A comprehensive overview on COVID-associated mucormycosis

In recent times, numerous reports of systemic fungal infections have been a major concern. The angioinvasive fungal infection, mucormycosis has surged in patients with COVID-19 due to various factors, mainly uncontrolled diabetes and inappropriate corticosteroid use. The prevalence of this acute and fatal fungal infection caused by Mucorales-related fungal species has been highest in the Indian population. COVID-associated mucormycosis (CAM) has a propensity for contiguous spread, and exhibits high morbidity as well as mortality. Unless promptly detected and treated, it is associated with a poor prognosis. A high index of suspicion, aggressive surgical debridement and use of systemic antifungal agents continue to be the standard of care for CAM. Moreover, there is an imperative need to address this public health issue by increasing public awareness and education. This article provides a comprehensive overview on the emergence of CAM during the pandemic, the current burden, pathophysiology, diagnostic interventions and management of CAM in Indian clinical practice.

Lung Aspergillus niger infection after SARS-CoV2

A 64-year-old never-smoker man, with professional exposure, presented to Marius Nasta Pneumophtisiology Institute for fatigability to effort, in the context of severe SARS-COV2 infection one month previously. His medical history includes pulmonary tuberculosis (55 years ago) and newly diagnosed type II diabetes (261 mg/dL glycemia). The thoracic tomography computer in the immediate post-COVID period (Fig. 1A) revealed the presence of glass ground lesions and a 3 cm nodule with cystic degeneration in the upper left lobe. A gross examination of the specimen identified a condensation area of 2.5 cm diameter, brown-grey colored, with necrosis and central ulceration. Microscopic examination showed the presence of bronchiectasis with squamous metaplasia of the epithelium, which appears ulcerated;numerous calcium oxalate crystals with adjacent foreign body granulomatous reaction;endobronchial are present fibrinous and inflammatory debris, brown-black pigment, and septate, dichotomous branching hyphae, suggestive of Aspergillus spp. A periodic acid-Schiff stain was performed, identifying the fungal hyphae. The histopathological diagnosis was bronchiectasis supra-infected and colonized with fungal filaments (Aspergillus niger).

Investigating factors affecting hospitalization of patients with mucormycosis after contracting COVID-19: a systematic review

Regarding the investigation of the factors related to the hospitalization of patients with Mucormycosis after being infected with Covid-19, several preliminary studies have been conducted in the hospital, but these studies were conducted in a small environment and have a smaller sample size. Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review study is to examine the factors affecting the hospitalization of patients with mucormycosis after being infected with covid-19. Methods: The current systematic review study was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines (preferred reporting items for systematic seviews and meta-analyses). For this study, the keywords "2019-nCoV", "COVID-19", "SARS-CoV-2", "Coronaviruses", "Hospitaliz", "Factor" and "Mucormycosis" in MagIran, SID, ISI, embase databases, ProQuest, PubMed, scopus were searched. Results: diabetes mellitus, old age, high body mass index, kidney disease, high blood pressure and smoking significantly increase the need for hospitalization in patients with mucormycosis after contracting covid-19. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the risk of hospitalization due to Mucormycosis after the covid-19 disease is significantly related to obesity, old age and underlying diseases..

Tomato flu outbreak: An overview

Tomato flu, also known as tomato fever, is a newly identified virus in India that causes high temperatures, extreme fatigue, and aches and pains. Case studies have revealed that immunocompetent people can contract the virus;therefore, this may be a new Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease strain (HFMD). Although tomato fever shows symptoms similar to COVID-19, the virus is not related to SARS-CoV. Tomato fever is a self-limiting illness and there is no specific treatment/vaccination till date. The rare viral infection is in endemic state and is considered non-life threatening. Because of the fear of emergence of fourth wave and dreadful experience of COVID-19, vigilant management is desirable to prevent spread of tomato fever.

Key Elements Affecting the Library's CFU Concentration in Taiwan

Public libraries are popular gathering places, so understanding the factors that contribute to colony-forming unit (CFU) concentrations and how to minimize them is essential. This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect CFU concentrations in a public library, using air sampling (Bioluminescent ATP-assay) and statistical analysis software (SPSS) to collect and analyze data. The findings indicated that the CFU concentration in the library was significantly influenced by the air quality surrounding the building, the number of library visitors, and the hygiene and health of both visitors and employees. Additionally, indoor temperature and humidity were found to be key factors affecting CFU concentration. These findings suggest the need for better ventilation and air filtration systems, as well as regular cleaning and disinfection in public libraries. Furthermore, research is recommended to investigate other potential factors that may impact indoor air quality in public spaces.

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.

Factors Associated with Outcome in Patients Managed for Invasive Fungal Infections at the Infectious Diseases Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objective: To look for the factors associated with outcomes in patients managed for invasive fungal infections at the Infectious Diseases Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Infectious Diseases, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan,from Apr 2021 to Sep 2022. Methodology: A total of 90 patients with a different types of invasive fungal infections diagnosed by consultant infectious diseases were recruited. First, they were given standard treatment for fungal infection;they were diagnosed as per guidelines. Then, they were followed up for one month to look for an outcome. Results: Out of 90 patients with invasive fungal infections included in the study, 62(68.8%) had a good outcome, while 28(31.2%) had a poor outcome. The mean age of the patients recruited in our study was 39.54±6.27 years. Of all the participants, 65(72.2%) patients were male, while 25(27.8%) were female. Statistical analysis revealed that poorly controlled diabetes, COVID-19 infection and HIV positive were statistically significantly associated with poor outcomes in our study participants (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: The Considerable number of patients with invasive fungal infections had a poor outcome in our study. The presence of poorly controlled diabetes, COVID-19 infection and being HIV positive were the factors associated with poor outcomes in our study participants.

Characterization of oral bacterial and fungal microbiome in recovered COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic, challenging the world's economic and health systems. Human oral microbiota comprises the second largest microbial community after the gut microbiota and is closely related to respiratory tract infections; however, oral microbiomes of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have not yet been thoroughly studied. Herein, we compared the oral bacterial and fungal microbiota after clearance of SARS-CoV-2 in 23 COVID-19 recovered patients to those of 29 healthy individuals. Our results showed that both bacterial and fungal diversity were nearly normalized in recovered patients. The relative abundance of some specific bacteria and fungi, primarily opportunistic pathogens, decreased in recovered patients (RPs), while the abundance of butyrate-producing organisms increased in these patients. Moreover, these differences were still present for some organisms at 12 months after recovery, indicating the need for long-term monitoring of COVID-19 patients after virus clearance.

Rare Presentation of Nasal Mucormycosis.

Nasal mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses caused by saprophytic fungi which can rapidly lead to death. It usually affects individuals with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (especially those with ketoacidosis), solid malignancies, iron overload, extensive burns, in patients undergoing treatment with glucocorticosteroid agents and in patients with neutropenia related to haematologic malignancies. Presentation of nasal mucormycosis is always very extensive, but in some patients, it can present in chronic indolent form also. Here, we present a case of 65-year old male with a history of exposed nasal bone after nasal trauma 8 months back. His diabetes was in control with oral hypoglycaemics. Debridement and local flap closure was done. Culture showed the growth of Lichtheimia corymbifera and in HPE, the fungus was seen branching at right angles. So, we conclude that the possibility of nasal mucormycosis should always be borne in mind so that early and effective treatment can be initiated on time to decrease the morbidity and mortality.

A Novel Deep Learning based Black Fungus Detection using the Bagging Ensemble with K-Nearest Neighbor

Machine learning is widely employed, and broadly speaking, scientists consider applying it everywhere. Around the same period, we can see that India has been devastated by the second corona wave. In a single day, more than 4 lakh instances arrive. Meanwhile, reports of the arrival of a new, fatal fungus called Mucormycosis emerged (Black fungus). Additionally, this fungus expanded quickly throughout numerous states, leading some of them to designate this illness an epidemic. People with weak immunity functions, including those who have had the corona virus and some of whom are still recovering, are more likely to get a black fungus infection since their bodies can't successfully fight it off. Bagging Ensemble with K-Nearest Neighbor is a modified machine learning approach that will be developed in this study (BKNN). The traditional methods, including K-Nearest Neighbor ensemble with bagging classification, are the basis for the suggested methodology. After the image processing techniques, including pre-processing and segmentation, were reviewed, the accuracy score for this classifier was 96.4 percent, which would have been the highest of all the findings. This paper described how machine learning was beneficial during the Corona era, much as it would be beneficial during epidemics like mucormycosis. The last section of this essay presents accurate, graphical evidence for all items addressed, along with explicit specifications. © 2022 IEEE.

Phytotherapy in the virus infections

The study is a review of natural raw materials that can prevent infection and help treat viral infections, including those that cause COVID-19. The condition of not getting infected with pathogens that cause infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract is high the body resistance. An important element that influences the proper immunity of the body is the diet. The functioning of the immune system is improved by bee products, and plant materials: purple coneflower herb, flower and root, licorice root, aloe gel and Baikal skullcap root, as well as black cumin seed oil, chaga mushroom, lemon balm leaves and chamomile flowers. Strengthening immunity is conducive to maintaining a good mood and reducing stress. The antiviral activity has been confirmed for many plant materials, especially those containing essential oils. Natural products can be used for prevention and treatment. The country that copes best with the coronavirus epidemic is China, thanks to a combination of academic and natural medicine. The study quotes an excerpt from the "Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment", prepared by Chinese doctors, with particular attention to the recipes used by them.

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.

Transcriptome in Human Mycoses

Mycoses are infectious diseases caused by fungi, which incidence has increased in recent decades due to the increasing number of immunocompromised patients and improved diagnostic tests. As eukaryotes, fungi share many similarities with human cells, making it difficult to design drugs without side effects. Commercially available drugs act on a limited number of targets and have been reported fungal resistance to commonly used antifungal drugs. Therefore, elucidating the pathogenesis of fungal infections, the fungal strategies to overcome the hostile environment of the host, and the action of antifungal drugs is essential for developing new therapeutic approaches and diagnostic tests. Large-scale transcriptional analyses using microarrays and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), combined with improvements in molecular biology techniques, have improved the study of fungal pathogenicity. Such techniques have provided insights into the infective process by identifying molecular strategies used by the host and pathogen during the course of human mycoses. This chapter will explore the latest discoveries regarding the transcriptome of major human fungal pathogens. Further we will highlight genes essential for host–pathogen interactions, immune response, invasion, infection, antifungal drug response, and resistance. Finally, we will discuss their importance to the discovery of new molecular targets for antifungal drugs. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2014, 2022.

Introduction to aeromicrobiology

The introductory chapter introduces aeromicrobiology as a part of aerobiology essentially concerned with aerosolization, transmission, and deposition of microorganisms. Differential characteristics of the various strata of the atmosphere are described. The various groups of microorganisms, namely bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoans, algae, and viruses, are examined, with particular attention to the forms and functions and propensity to become airborne. The indoor and outdoor sources of microorganisms as well as the natural and anthropogenic factors that modulate their aerosolization and survival in the air are elucidated. Molecular approach to sampling and analysis of bioaerosols samples is highlighted as a game changer in our understanding of airborne microbes. While emphasizing the long history of control of microorganism in the air dating back to the infancy of knowledge of germs, human-made biological agents and biocontrol agents are identified as a major threat to human existence, deserving attention, even as various conspiracy theories as in the case of SARS-CoV-2 remain unverified. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Endophytes - untapped resources and pharmacological prospects against coronaviruses

Introduction and aim. Viral infections stand to be among the most devastating diseases globally. Though significant efforts have been made in research and drug development against viral infections, the search for safe, affordable and effective vaccines against the current ravaging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still on. This is because already approved vaccines still need improvement. This review draws the attention of researchers on the potentials of bioactive substances from endophytes against the novel coronaviruses. Material and methods. This assessment was made using references of articles published in English peer reviewed journals indexed in PubMed and Google Scholars databases up to June, 2022. The following key words were used;'coronaviruses', 'Endophytes', 'Endophytes and viral infections, 'Endophytes and COVID-19, 'SARS-CoV'. Analysis of the literature. In-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo studies revealed that natural compounds from endophytes showed antiviral activities against various human coronavirus, including HCoV 229E and a norovirus surrogate, the feline coronavirus FCV F9, COVID-19, Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), SARSCoV-2 Mpro, among others. Conclusion. This finding calls for researchers to also focus on endophytes, as part of drugs development in the bid to finding possible solution in combating the devastating COVID-19, an emerging situation. © 2023 The Author(s).

Oral Fungal Alterations in Patients with COVID-19 and Recovered Patients.

The oral bacteriome, gut bacteriome, and gut mycobiome are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the oral fungal microbiota in COVID-19 remains unclear. This article aims to characterize the oral mycobiome in COVID-19 and recovered patients. Tongue coating specimens of 71 COVID-19 patients, 36 suspected cases (SCs), 22 recovered COVID-19 patients, 36 SCs who recovered, and 132 controls from Henan are collected and analyzed using internal transcribed spacer sequencing. The richness of oral fungi is increased in COVID-19 versus controls, and beta diversity analysis reveals separate fungal communities for COVID-19 and control. The ratio of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota is higher in COVID-19, and the opportunistic pathogens, including the genera Candida, Saccharomyces, and Simplicillium, are increased in COVID-19. The classifier based on two fungal biomarkers is constructed and can distinguish COVID-19 patients from controls in the training, testing, and independent cohorts. Importantly, the classifier successfully diagnoses SCs with positive specific severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunoglobulin G antibodies as COVID-19 patients. The correlation between distinct fungi and bacteria in COVID-19 and control groups is depicted. These data suggest that the oral mycobiome may play a role in COVID-19.

Mucormycosis: The hidden and forgotten disease.

Mucormycosis is a rare but serious fungal infection caused by a group of moulds called mucormycetes. More attention has recently been paid to it due to its association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, it is important to review the progress of studies on mucormycosis and highlight the important findings in relation to epidemiology, clinical manifestation, major risk factors, diagnostic strategies and management. An electronic literature search was performed in PubMed using the keywords: Rhizopus, Mucorales, mucormycosis, zygomycosis, zygomycetes, COVID-19, the drugs (azoles, posaconazole, isavuconazole, amphotericin B pharmaceutical preparations and caspofungin), combination therapy, diagnosis and clinical manifestations. Studies written in the English language from January 1960 to 2021 were considered for this review article. All search results were reviewed, and the relevance of each article was determined by the authors independently. The review emphasized the fact that the diagnosis of mucormycosis is difficult, it is necessary to have a high index of suspicion to identify it, surgical debridement should be done prior to the dissemination of infection to improve clinical outcomes and identifying underlying risk factors is important for proper treatment. Moreover, antifungal therapeutic options are few with polyenes and their combinations should be appropriate for empirical therapy while posaconazole and isavuconazole are best reserved for de-escalation, refractory cases or patients intolerant to amphotericin B.

Image Processing and IoT-based Fish Diseases Identification and Fish Tank Monitoring System

Every person has their way of relaxing and having fun. The most well-liked approach to do it is to own a pet. When most individuals work from home and anxiety levels are high, people have certain restrictions on going outdoors and engaging in activities due to the existing COVID scenario. Consequently, we developed a product called AquaScanner. The problems that come with the aquarium environment can all be handled by our product. Our product primarily consists of an application that can regulate and monitor aquarium tanks by regulating feeding routines, fish disease detection, and water quality monitoring. The AquaScanner focuses on recognizing two significant illnesses, Fin Rot and Fungi bacteria, under the heading of disease identification. Additionally, the product will recommend treatments for the illness and provide two distinct methods for feeding the fish manually and automatically through the application. The AquaScanner can regulate feeding operations. Also, AquaScanner can independently monitor all key water parameters as part of the water quality measurement system. A user-friendly interface connects these three key elements. Owners of aquariums may manage and keep an eye on their beloved aquariums from anywhere in the world. © 2022 IEEE.