Malaria is a cause of iron deficiency in African children

Malaria and iron deficiency (ID) are common and interrelated public health problems in African children. Observational data suggest that interrupting malaria transmission reduces the prevalence of ID1. To test the hypothesis that malaria might cause ID, we used sickle cell trait (HbAS, rs334), a genetic variant that confers specific protection against malaria2, as an instrumental variable in Mendelian randomization analyses. HbAS was associated with a 30% reduction in ID among children living in malaria-endemic countries in Africa (n = 7,453), but not among individuals living in malaria-free areas (n = 3,818). Genetically predicted malaria risk was associated with an odds ratio of 2.65 for ID per unit increase in the log incidence rate of malaria. This suggests that an intervention that halves the risk of malaria episodes would reduce the prevalence of ID in African children by 49%

Diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in children at a district hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in children is difficult in sub-Saharan Africa, because the clinical features overlap with those of other common diseases, and laboratory facilities are inadequate in many areas. We have assessed the value of non-laboratory tests and incomplete laboratory data in diagnosing childhood acute bacterial meningitis in this setting. METHODS: We prospectively studied 905 children undergoing lumbar puncture at a rural district hospital in Kenya over 1 year. We related microbiological findings and cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) laboratory measurements to tests that would typically be available at such a hospital. FINDINGS: Acute bacterial meningitis was proven in 45 children (5.0% [95% CI 3.7-6.6]) and probable in 26 (2.9% [1.9-4.2]). 21 of the 71 cases of proven or probable acute bacterial meningitis had neither neck stiffness nor turbid CSF. In eight of 45 children with proven disease the CSF leucocyte count was less than 10x10(6)/L or leucocyte counting was not possible because of blood-staining. The presence of either a leucocyte count of 50x10(6)/L or more or a CSF/blood glucose ratio of 0.10 or less detected all but two of the 45 children with proven acute bacterial meningitis; these two samples were grossly blood-stained. INTERPRETATION: The diagnosis of childhood acute bacterial meningitis is likely to be missed in a third of cases at district hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa without adequate and reliable laboratory resources. CSF culture facilities are expensive and difficult to maintain, and greater gains could be achieved with facilities for accurate leucocyte counting and glucose measurement

Systematic review of the performance and clinical utility of point of care HIV-1 RNA testing for diagnosis and care

Background Point of-care (POC) HIV-1 RNA tests which are accurate and easy to use with limited infrastructure are needed in resource-limited settings (RLS). We systematically reviewed evidence of POC test performance compared to laboratory-based HIV-1 RNA assays and the potential utility of these tests for diagnosis and care in RLS. Methods Studies published up to July 2018 were identified by a search of PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Studies evaluating the use of POC HIV-1 RNA testing for early infant diagnosis (EID), acute HIV infection (AHI) diagnosis, or viral load monitoring (VL), compared to centralized testing, were included. Separate search strategies were used for each testing objective. Results 197 abstracts were screened and 34 full-text articles were assessed, of which 32 met inclusion criteria. Thirty studies evaluated performance and diagnostic accuracy of POC tests compared to standard reference tests. Two of the thirty and two additional studies with no comparative testing reported on clinical utility of POC results. Five different POC tests (Cepheid GeneXpert HIV-1 Quantitative and Qualitative assays, Alere q HIV‐1/2 Detect, SAMBA, Liat HIV Quant and Aptima HIV‐1 Quant) were used in 21 studies of VL, 11 of EID and 2 of AHI. POC tests were easy to use, had rapid turnaround times, and comparable accuracy and precision to reference technologies. Sensitivity and specificity were high for EID and AHI but lower for VL. For VL, lower sensitivity was reported for whole blood and dried blood spots compared to plasma samples. Reported error rates for Cepheid GeneXpert Qual (2.0%-5.0%), GeneXpert Quant (2.5%-17.0%) and Alere q HIV‐1/2 Detect (3.1%-11.0%) were higher than in WHO prequalification reports. Most errors resolved with retesting; however, inadequate sample volumes often precluded repeat testing. Only two studies used POC results for clinical management, one for EID and another for VL. POC EID resulted in shorter time-to-result, rapid ART initiation, and better retention in care compared to centralised testing. Conclusions Performance of POC HIV-1 RNA tests is comparable to reference assays, and have potential to improve patient outcomes. Additional studies on implementation in limited-resources settings are needed

Malaria is a cause of iron deficiency in African children

Malaria and iron deficiency (ID) are common and interrelated public health problems in African children. Observational data suggest that interrupting malaria transmission reduces the prevalence of ID1. To test the hypothesis that malaria might cause ID, we used sickle cell trait (HbAS, rs334), a genetic variant that confers specific protection against malaria2, as an instrumental variable in Mendelian randomization analyses. HbAS was associated with a 30% reduction in ID among children living in malaria-endemic countries in Africa (n = 7,453), but not among individuals living in malaria-free areas (n = 3,818). Genetically predicted malaria risk was associated with an odds ratio of 2.65 for ID per unit increase in the log incidence rate of malaria. This suggests that an intervention that halves the risk of malaria episodes would reduce the prevalence of ID in African children by 49%