Digital Commons Network^™

The Key Glycolytic Enzyme Phosphofructokinase Is Involved In Resistance To Antiplasmodial Glycosides, Gillian M Fisher, Simon A Cobbold, Andrew Jezewski, Emma F Carpenter, Megan Arnold, Annie N Cowell, Erick T Tjhin, Kevin J Saliba, Tina S Skinner-Adams, Marcus C S Lee, Audrey Odom John, Elizabeth A Winzeler, Malcolm J Mcconville, Sally-Ann Poulsen, Katherine T Andrews

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Approaches To Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas In Less Fit Patients, Nancy L Bartlett

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Treating unfit patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma poses the dilemma of balancing potential cure while minimizing toxicity because of frailty and comorbidities. Age greater than 80 years and common comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus often preclude the use of full-dose anthracyclines and steroids, the backbones of standard regimens for aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Assessing patient fitness remains subjective, with no consensus on best practice or how to integrate assessment tools into decision making. Incorporation of prephase steroids for all unfit patients may markedly improve performance status with consideration of standard dose therapy, especially in patients less …

The Quest For The Optimal Surgical Management Of Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis In The Current Era: A Narrative Review, Francesco Nappi, Cristiano Spadaccio, Christos Mihos, Kasra Shaikhrezai, Christophe Acar, Marc R. Moon

Open Access Publications

Tricuspid valve endocarditis (TVE) is a growing concern with increasing rates and mortality burden. The currently changing etiology, the antibiotic resistance and the raise in iatrogenic causes as with implantable cardiac devices [cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED)], represent a challenge for the management of these patients. The progressively widespread use of CIEDs is adding to the more commonly known intravenous (IV) drug abuse in the list of causes. Treatment strategies include medical therapy alone or surgery. From the surgical standpoint tricuspid valve repair, replacement or the staged procedure of valvectomy as bridge to replacement are available options. Treatment of endocarditis …

A Narrative Review Of The Interpretation Of Guidelines For The Treatment Of Infective Endocarditis, Umberto Benedetto, Sanjeet Singh Avtaar Singh, Cristiano Spadaccio, Marc R. Moon, Francesco Nappi

Open Access Publications

The recommendations of the current guidelines and the position papers of professional societies from the European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (ESC), the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Society of Thoracic Surgeon (ACC/AHA/STS) and American Association of Thoracic Surgeon (AATS) regarding management of patients with valvular heart endocarditis were updated over the past decade. However, some of the recommendations appear to contradict one another. Given the changing paradigms on how the disease manifests, our aim was to review the respective guidelines and highlight these differences whilst drawing attention to the subsequent studies from which they were derived. In …

A Narrative Review Of Early Surgery Versus Conventional Treatment For Infective Endocarditis: Do We Have An Answer?, Umberto Benedetto, Cristiano Spadaccio, Federico Gentile, Marc R. Moon, Francesco Nappi

Open Access Publications

The most appropriate strategy and timing for surgery in infective endocarditis (IE) remains an argument of debate. Despite some authors promote the adoption of an early surgical approach (within 48 hours) to limit mortality and complications, no robust randomized trials are available on this argument and the evidence on this subject remain at the "expert opinion" level. Additionally, the different messages promulgated by the American and European guidelines contributed to fuel confusion regarding the relative priority of the surgical over medical therapy in IE. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines individuates three level of urgency: emergency surgery, to be …

Reducing Infant Catheterization In The Emergency Department Through Clean-Catch Urine Collection., Amanda E Mulcrone, Manas Parikh, Fahd A Ahmad

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Our emergency department (ED) traditionally relied on urethral catheterization to obtain urine cultures when evaluating infants for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Catheterization is associated with adverse effects, and recent studies have demonstrated clean-catch urine methods can be successfully used to obtain urine cultures. We pursued a quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed at decreasing the frequency of urethral catheterizations in our ED by using an established clean-catch technique to obtain infant urine cultures.

METHODS: We implemented a clean-catch urine collection method, which we entitled "Bladder Massage," for infants 0-6 months of age needing a urine culture in our ED. Exclusions …

The Intriguing Interaction Of Escherichia Coli With The Host Environment And Innovative Strategies To Interfere With Colonization: A Summary Of The 2019 E. Coli And The Mucosal Immune System Meeting, Eric Cox, Meryem Aloulou, James M Fleckenstein, Christina Schäffer, Åsa Sjöling, Stephanie Schüller, Kurt Hanevik, Bert Devriendt, Weiping Zhang, Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Edward G Dudley

Open Access Publications

The third

Transcriptional Remodeling Patterns In Murine Dendritic Cells Infected With Paracoccidioides Brasiliensis: More Is Not Necessarily Better, Calliandra M De-Souza-Silva, Fabián Andrés Hurtado, Aldo Henrique Tavares, Getúlio P De Oliveira, Taina Raiol, Christiane Nishibe, Daniel Paiva Agustinho, Nalvo Franco Almeida, Maria Emília Machado Telles Walter, André Moraes Nicola, Anamélia Lorenzetti Bocca, Patrícia Albuquerque, Ildinete Silva-Pereira

Open Access Publications

Most people infected with the fungus

A Praziquantel Treatment Study Of Immune And Transcriptome Profiles In Schistosoma Haematobium-Infected Gabonese Schoolchildren, Lucja A Labuda, Ayola A Adegnika, Bruce A Rosa, John Martin, Ulysse Ateba-Ngoa, Abena Serwaa Amoah, Honorine Mbenkep Lima, Lynn Meurs, Moustapha Mbow, Mikhael D Manurung, Jeannot F Zinsou, Hermelijn H Smits, Peter G Kremsner, Makedonka Mitreva, Maria Yazdanbakhsh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Although Schistosoma haematobium infection has been reported to be associated with alterations in immune function, in particular immune hyporesponsiveness, there have been only few studies that have used the approach of removing infection by drug treatment to establish this and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS: Schistosoma haematobium-infected schoolchildren were studied before and after praziquantel treatment and compared with uninfected controls. Cellular responses were characterized by cytokine production and flow cytometry, and in a subset of children RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptome profiling was performed.

RESULTS: Removal of S haematobium infection resulted in increased schistosome-specific cytokine responses that were …

Tfeb Transcriptional Responses Reveal Negative Feedback By Bhlhe40 And Bhlhe41, Kimberly L Carey, Geraldine L C Paulus, Lingfei Wang, Dale R Balce, Jessica W Luo, Phil Bergman, Ianina C Ferder, Lingjia Kong, Nicole Renaud, Shantanu Singh, Maria Kost-Alimova, Beat Nyfeler, Kara G Lassen, Herbert W Virgin, Ramnik J Xavier

Open Access Publications

Transcription factor EB (TFEB) activates lysosomal biogenesis genes in response to environmental cues. Given implications of impaired TFEB signaling and lysosomal dysfunction in metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases, we aim to systematically identify TFEB-directed circuits by examining transcriptional responses to TFEB subcellular localization and stimulation. We reveal that steady-state nuclear TFEB is sufficient to activate transcription of lysosomal, autophagy, and innate immunity genes, whereas other targets require higher thresholds of stimulation. Furthermore, we identify shared and distinct transcriptional signatures between mTOR inhibition and bacterial autophagy. Using a genome-wide CRISPR library, we find TFEB targets that protect cells from or sensitize …

Antimicrobial Resistance In Enteric Bacteria: Current State And Next-Generation Solutions, M J Wallace, S R S Fishbein, G Dantas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the largest threats to global health and imposes substantial burdens in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic costs. The gut is a key conduit for the genesis and spread of antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacterial pathogens. Distinct bacterial species that cause enteric disease can exist as invasive enteropathogens that immediately evoke gastrointestinal distress, or pathobionts that can arise from established bacterial commensals to inflict dysbiosis and disease. Furthermore, various environmental reservoirs and stressors facilitate the evolution and transmission of resistance. In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on circulating resistance profiles and gene mobilization …

Phosphodiesterase 5 (Pde5) Restricts Intracellular Cgmp Accumulation During Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli Infection, Jennifer Foulke-Abel, Huimin Yu, Laxmi Sunuwar, Ruxian Lin, James M Fleckenstein, James B Kaper, Mark Donowitz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic

Fatal Covid-19 Infection In A Patient With Long-Chain 3-Hydroxyacyl-Coa Dehydrogenase Deficiency: A Case Report, Parith Wongkittichote, James R Watson, Jennifer M Leonard, Elizabeth R Toolan, Patricia I Dickson, Dorothy K Grange

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Long-chain fatty-acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD) is an inborn error of long chain fatty acid oxidation with various features including hypoketotic hypoglycemia, recurrent rhabdomyolysis, pigmentary retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. Various stresses trigger metabolic decompensation. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2 with diverse presentations ranging from respiratory symptoms to myocarditis. We report a case of a patient with LCHADD who initially presented with typical metabolic decompensation symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and rhabdomyolysis in addition to mild cough, and was found to have COVID-19. She developed acute respiratory failure and refractory hypotension from …

Characterization Of Glycan Determinants That Mediate Recognition Of The Major Wuchereria Bancrofti Circulating Antigen By Diagnostic Antibodies, Marla I Hertz, Amy Rush, Thomas B Nutman, Gary J Weil, Sasisekhar Bennuru, Philip J Budge

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) relies heavily on a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to a Wuchereria bancrofti circulating filarial antigen (Wb-CFA) to identify endemic areas and for determining when mass drug administration can stop. The antigen contains a carbohydrate epitope that is recognized by monoclonal antibody AD12. Og4C3, a monoclonal antibody that is used in a commercial ELISA for Wb-CFA recognizes the same moiety. Despite its diagnostic importance, little is known about the structure and function of this "AD12 epitope". It is also present on other W. bancrofti glycoproteins and on glycoproteins of other filarial worms, but …

Comparing Intervention Strategies For Reducing Clostridioides Difficile Transmission In Acute Healthcare Settings: An Agent-Based Modeling Study, Brittany Stephenson, Cristina Lanzas, Suzanne Lenhart, Eduardo Ponce, Jason Bintz, Erik R Dubberke, Judy Day

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common healthcare infections. Common strategies aiming at controlling CDI include antibiotic stewardship, environmental decontamination, and improved hand hygiene and contact precautions. Mathematical models provide a framework to evaluate control strategies. Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies in decreasing C. difficile colonization and infection using an agent-based model in an acute healthcare setting.

METHODS: We developed an agent-based model that simulates the transmission of C. difficile in medical wards. This model explicitly incorporates healthcare workers (HCWs) as vectors of transmission, tracks individual patient antibiotic histories, incorporates varying …

Efficacy And Safety Of A Single Dose Of Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, And Albendazole For Treatment Of Lymphatic Filariasis In Côte D'Ivoire: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial, Catherine M Bjerum, Allassane F Ouattara, Méité Aboulaye, Olivier Kouadio, Vanga K Marius, Britt J Andersen, Gary J Weil, Benjamin G Koudou, Christopher L King

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Improved drug regimens are needed to accelerate elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Africa. This study determined whether a single co-administered dose of ivermectin plus diethylcarbamazine plus albendazole [IDA] is noninferior to standard 3 annual doses of ivermectin plus albendazole (IA) used in many LF-endemic areas of Africa.

METHODS: Treatment-naive adults with Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaremia in Côte d'Ivoire were randomized to receive a single dose of IDA (n = 43) or 3 annual doses of IA (n = 52) in an open-label, single-blinded trial. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants who were microfilaria (Mf) negative at 36 months. …

Performance Of The Lateral Flow Assay And The Latex Agglutination Serum Cryptococcal Antigen Test In Cryptococcal Disease In Patients With And Without Hiv, Matthew A Hevey, Ige A George, Adriana M Rauseo, Lindsey Larson, William Powderly, Andrej Spec

Open Access Publications

Cryptococcal epidemiology is shifting toward HIV-negative populations who have diverse presentations. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing is also changing, with development of the lateral flow assay (LFA) having reported increased sensitivity and specificity, but with minimal knowledge in the HIV-negative population. In this study, we evaluate the real-life performance of CrAg testing in patients with cryptococcal disease. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with cryptococcosis from 2002 to 2019 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Latex agglutination (LA) was used exclusively until April 2016, at which point LFA was used exclusively. Demographics, presentations, and testing outcomes were evaluated. Serum CrAg testing was completed …

Macrophage-Associated Lipin-1 Promotes Β-Oxidation In Response To Proresolving Stimuli, Robert M Schilke, Cassidy M R Blackburn, Shashanka Rao, David M Krzywanski, Brian N Finck, Matthew D Woolard

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Macrophages reprogram their metabolism to promote appropriate responses. Proresolving macrophages primarily use fatty acid oxidation as an energy source. Metabolites generated during the catabolism of fatty acids aid in the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair, but the regulatory mechanisms that control lipid metabolism in macrophages are not fully elucidated. Lipin-1, a phosphatidic acid phosphatase that has transcriptional coregulator activity, regulates lipid metabolism in a variety of cells. In this current study, we show that lipin-1 is required for increased oxidative phosphorylation in IL-4 stimulated mouse (

Accuracy Of The Tuberculosis Point-Of-Care Alere Determine Lipoarabinomannan Antigen Diagnostic Test Using Α-Mannosidase Treated And Untreated Urine In A Cohort Of People Living With Hiv In Guatemala, Juan Ignacio García, Carlos Mejía-Chew, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Improved point-of-care diagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) in severe immune suppressed people living with HIV (PLWH) are needed to decrease morbidity and mortality outcomes. The aim of the study is to evaluate the performance of the lipoarabinomannan antigen test (LAM-test) with and without α-mannosidase pre-treated urine in a cohort of PLWH in primary care clinics in Guatemala. We further determined TB incidence, and mortality rates and its risk factors in PLWH with TB symptoms.

METHODS: Prospective longitudinal study of PLWH with TB symptoms. Urine samples were collected at 2 HIV sites to test the sensitivity of the LAM-test in …

How Might Improved Estimates Of Hiv Programme Outcomes Influence Practice? A Formative Study Of Evidence, Dissemination And Response, Njekwa Mukamba, Laura K Beres, Chanda Mwamba, Jeanna Wallenta Law, Stephanie M Topp, Sandra Simbeza, Kombatende Sikombe, Nancy Padian, Charles B Holmes, Elvin H Geng, Izukanji Sikazwe

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: While HIV programmes have started millions of persons on life-saving antiretroviral therapy in Africa, longitudinal health information systems are frail and, therefore, data about long-term survival is often inaccurate or unknown to HIV programmes. The 'Better Information for Health in Zambia' (BetterInfo) Study - a regional sampling-based survey to assess retention and mortality in HIV programmes in Zambia - found both retention and mortality to be higher than prevailing estimates from national surveillance systems. We sought to understand how Zambian health decision-makers at different health system levels would respond to these new data, with a view to informing research …

Adaptation Of Arginine Synthesis Among Uropathogenic Branches Of The Escherichia Coli Phylogeny Reveals Adjustment To The Urinary Tract Habitat, Michael E Hibbing, Karen W Dodson, Vasilios Kalas, Swaine L Chen, Scott J Hultgren

Open Access Publications

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are predominantly caused by uropathogenic

Understanding The Impact Of Antibiotic Perturbation On The Human Microbiome, Drew J Schwartz, Amy E Langdon, Gautam Dantas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The human gut microbiome is a dynamic collection of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that performs essential functions for immune development, pathogen colonization resistance, and food metabolism. Perturbation of the gut microbiome's ecological balance, commonly by antibiotics, can cause and exacerbate diseases. To predict and successfully rescue such perturbations, first, we must understand the underlying taxonomic and functional dynamics of the microbiome as it changes throughout infancy, childhood, and adulthood. We offer an overview of the healthy gut bacterial architecture over these life stages and comment on vulnerability to short and long courses of antibiotics. Second, the resilience of the …

Integrase-Rna Interactions Underscore The Critical Role Of Integrase In Hiv-1 Virion Morphogenesis, Jennifer L. Elliott, Jenna E. Eschbach, Pratibha C. Koneru, Wen Li, Maritza Puray-Chavez, Dana Townsend, Dana Q. Lawson, Alan N. Engelman, Mamuka Kvaratskhelia, Sebla B. Kutluay

Open Access Publications

A large number of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) alterations, referred to as class II substitutions, exhibit pleiotropic effects during virus replication. However, the underlying mechanism for the class II phenotype is not known. Here we demonstrate that all tested class II IN substitutions compromised IN-RNA binding in virions by one of the three distinct mechanisms: (i) markedly reducing IN levels thus precluding the formation of IN complexes with viral RNA; (ii) adversely affecting functional IN multimerization and consequently impairing IN binding to viral RNA; and (iii) directly compromising IN-RNA interactions without substantially affecting IN levels or functional …

Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Progress And Challenges In Eight South Asian And Southeast Asian Countries, Sumanth Gandra, Gerardo Alvarez-Uria, Paul Turner, Jyoti Joshi, Direk Limmathurotsakul, H. Rogier Van Doorn

Open Access Publications

SUMMARYAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global health threat and is predicted to cause significant health and economic impacts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). AMR surveillance is critical in LMICs due to high burden of bacterial infections; however, conducting AMR surveillance in resource-limited settings is constrained by poorly functioning health systems, scarce financial resources, and lack of skilled personnel. In 2015, the United Nations World Health Assembly endorsed the World Health Organization's Global Action Plan to tackle AMR; thus, several countries are striving to improve their AMR surveillance capacity, including making significant investments and establishing and expanding surveillance …

Covid-19 Hyperinflammation And Post-Covid-19 Illness May Be Rooted In Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Lawrence B Afrin, Leonard B Weinstock, Gerhard J Molderings

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVES: One-fifth of Covid-19 patients suffer a severe course of Covid-19 infection; however, the specific causes remain unclear. Mast cells (MCs) are activated by SARS-CoV-2. Although only recently recognized, MC activation syndrome (MCAS), usually due to acquired MC clonality, is a chronic multisystem disorder with inflammatory and allergic themes, and an estimated prevalence of 17%. This paper describes a novel conjecture explaining how MCAS might cause a propensity for severe acute Covid-19 infection and chronic post-Covid-19 illnesses.

METHODS: Observations of Covid-19 illness in patients with/without MCAS were compared with extensive clinical experience with MCAS.

RESULTS: The prevalence of MCAS is …

Severe Immunosuppression And Not A Cytokine Storm Characterizes Covid-19 Infections, Kenneth E Remy, Monty Mazer, David A Striker, Ali H Ellebedy, Andrew H Walton, Jacqueline Unsinger, Teresa M Blood, Philip A Mudd, Daehan J Yi, Daniel A Mannion, Dale F Osborne, R Scott Martin, Nitin J Anand, James P Bosanquet, Jane Blood, Anne M Drewry, Charles C Caldwell, Isaiah R Turnbull, Scott C Brakenridge, Lyle L Moldwawer, Richard S Hotchkiss

Open Access Publications

COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality have been attributed to a pathologic host response. Two divergent hypotheses have been proposed: hyperinflammatory cytokine storm; and failure of host protective immunity that results in unrestrained viral dissemination and organ injury. A key explanation for the inability to address this controversy has been the lack of diagnostic tools to evaluate immune function in COVID-19 infections. ELISpot, a highly sensitive, functional immunoassay, was employed in 27 patients with COVID-19, 51 patients with sepsis, 18 critically ill nonseptic (CINS) patients, and 27 healthy control volunteers to evaluate adaptive and innate immune status by quantitating T cell IFN-ɣ …

Outcomes Of Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy With Ceftriaxone For Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus Bloodstream Infections—A Single-Center Observational Study, Yasir Hamad, Lee Connor, Thomas C. Bailey, Ige A. George

Open Access Publications

Background:

Methods: Adult patients with methicillin-susceptible

Results: Of 243 patients included, 148 (61%) were discharged on ceftriaxone and 95 (39%) were discharged on either oxacillin or cefazolin. The ceftriaxone group had lower rates of intensive care unit care, endocarditis, and shorter duration of bacteremia, but higher rates of cancer diagnoses. There was no significant difference in the composite adverse outcome in the oxacillin or cefazolin group vs the ceftriaxone group (18 [19%] vs 31 [21%];

Conclusions: For patients with MSSA BSI discharged on OPAT, within the limitations of the small numbers and retrospective design we did not find a significant …

The Effect Of Exposure To Long Working Hours On Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis From The Who/Ilo Joint Estimates Of The Work-Related Burden Of Disease And Injury, Alexis Descatha, Bradley A Evanoff, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are developing joint estimates of the work-related burden of disease and injury (WHO/ILO Joint Estimates), with contributions from a large network of individual experts. Evidence from mechanistic data and prior studies suggests that exposure to long working hours may cause stroke. In this paper, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of parameters for estimating the number of deaths and disability-adjusted life years from stroke that are attributable to exposure to long working hours, for the development of the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to systematically review …

Imaging Features Of Neonatal Systemic Juvenile Xanthogranuloma: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Siping He, Ke Jin, Xicheng Deng, Zhengzhen Zhou, Robert C Mckinstry, Yong Wang

Open Access Publications

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is the most common non-Langerhans cell histiocytic disorder in children. This report describes the case of a 28-day-old boy that presented with multiple subcutaneous nodular lesions on the trunk and extremities, and multiple red nodular lesions on the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a well-demarcated extra-axial dura-based mass that appeared isointense or slightly hyperintense on T1-weighted images, hypointense on T2-weighted images and had intense enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans of the chest and abdomen revealed multiple scattered nodular or patchy lesions of varying sizes in the lungs, …

Impact Of Annual And Semi-Annual Mass Drug Administration For Lymphatic Filariasis And Onchocerciasis On Hookworm Infection In Côte D'Ivoire, Agodio Loukouri, Aboulaye Méité, Benjamin G. Koudou, Charles W. Goss, Daphne Lew, Gary J. Weil, Eliezer K. N'Goran, Peter U. Fischer

Open Access Publications

Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programs to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in western Africa use the anthelminthics ivermectin plus albendazole. These drugs have the potential to impact also Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections, since the drugs have a broad range of anthelminthic activity. Integration of preventive chemotherapy efforts for LF, onchocerciasis and STH is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to avoid duplication of MDA and to reduce costs. The objective of the current study was to determine whether five semi-annual rounds of community-wide MDA to eliminate LF and onchocerciasis have a greater impact on STH than three annual …