A study of migrants in Italy has shown how statistical modelling can help improve the identification of Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) infections.

Research in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases focussed on soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections using a case study of migrants in Italy’s Campania region.

STH is a type of worm infection caused by different species of roundworms with three types caused by A. lumbricoides, hookworms, and T. trichiura.

The data included 3,830 migrants from 64 countries, with over 87% male and with a median age of 27.

Despite antibiotic treatment, pulmonary lesions are a serious concern in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). Combination therapy with antibiotics and glucocorticoids is effective. However, the optimal dose of glucocorticoids remains unclear. In a randomized controlled trial, researchers compared low- versus high-dose of methylprednisolone and find the lower-dose being equally effective with fewer adverse reactions. These results strongly recommend the use of low-dose corticosteroid in pediatric severe MPP for efficacy and favourable safety profile.

A recent study published in National Science Review has developed a field wastewater pathogen detection technology named WATER NEWS. Through iterative optimization of CRISPR-based assays, this system ​eliminates​ all dependence on cold-chain storage and continuous power supply while preventing nucleic acid aerosol contamination, ​thus establishing​ a sustainable epidemic surveillance paradigm for the post-pandemic era.