findings. Evaluation studies in different settings are needed assess diagnostic accuracy practicability of use. Methods was evaluated on chest radiographs patients...
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are coendemic in several regions of the world, M. /HIV-coinfected individuals more susceptible to progression disease. We therefore hypothesized that HIV infection would potentially impair -specific protective immunity suffering from latent (LTBI) or active pulmonary (PTB). In this study, we demonstrated have fewer circulating CD4 T cells those remained were functionally impaired both LTBI PTB settings. addition,...
Tuberculosis (TB) induces a systemic inflammatory state affecting iron homeostasis. Patients with TB often have additional comorbidities such as anemia which can result in poorer treat outcomes. We studied the contribution of and role regulatory hormone hepcidin among patients household contacts.We analyzed serum samples from 102 cases 98 controls without TB, matched by age/sex, for hepcidin, iron, inflammation parameters. Five developed within 12 months. used linear regression to assess...
Background Helminth infections can negatively affect the immunologic host control, which may increase risk of progression from latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to (TB) disease and alter clinical presentation TB. We assessed prevalence determined relevance helminth co-infection among TB patients household contact controls in urban Tanzania. Methodology Between November 2013 October 2015, we enrolled adult (≥18 years) sputum smear-positive without during an ongoing cohort study Dar...
Tanzania is among the 30 countries with highest tuberculosis (TB) burdens. Because TB has a long infectious period, early diagnosis not only important for reducing transmission, but also improving treatment outcomes. We assessed diagnostic delay and associated factors patients. interviewed new smear-positive adult pulmonary patients enrolled in an ongoing cohort study Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between November 2013 June 2015. were to collect information on socio-demographics, socio-economic...
<ns3:p><ns3:bold>Background: </ns3:bold>Lineage 1 (L1) and 3 (L3) are two lineages of the<ns3:italic> Mycobacterium tuberculosis</ns3:italic> complex (MTBC) causing tuberculosis (TB) in humans. L1 L3 prevalent around the rim Indian Ocean, region that accounts for most world’s new TB cases. Despite their relevance this region, remain understudied.</ns3:p><ns3:p> <ns3:bold>Methods: </ns3:bold>We analyzed 2,938 2,030 whole genome sequences originating from 69 countries. We reconstructed...
The COVID-19 pandemic renewed interest in airborne transmission of respiratory infections, particularly congregate indoor settings, such as schools. We modeled risks tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium , Mtb ) and SARS-CoV-2) South African, Swiss Tanzanian secondary estimated the infection with Wells-Riley equation, expressed median 2.5% 97.5% quantiles (credible interval [CrI]), based on ventilation rate duration exposure to infectious doses (so-called quanta). computed air change...
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) comprises nine human-adapted lineages that differ in their geographical distribution. Local adaptation of specific MTBC genotypes to the respective human host population has been invoked this context. We aimed assess if bacterial genetics governs pathogenesis or local co-adaptation translates into differential susceptibility macrophages infection by different genotypes. generated from cryopreserved blood mononuclear cells Tanzanian patients,...
Persons living with HIV are known to be at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease upon infection Mycobacterium ( Mtb ). However, it has remained unclear how co-infection affects subsequent transmission from these patients. Here, we customized a Bayesian phylodynamic framework estimate the effects on dynamics sequence data. We applied our model four genomic datasets collected in sub-Saharan African countries generalized epidemic. Our results confirm that is strong factor for...
Background: Lineage 1 (L1) and 3 (L3) are two lineages of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) causing (TB) in humans. L1 L3 prevalent around rim Indian Ocean, region that accounts for most world's new TB cases. Despite their relevance this region, remain understudied. Methods: We analyzed 2,938 2,030 whole genome sequences originating from 69 countries. reconstructed evolutionary history these identified genes under positive selection. Results: found a strongly asymmetric pattern...
In settings with high tuberculosis (TB) endemicity, distinct genotypes of the Mycobacterium complex (MTBC) often differ in prevalence. However, factors leading to these differences remain poorly understood. Here we studied MTBC population Dar es Salaam, Tanzania over a six-year period, using 1,082 unique patient-derived whole-genome sequences (WGS) and associated clinical data. We show that TB epidemic Salaam is dominated by multiple introduced from different parts world during last 300...
Abstract Background The World Health Organization–approved Xpert MTB/XDR test detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis and resistance to isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, ethionamide, injectable drugs directly in specimens. This pragmatic, laboratory-based study assessed the diagnostic accuracy feasibility of a reflex testing approach, where was performed on residual specimens previously processed for MTB/RIF Ultra. Methods Routine respiratory specimens, Ultra, were stored sample reagent buffer at...
Infectious diseases have affected humanity for millennia and are among the strongest selective forces. Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease, caused by human-adapted members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). The outcome TB infection disease highly variable, co-evolution between human populations their MTBC strains may account some this variability. Particular genetic ancestries been associated with higher susceptibility to TB, but socio-demographic aspects can confound such...
Infectious diseases have affected humanity for millennia and are among the strongest selective forces. Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease, caused by human-adapted members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). The outcome TB infection disease highly variable, co-evolution between human populations their MTBC strains may account some this variability. Particular genetic ancestries been associated with higher susceptibility to TB, but socio-demographic aspects can confound such...
Background: Timely and appropriate diagnosis treatment are key to end tuberculosis (TB). Incorporating user preferences when implementing decentralized strategies for may facilitate scale-up impact. This qualitative study embedded within a cluster randomized controlled trial explored the values of multiple stakeholders regarding TB diagnostic strategy using Truenat platform, MTB Plus RIF Dx Assays in Mozambique Tanzania. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with people...
Delay in healthcare seeking and loss to diagnostic follow-up (LDFU) contribute substantial increase tuberculosis (TB) morbidity mortality. We examined factors, including perceived causes prior help seeking, contributing delay LDFU during referral a TB clinic among patients with presumptive initially at the pharmacies Dar es Salaam Tanzania. In clinic, semi-structured interview based on explanatory model catalogue (EMIC) framework for cultural epidemiology was administered enrolled an...
Abstract Objective A software tool is developed to facilitate data entry and monitor research projects in under-resourced countries real-time. Methods The e Management “odk_planner” written the scripting languages PHP Python. odk_planner lightweight uses minimal internet resources. It was designed be used with open source Open Data Kit (ODK). users can easily configure meet their needs, online interface displays collected from ODK forms a graphically informative way. also allows upload...
Differences in rural and urban settings could account for distinct characteristics the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). We comparatively studied epidemiological features TB helminth co-infections adult patients from Tanzania.Adult (≥ 18 years) with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary were consecutively enrolled into two cohorts Dar es Salaam, ~ 4.4 million inhabitants (urban), Ifakara sparsely populated Kilombero District 400 000 (rural). Clinical data obtained at recruitment. Stool...
CD4 T cell phenotyping-based blood assays have the potential to meet WHO target product profiles (TPP) of non-sputum-biomarker-based tests diagnose tuberculosis (TB). Yet, substantial refinements are required allow their implementation in clinical settings. This study assessed real time performance a simplified activation marker (TAM)-TB assay detect TB adults from one millilitre with 24 h turnaround time. We recruited 479 GeneXpert positive cases and 108 symptomatic but negative controls...
Each day, approximately 27,000 people become ill with tuberculosis (TB), and 4,000 die from this disease. Pulmonary TB is the main clinical form of TB, affects lungs a considerably heterogeneous manifestation among patients. Immunomodulation by an interplay host-, environment-, pathogen-associated factors partially explains such heterogeneity. Microbial communities residing in host's airways have immunomodulatory effects, but it unclear if inter-individual variability these microbial...
Abstract Rationale There is an urgent need for rapid, non-sputum point-of-care diagnostics to detect tuberculosis. Objectives This prospective trial in seven high tuberculosis burden countries set out evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of urine-based lipoarabinomannan assay FUJIFILM SILVAMP TB LAM (FujiLAM) among inpatient and outpatient people living with HIV. Methods Diagnostic performance FujiLAM at point care was assessed adult HIV against a mycobacterial reference standard (sputum...