A planetary health perspective on the translation of climate change research into public health policy and practice: A scoping review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Climate Change (CC) emanating from anthropocentric human activities is a great threat to the quality of human life and well-being worldwide. The translation of CC research evidence can play a critical role in promoting the formulation of climate-sensitive policies to equip public health systems for CC-associated disaster preparedness, response, and management. This scoping review seeks to explore knowledge translation approaches for promoting, the uptake, and use of CC research evidence in public health policy and practice. METHODS: This scoping review will be conducted according to the guidelines of Arksey and O'Malley. A search strategy will be developed for published articles in PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases and for grey literature in the World Health Organization, Planetary Health Alliance, and the University of the Western Cape repositories. DISCUSSION: The proposed scoping review will gather existing evidence on the relationship between knowledge translation, CC research, and public health decision-making. This will provide insights into research and practice gaps, and recommendations will be made to ensure effective knowledge translation for CC related decision-making.

Molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance profiles of Salmonella isolated from fecal matter of domestic animals and animal products in Nairobi.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella has significant public health implications causing food borne and zoonotic diseases in humans. Treatment of infections due to Salmonella is becoming difficult due to emergence of drug resistant strains. There is therefore need to characterize the circulating non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars in domestic animals and animal products in Kenya as well as determine their antibiotic resistance profiles. METHODS: A total of 740 fecal samples were collected from cows (n = 150), pigs (n = 182), chicken (n = 191) and chicken eggs (n = 217) from various markets and abattoirs in Nairobi. The prevalence of NTS serovars using culture techniques and biochemical tests, antimicrobial sensitivity testing using disc diffusion method of the commonly prescribed antibiotics and phylogenetic relationships using 16S rRNA were determined. RESULTS: The results showed that the overall prevalence of Salmonella was 3.8, 3.6, 5.9 and 2.6% for pigs, chicken, eggs and cows respectively. Two serovars were isolated S. Typhimurium (85%) and S. Enteritidis (15%) and these two serovars formed distinct clades on the phylogenetic tree. Forty percent of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The isolation of Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics from seemingly healthy animals and animal products poses a significant public health threat. This points to the need for regular surveillance to be carried out and the chain of transmission should be viewed to ascertain sources of contamination.

Safety, immunogenicity, and cross-species protection of a plasmid DNA encoding Plasmodium falciparum SERA5 polypeptide, microbial epitopes and chemokine genes in mice and olive baboons.

Incorporation of biomolecular epitopes to malarial antigens should be explored in the development of strain-transcending malarial vaccines. The present study sought to determine safety, immunogenicity and cross-species efficacy ofPlasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen 5 polypeptide co-expressed with epitopes of Bacille-Calmette Guerin (BCG), tetanus toxoid (TT) and a chemokine gene. Olive baboons and BALB/c mice were randomly assigned into vaccine and control groups. The vaccine group animals were primed and boosted twice with pIRES plasmids encoding the SERA5+ BCG+ TT alone, or with either CCL5 or CCL20 and the control group with pIRES plasmid vector backbone. Mice and baboons were challenged withP. berghei ANKA and P. knowlesi H strain parasites, respectively. Safety was determined by observing for injection sites reactogenicities, hematology and clinical chemistry. Parasitaemia and survivorship profiles were used to determine cross-species efficacy, and T cell phenotypes, Th1-, Th2-type, T-regulatory immune responses and antibody responses were assessed to determine vaccine immunogenicity. The pSeBCGTT plasmid DNA vaccines were safe and induced Th1-, Th2-type, and T-regulatory responses vaccinated animals showed enhanced CD4+ (P<0.01), CD 8+ T cells (P<0.001) activation and IgG anti-SE36 antibodies responses (P<0.001) at week 4 and 8 post vaccination compared to the control group. Vaccinated mice had a 31.45-68.69% cumulative parasite load reduction and 60% suppression in baboons (P<0.05) and enhanced survivorship (P<0.001) with no clinical signs of malaria compared to the control group. The results showed that the vaccines were safe, immunogenic and conferred partial cross-species protection.

Efficacy of lytic Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in mice.

INTRODUCTION: The use of bacteriophages as an alternative treatment method against multidrug-resistant bacteria has not been explored in Kenya. This study sought to determine the efficacy of environmentally obtained lytic bacteriophage against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA) bacterium in mice. METHODOLOGY: Staphylococcus aureus bacterium and S. aureus-specific lytic phage were isolated from sewage and wastewater collected within Nairobi County, Kenya. Thirty mice were randomly assigned into three groups: MDRSA infection group (n = 20), phage-infection group (n = 5), and non-infection group (n = 5). The MDRSA infection group was further subdivided into three groups: clindamycin treatment (8 mg/kg; n = 5), lytic phage treatment (108 PFU/mL (n = 5), and a combination treatment of clindamycin and lytic phage (n = 5). Treatments were done at either 24 or 72 hours post-infection (p.i), and data on efficacy, bacterial load, and animal physical health were collected. RESULTS: Treatment with phage was more effective (100%) than with clindamycin (62.25% at 24 hours p.i and 87.5% at 72 hours p.i.) or combination treatment (75% at 24 hours p.i. and 90% at 72 hours p.i.) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the environmentally obtained S. aureus lytic bacteriophage has therapeutic potential against MDRSA bacterium in mice.

Experimental phage therapy against haematogenous multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in mice.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired haematogenous Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia is a rare infection, though it can be acquired nosocomially. Currently, antibiotics used against S. aureus pneumonia have shown reduced efficacy. Thus, there is need for an alternative therapy against multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA) strains in the community. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the efficacy of environmentally-obtained S. aureus lytic phage against haematogenous MDRSA pneumonia in mice. METHODS: Phages and MDRSA were isolated from sewage samples collected within Nairobi County, Kenya. Isolated S. aureus bacteria were screened for resistance against ceftazidime, oxacillin, vancomycin, netilmicin, gentamicin, erythromycin, trimethroprim-sulfamethoxazole and cefuroxime. Thirty BALB/c mice aged six to eight weeks were randomly assigned into three groups: the MDRSA-infection group (n = 20), the phage-infection group (n = 5) and the non-infection group (n = 5). Mice were infected with either MDRSA or phage (108 CFU/mL) and treated after 72 hours with a single dose of clindamycin (8 mg/kg/bwt) or 108 PFU/mL of phage or a combination therapy (clindamycin and phage). The efficacy of phage, clindamycin or clindamycin with phage combination was determined using resolution of lung pathology and bacterial load in lung homogenates. RESULTS: The viable MDRSA count was 0.5 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/gm in the phage-treated group, 4.4 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/gm in the clindamycin-treated group and 4.0 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/gm in the combination-treated group. The efficacy of phage therapy was significantly different from other therapeutic modes (p = 0 < 0.0001). Histology showed that the mice treated with phage did not develop pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Phage therapy is effective against haematogenous MDRSA infection. Thus, it can be explored as an alternative treatment method.

Malaria endemicity and co-infection with tissue-dwelling parasites in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review.

Mechanisms and outcomes of host-parasite interactions during malaria co-infections with gastrointestinal helminths are reasonably understood. In contrast, very little is known about such mechanisms in cases of malaria co-infections with tissue-dwelling parasites. This is lack of knowledge is exacerbated by misdiagnosis, lack of pathognomonic clinical signs and the chronic nature of tissue-dwelling helminthic infections. A good understanding of the implications of tissue-dwelling parasitic co-infections with malaria will contribute towards the improvement of the control and management of such co-infections in endemic areas. This review summarises and discusses current information available and gaps in research on malaria co-infection with gastro-intestinal helminths and tissue-dwelling parasites with emphasis on helminthic infections, in terms of the effects of migrating larval stages and intra and extracellular localisations of protozoan parasites and helminths in organs, tissues, and vascular and lymphatic circulations.