Control Of Infectious Diseases Research Articles

Rights-Based Legal Considerations for TB Isolation Practices in Community Settings in the Post-Pandemic Era.

State and local governments are free to enact infectious disease control laws to protect the public health but must conform those laws to right-based limitations imposed by the United States Constitution. TB control laws that empower public health agencies and their representatives to institute restrictions on movement and activities for persons with TB have remained largely unchanged for decades and warrant review to ensure consistency with modern legal principles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased attention to the tension between non-pharmaceutical public health interventions (masking, isolation, lock-downs) intended to reduce transmission and improve community health and their potential negative consequences on learning, mental health, individual finances and the economy at large. Increasing evidence suggests that much of TB transmission is likely to have occurred prior to diagnosis and treatment initiation, and there is limited scientific evidence for the efficacy of community-based isolation in reducing TB incidence or TB mortality; by contrast, there is evidence that treatment rapidly reduces infectiousness, and that prolonged isolation may have deleterious health and financial effects for persons with TB. The post-pandemic era presents an opportunity to reassess public health authorities' legal obligations in designing voluntary and involuntary isolation policies for persons with tuberculosis. In so doing, state and local governments can recalibrate the balance between respect for individual constitutional rights and achieving public health TB goals.

Innate lymphoid cells and infectious diseases.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are the main resident lymphocytes that mostly reside in tissues owing to the lack of adaptive antigen receptors. These cells are involved in early anti-infective immunity, antitumour immunity, regulation of tissue inflammation, and maintenance of homeostasis in the internal environment of tissues and have been referred to as the "first armies stationed in the human body". ILCs are widely distributed in the lungs, colon, lymph nodes, oral mucosa and even embryonic tissues. Due to the advantage of their distribution location, they are often among the first cells to come into contact with pathogens.Relevant studies have demonstrated that ILCs play an early role in the defence against a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and helminths, before they intervene in the adaptive immune system. ILCs can initiate a rapid, nonspecific response against pathogens prior to the initiation of an adaptive immune response and can generate a protective immune response against specific pathogens, secreting different effectors to play a role.There is growing evidence that ILCs play an important role in host control of infectious diseases. In this paper, we summarize and discuss the current known infectious diseases in which ILCs are involved and ILC contribution to the defence against infectious diseases. Further insights into the mechanisms of ILCs action in different infectious diseases will be useful in facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies for early control of infections.

The challenging concept of eradication: A core concept guiding and frustrating public health.

The celebrated 1980 announcement that smallpox had been eradicated was made using the following definition of eradication: "Permanent reduction to zero of the worldwide incidence of infection caused by a specific agent as a result of deliberate efforts: intervention measures are no longer needed." Public health around the world works with this definition of "eradication," setting it as a goal for other infectious disease control programs. The definition is simple. Its application, however, has produced long-running and complex public health campaigns that threaten the commitment of funders, health care providers, and governments. In this paper, the authors demonstrate the disease-specific challenges of eradication through the example of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). While many deem eradication worth its high costs because it is the end of morbidity and mortality from a disease, it does not mean the end of disease control efforts. Public health must be prepared for the possibility of disease reoccurrence in the form of undetected natural reservoirs of disease, lab leaks from stored samples, bioterror attacks using stolen samples, and the synthetic recreation of microbes. This paper clarifies the role of reoccurrence prevention in eradication, calling for its addition in the definition of eradication.

Hospital crisis management in the epidemic: A qualitative study.

Despite the advances in medical science, the epidemic of infectious diseases has faced serious challenges to the health system of countries, so the purpose of this study was to identify obstacles and management strategies to prepare for planning preventive measures and better care in dealing with infectious diseases in hospitals. The current qualitative research was of the grounded theory type, which was conducted in 2023. The semistructured interview questions were obtained from experts. The initial selection of the sample was made from experts in the field of health and treatment from all over the country. The snowball method was used to increase the sample volume until it reached sufficient Value. After analyzing the data through MAXQDA2020 software, this research reached saturation by interviewing 20 experts. Four main areas, 15 subthemes, and 93 codes were identified in the management of epidemics, which included leadership and management (planning, physical structure, information management, financial resources, manpower, medicine and equipment, and internal and external coordination), Stewardship (macro policy and syndromic care system), safety and resilience (crisis management and emergency and disaster risk management), management of infectious diseases (instructions, education, infection prevention and control, treatment management). This study presents the strategies of the health system in dealing with the epidemic of infectious diseases to overcome the obstacles and challenges of preparation and response, which can help health managers in designing future programs, and finally, it shows that hospitals should have a plan for resilience in crises.

Optimal control strategies for infectious disease management: Integrating differential game theory with the SEIR model

The rapid spread of infectious diseases poses a critical threat to global public health. Traditional frameworks, such as the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model, have been crucial in elucidating disease dynamics. Nonetheless, these models frequently overlook the strategic interactions between public health authorities and individuals. This research extends the classic SEIR model by incorporating differential game theory to analyze optimal control strategies. By modeling the conflicting objectives of public health authorities aiming to minimize infection rates and intervention costs, and individuals seeking to reduce their infection risk and inconvenience, we derive a Nash equilibrium that provides a balanced approach to disease management. Using Picard’s iterative method, we solve the extended model to determine dynamic, optimal control strategies, revealing oscillatory behavior in public health interventions and individual preventive measures. This comprehensive approach offers valuable insights into the dynamic interactions essential for effective infectious disease control.

Co-benefits of climate change mitigation for infectious disease control

Co-benefits of climate change mitigation for infectious disease control

Development of Bone Marrow Transplantation Strategies

The use of alternative stem cell sources, the growth of supportive healthcare facilities, and the expansion of indications for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) as well as partially matched donors from the same family are all continuing evolutionary trends as the use of BMT has been developed and expanded to include donors who are not related by blood but have Partial histocompatibility antigen compatibility. Although the outcomes of these transplants are not as good as those performed with first-degree siblings, patients with leukemia, aplastic anemia, and immunodeficiency disorders who cannot receive treatment otherwise they can receive it now. Patients suffering from diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Hodgkin lymphoma also show success with autologous bone marrow transplants. Furthermore, bone marrow or blood stem cell support is used after intensive chemotherapy. Patients with stage II, III, and IV breast cancer can benefit from treatment with bone marrow cells found in peripheral blood. In this review, the most important developments in autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, the control of infectious diseases, and the use of gene therapy to alter genetic disorders that are transmitted from parents to their offspring through bone marrow or peripheral blood infusions are outlined.

Risk of death in old Japanese COVID-19 cases infected with the Omicron variant: a population-based study.

We assessed case fatality rates (CFRs) in cases aged ≥70 years in 10 Japanese prefectures (14.8 million residents) diagnosed between January 2022 and March 2023, when the Omicron variant was dominant in Japan. We selected incident reports on 283,052 study subjects from participating Public Health Centers adhering to the Infectious Diseases Control Law. Cases were passively followed up until the end of their isolation, date of death or 28 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis, whichever occurred first. We calculated age-standardized CFRs with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the Japanese population aged 70-79, 80-89 and ≥90 in 2022 divided into 16 subgroups according to the period of COVID-19 diagnosis. The total overall CFR was 1.59% (95% CI 1.55-1.64); it ranged between 0.67% (95% CI 0.38-0.96, May 23-June 19) and 2.58% (95% CI 2.36-2.80, January 31-February 27). We observed three peaks of age-standardized CFRs paralleling the 6th, 7th and 8th endemic COVID-19 waves driven by Omicron in Japan (2.2% January 31-February 27, 1.0% July 18-August 14 and 1.6% December 26-January 22, 2023, respectively). Population-based CFRs for Omicron variant COVID-19 in Japanese aged ≥70 years remained <3% throughout the period January 2022-March 2023, including during three large endemic waves in this country.

Development and validation of an infectious disease control competency scale for public health professionals

BackgroundInfectious diseases persistently pose global threats, and it is imperative to accelerate the professionalization of public health workforce. This study aimed to develop and validate the infectious disease control competency scale (IDCCS) for public health professionals to fill a theoretical gap and elevate practical capabilities by informing public health professionals’ development goals.MethodsThe initial item pool was generated through a literature review, and categorized into three dimensions (knowledge, practical skills, and leadership) based on the competency iceberg model and public health leadership framework. A two-round Delphi process was conducted to determine indicators within the scale. A pilot survey was utilized for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A formal survey was employed for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The weight value of each indicator was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process.ResultsAn initial scale with three primary items, 14 secondary items, and 81 tertiary items was generated. Twenty experts participated in the two rounds of the Delphi process. Authority coefficients exceeded 0.9 in both rounds. Kendall's W was 0.29 and 0.19, respectively (both P < 0.001). Item analysis presented a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.98, with corrected item-total correlation coefficients ranging from 0.33 to 0.78. EFA demonstrated that cumulative variance explanations for the four primary dimensions (knowledge, practical skills, leadership, and personal quality) were 77.463%, 73.976%, 81.174%, and 68.654%, respectively. CFA indicated that all composite reliability values and average variance extracted surpassed 0.8 and 0.5, respectively. The standardized factor loadings of the items ranged from 0.630 to 0.977. Among the seven model fit indices, each of the four dimensions satisfied at least five criteria. A final three-level scale comprising four primary items, 14 secondary items, and 64 tertiary items was constructed. The weight values for the four primary items were 0.4064, 0.2878, 0.2082, and 0.0981, respectively.ConclusionsThe IDCCS was established to evaluate the competencies of knowledge, practical skills, leadership, and personal quality for public health professionals in infectious disease control. This scale demonstrates good reliability and validity, and can be used for performance evaluation, recruitment processes, curriculum development, and individual self-assessment.

Differential detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants and influenza A viruses utilizing a dual lateral flow strip based on colloidal gold-labeled monoclonal antibodies

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the seasonal influenza virus are spreading among humans concurrently, especially with the ongoing replacement of mutant strains. It is challenging to differentiate between symptoms for therapy due to the comparable symptoms following infection with the SARS-CoV-2 variants and influenza viruses. Meanwhile, in order to achieve rapid point-of-care testing (POCT) to manage the spread of the disease, we developed a dual lateral flow strip based on colloidal gold-labeled monoclonal antibodies that can perform differential detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants and influenza A viruses (IAV) in this study. High-affinity monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting SARS-CoV-2 and IAV were prepared to capture antigens and labeled with colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Based on high-affinity mAbs, two targets were immobilized on one nitrocellulose (NC) membrane to establish the lateral flow strip (LFS) for differential diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV. With no reactivity to other viruses, this LFS is extremely specific and can only identify SARS-CoV-2 and IAV. The LFS showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 4.88 ng/mL for the Omicron BA.2 RBD protein and 2.44 ng/mL for the nucleoprotein (NP) protein of H1N1. When analyzing 16 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples, eight IAV positive clinical samples, and six negative samples that had already been pre-confirmed by commercial kits, its clinical application is effectively and accurately proven. These results demonstrated that the LFS integrated with AuNPs has great potential to facilitate quick, easy, and reliable POCT diagnosis for promoting the control of infectious diseases.

Antibacterial Compounds and Draft Genome Sequence of Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 Isolated from Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest Soils, University of Phayao, Thailand

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in the control of infectious diseases. To overcome this obstacle, a common approach is to search for novel antimicrobial drugs from natural sources, especially microorganisms such as Streptomyces. Streptomyces has long been demonstrated to produce bioactive secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activities. The objectives of this research were to isolate and characterize Streptomyces strains from the deciduous dipterocarp forest soils in the University of Phayao, and to evaluate their metabolites for antibacterial activities. The results show that the morphological and physiological characteristics of PA5.6 are consistent with those of the genus Streptomyces. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the whole genome sequence verified that PA5.6 represents a novel species within the genus Streptomyces. The genome sequence analysis of Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 revealed a total length of 9,146,340 bp, a G + C content of 71.1 %, and an N50 scaffold of 320,345 bp. The antiSMASH analysis revealed putative secondary metabolite Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) involved in the biosynthesis of antimicrobial metabolites, including terpene, Type I PKS, NRPS and lassopeptide gene clusters. Functional prediction of these gene clusters indicates that they are involved in the biosynthesis of several antimicrobial-associated metabolites, such as albaflavenone, monensin and citrulassin D. Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 culture supernatant and its crude ethyl acetate extract exhibited antibacterial activity against several drug-resistant, bacterial pathogens, including S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, MRSA, VREF, ESBL-E. coli and CRPA. The GC-MS analysis of the crude ethyl acetate extracts revealed benzeneacetic acid, benzeneacetic acid, 4-hydroxy and benzeneacetamide as major active compounds metabolites. In conclusion, Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 exhibited promising potential for producing bioactive compounds against bacterial pathogens. HIGHLIGHTSThe Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 isolated from the soil in the deciduous dipterocarp forest and was identified as a new species within the genus Streptomyces by comparative analysis of the whole genome sequence. The crude ethyl acetate extract of Streptomyces sp. PA5.6 exhibited antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens. GC-MS analysis of crude ethyl acetate extract showed major and minor compounds that exhibit antimicrobial activity. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Alkyl Pyridinol Compounds Exhibit Antimicrobial Effects against Gram-Positive Bacteria.

Background/Objectives. The rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens represents a significant global challenge in infectious disease control, which is amplified by the decline in the discovery of novel antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus continues to be a highly significant pathogen, causing infections in multiple organs and tissues in both healthcare institutions and community settings. The bacterium has become increasingly resistant to all available antibiotics. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel small molecules that inhibit the growth or impair the survival of bacterial pathogens. Given their large structural and chemical diversity, as well as often unique mechanisms of action, natural products represent an excellent avenue for the discovery and development of novel antimicrobial treatments. Anaephene A and B are two such naturally occurring compounds with significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we report the rapid syntheses and biological characterization of five novel anaephene derivatives, which display low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells but potent antibacterial activity against various S. aureus strains, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and the multi-drug-resistant community-acquired strain USA300LAC. Methods. A Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction served as the key step for the synthesis of the alkyl pyridinol products. Results/Conclusions. Using the compound JC-01-074, which displays bactericidal activity already at low concentrations (MIC: 16 μg/mL), we provide evidence that alkyl pyridinols target actively growing and biofilm-forming cells and show that these compounds cause disruption and deformation of the staphylococcal membrane, indicating a membrane-associated mechanism of action.

Infectious Diseases-Approved Virtual Reality Goggles for Common Procedures in Pediatric Surgical Patients.

Background/Objective: Virtual reality (VR) technology has been reported as effective in mitigating fear, anxiety, and pain in children undergoing various medical procedures. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of non-sponge-coated mobile phone-operated VR goggles approved by infectious diseases (ID) control in pediatric surgical patients. Methods: A prospective randomized trial in which pre-procedural and post-procedural heart rate, fear, and anxiety, and post-procedural pain were measured in pediatric surgical patients assigned to receive standard care versus standard care and VR goggles. The patients underwent line insertions, peripheral venipunctures for blood draws, drain removals, and wound care. Results: The control group and the intention-to-treat group were each randomly assigned twenty-four patients. Since eight patients who received VR goggles removed them prior to completion of the procedure, the study group included sixteen patients. In the study group, heart rate, fear, and anxiety scores were significantly lower after the procedure as compared to prior to the procedure. In the control group, these parameters were similar before and after the procedure. Post-procedural decrease in fear and anxiety was significant when comparing VR to control. However, despite better post-procedural physiological and emotional scores in the VR group as compared to control, the differences were not statistically significant. Pre-procedural anxiety was significantly higher in the study group. Conclusions: ID-approved VR goggles can reduce fear and anxiety associated with procedures commonly performed in pedicatric surgical patients. However, since increased baseline anxiety might be associated with VR, a higher benefit might be achieved if goggles were worn only by children who express a clear desire to use them.

COMPARING vaccine manufacturing technologies recombinant DNA vs in vitro transcribed (IVT) mRNA

Vaccine manufacturing fosters the prevention, control, and eradication of infectious diseases. Recombinant DNA and in vitro (IVT) mRNA vaccine manufacturing technologies were enforced to combat the recent pandemic. Despite the impact of these technologies, there exists no scientific announcement that compares them. Digital Shadows are employed in this study to simulate each technology, investigating root cause deviations, technical merits, and liabilities, evaluating cost scenarios. Under this lens we provide an unbiased, advanced comparative technoeconomic study, one that determines which of these manufacturing platforms are suited for the two types of vaccines considered (monoclonal antibodies or antigens). We find recombinant DNA technology to exhibit higher Profitability Index due to lower capital and starting material requirements, pertaining to lower Minimum Selling Price per Dose values, delivering products of established quality. However, the potency of the mRNA, the streamlined and scalable synthetic processes involved and the raw material availability, facilitate faster market penetration and product flexibility, constituting these vaccines preferable whenever short product development cycles become a necessity.

Infectious diseases and global security: Analysis of global control and vaccination strategies

Introduction: Given the recent experience with the COVID-19 vaccine campaign, an optimal global policy to control future pandemics and ensure infectious security globally is highly relevant. Objective: The study aims to determine the optimal vaccination strategy to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality during a pandemic.Methods: A systematic search of studies on infectious disease control and vaccination strategies for the period 2000-2023 in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases using keywords was conducted for the review. Relevant publications, data extraction and systematisation were selected.Results: The findings of the analysis highlight the importance of integrated interventions in global vaccination strategies, including health systems strengthening, innovative technologies for outbreak detection and international collaboration. Vaccination, as an effective preventive measure, significantly reduces the spread of infectious diseases. Vaccination with different types of vaccines has been shown to improve immune response compared to the use of the same type of vaccine. This approach, where the first and second vaccine doses are different, may increase the effectiveness of the immune response.Conclusions: Studies confirm that vaccination reduces the number of cases and deaths, reducing the economic burden. A variety of vaccines, including mRNA, vector, and inactivated vaccines, provide high efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infection and mortality, especially when a heterologous vaccination regimen is used. This review identifies the most effective infectious disease control strategies for the development of global health recommendations

One Step Forward, How Many Steps Back? Benchmarking the US Covid-19 Pandemic Response Against United Nations Sustainable Development Target 3.3

In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), mapping out specific targets to work toward in order to achieve worldwide peace and prosperity. SDG 3 promotes healthy living, while target 3.3 strives to end epidemics of various infectious diseases. In this project, I examine how the Covid-19 outbreak impacted the US’s progress toward SDG target 3.3, analyzing both academic literature and government documents in the form of a literature review. I discuss trends and flaws in the US pandemic response, briefly contrasting US containment measures with Singapore’s, before examining the pandemic’s effects on incidence rates and service outcomes for two communicable diseases — tuberculosis and HIV. Although a lack of internal and external coordination, the federalist structure of the US government, inflexible funding, and politicization of infectious disease control prevented the CDC from responding to the pandemic effectively, tuberculosis incidence rates dropped in 2020 due to less face-to-face contact and possible missed diagnoses, while HIV services experienced a rebound in late 2020 due to self test, telehealth, and antiretroviral therapy home delivery services. While Covid-19 did not dismantle the US’s progress toward UN SDG target 3.3, greater communication, deeper public understanding, and an ability to expect the unexpected would accelerate the US’s movement toward effective management of communicable diseases.

346 Investigating the potential of incorporating indirect genetic effects into genetic evaluations of dairy calf disease traits

Abstract The goal of infectious disease control is often local eradication, but this is theoretically impossible to achieve based on classical quantitative genetic theory. Current methods focus on the susceptibility of individuals to disease and assume that exposure to a pathogen is 1) constant over time, 2) equal among individuals, and (3) due entirely to the environment. For this reason, it is likely that conventional genetic methods are capturing only a fraction of genetic variation in disease occurrence. The incorporation of epidemiological theory into quantitative genetics provides an opportunity to better determine the level of genetic variation in infectious disease traits. This stems from the ability to include the positive feed-back dynamics of infectious disease transmission. From an epidemiolocal perspective, both susceptibility and infectivity also have indirect genetic effects (IGE), because the genotype of one individual impacts the risk of infection of other individuals, and this can drastically affect the rate and direction of response to selection. Epidemiological models unravel the genetic heterogeneity in both susceptibility and infectivity traits, and account for the impact each animal has on its contemporaries compared with conventional quantitative genetic approaches. From a calf health perspective, there is a shift towards group housing dairy calves, primarily due to welfare and social acceptability. In turn, this will lead to increased animal interactions from a young age. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential of incorporating IGE into current quantitative approaches to determine its impact on selection potential. Our study looked at two common infectious diseases in calves on dairy farms: respiratory problems (RESP) and diarrhea (DIAR). Producer-recorded data comprised of 19,445 records collected on 34 herds that group housed calves between 2007 and 2020. Calves were allocated into pen groups based on birth dates and herd specific housing practices. Original phenotypes were split into 10 records, each representing a week of life, to determine when exactly calves became sick and infective. Several scenarios were investigated with respect to the time an animal was infective for following a disease case (1 or 2 wk), and the maximum difference in weeks between animal birth dates to be included within the same pen (2 to 5 wk). Variance components were estimated using a generalized linear mixed model fitting a complementary-log-log link function with offset for exposure. Initial heritability estimates for susceptibility on the observed scale for DIAR ranged from 0.03 to 0.07, and from 0.02 to 0.03 for RESP across scenarios. While heritability estimates for infectivity are currently being investigated, the results for susceptibility highlight the potential for incorporating IGE into genetic evaluation of disease traits and provide an introduction towards incorporating epidemiological theory into classical quantitative approaches to better respect the transmission dynamics of infections.

Epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus infection in febrile respiratory syndrome cases in China from 2010 to 2020

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in cases of febrile respiratory syndrome in China from 2010 to 2020. Methods: Based on the sub-project of the National Science and Technology Major Project for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control "Infectious Disease Monitoring Technology Platform", active monitoring of febrile respiratory syndrome cases was conducted in sentinel hospitals in 31 provinces across China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Chinese Taiwan) from January 2010 to December 2020, resulting in the inclusion of 191 441 cases. Clinical specimens of monitored cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid, and the differences in HRSV detection rates among different age groups, regions, and time periods were analyzed using the χ2 test/Fisher exact probability method. Results: Among the 191 441 cases of febrile respiratory syndrome in China from 2010 to 2020, the age group M (Q1, Q3) was 9 (2, 40) years old, with 83 773 cases (43.8%) in the <5 years old group. There were 113 660 males, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.5∶1.0. There were as many as 105 508 cases (55.2%) of scattered children and preschool children. About 70 565 cases (36.9%) lived in the northern region. There were 13 858 HRSV positive cases, with a total positive rate of 7.2%. The positive rate of HRSV detection in the northern population was 5.7% (4 004/70 565), which was lower than that in the southern population (8.2%, 9 854/120 876), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=407.4, P<0.001). HRSV was detected in all age groups, with the highest positive rate of 23.9% in the <6 months age group. The month with the highest positive rate was December, and autumn and winter were the main epidemic seasons. Both northern and southern HRSV subtypes were mainly infected with type A, with a low proportion of mixed infections of type A and type B. Conclusion: HRSV is a common pathogen causing respiratory infections in children from 2010 to 2020. It can be detected throughout the year and shows the main peak of prevalence in autumn and winter. The HRSV strain is mainly classified as a type A infection.

Insights into the genetic theory of infectious diseases.

Over the past century, classical approaches from microbiology and immunology have produced spectacular results in the control of infectious diseases. However, the recent SARS-COV-2 pandemic has highlighted our continued failure to control some infections. Other microorganisms still pose a threat to humanity such as HIV, Ebola, and influenza viruses. It seems that conventional approaches are not able to solve all the current problems caused by infectious diseases. Human genetics has shown that infections have a strong genetic determinism that can lead to a predisposition or resistance to infections. This explains much of the clinical variability observed in individuals infected with the same pathogen. The identification of the genetic etiology allows a better understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and, consequently, the consideration of appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies. This review provides insights into the genetic theory and the concrete evidence to support it. We highlight the role of primary immunodeficiencies in the discovery of Mendelian and monogenic susceptibility to infections, then we show how genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, redundancy, and resistance to infection manifest in the context of this genetic determinism. To effectively combat the constant threat of microbes, it is essential to integrate human genetics with microbiology to examine the interactions between pathogens and our immune system.

Variability of VPU protein in HIV-1 sub-subtype A6 in patients with different stages of HIV infection

The aim of the study: to compare the genetic diversity of the Vpu protein in HIV-1 in the people living with HIV (PLWH) with different stages of the disease.Materials and methods. An analysis was carried out of 259 clinical samples of whole blood from HIV-infected patients with no experience of taking antiretroviral therapy, who were observed at the Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, Moscow, Russia. The analysis included the following stages: extraction of proviral DNA, amplification of the region of the virus genome containing the vpu gene, sequencing of amplification products, genotyping, comparison of conservation and amino acid substitutions in the Vpu protein sequences in PLWH with different stages of the disease.Results and discussion. In 255 out of 259 (98.4%) clinical samples, a sub-subtype A6 virus variant was identified. The consensus sequence of the Vpu sub-subtype A6 protein was obtained, which contained 81 amino acids. No significant differences in the conservation of Vpu protein sequences were found between HIV-1 variants obtained from patients with different stages of the disease. Amino acid substitution P3A was significantly more common in PLWH with the second stage of HIV infection.Conclusion. The results obtained highlight the issue of the influence of non-structural proteins of HIV-1 on the course of the disease and indicate directions for possible research in the future.