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Viruses 2022 Jun 10;14(6). Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Unit of Discovery and Molecular Characterization of Pathogens, Centre for Microbes, Development and Health, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.

The taxonomic classification of viral sequences is frequently used for the rapid identification of pathogens, which is a key point for when a viral outbreak occurs. Both Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION and the Illumina (NGS) technology provide efficient methods to detect viral pathogens. Despite the availability of many strategies and software, matching them can be a very tedious and time-consuming task. Read More

Microorganisms 2022 Jun 16;10(6). Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Research Unit, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.

Humans continue to encroach on the habitats of wild animals, potentially bringing different species into contact that would not typically encounter each other under natural circumstances, and forcing them into stressful, suboptimal conditions. Stressors from unsustainable human land use changes are suspected to dramatically exacerbate the probability of zoonotic spillover of pathogens from their natural reservoir hosts to humans, both by increasing viral load (and shedding) and the interface between wildlife with livestock, pets and humans. Given their known role as reservoir hosts, bats continue to be investigated for their possible role as the origins of many viral outbreaks. Read More

Rev Chilena Infectol 2022 02;39(1):91-94

UCI Gestión Salud, Medicina Crítica y Cuidados Intensivos, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia.

We present the case of a 32-year-old male, previously healthy, with a 5-day history of fever, frontal-occipital headache, retro-ocular pain, rash, petechiae, myalgia, arthralgia, and abdominal pain. Blood tests with leukopenia, severe thrombocytopenia, transaminitis, long clotting times. Severe dengue with associated coagulopathy was diagnosed, indicating transfer to ICU. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2022 23;41:242. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations, London, United Kingdom.

Introduction: Lassa fever runs a uniquely severe course in pregnancy. There are plans for Lassa fever vaccine clinical trials in endemic West African countries. We assessed the perception of West African investigators to include pregnant women in these studies. Read More

BMC Microbiol 2022 Jun 22;22(1):161. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 715, São Paulo, SP, 01246-904, Brazil.

Introduction: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors that transmit numerous pathogens to humans and other vertebrates. Haemagogus leucocelaenus is a mosquito associated with transmission of yellow fever virus. The insect gut harbors a variety of microorganisms that can live and multiply within it, thus contributing to digestion, nutrition, and development of its host. Read More

Transplantation 2022 Jul 17;106(7):e354-e355. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Department of Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2022 17;64:e44. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

An Acad Bras Cienc 2022 17;94(2):e20201252. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica (CEDIC), Manduvira, 635 e/15 de Agosto y O` Leary, PC1255, Asunción, Paraguay.

Yellow fever (YF) epizootics in South America during the 21st century have an unprecedented recorded magnitude and geographical dispersion. The YF spread progressively involved areas considered previously free of risk reaching the edge of cities with large unvaccinated populations, and urban outbreaks were frequently forecasted. We critically reviewed the initial stages and enhancing contexts of YF urban epidemics since the 17th century in the Americas, and the modeling attempts of YF epidemic risk by of Aedes-Human transmission, to find common factors that increase the probability of these events in the current scenarios. Read More

Cien Saude Colet 2022 Jul 18;27(7):2817-2825. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

Faculdade de Saúde Pública, USP. São Paulo SP Brasil.

The COVID-19 pandemic scenario raises the amplification of the debate around the production and circulation of information about epidemics. In this sense, the objective of this article is to discuss how social contexts shape the news, taking as an example the case of the news coverage that transformed an epizootic of yellow fever, in the summer of 2007/2008, into an epidemic of urban yellow fever. This is a qualitative research with journalists who worked in two large circulation newspapers and actively participated in the coverage of the event. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 Jun 21;12(1):10397. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, NH-8, Bandarsindri, Ajmer, Rajasthan, 305817, India.

Chebulinic acid (CA), originally isolated from the flower extract of the plant Terminalia chebula, has been shown to inhibit infection of herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), suggestively by inhibiting the host entry step of viral infection. Like HSV-2, the dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) also use receptor glycosaminoglycans (GAG) to gain host entry, therefore, the activity of CA was tested against these viruses. Co-treatment of 8 µM CA with DENV-2 caused 2 log decrease in the virus titer (4. Read More

Sante Publique 2021 ;32(5):537-548

Introduction: The development of quality human resources for health is an essential pillar of an effective health system. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation process and the results of an eLearning approach for capacity strengthening of health professionals in Guinea.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study using a mixed research method was conducted from January 15, 2018 to January 15, 2019. Read More

Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2008 Jan;11(Suppl 1):S64-S78

Department of Neurology, Sarah Hospital, The Sarah network of Rehabilitation Hospitals, Brasilia DF, Brazil.

Background: Stroke subtypes and etiology may differ between developing and developed countries. Infections are a relatively common cause of stroke in tropical regions.

Objective: To review the main infectious diseases associated with stroke. Read More

Vaccine 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Brighton Collaboration, a program of the Task Force for Global Health, Decatur, GA, USA.

Replication-deficient adenoviral vectors have been under investigation as a platform technology for vaccine development for several years and have recently been successfully deployed as an effective COVID-19 counter measure. A replication-deficient adenoviral vector based on the simian adenovirus type Y25 and named ChAdOx1 has been evaluated in several clinical trials since 2012. The Brighton Collaboration Benefit-Risk Assessment of VAccines by TechnolOgy (BRAVATO) was formed to evaluate the safety and other key features of new platform technology vaccines. Read More

Trials 2022 Jun 20;23(1):513. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Rwanda Zambia Health Research Group, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Background: Risks to mother and fetus following Ebola virus infection are very high. Evaluation of safety and immunogenicity of non-replicating Ebola vaccine candidates is a priority for use in pregnant women. This is the protocol for a randomized, open-label, single-center phase 3 clinical trial of the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the 2-dose Ebola vaccine regimen in healthy adult pregnant women. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022 Jun 17:2079323. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Department of Molecular Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) that have been recently considered among the significant public health problems in defined geographical regions. In this line, there have been vaccines approved for some flaviviruses including dengue virus (DENV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), although the efficiency of such vaccines thought to be questionable. Surprisingly, there are no effective vaccine for many other hazardous flaviviruses, including West Nile and Zika viruses. Read More

Front Public Health 2022 27;10:884645. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Computer Engineering, College of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Climate change is unexpected weather patterns that can create an alarming situation. Due to climate change, various sectors are affected, and one of the sectors is healthcare. As a result of climate change, the geographic range of several vector-borne human infectious diseases will expand. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 31;13:892990. Epub 2022 May 31.

Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ-Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

A panoramic analysis of chemokines, pro-inflammatory/regulatory cytokines, and growth factors was performed in serum samples from patients with acute DENV infection (n=317) by a high-throughput microbeads array. Most soluble mediators analyzed were increased in DENV patients regardless of the DENV serotype. The substantial increase (≥10-fold) of CXCL10, IL-6, and IFN-γ, and decreased levels of PDGF (<0. Read More

BMC Biol 2022 Jun 15;20(1):143. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Department of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) cause microcephaly and dengue hemorrhagic fever, respectively, leading to severe problems. No effective antiviral agents are approved against infections of these flaviviruses, calling for the need to develop potent therapeutics. We previously identified gossypol as an effective inhibitor against ZIKV and DENV infections, but this compound is toxic and not suitable for in vivo treatment. Read More

J Vector Borne Dis 2022 Jan-Mar;59(1):98-101

ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Puducherry, India.

Dengue, a vector-borne disease remains as one of the most serious public health problems globally. Incidence of this disease is on an increasing trend and currently over a billion people in tropical and subtropical regions are at risk. In the absence of an operational vaccine, prevention of dengue virus (DENV) is primarily focused upon controlling mosquito vectors. Read More

J Vector Borne Dis 2022 Jan-Mar;59(1):79-85

Centre of Excellence for Climate Change and Vector borne Diseases, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India.

Background & Objectives: In India, Kyasanur Forest Disease has been reported from the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra. The relationship between climatic factors and transmission of KFD remains untouched, therefore, the present study was undertaken.

Methods: Based on the occurrence of cases, Shivamogga district (Karnataka) and Wayanad district in Kerala and northern Goa (Goa state) were selected for the study. Read More

J Vector Borne Dis 2022 Jan-Mar;59(1):70-78

Department of Veterinary Public Health, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, Kerala, India.

Background & Objectives: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a vector borne haemorrhagic fever that is endemic in the Wayanad region located in Northern part of Kerala, India. The region is managing the outbreak well ever since the major epidemic of 2015. This was because of the successful implementation of One Health (OH) initiative concentrating on multisectoral collaboration between regional institutions involved in public, animal and environmental health domains. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 30;13:887760. Epub 2022 May 30.

Medicine Service, Iowa City Veterans Administration Healthcare, Iowa City, IA, United States.

Two groups identified a novel human flavivirus in the mid-1990s. One group named the virus hepatitis G virus (HGV) and the other named it GB Virus type C (GBV-C). Sequence analyses found these two isolates to be the same virus, and subsequent studies found that the virus does not cause hepatitis despite sharing genome organization with hepatitis C virus. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 06 15;16(6):e0010487. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.

Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a flavivirus that frequently causes outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in Africa and South America and is considered a reemerging public health threat. Accurate diagnosis of yellow fever (YF) disease is critical as one confirmed case constitutes an outbreak and may trigger a mass vaccination campaign. Highly sensitive and specific molecular diagnostics have been developed; however, these assays require maintenance of cold-chain during transport of specimens to prevent the degradation of viral RNA prior to testing. Read More

N Engl J Med 2022 06;386(24):2283-2294

From Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Tropicales, Santa Cruz de la Sierra (R.L.M., C.E.A.A., C.A.A., M.C.Z., A.D.A., N.M.L., A.-M.M., F.L.M.A., J.R.G., S.S.M.), and Unidad de Epidemiología (C.R., G.A.D.L.V., A.M.R., J.T.M.G.), Unidad de Gestión de Riesgos en Salud Ambiental, Emergencias y Desastres (A.J.C.P.), and Instituto Nacional de Laboratorios de Salud "Dr. Néstor Morales Villazón" (R.S.B.), Ministerio de Salud, the Pan American Health Organization (A.A.), Hospital Obrero No. 1, Caja Nacional de Salud (A.S.), Hospital Militar Central, Hospital Municipal Boliviano Holandés (K.M.T.C.), and Hospital de Clínicas (A.V.-C.), La Paz - all in Bolivia; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (M.E.M.-B., C.M.C., S.W., B.R.A., M.J.C., B.-R.E., C.G., J.C.G., A.J., J.D.K., A.L., J.H.M., S.T.N., K.P., T. Sealy, T. Shoemaker, C.F.S., A.T., J.S.T., J.M.M.); Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas "Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui," Pergamino, Argentina (J.B., J.G.); the Pan American Health Organization, Washington, D.C. (J.M.-R.); and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil (K.L.).

Background: In June 2019, the Bolivian Ministry of Health reported a cluster of cases of hemorrhagic fever that started in the municipality of Caranavi and expanded to La Paz. The cause of these cases was unknown.

Methods: We obtained samples for next-generation sequencing and virus isolation. Read More

Rev Saude Publica 2022 13;56:45. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Escola de Enfermagem. Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-Infantil e Saúde Pública. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Objective: To analyze the number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered before and during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Methods: This is an ecological, time series study based on data from the National Immunization Program. Differences between the median number of yellow fever vaccine doses administered in Brazil and in its regions before (from April/2019 to March/2020) and after (from April/2020 to March/2021) the implementation of social distancing measures in the country were assessed via the Mann-Whitney test. Read More

J Assoc Physicians India 2022 Jun;70(6):11-12

Assistant Professor, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India; Corresponding Author.

Background And Objectives: Dengue fever is amongst the most cardinal arthropod-borne infection among humans. Around the world, an estimated 2.5 billion individuals are at peril of infection, of which approximately 975 million reside in urban areas of tropical and subtropical nations like Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and surprisingly Americas. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 Jun 14;12(1):9890. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia.

Dengue exhibits focal clustering in households and neighborhoods, driven by local mosquito population dynamics, human population immunity, and fine scale human and mosquito movement. We tested the hypothesis that spatiotemporal clustering of homotypic dengue cases is disrupted by introduction of the arbovirus-blocking bacterium Wolbachia (wMel-strain) into the Aedes aegypti mosquito population. We analysed 318 serotyped and geolocated dengue cases (and 5921 test-negative controls) from a randomized controlled trial in Yogyakarta, Indonesia of wMel deployments. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 06 14;16(6):e0010478. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Australia.

Background: Vector surveillance is an essential public health tool to aid in the prediction and prevention of mosquito borne diseases. This study compared spatial and temporal trends of vector surveillance indices for Aedes vectors in the southern Philippines, and assessed potential links between vector indices and climate factors.

Methods: We analysed routinely collected larval and pupal surveillance data from residential areas of 14 cities and 51 municipalities during 2013-2018 (House, Container, Breteau and Pupal Indices), and used linear regression to explore potential relationships between vector indices and climate variables (minimum temperature, maximum temperature and precipitation). Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 06 13;16(6):e0010416. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Division of Vector-borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) caused a large outbreak in Puerto Rico in 2014, followed by a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in 2016. Communities Organized for the Prevention of Arboviruses (COPA) is a cohort study in southern Puerto Rico, initiated in 2018 to measure arboviral disease risk and provide a platform to evaluate interventions. To identify risk factors for infection, we assessed prevalence of previous CHIKV infection and recent ZIKV and DENV infection in a cross-sectional study among COPA participants. Read More

Ann Glob Health 2022 30;88(1):40. Epub 2022 May 30.

University for Development Studies, School of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, GH.

Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa, extensive migratory activities and interactions exist especially amongst unmanned cross-border communities between countries sharing common borders which complicate emergency public health interventions. Understanding the nature of these activities and interactions will help strengthen public health interventions and control of pandemics such as the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19.

Objective: The study aimed to understand the nature of contiguous border communities' interactions and to seek community solutions for building efficient and resilient health systems to combat a possible Ebola outbreak in Ghana and Burkina Faso and the control of future pandemics. Read More