Fungal Pathogen Detection in Tuberculosis-Symptomatic Patients in The Gambia

The Gambia is the geographic focus of this dataset. It contains results from a multiplex qPCR assay applied to 273 stored sputum samples from adult patients with tuberculosis-like respiratory symptoms. The assay detected Aspergillus DNA in 1.8% and Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA in 1.1% of samples, with no Histoplasma positives. The dataset was authored by Zackary Salem-Bango and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Validate molecular diagnostic tools for fungal pathogens based on the multiplex qPCR assay described.
• Analyze co-occurrence of fungal colonization in tuberculosis-symptomatic populations based on the sample cohort.
• Assess the prevalence of WHO-priority fungal pathogens in a specific geographic region based on the Gambian patient data.
• Study symptom patterns associated with fungal detection based on reported cough and weight loss.

Strengths

• Includes results from 273 patient samples, providing a concrete sample size.
• Reports specific detection rates: Aspergillus at 1.8% and Pneumocystis jirovecii at 1.1%.
• Describes a validated assay with high sensitivity and specificity, detecting as few as ten DNA copies.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (5.5 KB), indicating limited scope.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

A multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was developed and applied to stored sputum samples.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-24 17:45:12; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Gambia