Tropical Medicine

Genetic Diversity of Dengue Virus and Associated Clinical Severity During Periodic Epidemics in South East Asia (Tropical Diseases Due to Bacteria and Viruses) Part 1

Introduction The geographic distribution and genetic diversity of dengue virus is deeply rooted in Asia suggesting its origin from this region, with first reported out-break of DHF from Philippine in 1953 (Halstead, 1980). One of the characteristics notable in Asian regions, where the disease is endemic is that dengue hemorrhagic fever outbreaks occur in repetitive […]

Genetic Diversity of Dengue Virus and Associated Clinical Severity During Periodic Epidemics in South East Asia (Tropical Diseases Due to Bacteria and Viruses) Part 2

Mutations observed E-gene mutations In case of DEN-2 virus, maximum numbers of viral isolates have been analyzed in studies from Thailand. The E-NS1 region of 77 different variants of DEN-2 studied using Maximum Parsimony analysis of 240 nucleotide sequence, showed 11 of 240 nucleotide variation; 4.6% divergence but did not reveal significant segregation of virus […]

Lassa Fever in the Tropics (Tropical Diseases Due to Bacteria and Viruses)

Introduction Lassa fever is a frequently underestimated but socially and economically devastating disease. Lassa fever first came into limelight in 1969, when two nuns died as a result of complications of a hemorrhagic fever in Lassa town in the Borno State of Nigeria. Since then it has become endemic in many parts of West Africa. […]

The Re-Emergence of an Old Disease: Chikungunya Fever (Tropical Diseases Due to Bacteria and Viruses) Part 1

Introduction Until recently, very few physicians in industrialized countries had heard the word "Chikungunya", and fewer knew how to spell it. Chikungunya, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, derives its name from Makonde, a language spoken in south Tanzania, and means "that which bends up", referring to the posture of patients afflicted with severe joint […]

The Re-Emergence of an Old Disease: Chikungunya Fever (Tropical Diseases Due to Bacteria and Viruses) Part 2

Geographic distribution and map Chikungunya fever has an epidemiological pattern with both sporadic cases and epidemics in west Africa, from Senegal to Cameroun, and in many other African countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Uganda, Guinea, Malawi, Central African Republic, Burundi, and South Africa). Moreover, many epidemics occurred in Asia (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, […]

Malaria Chemoprophylaxis for the International Traveler, Current Options and Future Possibilities (Tropical Diseases Due to Protozoa and Helminths) Part 1

Introduction Malaria remains the most important parasitic disease in the world, causing approximately 250 million infections annually and one million deaths, mostly in African children. International travelers are at risk of developing malaria when visiting endemic regions, and account for an estimated 30,000 cases of malaria annually (World Health Organization, 2011). The parasite is transmitted […]

Malaria Chemoprophylaxis for the International Traveler, Current Options and Future Possibilities (Tropical Diseases Due to Protozoa and Helminths) Part 2

Special populations Children and pregnant women are at the highest risk for severe malaria when traveling to endemic areas and increased vigilance should be taken when dealing with these populations. It should be recommend that travel to endemic areas with a risk of transmission be avoided by these populations if possible, however if patients insist, […]

Effects of Irrigated Rice Fields and Seasonality on Plasmodium Transmission in West Africa, Particularly in Central Côte d’Ivoire (Tropical Diseases Due to Protozoa and Helminths) Part 1

Introduction The transmission of the parasites that cause human malaria is influenced by myriad environmental factors, including changes in agricultural practices, deforestation, and water-resources development and management (Ijumba and Lindsay, 2001; Ijumba et al., 2002; Keiser et al., 2005; Guerra et al., 2006), climatic factors such as rainfall, humidity and temperature (Reiter, 2008), and various […]

Effects of Irrigated Rice Fields and Seasonality on Plasmodium Transmission in West Africa, Particularly in Central Côte d’Ivoire (Tropical Diseases Due to Protozoa and Helminths) Part 2

Effects of seasonality on Plasmodium Transmission Tables 2 and 3 summarize the mean biting rate, infection rate and the entomological inoculation rate (EIR) of An. gambiae and An. funestus in the two study villages in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Relationship between season and biting and infection rates In Zatta, significantly higher An. gambiae s. s. […]

Toxoplasmosis: Advances and Vaccine Perspectives (Tropical Diseases Due to Protozoa and Helminths) Part 1

Introduction Toxoplasma gondii was first identified more than 100 years ago in the tissues of birds and mammals. In 1908 Nicolle and Manceoux described it for the first time in the gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi), a North African rodent, in tachyzoite forms. At the same time, Splendore in Brazil, identified the parasite in rabbit tissues. Due […]

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