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Pulle J, Ndagire E, Atala J, Fall N, Okello E, Oyella LM, Rwebembera J, Sable C, Parks T, Sarnacki R, Nakitto M, de Loizaga SR, Wirth S, Carapetis J, Beaton A. Specificity of the Modified Jones Criteria. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023062624. [PMID: 38347821 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-062624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ndate Fall
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | | | | | - Craig Sable
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Tom Parks
- Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Sarnacki
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
| | | | - Sarah R de Loizaga
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Scott Wirth
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jonathan Carapetis
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Okello E, Ndagire E, Muhamed B, Sarnacki R, Murali M, Pulle J, Atala J, Bowen AC, DiFazio MP, Nakitto MG, Harik NS, Kansiime R, Longenecker CT, Lwabi P, Agaba C, Norton SA, Omara IO, Oyella LM, Parks T, Rwebembera J, Spurney CF, Stein E, Tochen L, Watkins D, Zimmerman M, Carapetis JR, Sable CA, Beaton A. Incidence of acute rheumatic fever in northern and western Uganda: a prospective, population-based study. Lancet Glob Health 2021; 9:e1423-e1430. [PMID: 34419237 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00288-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute rheumatic fever is infrequently diagnosed in sub-Saharan African countries despite the high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease. We aimed to determine the incidence of acute rheumatic fever in northern and western Uganda. METHODS For our prospective epidemiological study, we established acute rheumatic fever clinics at two regional hospitals in the north (Lira district) and west (Mbarara district) of Uganda and instituted a comprehensive acute rheumatic fever health messaging campaign. Communities and health-care workers were encouraged to refer children aged 3-17 years, with suspected acute rheumatic fever, for a definitive diagnosis using the Jones Criteria. Children were referred if they presented with any of the following: (1) history of fever within the past 48 h in combination with any joint complaint, (2) suspicion of acute rheumatic carditis, or (3) suspicion of chorea. We excluded children with a confirmed alternative diagnosis. We estimated incidence rates among children aged 5-14 years and characterised clinical features of definite and possible acute rheumatic fever cases. FINDINGS Data were collected between Jan 17, 2018, and Dec 30, 2018, in Lira district and between June 5, 2019, and Feb 28, 2020, in Mbarara district. Of 1075 children referred for evaluation, 410 (38%) met the inclusion criteria; of these, 90 (22%) had definite acute rheumatic fever, 82 (20·0%) had possible acute rheumatic fever, and 24 (6%) had rheumatic heart disease without evidence of acute rheumatic fever. Additionally, 108 (26%) children had confirmed alternative diagnoses and 106 (26%) had an unknown alternative diagnosis. We estimated the incidence of definite acute rheumatic fever among children aged 5-14 years as 25 cases (95% CI 13·7-30·3) per 100 000 person-years in Lira district (north) and 13 cases (7·1-21·0) per 100 000 person-years in Mbarara district (west). INTERPRETATION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to estimate the incidence of acute rheumatic fever in sub-Saharan Africa. Given the known rheumatic heart disease burden, it is likely that only a proportion of children with acute rheumatic fever were diagnosed. These data dispel the long-held hypothesis that the condition does not exist in sub-Saharan Africa and compel investment in improving prevention, recognition, and diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever. FUNDING American Heart Association Children's Strategically Focused Research Network Grant, THRiVE-2, General Electric, and Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute Research Core.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmy Okello
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Emma Ndagire
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Babu Muhamed
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Rachel Sarnacki
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Meghna Murali
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Jafesi Pulle
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jenifer Atala
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Asha C Bowen
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Marc P DiFazio
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - M G Nakitto
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nada S Harik
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Rosemary Kansiime
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Chris T Longenecker
- Case Western Reserve University, Health Education Campus, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Peter Lwabi
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Collins Agaba
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Scott A Norton
- Department of Dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC, USA
| | - Isaac Otim Omara
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Linda Mary Oyella
- The Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Tom Parks
- Wellcome Center for Human Genetics, The London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London, UK
| | | | - Christopher F Spurney
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stein
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laura Tochen
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - David Watkins
- Department of Medicine and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan R Carapetis
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Craig A Sable
- Makerere School of Health Sciences, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA; The University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Stein E, Pulle J, Zimmerman M, Otim I, Atala J, Rwebembera J, Oyella LM, Harik N, Okello E, Sable C, Beaton A. Previous Traditional Medicine Use for Sore Throat among Children Evaluated for Rheumatic Fever in Northern Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 104:842-847. [PMID: 33319727 PMCID: PMC7941849 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Timely diagnosis of group A streptococcal (GAS) sore throat coupled with appropriate antibiotic treatment is necessary to prevent serious post-streptococcal complications, including rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Traditional medicine (TM) is a known common adjunct to formal medical care in sub-Saharan Africa. A better understanding of health-seeking behavior for sore throat both within and outside the formal medical system is critical to improving primary prevention efforts of RF and RHD. A prospective mixed-methods study on the use of TM for sore throat was embedded within a larger epidemiological study of RF in Northern Uganda. Children presenting with symptoms of RF were interviewed about recent TM use as well as health services use for sore throat. One hundred children with a median age of 10 years (interquartile range: 6.8-13 years) completed the TM interview with their parent/guardian as part of a research study of RF. Seventeen, or 17%, accessed a TM provider for sore throat as part of the current illness, and 70% accessed TM for sore throat in the past (73% current or past use). Of the 20 parents who witnessed the TM visit, 100% reported use of crude tonsillectomy. Penicillin was the most frequently prescribed medication by TM providers in 52% of participants who were seen by a TM provider. The use of TM among children presenting with symptoms of sore throat in northern Uganda is common and frequently used in tandem with diagnostic services offered through the formal healthcare system. Engagement with TM practitioners may provide an important avenue for designing effective primary prevention and management strategies of RF and reduce the global burden of RHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Stein
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
- Children’s National Heart Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Jafesi Pulle
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Isaac Otim
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jenifer Atala
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joselyn Rwebembera
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Linda Mary Oyella
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nada Harik
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Emmy Okello
- Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Craig Sable
- Children’s National Heart Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati Medical School, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Okello E, Murali M, Rwebembera J, Atala J, Bowen AC, Harik N, Kaudha G, Kitooleko S, Longenecker C, Ndagire E, Omara IO, Oyella LM, Parks T, Pulle J, Sable C, Sarnacki R, Stein E, Zimmerman M, de Klerk N, Carapetis J, Beaton A. Cross-sectional study of population-specific streptococcal antibody titres in Uganda. Arch Dis Child 2020; 105:825-829. [PMID: 32601082 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2020-318859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite substantial variation of streptococcal antibody titres among global populations, there is no data on normal values in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to establish normal values for antistreptolysin O (ASO) and antideoxyribonuclease B (ADB) antibodies in Uganda. DESIGN This was an observational cross-sectional study. SETTING This study was conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is located in the capital city, Kampala, and includes the Uganda Heart Institute. PATIENTS Participants (aged 0-50 years) were recruited. Of 428 participants, 22 were excluded from analysis, and 183 (44.4%) of the remaining were children aged 5-15 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ASO was measured in-country by nephelometric technique. ADB samples were sent to Australia (PathWest) for analysis by enzyme inhibition assay: 80% upper limit values were established. RESULTS The median ASO titre in this age group was 220 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 389 IU/mL. The median ADB titre in this age group was 375 IU/mL, with the 80th percentile value of 568 IU/mL. CONCLUSIONS The estimated Ugandan paediatric population standardised 80% upper-limit-of-normal ASO and ADB titres is higher than many global populations. Appropriateness of using population-specific antibody cutoffs is yet to be determined and has important implications for the sensitivity and specificity of rheumatic fever diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghna Murali
- Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | | | - Asha C Bowen
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nada Harik
- Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | | | - Chris Longenecker
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | | | | | | | - Tom Parks
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Craig Sable
- Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Rachel Sarnacki
- Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stein
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Meghan Zimmerman
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock School of Medicine, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, United States
| | - Nicholas de Klerk
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jonathan Carapetis
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
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Okello E, Ndagire E, Atala J, Bowen AC, DiFazio MP, Harik NS, Longenecker CT, Lwabi P, Murali M, Norton SA, Omara IO, Oyella LM, Parks T, Pulle J, Rwebembera J, Sarnacki RJ, Spurney CF, Stein E, Tochen L, Watkins D, Zimmerman M, Carapetis JR, Sable C, Beaton A. Active Case Finding for Rheumatic Fever in an Endemic Country. J Am Heart Assoc 2020; 9:e016053. [PMID: 32750303 PMCID: PMC7792248 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.120.016053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Despite the high burden of rheumatic heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa, diagnosis with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is exceedingly rare. Here, we report the results of the first prospective epidemiologic survey to diagnose and characterize ARF at the community level in Africa. Methods and Results A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lira, Uganda, to inform the design of a broader epidemiologic survey. Key messages were distributed in the community, and children aged 3 to 17 years were included if they had either (1) fever and joint pain, (2) suspicion of carditis, or (3) suspicion of chorea, with ARF diagnoses made by the 2015 Jones Criteria. Over 6 months, 201 children met criteria for participation, with a median age of 11 years (interquartile range, 6.5) and 103 (51%) female. At final diagnosis, 51 children (25%) had definite ARF, 11 (6%) had possible ARF, 2 (1%) had rheumatic heart disease without evidence of ARF, 78 (39%) had a known alternative diagnosis (10 influenza, 62 malaria, 2 sickle cell crises, 2 typhoid fever, 2 congenital heart disease), and 59 (30%) had an unknown alternative diagnosis. Conclusions ARF persists within rheumatic heart disease-endemic communities in Africa, despite the low rates reported in the literature. Early data collection has enabled refinement of our study design to best capture the incidence of ARF and to answer important questions on community sensitization, healthcare worker and teacher education, and simplified diagnostics for low-resource areas. This study also generated data to support further exploration of the relationship between malaria and ARF diagnosis in rheumatic heart disease/malaria-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Ndagire
- Uganda Heart InstituteKampalaUganda
- Children’s National HospitalWashingtonDC
| | | | - Asha C. Bowen
- Telethon Kids InstitutePerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tom Parks
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOH
- Cincinnati University School of MedicineCincinnatiOH
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