Active clinical trials for "Communicable Diseases"

Routine childhood immunization (RCI) in Pakistan is well below the recommended coverage of 90% with rates as low as 16% in certain regions (Pakistan DHS 2012-3). This has led to continued polio transmission, large measles outbreaks and thousands of deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases (Kazi.Bull WHO 2016). Mobile phone communication is widespread in developing countries and has proven a potential method of directly connecting pregnant women and mothers to health services (Kharbanda. Expert Review of Vaccine 2014). The investigators propose conducting a mixed methods proof of concept cluster randomized trial (CRT) to assess the effectiveness of different types of SMS messaging and automated calls to improve RCI and understand the perceptions and barriers that may affect SMS and automated call-based interventions at participants levels. the investigators will conduct the study at urban and rural sites in Pakistan. The investigators will examine an important public health question - do low cost, automated SMS, and automated messages improve RCI coverage in resource-constrained settings? Further, investigators will compare the effectiveness of reminder, educational and interactive text messages for improving RCI and will generate socio-cultural data regarding the impact of participants health beliefs that will be important for setting up the appropriate interventions in other LMICs.

Studies to assess the effectiveness of interventions to prevent HIV infection depend upon robust estimates of Baseline HIV incidence rates. The changing landscape of high-risk populations, as well as the evolution of biomedical pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions, requires a contemporary evaluation of HIV incidence as well as demographic, behavioral and other subject factors which may impact HIV incidence. This is a prospective cohort study to measure HIV-1 seroincidence in a study population of HIV-1 uninfected Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) who are at high-risk of HIV infection. Approximately 550 subjects who are male sex at birth and have sex with men shall enter the study, which will allow for a 10% drop out rate to maintain 500 subjects at the conclusion of the cohort. This is a single arm cohort study to determine HIV-1 seroincidence rates in high risk MSM and TGW when combined with a comprehensive prevention package including HIV and safe sex counseling, provision of condoms and water-based lubricant, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and referral for treatment. It will be determined what proportion of high-risk MSM and TGW who are given a comprehensive HIV-1 prevention package will acquire HIV-1 infection.

Open-label, multicentre, prospective cohort, observational clinical trial with a retrospective control group to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CERAMENTTM| G or V used for filling of bone defects in the tibia and / or femur shaft and/or acetabulum in patients scheduled for two-stage hip or knee prosthesis re-implantation for PJI or aseptic loosening. The results will be compared to a cohort of patients, which have been treated before the introduction of CERAMENTTM|G or V for the same indication. Due to the observational character of the study, there will be no patient randomization and the clinicians in the study will remain entirely free to decide on the treatment of the patients according to established clinical practice. Only patients for whom therapeutic strategy for the use of the product for filling bone defects is already planned according to local clinical practice, at the time of informed consent form signature, will be enrolled in this study. Thus, the decision for the choice of the surgical treatment, will not be influenced by the inclusion of the patient in this study.

Rationale and Background: Since 2013, Butantan Institute has been performing passive pharmacovigilance activities related to its triavalent, fragmented and inactivated vaccine (IB TIV). Objetive: To conduct an active surveillance study focusing on the elderly and health care professionals as part of Butantan pharmacovigilance plan, while passive surveillance activities will continue. The pharmacovigilance plan, via active surveillance, is being implemented in response to WHO requirements for pre-qualification of IB TIV.

This is a Phase 1, interventional, non-randomized, experimental infection model study with healthy adult males adults (N=32) between the ages of 18-36 at study enrollment. The study is designed to test the requirements of predicted N. gonorrhoeae virulence determinants for gonococcal infection in the male urethra. The duration for all participants will be about 3 weeks. Study duration will be approximately about 18 months for implementation and enrollment. The primary objectives of the present study are to: (1) compare infectivity of different isogenic mutants with wild-type (WT) N. gonorrhoeae in noncompetitive infections and to (2) assess relative fitness of the mutant in competitive infections initiated by inocula containing equivalent numbers of both WT and mutant strains for mutants with WT infectivity.

Annually, more than 250,000 patients in the U.S. with end-stage heart failure stand to benefit from ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy. 60% of patients develop a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) within 90-days of implantation. The investigators long term goal is to develop and subsequently promote wide-scale adoption of evidence-based HAI prevention practices following durable VAD implantation. This will be done by addressing the following aims: Aim 1. Identify determinants of center-level variability in HAI rates. Aim 2. Develop a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators for achieving low center HAI rates. Aim 3. Develop, iteratively enhance, and disseminate a best practices toolkit for preventing HAIs that accommodates various center contexts. The investigators will use a focused survey of U.S. VAD centers to identify determinants of center variation in 90-day HAI rates: Process Factors (e.g., intranasal mupirocin), Provider Factors (e.g., surgeon technique), Device Factors (e.g., centrifugal vs. axial), Center Factors (e.g., provider communication). Understanding the barriers and facilitators within individual centers for maximizing adoption of prevention measures would serve as the foundation for targeted improvement strategies. Without this knowledge, evidence-based, action-oriented recommendations will have limited local adoption and ultimately effectiveness in preventing HAIs after VAD implantation.

Clinical research question: Can OM-85 reduce the recurrence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children with AH by stimulating the immunological response of the host and therefore, as a consequence reduce the size of adenoid tissue in children with adenoid hypertrophy? Can this prevent further complications such as surgery need? Half of participants will receive OM-85, while other half will receive a placebo.

The investigators aim to assess the effectiveness of prophylaxis of urinary tract infections in children with a probiotic containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus PL1 and Lactobacillus plantarum PM1. It is formulated a hypothesis that a 3-months course of probiotic prophylasis is more effective than placebo.

The impact of chronic HIV infection and pregnancy on different aspects of the humoral response to pertussis immunization with the TDaP vaccine will be studied. The parameters will be measured in 3 groups (HIV-infected pregnant, HIV-uninfected pregnant and HIV-uninfected non pregnant) at different time points before and after immunization (7-10 days, 30 days and at delivery). The transfer ratio and the quality of maternal antibodies will be studied in cord blood.

In Ethiopia, great majorities (95%) of households rely on solid biomass fuels such as wood, muck, crop residues, and charcoal burned in highly polluting stoves to meet the basic household energy needs with its severe health consequences due to emission of toxic indoor air pollutants. Correspondingly, household air pollution (HAP) from biomass fuel use is now estimated to be responsible for nearly 3.5 million premature deaths annually, with the highest disease burdens experienced by countries in sub-Saharan Africa. HAP ranks as the highest environmental risk factors to premature deaths globally and 2nd leading risk factor next to childhood underweight in most of sub-Saharan Africa countries as well as 3rd leading risk factor of disease next to childhood underweight, and suboptimal breastfeeding in Ethiopia. Usually prevention efforts aimed at reducing HAP and related health burdens have been focused on the use of energy efficient cookstoves. There is, however, rigorous lack of evidence in Ethiopia or in other similar settings whether it is possible to achieve adequate HAP reduction and improve health with locally made energy efficient baking stoves from a public health point of view. Particularly, the popular Ethiopian energy efficient "Injera" baking stove has not been researched through stove trial inquiry. Therefore, research studies are required in Ethiopia on health benefits achieved when households adopt energy efficient baking stoves. In view of that, cluster randomized controlled trial will be employed with experimental study design for one year to test the effectiveness of the Ethiopian improved "Injera" baking stove intervention on reducing HAP and childhood acute respiratory infection (ARI) through comparing equal size groups of children before and after part of households received an improved "Injera" baking stove. Accordingly, the proposed stove trial aims to address an important research gap by determining whether the Ethiopian improved "Injera" baking biomass stove intervention can adequately reduce HAP exposure to prevent childhood acute respiratory infection. With this objective, the proposed stove trial will test the hypothesis that there is a statistically significant difference in HAP levels and incidence of childhood ARI when using traditional versus improved "Injera" baking stove in Northwest Ethiopia