Community Health Workers and Stand-Alone or Integrated Case Management of Malaria: A Systematic Literature Review

A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the effectiveness of strategies to improve community case management (CCM) of malaria. Forty-three studies were included; most (38) reported indicators of community health worker (CHW) performance, 14 reported on malaria CCM integrated with other child health interventions, 16 reported on health system capacity, and 13 reported on referral. The CHWs are able to provide good quality malaria care, including performing procedures such as rapid diagnostic tests. Appropriate training, clear guidelines, and regular supportive supervision are important facilitating factors. Crucial to sustainable success of CHW programs is strengthening health system capacity to support commodity supply, supervision, and appropriate treatment of referred cases. The little evidence available on referral from community to health facility level suggests that this is an area that needs priority attention. The studies of integrated CCM suggest that additional tasks do not reduce the quality of malaria CCM provided sufficient training and supervision is maintained.     

Optimal Seasonal Timing of Oral Azithromycin for Malaria

Mass administration of azithromycin for trachoma has been shown to reduce malarial parasitemia. However, the optimal seasonal timing of such distributions for antimalarial benefit has not been established. We performed numerical analyses on a seasonally forced epidemic model (of Ross-Macdonald type) with periodic impulsive annual mass treatment to address this question. We conclude that when azithromycin-based trachoma elimination programs occur in regions of seasonal malaria transmission, such as Niger, the optimal seasonal timing of mass drug administration (MDA) may not occur during the season of maximum transmission.     

A Phase One Safety Study of Lactobacillus reuteri Conducted in the Peruvian Amazon: Observations from the Field

Recently, an association between childhood growth stunting and aflatoxin (AF) exposure has been identified. In Ghana, homemade nutritional supplements often consist of AF-prone commodities. In this study, children were enrolled in a clinical intervention trial to determine the safety and efficacy of Uniform Particle Size NovaSil (UPSN), a refined calcium montmorillonite known to be safe in adults. Participants ingested 0.75 or 1.5 g UPSN or 1.5 g calcium carbonate placebo per day for 14 days. Hematological and serum biochemistry parameters in the UPSN groups were not significantly different from the placebo-controlled group. Importantly, there were no adverse events attributable to UPSN treatment. A significant reduction in urinary metabolite (AFM₁) was observed in the high-dose group compared with placebo. Results indicate that UPSN is safe for children at doses up to 1.5 g/day for a period of 2 weeks and can reduce exposure to AFs, resulting in increased quality and efficacy of contaminated foods.     

Case Report: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Cuban Immigrants to Texas who Traveled through the Darién Jungle,Panama

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is rarely seen in the United States. Four Cuban immigrants traveled along the same route at different times from Cuba to Ecuador, then northward, including through the Darién Jungle in Panama. These patients had chronic ulcerative non-healing skin lesions and were given a diagnosis of leishmaniasis.Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania and is spread by the bite of sand flies from the sub-family Phlebotominae.¹ There are various clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis, including cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and visceral leishmaniasis. Cutaneous leishmaniasis occurs at the site of the bite, with lesions forming weeks to months later starting with a papule, which then develops into a nodule or plaque-like lesion and progresses to a painless ulceration with an indurated border.We report four cases of CL caused by Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis in Cuban immigrants who traveled through the Darién Gap Jungle between Colombia and Panama on their journey north to the United States. This region has been shown to have high transmission rates of leishmaniasis,² and, in 2012, Panama experienced an outbreak beyond expected endemic rates.³ This case series highlights a previously underappreciated immigration route to the United States for Cubans and the need to include leishmaniasis as a differential diagnosis for non-healing skin ulcers in this patient population.During May 2012–April 2013, four persons who had recently immigrated to the United States from Cuba came to the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine''s (BCM) Tropical Medicine Clinic for non-healing skin ulcers. All four persons reported a similar route of travel from Cuba to Texas (Figure 1), although at different times. Each person began their journey by flying to Quito, Ecuador, where they then traveled by bus through Colombia, passing through the cities of Pasto and Cali to Quibdo. In Quibdo, they took a short flight to Bahia Solano, Colombia, where a boat ride then transported them to Punta Ardita near the Panama border. They then traveled by foot through the thick jungle in Darién, Panama, for 5–15 days. During this time, they slept outdoors and reported numerous insect bites. Once through the Darién area, they traveled northward until they entered the United States at the Mexican border.Open in a separate windowFigure 1.Map showing immigration route of a cluster of Cuban patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (V.) panamensis. Note the travel by foot through the thick jungle of the Darién National Park, Panama, where they likely contracted the disease.Once in the United States, the four persons sought medical care at outside clinics for skin lesions that had developed within two months after they passed though the Darién. They were treated for presumed infection with Staphylococcus aureus. The antibiotics had no therapeutic effect, and the lesions continued to grow and develop into non-healing, painless ulcers with accompanying satellite lesions. Once in Houston, Texas, the four persons were directed to the Department of Dermatology at BCM (