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Background This study was conducted to investigate the overall job satisfaction and its associated factors among microscopists as community health workers who specialize in malaria microscopic diagnosis and treatment in Palawan, the Philippines. The study offered new insights to further lessen the burden of malaria and improve treatment by enhancing their commitment and satisfaction. Methods A quantitative study was conducted with 217 microscopists who were asked about their sociodemographic characteristics, ability as microscopists (service quality, knowledge of malaria and ability to diagnose malaria by microscopy [malaria microscopy]) and job satisfaction. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted to analyse these factors. A qualitative study was also conducted and four focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out. Results SEM identified that the job satisfaction of microscopists was enhanced by ability in malaria microscopy, the annual parasite index and belonging to ethnic minorities. In the FGDs, high job satisfaction was seen in their devotion to the community and increasing knowledge about malaria. Conclusions Providing opportunities to improve malaria microscopy ability would increase the overall job satisfaction of microscopists and eventually improve the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vivax malaria was successfully eliminated in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the late 1970s, but it was found to have re-emerged from 1993. In order to control malaria and evaluate the effectiveness of malaria controls, it is important to develop a spatiotemporal understanding of the genetic structure of the parasite population. Here, we estimated the population structure and temporal dynamics of the transmission of Plasmodium vivax in South Korea by analyzing microsatellite DNA markers of the parasite. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed 14 microsatellite DNA loci of the P. vivax genome from 163 South Korean isolates collected from 1994 to 2008. Allelic data were used to analyze linkage disequilibrium (LD), genetic differentiation and population structure, in order to make a detailed estimate of temporal change in the parasite population. The LD analysis showed a gradual decrease in LD levels, while the levels of genetic differentiation between successive years and analysis of the population structure based on the Bayesian approach suggested that a drastic genetic change occurred in the South Korean population during 2002 and 2003. Conclusions/Significance: Although relapse and asymptomatic parasite carriage might influence the population structure to some extent, our results suggested the continual introduction of P. vivax into South Korea through other parasite population sources. One possible source, particularly during 2002 and 2003, is North Korea. Molecular epidemiology using microsatellite DNA of the P. vivax population is effective for assessing the population structure and temporal dynamics of parasite transmission; information that can assist in the elimination of vivax malaria in endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The possibility of developing a severe coronavirus infectious (COVID-19) disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has increased, particularly in patients with hematological malignancies. These patients are more likely to produce less antibody protection due to the immunocompromised nature of the disease and the anticancer treatments. Therefore, the present systematic review intended to evaluate the seroconversion rate of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with hematological malignancies compared with healthy controls., Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in Medline via PubMed, EMBASE, and the World Health Organization COVID-19 Research Database, as well as other searches (i.e., reference list from article search and manual searches), from December 2020 to May 2022. The outcome of interest included estimating the seroconversion rates following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with hematological malignancies and comparing them with those in healthy controls. After two-step screening, the data were extracted and the summary measures were calculated using a random-effects model., Results: A total of 39 articles regarding patients with hematological malignancies were included in the present review. After the first vaccine dose, these patients had considerably lower antibody response rates (37.0%) compared with healthy controls (74.5%). Following the second vaccine dose, the seroconversion rate in patients reached 66.8%, whereas it peaked at 97.9% in the healthy controls following complete immunization. Notably, the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccine combination achieved the highest seropositivity rate of approximately 70%. Multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and lymphoma were the cancers of interest in most of the studies., Conclusions: The results of the present study highlighted the comparatively low seropositivity rates in patients with hematological malignancies, with substantial variations in rates across disease groups. The findings emphasize the possibility of additional booster doses for these individuals to enhance their immunity against SARS-CoV-2., Competing Interests: None, (Copyright © Japan Medical Association.)