Human Infectious Diseases Research Articles

STATUS OF CLIMATE VULNERABILLIES, HUMAN RESPONCIBILLIES AND CHALLENGES

As global climate change continues to manifest in various forms, the urgency to comprehensively assess its implications for human societies is paramount. This article presents a thorough examination of climate vulnerabilities and their imminent consequences, highlighting the critical role of human responsibility in addressing these challenges. The study synthesizes a wide range of empirical evidence and expert insights to provide an integrated assessment of the multifaceted impacts of climate change on various sectors, including ecosystems, health, agriculture, migration, and socio-economic equity. Drawing from a substantial body of literature, including reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other reputable sources, this article underscores the complexity and interconnectedness of climate vulnerabilities. It delves into the consequences of rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events on ecosystems and biodiversity, underscoring the pressing need for conservation efforts. It’s elucidates the pronounced impacts of climate change on human health, infectious diseases, and food security, emphasizing the importance of adaptive strategies and policy interventions. The article also examines the intricate relationship between climate change and human migration, exploring how environmental stressors amplify societal vulnerabilities and raise ethical considerations. In sum, this article provides a comprehensive assessment of climate vulnerabilities and emphasizes the shared responsibility of human society in tackling these challenges. By recognizing the intricate web of consequences that climate change presents, this study serves as a call to action for policymakers, researchers, and individuals alike, urging coordinated efforts to safeguard our planet’s future.

Expert System for Diagnosing Airborne Diseases Airborne Diseases in Humans with Fuzzy Logic Mamdani Method

<p>People in today's information age are increasingly demanding all kinds of information to be presented quickly. One of them is information in the medical field, in this case information about the diagnosis of a disease which is usually in the form of an expert system. Various methods are used in expert systems, one of which is Mamdani fuzzy logic or better known as the Mamdani inference system. The use of fuzzy logic in diagnosing this disease does not require numbers as input.</p><p>The Mamdani fuzzy logic expert system in this study is specifically used to diagnose infectious diseases in humans, namely: whooping cough or pertussis, measles, diphtheria, mumps, meningitis, tuberculosis, variola, and varicella. This system diagnoses diseases based on inputting the characteristics or symptoms suffered. The diagnosis result is a number of possible diagnoses for each disease. The closer the number to 1 (one), the higher the probability of contracting one of the diseases mentioned above.</p><p>The system that has been created can already be used to detect diseases according to the characteristics or symptoms entered. However, this system is only a research and the results cannot be used as a reference for real disease diagnosis.</p><p> </p>

VECTOR ZOONOSES THAT MAY THREAT THE REGION OF SOUTHEAST EUROPE

The first Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was founded in France (Lyon) in 1762, in order to prevent the cyclical waves of rinderpest at the beginning of the 18th century in Europe. Three centuries later, infectious diseases, including zoonoses, cannot be eradicated in the regions where they appear enzootically, and also thair spread is a real threat to distant regions of the world. A special segment of the infectious diseases studies is focused to the group of zoonoses that are transmitted by vectors. There are numerous infectious diseases of animals and humans, whith the causative agents that are transmitted by insects and arthropods, and in some cases, vectors appear as real hosts and reservoirs of zoonotic agents. Until two decades ago, the appearance of West Nile fever in regions of the world where this zoonosis was enzootic and endemic (for example, the African continent), did not attract the attention of epizootiologists and epidemiologists. However, this infectious disease has caused a disease in a numerous people in our region over the past twenty years, and in some cases the outcome was fatal. Analogous to the example of West Nile fever, it can be assumed that a greater number of vector-borne zoonoses are practically “knocking on the door” of the Southeastern Europe region. That region can be considered a buffer zone, where there are more or less distant regions to the south and east, where until nowadays “exotic” zoonoses appear enzootically, and from which direction we can expect the penetration of vectors, and the infectious diseases they transmit. The potential for the transmission of vector-borne zoonoses primarily refers to diseases transmitted by insects and arthropods. In the case of insects, a sudden outbreak could be expected, for example, of Rift Valley fever, Chikungunya virus infection, Japanese encephalitis or Yellow fever. The fight against such zoonoses should primarily be based on vector control. For some of these zoonoses, vaccines have already been developed for use in human (e.g. Japanese encephalitis) and veterinary (e.g. West Nile fever) medicine. In the case of zoonoses transmitted by arthropods (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, tickborne encephalitis), it is expected that the infection will spread slowly but steadily, whereby diagnostic tests and the application of methods of monitoring the presence in animal species that can be indicators of the disease are of more importance. The paper presents the basic mechanisms in the transmission of vector-borne zoonoses as well as certain infectious diseases transmitted by insects and arthropods, which have a significant potential to threaten the region of Southern and Eastern Europe.

PREVENTING THE RESURGENCE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SIMILAR EPIDEMICS: THE NEED FOR ONE HEALTH APPROACH

Epidemiological evidences over the decades suggest that about 60% to 75% of emerging human infectious diseases are transmitted by animals, especially wildlife. This is as a result of the increasing interface between human, wild animals and environment caused by the destruction of natural habitats by human activities and climate change. The recent link of COVID-19 to the seafood and animals’ market in Wuhan China, and the 98.99% shared resemblance of the virus to the genetic sequence of bat coronavirus holds a strong suspicion for zoonotic transmission. However, efforts towards controlling the pandemic have been centered on human health, with little or no attention on the animal and environment hosts. This paper proposes one health approach as a strategy that could control the resurgence of COVID-19 and similar zoonotic diseases outbreak.

Spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and mechanisms of their transmission from animal to human

Antimicrobials are essential for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in both humans and animals. However, the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has become a global problem of the World Health Organisation. Transmission of antibiotic-resistant macroorganisms from animals to humans is conducted directly or indirectly through the environment. This spread affects the epidemiology of resistant bacterial infections in humans. Thus, the purpose of the study was to establish and analyse the methods of distribution and mechanisms of transmission of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms from animal to human, analyse the experience of different countries in solving problems of antibiotic resistance. Through methods of analysis and systematisation of scientific research of researchers from different countries of the world, it was established that antimicrobial agents have been used in agriculture as feed additives and maintain the health and productivity of animals since the middle of the 20th century. Animal products at all stages of food processing also often contain large amounts of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. A substantial relationship was established between drugs used in humane and veterinary medicine. It is noted that difficult socio-economic conditions, limited laboratory facilities, and lack of regulatory authorities in developing countries also create favourable conditions for the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. As a result, the treatment of many infectious diseases of people is substantially complicated or becomes impossible. The application of antibiotics should be accompanied by constant and enhanced monitoring of their spread in the animal–human– environment chain, a rational prescription in humane, veterinary medicine, and the food industry to minimise the risks of unjustified use of them

An Update on the Application of CRISPR Technology in Clinical Practice.

The CRISPR/Cas system, an innovative gene-editing tool, is emerging as a promising technique for genome modifications. This straightforward technique was created based on the prokaryotic adaptive immune defense mechanism and employed in the studies on human diseases that proved enormous therapeutic potential. A genetically unique patient mutation in the process of gene therapy can be corrected by the CRISPR method to treat diseases that traditional methods were unable to cure. However, introduction of CRISPR/Cas9 into the clinic will be challenging because we still need to improve the technology's effectiveness, precision, and applications. In this review, we first describe the function and applications of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. We next delineate how this technology could be utilized for gene therapy of various human disorders, including cancer and infectious diseases and highlight the promising examples in the field. Finally, we document current challenges and the potential solutions to overcome these obstacles for the effective use of CRISPR-Cas9 in clinical practice.

Diversity analysis of the endosymbiotic bacterial community in field-collected Haemaphysalis ticks on the tropical Hainan Island, China.

Ticks are important vectors of various pathogens that cause infectious diseases in humans. Endosymbiotic bacteria have been explored as targets for tick and tick-borne disease control. However, the tick bacterial community on Hainan Island, which is the largest tropical island in China and has an environment favourable to ticks, has not yet been studied. In this study, we surveyed the bacterial community of ticks collected from grass in one village in Haikou. A total of 20 ticks were morphologically and molecularly identified as Haemaphysalis spp. The tick bacterial 16S rRNA hypervariable region amplicon libraries were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform. A total of 10 possible bacterial genera were detected, indicating a low-diversity bacterial community profile. The dominant bacterial genus, Massilia, accounted for 97.85% of the population. Some other bacterial genera, including Arsenophonus and Pseudomonas, have been reported to play a role in tick development and tick-borne pathogen transmission in other tick species. Overall, the study highlights the first descriptive understanding of the tick bacterial community on Hainan Island and provides a basis for deciphering the interactions between the tick microbiome and tick-borne pathogens.

The Guts of the Matter: A Global History of Human Waste and Infectious Intestinal Disease by James L. A. Webb (review)

The Guts of the Matter: A Global History of Human Waste and Infectious Intestinal Disease by James L. A. Webb (review)

The Effect of Climate Changes on Human Bacterial Infectious Diseases

The Effect of Climate Changes on Human Bacterial Infectious Diseases

Assessment of two in‐situ and ex‐situ methods for silver/graphene oxide‐grafted cotton fabrics fabrication and antibacterial activity enhancement by hydrophobic modification with stearic acid

AbstractThe increase in the number of infectious diseases has exerted many negative consequences on human health. In this study, the antibacterial cotton fabric was fabricated for application in antibacterial products, contributing to the prevention of infectious diseases for humans. Particularly, ex‐situ and in‐situ dip‐coating techniques were compared and utilized for the fabrication of the antibacterial cotton fabric. Besides, the effects of the concentrations of precursors, including graphene oxide (GO), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), silver/graphene oxide nanocomposite (Ag/GO), and dip‐coating times were evaluated to determine the most appropriate preparation conditions. Therewithal, the resulting cotton fabric was modified with stearic acid (SA) to enhance the hydrophobicity, in which the concentration of the SA was also assessed. Additionally, the antibacterial performance of the prepared material was investigated against Gram‐negativePseudomonas aeruginosaand Gram‐positiveStaphylococcus aureus. Different analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscope, contact angle measurement, and color stability were also utilized for the comparison between different cotton fabrics. According to the obtained results, the dip‐coated in‐situ Ag/GO (in‐situ‐Ag/GO/cotton) fabrics showed better antibacterial performance than that of dip‐coated ex‐situ Ag/GO (ex‐situ‐Ag/GO/cotton) ones, which can be attributed to the even distribution of Ag/GO nanocomposite on the fabric prepared by the in‐situ methods. According to the aforementioned results, the resulting antibacterial cotton fabric can be considered a promising material for the production of antibacterial face masks and protective clothing, which can be utilized in hospitals, textile industries, or the manufacture of sport gears.

Antifungal drugs

Fungal infections continue to emerge as an important cause of infectious disease and mortality in humans. Amphotericin B deoxycholate (ABD), was the first antifungal that was discovered, and it was released in 1958, and flucytosine, which was developed later and is effective against Candida and Cryptococcus, was introduced in 1978. The discovery of first-generation azoles (fluconazole and itraconazole) in the 1990s has created a new step in the treatment of fungi. In the years that followed, with the development of lipid formulations of amphotericin B, the introduction of second-generation azoles, and the release of the most recently developed class, echinocandins, the foundations of today’s existing antifungal classes were laid. This article is aimed to review the mechanism of action, side effects and clinical use indications of the main antifungal drugs used in the treatment of systemic fungal infections.

Characterization of Aqueous Extract of Moringa oleifera Leaves using GC-MS Analysis

Background: The Evaluation of plants for its bioactive compounds is of great importance to researchers because of their therapeutic properties which can be harnessed to serve as alternatives to antibiotics or the development of novel drugs to fight human infectious diseases. Moringa oleifera is a member of the Moringaceae family with nutritional and medicinal properties.
 Aim: To identify the bioactive constituents present in Moringa oleifera leaves using Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry.
 Methodology: The bioactive compounds were extracted using the Soxhlet method of extraction and was analyzed using Gas chromatography mass-spectrometry.
 Results: The chromatogram of the GC-MS analysis used to identify the bioactive constituents present in the aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves extract showed the presence of seventy-eight compounds. This includes 1H-Indene, 2-pyridinyl–methyl ester (9.82%), Anthracene, 9-(2-propenyl) (6.72%), 2,6- Lutidine 3,5- dichloro-4-dideiylthio (5.67%) and various other compounds which were identified as low level.
 Conclusions: The GC-MS analysis of Moringa oleifera showed the presence of bioactive compounds. These compounds are of high importance because they can be used in the production of new antimicrobials due to their valuable medicinal and therapeutic properties.

Molecular Survey of Rodent-Borne Infectious Agents in the Ferlo Region, Senegal.

Zoonotic pathogens are responsible for most infectious diseases in humans, with rodents being important reservoir hosts for many of these microorganisms. Rodents, thus, pose a significant threat to public health. Previous studies in Senegal have shown that rodents harbour a diversity of microorganisms, including human pathogens. Our study aimed to monitor the prevalence of infectious agents in outdoor rodents, which can be the cause of epidemics. We screened 125 rodents (both native and expanding) from the Ferlo region, around Widou Thiengoly, for different microorganisms. Analysis, performed on rodent spleens, detected bacteria from the Anaplasmataceae family (20%), Borrelia spp. (10%), Bartonella spp. (24%) and Piroplasmida (2.4%). Prevalences were similar between native and the expanding (Gerbillus nigeriae) species, which has recently colonised the region. We identified Borrelia crocidurae, the agent responsible for tick-borne relapsing fever, which is endemic in Senegal. We also identified two other not-yet-described bacteria of the genera Bartonella and Ehrlichia that were previously reported in Senegalese rodents. Additionally, we found a potential new species, provisionally referred to here as Candidatus Anaplasma ferloense. This study highlights the diversity of infectious agents circulating in rodent populations and the importance of describing potential new species and evaluating their pathogenicity and zoonotic potential.

Demystifying a buzzword: Use of the term “human-animal-interface” in One Health oriented research based on a literature review and expert interviews

As of today, 75% of infectious human diseases are caused by zoonotic pathogens, which use the interface between humans and animal species to cross. Due to this ability, zoonoses affect more than just one health sector and the effective control is a matter of the One Health concept. One defining feature of this concept is the “human-animal-interface”. However, even though the term is ubiquitously used in the field of infectious disease research, a clear definition of the term is lacking, leading to a rather nebulous understanding of what this interface really encompasses. Based on this observation, this study aimed to analyze the use of the term “human-animal-interface” in scientific literature to identify patterns and categories facilitating a scientific categorization.A systematic literature search of two electronic databases was performed complemented by interviews with health experts in the field of zoonoses/One Health conducted between March 2019 and May 2021. From identified publications, keywords and interface descriptions were extracted and categorized. Interviews followed a questioning route, were audio recorded, transcribed, and qualitative content was inductively categorized.Findings are based on 208 publications and 27 expert interviews. “Transmission” and “zoonosis” were the most frequent literature-based keywords, while the interviewees clearly favored “interface” followed by “contact”. Seven categories of contact interfaces were inductively derived: direct contact (physical contact), consumption of animal products, use of animal products (blood transfusion, skin), contact with animal products (blood, secretion, meat), indirect contact (dust, inhalation, droplets), environmental contact (same surface or food), vector contact). Precise descriptions of the interfaces varied greatly depending on the pathogen domain (bacterial, viral, fungal). Specific patterns could be identified that were consistent between the literature and experts.The study results showed a general concordance in defining and describing the human-animal-interface indicating a general understanding of the term. However, studies on a larger scale are recommended (e.g. systematic review) to allow a more thorough view of the understanding and definition of the human-animal-interface.

Single-cell RNA sequencing and traditional RNA sequencing reveals the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in oral squamous cell carcinoma cohort.

Chronic inflammation of the alveolar bones and connective tissues supporting teeth causes periodontal disease, one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in humans. It was previously reported that oral cancer was the sixth most common cancer in the world, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. Periodontal disease has been linked to an increased risk for oral cancer in some studies, and these studies have found a positive relationship between oral cancer and periodontal disease. In this work, we aimed to explore the potential correlation between oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and Periodontal disease. The single-cell RNA sequence analysis was applied to explore the genes that were closely associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The Single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was applied to explore the scores of CAFs. Subsequently, the differentially expressed analysis was applied to explore the CAFs-related genes that play a key role in the OSCC cohort. The LASSO regression analysis and the COX regression analysis were applied to construct the CAFs-based periodontal disease-related risk model. In addition, the correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the risk model and clinical features, immune-related cells, and immune-related genes. By using the single-cell RNA sequence analysis, we successfully obtained the biomarkers for the CAFs. Finally, we successfully obtained a six-CAFs-related genes risk model. The ROC curve and survival analysis revealed that the risk model showed good predictive value in OSCC patients. Our analysis successfully provided a new direction for the treatment and prognosis of OSCC patients.

Trend-analysis of biological hazard for food production based on the correlation between alimentary-caused infectious and parasitic diseases of animals and humans

The article presents analytical data for assessing cyclical trends in morbidity and mortality, correlation analysis of morbidity due to zooanthroponoses, and trend analysis of biological threats based on statistical data for the Ryazan region from 2017 to 2021. This analysis made it possible to compile a matrix of pairwise Pearson correlation coefficients for infectious and parasitic diseases of animals and humans, which are zooanthroponoses, and to reveal a correlation between the incidence of humans and animals.The highest score rank (2.208) and correlation coefficient (0.88) are typical for tuberculosis caused by mycobacteria. This disease is zooanthroponosis and is particularly dangerous. The second place of the trend is occupied by bacteria of the genus Salmonella (point rank — 1.362, correlation coefficient — 0.75). The third, fourth and fifth places of the trend are occupied by acute intestinal infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (score rank —0.577, correlation coefficient — 0.79), Escherichia coliform bacteria (score rank—0.397, correlation coefficient — 0.82), Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Klebsiella (score rank — 0.308, correlation coefficient — 0.87).

The Role of Spermidine and Its Key Metabolites in Important, Pathogenic Human Viruses and in Parasitic Infections Caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei.

The triamine spermidine is a key metabolite of the polyamine pathway. It plays a crucial role in many infectious diseases caused by viral or parasitic infections. Spermidine and its metabolizing enzymes, i.e., spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase, spermine oxidase, acetyl polyamine oxidase, and deoxyhypusine synthase, fulfill common functions during infection in parasitic protozoa and viruses which are obligate, intracellular parasites. The competition for this important polyamine between the infected host cell and the pathogen determines the severity of infection in disabling human parasites and pathogenic viruses. Here, we review the impact of spermidine and its metabolites in disease development of the most important, pathogenic human viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Ebola, and in the human parasites Plasmodium and Trypanosomes. Moreover, state-of-the-art translational approaches to manipulate spermidine metabolism in the host and the pathogen are discussed to accelerate drug development against these threatful, infectious human diseases.

Phenotypic and genotypic comparison of pathogenic group B Streptococcus isolated from human and cultured tilapia (Oreochromis species) in Malaysia

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of several infectious diseases in humans and fish. This study was conducted to compare human and fish-derived GBS in terms of their antimicrobial susceptibility, serotype, virulence and pili genes and sequence type (ST), and to determine whether there is a potential linkage of zoonotic transmission in Malaysia. GBS isolated from humans and fish had similar phenotypic characteristics and differed in virulence gene profile, antimicrobial susceptibility, serotype and sequence type. Fish GBS isolates had lower genetic diversity and higher antibiotic susceptibility than human isolates. We report a rare detection of the potentially fish-adapted ST283 in human GBS isolates. Both human and fish ST283 shared several phenotypic and genotypic features, including virulence and pilus genes and antimicrobial susceptibility, illustrating the value of monitoring GBS within the One Health scope. In this study, two human GBS ST283 isolates belonging to the variant common in fish hosts were identified, raising awareness of the zoonotic potential between the different species in Malaysia.

RANKL and periodontitis

Periodontal disease is characterized by inflammation of the periodontal tissue and subsequent destruction of the alveolar bone. It is one of the most common infectious diseases in humans, being the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Recently, it has been shown that the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) produced by osteoblasts and periodontal ligament fibroblasts critically contributes to the bone destruction caused by periodontal disease. Activation of the immune system plays an important role in the induction of RANKL during periodontal inflammation. Here we discuss the molecular mechanisms of periodontal bone destruction by focusing on the osteoimmune molecule RANKL.

Tuberculosis Cases Detection And Identification In Deer In Indonesia

Tuberculosis is an chronic infectious disease in humans and animals caused by member from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Deer are one of the animals that are susceptible to tuberculosis and as a reservoir of Myocobacterium bovis, but can also be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. One sample each of organs, lungs and lymph nodes from a dead Timor deer (Cervus timorensis) was obtained from a zoo in West Java in 2021. The test was carried out by culture method using modified Ogawa media and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for identification of growing bacteria. The results of culture and PCR of these samples showed positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This is very interesting, because it may be the first identifiable case of tuberculosis in deer in Indonesia.