Oropouche virus detection in saliva and urine

Oropouche virus (OROV) is an arthropod-borne virus of the Peribunyaviridae family, transmitted to humans primarily by Culicoides paraensis. It is one of the main arboviruses infecting humans in Brazil, primarily in the Amazon Region. Here, we report the detection of OROV in the saliva and urine of a patient whose samples were collected five days after the onset of symptoms. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis further confirmed the results. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the detection of OROV in the saliva and urine of an infected patient. In addition, the results of our study expand the current knowledge pertaining to the natural history of Oropouche fever.

Molecular characterisation of the emerging measles virus from Roraima state, Brazil, 2018

Measles is a human infectious disease of global concern that is caused by the measles virus. In this study, we report the complete genome sequencing of one measles virus isolate, genotype D8, that was obtained directly from a urine sample in Boa Vista city, the capital of Roraima state in Brazil. Phylogenetic reconstruction grouped the genome described in this study with that of samples from Australia, South Korea, and Italy. To our knowledge, this is the first complete genome sequence of a wild-type measles virus reported from Latin America. Therefore, the present data strengthen the current knowledge on the molecular epidemiology of measles worldwide.

Analysis of the immunological biomarker profile during acute Zika virus infection reveals the overexpression of CXCL10, a chemokine linked to neuronal damage

BACKGROUND Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) manifests in a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild illness to severe neurological complications and little is known about Zika immunopathogenesis. OBJECTIVES To define the immunologic biomarkers that correlate with acute ZIKV infection. METHODS We characterized the levels of circulating cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in 54 infected patients of both genders at five different time points after symptom onset using microbeads multiplex immunoassay; comparison to 100 age-matched controls was performed for statistical analysis and data mining. FINDINGS ZIKV-infected patients present a striking systemic inflammatory response with high levels of pro-inflammatory mediators. Despite the strong inflammatory pattern, IL-1Ra and IL-4 are also induced during the acute infection. Interestingly, the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-13, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ; chemokines CXCL8, CCL2, CCL5; and the growth factor G-CSF, displayed a bimodal distribution accompanying viremia. While this is the first manuscript to document bimodal distributions of viremia in ZIKV infection, this has been documented in other viral infections, with a primary viremia peak during mild systemic disease and a secondary peak associated with distribution of the virus to organs and tissues. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Biomarker network analysis demonstrated distinct dynamics in concurrence with the bimodal viremia profiles at different time points during ZIKV infection. Such a robust cytokine and chemokine response has been associated with blood-brain barrier permeability and neuroinvasiveness in other flaviviral infections. High-dimensional data analysis further identified CXCL10, a chemokine involved in foetal neuron apoptosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, as the most promising biomarker of acute ZIKV infection for potential clinical application.

Desenvolvimento da CEL: equipamento de baixo-custo parareação e leitura de ensaios LAMP - Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification / Development of CEL: a low-cost equipment for Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays

O sistema de saúde brasileiro é constituído por um conjunto de ações e serviços que prestam assistência a população por meio de estratégias que visam a promoção, proteção e recuperação da saúde. Um dos pontos de maior destaque é a prevenção, na qual incluem-se o diagnóstico e o tratamento precoce das doenças. A detecção e a identificação clássica de patógenos baseiam-se na microscopia e cultura, entretanto a baixa sensibilidade; a necessidade de profissionais capacitados e de infraestrutura adequada resultam, em alguns casos, na falha do diagnóstico e no atraso para o início do tratamento. Objetivo: desenvolver um equipamento para realização de ensaios LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) em ambientes com reduzida infraestrutura laboratorial. Resultados: Foram padronizados protocolos para cinco importantes doenças encontradas na região amazônica: tuberculose, malária, dengue e as febres mayaro e oropouche para utilização na CEL, equipamento portátil para a realização dos ensaios LAMP. O equipamento possui detecção fotométrica integrada, com capacidade de oito reações simultâneas, detectando a alteração da cor nas reações positivas. O resultado é mostrado em um display alfanumérico, de fácil leitura, mesmo para pessoas sem experiência com a técnica. Os resultados também podem ser transferidos por bluetooth para um smartphone, onde é possível, com o aplicativo próprio fazer a visualização gráfica. Conclusão: por se tratar de um equipamento de baixo-custo, desenvolvido para a aplicação em diagnóstico molecular, pode representar uma alternativa para ampliação da oferta de diagnóstico molecular nos serviços da rede básica de saúde, permitindo maior acesso da população, mesmo em áreas remotas.

The Brazilian Health System consists of a set of actions and services that assist the population through strategies aimed at the promotion, protection, and health recovery. One of the highlights is prevention, which includes the diagnosis and early treatment of diseases. The detection and classical identification of pathogens are based on microscopy and culture, however the low sensitivity; the need for trained professionals and adequate infrastructure leads, in some cases, to the failure of the diagnosis and in the delay to start treatment. Objective: to develop CEL, an equipment for LAMP (Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification) assays for use in low-resource settings laboratories. Results: Protocols were standardized for five important diseases found in the Amazon region: tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, mayaro and oropouche fevers. The equipment has integrated photometric detection, with the capacity of eight simultaneous reactions, detecting the color change observed in the positive reactions. The results are shown in an easy-to-read alphanumeric display, even for people with no experience with the technique. The results can also be transferred by bluetooth to a smartphone with the CEL App, where it is possible to see the results in a graphical interface. Conclusion: Once CEL is a low-cost device, developed for molecular diagnostics, it can represent an alternative to the expansion of the molecular diagnosis in the services of the primary health attention, allowing higher population access, even in remote areas.