ABSTRACT
Opportunistic infections due to Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii species complexes con tinue to rise unabated among HIV/AIDS patients, despite improved antifungal therapies. Here, we collected a total of 20 environmental and 25 presumptive clinical cryptococcal isolates from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 175 patients enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial Ambition 1 Project (Botswana-Harvard Partnership). Identity confirmation of the isolates was done using MALDI-TOF MS and PCR. We describe the diversity of the isolates by PCR finger printing and sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technology) of the intergenic spacer region.Mating types of the isolates were determined by amplification of the MAT locus. We report an unusual prevalence of 42.1% of C. neoformans x C. deneoformans hybrids Serotype AD (n = 16), followed by 39.5% of C. neoformans Serotype A (n = 15), 5.3% of C. deneoformans, Serotype D (n = 2), 7.9% of C. gattii (n= 3), and 5.3% of C. tetragattii (n = 2) in 38 representa tive isolates that have been characterized. Mating type-specific PCR performed on 38 repre sentative environmental and clinical isolates revealed that 16 (42.1%) were MATa/MATα hybrids, 17 (44.7%) were MATα, and five (13.2%) possessed MATa mating type. We used con ventional and NGS platforms to demonstrate a potential link between environmental and clinical isolates and lay a foundation to further describe mating patterns/history in Botswana.
ABSTRACT
BackgroundCOVID-19 found the world in a state of unpreparedness. While research efforts to develop a vaccine are on-going, others have suggested the use of available vaccines to boost innate immunity. ObjectiveWe analysed three databases: UNICEF Immunization Coverage, Worldometer Corona Virus Updates and World Bank List of Economies to establish the association, if any, between vaccination for various diseases and COVID-19 death rates and recoveries across world economies. ResultsMean percentage death rates were lower in countries that vaccinated for Hepatitis-B birth dose (2.53% vs 3.79%, p = 0.001), Bacille Calmette-Guerin Vaccine (2.93% vs 5.10%, p = 0.025) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine 1st dose (2.8% vs 4.01%, p = 0.022) than those which did not report vaccination. In high income countries, a significant negative correlation with death rates was observed with vaccination for Measles-containing vaccine 2nd dose (r = -0.290, p = 0.032), Rubella-containing vaccine 1st dose (r = -0.325, p = 0.015), Hepatitis B 3rd dose (r = -0.562, p = 3.3 x10-5), Inactivated Polio vaccine 1st dose (r = -0.720, p = 0.008). Inactivated Polio Vaccine 1st dose and Measles-containing vaccine 2nd dose also correlated with better recoveries. In Low Income countries, only Rubella-containing vaccine correlated with lower deaths while Yellow fever vaccine was associated with poorer recoveries. ConclusionOur analysis corroborates the potential benefit of vaccination and warrant further research to explore the rationale for repurposing other vaccines to fight COVID-19.