Integrated cost-benefit analysis of tsetse control and herd productivity to inform control programs for animal African trypanosomiasis

Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) and its tsetse vector are responsible for annual losses estimated in billions of US dollars ($). Recent years have seen the implementation of a series of multinational interventions. However, actors of AAT control face complex resource allocation decisions due to the geographical range of AAT, diversity of ecological and livestock systems, and range of control methods available. The study presented here integrates an existing tsetse abundance model with a bio-economic herd model that captures local production characteristics as well as heterogeneities in AAT incidence and breed. These models were used to predict the impact of tsetse elimination on the net value of cattle production in the districts of Mambwe, in Zambia, and Faro et Déo in Cameroon. The net value of cattle production under the current situation was used as a baseline, and compared with alternative publicly funded control programmes. In Zambia, the current baseline is AAT control implemented privately by cattle owners (Scenario Z0). In Cameroon, the baseline (Scenario C0) is a small-scale publicly funded tsetse control programme and privately funded control at farm level. The model was run for 10 years, using a discount rate of 5%

Productivity and profitability on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) and maize (Zea mays L) in a semi-arid area of southern Malawi

In many parts of Malawi, including Balaka district in Southern Malawi, are prone to erratic rains with poor soil productivity and famer practices. A research and outreach project was initiated in October 2015 to establish learning centres (LCs) of groundnut: maize rotations as an entry point to diversify nutrition and income base of smallholder farmers, while building up on soil fertility for increased resilience to production under climatic variation. Some 132 plots of groundnut were established in 2015/2016 in four sections of Ulongwe Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Balaka district. Of these, 44 fields were sampled for yield, biomass, plant stand and soils data. In the second season of 2016/2017, a maize fertilizer response trial (five rates of NP2O5K2O; 0, 23:21:0+4S, 46:21:0+4S, 69:21:0+4S, and 92:21:0+4S) was super-imposed in plots where farmers incorporated groundnut residues, in comparison with continuous maize from adjacent own field. In the first season, rainfall was below average and erratic, with 10-day dry spells recorded in two of four recording stations. The soils were generally poor, with test values below threshold for many variables including organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Groundnut average yields and standard deviation were 754 (±186) kg/ha, respectively. Plant stands were poor, with up to 24% of the 46 LCs attaining ≤50% of targeted plant stand of 8.88 plants m-2. Poor plant stand is suggested as a major contributor to low yields. Results from the 2016/2017 fertilizer response trials showed linear response of maize to fertilizer application. Yields ranged from an average of 1.47 t/ha without fertilizer application to 4.0 t/ha at 92:21:0+4S. It is concluded that the poor soil fertility, low field plant densities, and dry spells are the main causes of low yields. Gross margins were positive for groundnut yield of 1,000 kg/ha and fertilizer rates on maize of 46:23:0+4S and above

Productivity of pigeon pea and maize rotation system in Balaka District, Southern Malawi

In Malawi, some parts of the country, such as Balaka District in Southern Malawi, are particularly prone to erratic rains with poor soil productivity. In the 2015/2016 rainy season some learning centres (LCs) focusing on pigeon-pea (Cajanus cajan) – maize (Zea mays L) rotations were established in four sections of Ulongwe Agriculture Extension Planning Area (EPA) in Balaka District to enhance soil fertility, nutrition and income diversification for increased resilience to production under erratic rain condition. Up to 132 plots of pigeon were established in 2005/2016 season. Of these 44 fields were sampled for yield, biomass, plant stand and 32 sites for soil data. In the second season of 2016/17, a maize fertilizer response trial with five rates of NPKS (0, 23:21:0+4S, 46:21:0+4S, 69:21:0+4S, and 92:21:0+4S) was super-imposed in the 44 fields, where farmers incorporated pigeon pea residues, a parallel study conducted in a nearby, adjacent field. In the first season, rainfall was low and erratic. Three dry spells (>10 non-rainy days) were recorded in two of four rain gauge stations, and two dry spells in one station. The soil test results showed low P, K and N status. Pigeon pea plant stand was low, with an average of 2.22 plants m-2 compared to an expected 4.44 plants m-2. Grain yields and stover weights were quite variable with a mean of 442 and 1698 kg/ha, respectively. In the second season maize yields grown in both old pigeon pea or continuous maize plots gave a linear response to fertilizer. The gains from pigeon rotation averaged 620, 308, 496 and -1072 for Chibwana Nsamala, Hindahinda, Mulambe and Chitseko sections respectively. The highest recorded yield was 4049 kg/ha from Hindahinda

Concurrent evaluation of cytokines improves the accuracy of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis

Data availability statement: All the important data relevant to this study was reported in the manuscript. Any additional data will be made available upon request from the corresponding author.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Background: Antibodies against mycobacterial proteins are highly specific, but lack sensitivity, whereas cytokines have been shown to be sensitive but not very specific in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). We assessed combinations between antibodies and cytokines for diagnosing TB. Methods: Immuoglubulin (Ig) A and IgM antibody titres against selected mycobacterial antigens including Apa, NarL, Rv3019c, PstS1, LAM, “Kit 1” (MTP64 and Tpx)”, and “Kit 2” (MPT64, Tpx and 19 kDa) were evaluated by ELISA in plasma samples obtained from individuals under clinical suspicion for TB. Combinations between the antibody titres and previously published cytokine responses in the same participants were assessed for diagnosing active TB. Results: Antibody responses were more promising when used in combination (AUC of 0.80), when all seven antibodies were combined. When anti-“Kit 1”-IgA levels were combined with five host cytokine biomarkers, the AUC increased to 97% (92–100%) with a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 73–100%), and specificity of 88.5% (95% CI, 68.7–97%) achieved after leave-one-out cross validation. Conclusion: When used in combination, IgA titres measured with ELISA against multiple Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens may be useful in the diagnosis of TB. However, diagnostic accuracy may be improved if the antibodies are used in combination with cytokines.This work was part of the EDCTP1 programme supported by the European Union (grant number IP_2009_32040, AE-TBC; awarded to GW). The project was also supported by the South African Government through the National Research Foundation (NRF, awarded to NC) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC, postgraduate scholarship to RJ)

RISK6, a 6-gene transcriptomic signature of TB disease risk, diagnosis and treatment response

Improved tuberculosis diagnostics and tools for monitoring treatment response are urgently needed. We developed a robust and simple, PCR-based host-blood transcriptomic signature, RISK6, for multiple applications: identifying individuals at risk of incident disease, as a screening test for subclinical or clinical tuberculosis, and for monitoring tuberculosis treatment. RISK6 utility was validated by blind prediction using quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR in seven independent cohorts. Prognostic performance significantly exceeded that of previous signatures discovered in the same cohort. Performance for diagnosing subclinical and clinical disease in HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected persons, assessed by area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, exceeded 85%. As a screening test for tuberculosis, the sensitivity at 90% specificity met or approached the benchmarks set out in World Health Organization target product profiles for non-sputum-based tests. RISK6 scores correlated with lung immunopathology activity, measured by positron emission tomography, and tracked treatment response, demonstrating utility as treatment response biomarker, while predicting treatment failure prior to treatment initiation. Performance of the test in capillary blood samples collected by finger-prick was noninferior to venous blood collected in PAXgene tubes. These results support incorporation of RISK6 into rapid, capillary blood-based point-of-care PCR devices for prospective assessment in field studies

The Reproduction Rights Organisation of Zimbabwe

Paper presented at the Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium (ZULC)International Conference on " Open Access and Creating a Knowledge Society", held at the Crowne Plaza Monomatapa Hotel, Harare, Zimbabwe,24 - 26 April, 200

Immunometabolic Signatures Predict Risk of Progression to Active Tuberculosis and Disease Outcome

Immunogenetics and cellular immunology of bacterial infectious disease

A Serum Circulating miRNA Signature for Short-Term Risk of Progression to Active Tuberculosis Among Household Contacts

Biomarkers that predict who among recently Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-exposed individuals will progress to active tuberculosis are urgently needed. Intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the host response to MTB and circulating miRNAs (c-miRNAs) have been developed as biomarkers for other diseases. We performed machine-learning analysis of c-miRNA measurements in the serum of adult household contacts (HHCs) of TB index cases from South Africa and Uganda and developed a c-miRNA-based signature of risk for progression to active TB. This c-miRNA-based signature significantly discriminated HHCs within 6 months of progression to active disease from HHCs that remained healthy in an independent test set [ROC area under the ROC curve (AUC) 0.74, progressors < 6 Mo to active TB and ROC AUC 0.66, up to 24 Mo to active TB], and complements the predictions of a previous cellular mRNA-based signature of TB risk

T cell receptor repertoires associated with control and disease progression following Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Data availability: The datasets and scripts to generate the manuscript figures are available at https://github.com/SATVILab/DataTidyMusvosviTCRseq. The raw bulk CDR3α and CDR3β sequence data from the ACS and GC6-74 participants are available at https://doi.org/10.21417/MM2022NM.Online content: Any methods, additional references, Nature Portfolio reporting summaries, source data, extended data, supplementary information, acknowledgements, peer review information; details of author contributions and competing interests; and statements of data and code availability are available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02110-9.Antigen-specific, MHC-restricted αβ T cells are necessary for protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the ability to broadly study these responses has been limited. In the present study, we used single-cell and bulk T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing and the GLIPH2 algorithm to analyze M. tuberculosis-specific sequences in two longitudinal cohorts, comprising 166 individuals with M. tuberculosis infection who progressed to either tuberculosis (n = 48) or controlled infection (n = 118). We found 24 T cell groups with similar TCR-β sequences, predicted by GLIPH2 to have common TCR specificities, which were associated with control of infection (n = 17), and others that were associated with progression to disease (n = 7). Using a genome-wide M. tuberculosis antigen screen, we identified peptides targeted by T cell similarity groups enriched either in controllers or in progressors. We propose that antigens recognized by T cell similarity groups associated with control of infection can be considered as high-priority targets for future vaccine development.Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health grants (nos. OPP1066265, OPP1023483 and OPP1065330), the Grand Challenges in Global Health (GC6-74, grant no. 37772) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Stanford Center for Human Systems Immunology was also supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant OPP1113682. The ACS study was also supported by Aeras and BMGF GC12 (grant no. 37885) for QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube testing

Diagnostic performance of a seven-marker serum protein biosignature for the diagnosis of active TB disease in African primary healthcare clinic attendees with signs and symptoms suggestive of TB.

: User-friendly, rapid, inexpensive yet accurate TB diagnostic tools are urgently needed at points of care in resource-limited settings. We investigated host biomarkers detected in serum samples obtained from adults with signs and symptoms suggestive of TB at primary healthcare clinics in five African countries (Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, The Gambia and Uganda), for the diagnosis of TB disease. : We prospectively enrolled individuals presenting with symptoms warranting investigation for pulmonary TB, prior to assessment for TB disease. We evaluated 22 host protein biomarkers in stored serum samples using a multiplex cytokine platform. Using a pre-established diagnostic algorithm comprising of laboratory, clinical and radiological findings, participants were classified as either definite TB, probable TB, questionable TB status or non-pulmonary TB. : Of the 716 participants enrolled, 185 were definite and 29 were probable TB cases, 6 had questionable TB disease status, whereas 487 had no evidence of TB. A seven-marker biosignature of C reactive protein, transthyretin, IFN-γ, complement factor H, apolipoprotein-A1, inducible protein 10 and serum amyloid A identified on a training sample set (n=491), diagnosed TB disease in the test set (n=210) with sensitivity of 93.8% (95% CI 84.0% to 98.0%), specificity of 73.3% (95% CI 65.2% to 80.1%), and positive and negative predictive values of 60.6% (95% CI 50.3% to 70.1%) and 96.4% (95% CI 90.5% to 98.8%), respectively, regardless of HIV infection status or study site. : We have identified a seven-marker host serum protein biosignature for the diagnosis of TB disease irrespective of HIV infection status or ethnicity in Africa. These results hold promise for the development of a field-friendly point-of-care screening test for pulmonary TB.<br/