Conectar
by Francesco Di Gennaro, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Giacomo Guido, Mariacristina Poliseno, Laura De Santis, Alessandra Belati, Carmen Rita Santoro, Irene Francesca Bottalico, Carmen Pellegrino, Roberta Novara, Luisa Frallonardo, Mariangela Cormio, Michele Camporeale, Sergio Cotugno, Vincenzo Giliberti, Stefano Di Gregorio, Valentina Totaro, Nicola Catucci, Anna De Giosa, Roberta Giusto, Ilaria Viviana Lanera, Gioacchino Angarano, Sergio Lo Caputo, Annalisa Saracino
High School students, recognized as a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), were the focal point of an educational campaign in Southern Italy to share information and good practices about STIs and HIV/AIDS. A baseline survey comprising 76 items was conducted via the REDCap platform to assess students’ initial knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to STIs and HIV/AIDS. Sociodemographic variables were also investigated. The association between variables and KAP score was assessed by Kruskal-Wallis’ or Spearman’s test, as appropriate. An ordinal regression model was built to estimate the effect size, reported as odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), for achieving higher KAP scores among students features. On a scale of 0 to 29, 1702 participants achieved a median KAP score of 14 points. Higher scores were predominantly reported by students from classical High Schools (OR 3.19, 95% C.I. 1.60–6.33, pby Álvaro Huerta Ojeda, Emilio Jofré-Saldía, Jimena Arriagada Molina, Patricia Rojas Quinchavil, María Paz Parada Toledo, Sergio Galdames Maliqueo, María-Mercedes Yeomans-Cabrera, Carlos Jorquera-Aguilera, Frano Giakoni-Ramirez, Maximiliano Bravo
Functional autonomy (FA) is a critical factor in determining the quality of life of older adults (OA), especially in the case of older women (OW), as they face a decline in FA in their later years of life. FA should be assessed early, using valid, reliable, and low-cost tests. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of GDLAM and GDLAM autonomy index (GI) in OW. Thirty-nine OW (71.2 ± 6.50 years) participated in the study. A repeated measures design was used to compare the interday test-retest reliability of the five GDLAM tests (seconds) and the GI (points). The five tests represent activities of daily living, such as dressing or wandering around the house, while the GI provides a weighting of the results of the five tests. The analysis consisted of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and coefficient of variation (CV). A CV ≤ 10% and an ICC ≥ 0.80 were considered acceptable reliability, whereas a CV ≤ 5% and an ICC ≥ 0.90 were considered high reliability. The outcome of the five tests, represented by the GI, showed high interday test-retest reliability (CV = 6.00% and ICC = 0.91). The results of this study demonstrate that the five tests of the GDLAM protocol and the GI have high interday test-retest reliability and good interday reproducibility. From a practical point of view, the GDLAM protocol allows the assessment of FA of community-dwelling OW, providing background for early diagnosis and, with it, the possibility of developing an individualized physical exercise prescription.In over 50 years since the genetic counseling (GC) profession began, a systematic study of GC communication skills and patient-reported outcomes in actual sessions across multiple clinical specialties has never been conducted. To optimize GC quality and improve efficiency of care, the field must first be able to comprehensively measure GC skills and determine which skills are most critical to achieving positive patient experiences and outcomes. This study aims to characterise GC communication skills using a novel and pragmatic measure and link variations in communication skills to patient-reported outcomes, across clinical specialties and with patients from diverse backgrounds in the USA. Our community-engagement and provider-engagement approach is crucial to develop recommendations for quality, culturally informed GC care, which are greatly needed to improve GC practice.
A mixed methods, sequential explanatory design will be used to collect and analyze: audio-recorded GC sessions in cancer, cardiac, and prenatal/reproductive genetic indications; pre-visit and post-visit quantitative surveys capturing patient experiences and outcomes and post-visit qualitative interview data. A novel, practical checklist will measure GC communication skills. Coincidence analysis will identify patterns of GC skills that are consistent with high scores on patient-reported measures. Two-level, multilevel models will be used to evaluate how GC communication skills and other session/patient characteristics predict patient-reported outcomes. Four community advisory boards (CABs) and a genetic counselor advisory board will inform the study design and analysis.
This study has been approved by the single Institutional Review Board of the University of Minnesota. This research poses no greater than minimal risk to participants. Results from this study will be shared through national and international conferences and through community-based dissemination as guided by the study’s CABs. A lay summary will also be disseminated to all participants.
This study aims to reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) of statins and foster healthy lifestyle promotion in cardiovascular disease (CVD) primary prevention in low-risk patients. To this end, we will compare the effectiveness and feasibility of several de-implementation strategies developed following the structured design process of the Behaviour Change Wheel targeting key determinants of the clinical decision-making process in CVD prevention.
A cluster randomised implementation trial, with an additional control group, will be launched, involving family physicians (FPs) from 13 Integrated Healthcare Organisations (IHOs) of Osakidetza-Basque Health Service with non-zero incidence rates of PIP of statins in 2021. All FPs will be exposed to a non-reflective decision assistance strategy based on reminders and decision support tools. Additionally, FPs from two of the IHOs will be randomly assigned to one of two increasingly intensive de-implementation strategies: adding a decision information strategy based on knowledge dissemination and a reflective decision structure strategy through audit/feedback. The target population comprises women aged 45–74 years and men aged 40–74 years with moderately elevated cholesterol levels but no diagnosed CVD and low cardiovascular risk (REGICOR
The study was approved by the Basque Country Clinical Research Ethics Committee and was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04022850). Results will be disseminated in scientific peer-reviewed journals.
by Levi Matthies, Hendrik Amir-Kabirian, Medhanie T. Gebrekidan, Andreas S. Braeuer, Ulrike S. Speth, Ralf Smeets, Christian Hagel, Martin Gosau, Christian Knipfer, Reinhard E. Friedrich
In Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), peripheral nerve sheaths tumors are common, with cutaneous neurofibromas resulting in significant aesthetic, painful and functional problems requiring surgical removal. To date, determination of adequate surgical resection margins–complete tumor removal while attempting to preserve viable tissue–remains largely subjective. Thus, residual tumor extension beyond surgical margins or recurrence of the disease may frequently be observed. Here, we introduce Shifted-Excitation Raman Spectroscopy in combination with deep neural networks for the future perspective of objective, real-time diagnosis, and guided surgical ablation. The obtained results are validated through established histological methods. In this study, we evaluated the discrimination between cutaneous neurofibroma (n = 9) and adjacent physiological tissues (n = 25) in 34 surgical pathological specimens ex vivo at a total of 82 distinct measurement loci. Based on a convolutional neural network (U-Net), the mean raw Raman spectra (n = 8,200) were processed and refined, and afterwards the spectral peaks were assigned to their respective molecular origin. Principal component and linear discriminant analysis was used to discriminate cutaneous neurofibromas from physiological tissues with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 97.3%, and overall classification accuracy of 97.6%. The results enable the presented optical, non-invasive technique in combination with artificial intelligence as a promising candidate to ameliorate both, diagnosis and treatment of patients affected by cutaneous neurofibroma and NF1.Government guidance to manage COVID-19 was challenged by low levels of health and digital literacy and lack of information in different languages. ‘Covid Confidence’ sessions (CC-sessions) were evaluated to assess their effectiveness in counteracting misinformation and provide an alternative source of information about the pandemic.
We worked with community anchor organisations to co-ordinate online CC-sessions serving three economically deprived, ethnically mixed, neighbourhoods. We conducted a qualitative, participatory process evaluation, in tandem with the CC-sessions to explore whether a popular opinion leader/local champion model of health promotion could mobilise pandemic responses. Group discussions were supplemented by final interviews to assess changes in community capacity to mobilise.
Sheffield, England, September 2020 to November 2021.
Community leaders, workers and volunteers representing a variety of local organisations resulted in 314 attendances at CC-sessions. A group of local health experts helped organisations make sense of government information.
CC-sessions fostered cross-organisational relationships, which enabled rapid community responses. Community champions successfully adapted information to different groups. Listening, identifying individual concerns and providing practical support enabled people to make informed decisions on managing exposure and getting vaccinated. Some people were unable to comply with self-isolation due to overcrowded housing and the need to work. Communities drew on existing resources and networks.
CC-sessions promoted stronger links between community organisations which reduced mistrust of government information. In future, government efforts to manage pandemics should partner with communities to codesign and implement prevention and control measures.
Introducción: Las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles van en aumento, ocasionando discapacidad y dependencia en quien la padece, así como la necesidad de un cuidador. La cronicidad es un concepto que se ha analizado desde la mirada de la persona que la padece, dejando un vacío en la comprensión del significado para el cuidador.
Objetivo: comprender el significado de la cronicidad para las personas con Enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles y sus cuidadores informales.
Materiales y métodos: investigación cualitativa fenomenológica-hermenéutica según la propuesta de Van Manen, muestreo casual orientado por criterio, participaron 10 personas enfermas y 9 cuidadores. Los criterios de rigor de credibilidad y confirmabilidad, confiabilidad y la transferibilidad, garantizaron la calidad del estudio.
Resultados: emergieron los siguientes temas: Brindar y recibir cuidado como un acto de amor; unión de la familia; enfrentarse a la dureza; Recibir, brindar y buscar apoyo; Estar pendiente; Cambio de vida; Proceso de aprendizaje; una compañía para toda la vida; Imponer restricciones, limitaciones y pérdidas.
Conclusiones: el significado de la cronicidad para los cuidadores y las personas enfermas es complejo, dinámico y multidimensional; por lo tanto, es necesario realizar intervenciones que ayuden a mitigar el impacto que esta produce en la vida de este binomio.
Introducción: Las enfermeras han brindado cuidados a los pacientes con COVID-19, y muchas tuvieron que lidiar con este virus al ser infectadas. Objetivo: Describir las experiencias de las enfermeras en primera línea contagiadas con COVID-19 que recibieron atención domiciliaria. Método: Investigación cualitativa descriptiva, el tamaño de la muestra fue con 12 enfermeras infectadas con COVID-19 que recibieron tratamiento domiciliario en Chiclayo, Perú. El muestreo fue por la técnica de bola de nieve. Para recolectar los datos se utilizó la entrevista semiestructurada a través de los medios virtuales previo consentimiento informado. Resultados: Surgieron tres categorías: a) Incertidumbre ante modo de contagio, medios de diagnóstico, sintomatología y evolución por la COVID-19, b) Cuidados recuperativos en el hogar: tratamiento médico, uso de medicina tradicional y medidas de bioseguridad, y c) Impacto en la vida familiar, laboral, social, emocional y espiritual al sufrir de la COVID-19. Conclusiones: Las enfermeras presentaron síntomas leves de la COVID-19 y se recuperaron en su domicilio, cumplieron con el tratamiento médico, algunas usaron remedios caseros. Practicaron estrictamente las medidas de bioseguridad para evitar que su familia se contagie. Utilizaron la tecnología digital y reforzaron su fe para afrontar el impacto familiar, emocional y social.
Actualmente el fenómeno de la relación de la perdida significativa de un ser querido y el consumo excesivo de alcohol ha minimizado las implicaciones sobre mecanismos de afrontamientos para generar conductas saludables. Este artículo se basa en entrevistas semiestructuradas a profundidad en hombres de entre 30 y 70 años, miembros con más de 10 años de Alcohólicos Anónimos del Estado de Tamaulipas, México, con el objetivo de reflexionar y analizar sobre los significados de la relación de la pérdida significativa de un ser querido y el consumo de alcohol. En la búsqueda del significado, se explica que lo que en realidad es un factor que lleva al alcoholismo no es una sola pérdida significativa y no solo de personas queridas o cercanas, sino más bien un cumulo de pérdidas inmateriales que suceden sobre todo en los primeros años de vida. Por otro lado se reflejaron recursos limitados para afrontar las pérdidas que iban experimentando, es decir, vivieron los duelos de forma compleja, lo que los llevó a seguir dependientes del alcohol, sin embargo se observan aprendizajes y características de ser resilientes ante emociones negativas y conductas dependientes.
In recent decades, all-cause mortality has increased among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), influenced by factors such as aetiology, standards of care and access to kidney replacement therapies (dialysis and transplantation). The recent COVID-19 pandemic also affected mortality over the past few years. Here, we outline the protocol for a systematic review to investigate global temporal trends in all-cause mortality among patients with CKD at any stage from 1990 to current. We also aim to assess temporal trends in the mortality rate associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
We will conduct a systematic review of studies reporting mortality for patients with CKD following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We will search electronic databases, national and multiregional kidney registries and grey literature to identify observational studies that reported on mortality associated with any cause for patients with CKD of all ages with any stage of the disease. We will collect data between April and August 2023 to include all studies published from 1990 to August 2023. There will be no language restriction, and clinical trials will be excluded. Primary outcome will be temporal trends in CKD-related mortality. Secondary outcomes include assessing mortality differences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring causes of death and examining trends across CKD stages, country classifications, income levels and demographics.
A systematic review will analyse existing data from previously published studies and have no direct involvement with patient data. Thus, ethical approval is not required. Our findings will be published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences.
CRD42023416084.
The aim of the study was to investigate the mediating effect of patient-reported missed care in the relationship between care dependency, adverse events, trust in nurses and satisfaction with nursing care.
A cross-sectional and correlational study.
A total of 374 patients were recruited from the medical and surgical inpatient units of two public university hospitals in Türkiye using a convenience sampling method from May to August 2022. The data were collected using the Care Dependency Scale, MISSCARE Survey-Patient, Trust in Nurses Scale and Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale. The relationships between the variables were analysed using a sequential mediation model (Model 6) in Hayes' PROCESS macro.
Care dependency was found to have a significant negative effect on misscare-communication; however, it had no significant effect on misscare-basic care. Misscare-communication had a significant positive effect on the experience of adverse events, while misscare-basic care had no significant effect. Misscare-communication and basic care had a significant negative effect on trust in nurses and satisfaction with nursing care. Misscare-communication was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between care dependency and experiencing adverse events, trust in nurses and satisfaction with nursing care.
The results emphasize the importance of misscare-basic care, communication and patients' care dependency in improving patient outcomes such as experiencing adverse events, trust in nurses and satisfaction with nursing care, and they extend existing nursing studies by addressing missed care and care dependency together from the perspective of patients.
We urge nurse managers to consider the role of misscare in the impact of patients' level of care dependency on patient outcomes. Accordingly, nurse managers should focus first on interventions to eliminate misscare-communication. Effective interventions to address factors that impact communication and fulfilment of basic care are necessary to achieve better patient outcomes.
EQUATOR guidelines were followed using the STROBE reporting method.
No patient or public contribution. Patients only contributed to data collection. Data were obtained from patients hospitalized in the medical and surgical inpatient units of two public university hospitals.
New Zealand is one of the last high-income countries in the world experiencing significant rates of rheumatic fever. Nurses play a crucial role in rheumatic fever prevention; however, little is understood as to how nurses can best achieve this.
To explore nursing practices that optimise rheumatic fever prevention.
An integrative review.
Four electronic databases (CINAHL, SCOPUS, Medline via, and Ovid) were searched for peer-reviewed empirical articles published from 2013 to 2023. Grey literature (guidelines/reports) was also sourced. Critical appraisal was applied using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tools and the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal checklist. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101, thematic analysis method was used to generate themes.
Seven research articles and three national reports were included. Four themes—in-depth nursing knowledge and improving prophylaxis adherence, cultural competency, and therapeutic nurse–patient relationships—were found.
While nursing knowledge and ways to improve injection adherence are essential, being culturally receptive and developing therapeutic relationships are equally important. Without strong and trusting relationships, it is difficult to deliver care required for prevention success.
When working with vulnerable populations it is important to be culturally receptive in all interactions with patients and their families.
New Zealand has high rates of rheumatic fever, especially among vulnerable populations such as Pacific Islanders and Māori. Nurses are often frontline primary care providers who, when skilled with the right tools, can help reduce the prevalence of this disease.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis flow chart.
No Patient or Public Contribution was required for this research.
To explore parents' experiences of unsettled babies and medical labels.
Qualitative systematic review, thematic synthesis and development of a conceptual model.
Systematic review and thematic synthesis of primary, qualitative research into parents' experiences of unsettled babies <12 months of age. ‘Unsettled’ was defined as perception of excessive crying with additional feature(s) such as vomiting, skin or stool problems. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist was used to assess trustworthiness.
Structured searches completed in CINAHL, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO and CochraneCT on 23 March 2022 and rerun on 14 April 2023.
Ten eligible studies were included across eight countries contributing data from 103 mothers and 24 fathers. Two analytical themes and eight descriptive themes were developed.
Firstly, parents expressed fearing judgement, feeling guilty and out of control as a result of babies' unsettled symptoms and seeking strategies to construct an ‘Identity as a “Good Parent”’.
This desire for positive parenting identity underpinned the second analytical theme ‘Searching for an explanation’ which included seeking external (medical) causes for babies' unsettled behaviours.
Parents can become trapped in a cycle of ‘searching for an explanation’ for their baby's unsettled behaviours, experiencing considerable distress which is exacerbated by feelings of guilt and failure.
Insight gained from this review could inform interventions to support parents, reducing inaccurate medicalization.
Health visiting teams supporting parents with unsettled baby behaviour could focus on supporting a positive parenting identity by managing expectations, normalizing the continuum of infant behaviours, reducing feelings of guilt or uncertainty and helping parents regain a feeling of control.
ENTREQ guidelines were adhered to in the reporting of this review.
Parent input was crucial in the design phase; shaping the language used (e.g., ‘unsettled babies’) and in the analysis sense-checking findings.
To characterise subphenotypes of self-reported symptoms and outcomes (SRSOs) in postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
Prospective, observational cohort study of subjects with PASC.
Academic tertiary centre from five clinical referral sources.
Adults with COVID-19 ≥20 days before enrolment and presence of any new self-reported symptoms following COVID-19.
We collected data on clinical variables and SRSOs via structured telephone interviews and performed standardised assessments with validated clinical numerical scales to capture psychological symptoms, neurocognitive functioning and cardiopulmonary function. We collected saliva and stool samples for quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA via quantitative PCR.
Description of PASC SRSOs burden and duration, derivation of distinct PASC subphenotypes via latent class analysis (LCA) and relationship with viral load.
We analysed baseline data for 214 individuals with a study visit at a median of 197.5 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. Participants reported ever having a median of 9/16 symptoms (IQR 6–11) after acute COVID-19, with muscle-aches, dyspnoea and headache being the most common. Fatigue, cognitive impairment and dyspnoea were experienced for a longer time. Participants had a lower burden of active symptoms (median 3 (1–6)) than those ever experienced (p
We identified three distinct PASC subphenotypes. We highlight that although most symptoms progressively resolve, specific PASC subpopulations are impacted by either high burden of constitutional symptoms or persistent olfactory/gustatory dysfunction, requiring prospective identification and targeted preventive or therapeutic interventions.
The utility and uptake of pain management interventions across intensive care settings is inconsistent. A rapid realist review was conducted to synthesise the evidence for the purpose of theory building and refinement.
A five-step iterative process was employed to develop project scope/ research questions, collate evidence, appraise literature, synthesise evidence and interpret information from data sources.
Realist synthesis method was employed to systematically review literature for developing a programme theory.
Initial searches were undertaken in three electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINHAL and OVID. The review was supplemented with key articles from bibliographic search of identified articles. The first 200 hits from Google Scholar were screened.
Three action-oriented themes emerged as integral to successful implementation of pain management interventions. These included health facility actions, unit/team leader actions and individual nurses' actions.
Pain assessment interventions are influenced by a constellation of factors which trigger mechanisms yielding effective implementation outcomes.
The results have implications on policy makers, health organisations, nursing teams and nurses concerned with optimising the successful implementation of pain management interventions.
The review enabled formation of a programme theory concerned with explaining how to effectively implement pain management interventions in intensive care.
This review was informed by RAMESES publication standards for realist synthesis.
No patient or public contribution.
The study protocol was registered in Open Science Framework.
To explore parents' perceptions/experiences of help-seeking for unsettled baby behaviours, including views and experiences of obtaining advice from primary healthcare professionals.
Semi-structured qualitative interviews.
Recruitment occurred via social media, general practice and health visiting teams. Remote semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of babies. Babies were under 12 months old at time of interview, and parents had perceived unsettled baby behaviours in their first 4 months of life. Interviews were transcribed and data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Based on interviews with 25 mothers, four main themes were developed. ‘The need for answers’ highlighted parental uncertainty about what constitutes normal baby behaviour, leading to help-seeking from multiple sources. ‘The importance of health professionals’ and ‘Experiencing health professional support’ identified perceptions about limited access, communication, mixed advice and how these influenced parental perception/management of behaviours. ‘Foundations to help-seeking’ highlighted important roles of social support and online help for valued shared experiences, emotional and practical support.
Health professional access and advice are important to parents, despite the increasing role of online help and importance of social support. More support and improved access to reliable sources of information is needed for parents.
Findings will inform future research and clinical practice to address parental uncertainties. Qualitative research with front-line health professionals is necessary.
Findings can inform the development of resources to support professionals/families managing unsettled babies.
Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research.
A public contributor was involved throughout all stages of the research. Emerging findings were discussed at a parent group.
Addressing parental uncertainties is important; about what is normal, non-pharmacological approaches and when pharmacological intervention is required. A digital information/self-management intervention may be useful for parents/clinicians.
by Afsoon Dadvar, Melika Jameie, Mehdi Azizmohammad Looha, Mohammadamin Parsaei, Meysam Zeynali Bujani, Mobina Amanollahi, Mahsa Babaei, Alireza Khosravi, Hamed Amirifard
ObjectivesCaffeine’s potential benefits on multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as on the ambulatory performance of non-MS populations, prompted us to evaluate its potential effects on balance, mobility, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) of persons with MS (PwMS).
MethodsThis single-arm pilot clinical trial consisted of a 2-week placebo run-in and a 12-week caffeine treatment (200 mg/day) stage. The changes in outcome measures during the study period (weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12) were evaluated using the Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE). The outcome measures were the 12-item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS-12) for self-reported ambulatory disability, Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for static and dynamic balance, Timed Up and Go (TUG) for dynamic balance and functional mobility, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) for patient’s perspective on MS-related QoL (MS-QoL), and Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC) for subjective assessment of treatment efficacy. GEE was also used to evaluate age and sex effect on the outcome measures over time. (Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT2017012332142N1).
ResultsThirty PwMS were included (age: 38.89 ± 9.85, female: 76.7%). Daily caffeine consumption significantly improved the objective measures of balance and functional mobility (BBS; P-value Conclusions
Caffeine may enhance balance, functional mobility, and QoL in PwMS. Being male was associated with a sharper increase in self-reported ambulatory disability over time. The effects of aging on balance get more pronounced over time.
Trial registrationThis study was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (Registration number: IRCT2017012332142N1), a Primary Registry in the WHO Registry Network.
by Abdou Fatawou Modiyinji, Lange Tchamba Amorgathe Tankeu, Chavely Gwladys Monamele, Moise Henri Yifomnjou Moumbeket, Paul Alain Tagnouokam Ngoupo, Huguette Tchetgna Simo, Abanda Njei Ngu, Kazanji Mirdad, Richard Njouom
BackgroundFebrile jaundice is a common indicator of certain infectious diseases, including hepatitis E. In Cameroon, the yellow fever virus is the only pathogen that is monitored in patients who present with this symptom. However, more than 90% of the samples received as part of this surveillance are negative for yellow fever. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype among yellow fever-negative patients in the Far North and West regions of Cameroon.
MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, yellow fever surveillance-negative samples collected between January 2021 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies were tested using commercially available ELISA kits. Anti-HEV IgM and/or IgG positive samples were tested for HEV RNA by real-time RT-PCR, followed by nested RT-PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
ResultsOverall, 121 of the 543 samples (22.3%, 95% CI: 19.0% - 26.0%) were positive for at least one anti-HEV marker. Amongst these, 8.1% (44/543) were positive for anti-HEV IgM, 5.9% (32/543) for anti-HEV IgG, and 8.3% (45/544) for both markers. A total of 15.2% (12/79) samples were positive for HEV RNA real-time RT-PCR and 8 samples were positive for HEV RNA by nested RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the retrieved sequences clustered within HEV genotypes/subtypes 1/1e, 3/3f and 4/4b.
ConclusionOur results showed that HEV is one of the causes of acute febrile jaundice in patients enrolled in the yellow fever surveillance program in two regions of Cameroon. We described the circulation of three HEV genotypes, including two zoonotic genotypes. Further studies will be important to elucidate the transmission routes of these zoonotic HEV genotypes to humans in Cameroon.
FreshRSS 