BACKGROUND In northern Ethiopia the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis is steadily rising posing an increasing public health concern. In order to develop effective control strategies on the transmission of the disease it is important to generate knowledge on the epidemiological determinants of the infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We conducted a cross-sectional survey on children 4-...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of the leishmaniases poses enormous challenges in Argentina. The Polymorphism-Specific PCR (PS-PCR) designed and validated in our laboratories has been proven effective for typifying the Leishmania genus from cultured material. Here we evaluated the performance of this method in the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and the rapid identification of Le...

BACKGROUND In the Indian subcontinent, about 200 million people are at risk of developing visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In 2005, the governments of India, Nepal and Bangladesh started the first regional VL elimination program with the aim to reduce the annual incidence to less than 1 per 10,000 by 2015. A mathematical model was developed to support this elimination program with basic quantificat...

BACKGROUND In human leishmaniasis Th1/Th2 dichotomy similar to murine model is not clearly defined and surrogate marker(s) of protection is not yet known. In this study, Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-5, IL-10, IL-13 and IFN-γ) profile induced by purified CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in response to Leishmania antigens were assessed at transcript and protein levels in 14 volunteers with a history of self-healin...

BACKGROUND Sand fly saliva compounds are able to elicit specific immune responses that have a significant role in Leishmania parasite establishment and disease outcome. Characterizing anti-saliva immune responses in individuals living in well defined leishmaniasis endemic areas would provide valuable insights regarding their effect on parasite transmission and establishment in humans. METHODO...

Historically the western sahelian dry regions of Mali are known to be highly endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major, while cases are rarely reported from the Southern savanna forest of the country. Here, we report baseline prevalence of CL infection in 3 ecologically distinct districts of Mali (dry sahelian, north savanna and southern savanna forest areas). We scree...

purpose judo is a complex sport where different anthropological parameters determine performance. judo, as a sport is not well known in india. there is evident lack of data concerning the anthropological determinants of judo players. this study was conducted to determine the anthropometric profile and special judo fitness levels of judokas. methods this cross sectional study was conducted on 31...

fractional exhaled nitric oxide (feno) has been suggested as a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation, which is increased in atopic subjects. whether sensitization to particular allergens is a predictive factor for increased feno levels is not yet fully understood. we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study. from october to december in 2015, the medical documents of 127 mild, ste...