Vaccine Derived Poliovirus (VDPV).

Poliomyelitis is caused by Poliovirus, a member of a large group of enteroviruses. Vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) stem from mutated live poliovirus, which is contained in the Oral Polio Virus vaccine (OPV). In addition, the emergence of VDPV is one of the global challenges for the eradication of poliomyelitis. VDPVs continue to affect different parts of the world; 1081 cases occurred in 2020 and 682 cases in 2021. There are several reasons that may have caused the increase in circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) after the "switch" from the trivalent to the bivalent oral polio vaccine. One reason is the low vaccination rate among the targeted population, which has been further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several strategies could control the spread of VDPV including the use of the monovalent OPV (mOPV-2). The risk of VDPV can be minimized through increased immunization rates and the use of safer vaccine alternatives. The global effort to eradicate polio has made significant progress over the years, but continued vigilance and investment in immunization programs are needed to achieve the ultimate goal of a polio-free world.

A Rare Case of Sternoclavicular Tuberculosis Diagnosed Using Microchip-Based Polymerase Chain Reaction in a Diabetic Female.

Osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) accounts for almost 10% of all extrapulmonary TB cases. In the majority of cases, the spine, knee, hip, and large bones are involved; other sites like the sternoclavicular joint, elbow, wrist, and smaller joints are infrequently involved. Uncommon locations of extrapulmonary TB pose a challenge in diagnosis due to lack of clinical suspicion, non-availability of samples, and unavailability of suitable diagnostic modalities. Here we report a case of uncommon location of osteoarticular TB diagnosed through microchip-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Comparison of the Rapid Antigen Testing Method With RT-qPCR for the Diagnosis of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has till now affected about 110 million people globally. It has not spared any country and has led to 24 lakh deaths. As a result, the testing had to be increased manifold leading to depletion in the number of the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) kits. Point-of-care rapid antigen-based tests were developed in order to meet the increasing demands. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of a rapid chromatographic test (index test) with a gold standard test (RT-qPCR). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Paired samples were taken from all patients reporting to the clinic for antigen-based rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) and RT-qPCR. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated to evaluate the performance of the RDT. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the RDT were observed to be 53.6% (39.7-67.0) and 97.35% (94.6-98.9), respectively. In symptomatic individuals, the sensitivity was higher 61.0% (44.5-75.8). The test positivity rates of RDT were found to be higher at a ​​cycle threshold value ≤20. CONCLUSION: RDT can be used as a screening test to rule in the infection especially in symptomatic patients who are more prone to spread the disease. It is an important weapon in the armamentarium of public healthcare for the containment of COVID-19.

Comparison of Positivity Rates of Rapid Antigen Testing and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for COVID-19 During the First and Second Waves of the Pandemic in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background The advent of the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India caused a new range of challenges in diagnosing the virus. Various point-of-care tests have been introduced for rapid diagnosis. Although rapid antigen tests are the most commonly used, the false-negative rates are high. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the positivity rate of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing in rapid antigen-negative cases of COVID-19 during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology This was an observational study conducted in the Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur. Results In total, 2,168 patients were tested. The percentage positivity rate of the RT-PCR tests among the antigen-negative samples was 4.34% in the first wave of the pandemic whereas it was 8.08% in the second wave. Conclusions The main conclusion of this study was that antigen tests should never be used alone for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Instead, they should be confirmed with a RT-PCR test.