Analysis of pathogen detection results of upper respiratory tract specimens from fever clinic patients

Objective: To explore the pathogen composition and distribution characteristics of pathogens in respiratory samples from patients with fever of unknown origin. Methods: A total of 96 respiratory samples of patients with unknown cause fever with respiratory symptoms were collected from four hospitals above grade II in Shijiazhuang area (Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Luancheng District People's Hospital, Luquan District People's Hospital, Shenze County Hospital) from January to April 2020, and multiplex-fluorescent polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect influenza A virus, influenza B virus, enterovirus, parainfluenza virus I/II/III/IV, respiratory adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, human bocavirus, COVID-19, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Group A streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus nucleic acid detection, the results were analyzed for chi-square. Results: A total of 8 pathogens were detected in the upper respiratory tract samples of 96 fever patients, including 1 kind of virus, 6 kinds of bacterias, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. There were 12 viruses including influenza virus and parainfluenza virus, Legionella pneumophila and Chlamydia pneumoniae were not detected. The pathogen detection rates in descending order were Streptococcus pneumoniae (58/96, 60.42%), Haemophilus influenzae(38/96, 39.58%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14/96, 14.58%), Staphylococcus aureus (10/96, 10.42%), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (8/96, 8.33%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6/96, 6.25%), Group A streptococcus (4/96, 4.17%) and human rhinovirus (2/96, 2.08%). The proportions of single-pathogen infection and multi-pathogen mixed infection in fever clinic patients were similar, 41.67% (40/96) and 45.83% (44/96), respectively, and 12.50% (12/96)of the cases had no pathogens detected. The infection rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in female patients with fever (21.43%) was higher than that in male patients with fever (2.94%) (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the distribution of of other pathogens and gender and age(P > 0.05). Conclusions: The upper respiratory tract pathogens were mainly bacterial infections, and occasional human rhinovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia infections. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, comprehensive consideration should be given to the pathogen detection.

Expressions of miR-21 TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway in peripheral blood of bronchial asthma patients complicated with respiratory virus infection

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of peripheral blood microRNA-21(miR-21) and transforming growth factor-beta(TNF-beta)/Smad signaling transduction pathway in patients with bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection. METHODS: Totally 109 patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection(study group) and 104 patients without virus infection(control group) in the Third People's Hospital of Gansu Province between Feb.2019 and Feb.2021 were selected for the cross-sectional study. The basic data of the two groups were collected, and parameters including vital signs, lung function, peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins were measured. According to the guidelines, the patients of the two groups were divided into acute exacerbation phase and stable phase. The examination results of each group were compared and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins expression of patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection were analyzed. RESULTS: In study group, the proportion of respiratory virus infection among 109 patients was 33.94% for influenza virus, 23.85% for human rhinovirus, 19.27% for respiratory syncytial virus, 10.09% for parainfluenza virus, 6.42% for adenovirus, 4.59% for human coronavirus and 1.83% for human metapneumovirus respectively. The proportion of patients with acute exacerbation phase in the study group was higher than that in the control group, and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 were higher than those in control group(P<0.05). The levels of miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 in peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation phase of asthma were higher than those of patients with stable phase of asthma(P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 levels in asthma patients with different virus infections. CONCLUSION: Early respiratory virus infections might lead to increased expression of peripheral blood miR-21 and increased activation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway in patients with asthma, which played an important role in acute attack of asthma.

A review of the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, vaccines and economic impact of human monkeypox (Mpox) outbreaks

The current monkeypox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern and is coming in the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Human monkeypox is a viral zoonotic infection caused by monkeypox virus, an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus and family Poxviridae that also contain smallpox, cowpox, Orf, and vaccinia viruses. Online databases including PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science were searched to obtain relevant publications on the epidemiology, treatment, vaccines and the economic impacts of the current monkeypox (Mpox) outbreak.

Establishment of a duplex fluorescent quantitative PCR assay for detection of Porcine circovirus type 2 and type 3

To establish a method for simultaneous detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3), specific primers and TaqMan probes were designed after sequence alignment according to the specific sequences of PCV2 Cap gene and PCV3 Cap gene on GenBank. By optimizing the reaction conditions, a duplex fluorescence quantitative PCR detection method for simultaneous detection of porcine circovirus type 2 and 3 was established, and the specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility were tested. Specificity test results showed that in addition to the positive test results for PCV2 and PCV3, tests for PRRSV, CSFV, PPV, PRV, PEDV, and TGEV were all negative with no cross-reaction, indicating its good specificity. Sensitivity test results showed that the minimum detection limit for detection of PCV2 and PCV3 can both reach 10 copies.L-1, indicating its high sensitivity. The coefficient of variation within and between groups of this method was less than 2%, indicating its good stability. A total of 181 pork and whole blood samples collected from Zhejiang Province were tested using the detection method established in this article and the standard common fluorescent PCR detection method. The results showed that the positive rate of PCV2 was 50.83% (92/181), the positive rate of PCV3 was 37.57% (68/181), and the co-infection rate of PCV2 and PCV3 was 12.15% (22/181). The above detection results of ordinary fluorescent PCR were 50.28% (91/181), 36.46% (66/181), and the co-infection rate was 11.60% (21/181). The coincidence rates of the two methods for PCV2 and PCV3 can reach 98.91% and 97.06%, and the coincidence rate for PCV2 and PCV3 mixed infection were 95.45%. In summary, the duplex fluorescence quantitative PCR detection method established in this experiment can distinguish PCV2 and PCV3 rapidly, which can be used for pathogen detection and epidemiological investigation.

Pandemy or a new STI - monkeypox cases at the semmelweis university department of dermatology, venereology and dermatooncology

After the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, another epidemic began to unfold, which again induced fear in the population. This new epidemic is caused by the monkeypox virus and originated in Africa. It mainly spreads among MSM (men who have sex with men) population, so it can be interpreted as a new type of sexually transmitted infection.

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.

Game meat procurement market in Poland in 2009-2021

Procurement of game animals is a major source of revenue for hunting clubs in Poland. For several years, the game meat buying market has been showing an upward trend, but this situation is also influenced by random factors that negatively affect the value of the game meat buying market. For several years in our country we have been struggling with the ASF virus, and since 2020, negative effects in the economy related to the occurrence of the SARS-CoV virus have been observed, also affecting the hunting sector with its activities. The aim of the study was to analyze the dynamics of game meat procurement in Poland in the years 2009-2021. The data concerned the three most important species, namely deer, roe deer and wild boar. The analysis covered the quantity of game meat, procurement value and the average price of game meat depending on animal species. The conducted research confirmed an upward trend in the volume and value of game meat procurement for all the analysed game species. Similarly, the average procurement prices of roe dee and wild boar meat with the exception of red deer, showed an upward trend. The study confirmed the negative impact of the ASF virus and the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the game meat buying market in Poland.

2022 IDSOG Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, 4-6 August 2022

This journal issue includes s of papers presented at the conference. Topics discusses are: stillbirth during a pandemic;analysis of the female genital tract (FGT) metabolome;effectiveness of REGEN-COV antibody combination to reduce risk of hospitalization;patterns of nucleic acid amplification testing;delta variant neutralizing antibody response following maternal COVID19 vaccination;integrated prenatal and hepatitis c virus care increases linkage;extended interval gentamicin dosing in obstetrics;maternal and infant cytomegalovirus detection among women living with HIV.

19th Seminar on Tropical Pathology and Public Health 12th Biotechnology Week 1st Physical Therapy Week, Virtual, 23-25 November 2022

These proceedings comprise 85 articles spanning diverse fields such as bacteriology, molecular biology, biotechnology, dermatology, infectious and parasitic diseases, epidemiology, physiotherapy, immunology, mycology, parasitology, pathology, collective health, and virology. The articles delve into a wide range of research topics, from repurposing drugs for Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections to utilising artificial intelligence for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. In bacteriology, investigations explore the correlation between smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric adenocarcinoma patients, as well as the resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in tracheostomised children. Molecular biology studies focus on gene polymorphisms related to diseases like paracoccidioidomycosis. Biotechnology research emphasises bioactive molecules in species like Croton urucurana and the development of computational models for cytotoxicity prediction. Dermatology articles address stability characterisation in vegetable oil-based nanoemulsions. The section on infectious and parasitic diseases encompasses studies on COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant women and the impact of infection prevention measures in rehabilitation hospitals. Epidemiology investigations analyse trends in premature mortality, tuberculosis in diabetic patients, and public adherence to non-pharmacological COVID-19 measures. Physiotherapy research covers topics such as telerehabilitation through a developed game and the prevalence of congenital anomalies. Immunology studies explore immune responses in HIV and Leishmaniasis, whilst mycology investigates the biotechnological potential of fungi from the cerrado biome. Parasitology research evaluates treatment efficacy against vectors parasites such as Aedes aegypti and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathology articles discuss intentional intoxication in cattle and the influence of curcumin on acute kidney injury therapy. Collective health studies focus on intervention plan development in healthcare settings and pesticide use in horticulture. Lastly, virology research investigates parvovirus occurrence in hospitalised children during the COVID-19 pandemic, hidden hepatitis B virus infection in inmates, and the prevalence of HPV and HTLV-1/2 infections in specific populations.

5th International Conference on Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases 2022 (ICTMID 2022), Ipoh, Malaysia, 23-25 August 2022

This proceedings contains 112 s that cover a wide range of topics related to microbiology. The s cover a wide range of topics related to microbiology, including new paradigms in a microbe-threatened world, the human-animal spillover of SARS-CoV-2 and its implications for public health, preparing for the next pandemic, antimicrobial resistance and the fight against it. Furthermore, tuberculosis, monkeypox, and their potential threat on a global scale are also discussed. The presentations also cover a variety of other topics, such as vaccines and vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccines, addressing vaccine hesitancy, key issues related to the COVID-19 healthcare system, regional support for outbreak preparedness, enhancing regional health security in Asia through genomic surveillance, the role of molecular diagnostic capacity in COVID-19 control, antimicrobial resistance in COVID-19 times, paediatric nosocomial infections, prescription ethics from a primary care perspective, the BCG vaccine and its relevance in the prevention of tuberculosis and beyond, tuberculosis as a forgotten pandemic, vector-borne diseases during COVID-19, the role of media advocacy in vector-borne diseases control and management, engaging communities in tackling vector-borne diseases, the way forward in managing mental health in the COVID-19 endemic phase, the spread of zoonotic diseases, and whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2: clinical applications and experience.

Establishment and applications of a duplex quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of bovine rhinitis A virus and bovine rhinitis B virus

Bovine rhinitis virus (BRV) is an important pathogen responsible for the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) and can be divided into two genotypes (BRAV and BRBV). To establish a duplex quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of BRAV and BRBV, specific primers and TaqMan probes targeting the 5'NTR of BRAV and 3'NTR of BRBV were designed. A duplex quantitative real- time RT- PCR assay for simultaneous detecting BRAV and BRBV was preliminarily established by optimizing reaction conditions for each step. The assay specifically detects BRAV and BRBV, and no crossreaction with other common bovine respiratory pathogens, including IDV, BCoV, BVDV-1, BRSV, BPIV-3, BAdV-3, mycoplasma bovis, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella, was observed. In addition, the sensitivity test showed that the detection limits of this assay were 3.2x101 copies/L for both BRAV and BRBV plasmid standards. Besides, the repeatability test showed that the variation coefficients of this assay were less than 0.05 from both lot-to-lot and intra-lot. These results showed that the assay has high specificity, extreme sensitivity, and good repeatability. Moreover, a total of 43 nasal swabs of BRDC cattle were tested by our assay and four other quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays, including 3 BRAV assays and 4 BRBV assays. The results showed that the detection rates of our assay were 32.56%(14/43) for BRAV and 30.23%(13/43) for BRBV, and the detection rates of other quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays were 0(0/43), 2.33%(1/43), 23.26%(10/43) for BRAV and 27.91% (12/43), 27.91%(12/43), 27.91%(12/43), 27.91%(12/43) for BRBV, indicating that our assay has a more substantial detection capability than other assays. This study firstly established a duplex quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of BRAV and BRBV, and the assay exhibited high specificity, sensitivity, and stability. Moreover, the study firstly confirmed the existence of BRAV in China, contributing to the prevention and control of BRDC.

Incidence and sero-surveillance of feline viruses in Korean cats residing in Gyeonggi-do

Incidences of major feline viral diseases provide basic information for preventing viral disease in cats. Despite the growing interest in feline viral diseases, sero-surveillances have been lacking. In this study, we analyzed the diagnoses of feline viral diseases and conducted a sero surveillance of feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in Korean cats. Of the 204 confirmed cases since 2015, the numbers of diagnoses for FPV, FIPV, FCV, feline influenza virus, and FHV-1 were 156, 32, 12, 3, and 1 case, respectively. In total, 200 sera, collected between 2019 and 2021, were screened for the presence of antibodies against FPV, 2 FCVs, FHV-1, and FIPV using a hemagglutination inhibition test and a virus-neutralizing assay (VNA). The overall seropositive rates in cats tested for FPV, the 2 FCVs, FHV-1, and FIPV were 92.5%. 42.0%, 37.0%, 52.0%, and 14.0%, respectively. A low correlation (r = 0.466) was detected between the VNA titers of 2 FCV strains. The highest incidence and seropositive rate of FPV reveal that FPV is circulating in Korean cats. The low r-value between 2 FCVs suggests that a new feline vaccine containing the 2 kinds of FCVs is required.

Single center retrospective study on the distribution of pathogens in elderly patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective: To explore the distribution and correlation of pathogens in the elderly patients with AECOPD, so as to guide the rational use of antibiotics and hormones in clinic. Methods: A total of 111 patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) admitted to Nanjing First Hospital from January 2019 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The basic data such as eosinophil, neutrophil and lymphocyte count, the levels of C-reactive protein(CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)in blood routine examination were collected. Further, the pathogens were qualified by sputum fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the pathogens distribution was analyzed. Results: The level of ESR and the ratio of cardiovascular diseases showed significant differences between the pathogen-positive group and pathogen-negative group. In this study, the top five pathogens in AECOPD patients were EB virus (21.6%), Haemophilus influenzae (19.8%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (17.1%), herpes simplex virus(14.4%), influenza A virus(14.4%). The detection rate of influenza A virus was correlated with influenza B virus and Aspergillus (P < 0.05);The detection rate of respiratory syncytial virus was correlated with Candida, Moraxella catarrholis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae (P < 0.05);The detection rate of Escherichia coli was correlated with rhinovirus, adenovirus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii (P < 0.05);The detection rate of Candida was correlated with that of Moraxella catarrholis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P<0.05);The detection rate of human coronavirus was correlated with Haemophilus influenzae, herpes simplex virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae(P < 0.05). Conclusions: AECOPD are mostly induced by different pathogens, especially mixed infection of bacteria and virus. It is helpful to guide the rational use of antibiotics by analyzing the etiological characteristics in the elderly patients with AECOPD.

Modern aspects of COVID-19 in HIV-positive patients (literature review)

The article is devoted to the global problems of modern medicine - HIV infection and the COVID-19 pandemic. The review of the literature highlights current ideas about the pathogenesis and course of COVID-19 in patients with HIV infection, and also touches upon the problems of concomitant pathology and mental health of patients with HIV in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been shown that HIV-positive patients are a risk group for the severe course of COVID-19, in particular, individuals with severe immunodeficiency (CD4+ T lymphocytes 200 cells/l) due to the development of synergetic lung damage by SARS-CoV-2 and secondary infectious agents such as cytomegalovirus and Pneumocystis carinii. It has been proven that one of the targets of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is CD4+ T cells, which in COVID-19 leads to a more rapid progression of immunodeficiency in patients with HIV infection and, thus, significantly increases the risk of secondary diseases and death. Particular attention should be paid to middle-aged and elderly people living with HIV, who, compared with HIV-negative patients, are more likely to have concomitant pathology - arterial hypertension, cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus, which are the risk factors for severe COVID-19. The results of studies on the effect of antiretroviral drugs on the course of COVID-19 showed that HIV-infected patients receiving tenofovir + emtricitabine have a lower risk of severe COVID-19 and associated hospitalization than patients receiving other HIV treatment regimens. Clinical and preclinical data support the potential use of tenofovir in the treatment of novel coronavirus infection.

Focus on laryngeal disease in the cat

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Infectious disease Roundup 2022

This paper describes the epidemiology, prevalence, transmission, prevention and control of some infectious diseases in companion animals, livestock, wild animals and humans in Ontario, Canada, in 2022, including SARS-CoV-2;Echinococcus multilocularis, Leishmania spp. and SARS-CoV-2;antimicrobial stewardship resources;2 cases of rabid dogs imported from Iran (July 2021 and January 2022);prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriacea, Dirofilaria immitis, Brucella canis, canine parainfluenza and adeno- and herpes viruses in dogs recently imported from Asia;Paragonimus kellicotti lung flukes and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in dogs;African swine fever in pet pigs, backyard pigs and wild pigs and blastomycosis in dogs and humans.

Research progress of herpes zoster vaccine

Herpes zoster is a cluster blister disease that often occurs on the skin of the elderly, immunocompromised individuals and patients with chronic diseases, which is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus dormant in neurons. The persistent pain of herpes zoster tortures patients and is responsible for serious mental and economic burden. With no effective drug treatment for patients, vaccination becomes more important in disease prevention. Now live attenuated vaccine and recombinant protein vaccine with adjuvant are clinically available abroad. Based on the clinical data, recombinant protein vaccine with adjuvant is the preferred one recommended by CDC.In China, many enterprises perform clinical studies on the two vaccines. However, due to the limitation of adjuvant supply, recombinant protein vaccines have not been widely provided. With the global pandemic of COVID-19, mRNA vaccine becomes a hotspot worldwide. Domestic biological enterprises should actively develop new herpes zoster vaccine to fill the vaccine vacancies in China and to enhance market competitiveness. This article briefly reviews the research progress and development of herpes zoster vaccine in various vaccine platforms.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in January 2023

In January 2023, a total of 64 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 235 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (235), monkeypox (110), dengue fever (31), measles (27) and cholera (15). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Nipah virus disease (62.5%), Ebola virus disease (47.0%), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (37.5%), Lassa fever (15.1%) and West Nile fever (7.6%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, cholera, measles and dengue fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19, cholera and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, malaria and monkeypox, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, cholera, monkeypox, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19, monkeypox and invasive group A streptococcus infection.

Prospect of Vaccinia virus vector vaccine for wildlife

Against a pandemic of emerged infectious disease, COVID-19, new generation vaccines based on nucleic acids or recombinant viruses, which had not been used as vaccines in humans, have been inoculated and shown to be successful. They are, however, heat-labile and need a cold-chain including deep-freezers for storage and transportation. Vaccinia virus (VAC) vector vaccine (VACV) is a pioneer of new generation of vaccines constructed by using molecular biological technology. VACV, which has contributed to eradication of smallpox, has excellent characteristics of vaccinia virus such as a high heat-stability and long-lasting immunological effects. It is possible to distinguish the immunological responses of vaccination from those of natural infections. We started our developmental researches 35 years ago, using attenuated VAC strains established in Japan. In this article, we first describe the early researches of VACVs;development of two VACVs for Bovine leukemia virus and Rinderpest morbillivirus antigens and their protective immunity in large mammals, sheep and cows. Second, application of VACV is described;Rabies-VACV, which has already been licensed, used in the field in Europe and USA, and resulted in a prominent decrease of rabies. Then, current status of VACV research is described;non-replicating VACVs in mammalian cells have been developed as new-generation and ultimately-safe vaccines. We discuss the possibility of future application of VACV for wildlife.

Vaccine success and challenges in northern Australia. (Special Issue: Infectious diseases in northern Australia.)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote Australia have lower vaccine coverage rates and experience higher rates of notification and hospitalisations for vaccine preventable diseases than non-Aboriginal people. This paper explores important public health and research activities being undertaken in the Northern Territory to reduce this disparity in vaccine program performance, with a particular focus on rotavirus, meningococcal, human papilloma virus and COVID-19 vaccines.