Rapid testing for respiratory syncytial virus in a resource-limited paediatric intensive care setting

Newman H, Tshabalala D, Mabunda S, et al. Rapid testing for respiratory syncytial virus in a resource-limited paediatric intensive care setting. Afr J Lab Med. 2020;9(1)We analysed the performance characteristics of the respiratory syncytial virus lateral flow rapid antigen assay in use when compared to a multiplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of respiratory viruses. The study was conducted at a tertiary paediatric hospital in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from 01 January 2017 to 31 December 2018. We found the clinical sensitivity (36.8%) of the rapid test to be too low for routine diagnostic use. Knowledge of assay performance characteristics of rapid tests are important for appropriate interpretation of rapid test results

Hepatitis A in Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman districts, Eastern Cape, South Africa

CITATION: Newman, H., et al. 2018. Hepatitis A in Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman districts, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 33(5):1-4, doi:10.4102/sajid.v33i5.148.The original publication is available at https://sajid.co.zaBackground: Hepatitis A is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, not only in South Africa, but in many other countries. In South Africa, there is a lack of data regarding the true incidence of hepatitis A, and even fewer data regarding hepatitis A cases requiring hospitalisation. In the Eastern Cape province of South Africa in particular, there is a paucity of published data that could be used to guide public health officials. An analysis of all the laboratory-confirmed cases in the area over a period of time may help to better describe the extent of the problem. Methods: This was a retrospective study analysing the laboratory-confirmed cases of hepatitis A in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman districts of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa for the three-year period from 2015 to 2017. Results: A total of 194 laboratory-confirmed cases of hepatitis A were identified for the three-year period from 2015 to 2017. Of these, 138 (71%) cases were children 16 years old or younger, with adults accounting for 56 cases (29%). There was no overall seasonality associated with laboratory-confirmed cases of hepatitis A. Conclusions: Hepatitis A is a serious problem in the Eastern Cape region. More studies are needed to determine the exact cause of the continuing epidemic.https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/148Publisher's versio

Prevalence and determinants of congenital cytomegalovirus infection at a rural South African central hospital in the Eastern Cape

CITATION: Tshabalala, D., et al. 2018. Prevalence and determinants of congenital cytomegalovirus infection at a rural South African central hospital in the Eastern Cape. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 33(4):89-92, doi:10.1080/23120053.2018.1462560.The original publication is available at https://sajid.co.zaBackground: The Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital (NMAH) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, is a rural central hospital, serving one of the poorest districts in South Africa. The prevalence of and risk factors for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) in this area are not known. The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of congenital CMV and associated risk factors for babies born at NMAH. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of congenital CMV infection among babies born at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital. Mother–baby pairs delivered consecutively from Monday to Friday, who gave informed consent, were included. Demographic information was collected on a questionnaire. All babies were tested for congenital CMV using a saliva swab PCR within the first week of life. Results: A total of 302 births were assessed. Congenital CMV was prevalent in 18 births (5.96%; 95% CI 3.29–8.63) and had an equal prevalence between HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed newborns (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.00; 95% CI 0.94–1.06; p = 0.869). Conclusions: The prevalence of congenital CMV of 5.96% is similar to findings from other resource-limited settings. There was no significant association between maternal HIV status and congenital CMV. With the prevalence of congenital CMV being as high as it is in the studied setting, clinicians are advised to have a high index of suspicion, especially when mothers are CMV seropositive.https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/155Publisher's versio