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Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory effects that may provide protection against unrelated infectious diseases. We aimed to determine whether BCG vaccination protects adults against COVID-19.
This study adapts the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to explore why COVID-19 vaccine mandates were applied at sectoral and subnational levels in Vietnam while the central government maintained that vaccination was voluntary. Document analysis reveals that these mandates arose from the effective coupling of the three streams—problem, policy, and politics—in a setting of authoritarian rule, where the streams function differently (and more uniformly) compared to democratic contexts.
Meningitis remains the leading infectious cause of neurological disabilities globally, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years and populations in the African meningitis belt. Whereas previous global estimates focused on ten pathogen categories, this study presents the most comprehensive analysis to date, assessing the meningitis burden attributable to 17 causative pathogens based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 framework.
Malaria imposes a significant global health burden and remains a major cause of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In many countries, malaria transmission varies seasonally. The use of seasonally-deployed interventions is expanding, and the effectiveness of these control measures hinges on quantitative and geographically-specific characterisations of malaria seasonality.
Acute rheumatic fever is a preventable condition that can lead to chronic illness and early death. Standard prevention with 4-weekly intramuscular (IM) benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections for ≥10 years may be associated with poor adherence. High-dose 10-weekly subcutaneous penicillin injections (SCIP) may improve adherence by reducing injection frequency.
The transmission of Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) through respiratory droplets has been considered the dominant mode of transmission to date; however, little is known about the relative contribution of other modes of transmission. This review systematically summarises the contemporary evidence regarding the transmission of Strep A.
Type 1 interferons (T1IFNs) are typically expressed in low concentrations under homeostatic conditions, but upon pathogenic insult or perturbation of the pathway, these critical immune signaling molecules can become either protectors from or drivers of pathology. While essential for initiating antiviral defense and modulating inflammation, dysregulation of T1IFN signaling can contribute to immunopathology, making it and its associated pathways prime targets for immune evasion and disruption by pathogens.
Managing bronchiectasis exacerbations is a priority for patients, parents, and caregivers of children with bronchiectasis. However, evidence-based strategies among the pediatric population remain limited.
There is growing evidence to support partial oral antibiotic treatment of severe infections such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, but clinical practice is slow to adopt this paradigm. We know little about how patients with severe infection experience and perceive intravenous and oral antibiotics in terms of quality of life and clinical effectiveness. We performed a qualitative study to elicit patients' views on treatment with intravenous and oral antibiotics, aiming to provide insights that could inform collaborative treatment decision-making.
Estimating the temporal trends in infectious disease activity is crucial for monitoring disease spread and the impact of interventions. Surveillance indicators routinely collected to monitor these trends are often a composite of multiple pathogens. For example, "influenza-like illness"-routinely monitored as a proxy for influenza infections-is a symptom definition that could be caused by a wide range of pathogens, including multiple subtypes of influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV.