Eric Fèvre and colleagues review current knowledge on the burden of HAT in sub- Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on data sources and methodological issues relating to the use of the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) as a metric for assessing the burden of this disease.
Francesco Checchi and colleagues consider the potential existence and relevance of human trypano-tolerance and explore the duration of infectiousness, through a review of published evidence on the natural progression of gambiense HAT in the absence of treatment.
Image credit: CDC
Researchers show that upon Leishmania infection, the host protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 is able to rapidly bind to and inactivate a critical kinase. This regulatory binding is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved motif, which is also present in other kinases involved in Toll signaling.
The authors demonstrate a three-part clinical scale to measure the severity of Type 1 reactions, an important complication of leprosy that can result in nerve damage and lead to disability and deformity.
Rachel Pullan and colleagues describe spatial patterns and risk factors for co-infection with Necator americanus and Schistosoma mansoni in a co-endemic area in south-eastern Brazil, and show that factors associated with lower socioeconomic status and residential environment are significantly associated with the risk of co-infection relative to being uninfected with either species.
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