24 results on '"Amy R. Krystosik"'
Search Results
2. Malaria smear positivity among Kenyan children peaks at intermediate temperatures as predicted by ecological models
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Melisa M. Shah, Amy R. Krystosik, Bryson A. Ndenga, Francis M. Mutuku, Jamie M. Caldwell, Victoria Otuka, Philip K. Chebii, Priscillah W. Maina, Zainab Jembe, Charles Ronga, Donal Bisanzio, Assaf Anyamba, Richard Damoah, Kelsey Ripp, Prasanna Jagannathan, Erin A. Mordecai, and A. Desiree LaBeaud
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Climate ,Malaria ,Kenya ,Clinic-based surveillance ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 - Abstract
Abstract Background Ambient temperature is an important determinant of malaria transmission and suitability, affecting the life-cycle of the Plasmodium parasite and Anopheles vector. Early models predicted a thermal malaria transmission optimum of 31 °C, later revised to 25 °C using experimental data from mosquito and parasite biology. However, the link between ambient temperature and human malaria incidence remains poorly resolved. Methods To evaluate the relationship between ambient temperature and malaria risk, 5833 febrile children (
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- 2019
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3. Detection of acute dengue virus infection, with and without concurrent malaria infection, in a cohort of febrile children in Kenya, 2014-2019, by clinicians or machine learning algorithms.
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David M Vu, Amy R Krystosik, Bryson A Ndenga, Francis M Mutuku, Kelsey Ripp, Elizabeth Liu, Carren M Bosire, Claire Heath, Philip Chebii, Priscilla Watiri Maina, Zainab Jembe, Said Lipi Malumbo, Jael Sagina Amugongo, Charles Ronga, Victoria Okuta, Noah Mutai, Nzaro G Makenzi, Kennedy A Litunda, Dunstan Mukoko, Charles H King, and A Desiree LaBeaud
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Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Poor access to diagnostic testing in resource limited settings restricts surveillance for emerging infections, such as dengue virus (DENV), to clinician suspicion, based on history and exam observations alone. We investigated the ability of machine learning to detect DENV based solely on data available at the clinic visit. We extracted symptom and physical exam data from 6,208 pediatric febrile illness visits to Kenyan public health clinics from 2014-2019 and created a dataset with 113 clinical features. Malaria testing was available at the clinic site. DENV testing was performed afterwards. We randomly sampled 70% of the dataset to develop DENV and malaria prediction models using boosted logistic regression, decision trees and random forests, support vector machines, naïve Bayes, and neural networks with 10-fold cross validation, tuned to maximize accuracy. 30% of the dataset was reserved to validate the models. 485 subjects (7.8%) had DENV, and 3,145 subjects (50.7%) had malaria. 220 (3.5%) subjects had co-infection with both DENV and malaria. In the validation dataset, clinician accuracy for diagnosis of malaria was high (82% accuracy, 85% sensitivity, 80% specificity). Accuracy of the models for predicting malaria diagnosis ranged from 53-69% (35-94% sensitivity, 11-80% specificity). In contrast, clinicians detected only 21 of 145 cases of DENV (80% accuracy, 14% sensitivity, 85% specificity). Of the six models, only logistic regression identified any DENV case (8 cases, 91% accuracy, 5.5% sensitivity, 98% specificity). Without diagnostic testing, interpretation of clinical findings by humans or machines cannot detect DENV at 8% prevalence. Access to point-of-care diagnostic tests must be prioritized to address global inequities in emerging infections surveillance.
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- 2023
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4. Epilepsy surveillance in normocephalic children with and without prenatal Zika virus exposure.
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Karen Blackmon, Randall Waechter, Barbara Landon, Trevor Noël, Calum Macpherson, Tyhiesia Donald, Nikita Cudjoe, Roberta Evans, Kemi S Burgen, Piumi Jayatilake, Vivian Oyegunle, Otto Pedraza, Samah Abdel Baki, Thomas Thesen, Dennis Dlugos, Geetha Chari, Archana A Patel, Elysse N Grossi-Soyster, Amy R Krystosik, and A Desiree LaBeaud
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,RC955-962 ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome and microcephaly are at high risk for epilepsy; however, the risk is unclear in normocephalic children with prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure [Exposed Children (EC)]. In this prospective cohort study, we performed epilepsy screening in normocephalic EC alongside a parallel group of normocephalic unexposed children [Unexposed Children (UC)]. We compared the incidence rate of epilepsy among EC and UC at one year of life to global incidence rates. Pregnant women were recruited from public health centers during the ZIKV outbreak in Grenada, West Indies and assessed for prior ZIKV infection using a plasmonic-gold platform that measures IgG antibodies in serum. Normocephalic children born to mothers with positive ZIKV results during pregnancy were classified as EC and those born to mothers with negative ZIKV results during and after pregnancy were classified as UC. Epilepsy screening procedures included a pediatric epilepsy screening questionnaire and video electroencephalography (vEEG). vEEG was collected using a multi-channel microEEG® system for a minimum of 20 minutes along with video recording of participant behavior time-locked to the EEG. vEEGs were interpreted independently by two pediatric epileptologists, who were blinded to ZIKV status, via telemedicine platform. Positive screening cases were referred to a local pediatrician for an epilepsy diagnostic evaluation. Epilepsy screens were positive in 2/71 EC (IR: 0.028; 95% CI: 0.003-0.098) and 0/71 UC. In both epilepsy-positive cases, questionnaire responses and interictal vEEGs were consistent with focal, rather than generalized, seizures. Both children met criteria for a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy and good seizure control was achieved with carbamazepine. Our results indicate that epilepsy rates are modestly elevated in EC. Given our small sample size, results should be considered preliminary. They support the use of epilepsy screening procedures in larger epidemiological studies of children with congenital ZIKV exposure, even in the absence of microcephaly, and provide guidance for conducting epilepsy surveillance in resource limited settings.
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- 2020
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5. Parasitic infections during pregnancy need not affect infant antibody responses to early vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae, diphtheria, or Haemophilus influenzae type B.
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Noah D McKittrick, Indu J Malhotra, David M Vu, Derek B Boothroyd, Justin Lee, Amy R Krystosik, Francis M Mutuku, Charles H King, and A Desirée LaBeaud
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,RC955-962 ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Globally, vaccine-preventable diseases remain a significant cause of early childhood mortality despite concerted efforts to improve vaccine coverage. One reason for impaired protection may be the influence of prenatal exposure to parasitic antigens on the developing immune system. Prior research had shown a decrease in infant vaccine response after in utero parasite exposure among a maternal cohort without aggressive preventive treatment. This study investigated the effect of maternal parasitic infections on infant vaccination in a more recent setting of active anti-parasitic therapy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:From 2013-2015, 576 Kenyan women were tested in pregnancy for malaria, soil-transmitted helminths, filaria, and S. haematobium, with both acute and prophylactic antiparasitic therapies given. After birth, 567 infants received 10-valent S. pneumoniae conjugate vaccine and pentavalent vaccine for hepatitis B, pertussis, tetanus, H. influenzae type B (Hib) and C. diphtheriae toxoid (Dp-t) at 6, 10, and 14 weeks. Infant serum samples from birth, 10 and 14 weeks, and every six months until age three years, were analyzed using a multiplex bead assay to quantify IgG for Hib, Dp-t, and the ten pneumococcal serotypes. Antenatal parasitic prevalence was high; 461 women (80%) had at least one and 252 (43.6%) had two or more infections during their pregnancy, with the most common being malaria (44.6%), S. haematobium (43.9%), and hookworm (29.2%). Mixed models comparing influence of infection on antibody concentration revealed no effect of prenatal infection status for most vaccine outcomes. Prevalences of protective antibody concentrations after vaccination were similar among the prenatal exposure groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:These findings are in contrast with results from our prior cohort study performed when preventive anti-parasite treatment was less frequently given. The results suggest that the treatment of maternal infections in pregnancy may be able to moderate the previously observed effect of antenatal maternal infections on infant vaccine responses.
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- 2019
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6. Research agenda for preventing mosquito-transmitted diseases through improving the built environment in sub-Saharan Africa
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Francis M. Mutuku, Maria Carrasco Tenezaca, Dingani Chinula, Michael Davies, Jeroen Spitzen, Robert S. McCann, Fiona C. Shenton, Julien Zahouli Bi Zahouli, Ebrima Jatta, Rachel Laure Nguela, Graham Alabaster, Sarah Ruel-Bergeron, Ng’Ang’a Murima, Dorothy Baziwe, Anne L. Wilson, Hannah Wood, Steve W. Lindsay, Fredros O. Okumu, Amy R. Krystosik, Emily Nix, Lucy S. Tusting, Robert T Jones, Jakob Knudsen, Musa Jawara, Claudia Nieto Sanchez, and Adamu Addissie
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Sub saharan ,fungi ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,wa_240 ,wa_395 ,Health benefits ,PE&RC ,Laboratorium voor Entomologie ,wa_795 ,wa_110 ,wc_750 ,Urban Studies ,Geography ,Multidisciplinary approach ,parasitic diseases ,Life Science ,Laboratory of Entomology ,Environmental planning ,Built environment - Abstract
Mosquito-transmitted diseases are a major threat to health in sub-Saharan Africa, but could be reduced through modifications to the built environment. Here we report findings from a major workshop held to identify the research gaps in this area, namely: (1) evidence of the health benefits to changes to the built environment, (2) understanding how mosquitoes enter buildings, (3) novel methods for reducing mosquito-house entry, (4) sustainable approaches for reducing mosquito habitats, (5) case studies of micro-financing for healthy homes and (6) methods for increasing scale-up. Multidisciplinary research is essential to build out mosquito-transmitted diseases, and not build them in.
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- 2022
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7. Serological and spatial analysis of alphavirus and flavivirus prevalence and risk factors in a rural community in western Kenya.
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Elysse N Grossi-Soyster, Elizabeth A J Cook, William A de Glanville, Lian F Thomas, Amy R Krystosik, Justin Lee, C Njeri Wamae, Samuel Kariuki, Eric M Fèvre, and A Desiree LaBeaud
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,RC955-962 ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus, and flaviviruses, such as dengue virus, are (re)-emerging arboviruses that are endemic in tropical environments. In Africa, arbovirus infections are often undiagnosed and unreported, with febrile illnesses often assumed to be malaria. This cross-sectional study aimed to characterize the seroprevalence of alphaviruses and flaviviruses among children (ages 5-14, n = 250) and adults (ages 15 ≥ 75, n = 250) in western Kenya. Risk factors for seropositivity were explored using Lasso regression. Overall, 67% of participants showed alphavirus seropositivity (CI95 63%-70%), and 1.6% of participants showed flavivirus seropositivity (CI95 0.7%-3%). Children aged 10-14 were more likely to be seropositive to an alphavirus than adults (p < 0.001), suggesting a recent transmission period. Alphavirus and flavivirus seropositivity was detected in the youngest participants (age 5-9), providing evidence of inter-epidemic transmission. Demographic variables that were significantly different amongst those with previous infection versus those without infection included age, education level, and occupation. Behavioral and environmental variables significantly different amongst those in with previous infection to those without infection included taking animals for grazing, fishing, and recent village flooding. Experience of recent fever was also found to be a significant indicator of infection (p = 0.027). These results confirm alphavirus and flavivirus exposure in western Kenya, while illustrating significantly higher alphavirus transmission compared to previous studies.
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- 2017
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8. Neurodevelopment in normocephalic children with and without prenatal Zika virus exposure
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Bianca Punch, Angelle Desiree LaBeaud, Calum N. L. Macpherson, Barbara Landon, Michelle Fernandes, Karen Blackmon, Randall Waechter, Elysse N. Grossi-Soyster, Kemi S. Burgen, Trevor Noël, Amy R. Krystosik, Nikita Cudjoe, and Roberta Evans
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Pediatrics ,Visual acuity ,Neurology ,West Indies ,Zika virus ,Cohort Studies ,Child Development ,Pregnancy ,medicine ,Humans ,Vision test ,Neonatology ,Prospective Studies ,Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ,biology ,business.industry ,Zika Virus Infection ,Public health ,Brain ,Infant ,Cognition ,Zika Virus ,biology.organism_classification ,Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ,Child, Preschool ,Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Microcephaly ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Cohort study - Abstract
ObjectiveZika virus (ZIKV) targets neural stem cells in the developing brain. However, the majority of ZIKV-exposed children are born without apparent neurological manifestations. It remains unclear if these children were protected from ZIKV neurotropism or if they harbour subtle pathology that is disruptive to brain development. We assess this by comparing neurodevelopmental outcomes in normocephalic ZIKV-exposed children relative to a parallel control group of unexposed controls.DesignCohort study.SettingPublic health centres in Grenada, West Indies.Patients384 mother–child pairs were enrolled during a period of active ZIKV transmission (April 2016–March 2017) and prospectively followed up to 30 months. Child exposure status was based on laboratory assessment of prenatal and postnatal maternal serum.Main outcome measuresThe INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA) package and Cardiff Vision Tests, administered and scored by research staff masked to child’s exposure status.ResultsA total of 131 normocephalic ZIKV exposed (n=68) and unexposed (n=63) children were assessed between 22 and 30 months of age. Approximately half of these children completed vision testing. There were no group differences in sociodemographics. Deficits in visual acuity (31%) and contrast sensitivity (23%) were apparent in the ZIKV-exposed infants in the absence of cognitive, motor, language or behavioural delays.ConclusionsOverall neurodevelopment is likely to be unaffected in ZIKV-exposed children with normal head circumference at birth and normal head growth in the first 2 years of life. However, the visual system may be selectively vulnerable, which indicates the need for vision testing by 3 years of age.
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- 2021
9. Chikungunya infection in pregnancy – reassuring maternal and perinatal outcomes: a retrospective observational study
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Patrick Gérardin, Calum N. L. Macpherson, N Cudjoe, Amy R. Krystosik, C Nosrat, Angelle Desiree LaBeaud, Randall Waechter, G Mitchell, Veronica Mapp-Alexander, Trevor Noël, ME Foeller, Stanford University, Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation [Saint-Georges, Grenade] (WINDREF), St. George's University [Grenada], Centre d'Investigation Clinique de La Réunion - INSERM (CIC 1410), Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de La Réunion (CHU La Réunion), and Ministry of Health [Saint-Georges, Grenade]
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Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Mother-to-child-transmission ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Population ,medicine.disease_cause ,Severity of Illness Index ,Article ,Fetal Distress ,Disease Outbreaks ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pregnancy ,medicine ,Fetal distress ,Humans ,Vaginal bleeding ,Serologic Tests ,Chikungunya ,Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ,education ,education.field_of_study ,Pregnancy outcomes ,030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine ,business.industry ,Obstetrics ,Infant, Newborn ,Pregnancy Outcome ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,virus diseases ,Retrospective cohort study ,medicine.disease ,Delivery, Obstetric ,Vertical Transmission ,Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ,3. Good health ,Neonatal outcomes ,Joint pain ,Grenada ,Chikungunya Fever ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Complication ,Chikungunya virus - Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, disease severity, and mother-to-child transmission of pregnant women with Chikungunya infection (CHIKV). DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SETTING Grenada. POPULATION Women who gave birth during a Chikungunya outbreak between January 2014 and September 2015 were eligible. METHODS This descriptive study investigated 731 mother-infant pairs who gave birth during a CHIKV outbreak. Women and infants underwent serological testing for CHIKV by ELISA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomes: composite pregnancy complication (abruption, vaginal bleeding, preterm labour/cervical incompetence, cesarean delivery for fetal distress/abruption/placental abnormality or delivery for fetal distress) and composite neonatal morbidity. RESULTS Of 416 mother-infant pairs, 150 (36%) had CHIKV during pregnancy, 135 (33%) had never had CHIKV, and 131 (31%) had CHIKV outside of pregnancy. Mean duration of joint pain was shorter among women infected during pregnancy (μ = 898 days, σ = 277 days) compared with infections outside of pregnancy (μ = 1064 days, σ = 244 days) (P
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- 2020
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10. Epilepsy surveillance in normocephalic children with and without prenatal Zika virus exposure
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Barbara Landon, Karen Blackmon, Vivian Oyegunle, Kemi S. Burgen, Archana Patel, Dennis J. Dlugos, Randall Waechter, Calum N. L. Macpherson, Geetha Chari, Elysse N. Grossi-Soyster, Samah G. Abdel Baki, Amy R. Krystosik, Nikita Cudjoe, Otto Pedraza, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Trevor Noël, Roberta Evans, Piumi Jayatilake, Thomas Thesen, and Tyhiesia Donald
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RNA viruses ,Male ,Pediatrics ,Microcephaly ,Health Screening ,Epidemiology ,Physiology ,RC955-962 ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,Zika virus ,Cohort Studies ,Epilepsy ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medical Conditions ,Pregnancy ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Morphogenesis ,Public and Occupational Health ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Prospective Studies ,Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ,Prospective cohort study ,Screening procedures ,Clinical Neurophysiology ,Brain Mapping ,biology ,Zika Virus Infection ,Electroencephalography ,Electrophysiology ,Infectious Diseases ,Bioassays and Physiological Analysis ,Carbamazepine ,Neurology ,Brain Electrophysiology ,Medical Microbiology ,Viral Pathogens ,Viruses ,Grenada ,Anticonvulsants ,Female ,Pathogens ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,medicine.drug ,Research Article ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Imaging Techniques ,Neurophysiology ,Neuroimaging ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine ,Congenital Disorders ,Humans ,Birth Defects ,Microbial Pathogens ,Biology and life sciences ,Flaviviruses ,business.industry ,Electrophysiological Techniques ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Organisms ,Infant ,Zika Virus ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Medical Risk Factors ,Immunoglobulin G ,Clinical Medicine ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Developmental Biology ,Neuroscience - Abstract
Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome and microcephaly are at high risk for epilepsy; however, the risk is unclear in normocephalic children with prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure [Exposed Children (EC)]. In this prospective cohort study, we performed epilepsy screening in normocephalic EC alongside a parallel group of normocephalic unexposed children [Unexposed Children (UC)]. We compared the incidence rate of epilepsy among EC and UC at one year of life to global incidence rates. Pregnant women were recruited from public health centers during the ZIKV outbreak in Grenada, West Indies and assessed for prior ZIKV infection using a plasmonic-gold platform that measures IgG antibodies in serum. Normocephalic children born to mothers with positive ZIKV results during pregnancy were classified as EC and those born to mothers with negative ZIKV results during and after pregnancy were classified as UC. Epilepsy screening procedures included a pediatric epilepsy screening questionnaire and video electroencephalography (vEEG). vEEG was collected using a multi-channel microEEG® system for a minimum of 20 minutes along with video recording of participant behavior time-locked to the EEG. vEEGs were interpreted independently by two pediatric epileptologists, who were blinded to ZIKV status, via telemedicine platform. Positive screening cases were referred to a local pediatrician for an epilepsy diagnostic evaluation. Epilepsy screens were positive in 2/71 EC (IR: 0.028; 95% CI: 0.003–0.098) and 0/71 UC. In both epilepsy-positive cases, questionnaire responses and interictal vEEGs were consistent with focal, rather than generalized, seizures. Both children met criteria for a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy and good seizure control was achieved with carbamazepine. Our results indicate that epilepsy rates are modestly elevated in EC. Given our small sample size, results should be considered preliminary. They support the use of epilepsy screening procedures in larger epidemiological studies of children with congenital ZIKV exposure, even in the absence of microcephaly, and provide guidance for conducting epilepsy surveillance in resource limited settings., Author summary Epilepsy is a clinical concern in children with Congenital Zika Syndrome and microcephaly; however, it is unknown whether epilepsy rates are elevated in normocephalic children with prenatal Zika virus exposure. We found a modest elevation of epilepsy rates in the first year of life of exposed, relative to unexposed, children, despite no other neurological manifestations. Seizures in exposed children had features of focal, rather than generalized, epilepsy and were well controlled with carbamazepine. Our findings suggest that epilepsy surveillance should be included in the neurodevelopmental assessment of children with prenatal Zika virus exposure, even in the absence of neurologic manifestations at birth.
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- 2020
11. Risk factors for Aedes aegypti household pupal persistence in longitudinal entomological household surveys in urban and rural Kenya
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Harun N Ngugi, Lucy W. Irungu, Francis M. Mutuku, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Bryson A. Ndenga, Donal Bisanzio, Joel O. Mbakaya, Peter S. Musunzaji, Peter Aswani, Uriel Kitron, Sindiso Nyathi, and Amy R. Krystosik
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Male ,Rural Population ,Entomology ,Mosquito Control ,animal structures ,030231 tropical medicine ,Mosquito Vectors ,Aedes aegypti ,Biology ,Logistic regression ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,Persistence (computer science) ,Dengue ,03 medical and health sciences ,Zika ,0302 clinical medicine ,Aedes ,Abundance (ecology) ,Animals ,Humans ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Ecosystem ,Family Characteristics ,Research ,GAMMs ,fungi ,Spatial analysis ,Pupa ,biology.organism_classification ,Kenya ,Pupal abundance ,Infectious Diseases ,Vector surveillance ,Habitat ,Pupal persistence ,Vector (epidemiology) ,Vector ecology ,Chikungunya ,Female ,Parasitology ,Animal Distribution ,Demography - Abstract
Background Aedes aegypti is an efficient vector of several arboviruses of public health importance, including Zika and dengue. Currently vector management is the only available avenue for disease control. Development of efficient vector control strategies requires a thorough understanding of vector ecology. In this study, we identified households that are consistently productive for Ae. aegypti pupae and determined the ecological and socio-demographic factors associated with the persistence and abundance of pupae in households in rural and urban Kenya. Methods We collected socio-demographic, environmental and entomological data monthly from July 2014 to June 2018 from 80 households across four sites in Kenya. Pupae count data were collected via entomological surveillance of households and paired with socio-demographic and environmental data. We calculated pupal persistence within a household as the number of months of pupal presence within a year. We used spatially explicit generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify the risk factors for pupal abundance, and a logistic regression to identify the risk factors for pupal persistence in households. Results The median number of months of pupal presence observed in households was 4 and ranged from 0 to 35 months. We identified pupal persistence in 85 house-years. The strongest risk factors for high pupal abundance were the presence of bushes or tall grass in the peri-domicile area (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.13–2.28), open eaves (OR: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.33–4.95) and high habitat counts (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.21–1.66). The main risk factors for pupal persistence were the presence of bushes or tall grass in the peri-domicile (OR: 4.20, 95% CI: 1.42–12.46) and high number of breeding sites (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.03–4.58). Conclusions We observed Ae. aegypti pupal persistence at the household level in urban and rural and in coastal and inland Kenya. High counts of potential breeding containers, vegetation in the peri-domicile area and the presence of eaves were strongly associated with increased risk of pupal persistence and abundance. Targeting households that exhibit pupal persistence alongside the risk factors for pupal abundance in vector control interventions may result in more efficient use of limited resources.
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- 2020
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12. Solid Wastes Provide Breeding Sites, Burrows, and Food for Biological Disease Vectors, and Urban Zoonotic Reservoirs: A Call to Action for Solutions-Based Research
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Gathenji Njoroge, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Francis M. Mutuku, Amy R. Krystosik, Lorriane Odhiambo, and Jenna E. Forsyth
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Disease reservoir ,Municipal solid waste ,planetary health ,Review ,plastic pollution ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,vector-borne diseases ,11. Sustainability ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Environmental planning ,2. Zero hunger ,urban zoonoses ,Poverty ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,030503 health policy & services ,Scale (chemistry) ,infectious disease epidemiology ,1. No poverty ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Infectious Disease Epidemiology ,3. Good health ,Call to action ,Geography ,13. Climate action ,solid waste ,Public Health ,0305 other medical science ,Plastic pollution ,Garbage - Abstract
Background: Infectious disease epidemiology and planetary health literature often cite solid waste and plastic pollution as risk factors for vector-borne diseases and urban zoonoses; however, no rigorous reviews of the risks to human health have been published since 1994. This paper aims to identify research gaps and outline potential solutions to interrupt the vicious cycle of solid wastes; disease vectors and reservoirs; infection and disease; and poverty. Methods: We searched peer-reviewed publications from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Stanford Searchworks, and references from relevant articles using the search terms (“disease” OR “epidemiology”) AND (“plastic pollution,” “garbage,” and “trash,” “rubbish,” “refuse,” OR “solid waste”). Abstracts and reports from meetings were included only when they related directly to previously published work. Only articles published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese through 2018 were included, with a focus on post-1994, after the last comprehensive review was published. Cancer, diabetes, and food chain-specific articles were outside the scope and excluded. After completing the literature review, we further limited the literature to “urban zoonotic and biological vector-borne diseases” or to “zoonotic and biological vector-borne diseases of the urban environment.” Results: Urban biological vector-borne diseases, especially Aedes-borne diseases, are associated with solid waste accumulation but vector preferences vary over season and region. Urban zoonosis, especially rodent and canine disease reservoirs, are associated with solid waste in urban settings, especially when garbage accumulates over time, creating burrowing sites and food for reservoirs. Although evidence suggests the link between plastic pollution/solid waste and human disease, measurements are not standardized, confounders are not rigorously controlled, and the quality of evidence varies. Here we propose a framework for solutions-based research in three areas: innovation, education, and policy. Conclusions: Disease epidemics are increasing in scope and scale with urban populations growing, climate change providing newly suitable vector climates, and immunologically naïve populations becoming newly exposed. Sustainable solid waste management is crucial to prevention, specifically in urban environments that favor urban vectors such as Aedes species. We propose that next steps should include more robust epidemiological measurements and propose a framework for solutions-based research.
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- 2020
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13. Acceptability and usability of a mobile application for management and surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Colombia: An implementation study
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Gonzalo Llano, Ana Sanz, Andres Navarro, Amy R. Krystosik, Sarita Rodríguez, Luis Gabriel Parra-Lara, and Fernando Rosso
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Viral Diseases ,Epidemiology ,Pilot Projects ,Disease Vectors ,Geographical locations ,0302 clinical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Health care ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,030212 general & internal medicine ,mHealth ,Multidisciplinary ,Information quality ,Mobile Applications ,Telemedicine ,Infectious Diseases ,Arboviral Infections ,Scale (social sciences) ,Viruses ,Medicine ,Medical emergency ,Research Article ,Neglected Tropical Diseases ,Computer and Information Sciences ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Infectious Disease Control ,Health Personnel ,Science ,030231 tropical medicine ,MEDLINE ,Vector Borne Diseases ,Colombia ,Disease Surveillance ,Computer Software ,03 medical and health sciences ,Rating scale ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Treatment Guidelines ,Health Care Policy ,business.industry ,Public health ,Health Plan Implementation ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Chikungunya Infection ,Usability ,Apps ,South America ,Tropical Diseases ,medicine.disease ,Health Care ,Vector-Borne Diseases ,Infectious Disease Surveillance ,People and places ,business ,Delivery of Health Care ,Arboviruses - Abstract
Background Vector-borne diseases are a public health problem in Colombia, where dengue virus infection is hyperendemic. The introduction of other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and Zika in the last three years, has aggravated the situation. Mobile health (mHealth) offers new strategies for strengthening health care and surveillance systems promoting the collection, delivery, and access of health information to professionals, researchers, and patients. Assessing mobile application performance has been a challenge in low- and middle-income countries due to the difficulty of implementing these technologies in different clinical settings. In this study, we evaluate the usability and acceptability of a mobile application, FeverDX, as a support tool in the management of patients with febrile syndrome and suspected arboviruses infection by general practitioners from Colombia. Methods A pilot implementation study was conducted to evaluate the usability and acceptability of FeverDX using the modified version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). The evaluation form included 25 questions regarding quantity and quality of information, engagement, functionality, aesthetics, impact, and acceptability by healthcare workers. Each item uses a 5-point scale (1-Inadequate, 2-Poor, 3-Acceptable, 4-Good, 5-Excellent). A global score was obtained for the evaluation form test by determining the median scores of each subsection. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data obtained was performed. Results Between December 2016 and January 2017, a total of 20 general practitioners from the Emergency room and hospitalization areas evaluated FeverDX. Less than half (9/20) of the evaluators had a comprehensive knowledge of the Colombian Ministry of Health's guidelines for the diagnosis and management of arboviruses, and evaluators partially (4/9) or completely (5/9) agreed that the content of the application follows the management guidelines. On uMARS scale, FeverDX excelled regarding impact (median 5; IQR = 5-5), functionality (median 5; IQR = 4.8-5), and information and scientific basis (median 4; IQR = 4-4). FeverDX scored well regarding user feedback (median 4; IQR = 4-4.5), design and aesthetics (median 4; IQR = 4-4.3), and subjective assessment of quality (median 4.5; IQR = 4.3-4.8). Conclusions FeverDX, a mobile application, is a novel mHealth strategy to strengthen care processes and facilitate the detection and reporting of notifiable surveillance diseases. It could improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the management and prevention of prevalent diseases as arboviruses in healthcare settings. Although this pilot study used a small sample size, FeverDx performed adequately in a simulated emergency consultation. Further implementation studies are needed to increase the reliability of mHealth technologies in different scenarios.
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- 2020
14. Visual Acuity Deficits in Otherwise Normally Developing Zika Virus Exposed Children
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A. Desiree LaBeaud, Randall Waechter, Roberta Evans, Kemi S. Burgen, Michelle Fernandes, Barbara Landon, Karen Blackmon, Elysse N. Grossi-Soyster, Calum N. L. Macpherson, Trevor Noël, Nikita Cudjoe, Bianca Punch, and Amy R. Krystosik
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Pregnancy ,Pediatrics ,business.industry ,Public health ,Institutional review board ,medicine.disease ,Informed consent ,Cohort ,Global health ,Medicine ,Vision test ,business ,Prospective cohort study - Abstract
Background: The Zika virus (ZIKV) targets neural stem cells in the developing brain. It remains unclear whether ZIKV-Exposed Children (ZEC) with no apparent neurological manifestations at birth were protected from ZIKV neurotropism during gestation or harbor subtle pathology that might disrupt neurodevelopment. In this prospective study, we tracked a cohort of normocephalic ZIKV-exposed children (NZEC) in parallel with normocephalic unexposed controls (UC) from birth to 30 months of age to determine whether NZEC show higher rates of neurodevelopmental delays relative to UC. Methods: A total of 384 pregnant women were recruited from public health centers in Grenada, West Indies and enrolled between April 2016 and March 2017, which was a period of active ZIKV transmission. Serum samples were collected from mothers during the prenatal and postnatal period and assessed for ZIKV antibodies using a plasmonic-gold platform. Infants were classified as NZEC if their mothers tested positive for ZIKV infection during pregnancy and they were normocephalic, as defined by World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. Children were classified as UC if their mothers tested negative for ZIKV infection during and following pregnancy. Outcome measures included the INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA) package and Cardiff Vision Tests, which were administered and scored by research staff blinded to participants’ exposure status. Findings: A total of 68 NZEC and 63 UC completed outcome measures between 22 to 30 months of age. There were no group differences in socio-demographics. Visual acuity deficits were apparent in NZEC in the absence of any other cognitive, motor, language, or behavioral delays. Interpretation: The presence of visual acuity deficits in NZEC suggests that the visual system may be selectively vulnerable in otherwise normally developing children. Continued neurocognitive surveillance of this cohort will address whether early vision problems place NZEC at risk for future deficits in visuo-spatial functions and learning disorders. Funding Statement: TWINDREF GSP-SRGI-18009 (KB); USAID AID-OAA-A-14-00028 (ADL), NIH R21HD093551-01 (RW, BL, MF), Stanford Maternal Child Health Research Institute (ADL). MF is supported by an Academic Clinical Fellowship in Paediatrics from the National Institute for Health Research, UK, to the University of Southampton. Declaration of Interests: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose. Ethics Approval Statement: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained at St George’s University (IRB#16061) and Stanford University (IRB#45242). Informed consent was obtained from all mothers who participated in this study. There was no financial compensation.
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- 2020
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15. Pre and postnatal exposure to Chikungunya virus does not affect child neurodevelopmental outcomes at two years of age
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Nikita Cudjoe, Roberta Evans, Randall Waechter, Amy R. Krystosik, Rashida Isaac, Veronica Mapp-Alexander, Michelle Fernandes, George Mitchell, Erinique Ingraham, Calum N. L. Macpherson, Ashlee Watts, Barbara Landon, Patrick Gérardin, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Priyanka Suresh, Trevor Noël, Bodescot, Myriam, St. George's University [Grenada], Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation [Saint-Georges, Grenade] (WINDREF), Stanford University, University of Southampton, University of Oxford, Ministry of Health [Saint-Georges, Grenade], Centre d'Investigation Clinique de La Réunion - INSERM (CIC 1410), Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de La Réunion (CHU La Réunion), Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-IRD-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), This study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Fogarty International Center, 1R21TW010536 to RW and ADL. https://www.fic.nih.gov/Pages/Default.aspx, University of Oxford [Oxford], and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-IRD-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université de La Réunion (UR)
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RNA viruses ,Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Viral Diseases ,Pediatrics ,Maternal Health ,Developmental Disabilities ,Neurodevelopment ,RC955-962 ,Social Sciences ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,medicine.disease_cause ,Serology ,Families ,Medical Conditions ,Child Development ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pregnancy ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Morphogenesis ,Psychology ,Medicine ,Chikungunya ,Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ,Children ,Language ,[SDV.MP.VIR] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology ,Chikungunya Virus ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,virus diseases ,3. Good health ,Infectious Diseases ,Medical Microbiology ,Viral Pathogens ,Child, Preschool ,Viruses ,Grenada ,[SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology ,[SDV.MHEP.MI] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Gestation ,Female ,Pathogens ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Pediatric Infections ,Infants ,Research Article ,Neglected Tropical Diseases ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Alphaviruses ,030231 tropical medicine ,Gross motor skill ,Mothers ,Microbiology ,Togaviruses ,03 medical and health sciences ,[SDV.MHEP.PED] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Pediatrics ,Humans ,Serologic Tests ,Microbial Pathogens ,[SDV.MHEP.PED]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Pediatrics ,Biology and life sciences ,business.industry ,Public health ,Organisms ,Cognitive Psychology ,Infant, Newborn ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Chikungunya Infection ,Infant ,Outbreak ,Tropical Diseases ,medicine.disease ,Child development ,Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ,030104 developmental biology ,Age Groups ,People and Places ,Women's Health ,Cognitive Science ,Chikungunya Fever ,Population Groupings ,business ,Developmental Biology ,Neuroscience - Abstract
Background The 2005–06 chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak in La Réunion suggested that mothers could transmit CHIKV to their neonates while viremic during the intrapartum period, and more than half of the infected neonates showed impaired neurodevelopment at two years of age. However, data sparsity precluded an overview of the developmental impact of vertical infection within the whole prenatal period. Objective & methods The current study assessed two-year old children born to mothers who were infected during the 2014 CHIKV outbreak in Grenada to determine the neurodevelopmental impact of perinatal CHIKV infection throughout gestation. Mother and child infection status were confirmed by serologic testing (IgG and IgM) for CHIKV. Cognitive, fine motor, gross motor, language and behavioral outcomes were assessed at two years of age on the INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA). Results No differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes were observed between two-year-old children born to mothers infected with CHIKV during gestation (n = 149) and those born to mothers not infected with CHIKV (n = 161). No differences were found in INTER-NDA scores between children infected with CHIKV (n = 47) and children not infected with CHIKV (n = 592). Likewise, there were no differences between children infected with CHIKV post-partum (n = 19) versus children not infected with CHIKV (n = 592). Conclusion Our findings suggest that children exposed and/or infected with CHIKV outside of the intrapartum period experience no significant neurodevelopmental delay at two years of age, as measured by the INTER-NDA, compared to their unexposed and/or uninfected peers. These results complement those of previous studies which showed a neurodevelopmental risk only for children infected during the intrapartum period, while the mother was highly viremic. These results might be reassuring for women of childbearing age and public health officials in CHIKV-endemic regions., Author summary The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) can negatively impact fetal neurodevelopment and consequent neurocognitive functioning in young children. Studies from La Réunion island demonstrated that, compared to their uninfected counterparts, children infected by CHIKV during the intrapartum period were at increased risk for deficiencies in the frontal lobes where the language and coordination centers are located, as well as slight deficits in other neurocognitive skills like sociability, movement and posture. The current study assessed two-year old children born to mothers infected during the 2014 CHIKV outbreak in Grenada to determine the neurodevelopmental impact of perinatal infection throughout gestation. No differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes were observed between two-year-old children born to mothers infected with CHIKV during gestation and those born to mothers not infected with CHIKV, nor between children infected with CHIKV and children not infected with CHIKV. Our results support previous findings that a small proportion of children born in CHIKV-endemic regions are at risk as only mothers viremic during the intrapartum period are at risk of infecting their neonates. Healthcare providers in CHIKV-endemic regions may wish to monitor for CHIKV symptoms when pregnant women are near term. The relatively high symptomatic rate seen with CHIKV infection (75%) makes such monitoring feasible.
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- 2020
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16. Malaria smear positivity among Kenyan children peaks at intermediate temperatures as predicted by ecological models
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Assaf Anyamba, Prasanna Jagannathan, Zainab Jembe, R. Damoah, Philip K Chebii, Kelsey Ripp, Francis M. Mutuku, Charles O Ronga, Victoria Otuka, Donal Bisanzio, Amy R. Krystosik, Bryson A. Ndenga, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Erin A. Mordecai, Melisa M Shah, Priscillah W. Maina, and Jamie M. Caldwell
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0301 basic medicine ,Male ,Plasmodium ,Multivariate analysis ,Climate ,Disease Vectors ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Outpatient clinic ,Mean radiant temperature ,Child ,Blood Specimen Collection ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Incidence ,Anopheles ,Temperature ,3. Good health ,Infectious Diseases ,Child, Preschool ,Female ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Climate Change ,030231 tropical medicine ,Mosquito Vectors ,Biology ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,Clinic-based surveillance ,Animals ,Humans ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,Research ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Models, Theoretical ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Kenya ,Malaria ,030104 developmental biology ,13. Climate action ,Vector (epidemiology) ,Tropical medicine ,Linear Models ,Parasitology ,Demography - Abstract
Background Ambient temperature is an important determinant of malaria transmission and suitability, affecting the life-cycle of the Plasmodium parasite and Anopheles vector. Early models predicted a thermal malaria transmission optimum of 31 °C, later revised to 25 °C using experimental data from mosquito and parasite biology. However, the link between ambient temperature and human malaria incidence remains poorly resolved. Methods To evaluate the relationship between ambient temperature and malaria risk, 5833 febrile children (
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- 2019
17. Neighborhood Violence Impacts Disease Control and Surveillance: Case Study of Cali, Colombia from 2014 to 2016
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Amy R. Krystosik, Andrew Curtis, Paola Buritica, Jorge Humberto Rojas Palacios, Madhav P. Bhatta, Robinson Pacheco, Álvaro A. Álvarez, Mark A. James, A. Desiree LaBeaud, and Diana M. Dávalos
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,030231 tropical medicine ,lcsh:Medicine ,Context (language use) ,Colombia ,Violence ,Article ,Disease Outbreaks ,Dengue fever ,Dengue ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Homicide ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,Disease Transmission, Infectious ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,arboviral surveillance ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,community health ,Zika Virus Infection ,Transmission (medicine) ,Public health ,lcsh:R ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Outbreak ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,spatial clustering ,Geography ,clinical diagnosis ,Community health ,Chikungunya Fever ,Female ,laboratory specificity ,Arboviruses ,neighborhood violence - Abstract
Arboviruses are responsible for a large burden of disease globally and are thus subject to intense epidemiological scrutiny. However, a variable notably absent from most epidemiological analyses has been the impact of violence on arboviral transmission and surveillance. Violence impedes surveillance and delivery of health and preventative services and affects an individual&rsquo, s health-related behaviors when survival takes priority. Moreover, low and middle-income countries bear a disproportionately high burden of violence and related health outcomes, including vector borne diseases. To better understand the epidemiology of arboviral outbreaks in Cali, Colombia, we georeferenced chikungunya (CHIKV), dengue (DENV), and Zika (ZIKV) viral cases from The National System of Surveillance in Public Health between October 2014 and April 2016. We extracted homicide data from the municipal monthly reports and kernel density of homicide distribution from IdeasPaz. Crucially, an overall higher risk of homicide is associated with increased risk of reported DENV, lower rates of acute testing, and higher rates of lab versus clinical discordance. In the context of high violence as a potential barrier to access to preventive health services, a community approach to improve health and peace should be considered.
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- 2018
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18. Parasitic infections during pregnancy need not affect infant antibody responses to early vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae, diphtheria, or Haemophilus influenzae type B
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Noah D, McKittrick, Indu J, Malhotra, David M, Vu, Derek B, Boothroyd, Justin, Lee, Amy R, Krystosik, Francis M, Mutuku, Charles H, King, and A Desirée, LaBeaud
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Whooping Cough ,Physiology ,Maternal Health ,Biochemistry ,Cohort Studies ,Pneumococcal Vaccines ,Families ,Labor and Delivery ,Pregnancy ,Immune Physiology ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Public and Occupational Health ,Prospective Studies ,Children ,Haemophilus Vaccines ,Vaccines ,Immune System Proteins ,Vaccination ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Diphtheria ,Antibodies, Bacterial ,Vaccination and Immunization ,Streptococcus pneumoniae ,Infectious Diseases ,Helminth Infections ,Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ,Female ,Infants ,Research Article ,Adult ,Infectious Disease Control ,Immunology ,Antibodies ,Young Adult ,Parasitic Diseases ,Humans ,Hepatitis B Vaccines ,Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine ,Antigens, Bacterial ,Tetanus ,Haemophilus influenzae type b ,Infant ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Proteins ,Tropical Diseases ,Malaria ,Age Groups ,Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic ,Antibody Formation ,People and Places ,Birth ,Women's Health ,Population Groupings ,Preventive Medicine - Abstract
Background Globally, vaccine-preventable diseases remain a significant cause of early childhood mortality despite concerted efforts to improve vaccine coverage. One reason for impaired protection may be the influence of prenatal exposure to parasitic antigens on the developing immune system. Prior research had shown a decrease in infant vaccine response after in utero parasite exposure among a maternal cohort without aggressive preventive treatment. This study investigated the effect of maternal parasitic infections on infant vaccination in a more recent setting of active anti-parasitic therapy. Methodology/Principal findings From 2013–2015, 576 Kenyan women were tested in pregnancy for malaria, soil-transmitted helminths, filaria, and S. haematobium, with both acute and prophylactic antiparasitic therapies given. After birth, 567 infants received 10-valent S. pneumoniae conjugate vaccine and pentavalent vaccine for hepatitis B, pertussis, tetanus, H. influenzae type B (Hib) and C. diphtheriae toxoid (Dp-t) at 6, 10, and 14 weeks. Infant serum samples from birth, 10 and 14 weeks, and every six months until age three years, were analyzed using a multiplex bead assay to quantify IgG for Hib, Dp-t, and the ten pneumococcal serotypes. Antenatal parasitic prevalence was high; 461 women (80%) had at least one and 252 (43.6%) had two or more infections during their pregnancy, with the most common being malaria (44.6%), S. haematobium (43.9%), and hookworm (29.2%). Mixed models comparing influence of infection on antibody concentration revealed no effect of prenatal infection status for most vaccine outcomes. Prevalences of protective antibody concentrations after vaccination were similar among the prenatal exposure groups. Conclusions/Significance These findings are in contrast with results from our prior cohort study performed when preventive anti-parasite treatment was less frequently given. The results suggest that the treatment of maternal infections in pregnancy may be able to moderate the previously observed effect of antenatal maternal infections on infant vaccine responses., Author summary This mother-baby cohort study continued our investigations into the potential impact of a mother’s parasitic infection(s) during pregnancy on a baby’s ability to respond to early life vaccinations. In a rural Kenyan setting where malaria and helminth infections are common, we tested infants’ anti-vaccine antibody responses over time for up to three years of age after early vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), diphtheria, and Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib). In contrast to the results for our previous 2006–2009 cohort, for whom antenatal parasite exposure reduced responses to diphtheria and Hib, our more recent 2013–2015 cohort did not show consistent evidence of an effect of antenatal maternal infection on subsequent infant vaccine responses. We conclude that the impact of antenatal infections on infant immune response can be mitigated, and that present-day screening and preventive therapies during pregnancy may have achieved this effect.
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- 2018
19. Community context and sub-neighborhood scale detail to explain dengue, chikungunya and Zika patterns in Cali, Colombia
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Paola Buritica, Mark A. James, Robinson Pacheco, Robert Squires, Madhav P. Bhatta, Amy R. Krystosik, Andrew Curtis, Jayakrishnan Ajayakumar, and Diana M. Dávalos
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Male ,RNA viruses ,Viral Diseases ,Epidemiology ,Video Recording ,lcsh:Medicine ,Transportation ,medicine.disease_cause ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,Geographical locations ,law.invention ,Dengue fever ,Disease Outbreaks ,Dengue Fever ,Dengue ,0302 clinical medicine ,law ,Risk Factors ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Chikungunya ,lcsh:Science ,Child ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,Zika Virus Infection ,Incidence ,Middle Aged ,Transportation Infrastructure ,Cameras ,Mosquito control ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Geography ,Infectious Diseases ,Optical Equipment ,Medical Microbiology ,Child, Preschool ,Viral Pathogens ,Viruses ,Engineering and Technology ,Female ,Pathogens ,Research Article ,Neglected Tropical Diseases ,Adult ,Adolescent ,Infectious Disease Control ,030231 tropical medicine ,Population ,Equipment ,Context (language use) ,Colombia ,Disease Surveillance ,Microbiology ,Civil Engineering ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,education ,Microbial Pathogens ,Poverty ,Biology and life sciences ,Flaviviruses ,lcsh:R ,Infant, Newborn ,Organisms ,Infant ,Chikungunya Infection ,Zika Virus ,South America ,medicine.disease ,Tropical Diseases ,Virology ,Risk perception ,Geographic Information Systems ,Canals ,Chikungunya Fever ,lcsh:Q ,People and places - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Cali, Colombia has experienced chikungunya and Zika outbreaks and hypoendemic dengue. Studies have explained Cali's dengue patterns but lack the sub-neighborhood-scale detail investigated here. METHODS:Spatial-video geonarratives (SVG) with Ministry of Health officials and Community Health Workers were collected in hotspots, providing perspective on perceptions of why dengue, chikungunya and Zika hotspots exist, impediments to control, and social outcomes. Using spatial video and Google Street View, sub-neighborhood features possibly contributing to incidence were mapped to create risk surfaces, later compared with dengue, chikungunya and Zika case data. RESULTS:SVG captured insights in 24 neighborhoods. Trash and water risks in Calipso were mapped using SVG results. Perceived risk factors included proximity to standing water, canals, poverty, invasions, localized violence and military migration. These risks overlapped case density maps and identified areas that are suitable for transmission but are possibly underreporting to the surveillance system. CONCLUSION:Resulting risk maps with local context could be leveraged to increase vector-control efficiency- targeting key areas of environmental risk.
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- 2017
20. A reconfiguration of the sex trade: How social and structural changes in eastern Zimbabwe left women involved in sex work and transactional sex more vulnerable
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Martin Bell, Andrew Curtis, Timothy B. Hallett, Ojanduru L, Elin Charles-Edwards, Helen Ward, Chipanta Ns, Robinson Pacheco, Morten Skovdal, Jayakrishnan Ajayakumar, Catherine Campbell, Simon Gregson, Robert Squires, Amy R. Krystosik, Dominick Shattuck, Constance Nyamukapa, Peter White, Aude Bernard, Mark A. James, Philipp Ueffing, Francisco Rowe, Limbu N, Paola Buritica, Madhav P. Bhatta, Kundai Nhongo, Cachan J, Jocelyn Elmes, Spindler E, Sharada Prasad Wasti, Haase F, Diana M. Dávalos, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (MRC), and National Institute for Health Research
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RNA viruses ,Male ,Economics ,Epidemiology ,BEHAVIOR-CHANGE ,Social Sciences ,lcsh:Medicine ,HIV Infections ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,Geographical Locations ,0302 clinical medicine ,Sociology ,Immunodeficiency Viruses ,SOUTHERN AFRICA ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Payment ,SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ,lcsh:Science ,Reproductive health ,media_common ,RISK ,CONDOM USE ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,Commerce ,1. No poverty ,HM Sociology ,Gender studies ,Focus Groups ,Middle Aged ,Multidisciplinary Sciences ,OPPORTUNITIES ,COMMUNITY ,Professions ,HIV epidemiology ,Medical Microbiology ,Family planning ,Viral Pathogens ,Viruses ,8. Economic growth ,Science & Technology - Other Topics ,Female ,Pathogens ,0305 other medical science ,Research Article ,Zimbabwe ,Adult ,H Social Sciences (General) ,Adolescent ,General Science & Technology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Population ,Fertility ,Social issues ,Microbiology ,Sexual and Gender Issues ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,Health Economics ,MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES ,MD Multidisciplinary ,Retroviruses ,Reproductive rights ,Humans ,education ,Microbial Pathogens ,Poverty ,Medicine and health sciences ,Science & Technology ,Sex Workers ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Fertility awareness ,Lentivirus ,lcsh:R ,Organisms ,HIV PREVENTION ,Biology and Life Sciences ,HIV ,QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ,Sex Work ,Focus group ,Health Care ,Socioeconomic Factors ,People and Places ,Africa ,Population Groupings ,lcsh:Q ,business - Abstract
Understanding the dynamic nature of sex work is important for explaining the course of HIV epidemics. While health and development interventions targeting sex workers may alter the dynamics of the sex trade in particular localities, little has been done to explore how large-scale social and structural changes, such as economic recessions–outside of the bounds of organizational intervention–may reconfigure social norms and attitudes with regards to sex work. Zimbabwe’s economic collapse in 2009, following a period (2000–2009) of economic decline, within a declining HIV epidemic, provides a unique opportunity to study community perceptions of the impact of socio-economic upheaval on the sex trade. We conducted focus group discussions with 122 community members in rural eastern Zimbabwe in January-February 2009. Groups were homogeneous by gender and occupation and included female sex workers, married women, and men who frequented bars. The focus groups elicited discussion around changes (comparing contemporaneous circumstances in 2009 to their memories of circumstances in 2000) in the demand for, and supply of, paid sex, and how sex workers and clients adapted to these changes, and with what implications for their health and well-being. Transcripts were thematically analyzed. The analysis revealed how changing economic conditions, combined with an increased awareness and fear of HIV–changing norms and local attitudes toward sex work–had altered the demand for commercial sex. In response, sex work dispersed from the bars into the wider community, requiring female sex workers to employ different tactics to attract clients. Hyperinflation meant that sex workers had to accept new forms of payment, including sex-on-credit and commodities. Further impacting the demand for commercial sex work was a poverty-driven increase in transactional sex. The economic upheaval in Zimbabwe effectively reorganized the market for sex by reducing previously dominant forms of commercial sex, while simultaneously providing new opportunities for women to exchange sex in less formal and more risky transactions. Efforts to measure and respond to the contribution of sex work to HIV transmission need to guard against unduly static definitions and consider the changing socioeconomic context and how this can cause shifts in behavior.
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- 2017
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21. 1634. A Mobile Application for Management and Surveillance of Vector-borne Diseases in Cali, Colombia: An Evaluation of Usability and Acceptability in a Hospital Setting
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Ana Sanz, Gonzalo Llano, Amy R. Krystosik, Luis Gabriel Parra-Lara, Sarita Rodríguez, Fernando Rosso, and Andres Navarro
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Evidence-based practice ,biology ,Hospital setting ,Guideline adherence ,business.industry ,Usability ,Dengue virus ,Symptom aggravating factors ,medicine.disease_cause ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Zika virus ,Abstracts ,Infectious Diseases ,Oncology ,Vector (epidemiology) ,Poster Abstracts ,medicine ,Medical emergency ,business - Abstract
Background Vector-borne diseases are a public health problem in Colombia, an area that has become hyperendemic for dengue virus. This situation has been aggravated by the introduction of other arboviruses such as chikungunya and Zika in the last 3 years. Mobile health (mHealth) offers new strategies for strengthening healthcare and surveillance systems. A large number of mHealth tools are available; however, very few have been evaluated regarding usability and acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a mobile application, FeverDX, as a support tool in the management of patients with febrile syndrome and suspected vector-borne infection by general practitioners from Colombia. Methods The usability and acceptability of FeverDX were evaluated using the modified version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). The evaluation included aspects of content, user engagement, functionality, user-interface design, impact, and subjective quality. Results Between December 2016 and January 2017, a total of 20 general practitioners evaluated FeverDX. Seventy-five percent of the evaluators reported being aware of the Colombian Ministry of Health guidelines for diagnosis and management of arboviruses. 80% of evaluators partially or completely agreed the application information agreed with management guidelines. On uMARS scale, FeverDX excelled regarding impact (median = 5/5, IQR = 5–5); functionality (5/5, 4.8–5); and information and scientific basis (4/5, 4-4). FeverDX scored well regarding user feedback (median = 4/5, IQR = 4–4.5); design and esthetics (4/5, 4–4.3); and subjective assessment of quality (4.5/5, 4.3–4.8). Conclusion Despite a large number of mHealth tools available, the literature lacks evaluated and evidence-based mobile technology. Applying Information and Communications Technologies in health areas can strengthen care processes and facilitate the detection and reporting of reportable surveillance diseases. Assess the usability and acceptability of mobile health applications increases the reliability of these technologies. The mobile app, FeverDx, can improve adherence to guidelines for management and prevention of prevalent diseases. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
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- 2019
22. Acceptability and usability of a mobile application for management and surveillance of vector-borne diseases in Colombia: An implementation study.
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Sarita Rodríguez, Ana María Sanz, Gonzalo Llano, Andrés Navarro, Luis Gabriel Parra-Lara, Amy R Krystosik, and Fernando Rosso
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Vector-borne diseases are a public health problem in Colombia, where dengue virus infection is hyperendemic. The introduction of other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and Zika in the last three years, has aggravated the situation. Mobile health (mHealth) offers new strategies for strengthening health care and surveillance systems promoting the collection, delivery, and access of health information to professionals, researchers, and patients. Assessing mobile application performance has been a challenge in low- and middle-income countries due to the difficulty of implementing these technologies in different clinical settings. In this study, we evaluate the usability and acceptability of a mobile application, FeverDX, as a support tool in the management of patients with febrile syndrome and suspected arboviruses infection by general practitioners from Colombia. METHODS:A pilot implementation study was conducted to evaluate the usability and acceptability of FeverDX using the modified version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). The evaluation form included 25 questions regarding quantity and quality of information, engagement, functionality, aesthetics, impact, and acceptability by healthcare workers. Each item uses a 5-point scale (1-Inadequate, 2-Poor, 3-Acceptable, 4-Good, 5-Excellent). A global score was obtained for the evaluation form test by determining the median scores of each subsection. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data obtained was performed. RESULTS:Between December 2016 and January 2017, a total of 20 general practitioners from the Emergency room and hospitalization areas evaluated FeverDX. Less than half (9/20) of the evaluators had a comprehensive knowledge of the Colombian Ministry of Health's guidelines for the diagnosis and management of arboviruses, and evaluators partially (4/9) or completely (5/9) agreed that the content of the application follows the management guidelines. On uMARS scale, FeverDX excelled regarding impact (median 5; IQR = 5-5), functionality (median 5; IQR = 4.8-5), and information and scientific basis (median 4; IQR = 4-4). FeverDX scored well regarding user feedback (median 4; IQR = 4-4.5), design and aesthetics (median 4; IQR = 4-4.3), and subjective assessment of quality (median 4.5; IQR = 4.3-4.8). CONCLUSIONS:FeverDX, a mobile application, is a novel mHealth strategy to strengthen care processes and facilitate the detection and reporting of notifiable surveillance diseases. It could improve adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the management and prevention of prevalent diseases as arboviruses in healthcare settings. Although this pilot study used a small sample size, FeverDx performed adequately in a simulated emergency consultation. Further implementation studies are needed to increase the reliability of mHealth technologies in different scenarios.
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- 2020
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23. Community context and sub-neighborhood scale detail to explain dengue, chikungunya and Zika patterns in Cali, Colombia.
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Amy R Krystosik, Andrew Curtis, Paola Buritica, Jayakrishnan Ajayakumar, Robert Squires, Diana Dávalos, Robinson Pacheco, Madhav P Bhatta, and Mark A James
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:Cali, Colombia has experienced chikungunya and Zika outbreaks and hypoendemic dengue. Studies have explained Cali's dengue patterns but lack the sub-neighborhood-scale detail investigated here. METHODS:Spatial-video geonarratives (SVG) with Ministry of Health officials and Community Health Workers were collected in hotspots, providing perspective on perceptions of why dengue, chikungunya and Zika hotspots exist, impediments to control, and social outcomes. Using spatial video and Google Street View, sub-neighborhood features possibly contributing to incidence were mapped to create risk surfaces, later compared with dengue, chikungunya and Zika case data. RESULTS:SVG captured insights in 24 neighborhoods. Trash and water risks in Calipso were mapped using SVG results. Perceived risk factors included proximity to standing water, canals, poverty, invasions, localized violence and military migration. These risks overlapped case density maps and identified areas that are suitable for transmission but are possibly underreporting to the surveillance system. CONCLUSION:Resulting risk maps with local context could be leveraged to increase vector-control efficiency- targeting key areas of environmental risk.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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24. Optimization of a Membrane Feeding Assay for Plasmodium vivax Infection in Anopheles albimanus.
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Andrés F Vallejo, Kelly Rubiano, Andres Amado, Amy R Krystosik, Sócrates Herrera, and Myriam Arévalo-Herrera
- Subjects
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,RC955-962 ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
INTRODUCTION:Individuals exposed to malaria infections for a long time develop immune responses capable of blocking Plasmodium transmission to mosquito vectors, potentially limiting parasite spreading in nature. Development of a malaria TB vaccine requires a better understanding of the mechanisms and main effectors responsible for transmission blocking (TB) responses. The lack of an in vitro culture system for Plasmodium vivax has been an important drawback for development of a standardized method to assess TB responses to this parasite. This study evaluated host, vector, and parasite factors that may influence Anopheles mosquito infection in order to develop an efficient and reliable assay to assess the TB immunity. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:A total of 94 P. vivax infected patients were enrolled as parasite donors or subjects of direct mosquito feeding in two malaria endemic regions of Colombia (Tierralta, and Buenaventura). Parasite infectiousness was assessed by membrane feeding assay or direct feeding assay using laboratory reared Anopheles mosquitoes. Infection was measured by qPCR and by microscopically examining mosquito midguts at day 7 for the presence of oocysts. Best infectivity was attained in four day old mosquitoes fed at a density of 100 mosquitos/cage. Membrane feeding assays produced statistically significant better infections than direct feeding assays in parasite donors; cytokine profiles showed increased IFN-γ, TNF and IL-1 levels in non-infectious individuals. Mosquito infections and parasite maturation were more reliably assessed by PCR compared to microscopy. CONCLUSIONS:We evaluated mosquito, parasite and host factors that may affect the outcome of parasite transmission as measured by artificial membrane feeding assays. Results have led us to conclude that: 1) optimal mosquito infectivity occurs with mosquitoes four days after emergence at a cage density of 100; 2) mosquito infectivity is best quantified by PCR as it may be underestimated by microscopy; 3) host cellular immune response did not appear to significantly affect mosquito infectivity; and 4) no statistically significant difference was observed in transmission between mosquitoes directly feeding on humans and artificial membrane feeding assays.
- Published
- 2016
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