Malaria continues to pose a significant global health challenge despite a significant achievement in control and elimination in certain areas. Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective disease management and control, and finally leading to elimination. However, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have traditionally been the primary malaria diagnostic tools used globally, with certain shortcomings, including their limited sensitivity, specificity, and inability to identify asymptomatic infections. Serological markers have emerged as promising alternatives in malaria serosurveillance, particularly in countries where targets have already been set for elimination. This review highlights the advantages of serological markers over conventional diagnostic techniques and discusses some of the most promising serological markers against Plasmodium species-specific antigens. The implementation of serosurveillance, coupled with the utilization of these serological markers represents a transformative shift in malaria surveillance. By capitalizing on the immune memory of individuals, serosurveillance also enables the identification of recent and past infections. This approach is particularly valuable in low- transmission settings and for tracking changes in malaria prevalence over time. While recognizing the use of serological markers across various global contexts, this review predominantly emphasizes their significance within the framework of India.

Objective To explore the epidemiological trends and clinical presentations of brucellosis in patients diagnosed with different types of cancer.

Methods A systematic review was performed utilizing PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar following PRISMA guidelines until September 2022. An update in December 2023 was conducted to ensure thorough coverage of the literature.

Results A total of 28 articles met the eligibility criteria, reporting 38 cases of brucellosis in patients with cancer. Among these cases, hematological cancers were the most common, comprising 66% of the cases, and B. melitensis was identified as the predominant species. The primary clinical manifestations of brucellosis infection included constitutional symptoms in a notable 60.5% of cases and febrile neutropenia in 21%. Additionally, six cases (15.8%) experienced relapse or recurrence of brucellosis, all of which were managed using a combination therapy of rifampin and doxycycline. While 28 patients successfully achieved remission from both brucellosis and their underlying neoplastic conditions, unfortunately, nine cases resulted in mortality attributed to septic shock, progressive liver failure, and massive embolism; no deaths directly related to brucellosis were reported. Among the non-surviving cases, hematologic malignancies were the most prevalent neoplastic conditions (77.7%).

Conclusions Brucellosis-cancer co-occurrence is rare but is not related to increasing mortality. The risk of relapse is higher in cancer patients, especially with hematologic malignancies. Screening, monitoring, and judicious antibiotic use can mitigate brucellosis risks in neoplastic patients.

Objective: To investigate the association between diagnosis delays and mortality in patients with haemorrhagic fever in Upper Southern Thailand.

Methods A hospital-based case control study was conducted between December 2019 and January 2020. Cases were defined as patients who had been diagnosed with haemorrhagic fever and died during hospitalization, while controls were patients with similar conditions who survived. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed, with the primary variable being a diagnosis delay of more than three days after the onset of illness. The outcome of interest was mortality during hospitalization. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression.

Results A total of 38815 haemorrhagic fever cases were reported from 2014 to 2019. The case-to-control ratio was 1:3, comprising 66 cases and 198 controls. Among 66 cases and 198 controls, the median (IQR) time from illness onset to diagnosis was 4 (4) days in cases vs. 1 (0) day in controls. Diagnosis delays significantly increased mortality risk [adjusted OR (aOR) 5.60, 95% CI 2.74-11.46]. Other risk factors for mortality included age ≤5 years (aOR 16.15, 95% CI 3.70-70.42) and overweight status (aOR 3.43, 95% CI 1.57-7.52).

Conclusions Delayed diagnosis in patients with haemorrhagic fever was strongly associated with higher mortality rates. These findings highlight the critical importance of early diagnosis to reduce mortality in haemorrhagic fever cases.

Objective: To assess public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding same-sex sexual intercourse (SSI) in relation to HIV/AIDS transmission prevention, especially in an inclusive cultural and religious country like Indonesia, beyond established prevention methods like safe sex practices and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Methods: We collected cross-sectional online survey data from the Indonesian 18 years or older population in December 2021 and August 2022. We determined participants' knowledge, attitude, and behaviour scores toward SSI and HIV/AIDS prevention. We critically explored each score and used multiple linear regression to identify the predictive factors.

Results: The survey included 386 adults [median age (IQR): 22 (20-35) years]. The median (IQR) score was 90/100 (80-100) for knowledge, 43/50 (39-46) for attitude and 70/70 (70-70) for behaviour. The number of men who had sex with men (MSM) was 7/129 (5.4%). Male sex, non-MSM, higher knowledge, and higher attitude scores were positively associated with higher behaviour scores (P<0.001).

Conclusions: This study highlights the need for inclusive HIV/AIDS prevention strategies that respect cultural and religious values, reduce stigma, and improve healthcare access, while aligning with international guidelines and scientific evidence

Objective: To assess the complete vaccination coverage and timeliness of childhood vaccinations among Indigenous children in Peninsular Malaysia.

Methods: The study utilized data from the 2022 Orang Asli Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted among a representative sample of Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 68 villages were randomly selected from a pool of 853 villages, encompassing diverse geographic and sociodemographic contexts with a total of 15 950 respondents Orang Asli successfully interviewed. However, this study only utilized data from surveyed children aged 12 to 59 months with a total of 1551 children included. Validated structured questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic data and health status, with nurses verifying vaccination records. Children who received all nine primary vaccinations were defined as having complete vaccination while those who received vaccine within the recommended time were defined as having timely vaccination. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 25.0, focusing on descriptive analyses of children’s vaccination status.

Results: The prevalence of overall complete vaccination among Indigenous children was 87.7%, while timely vaccination was only 40.3%. The prevalence of complete vaccination for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the first dose of hepatitis B, three doses of DTaP-IPV-Hib, and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) was above 95.0%, except for the second and third doses of hepatitis B. The prevalence of timely vaccination ranged from above 95.0% for vaccines given at birth, gradually decreasing with increasing age to 57.5% for the first dose of MMR. Moreover, the completion rates for three doses of DtaP-IPV-Hib and the initial dose of MMR surpassed 90% among Indigenous children aged 12-23 months, yet the timeliness remained at a moderate level.

Conclusions: While the overall complete vaccination coverage among Indigenous children in Malaysia is relatively high, there are concerning disparities in the timeliness of vaccination, particularly as children age.