Analysis of avian disease transmission risk and prevention measures in China

Many zoonotic diseases are found in wild animals and present a serious risk to human health, in particularly the virus carried by birds flying freely around the world is hard to control. There are three main bird migration routes which cover the most areas of China. It is important to investigate and fully understand the types of avian transmitted diseases in key areas on the bird migration routines and its impacts on both birds and human health. However, no literature is available in how about the risk of virus carried by migrating birds, and how to predict and reduce this risk of virus spreading to human being so far. In this paper, we first reviewed the main pathogen types carried by birds, including coronaviruses, influenza viruses, parasites, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), etc., and then discussed the spread risk of avian viruses to human being and animals in key areas of biosafety prevention. We also analyzed and discussed the risk of cross-spread of diseases among different bird species in nature reserves located on bird migration routes which provide sufficient food sources for migratory birds and attract numerous birds. Diseases transmitted by wild birds pose a serious threat to poultry farms, where high density of poultry may become avian influenza virus (AIV) reservoirs, cause a risk of avian influenza outbreaks. Airports are mostly built in suburban areas or remote areas with good ecological environment. There are important transit places for bird migration and densely populated areas, which have serious risk of disease transmission. Finally, this paper puts forward the following prevention suggestions from three aspects. First, establish and improve the monitoring and prediction mechanism of migratory birds, and use laser technology to prevent contact between wild birds and poultry. Second, examine and identify virus types carried by birds in their habitats and carry out vaccination. Third, protect the ecological environment of bird habitat, and keep wild birds in their natural habitat, so as to reduce the contact between wild birds and human and poultry, and thus reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Single-step multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the detection and differentiation of QX-like infectious bronchitis virus from the Thai variant and vaccine strains H120, Ma5, and 4/91

Background and Aim: QX-like infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a highly infectious avian coronavirus that causes respiratory and kidney disease. It is linked to increased mortality and loss of performance in infected chickens worldwide, including Thailand. Thus, a simple and rapid diagnostic method for the diagnosis of QX-like IBV is needed. This study aimed to develop a single-step multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) assay to detect and differentiate QX-like IBV from Thai IBV and vaccine strains used in the poultry industry (H120, Ma5, and 4/91). Materials and Methods: Primer sets specific for QX-like and Thai IBV were designed to target the S1 gene. The specificity of the technique was verified using nine isolates of QX-like IBV, four isolates of Thai IBV, and other avian viral respiratory pathogens. The detection limit was evaluated using a serial ten-fold dilution of QX-like and Thai IBV. Results: The results showed that single-step mRT-PCR could detect QX-like IBV and differentiate it from Thai IBV and the vaccine strains H120, Ma5, and 4/91. The limit of detection of the developed assay was 102.2 embryo infectious dose (EID)50/mL for QX-like IBV and 101.8 EID50/mL for Thai IBV. Interestingly, the developed assay could identify mixed infection by both IBVs in a single sample. Conclusion: The single-step mRT-PCR assay developed in this study can potentially discriminate QX-like IBV from Thai IBV and the vaccine strains H120, Ma5, and 4/91 in a single reaction. It is also suitable for use in all laboratories with access to conventional PCR equipment. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Veterinary World is the property of Veterinary World and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Effect of changes of vaccination strategies on IBV epidemiology, diagnosis and control: an Italian retrospective study

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is among the most impactful poultry pathogens, whose control, based on biosecurity and routine vaccination, is hampered by the existence of countless genetic variants sharing poor cross-protection. A retrospective study was conducted on IBV positive samples collected in Italian broiler farms from 2012 to 2019. In 2015, the adopted vaccination protocol shifted from a Mass and 793B-based vaccines to the administration of Mass and QX vaccines, allowing to study how changes in vaccination strategies may affect IBV epidemiology, control and diagnosis in the field. The most frequently detected lineages were QX (70.3%), 793B (15.8%) and Mass (11.9%). The relative frequencies of QX and 793B detections remained stable throughout the study, while Mass detections significantly increased after the vaccination change. Rather than to an actual growth of Mass population size, this finding may be attributable to different vaccine interactions, with Mass strains being more frequently concealed by 793B vaccines than by QX ones. Based on the obtained results, the two vaccination protocols appear to be similarly effective in fighting IB outbreaks, which in the last decade have been caused primarily by QX field strains in Italy. These results indicate that vaccination strategies may significantly affect IBV epidemiology and diagnosis, and should therefore be considered when choosing and interpreting diagnostic assays and planning control measures.

Animal diseases - current developments

The health of domesticated animals and wild animals is frequently threatened by animal illnesses. It typically receives less attention and information than illnesses that also impact humans, including the Corona virus. To be able to respond quickly, it is crucial to understand the epidemic's progression and transmission vectors. Numerous new diseases have been reported in the news over the past 20 years, the majority of which having an animal source (zoonoses). Examples from recent times include the West Nile virus, SARS, avian influenza, and monkeypox. Some developing diseases impact both humans and animals, whereas others only affect either animals or humans. All of these emerging or reemerging illnesses, however, have societal repercussions that are frequently connected to regional and global economy. Understanding the effects of newly emerging animal diseases is crucial, as is promoting closer veterinarian and medical professional collaboration, particularly in rural regions. The index cases for newly developing diseases may be illnesses that affect agricultural laborers.

Key Aspects of Coronavirus Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is an enveloped and positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. IBV was the first coronavirus to be discovered and predominantly causes respiratory disease in commercial poultry worldwide. This review summarizes several important aspects of IBV, including epidemiology, genetic diversity, antigenic diversity, and multiple system disease caused by IBV as well as vaccination and antiviral strategies. Understanding these areas will provide insight into the mechanism of pathogenicity and immunoprotection of IBV and may improve prevention and control strategies for the disease.

Does Avian Coronavirus Co-Circulate with Avian Paramyxovirus and Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Ducks in Siberia?

Avian coronaviruses (ACoV) have been shown to be highly prevalent in wild bird populations. More work on avian coronavirus detection and diversity estimation is needed for the breeding territories of migrating birds, where the high diversity and high prevalence of Orthomyxoviridae and Paramyxoviridae have already been shown in wild birds. In order to detect ACoV RNA, we conducted PCR diagnostics of cloacal swab samples from birds, which we monitored during avian influenza A virus surveillance activities. Samples from two distant Asian regions of Russia (Sakhalin region and Novosibirsk region) were tested. Amplified fragments of the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) of positive samples were partially sequenced to determine the species of Coronaviridae represented. The study revealed a high presence of ACoV among wild birds in Russia. Moreover, there was a high presence of birds co-infected with avian coronavirus, avian influenza virus, and avian paramyxovirus. We found one case of triple co-infection in a Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation of a Gammacoronavirus species. A Deltacoronavirus species was not detected, which supports the data regarding the low prevalence of deltacoronaviruses among surveyed bird species.

Strategic construction of mRNA vaccine derived from conserved and experimentally validated epitopes of avian influenza type A virus: a reverse vaccinology approach.

Purpose: The development of vaccines that confer protection against multiple avian influenza A (AIA) virus strains is necessary to prevent the emergence of highly infectious strains that may result in more severe outbreaks. Thus, this study applied reverse vaccinology approach in strategically constructing messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine construct against avian influenza A (mVAIA) to induce cross-protection while targeting diverse AIA virulence factors. Materials and Methods: Immunoinformatics tools and databases were utilized to identify conserved experimentally validated AIA epitopes. CD8+ epitopes were docked with dominant chicken major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) to evaluate complex formation. Conserved epitopes were adjoined in the optimized mVAIA sequence for efficient expression in Gallus gallus. Signal sequence for targeted secretory expression was included. Physicochemical properties, antigenicity, toxicity, and potential cross-reactivity were assessed. The tertiary structure of its protein sequence was modeled and validated in silico to investigate the accessibility of adjoined B-cell epitope. Potential immune responses were also simulated in C-ImmSim. Results: Eighteen experimentally validated epitopes were found conserved (Shannon index <2.0) in the study. These include one B-cell (SLLTEVETPIRNEWGCR) and 17 CD8+ epitopes, adjoined in a single mRNA construct. The CD8+ epitopes docked favorably with MHC peptide-binding groove, which were further supported by the acceptable ΔGbind (-28.45 to -40.59 kJ/mol) and Kd (<1.00) values. The incorporated Sec/SPI (secretory/signal peptidase I) cleavage site was also recognized with a high probability (0.964814). Adjoined B-cell epitope was found within the disordered and accessible regions of the vaccine. Immune simulation results projected cytokine production, lymphocyte activation, and memory cell generation after the 1st dose of mVAIA. Conclusion: Results suggest that mVAIA possesses stability, safety, and immunogenicity. In vitro and in vivo confirmation in subsequent studies are anticipated.

The effect of increasing health disaster risk and public spending on economy conditions: a DSGE perspective

PurposeThe main motivation of the present study is to understand the severity of the effect of health shock on Iran's oil economy and analyze the role of government under these conditions.Design/methodology/approachDynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models can show the precise interactions between market decision-makers in the context of general equilibrium. Since the duration of the virus outbreak and its effect on the economy is not known, it is more appropriate to use these models.FindingsThe results of the survey of hands-on policies scenarios compared to the state of hands-off policy indicate that the effect of government expending shocks on the economy under pandemic disease conditions has much less feedback on macroeconomic variables.Originality/valueAs a proposed policy, it is recommended that the government play a stabilizing role under pandemic disease conditions.Key messages There is no study regarding health shock and its economic effects in Iran using DSGE models. Also, in foreign studies, the health shock in an oil economy has not been modeled.The general idea in the present study is how the prevalence of a pandemic infectious disease affects the dynamics of macroeconomic variables.In three different scenarios, according to the persistence of health disaster risk and the deterioration rate of health capital due to this shock, the model is simulated.In modeling pandemic diseases, quarantine hours are considered as part of the total time of individuals.According to the research findings, it is recommended that the government, as a policy-maker, play a stabilizing role under pandemic crises conditions.

Cloning, expression and identification of truncated spike gene of IBV (Sf200) and chicken granulocyte- macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)

The aim of this study was to clone, express and identify the truncated S1 gene of nephrotropic infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) of chicken. Firstly, two genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into pMD18-T vector. The truncated S1 gene designated as Sf200 containing five antigenic sites of S1 glycoprotein on amino acid residues (aa) 24-61, (aa) 291-398 and (aa) 497-543 and GM-CSF were then amplified from the respective recombinant pMD18-T plasmids and cloned into pET-32a (+) vector resulting pET-Sf200, pET-GM which were identified by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing analysis. The in vitro expression of truncated Sf200 and GM-CSF constructs were later expressed in E. coli BL21 with a molecular mass of approximately 38 kDa and 29 kDa respectively as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. Polyclonal antibodies were developed by injecting E. coli expressed Sf200 and GM-CSF into the SPF mice and were used to identify the recombinant proteins by Western blot analysis. These findings indicated that the polyclonal antibodies produced in mice could be used to detect the recombinant truncated Sf200 and GM-CSF and vice versa.

Outbreaks of different viral etiologies amidst COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected public health system and surveillance of other communicable diseases across the globe. The lockdown, travel constraints and COVID phobia turned down the number of people with illness visiting to the clinics or hospitals. Besides this, the heavy workload of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis has led to the reduction in differential diagnosis of other diseases. Consequently, it added to the underlying burden of many diseases which remained under-diagnosed. Amidst the pandemic, the rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases was observed worldwide and reported to the World Health Organization i.e., Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (2022, Iraq;2021 India), Nipah virus (2021, India), Zika virus (2021, India), and H5N1 influenza (2021, India), Monkeypox (2022, multicountry outbreak), Ebola virus disease (2022, DRC, Uganda;2021, DRC, Guinea;2020, DRC), Marburg (2022, Ghana;2021, Guinea), Yellow fever (2022, Uganda, Kenya, West and Central Africa;2021, Ghana, Venezuela, Nigeria;2020, Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Gabon;2020, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda), Dengue (2022, Nepal, Pakistan, Sao Tome, Temor-Leste;2021, Pakistan), Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (2022, Oman, Qatar;2021, Saudi Arabia, UAE;2020, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Rift valley fever (2021, Kenya;2020, Mauritania), wild poliovirus type 1 (2022, Mozambique), Lassa fever (2022, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria;2020, Nigeria), Avian Influenza (H3N8) (2022, China), Avian Influenza (H5N1) (2022, USA), H10N3 influenza (2021, China), Hepatitis E virus (2022, Sudan), Measles (2022, Malawi, Afghanistan;2020, Burundi, Mexico), Mayaro virus disease (2020, French Guiana), Oropouche virus disease (2020, French Guiana). All these diseases were associated with high morbidity and burdened the public health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this critical public health menace, majority of the laboratory workforce was mobilized to the SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. This has limited the surveillance efforts that likely led to under diagnosis and under-detection of many infectious pathogens. Lockdowns and travel limitations also put a hold on human and animal surveillance studies to assess the prevalence of these zoonotic viruses. In addition, lack of supplies and laboratory personnel and an overburdened workforce negatively impacted differential diagnosis of the diseases. This is especially critical given the common symptoms between COVID-19 and other pathogens causing respiratory illnesses. Additionally, the vaccination programs against various vaccine preventable diseases were also hampered which might have added to the disease burden. Despite these challenges, the world is better prepared to detect and respond to emerging/re-emerging pathogens. India now has more than 3000 COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories and an enhanced hospital infrastructure. In addition, mobile BSL-3 facilities are being validated for onsite sampling and testing in remote areas during outbreak situations and surveillance activities. This will undoubtedly be valuable as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves as well as during future outbreaks and epidemics. In conclusion, an increase in the emergence and re-emergence of viruses demonstrates that other infectious diseases have been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from the infrastructure strengthening, collaborations with multiple stakeholders, increased laboratory and manufacturing capacity, large-scale COVID-19 surveillance, extensive network for laboratory diagnosis, and intervention strategies can be implemented to provide quick, concerted responses against the future threats associated with other zoonotic pathogens.

REMDESIVIR RETAINS POTENT ACTIVITY AGAINST SARS-CoV-2 VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Background: Recent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have shown a progressive loss of sensitivity to monoclonal antibody therapeutics. Remdesivir (RDV) is a nucleotide analog prodrug that targets the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) Nsp12 and is approved to treat COVID-19 in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. Nsp12 is highly conserved across VOCs to date and RDV antiviral activity against previous VOCs (Alpha to Omicron BA.1) has been maintained. Here, we conduct a structural analysis of Nsp12 substitutions observed in recent Omicron subvariants (BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.75) and assess RDV antiviral activity against clinical isolates and sitedirected mutants (SDMs) in a replicon system. Method(s): The prevalence of Nsp12 substitutions in Omicron subvariants was evaluated by analysis of sequences from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) EpiCoV database. Structural analysis of identified substitutions was conducted on a prior cryo-electron microscopy-based model of the replication-transcription complex. Antiviral activity against subvariant clinical isolates was assessed by nucleoprotein ELISA in A549-hACE2-TMPRSS2 cells and by SDMs in the replicon system. Result(s): Genomic analysis of >1.4 million Omicron subvariant sequences revealed unique substitutions in Nsp12 compared to the ancestral WA1 strain. Besides P323L, present in all subvariants, G671S was observed in 95.9% of BA.2.75 sequences, F694Y was observed in <=1.9% of BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.75 sequences, and Y521C was observed in 1.7% of BA.5 sequences. As anticipated, structural analysis of these substitutions showed no direct interaction with the incoming RDV nucleotide triphosphate or the viral RNA. Phenotyping of clinical isolates of Omicron subvariants BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, BA.5, and BA.2.75 consistently resulted in mean RDV EC50 values of 24.5 nM (BA.2) to 106.0 nM (BA.5). This represented 0.15-to 0.66-fold changes compared to WA1, indicating no loss of in vitro RDV antiviral activity against these VOCs. P323L, G671S, and F694Y were shown previously to have no impact on RDV antiviral activity. Similarly, the individual substitution Y521C showed no change in RDV susceptibility in the SARS-CoV-2 replicon system. Conclusion(s): RDV retained potent in vitro antiviral activity against all tested Omicron VOCs with potencies comparable to the WA1 isolate. These data support the continued use of RDV in patients infected with Omicron subvariants.

Isolation, identification, and S1 gene sequencing of two strains of Avian Infectious bronchitis virus

Objective: Epidemiology and genetic variations of the infectious bronchitis virus(IBV) in Fujian province were studied. Method: Two strains of virus isolated from the diseased chickens in Fujian in 2021 were identified by chicken embryo pathogenicity test, electron microscope observation, and RT-PCR. S1 genes of the isolates were cloned, sequenced, and analyzed using biological software. Result: The two IBV strains were code named FJ-NP01 and FJ-FZ01. The full length of S1 of FJ-NP01 was 1 629 nt encoding 543 amino acids, and that of FJ-FZ01, 1 620 nt encoding 540 amino acids. The S1 gene cleavage site of FJ-FZ01 was HRRRR, same as all reference strains of genotype I branch;while that of FJ-NP01 HRRKR differed from the reported site of IBV isolated from genotype IV but same as that of TC07-2 reference strain of genotype VI. The homology of nucleotide and amino acid between the two isolates was 83.2% and 79.6%, respectively, but merely 75.7%-76.3%and 77.1%-83.5% with the Mass-type conventional vaccines H120 and H52, respectively. Further analysis showed that FJ-NP01was from a recombination event between CK CH GD LZ12-4 and L-1148, the homology of nucleotide acid between 1438-1506 nt of FJ-NP01 with CK CH GD LZ12-4 was 97%, and 95.9% between the other nucleotide acid of S1 gene with L-1148. Conclusion: It appeared that the IBV epidemic experienced in the province was complex in nature and that the existing Mass vaccines would not provide sufficient immune protection to deter the spread.

Preparation and identification of broad-spectrum monoclonal antibodies against N protein of avian infectious bronchitis virus

[Objective] To prepare broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody against N protein of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), so as to lay a foundation for identifying conservative domain epitope of N protein and establish a universal IBV detection method. [Method] N protein of GX-YL5, a representative strain of IBV dominant serotype in Guangxi, was expressed in prokaryote. BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified protein. After the serum titer of the immunized mice reached 104 or more, the splenocytes were fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells. After screening by indirect ELISA, monoclonal antibody was prepared by ascites-induced method. Western blotting, IFA and indirect ELISA were used to identify the titer, subtype, reaction specificity and cross-reaction spectrum. And the prepared monoclonal antibody was used for immunohistochemical detection. And the prepared monoclonal antibody was used to detect the IBV in the trachea and kidney tissues of SPF chickens artificially infected with 4 representative IBV variants (GX-N130048, GX-N160421, GX-QZ171023 and GX-QZ170728). [Result] The prepared monoclonal antibody N2D5 had a titer greater than 217 and its subtype was IgG2b. The Western blotting and IFA results showed that the monoclonal antibody N2D5 only reacted with IBV, and were negative with Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), avian leukosis virus (ALV) and Marek's disease virus (MDV). Monoclonal antibody N2D5 reacted with many genotypes in China and all 7 serotypes of IBV currently prevalent in Guangxi, including commonly used standard strains, vaccine strains and field strains. Immunohistochemistry showed that the virus signals could be detected in the trachea and kidney tissues of SPF chickens at different time after artificial infection of 3 representative IBV strains from chicken and 1 isolated strain from duck, which further proved its broad spectrum. [Conclusion] The monoclonal antibody N2D5 of IBV prepared based on hybridoma technology belongs to the IgG2b subtype. It has the characteristics of high specificity, wide response spectrum and strong binding ability with IBV. It can be used as a specific diagnostic antibody for clinical diagnosis of IBV and the study of virus distribution.

Colliding Pandemics and CoViD-19

Cases of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), monkeypox virus (MPXV), and avian influenza A Virus (IAV) have increased during our current prolonged Corona Virus Disease 2019 (CoViD-19) pandemic. The rise of these viral infectious diseases may be associated or even inter-dependent with acute, latent or recurrent infection with Systemic Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV2). The nonsensical neologism 'tripledemic' was tentatively introduced to describe the confluent nature of these trends (epidemic comes from two Greek words: epi=on, about, demos=people;pandemic is also derived from Ancient Greek: pan=all, demos=people;but 'tripledemic' would derive from Latin triplus=three, Greek demos=people, and would at best signify 'three countries, three peoples', but certainly not the current threat of confluence of three, or perhaps more pandemics). Emerging evidence suggests that monkey pox and CoViD-19, among several other viral diseases, produce significant observable manifestations in the oral cavity. From a clinical standpoint, dentists and dental personnel may be among the first health professionals to encounter and diagnose clinical signs of converging infections. From the immune surveillance viewpoint, viral recombination and viral interference among these infectious diseases must be examined to determine the potential threat of these colliding pandemics.

Emergence of a genotype I lineage 1 variant avian infectious bronchitis virus in Assam, India

Background: Infectious bronchitis (IB) is an acute and highly contagious viral disease of poultry affecting chicken of all ages. The causative agent IB virus (IBV) is a Gammacoronavirus within the family Coronaviridae. Viral genetic mutations and recombination events particularly in the spike protein (S1) of IBV constantly give rise to emerging IBV variants. Vaccination is considered as the most reliable approach for IBV control, but current vaccines have been found to be ineffective due to constant emergence of new variant viruses. Objective(s): The objective of our study was to detect IBV genotypes prevalent in Assam, India. Material(s) and Method(s): Oro-pharyngeal swabs and tissue samples from unvaccinated broiler chickens showing respiratory symptoms were tested using RT-PCR targeting the N gene of IBV. The virus was isolated from infected swab/tissue samples in 9 days old specific pathogen free embryonated chicken eggs through allantoic cavity route. Phylogenetic studies were done based on the S1 gene of IBV. Results and Conclusion(s): Clinically, the birds showed gasping and tracheal rales. Necropsy revealed distended ureters. Virus was isolated and identified by curling and dwarfing of the dead embryos and further confirmed by RT-PCR. Positive PCR amplicons were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis clustered the IBV isolate from Assam with genotype I lineage 1 IBV prototype sequence belonging to Beaudette and Mass 41 strains but the isolate exhibited a relatively high degree of sequence divergence with reference strains. Our findings suggest that the IBV isolate might have emerged from recombination with the local circulating virus or vaccine strains. This will have important implications for IB prevention strategies.

Pathogenicity analysis of one avian infectious bronchitis virus stain isolated from Shanxi

In order to perform the isolation of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and study the pathogenicity of IBV isolate, the RT-PCR was used to detect nucleic acid extracted from a clinical sample of chickens, which were suspected to be infected with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and provided by a farmer in Yuncheng, Shanxi province. And the sample was detected as IBV positive by RT-PCR. Then 9-11-day-old SPF chicken embryonated eggs were inoculated with the sample filtered from the grinding fluid, and the obtained allantoic fluid was blindly passed by three generations (F3) and was also tested as IBV positive;The F11 generation passaged in embryonated eggs caused typical "dwarf embryo" lesions to SPF chicken embryonated eggs, and induced the loss of cilia in tracheal rings. The results showed that an IBV strain was isolated and named as YC181031. The S1 gene amplification and sequencing analysis showed that YC181031 strain belonged to IBV GI-22 genotype, which is also nephropathogenic type IBV. Seven-day-old SPF chicks were used to test the pathogenicity of the isolate. The results showed that several clinical symptoms were showed in chicks infected with YC181031, such as breathing with difficulty, depression, excreting watery droppings and death. The mortality of infected chicks was 20%. Typical pathological changes such as enlargement of kidney and urate deposition in the kidney were observed in infected chicks. The immunohistochemical assay and viral load detection were performed for the tissue samples from infected and dead chicks. The tissue lesions and distribution of virus were observed in the kidney, trachea, lung, glandular stomach, spleen and liver samples of infected chicks. RT-PCR detection of pharyngeal anal swabs showed that the virus shedding by infected chicks could be continuously detected within 14 days of the test period;The viral loads of various tissues were detected by RT-qPCR and the results showed that the viral load from high to low was kidney, trachea, lung, stomach, spleen and liver. The viral load of kidney was significantly higher than that of other tissues (P < 0.05).In this study, the pathogenicity characteristics of GI-22 genotype strain were systematically studied for the first time, providing a reference for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

National Epidemic Situation of Notifiable Infectious Diseases in January 2023

<Positive> In January 2023 (from 0:00 on January 1, 2023 to 24:00 on January 31), a total of 249 324 notifiable infectious diseases were reported nationwide (excluding Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, the same below). For example, 2 158 people died. Among them, no cases of morbidity or death were reported for Class A infectious diseases. Among Class B infectious diseases, there are no reports of morbidity and death in infectious atypical pneumonia, polio, human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza, diphtheria, schistosomiasis, and human infection with H7N9 avian influenza. Except for the new coronavirus infection, the remaining 20 A total of 184,750 cases of Class B infectious diseases were reported, and 2,158 deaths were reported. The top 5 diseases with the highest number of reported cases were viral hepatitis (89 719 cases reported, 32 deaths reported), tuberculosis (53 730 cases reported, 327 deaths reported), syphilis (28 708 cases reported, 3 deaths were reported), gonorrhea (4 762 reported cases, 0 reported deaths) and brucellosis (reported cases, reported deaths), accounted for 97% of the total number of reported cases of Class B infectious diseases.

Empirical Study on Social Media Exposure and Fear as Drivers of Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an abundance of news and information dominating media outlets, leading to a widespread atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, potentially having adverse effects on mental health. This study aims to explore whether social media exposure contributes to anxiety and depression. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a standardized questionnaire to collect data on social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, depression, and anxiety from 327 employed individuals in the United States. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the relationships between social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression. The results suggest that fear of COVID-19 leads to anxiety and depression, and that social media exposure leads to fear, anxiety, and depression. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of social media exposure and fear on mental health and suggest that reducing social media exposure could help minimize anxiety levels. It also emphasizes the significance of understanding the impact of fear of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression and provides guidance for managing and coping with fear in this pandemic. This study's relevance lies in gaining critical insights into the pros and cons of using social media for health-related information during a pandemic. The novelty of this study lies in its unique perspective on the impact of adverse information that has distinct psychological and social implications.

Infection Management of Virus-Diagnosing Biosensors Based on MXenes: An Overview

The occurrence of sudden viral outbreaks, including (Covid-19, H1N1 flu, H5N1 flu) has globally challenged the existing medical facilities and raised critical concerns about saving affected lives, especially during pandemics. The detection of viral infections at an early stage using biosensors has been proven to be the most effective, economical, and rapid way to combat their outbreak and severity. However, state-of-the-art biosensors possess bottlenecks of long detection time, delayed stage detection, and sophisticated requirements increasing the cost and complexities of biosensing strategies. Recently, using two-dimensional MXenes as a sensing material for architecting biosensors has been touted as game-changing technology in diagnosing viral diseases. The unique surface chemistries with abundant functional terminals, excellent conductivity, tunable electric and optical attributes and high specific surface area have made MXenes an ideal material for architecting virus-diagnosing biosensors. There are numerous detecting modules in MXene-based virus-detecting biosensors based on the principle of detecting various biomolecules like viruses, enzymes, antibodies, proteins, and nucleic acid. This comprehensive review critically summarizes the state-of-the-art MXene-based virus-detecting biosensors, their limitations, potential solutions, and advanced intelligent prospects with the integration of internet-of-things, artificial intelligence, 5G communications, and cloud computing technologies. It will provide a fundamental structure for future research dedicated to intelligent and point-of-care virus detection biosensors.