<p>Positive summary.</p>

273 sputum samples from adult patients with tuberculosis-like symptoms in The Gambia were analyzed using a multiplex qPCR assay. Zackary Salem-Bango developed the assay, which detected Aspergillus DNA in 5 samples (1.8%) and Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA in 3 samples (1.1%). This represents the first molecular detection of these fungi in adults in The Gambia.

Use Cases

• Validate multiplex molecular assays for fungal pathogen detection based on sputum samples.
• Study co-occurrence of fungal colonization and tuberculosis-like symptoms based on patient symptom data.
• Assess prevalence of WHO-priority fungal pathogens in specific geographic regions based on Gambian patient data.
• Develop surveillance tools for fungal infections in resource-limited settings based on the described molecular platform.

Strengths

• The multiplex assay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, detecting as few as ten DNA copies per reaction.
• 273 sputum samples provide a concrete sample size for analysis.
• Specific prevalence rates are reported: Aspergillus 1.8%, Pneumocystis jirovecii 1.1%.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to figshare, being limited to The Gambia.

Provenance

Source

Zackary Salem-Bango

Collection Method

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

Freshness

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

Geography

The Gambia