Group A Symptoms: Fungal Pathogen Detection in Tuberculosis-like Cases in The Gambia

273 sputum samples collected from adult patients in The Gambia presenting with respiratory symptoms concerning for tuberculosis were analyzed using a multiplex qPCR assay. The dataset likely contains results for the detection of Aspergillus spp., Histoplasma spp., and Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA, developed by Zackary Salem-Bango and uploaded in April 2026. This represents the first molecular detection of Aspergillus spp. and Pneumocystis jirovecii in adults in The Gambia.

Use Cases

• Analyze the prevalence of fungal pathogens based on multiplex qPCR detection results.
• Compare fungal colonization rates based on patient symptoms like cough and weight loss.
• Validate a molecular surveillance tool for fungal infections based on the assay's described sensitivity and specificity.
• Study potential misdiagnosis patterns between fungal and mycobacterial diseases based on overlapping clinical symptoms.

Strengths

• 273 sputum samples provide a specific sample size for analysis.
• The multiplex assay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, detecting as few as ten DNA copies per reaction.
• The dataset includes results for three WHO priority fungal pathogens: Aspergillus spp., Histoplasma spp., and Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Gambian study population.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay applied to stored sputum samples.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-24 17:45:13; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Gambia