Publisher Correction: Comparison of platforms for testing antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis antigens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Togo.

The Acknowledgements section in the original version of this Article was incomplete. It now reads: “The surveys in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were generously supported by the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) via its ENVISION project (cooperative agreement number OAA-A-11-00048) and Act to End NTDs | East program (cooperative agreement No. 7200AA18CA00040), implemented by RTI International. The surveys and activities in the Togolese Republic were generously supported by the American People through the USAID via its End Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa project (cooperative agreement number AID-OAA-A-10-00050), managed by FHI 360. Laboratory work at CDC was funded through an interagency agreement with USAID. Disclaimer: The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the views, decisions or policies of the institutions with which they are affiliated. The authors declare no competing interests.

Comparison of platforms for testing antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis antigens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Togo.

Trachoma, caused by repeated ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), is targeted for elimination as a public health problem. Serological testing for antibodies is promising for surveillance; determining useful thresholds will require collection of serological data from settings with different prevalence of the indicator trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF). Dried blood spots were collected during trachoma mapping in two districts each of Togo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Anti-Ct antibodies were detected by multiplex bead assay (MBA) and three different lateral flow assays (LFA) and seroprevalence and seroconversion rate (SCR) were determined. By most tests, the district with > 5% TF (the elimination threshold) had five-sixfold higher seroprevalence and tenfold higher SCR than districts with < 5% TF. The agreement between LFA and MBA was improved using a black latex developing reagent. These data show optimization of antibody tests against Ct to better differentiate districts above or below trachoma elimination thresholds

Mapping of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases across 15 provinces of Angola.

IntroductionSchistosomiasis (SCH) and soil transmitted helminthiases (STH) have been historically recognized as a major public health problem in Angola. However, lack of reliable, country wide prevalence data on these diseases has been a major hurdle to plan and implement programme actions to target these diseases. This study aimed to characterize SCH and STH prevalence and distribution in Angola.MethodsA country wide mapping was conducted in October 2018 (1 province) and from July to December 2019 (14 provinces) in school aged (SAC) children in 15 (of 18) provinces in Angola, using WHO protocols and procedures. A total of 640 schools and an average of 50 students per school (N = 31,938 children) were sampled. Stool and urine samples were collected and processed using the Kato-Katz method and Urine Filtration. Prevalence estimates for SCH and STH infections were calculated for each province and district with 95% confidence intervals. Factors associated with SCH and STH infection, respectively, were explored using multivariable logistic regression accounting for clustering by school.ResultsOf the 131 districts surveyed, 112 (85.5%) are endemic for STH, 30 (22.9%) have a prevalence above 50%, 24 (18.3%) are at moderate risk (prevalence 20%-50%), and 58 (44.3%) are at low risk (50% prevalence), 59 (45.0%) are at moderate risk (10%-50% prevalence), and 57 (43.5%) are at low risk (ConclusionsThis mapping exercise provides essential information to Ministry of Health in Angola to accurately plan and implement SCH and STH control activities in the upcoming years. Data also provides a useful baseline contribution for Angola to track its progress towards the 2030 NTD roadmap targets set by WHO

High Prevalence of <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> in Six Health Areas of – Kasansa Health Zone, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Short Report

<div><p>School-aged children suffer the most from schistosomiasis infection in sub Saharan Africa due to poverty and limited sanitary conditions. Mapping of disease burden is recommended and there is a need of updating prevalence data which is as old as 20 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An epidemiological and parasitological study was carried out in 2011 in the health zone of Kasansa. Six health areas (HA) were included in the study. In each health area, one primary school was selected. School-aged children were screened for <i>S. mansoni</i> infection using parallel Kato-Katz and direct microscopy techniques. A total of 335 school-aged children were screened. The average prevalence was 82.7% and ranged between 59.5–94.9%. Four of the six HAs had a prevalence level over 91%. Of all infected children, about half 112 (43.2%) had light parasite density. These results demonstrate that <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> infection is a bigger problem than anticipated and there is an urgent need to implement effective control measures.</p></div

Prevalence of <i>S. mansoni</i> in the six health areas of Kasansa health zone.

<p>Prevalence of <i>S. mansoni</i> in the six health areas of Kasansa health zone.</p

Democratic Republic of the Congo, the province of Kasaï Oriental is highlighted.

<p>Democratic Republic of the Congo, the province of Kasaï Oriental is highlighted.</p