Health care services and programs directed towards combating the Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have been disrupted because of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The African continent because of its staggering health care system and poor economy disproportionately bears the burden of these diseases. While successes have been recorded in controlling and eliminating the NTDs, policymakers in Africa should consider the potential of the COVID-19 to dwindle these successes an issue of high priority. This commentary seeks to discuss the current status of NTDs in Africa and proffer recommendations to help combat these diseases at this period. It is worthy to say that similar dedication directed towards fighting the COVID-19 should also be deployed into eliminating other diseases like the NTDs which often, are Neglected.

This is an abstract of the review of the second edition (2017) "tropical Dermatology" published by Elsevier (ISBN-13: 978-0323296342) and edited by three distinguished tropical dermatologists: Professor Stephen K. Tyring, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas; Professor Omar Lupi, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Professor Ulrich R. Hengge, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.The book intends to address the needs of dermatologists, infectious and tropical diseases specialists, and travel medicine physicians for updated and practical information on tropical dermatology conditions. It is consisted of 36 chapter in 463 pages.Of interesting points about this book is its first chapter, which provides a "syndromal" approach to tropical skin conditions facilitating approach to the patients and making differential diagnoses. Chapters two and three provide guidance for the travelers and who are going to work in tropics from a pragmatic point of view. The contents of those two chapters are of significant preventive importance. Another point of strength of "tropical Dermatology" is providing information on emerging infectious diseases as well as Zika, Ebola, and Dengue fever diseases, which got importance over the past couple of years mainly because of changes in their epidemiology. The chapter on poxviruses was very well written too. Another important feature of this book is its wonderful illustrations. With over 650 full-colored illustrations, all clinical photos, photomicrographs, flowcharts, and tables help the reader to achieve a rapid and deeper understanding of the content. Another strength of "tropical Dermatology" is its well coverage of both common and rare diseases.I recommend this book to all resident and practicing dermatologists, infectious diseases and tropical diseases specialists, and those who are dealing with travelers or intend to work in tropics.

Dear Editor-in-Chief the foremost information about the world’ s major communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has been generated by the Global Burden of disease Study (GBD) regarding the incidence, morbidity, prevalence and mortality. The gradual increase of the NCDs especially among the world’ s low-and middle-income countries urge the need of research (1)...

Background: Cysticercosis in among the Neglected tropical disease caused by eating the egg of parasite Taenia solium. In this review, we aimed to verify the prevalence of human cysticercosis in different countries of Asia using systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Methods: Based of the protocol, reliable databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Embase, and Cochrane Library from 1990-2018 were searched using a panel of keywords. Overall, 48 countries of Asia were searched in turn and data were analyzed using a category of statistical tests. Results: Out of 28 included studies, 586175 samples were collected and included in the data analysis. Based on the meta-analysis results, the overall pooled percent of cysticercosis was estimated 3. 8% (95% CI: [2. 0, 7. 0]). According to the result of heterogeneity statistics including I-squared, chi-square, and tau-squared, it was statistically significant (Tau2 = 2. 94, chi2 = 12733. 31, P<0. 001, I2 = 100%) therefore a random effect model was used to handle the heterogeneity of studies. To evaluate the trend of cysticercosis over the time, Cumulative meta-analysis was performed and the result showed that there was a minor upward tendency in the prevalence of cysticercosis over the time. Conclusion: Although, considering the religious culture and food habits in Asia, we might have expected to witness a low prevalence of human cysticercosis, but we noticed more or less significant infection in some countries of the region. Regarding the new feature of immigration and travel between countries, all authorities are advised to take measures on controlling and monitoring the disease.

According to the several scientific resources, Iran is considered to be among the melioidosis-endemic regions of the world; this is in stark contrast to the domestic stance in Iran, where the risk of melioidosis is speculated only as an emerging infectious disease in a non-endemic area. Recently, devastating flash floods has occurred in the most provinces of Iran; the change of soil structure may facilitate the cultivation of bacteria in the upper layers of the ground, consequently causes exposure and re-emergence of the disease. Considering previous isolation and identification of Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia Pseudomallei, and Burkholderia cepacia complex from human, animal, and environment samples in Iran, it is urgently necessary to upgrade and equip infrastructures to identify and distinguish between pathogenic Burkholderia and commensals in the context of the One Health surveillance system. In the present perspective, the history of melioidosis in the country is presented to attract attention to the negligence of disease over the last four decades.