2026年 · 第15卷第02期

In Italy, praziquantel (PZQ) is not registered for human use and can be imported from European countries where it is authorized, according to a specific ministerial decree. Recent Europe-wide shortages, however, have made this route impractical, resulting in the unavailability of this essential medicine. This editorial summarizes historical gaps in supply, the actions undertaken, and the interim solutions implemented to restore PZQ access in Italy. The Italian experience highlights broader challenges related to essential medicines and underscores the need for coordinated national and European strategies to ensure stable and equitable availability.

Background Human sparganosis is a neglected foodborne/waterborne zoonosis and a rare infectious disease of poverty (rIDP) that is widely distributed globally and threatens human health. Economic development and the expanded dissemination of public health knowledge have fueled increased global focus on rIDPs. The epidemiology of human sparganosis has shifted on the basis of emerging evidence; moreover, comprehensive contemporary data on its global distribution remain outdated. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic retrospective analysis to map the global case distribution of human sparganosis. We then summarized and analyzed the basic demographic characteristics, infection sites, modes of transmission and diagnostic methods. Methods We systematically searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase databases for case reports, dissertations, reviews and meeting abstracts. The literature search was conducted up to April 30, 2025, without any restrictions on the year of publication. The analysis focused exclusively on articles on human sparganosis cases, with no restrictions on publication language or country of origin. We followed the inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant studies. The relevant information from the identified studies was subsequently collected and summarized. Results A total of 822 articles involving 3472 valid cases and 16 serological survey articles involving 3148 positive subjects were identified and included. Our analysis revealed the global distribution of human sparganosis. The disease is distributed worldwide, while China, the Republic of Korea and Thailand are the top three countries in terms of reported case concentration. However, some African regions, such as South Sudan, Tanzania and Ethiopia, may have the potential for a greater number of human sparganosis cases. Conclusions This scoping review provides updates on the global distribution changes and epidemiological status of human sparganosis. East Asia and Southeast Asia continue to be regions where human sparganosis is highly prevalent, while the disease burden in some resource-limited regions may be underestimated. Our findings may receive increasing attention in endemic regions, raise awareness in resource-limited, nonendemic areas. In the future, there is still a need to strengthen the prevention and control of this disease worldwide.

Background Minimum essential dataset (MED) enables One Health surveillance by facilitating cross-sectoral data sharing. Yet, existing MED research represents insufficient integration of the One Health concept, and its progress in disease surveillance remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the current progress and gaps in MED research in disease surveillance through a One Health lens. Methods This scoping review systematically searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from the inception of databases to November 30th, 2024 to identify studies published in English. Studies were independently screened by two reviewers for inclusion based on their relevance to the development of MEDs for disease surveillance. The progress and challenges were synthesized based on data extracted from eligible studies. Results This review includes 28 eligible studies for analysis, all of which focused on infectious diseases. MED development is predominantly concentrated on the human health interface (89.3%), whereas animal and environmental interfaces are comparatively limited (≤ 10.7%). The One Health concept has been adopted in 16 of the eligible studies; however, there is still insufficient interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration (57.1%). Meanwhile, numerous methods have been employed in the development of MEDs, with qualitative approaches being the most prevalent (42.9%), while data-driven approaches remain scarce. The absence of a standardized approach is recognized as a primary barrier. Thus, we propose a pathway and operational tool to detail the specific steps, which could facilitate future research on MED. Conclusion This review highlights critical gaps in MED development at the human-animal-environment interface, and proposes a pathway and operational tool to inform future development of MED, including scope identification, establishment, modification and improvement. This study promotes the improvement of disease surveillance system and provides insights to enhance future preparedness for reducing the global public health burden.

Background Histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are critical for malaria diagnosis in Africa, particularly in resource-limited settings. However, the spread of Plasmodium falciparum parasites with pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions challenges their effectiveness, raising concerns in affected areas. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions and evaluate the diagnostic performance of HRP2-based RDTs in detecting asymptomatic malaria infections in Tanzania. Method This cross-sectional community survey study aimed to determine the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions from asymptomatic malaria population in Tanzania. Moreover, the study intended to assess the performance of HRP2-based RDT and light microscopy (LM) in detecting asymptomatic malaria infections. The survey was conducted from December 2022 to July 2023 in twelve villages (8 villages from high malaria transmission areas and 4 in low endemicity). Diagnosis was done by RDT, LM and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A multiplex qPCR was employed on P. falciparum mono-infection isolates to assess the prevalence of pfhrp2/3 gene deletions. Unpaired t-tests and one-way ANOVA were performed to evaluate associations between log10-transformed parasitaemia levels and gene deletion profiles. Results Among 3489 participants, RDT detected 710 (77.6%) of 915 qPCR-positive cases, compared to 492 (53.8%) by LM. Compared with qPCR, RDT produced 143 (5.6%) false positives and 205 (22.4%) false negatives, whereas LM had 60 (2.3%) false positives and 423 (46.2%) false negatives. Overall accuracy was similar for RDT (90.0%) and LM (86.2%), with higher sensitivity for RDT. Agreement with qPCR in asymptomatic cases was substantial for RDT (κ= 0.736), whereas it was moderate for LM (κ= 0.590). Multiplex qPCR revealed pfhrp2 or pfhrp3 deletions in 93 (11.8%) of 787 samples, including 19 (2.4%) dual-deletion isolates, all of which were RDT negative. Deletions were more frequent in high-transmission villages (76 cases, 9.7%) than in low-transmission villages (17 cases, 2.2%). Conclusion The findings support the continued effectiveness of HRP2-based RDTs in detecting asymptomatic P. falciparum infections in Tanzania, despite the presence of some pfhrp2/3 gene deletions. However, the potential increase in deletion prevalence and the limitations of cross-sectional data highlight the need for ongoing molecular surveillance. Collectively, these findings provide a critical foundation for sustained surveillance and for clarifying the epidemiological significance of asymptomatic malaria in Tanzania.

Background Dengue fever is a major mosquito-borne disease that is spreading rapidly from endemic regions to previously low-incidence regions. The regions at the interface between Southeast Asia and China represent critical hotspots for the cross-border and subsequent local transmission of dengue fever. In this study, a cross-population transmission model was constructed to characterize the transmission dynamics in China’s border regions adjacent to Myanmar. Methods Dengue case data from the dengue fever case reporting system were collected for Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (DH) and Lincang City (LC), which are situated along the China-Myanmar border in southwestern China (2014–2023). We analyzed spatiotemporal patterns of dengue transmission and developed a transmission dynamics model that accounts for vertical transmission in mosquitoes to quantify transmission dynamics at three levels: the overall disease system, mosquito-to-human, and human-to-mosquito. Model parameters were estimated using least-squares fitting to observed case data, and model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2). Results From 2014 to 2023, a total of 10,180 dengue cases were documented across two China’s border prefectures adjacent to Myanmar, 83.1% of which were locally acquired infections. There were 7893 cases reported in DH (906 international imports, 6961 local) and 2287 cases reported in LC (717 international imports, 1497 local). Transmission exhibited pronounced seasonality, peaking between July and November, and a strong temporal correlation between imported and local cases was observed. By using a dynamic transmission model incorporating mosquito vertical transmission, we achieved statistically significant model fits (P < 0.001) and quantified temporal changes in transmissibility. During the rising phases of the outbreak, the overall transmissibility consistently exceeded 1. Analysis of directional transmission revealed a marked temporal shift: human-to-mosquito transmissibility was predominant in earlier outbreak years (2017: 1–5 in DH, 10–15 in LC), whereas mosquito-to-human transmissibility has increased substantially in recent years (2023: 5–15 in DH, 10–20 in LC). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that while overall transmissibility estimates remained robust across different initial mosquito population assumptions, the directional transmission components were sensitive to the ratio of exposed to infected mosquitoes, reflecting the inherent identifiability challenges of the model in the absence of entomological surveillance data. Conclusions Our findings reveal the dengue transmission dynamics in China’s border regions adjacent to Myanmar over the 2014–2023 study period. Our results underscore the necessity of integrating entomological monitoring with case-based surveillance and support enhanced cross-border coordination for effective outbreak prevention in high-risk frontier zones.

Background Many individuals with tuberculosis (TB) experience various psychological problems after TB diagnosis, and they may also have suicidal ideations and suicidal attempts associated with TB-related depression or stigma. Until now, little is known about suicide rates among individuals with TB. We aimed to investigate the trends, characteristics, and contributing factors of suicide deaths among individuals with TB, using a Republic of Korea nationwide cohort. Methods This was a retrospective nationwide cohort study using data of the K-TB-N cohort. We analyzed 310,194 individuals with TB registered in the Korean National Tuberculosis Surveillance System between 2012 and 2021. Suicidal deaths were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision codes (X60–X84) from the Statistics Korea database. Participants were followed up until death, censoring, or December 2022. We calculated suicide incidence rates, examined temporal distribution of suicide occurrence following TB diagnosis using Poisson regression, and used multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, including age-stratified analyses, to identify factors associated with suicide. Results Altogether, 1314 (0.42%) died by suicide [1.6% of all deaths (1314/80,323)]. Men and individuals aged ≥ 60 years accounted for 76.9% and 56.1% of suicide deaths, respectively. Overall suicide incidence was 0.77/1000 person-years, more than twice as high in men compared to that in women (1.03 vs. 0.42/1000 person-years), and increased with age (from 0.32 in 20–29 years to 1.59 in ≥ 80 years/1000 person-years). Suicide incidence within one year after TB diagnosis was 2.04/1000 person-years. Notably, 31.3% of the suicides occurred during TB treatment. The incidence of suicide was highest immediately after TB diagnosis and tended to decrease over time. Male sex, older age, pulmonary TB, sputum smear positivity, comorbidities, and mental disorders were significantly associated with higher suicide risk. The risk factors for suicide showed different patterns across age groups (younger adults: pre-existing mental health conditions; middle-aged adults: low income and infectiousness; and older adults: comorbidities and disability). Conclusions Suicide is a notable cause of death among individuals with TB in Republic of Korea, particularly early after diagnosis. The factors contributing to suicide risk differed depending on sex and age. Routine mental health screening and early targeted psychosocial intervention strategies should be integrated into national TB care programs to reduce preventable deaths.

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in Africa, which continues to bear the greatest burden. The transboundary nature of malaria necessitates regional collaboration, yet transcontinental knowledge-sharing mechanisms remain limited. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) certification of China as malaria-free in 2021 presents an opportunity to leverage its expertise, cost-effective products, and elimination strategies to support Africa’s malaria control efforts. The Institution-based Network on China-Africa Cooperation for Malaria Elimination (INCAM) was established in 2018 to bridge this gap, fostering cross-continental collaboration through knowledge exchange, product innovation, and policy advocacy. Between 2019 and 2025, INCAM has convened six fora, facilitated to promote the adaptation of China’s anti-malaria practices to African contexts. These fora promoted the exploration of demand-driven research, the development of innovative anti-malarial products, and the advancement of evidence-based policies. INCAM exemplifies the potential of China-Africa collaboration to accelerate malaria control and elimination in Africa through solutions tailored to local contexts. To sustain this progress, there is an urgent need for stronger Public-Private-Academic Partnerships, and enhanced capacity-building programs. By addressing these gaps, INCAM can maximize its role as a leading transcontinental hub for malaria control and elimination for China and Africa.

Background Enterobiasis, caused by Enterobius vermicularis, is a common intestinal parasitic infection in children. Ectopic migration to extraintestinal sites, such as the greater omentum, is rare and often misdiagnosed due to non-specific clinical manifestations and limited proficiency in identifying parasitic structures in paraffin-embedded histological sections. Case presentation A 12-year-old female presented with a three-day history of lower abdominal pain and a pelvic mass. Emergency laparoscopic resection revealed an ovarian serous cystadenoma and an omental mass. Initial histopathological examination of the omental mass suggested schistosome eggs; however, expert consultation confirmed a section of an adult female E. vermicularis containing eggs measuring up to 50 μm. The patient had no exposure to schistosomiasis-endemic areas but a history of prior pinworm infection, which had been treated with oral albendazole (400 mg once daily for 2 days). Subsequent adhesive tape tests over three consecutive days were negative, and perineal pruritus was resolved, confirming successful cure. The final diagnosis was ectopic enterobiasis of the greater omentum. Conclusions This case underscores the critical role of accurate morphological identification in distinguishing parasitic infections. Misdiagnosis, even in non-schistosomiasis-endemic areas, reflects insufficient training in parasitic morphology among healthcare professionals. Enhanced training on the morphology of common parasites and interpretation of paraffin-embedded histological sections is essential to improve diagnostic accuracy.