Seasonal influenza vaccination among cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the determinants

Cancer patients are among high-risk individuals for whom seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) is recommended, but rates of vaccination in this subpopulation remain suboptimal; even in jurisdictions with universal influenza vaccination programs. We sought to summarize the evidence to better understand the determinants of SIV uptake (vaccine receipt) among cancer patients. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL from 2000 to February 12, 2020, focusing on articles on the determinants of seasonal influenza vaccination among cancer patients, published in English. Study selection was conducted independently by 2 reviewers. One reviewer extracted data from the included studies and another reviewer checked the extracted data for errors. Outcomes were sociodemographic and health-related factors. We pooled adjusted results from studies using the inverse variance, random-effects method, and reported the odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Out of 2664 citations, 10 studies (mostly from USA and South Korea) met our eligibility criteria. Overall, being older (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.46-3.38; I² 92.3%, [6 studies]), a nonsmoker (1.43, 1.32-1.51; I² 0%, [4 studies]), having a chronic illness (1.18, 1.07-1.29; I² 15.7%, [5 studies]), having had a medical check-up in the past year (1.75, 1.65-1.86; I² 0%, [2 studies]), and having health insurance (1.39, 1.13-1.72; I² 21.8%, [3 studies]) were associated with increased SIV uptake. Compared with being African-American, being Caucasian was also associated with increased SIV uptake (1.79, 1.47-2.13; I² 10.7%, [3 studies]). Limited evidence suggests seasonal influenza vaccination among cancer patients may be determined by some sociodemographic and health-related factors.     

Correction to: Physical,Emotional, and Psychosocial Challenges Associated with Daily Dosing of HIV Medications and Their Impact on Indicators of Quality of Life: Findings from the Positive Perspectives Study

AIDS and Behavior - The article Physical, Emotional, and Psychosocial Challenges Associated with Daily Dosing of HIV Medications and Their Impact...     

Carrier Status of Leptospirosis Among Cattle in Sri Lanka: A Zoonotic Threat to Public Health

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance and one of the notifiable diseases in Sri Lanka. Recent studies on human leptospirosis have suggested that the cattle could be one of the important reservoirs for human infection in the country. However, there is a dearth of local information on bovine leptospirosis, including its implications for human transmission. Thus, this study attempted to determine the carrier status of pathogenic Leptospira spp in cattle in Sri Lanka. A total of 164 cattle kidney samples were collected from the meat inspection hall in Colombo city during routine inspection procedures conducted by the municipal veterinary surgeons. The DNA was extracted and subjected to nested PCR for the detection of leptospiral flaB gene. Amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenic distances were calculated. Of 164 samples, 20 (12.2%) were positive for flaB‐PCR. Sequenced amplicons revealed that Leptospira species were deduced to L. borgpetersenii (10/20, 50%), L. kirschneri (7/20, 35%) and L. interrogans (3/20, 15%). The results indicate that a high proportion of the sampled cattle harbour a variety of pathogenic Leptospira spp, which can serve as important reservoirs for human disease.     

Antibacterial activity of Harungana madagascariensis leaf extracts

Aqueous extracts of the leaf of Harungana madagascariensis were analysed phytochemically and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against strains of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Glycosides, tannins, saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids were detected in the plant material. B. subtilis, E. coli and S. typhi, but not Ps. aeruginosa, showed susceptibility at MICs of 2.0 and 15.6 mg/mL; and MBCs of 2.0-3.9 mg/mL and 15.6-31.3 mg/mL, respectively, for the cold and hot extracts. Staph. aureus showed susceptibility only to the hot extract. Concentrations of 2.5-10.0 mg/mL of the cold extract killed over 7 log(10) of the test bacterial population within 30-60 min of exposure. The hot extract needed higher concentrations and longer treatment to achieve similar levels of bacterial cell killing. The results provide a rationalization for the traditional use of H. madagascariensis leaf extracts for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.     

Evaluation of extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis, Nauclea latifolia and Uvaria afzalii for activity against bacterial isolates from cases of non-gonococcal urethritis

Whole root preparations of three Nigerian medicinal plants, Anthocleista djalonensis, Nauclea latifolia and Uvaria afzalii, used traditionally in combination treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), were extracted by maceration in ethanol, cold and hot water, respectively. The extracts were tested, by agar diffusion and macrobroth dilution methods, for activity against five strains of Staphylococcus aureus and two of Escherichia coli isolated from cases of STD and or urethritis. Four typed bacterial strains, S aureus ATCC 12600, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145 and Escherichia coli ATCC 117755 were included as reference organisms. Ethanolic and cold-water extracts of Anthocliesta djalonensis exhibited activity against 9 and 7, respectively, of the 11 test organisms. They were bacteriostatic at minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) to the Gram positive strains but bactericidal to the Gram negative strains. Similar crude extracts of Uvaria afzalii showed bactericidal activity restricted to Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) strains. Nauclea latifolia extracts were bacteriostatic to both Gram positive and Gram negative strains. No test strain was susceptible to the hot water extracts of Nauclea latifolia but five and seven strains, were respectively susceptible to similar extracts of Anthocliesta djalonensis and Uvaria afzalii. Of the seven column chromatographic fractions of the ethanolic extract of Uvaria afzalii, F(ua-1) exhibited a bactericidal activity restricted to the Gram negative Escherichia coli strains, which were not susceptible to the crude extract. Fractions, F(ua-2), F(ua-3) and F(ua-4), like the crude extract, were bactericidal against the Gram positive strains only. Thus, partial purification seems to broaden the spectrum of activity and generally improve the potency of Uvaria afzalii. These results apparently justify the use of the three plants in treatment of STD.     

Trapping the vector: community action to curb sleeping sickness in southern Sudan

South Sudan experienced a resurgence of trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in the 1990s. In 1997 in Tambura County, public health officials combined standard mass screening and treatment techniques for infected persons with an additional component-trapping the vectors of the disease. The intent of this integrated approach was to lower the number and concentration of the tsetse flies that spread the disease while reducing the level of infection in the human population to make the likelihood of transmission extremely low. Because the trapping project depends on village participation (making, setting, and maintaining the traps), village volunteers and their neighbors learned more about the causes and prevention of sleeping sickness and became much more willing to participate in serosurveys and to seek treatment.     

Microscopic polyangiitis triggered by recurrent methicillin-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> bacteremia

Most of the purported links between microbial agents and primary small-vessel anti-neutrophilic antibody-positive (ANCA) vasculitides remain speculative. There is strong circumstantial evidence for the role of Staphylococcus aureus in the development of Wegener’s granulomatosis, but its role in other ANCA-positive vasculitis syndromes is less clear. We describe a patient who developed a non-granulomatous, necrotizing small-vessel vasculitis with a positive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody of a perinuclear type (p-ANCA), along with anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies after recurrent episodes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.