Establishment and application of triple PCR method for CPV, CCoV and CRV

Canine parvovirus (CPV), canine coronavirus (CCoV) and canine rotavirus (CRV) are the three main causative viruses of diarrhea in dogs with similar clinical symptoms;thereby it is necessary to establish a high effective molecular detection method for differentiating the above pathogens. By optimizing the primer concentration and annealing temperature, a triple PCR method was established for simultaneous detection of CPV, CCoV and CRV, and then the specificity, sensitivity and repeatability of the method were tested. The results showed that the target fragments of CPV VP2 gene (253 bp), CCoV ORF-1b gene (379 bp) and CRV VP6 gene (852 bp) could be accurately amplified by the triple PCR method with high specificity, the detection limits of CPV, CCOV and CRV were 6.44x10-1 pg/L, 8.72x10-1 pg/L and 8.35x10-1 pg/L respectively with high sensitivity, and the method had good stability. Using this triple PCR method, 135 canine diarrhea fecal samples collected in Chengdu region from 2019 to 2020 were detected, and compared with those of single PCR method. The detection rates of CPV, CCoV and CRV were 16.30%, 20.74% and 4.44%, respectively, and the total infection rate was 51.11% (65/135) with 20.00% (13/65) co-infection rate. The detection results were consistent with three single PCR methods. In conclusion, CPV/CCoV/CRV triple PCR method successfully established in this paper can be applied as an effective molecular method to detection of related pathogens and to the epidemiological investigation.

Use of Economic Evaluation of Vaccines: The Experience in Colombia, 2000 to 2021

Objectives: To describe the use of economic evaluation to update the antigens dispensed by the Colombian Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) from 2000 and 2021. Method(s): a review of economic evaluation of vaccines (EEV) studies conducted by the Expanded Program of Immunization in Colombia between 2000 and 2021. A literature search was carried out in different databases complemented with information obtained from different stakeholders who participated in the updating process. Result(s): In 2000, sponsored by the Pan-American Health Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), was conducted the cost-effectiveness analysis of vaccination against Hemophilus influenzae type b was the first economic evaluation of vaccines (EEV) conducted ever in Colombia. Between 2005 and 2007, 4 EEV (Rotavirus, Heptavalent Pneumococcus, Influenza and Hepatitis A) were carried out in order to inform the decision process at local level in Bogota DC, the Colombian capital. Between 2007 and 2010, the Ministry of Health sponsored 8 EEV (Rotavirus, 7- and 10-valent pneumococcus, Influenza, Hepatitis A, chickenpox, tetanus in men, and HPV) which were used to decide about the introduction of new vaccines at national level. Subsequently, with the support of PAHO's PROVAC initiative, Colombia went from having 6 EPI vaccines in the 1990s, to 21 EPI vaccines that currently protect against 29 diseases, not including the vaccines used against COVID-19 which Colombia have been using since March 2021. Conclusion(s): Colombia has been one of the middle-income countries with the highest number of vaccines included in its EPI in the last 20 years and the use of the EEV has been essential for decision-making.Copyright © 2023

National calendar of preventive vaccinations: present and future

In the context of a pandemic of a new coronavirus infection, vaccine prophylaxis within the framework of the National Calendar of Preventive Vaccinations (NCPV) is an absolute priority in the fight against infectious diseases. The lecture presents the structure and features of the NCPV, the main directions of its improvement, information on the priority infections for vaccination. The strategy of immunization throughout life, which guarantees the creation of maximum protection against infections and preservation of the optimal level of health of people without age restrictions, is considered. Information is provided on approaches to vaccination of various patient populations against new coronavirus, pertussis, pneumococcal, and rotavirus infections. The presented lecture materials can be useful both to medical students and doctors of various specialties (infectious disease specialists, pediatricians, epidemiologists, bacteriologists).Copyright © 2022 by the authors.

Long-Term Outcomes of Treatment With and De-Escalation From a Combination of Vedolizumab and Another Biologic or Tofacitinib for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Introduction: There are scant data on long-term outcomes of treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a combination of advanced therapies, including after de-escalation. Method(s): We identified patients with IBD at a tertiary center who began therapy with vedolizumab (VDZ) in combination with another advanced therapy (biologic or JAK inhibitor) between 2016 and 2020 and examined their outcomes through 6/1/22. We defined biochemical remission as CRP, 5 mg/L and calprotectin < 150 mcg/g, and endoscopic remission as Mayo endoscopic subscore 0 or simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (CD) 0. Short-term outcomes of this cohort were previously reported. Result(s): Fourteen patients with a median of 322 (IQR 251-322) weeks of follow up were identified. 10 had ulcerative colitis, 3 CD, and 1 indeterminate colitis. VDZ was combined with tofacitinib in 9 patients, ustekinumab in 3 and adalimumab in 2. Median time on combination therapy was 94 weeks (IQR 17-133). Eight patients achieved objective remission (3 biochemical, 5 endoscopic), 1 changed combination with subsequent endoscopic remission, 2 had primary non-response, 1 had secondary non-response, 1 stopped within 1 month due to reported adverse effect (paresthesia), and 1 lacked follow-up data. Eight patients de-escalated to a single agent, 4 at physician direction and 4 due to insurance denial. Before de-escalation, 6 had objective remission (2 biochemical, 4 endoscopic). After de-escalation, 3 patients maintained objective remission (2 biochemical, 1 endoscopic), 3 had disease flare, of which 1 required colectomy, and 2 lacked data. All 3 patients with disease flare had de-escalated following an insurance denial. Two patients remained on combination therapy through follow up: 1 has endoscopic remission after changing one drug of their combination and 1 has ongoing moderate endoscopic disease despite combination therapy. There were 2 infections requiring hospitalization (rotavirus, C. difficile), and 8 non-serious infections (5 mild SARS-COV-2, 1 peristomal cellulitis, 1 pneumonia, 1 sinus) while on combination therapy. Conclusion(s): In long-term follow up of this small cohort, there were no new signals on effectiveness or safety of combining advanced agents. De-escalation to a single agent was tolerated in half of patients with follow-up data;all patients who flared following de-escalation had adjusted therapy due to insurance denial. More data is needed to inform de-escalation decisions.

No sign of Rotavirus co-infection in COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms

Background and aims The main goal of the present study is to investigate the incidence of Rotavirus co-infection in COVID-19 patients. Methods and Results Fecal samples of COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms which had positive PCR-were collected from Abadan's hospital, Iran during the period December 2020 to January 2021. Samples were analyzed by RT-PCR to determine the presence of Rotavirus. Finally, the total samples size of 37 were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 48.22 years. Abdominal pain alone was detected in 48.65% of the patients. At least one gastrointestinal symptom was detected in all of the patients. Diarrhea and fever were seen in 13.51% and 59.46% of patients, respectively. Nausea and vomiting were seen in 5.41% of the patients. RT-PCR showed no infection of Rotavirus among the patients. Conclusion Gastrointestinal symptoms related to COVID-19 are common. More studies is need among these patients groups for investigate coinfection with other fecal viral shedding carries, due to a worse prognosis and its association with disease severity. © 2023 Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and the Medical Association of Malawi.

Molecular Detection and Genetic Characterization of Bovine Kobuvirus (BKV) in Diarrhoeic Calves in a Central Italy Herd

Bovine kobuvirus (BKV) is an infectious agent associated with neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD), causing important economic losses to dairy and beef cattle herds worldwide. Here, we present the detection rate and characterize the genome of BKV isolated from diarrhoeic calves from a Central Italy herd. From January to December 2021, we collected blood samples and nasal and rectal swabs from 66 calves with severe NCD between 3 and 20 days of age. After virological (bovine coronavirus, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, and bovine rotavirus), bacteriological (Escherichia coli spp. and Salmonella spp.), and parasitological (Cryptosporidium spp., Eimeria spp., and Giardia duodenalis) investigations, we detected BKV using the metagenomic analysis. This result was confirmed using a specific polymerase chain reaction assay that revealed the number of BKV-positive nasal (24.2%) and rectal swabs (31.8%). The prevalence of BKV was higher than that of BCoV. Coinfection with BKV and BCoV was detected in 7.5% of the rectal swabs, highlighting the involvement of another infectious agent in NCD. Using next generation sequencing (NGS) approach, it was possible to obtain the complete sequence of the BKV genome from other two rectal swabs previously analysed by real-time PCR. This is the first report describing the whole genome sequence (WGS) of BKV from Italy. The Italian BKV genomes showed the highest nucleotide sequence identity with BKV KY407744.1, identified in Egypt in 2014. The sequence encoding VP1 best matched that of BKV KY024562, identified in Scotland in 2013. Considering the small number of BKV WGSs available in public databases, further studies are urgently required to assess the whole genome constellation of circulating BKV strains. Furthermore, pathogenicity studies should be conducted by inoculating calves with either only BKV or a combination with other enteric pathogens for understanding the probable role of BKV in NCD.

A Literature Review on the Antiviral Mechanism of Luteolin

Background: Viral infections pose some of the most serious human health concerns worldwide. The infections caused by several viruses, including coronavirus, hepatitis virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, are difficult to treat. Method(s): This review details the findings of a literature search performed on the antiviral properties of luteolin. The keywords engaged in the search are "virus" along with "luteolin." Results: Luteolin possesses antiviral properties, which is the basis for the current review. It is an important natural flavonoid with numerous important biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, immune regulatory, and antitumor effects, and is found in vegetables, fruits, and several medicinal plants. Recent studies have revealed that many traditional Chinese medicines that contain luteolin inhibit the replication of coronaviruses. Conclusion(s): Luteolin effectively inhibits the replication of coronavirus, influenza virus, enterovirus, rotavirus, herpes virus, and respiratory syncytial virus, among others. In particular, it prevents viral infection by improving the body's nonspecific immunity and antioxidation capacity and inhibiting many pathways related to virus infection and replication, such as MAPK, PI3K-AKT, TLR4/8, NF-kappaB, Nrf-2/hemeoxygenase-1, and others. It also regulates the expression of some receptors and factors, including hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha, p53, NLRP3, TNF-alpha, and interleukins, thereby interfering with the replication of viruses in cells. Luteolin also promotes the repair of damaged cells induced by proinflammatory factors by regulating the expression of inflammatory molecules. The overall effect of these processes is the reduction in viral replication and, consequently, the viral load. This review summarizes the antiviral effect of luteolin and the mechanism underlying this property.Copyright © The Author(s) 2023.

Abstracts of the papers presented in the International Conference of Indian Virological Society, VIROCON 2022 on "Emerging and Re-emerging Viral Infections Impacting Humans, Animals, Plants, Fish and Environment"

The proceedings contain 206 papers. The topics discussed include: influenza: experiences from Kashmir;outbreaks of different viral etiologies amidst COVID-19 pandemic;development of a colorimetric isothermal (LAMP) assay for rapid detection of monkeypox virus;circulation of genetically diverse non-polio enteroviruses in respiratory samples during COVID-19 pandemic period (2021-22);evolutionary analysis of all eleven genes of species C rotaviruses circulating in humans and domestic animals;molecular characterization of dengue viruses circulating in Pune district, Maharashtra from 2009-2022;isolation and genomic characterization of cell fusing agent virus from aedes aegypti mosquitoes from Assam, India;structure-based identification and evaluation of antiviral activity of potent small molecule inhibitors targeting alphavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase;integration of HBV receptor NTCP into hepatoma cell using grnome editing;and hepatitis B virus genome targeting using CRISPR/Cas9based gene editing tool.

An end-point multiplex PCR/reverse transcription-PCR for detection of five agents of bovine neonatal diarrhea.

Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is frequently associated with single or mixed viral, bacterial and/or protozoal infections. Consequently, laboratory diagnostic of NCD usually requires specific tests for each potential agent; a time-consuming, laborious and expensive process. Herein, we describe an end-point multiplex PCR/reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) for detection of five major NCD agents: bovine rotavirus (BRV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), Escherichia coli K99 (E. coli K99), Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) and Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum). Initially, we selected and/or designed high-coverage primers. Subsequently, we optimized multiplex PCR/RT-PCR conditions. Next, we evaluated the analytical sensitivity of the assay and assessed the performance of the reaction by testing 95 samples of diarrheic calf feces. The analytical specificity was evaluated against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) and Eimeria spp. The detection limit of our assay was about 10 infectious units of BRV, 10-2 dilution of a BCoV positive sample pool, about 5 × 10-4 CFU for S. enterica, 5 × 10-6 CFU for E. coli K99 and 50 oocysts for C. parvum. No non-specific amplification of other bovine diarrhea agents was detected. Out of 95 samples analyzed, 50 were positive for at least one target, being 35 single and 15 mixed infections. BRV was the most frequent agent detected in single infections (16/35), followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (11/35), which was the most frequent in mixed infections (11/15). Positive and negative multiplex results were confirmed in individual reactions. In conclusion, we described an end-point multiplex PCR/RT-PCR for faster and easier NCD diagnosis, which may be useful for routine diagnosis and surveillance studies.

Epidemiological study of unusual rotavirus strains and molecular characterization of emerging P[14] strains isolated from children with acute gastroenteritis during a 15-year period.

Rotavirus group A (RVA) is characterized by molecular and epidemiological diversity. To date, 42 G and 58 P RVA genotypes have been identified, some of which, like P[14], have a zoonotic origin. In this study, we describe the epidemiology of unusual RVA genotypes and the molecular characteristics of P[14] strains. Fecal samples from children ≤ 16 years of age with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) who were hospitalized during 2007-2021 in Greece were tested for RVA by immunochromatography. Positive RVA samples were G and P genotyped, and part of the VP7 and VP4 genes were sequenced by the Sanger method. Epidemiological data were also recorded. Phylogenetic analysis of P[14] was performed using MEGA 11 software. Sixty-two (1.4%) out of 4427 children with RVA AGE were infected with an unusual G (G6/G8/G10) or P (P[6]/P[9]/P[10]/P[11]/P[14]) genotype. Their median (IQR) age was 18.7 (37.3) months, and 67.7% (42/62) were males. None of the children were vaccinated against RVA. P[9] (28/62; 45.2%) was the most common unusual genotype, followed by P[14] (12/62; 19.4%). In the last two years, during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, an emergence of P[14] was observed (5/12, 41.6%) after an 8-year absence. The highest prevalence of P[14] infection was seen in the spring (91.7%). The combinations G8P[14] (41.7%), G6P[14] (41.7%), and G4P[14] (16.6%) were also detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed a potential evolutionary relationship of three human RVA P[14] strains to a fox strain from Croatia. These findings suggest a possible zoonotic origin of P[14] and interspecies transmission between nondomestic animals and humans, which may lead to new RVA genotypes with unknown severity.

How Have the COVID-19 Pandemic Precautions Affected the Frequency of Rotavirus and Enteric Adenovirus in Pediatric Patients?

Introduction: Approximately 70-80% of diarrheal cases in children are caused by viral pathogens. Viral gastroenteritis agents include rotavirus and adenovirus 40 and 41, particularly in those under two years of age, while norovirus and sapovirus can cause epidemics in individuals of all ages. In this study, we investigated the effect of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic measures on the incidences of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus, which are the main viral agents of acute gastroenteritis in the pediatric age group. Materials and Methods: Patients <18 years of age, who were admitted to Tatvan State Hospital with the suspicion of acute gastroenteritis and whose rotavirus and enteric adenovirus antigen stool tests were analyzed, were scanned retrospectively. One year of the pre-pandemic period (01.03.2019-29.02.2020) and 1 year of the pandemic period (01.03.2020-28.02.2021) were included in the study. The rotavirus and adenovirus monthly test numbers, positivity rates, age, and gender of the patients were evaluated. Results: A total of 1,438 pediatric patient samples were analyzed during the pre-pandemic period and 345 pediatric patient samples had a preliminary diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis during the pandemic period. The adenovirus positivity rate was 1.8% (n=26) and the rotavirus positivity rate was 12% (n=173) during pre-pandemic period. These rates were 0.8% (n=3) for adenovirus and 8.6% (n=30) for rotavirus during the pandemic period, (respectively p=0.215;p=0.080). A significant decrease in stool sample analyses was observed during the pandemic (p<0.001). Rotavirus positivity rates were significantly lower in October (p=0.001), November (p=0.04), and December (p=0.04) during the pandemic period compared to the same months during the pre-pandemic period. Conclusion: As a result, COVID-19 pandemic precautions, such as maintaining social distance, wearing a mask, and complying with hygiene rules may have decreased the incidence of acute gastroenteritis and consequently reduced the number of stool samples analyzed during the pandemic period. Precautions taken during the pandemic period helped to prevent intestinal viral infections in children.

Proteome2virus: Shotgun mass spectrometry data analysis pipeline for virus identification

Objectives: Shotgun proteomics is a generic method enabling detection of multiple viral species in one assay. The reliable and accurate identification of these viral species by analyzing peptides from MS-spectra is a challenging task. The aim of this study was to develop an easy accessible proteome analysis approach for the identification of viruses that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Method(s): For this purpose, a shotgun proteomics based method and a web application, 'proteome2virus', were developed. Identified peptides were searched in a database comprising proteomic data of 46 viruses known to be infectious to humans. Result(s): The method was successfully tested for cultured viruses and eight fecal samples consisting of ten different viral species from seven different virus families, including SARS-CoV-2. The samples were prepared with two different sample preparation methods and were measured with two different mass spectrometers. Conclusion(s): The results demonstrate that the developed web application is applicable to different MS data sets, generated from two different instruments, and that with this approach a high variety of clinically relevant viral species can be identified. This emphasizes the potential and feasibility for the diagnosis of a wide range of viruses in clinical samples with a single shotgun proteomics analysis.Copyright © 2023

Predicting norovirus and rotavirus resurgence in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic: a mathematical modelling study.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the burden from the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, federal and state local governments implemented restrictions such as limitations on gatherings, restaurant dining, and travel, and recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions including physical distancing, mask-wearing, surface disinfection, and increased hand hygiene. Resulting behavioral changes impacted other infectious diseases including enteropathogens such as norovirus and rotavirus, which had fairly regular seasonal patterns prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study objective was to project future incidence of norovirus and rotavirus gastroenteritis as contacts resumed and other NPIs are relaxed. METHODS: We fitted compartmental mathematical models to pre-pandemic U.S. surveillance data (2012-2019) for norovirus and rotavirus using maximum likelihood estimation. Then, we projected incidence for 2022-2030 under scenarios where the number of contacts a person has per day varies from70%, 80%, 90%, and full resumption (100%) of pre-pandemic levels. RESULTS: We found that the population susceptibility to both viruses increased between March 2020 and November 2021. The 70-90% contact resumption scenarios led to lower incidence than observed pre-pandemic for both viruses. However, we found a greater than two-fold increase in community incidence relative to the pre-pandemic period under the 100% contact scenarios for both viruses. With rotavirus, for which population immunity is driven partially by vaccination, patterns settled into a new steady state quickly in 2022 under the 70-90% scenarios. For norovirus, for which immunity is relatively short-lasting and only acquired through infection, surged under the 100% contact scenario projection. CONCLUSIONS: These results, which quantify the consequences of population susceptibility build-up, can help public health agencies prepare for potential resurgence of enteric viruses.

Development of real-time RT-PCR systems for detection and quantitation of bovine enteric viral pathogens

The enteric viruses in animals are responsible for severe and devastating losses to the livestock owners with a profound negative impact on animal, health, welfare, and productivity. These viruses are usually transmitted via the feco-oral route and primarily infect the digestive tract of the humans, bovines and different mammals as well as birds. Some of the important enteric viruses in ruminants are: Rotavirus A (RVA), Peste des petits virus (PPRV), Norovirus (NV), Bovine corona virus (BoCV) and Bluetongue virus (BTV). In the present study, sensitive, specific and reliable TaqMan probe-based RT-qPCRs were developed and standardized for the rapid detection and quantification of enteric viruses from fecal samples. The assays result in efficient amplification of the RVA, BTV and BoCV RNA with a limit of detection (LoD) of 5, 5 and 4 copies, respectively, which is 1000 times more sensitive than the traditional gel-based RT-PCR. The reproducibility of each assay was satisfactory, thus allowing for a sensitive and accurate measurement of the viral RNA load in clinical samples. In conclusion, real time PCR developed for these viruses are highly specific and sensitive technique for the detection of diarrheic viral pathogens of cattle and buffalo. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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.

Acute Diarrhea in Adults

Acute diarrheal disease accounts for 179 million outpatient visits annually in the United States. Diarrhea can be categorized as inflammatory or noninflammatory, and both types have infectious and noninfectious causes. Infectious noninflammatory diarrhea is often viral in etiology and is the most common presentation;however, bacterial causes are also common and may be related to travel or foodborne illness. History for patients with acute diarrhea should include onset and frequency of symptoms, stool character, a focused review of systems including fever and other symptoms, and evaluation of exposures and risk factors. The physical examination should include evaluation for signs of dehydration, sepsis, or potential surgical processes. Most episodes of acute diarrhea in countries with adequate food and water sanitation are uncomplicated and self-limited, requiring only an initial evaluation and supportive treatment. Additional diagnostic evaluation and management may be warranted when diarrhea is bloody or mucoid or when risk factors are present, including immunocompromise or recent hospitalization. Unless an outbreak is suspected, molecular studies are preferred over traditional stool cultures. In all cases, management begins with replacing water, electrolytes, and nutrients. Oral rehydration is preferred;however, signs of severe dehydration or sepsis warrant intravenous rehydration. Antidiarrheal agents can be symptomatic therapy for acute watery diarrhea and can help decrease inappropriate antibiotic use. Empiric antibiotics are rarely warranted, except in sepsis and some cases of travelers' or inflammatory diarrhea. Targeted antibiotic therapy may be appropriate following microbiologic stool assessment. Hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, and food and water safety measures are integral to preventing infectious diarrheal illnesses.Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Family Physicians.

The Quinolone Resistance Genes in the Bacteriophage DNA Fractions in the Healthy Calf Stool Samples Via qPCR

The One Health approach shows that people, animals, plants, and environmental factors can affect each other. Phages are one of the mobile genetic elements. Quinolones are a critical group of antibiotics for both human and animal health and monitoring their antimicrobial resistance is very important. The aim of the study is to determine the frequency of the quinolone resistance gene in bacteriophage DNA fractions obtained from healthy calf stool samples. In our study, 50 samples from 6-9 months old calves, which were found to be healthy and not treated with any group of antibiotics in Sanliurfa province, were included. DNA isolation was made from phage lysates of stool samples and specific primers were used qnrA, qnrB and qnrS genes. qPCR was performed on LightCycler480. Despite not receiving any antibiotic treatment, qnrB was the most detected gene among the phage DNA fractions detected in 11 calves. While qnrA, qnrB and qnrS quinolone resistance genes were detected together in one sample, qnrB and qnrS resistance genes were found together in two samples. Our data, obtained from the study in Turkiye to search for antimicrobial resistance genes in phage fractions, showed the importance of the One Health approach and determined that it was highly effective in quinolone resistance gene shedding in healthy calves that had never been treated with antibiotics. It has been concluded that in empirical treatment with quinolone, attention should be paid to all living things and unconscious antibiotic use may cause the spread of resistance genes more than expected.Copyright © 2023, Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi. All rights reserved.

Online Search Patterns about Vaccination: A National Study

Introduction: Google Trends is an online metadata platform that measures the relative search volume of every topic in online search engines. In medical settings, this behavior has been associated with active changes in people's perceptions and search for healthcare. This study aimed to evaluate the online search patterns of Portuguese extra-program and risk-based vaccination. Method(s): Analysis of the relative search volume was performed for extra-program and risk-based vaccines, in every Portuguese district between 2006 and 2021. Relative search volume was represented between 0 and 100 (highest interest in the query). Result(s): Rotavirus vaccine was consistently the most searched, followed by BCG and flu, the last of which, with abnormal peaks of search in November 2009 and October 2020. We registered a significant increase in the search for every vaccine in the last 5 years (p < 0.01). Particularly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a more abrupt increase was registered for the flu vaccine, but most importantly for BCG (3,0[69,9] vs. 9,0[528,0]). Lisboa and Porto are the only Portuguese districts where percentual research is spread across all types of vaccines. On the other hand, in Portalegre, 84% of total searches correspond to BCG. Discussion and Conclusion(s): The recent increase in the interest in vaccination may translate into the investment of health professionals in primary prevention measures. However, the mediatic impact of pandemics is not neglectable. Health professionals must fight misinformation as it may have happened with the increasing interest in BCG, probably due to the protective association proposed with the infection by SARS-CoV-2.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s).