Impact of tuberculosis exposure at home on mortality in children under 5 years of age in Guinea-Bissau

Objective To assess mortality related to exposure to tuberculosis (TB) at home among children in urban areas of Guinea-Bissau. Methods In four suburban areas included in the demographic surveillance system of the Bandim Health Project in Bissau, the mortality of children aged <5 years living with an adult with TB was compared with the mortality of children in the general population. Results Children <5 years of age exposed to an adult with intrathoracic TB had 66% higher mortality than unexposed children (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3). The risk was higher for children living in the same family as a TB case (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.7) than for children living in the same house but not belonging to the same family as the TB case (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.2). For children whose mother had TB, mortality was increased eightfold (HR 7.82, 95% CI 2.1 to 30). The risk of death was particularly increased from 6 months following exposure (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.2) and the highest rate of excess mortality was found in children aged 3-4 years. Excess mortality was highest among children with close contact with an adult with sputum-positive pulmonary TB (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.2), but contact with a sputum-negative case was also associated with increased mortality (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.3). Adjusting for potential confounding factors did not change these results. The mortality among children living in the same houses 3 years earlier was not increased (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.3). Conclusion Intimate family contact with a TB case represents a significant risk factor for child mortality in a low-income country

Facilitation and interference underlying the association between the woody invaders Pyracantha angustifolia and Ligustrum lucidum

Questions: 1. Is there any post-dispersal positive effect of the exotic shrub Pyracantha angustifolia on the success of Ligustrum lucidum seedlings, as compared to the effect of the native Condalia montana or the open herbaceous patches between shrubs? 2. Is the possible facilitation by Pyracantha and/or Condalia related to differential emergence, growth, or survival of Ligustrum seedlings under their canopies? Location: Córdoba, central Argentina. Methods: We designed three treatments, in which ten mature individuals of Pyracantha, ten of the dominant native shrub Condalia montana, and ten patches without shrub cover were involved. In each treatment we planted seeds and saplings of Ligustrum collected from nearby natural populations. Seedlings emerging from the planted seeds were harvested after one year to measure growth. Survival of the transplanted saplings was recorded every two month during a year. Half of the planted seeds and transplanted saplings were cage-protected from rodents. Results: Ligustrum seedling emergence did not differ among treatments while growth was significantly higher in the absence of shrub cover. Sapling survival was significantly higher under the canopy of Pyracantha, intermediate under Condalia, and lowest in the absence of shrub cover. Caging did not affect growth but enhanced seedling emergence and sapling survival. Conclusion: The differential sapling survival in the shrub canopy treatments is consistent with natural sapling distribution. Pyracantha and, less so, Condalia, has a nurse-plant effect on Ligustrum. This results from contrasting effects of the shrubs on different stages of the life cycle of Ligustrum: no effect on seedling emergence, negative on seedling growth, and positive on sapling survival. This suggests that efforts to control the expansion of Ligustrum over the landscape should tackle Pyracantha as well. © Opulus Press Uppsala.Fil: Tecco, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Gurvich, Diego Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Pérez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Cabido, Marcelo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Bertone, Gustavo Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentin

Clinical and laboratory data of the eight MDR-TB patients with positive Xpert MTB/RIF sputum and culture.

<p>Legend: *According to WHO criteria [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127536#pone.0127536.ref014" target="_blank">14</a>,<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0127536#pone.0127536.ref015" target="_blank">15</a>]; R, resistant; S, susceptible; INH, isoniazid; RIF, rifampin; ETB, etambutol; STR, streptomycin; PZA, pyrazinamide; AMK, amikacin; CAP, capreomycin; OFX, ofloxacin; RFB, rifabutin; ETH, ethionamide; PAS, paraaminosalicylic acid; MTBC, <i>M</i>. <i>tuberculosis</i> complex; TB, tuberculosis; DST, drug susceptibility testing; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus.</p><p>Clinical and laboratory data of the eight MDR-TB patients with positive Xpert MTB/RIF sputum and culture.</p