Transmission Of Viral Diseases Research Articles

Evidence of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Transmission from Subclinically Infected Cattle by Stomoxys calcitrans.

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is a vector-transmitted capripox virus that causes disease in cattle. Stomoxys calcitrans flies are considered to be important vectors as they are able to transmit viruses from cattle with the typical LSDV skin nodules to naive cattle. No conclusive data are, however, available concerning the role of subclinically or preclinically infected cattle in virus transmission. Therefore, an in vivo transmission study with 13 donors, experimentally inoculated with LSDV, and 13 naïve acceptor bulls was performed whereby S. calcitrans flies were fed on either subclinical- or preclinical-infected donor animals. Transmission of LSDV from subclinical donors showing proof of productive virus replication but without formation of skin nodules was demonstrated in two out of five acceptor animals, while no transmission was seen from preclinical donors that developed nodules after Stomoxys calcitrans flies had fed. Interestingly, one of the acceptor animals which became infected developed a subclinical form of the disease. Our results show that subclinical animals can contribute to virus transmission. Therefore, stamping out only clinically diseased LSDV-infected cattle could be insufficient to completely halt the spread and control of the disease.

Community-based COVID-19 active case finding and rapid response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Improving case detection and response.

A community-based coronavirus disease (COVID-19) active case-finding strategy using an antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) was implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to enhance COVID-19 case detection. With this pilot community-based active case finding and response program that was designed as a clinical, prospective testing performance, and implementation study, we aimed to identify insights to improve community diagnosis and rapid response to COVID-19. This pilot study was modeled on the DRC's National COVID-19 Response Plan and the COVID-19 Ag-RDT screening algorithm defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), with case findings implemented in 259 health areas, 39 health zones, and 9 provinces. In each health area, a 7-member interdisciplinary field team tested the close contacts (ring strategy) and applied preventive and control measures to each confirmed case. The COVID-19 testing capacity increased from 0.3 tests per 10,000 inhabitants per week in the first wave to 0.4, 1.6, and 2.2 in the second, third, and fourth waves, respectively. From January to November 2021, this capacity increase contributed to an average of 10.5% of COVID-19 tests in the DRC, with 7,110 positive Ag-RDT results for 40,226 suspected cases and close contacts who were tested (53.6% female, median age: 37 years [interquartile range: 26.0-50.0)]. Overall, 79.7% (n = 32,071) of the participants were symptomatic and 7.6% (n = 3,073) had comorbidities. The Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 55.5% and 99.0%, respectively, based on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, and there was substantial agreement between the tests (k = 0.63). Despite its limited sensitivity, the Ag-RDT has improved COVID-19 testing capacity, enabling earlier detection, isolation, and treatment of COVID-19 cases. Our findings support the community testing of suspected cases and asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases to reduce disease spread and virus transmission.

Antiviral Activity of Active Materials: Standard and Finger-Pad-Based Innovative Experimental Approaches

Environmental surfaces, including high-touch surfaces (HITS), bear a high risk of becoming fomites and can participate in viral dissemination through contact and transmission to other persons, due to the capacity of viruses to persist on such contaminated surface before being transferred to hands or other supports at sufficient concentration to initiate infection through direct contact. Interest in the development of self-decontaminating materials as additional safety measures towards preventing viral infectious disease transmission has been growing. Active materials are expected to reduce the viral charge on surfaces over time and consequently limit viral transmission capacity through direct contact. In this study, we compared antiviral activities obtained using three different experimental procedures by assessing the survival of an enveloped virus (influenza virus) and non-enveloped virus (feline calicivirus) over time on a reference surface and three active materials. Our data show that experimental test conditions can have a substantial impact of over 1 log10 on the antiviral activity of active material for the same contact period, depending on the nature of the virus. We then developed an innovative and reproducible approach based on finger-pad transfer to evaluate the antiviral activity of HITS against a murine norovirus inoculum under conditions closely reflecting real-life surface exposure.

Bioinspired Antimicrobial PLA with Nanocones on the Surface for Rapid Deactivation of Omicron SARS-CoV-2.

Bioinspired bactericidal surfaces are artificial surfaces that mimic the nanotopography of insect wings and are capable of inhibiting microbial growth by a physicomechanical mechanism. The scientific community has considered them an alternative method to design polymers with surfaces that inhibit bacterial biofilm formation, suitable for self-disinfectant medical devices. In this contribution, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with nanocone patterns was successfully produced by a novel two-step procedure involving copper plasma deposition followed by argon plasma etching. According to reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction tests, the bioinspired PLA nanostructures display antiviral performance to inactivate infectious Omicron severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 particles, reducing the amount of the viral genome to less than 4% in just 15 min due to a possible combined effect of mechanical and oxidative stress. The bioinspired antiviral PLA can be suitable for designing personal protection equipment to prevent the transmission of contagious viral diseases, such as Coronavirus Disease 2019.

A Mathematical Model for Zika Virus Infection and Microcephaly Risk Considering Sexual and Vertical Transmission

We establish a compartmental model for Zika virus disease transmission, with particular attention paid to microcephaly, the main threat of the disease. To this end, we consider separate microcephaly-related compartments for affected infants, as well as the role of asymptomatic carriers, the influence of seasonality and transmission through sexual contact. We determine the basic reproduction number of the corresponding time-dependent model and time-constant model and study the dependence of this value on the mosquito-related parameters. In addition, we demonstrate the global stability of the disease-free periodic solution if R0<1, whereas the disease persists when R0>1. We fit our model to data from Colombia between 2015 and 2017 as a case study. The fitting is used to figure out how sexual transmission affects the number of cases among women as well as the number of microcephaly cases. Our sensitivity analyses conclude that the most effective ways to prevent Zika-related microcephaly cases are preventing mosquito bites and controlling mosquito populations, as well as providing protection during sexual contact.

Modeling the potential influence of economic migration on Ebola virus disease transmission dynamics

IntroductionThe good health of the economy of developed countries is an attracting factor for economic migrants from poorer countries whose movements can be associated with the spread of diseases such as the Ebola virus disease.MethodsIn this paper, we formulate a model of Ebola virus disease that considers two patches with different economic statuses represented by the respective gross-national incomes of the two patches. First, we consider a one-directional movement from a poorer patch to a rich patch. Second, we consider a two-way migration model where people move between patches.ResultsThe steady states of the model are determined and analyzed. The analysis shows also that the disease free and the endemic equilibrium points are locally stable. The analysis also shows that a unique endemic equilibrium point exists in the poor patch when the reproduction number in this patch is greater than one and multiple endemic equilibria exist in the rich patch when the reproduction number in the poor patch is less than one. The model dynamics of the rich patch present a backward bifurcation which does not facilitate easy Ebola virus disease control. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the most sensitive parameters that must be carefully estimated for the successful control of the Ebola virus disease.DiscussionNumerical simulations indicate a decrease in the number of infected individuals in the rich patch when movements of populations are limited through the improvement of the economy in the poor patch. So, the improvement of the economy of poorer countries may be critical in avoiding potential outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.

Assessment of GO-Based Protein Interaction Affinities in the Large-Scale Human-Coronavirus Family Interactome.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that replicates itself via interacting with the host proteins. As a result, identifying virus and host protein-protein interactions could help researchers better understand the virus disease transmission behavior and identify possible COVID-19 drugs. The International Committee on Virus Taxonomy has determined that nCoV is genetically 89% compared to the SARS-CoV epidemic in 2003. This paper focuses on assessing the host-pathogen protein interaction affinity of the coronavirus family, having 44 different variants. In light of these considerations, a GO-semantic scoring function is provided based on Gene Ontology (GO) graphs for determining the binding affinity of any two proteins at the organism level. Based on the availability of the GO annotation of the proteins, 11 viral variants, viz., SARS-CoV-2, SARS, MERS, Bat coronavirus HKU3, Bat coronavirus Rp3/2004, Bat coronavirus HKU5, Murine coronavirus, Bovine coronavirus, Rat coronavirus, Bat coronavirus HKU4, Bat coronavirus 133/2005, are considered from 44 viral variants. The fuzzy scoring function of the entire host-pathogen network has been processed with ~180 million potential interactions generated from 19,281 host proteins and around 242 viral proteins. ~4.5 million potential level one host-pathogen interactions are computed based on the estimated interaction affinity threshold. The resulting host-pathogen interactome is also validated with state-of-the-art experimental networks. The study has also been extended further toward the drug-repurposing study by analyzing the FDA-listed COVID drugs.

A One Health Ecosystem Approach for Understanding and Mitigating Spill-Over of Tick-Borne Diseases in India’s Degraded Forests

Exposure to zoonotic diseases can trade-off against livelihood-critical activities, particularly for tropical forest-dependent communities. Inter-disciplinary ecosystem approaches are critical to understanding this zoonotic spillover since the ecological and socio-political processes that make people vulnerable are jointly studied across degraded ecosystems. Moreover, One Health co-production of research and tools with cross-sectoral stakeholders can bridge gaps in knowledge and disease management between sectors. The MonkeyFeverRisk project applied these approaches to a case study of human viral tick-borne disease, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), affecting forest-dependent communities in the Western Ghats, south India, to inform management. Multiple tick species and vertebrate hosts are involved in Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus transmission, including wild rodents and shrews, monkeys and birds, while humans are “dead-end” hosts contracting the disease when bitten by infected ticks. By sampling across habitats within fragmented forests, we found that the risk of human exposure to infected ticks extends outside forests to forest edges, plantations, houses and gardens. The highest risk of human spillover was found in diverse agro-forestry landscapes, created when the moist evergreen forest is replaced with plantations and rice cultivation. Risks and impacts of KFD were highest for socially vulnerable, marginalised groups (e.g. lower caste, landless, elderly-headed households), exposed to ticks through occupations in forests, plantations and cropland. Aside from mortality, disease impacts include long-term, debilitating health issues, loss of income and reduced forest access. Key barriers to effective KFD prevention within these communities included limited information about KFD and its transmission, low efficacy of and mistrust in currently available vaccines and tick repellents, and livelihood concerns. Co-production delivered web-based tools to guide management, identifying high-risk areas, and education materials for local communities, health workers and managers detailing risks from ticks and tick-bite prevention measures.© The Authors 2023. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

“It kinda has like a mind”: Children's and parents' beliefs concerning viral disease transmission for COVID-19 and the common cold

How people reason about disease transmission is central to their commonsense theories, scientific literacy, and adherence to public health guidelines. This study provided an in-depth assessment of U.S. children's (ages 5–12, N = 180) and their parents' (N = 125) understanding of viral transmission of COVID-19 and the common cold, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary aim was to discover children's causal models of viral transmission, by asking them to predict and explain counter-intuitive outcomes (e.g., asymptomatic disease, symptom delay) and processes that cannot be directly observed (e.g., viral replication, how vaccines work). A secondary aim was to explore parental factors that might contribute to children's understanding. Although even the youngest children understood germs as disease-causing and were highly knowledgeable about certain behaviors that transmit or block viral disease (e.g., sneezing, mask-wearing), they generally failed to appreciate the processes that play out over time within the body. Overall, children appeared to rely on two competing mental models of viruses: one in which viruses operate strictly via mechanical processes (movement through space), and one in which viruses are small living creatures, able to grow in size and to move by themselves. These results suggest that distinct causal frameworks co-exist in children's understanding. A challenge for the future is how to teach children about illness as a biological process without also fostering inappropriate animism or anthropomorphism of viruses.

Wireless Body Area Network for Preventing Self-Inoculation Transmission of Respiratory Viral Diseases.

This paper proposes an idea of Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) based on Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) standards to recognize and alarm a gesture of touching the face, and in effect, to prevent self-inoculation of respiratory viral diseases, such as COVID-19 or influenza A, B, or C. The proposed network comprises wireless modules placed in bracelets and a necklace. It relies on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements between the bracelet and necklace modules. The measured signal is cleared of noise using the exponential moving average (EMA). Next, we use a classification algorithm based on a Least-Squares Support Vector Machine (LSSVM) in order to detect facial touches. When the results of the classification indicate that the hand is moving toward the face, an alarm is sent through the neck module and the vibrator embedded in the wrist module is switched on. Based on the performed tests, it can be concluded that the proposed solution is characterized by high accuracy and reliability. It should be useful, especially for individuals who are regularly exposed to the risk of respiratory infections.

Impact of Virtual Seminars on Hepatitis B Knowledge and Attitudes Among Preclinical-Year Medical Students.

Background A limited understanding of hepatitis B virus (HBV) disease transmission contributes to fear of routine contact and can stigmatize affected individuals. To reduce potential HBV-related discrimination, there is a need to increase awareness among medical students on HBV knowledge and transmission. We aimed to assess the impact of virtual education seminars on first- and second-year medical students' understanding of HBV and their attitudes toward HBV infection. Methods Pre- and post-seminar surveys were designed and administered to first- and second-year medical studentsin the February and August 2021 virtual HBV seminars to assess basic knowledge and attitudes toward HBV infection. The seminars consisted of a lecture on HBV followed by case study discussions. Paired samples t-test and McNemar's test for paired proportional differences were used for analysis. Results This study included 24 first-year and 16 second-year medical students who completed both pre- and post-seminar surveys. After attending the seminar, participants demonstrated an increase in correct responses totransmission modes including vertical transmission (p≤0.001) and sharing razors or toothbrushes (p=0.031) rather than sharing utensils or shaking hands (p<0.01). Using 5-point Likert means, improved attitudes were observed in concerns of shaking hands or hugging (pre=2.4, post=1.3, p<0.001) and caring for someone with infection (pre=1.55, post=1.18, p=0.009), and acceptance of an HBV-infected coworker in the same workplace (pre = 4.13, post= 4.78, p<0.001). Conclusion The virtual education seminars clarify misconceptions about transmission and bias towards individuals with HBV infection. Implementation of educational seminars in medical students' training is important to improve overall knowledge of HBV infection.

Bio-based materials for antimicrobial films in food applications: beyond the COVID-19 pandemic era

Abstract The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has increased awareness of the need for best practices to prevent the transmission of virus diseases. Antimicrobial films have been employed in packaging food items to minimize the spread of foodborne illnesses. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the demand for novel antimicrobial materials to prepare packaging films to minimize the virus spread through food items during processing and transportation. Considering the environmental pollution caused by single-use plastics, the demand for biodegradable polymers for packaging films has also increased in the current pandemic. This review aims to outline emerging bio-based antimicrobial materials and their incorporation into biopolymers as carriers for antimicrobial films, highlighting their potential as effective measures in preparing for future pandemics.

Medicolegal Aspects during Mass Casualty Due to Road Traffic Accidents in the Era of Covid: A Tertiary Care Institutional Experience

Background: In March 2020, the world health organization declared COVID-19 a world wide pandemic.Countries introduced public health measures to contain and reduce its spread. The effect of mandated societallockdown to reduce the transmission of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on road traffic accidents is notknown. For this we performed an in-depth analysis singdata of emergency and trauma centre UPUMS, Saifai.As most of the manpower was involved in managing Covid patients directly or indirectly, it was a challenge tomanage these mass casualty patients who require intensive care as well as Medicolegal documentation , recordkeeping , Consent for life saving procedures in absence of Relatives.Materials and Methods: We reviewed data on total 2876 road traffic accident records in UPUMS, Saifai fromJanuary 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020. We treated March 20th as the first day of mandated societal lock downand 1st July as the first day of re-opening.Results: We have found that the reis increase in road traffic accidents resulting in serious or fatal injuries duringlockdown and post-lockdown period. There was increased Medicolegal burden in spite of the decreased medicalresources, manpower as most of manpower and resources were being utilized for covid patients.Conclusion: Road traffic accidents are a prominent contributor to hospitalization and may negatively impact theexisting hospital resources directed towards COVID-19.

A comparative study between biological and chemical control against domestic mosquito larvae

Abstract. Habiba G, Imen K, Rabeh C, Lina L. 2022. A comparative study between biological and chemical control against domestic mosquito larvae. Biodiversitas 23: 6456-6462. Mosquitoes are the first cause of transmission of viral diseases to both humans and animals, as they can transmit some viral diseases. These insects have attracted the attention of specialists, especially in the field of control, because they have controlled their spread in urban areas. Traditionally, they have resorted only to insecticides to eliminate them, and aquatic organisms have long been used to assess the health of aquatic systems. Extensive use of pesticides in agricultural and public health programs has caused many environmental problems and toxic effects on aquatic animals, especially non-target organisms. Hence, this method has negative effects. Later, another method appeared called "biological control", which is based on natural predators. The current study aims to compare the use of biological and chemical control in eliminating mosquito larvae without causing any damage to the ecosystem. Therefore, two studies were conducted. The first is biological control by placing water mites with local mosquito larvae and measuring mite mortality, while the second study deals with chemical control. The rust solution was tested on mosquito larvae at different doses of 0.5mL/L, 2.5mL/L, and 4.5 mL/L. The results proved the effectiveness of biological control compared to chemical control. Finally, these findings will greatly contribute to both the agricultural and medical fields that infect this insect, as well as enrich the literature for future research in mosquitoes.

Mathematical modelling approach for the study of Nipah virus disease transmission dynamics

Mathematical modelling approach for the study of Nipah virus disease transmission dynamics

Identification of novel orthonairoviruses from rodents and shrews in Gabon, Central Africa.

In Africa, several emerging zoonotic viruses have been transmitted from small mammals such as rodents and shrews to humans. Although no clinical cases of small mammal-borne viral diseases have been reported in Central Africa, potential zoonotic viruses have been identified in rodents in the region. Therefore, we hypothesized that there may be unrecognized zoonotic viruses circulating in small mammals in Central Africa. Here, we investigated viruses that have been maintained among wild small mammals in Gabon to understand their potential risks to humans. We identified novel orthonairoviruses in 24.6 % of captured rodents and shrews from their kidney total RNA samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the novel viruses, Lamusara virus (LMSV) and Lamgora virus, were closely related to Erve virus, which was previously identified in shrews of the genus Crocidura and has been suspected to cause neuropathogenic diseases in humans. Moreover, we show that the LMSV ovarian tumour domain protease, one of the virulence determination factors of orthonairoviruses, suppressed interferon signalling in human cells, suggesting the possible human pathogenicity of this virus. Taken together, our study demonstrates the presence of novel orthonairoviruses that may pose unrecognized risks of viral disease transmission in Gabon.

Points to consider in seeking biosafety approval for research, testing, and environmental release of experimental genetically modified biocontrol products during research and development

Novel genetically modified biological control products (referred to as “GM biocontrol products”) are being considered to address a range of complex problems in public health, conservation, and agriculture, including preventing the transmission of vector-borne parasitic and viral diseases as well as the spread of invasive plant and animal species. These interventions involve release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment, sometimes with intentional dissemination of the modification within the local population of the targeted species, which presents new challenges and opportunities for regulatory review and decision-making. Practices developed for GMOs, primarily applied to date for GM crops may need to be adapted to accommodate different types of organisms, such as insects, and different technologies, such as gene drive. Developers of new GM biocontrol products would benefit from an early understanding of safety data and information that are likely to be required within the regulatory dossier for regulatory evaluation and decision making. Here a generalizable tool drawing from existing GM crop dossier requirements, forms, and relevant experience is proposed to assist researchers and developers organize and plan their research and trialing. This tool requires considering specifics of each investigational product, their intended use, and country specific requirements at various phases of potential product development, from laboratory research through contained field testing and experimental release into the environment. This may also be helpful to risk assessors and regulators in supporting their systematic and rigorous evaluation of new biocontrol products.

Use of Albumin as a Resuscitative Fluid in the Intensive Care Unit.

Use of Albumin as a Resuscitative Fluid in the Intensive Care Unit.

Monkeypox viral disease outbreak in non-endemic countries in 2022: What clinicians and healthcare professionals need to know

An outbreak of monkeypox Viral Disease in non-endemic countries in May 2022 is increasingly spreading. Clinicians and other healthcare professionals need to understand the aetiology and characteristics of the monkeypox pathogen and illness. By familializing themselves with these characteristics, they can map out the outbreak and roll out necessary public health mitigation measures to curb the spread. This short communication presents a summarized message regarding the aetiology, mode of transmission, clinical features, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of monkeypox viral disease. Considerations for surveillance and reporting have also been highlighted.

A Spotlight on Novel Coronavirus (COVID – 19) with Various Types of Strains

Deadly COVID-19 viruses have raised a pandemic situation in the year 2019, causing serious and contagious respiratory infections in humans. SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) is the main causative agent for this disease outbreak. The pandemic created a critical impact on the global economy. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 was followed by a period of relative evolutionary stasis that lasted about 11 months. Since, late 2020, SARS-CoV-2 evolution has been characterized by the emergence of sets of mutations. This resulted so far, in over 2.7 million deaths and near about 122 million infection cases. Most mutations in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome are either deleterious and swiftly purged or relatively neutral. As far as the concern is the variants it impacts the virus characteristics, including antigenicity and transmissibility in response to the modification of the human immune profile. In recent days, COVID-19 affected cases are rapidly increasing and it became difficult to inhibit this virus as they are continuously mutated in the host cell forming various new strains like B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, P.2, B.1.1.529, etc. These monitoring, surveillance of variation, and sequencing efforts within the SARS-CoV-2 genome enabled the rapid identification of the first some of Variants of Concern (VOCs) in late 2020, where genome changes became the most observable impact on virus biology and disease transmission. In this review article, we tried to focus and spot the light on the genetic diversification of various strains, their nature, similarities and dissimilarities, mechanism of action, and the prophylactic interventions which could prevent this life-threatening disease in the long run.