Malaria remains a serious health threat in the Amazonas Region of Peru and approximately 95% of the cases, mainly Plasmodium vivax, are found in native communities of The Rio Santiago District, ...Condorcanqui Province. In 2019, more than one thousand malaria cases were reported, with an unusual number of Plasmodium falciparum autochthonous cases. The present study aims to report this P. falciparum outbreak while describing the epidemiology of malaria and the risk factors associated in the native communities of Amazonas, Peru.
The DIRESA-Amazonas in collaboration with the Condorcanqui Health Network and the Institute of Tropical Diseases of the UNTRM carried out a malaria Active Case Detection (ACD III) between January 31st and February 10th of 2020. A total of 2718 (47.4%) individuals from 21 native communities grouped in eight sanitary districts, were screened for malaria infections. Each participant was screened for malaria using microscopy. Follow-up surveys were conducted for all malaria positive individuals to collect socio-demographic data. Spatial clustering of infection risk was calculated using a generalized linear model (GLM). Analysis of risk considered factors such as gender, age, type of infection, symptomatology, and parasitaemia.
The study suggests that the P. falciparum index case was imported from Loreto and later spread to other communities of Rio Santiago during 2019. The ACD III reported 220 (8.1%) malaria cases, 46 P. falciparum, 168 P. vivax and 6 mixed infections. SaTScan analysis detected a cluster of high infection risk in Middle Rio Santiago and a particular high P. falciparum infection risk cluster in Upper Rio Santiago. Interestingly, the evaluation of different risk factors showed significant associations between low parasitaemia and P. falciparum asymptomatic cases.
This is the first report of a P. falciparum outbreak in native communities of Condorcanqui, Amazonas. Timely identification and treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic cases are critical to achieve malaria control and possible elimination in this area. However, the current malaria situation in Condorcanqui is uncertain, given that malaria ACD activities have been postponed due to COVID-19.
Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the mannose phosphate isomerase (mpi) gene was applied to 134 skin samples collected from patients with ...cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Peru for identification of the infecting parasite at the species level, and the results were compared with those of cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequencing obtained in previous studies. Although most results (121/134) including 4 hybrids of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) peruviana corresponded to those obtained in the previous study, PCR-RFLP analyses revealed the distribution of putative hybrid strains between L. (V.) peruviana and L. (V.) lainsoni in two samples, which has never been reported. Moreover, parasite strains showing discordance between kinetoplast and nuclear genes (kDNA and nDNA), so-called mito-nuclear discordance, were identified in 11 samples. Of these, six strains had the kDNAs of L. (V.) braziliensis or L. (V.) peruviana and nDNAs of L. (V.) guyanensis, and three strains had the kDNAs of L. (V.) shawi and nDNAs of L. (V.) braziliensis. The rest were identified as mito-nuclear discordance strains having kDNAs of L. (V.) braziliensis or L. (V.) peruviana and nDNAs of L. (V.) lainsoni, and kDNAs of L. (V.) lainsoni and nDNAs of L. (V.) braziliensis. The results demonstrate that Leishmania strains in Peru are genetically more complex than previously considered.
SNO+ is a large liquid scintillator-based experiment located 2 km underground at SNOLAB, Sudbury, Canada. It reuses the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory detector, consisting of a 12 m diameter acrylic ...vessel which will be filled with about 780 tonnes of ultra-pure liquid scintillator. Designed as a multipurpose neutrino experiment, the primary goal of SNO+ is a search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) of 130Te. In Phase I, the detector will be loaded with 0.3% natural tellurium, corresponding to nearly 800 kg of 130Te, with an expected effective Majorana neutrino mass sensitivity in the region of 55–133 meV, just above the inverted mass hierarchy. Recently, the possibility of deploying up to ten times more natural tellurium has been investigated, which would enable SNO+ to achieve sensitivity deep into the parameter space for the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy in the future. Additionally, SNO+ aims to measure reactor antineutrino oscillations, low energy solar neutrinos, and geoneutrinos, to be sensitive to supernova neutrinos, and to search for exotic physics. A first phase with the detector filled with water will begin soon, with the scintillator phase expected to start after a few months of water data taking. The 0νββ Phase I is foreseen for 2017.
To describe the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions about Zika in women of childbearing age (WCA) in the department of Amazonas in Peru, following a Zika outbreak.
Descriptive study with ...a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach. We carried out stratified sampling, by applying a survey to a sample of 723 WCA aged 15 to 49 years in the district of Bagua, department of Amazonas, then we carried out four focus groups with 35 WCA in each group. Frequencies and the grounded theory were used for quantitative and qualitative analysis respectively. Interpretation of both methods was integrated using a narrative approach.
We found that 86.3% of WCA knew that it is possible to get sick with Zika, 10.1% knew that it is transmitted through sexual intercourse, 2.2% knew that it can be transmitted during pregnancy and 68.5% consider that the information is insufficient. In practice, 60% (n=434) used mosquito nets, 53.4% (n=386) covered water containers and 7.3% (n=4) perceived local government involvement. Qualitative data showed distrust of vector control and expressed the need for psychological support for pregnant women and their families.
There are gaps in the knowledge and practices of WCA regarding the prevention of sexual and vertical transmission of Zika; WCA distrust vector control, do not perceive local government involvement, suggest psychological support should be provided to pregnant women with Zika, as well as to mothers with disabled children, and wish to access more information about Zika.
Objetivos. Describir los conocimientos, actitudes, prácticas y percepciones del zika en mujeres en edad fértil (MEF) en el departamento de Amazonas, posterior a un brote de zika. Materiales y ...métodos. Estudio descriptivo de enfoque mixto cuanticualitativo. Se realizó un muestreo estratificado, aplicándose una encuesta a una muestra de 723 MEF de 15 a 49 años del distrito de Bagua, departamento de Amazonas y cuatro grupos focales con 35 MEF. Se aplicó una encuesta y guía de grupo focal. Se usaron frecuencias y teoría fundamentada para el análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo respectivamente. Se integró ambos enfoques en la interpretación mediante abordaje narrativo. Resultados. El 86,3% de MEF conocen que es posible enfermar con zika, 10,1% que se transmite por relaciones sexuales, 2,2% durante el embarazo y 68,5% consideran que es insuficiente la información. En la práctica; 60%(n=434) usa mosquiteros, 53,4%(n=386) tapa recipientes de agua y el 7,3%(n=4) perciben participación del gobierno local. Los datos cualitativos muestran desconfianza al control vectorial y expresan necesidad de apoyo psicológico a las gestantes y familia. Conclusiones. Existen brechas en el conocimiento y prácticas para la prevención del zika por trasmisión sexual y vertical, tienen desconfianza del control vectorial, no perciben participación del gobierno local, sugieren acompañamiento psicológico a la gestante con zika, a la madre con niño discapacitado y desean acceder a más información sobre zika.
The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is a 26-ton water Cherenkov neutrino detector installed on the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab. Its main physics goals are to ...perform a measurement of the neutron yield from neutrino-nucleus interactions, as well as a measurement of the charged-current cross section of muon neutrinos. An equally important focus is placed on the research and development of new detector technologies and target media. Specifically water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) is of interest as a novel detector medium, as it allows for the simultaneous detection of scintillation and Cherenkov light. This paper presents the deployment of a 366L WbLS vessel in ANNIE in March 2023 and the subsequent detection of both Cherenkov light and scintillation from the WbLS. This proof-of-concept allows for the future development of reconstruction and particle identification algorithms in ANNIE, as well as dedicated analyses, such as the search for neutral current events and the hadronic scintillation component within the WbLS volume.
Theia would be a novel, "hybrid" optical neutrino detector, with a rich physics program. This paper is intended to provide a brief overview of the concepts and physics reach of Theia. Full details ...can be found in the Theia white paper 1.
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