Clostridium difficile infections among adults and children in Mwanza/Tanzania: is it an underappreciated pathogen among immunocompromised patients in sub-Saharan Africa?

Little is known regarding the epidemiology Clostridium difficile in developing countries. Fresh stool samples from patients with diarrhoea were cultured anaerobically. C. difficile was detected in nine (6.4%) of 141 (95% confidence interval 4.2–13.1), of which seven (77.8%) were from children. HIV infection, prolonged hospitalization and antibiotic use were independent factors associated with the occurrence of C. difficile in the gastrointestinal tract. Two of the toxigenic isolates were typed as ribotype 045, and the other two had unknown ribotype. All C. difficile isolates were susceptible to metronidazole, moxifloxacin and clarithromycin, while three isolates were resistant to clarithromycin. C. difficile may be an important pathogen causing diarrhoea in sub-Saharan Africa among immunocompromised patients

Predictors of Toxoplasma gondii IgG Seropositivity and Cranial Ultrasound Patterns among Children with Hydrocephalus

Background. Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy is associated with serious neonatal complications, including hydrocephalus. In many high-income countries, T. gondii screening and treatment during the antenatal period are routinely carried out to prevent associated complications, whereas in most low-income countries, there is no routine screening of T. gondii during pregnancy. Despite the parasite being common in Tanzania, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence of T. gondii and cranial ultrasound patterns among children with hydrocephalus. Methods. An analytical cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 125 infants with hydrocephalus attending the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) was conducted between May 2017 and February 2018. Sociodemographic and other relevant information was collected using a pretested data collection tool. Venous blood samples were collected, and sera were used for the detection of specific T. gondii antibodies by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as per manufacturer’s instructions. Data were analysed using STATA version 13 software. Results. The mean age of enrolled children was 4.8±3.5 months. Out of 125 infants with hydrocephalus, 29 (23.2%, 95% CI: 21-36) were seropositive for T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies. By multiple generalized linear model analysis, being male (aRR=1.1, 95% CI: 0.9–1.5, p=0.049), higher birth order (aRR=1.2, 95% CI: 1.0–1.5, p=0.023), consumption of fish meat (aRR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.3, p=0.003), and using other methods of cooking meat than boiling (aRR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.5, p=0.015) were independent risk factors for T. gondii IgG seropositivity. Obstructive hydrocephalus was significantly more common among T. gondii-seronegative infants compared to IgG-seropositive infants (31.3% [30/96] vs. 13.8% [4/29]; p=0.049). Conclusions. A significant proportion of infants with nonobstructive hydrocephalus are T. gondii IgG seropositive, and this is predicted by male gender, increase of birth order, consuming fish, and using other methods of cooking meat than boiling. These facts highlight the importance of continuing health education for pregnant women regarding T. gondii transmission and the need to follow-up their infants so that appropriate counselling and management can be provided

Schistosomiasis and HIV-1 viral load in HIV-infected outpatients with immunological failure in Tanzania: a case-control study

Host-parasite interactio