The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

BackgroundKeerom Regency remains one of the high-malaria-endemic regencies in Indonesia. Despite the accelerated malaria elimination strategy underway in Papua, malaria transmission in this regency has not declined. To characterize the entomological and human behavioral factors sustaining and driving malaria transmission, a rapid entomological assessment paired with human behavior observations (HBOs) and household surveys was conducted in five villages of Keerom Regency. MethodsEntomological su...

BackgroundFollowing three rounds of successful Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) implementation in the district of Sakassou (Cote dIvoire), IRS was withdrawn and replaced by insecticide treated nets (ITNs). This study evaluated the entomological and epidemiological impacts of Interceptor (IG2) ITNs distributed in Sakassou, to determine if the protection offered by IG2 nets was adequate to suppress malaria transmission post IRS withdrawal. MethodsThe Vector Control Optimization Model (VCOM) was ada...

The Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moshkovskii complex comprises morphologically indistinguishable species, making accurate diagnosis difficult and leading to overestimations in amebiasis prevalence. This study aimed to establish a sensitive and specific molecular method to differentiate these species in human fecal samples from Coyaima, Tolima, Colombia. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene was developed and optimized under various amplificat...

Shigellosis remains underdiagnosed due to the lack of rapid, reliable diagnostics. Although Shigella spp. is known for causing dysentery, over 50% of Shigella-associated cases are watery diarrhea. Identifying and treating these cases of watery diarrhea caused by Shigella could be lifesaving, which would require a point-of-care (POC) Shigella test. Evidence-based treatment could also reduce the overuse of antibiotics. We evaluated the feasibility and applicability of the Rapid LAMP-based Diagnost...

IntroductionNeglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) comprises over 20 preventable infectious illness that disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Although national control initiatives have expanded since 2013, evidence on recent national and subnational burden trends remains limited. This study aimed to assess trends in mortality and disability-adjusted life years attributable to neglected tropical diseases in Ethiopia at national and subnational level from ...

The relationship between malaria entomological indices and epidemiological outcomes remains poorly understood at local scales in western Kenya, limiting evidence-based surveillance strategies. This study evaluated associations between vector densities, entomological inoculation rates (EIR), human biting rates (HBR), and malaria test positivity rates in a high-transmission setting. The study was conducted in five villages within Teso South sub-County, Busia County, Kenya, from March to June 2021....

BackgroundPlasmodium vivax (P. vivax) has emerged as the primary cause of malaria in Cambodia. Achieving malaria elimination and securing malaria-free certification requires a focused effort on addressing P. vivax malaria. This is essential because the elimination of P. vivax often lags behind that of Plasmodium falciparum, making it a critical component in the overall strategy. This study assesses the feasibility of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) and P. vivax Serological Testing and Treatme...

BackgroundSpatial emanators disrupt mosquito behaviour by inducing movement away from chemical stimuli and interfering with host detection and feeding. These tools were recently endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for malaria control, based largely on clinical evidence from East Africa. Mosquito ShieldTM is a passive, transfluthrin-based emanator designed to provide month-long protection in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. This study evaluated its entomological efficacy under experi...

BackgroundMalaria during pregnancy contributes to maternal anemia and adverse birth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed seasonal malaria burden among pregnant women in Cape Coast, Ghana, during 2019-2021. MethodsRetrospective surveillance analysis of pregnant women attending Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. Malaria was diagnosed by microscopy, and hemoglobin levels were measured. Seasonal trends and demographic characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squa...

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) remain a significant public health burden worldwide. This study aimed to survey mosquito breeding sites and assess larval distribution within the Sunyani Municipality, Bono Region, Ghana, to understand their potential contribution to disease transmission. A survey of mosquito breeding sites and larval sampling was conducted using a simple random sampling technique during the dry season (December 2019 to February 2020). Daily inspections of habitats were carried ou...

BackgroundIrregular migration across Central America and Mexico has increased in recent years, exposing migrants to various health risks, including vector-borne diseases such as leishmaniasis. The migration corridor from South America, through the Darien Gap, to northern Mexico traverses multiple leishmaniasis-endemic regions with active Leishmania spp. transmission, where environmental exposure during migrants transit may increase the risk of infection. Methodology / Principal FindingsFrom 202...

BackgroundDengue fever, one of the most widespread mosquito-borne diseases, declined markedly during the early COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and reduced mobility. However, the sharp resurgence in 2023 raised concerns about the long-term epidemiological effects of pandemic-era measures. This study examines the sustained impact of COVID-19 public health policies on dengue transmission across seven high-burden countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America. MethodsMonthly dengue cases and COVI...

BackgroundIrrational use of antibiotics is a major factor in antibiotic resistance and poor patient outcomes. Globally, 50% of antibiotics are prescribed inappropriately, in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, antimicrobial resistance was linked to approximately 1.27 million deaths in 2019, mainly due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics. In this study, we collected data to understand the prescribing patterns and factors associated with irrational antibiotic use among hospitalized patients. Methodolo...

The World Health Organization recommends biannual azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) to infants aged 1-11 months to reduce mortality, following promising results from trials in West Africa. High coverage seen in well-resourced trials may decline as the intervention transitions to a real-world program. As a result, the most vulnerable children facing the highest risk of mortality may be missed. We aimed to identify predictors of non-participation in an azithromycin MDA program to inform ...

Malaria remains the most significant vector-borne disease worldwide, with over 200 million cases reported annually, causing approximately 0.6 million deaths among children and pregnant women. In Pakistan, particularly in the southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, malaria continues to pose a major public health challenge. This study aimed to determine the monthly prevalence of malaria parasites in the population of Dera Ismail Khan and to identify the patterns of parasite transmission. A retrosp...

BackgroundMalaria, transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, where approximately 97% of the population is at risk. Despite large-scale investments, Nigeria continues to bear the worlds highest malaria burden. Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are central to prevention, yet their effectiveness is increasingly undermined by non-usage, delayed replacement, and growing outdoor biting activity. National surveys (MIS, PMI) consistently report ...

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing a disproportionate burden. Community-level antibiotic dispensing practices remain poorly described in Kenya outside Nairobi. MethodsA total of 504 antibiotic dispensing events were prospectively recorded across 22 community pharmacies in Kakamega County, western Kenya, between 3rd and 22nd August 2025. Data collected included dispensing source (over-the-counter [OTC] versus prescription), c...

IntroductionThe coverage of access to basic drinking water and sanitation facilities in India was estimated to be 93% and 60%, respectively, in 2017. The monitoring of the burden of diarrhoeal illnesses, especially in children, remains important to assess the impact of the expansion of water and sanitation (WaSH) in the Indian setting. This study aimed to estimate the burden of diarrhoea in an established longitudinal pediatric cohort in an urban settlement of Vellore in South India. MethodsThe...

BackgroundCambodia has made great progress in reducing malaria transmission and is targeting elimination. While this progress is particularly marked for Plasmodium falciparum, the situation is different for Plasmodium vivax. It is generally assumed that symptomatic patients are effectively diagnosed using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), regardless of transmission intensity. MethodsIn 2023 we conducted a cross-sectional survey among 986 treatment-seeking patients in 6 provinces of Cambodia with v...

BackgroundDengue fever is a major neglected tropical disease with a rapidly rising global burden, and localized outbreaks are increasingly reported in southern subtropical China. Fujian Province, a coastal subtropical region with favorable ecological conditions for Aedes albopictus breeding and frequent cross-border exchanges with dengue-endemic areas, has had continuous local dengue cases for over a decade, raising concerns about the establishment of a stable natural endemic focus. Sustained lo...