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Seroconversion and seroprevalence of TORCH infections in a pregnant women cohort study, Mombasa, Kenya, 2017–2019
- Elizabeth Hunsperger, Eric Osoro, Peninah Munyua, M. Kariuki Njenga, Harriet Mirieri, Gilbert Kikwai, Dennis Odhiambo, Moshe Dayan, Victor Omballa, George O. Agogo, Cyrus Mugo, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Irene Inwani
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- Journal:
- Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 152 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, e68
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Women infected during pregnancy with TORCH (Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex viruses) pathogens have a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes including stillbirth / miscarriage because of mother-to-child transmission. To investigate these risks in pregnant women in Kenya, we analyzed serum specimens from a pregnancy cohort study at three healthcare facilities. A sample of 481 participants was selected for TORCH pathogen antibody testing to determine seroprevalence. A random selection of 285 from the 481 participants was selected to measure seroconversion. These sera were tested using an IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against 10 TORCH pathogens. We found that the seroprevalence of all but three of the 10 TORCH pathogens at enrollment was >30%, except for Bordetella pertussis (3.8%), Treponema pallidum (11.4%), and varicella zoster virus (0.5%). Conversely, very few participants seroconverted during their pregnancy and were herpes simplex virus type 2 (n = 24, 11.2%), parvovirus B19 (n = 14, 6.2%), and rubella (n = 12, 5.1%). For birth outcomes, 88% of the participant had live births and 12% had stillbirths or miscarriage. Cytomegalovirus positivity at enrolment had a statistically significant positive association with a live birth outcome (p = 0.0394). Of the 10 TORCH pathogens tested, none had an association with adverse pregnancy outcome.
Point-Prevalence Surveys of Antibiotic Use at Three Large Public Hospitals in Kenya
- Sylvia Omulo, Margaret Oluka, Loice Ombajo, Eric Osoro, Rosaline Kinuthia, Anastasia Guantai, Linus Ndegwa, Jennifer Verani, Sylvia Opanga, Evelyn Wesangula, Jarred Nyakiba, Jones Makori, Charles Kwobah, Wilson Sugut, Hanako Osuka, M. Kariuki Njenga, Douglas Call, Guy H. Palmer, Daniel VanderEnde, Ulzii-Oshikh Luvsansharav
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- Journal:
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 41 / Issue S1 / October 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 November 2020, pp. s353-s354
- Print publication:
- October 2020
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Background: Antibiotics are the most prescribed medicines worldwide, accounting for 20%–30% of total drug expenditures in most settings. Antimicrobial stewardship activities can provide guidance for the most appropriate antibiotic use. Objective: In an effort to generate baseline data to guide antimicrobial stewardship recommendations, we conducted point-prevalence surveys at 3 hospitals in Kenya. Methods: Sites included referral hospitals located in Nairobi (2,000 beds), Eldoret (900 beds) and Mombasa (700 beds). [Results are presented in this order.] Hospital administrators, heads of infection prevention and control units, and laboratory department heads were interviewed about ongoing antimicrobial stewardship activities, existing infection prevention and control programs, and microbiology diagnostic capacities. Patient-level data were collected by a clinical or medical officer and a pharmacist. A subset of randomly selected, consenting hospital patients was enrolled, and data were abstracted from their medical records, treatment sheets, and nursing notes using a modified WHO point-prevalence survey form. Results: Overall, 1,071 consenting patients were surveyed from the 3 hospitals (n = 579, n = 263, and n = 229, respectively) of whom >60% were aged >18 years and 53% were female. Overall, 489 of 1,071 of patients (46%) received ≥1 antibiotic, of whom 254 of 489 (52%) received 1 antibiotic, 201 of 489 (41%) received 2 antibiotics, 31 of 489 (6%) received 3 antibiotics, and 3 of 489 (1%) received 4 antibiotics. Antibiotic use was higher among those aged <5 years: 150 of 244 (62%) compared with older individuals (337 of 822, 41%). Amoxicillin/clavulanate was the most commonly used antibiotic (66 of 387, 17%) at the largest hospital (in Nairobi) whereas ceftriaxone was the most common at the other 2 facilities: 57 of 184 (31%) in Eldoret and 55 of 190 (29%) in Mombasa. Metronidazole was the next most commonly prescribed antibiotic (15%–19%). Meropenem was the only carbapenem reported: 22 of 387 patients (6%) in Nairobi, 2 of 190 patients (1%) in Eldoret, and 8 of 184 patients (4%) in Mombasa. Stop dates or review dates were not indicated for 106 of 390 patients (27%) in Nairobi, 75 of 190 patients (40%) in Eldoret, and 113 of 184 patients (72%) in Mombasa receiving antibiotics. Of 761 antibiotic prescriptions, 45% had a least 1 missed dose. Culture and antibiotic susceptibility tests were limited to 50 of 246 patients (20%) in Nairobi, 17 of 124 patients (14%) in Eldoret, and 23 of 119 patients (19%) in Mombasa who received antibiotics. The largest hospital had an administratively recognized antimicrobial stewardship committee. Conclusions: The prevalence of antibiotic use found by our study was 46%, generally lower than the rates reported in 3 similar studies from other African countries, which ranged from 56% to 65%. However, these survey findings indicate that ample opportunities exist for improving antimicrobial stewardship efforts in Kenya considering the high usage of empiric therapy and low microbiologic diagnostic utilization.
Funding: None
Disclosures: None