Pathogen Outbreaks Research Articles

Photobiocidal-triboelectric nanolayer coating of photosensitizer/silica-alumina for reusable and visible-light-driven antibacterial/antiviral air filters

Outbreaks of airborne pathogens pose a major threat to public health. Here we present a single-step nanocoating process to endow commercial face mask filters with photobiocidal activity, triboelectric filtration capability, and washability. These functions were successfully achieved with a composite nanolayer of silica-alumina (Si-Al) sol–gel, crystal violet (CV) photosensitizer, and hydrophobic electronegative molecules of 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES). The transparent Si-Al matrix strongly immobilized the photosensitizer molecules while dispersing them spatially, thus suppressing self-quenching. During nanolayer formation, PFOTES was anisotropically rearranged on the Si-Al matrix, promoting moisture resistance and triboelectric charging of the Si-Al/PFOTES-CV (SAPC)-coated filter. The SAPC nanolayer stabilized the photoexcited state of the photosensitizer and promoted redox reaction. Compared to pure-photosensitizer-coated filters, the SAPC filter showed substantially higher photobiocidal efficiency (∼99.99 % for bacteria and a virus) and photodurability (∼83 % reduction in bactericidal efficiency for the pure-photosensitizer filter but ∼0.34 % for the SAPC filter after 72 h of light irradiation). Moreover, after five washes with detergent, the SAPC filter maintained its photobiocidal and filtration performance, proving its reusability potential. Therefore, this SAPC nanolayer coating provides a practical strategy for manufacturing an antimicrobial and reusable mask filter for use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-lockdown changes of age-specific susceptibility and its correlation with adherence to social distancing measures

Social distancing measures are effective in reducing overall community transmission but much remains unknown about how they have impacted finer-scale dynamics. In particular, much is unknown about how changes of contact patterns and other behaviors including adherence to social distancing, induced by these measures, may have impacted finer-scale transmission dynamics among different age groups. In this paper, we build a stochastic age-specific transmission model to systematically characterize the degree and variation of age-specific transmission dynamics, before and after lifting the lockdown in Georgia, USA. We perform Bayesian (missing-)data-augmentation model inference, leveraging reported age-specific case, seroprevalence and mortality data. We estimate that overall population-level transmissibility was reduced to 41.2% with 95% CI [39%, 43.8%] of the pre-lockdown level in about a week of the announcement of the shelter-in-place order. Although it subsequently increased after the lockdown was lifted, it only bounced back to 62% [58%, 67.2%] of the pre-lockdown level after about a month. We also find that during the lockdown susceptibility to infection increases with age. Specifically, relative to the oldest age group (> 65+), susceptibility for the youngest age group (0–17 years) is 0.13 [0.09, 0.18], and it increases to 0.53 [0.49, 0.59] for 18–44 and 0.75 [0.68, 0.82] for 45–64. More importantly, our results reveal clear changes of age-specific susceptibility (defined as average risk of getting infected during an infectious contact incorporating age-dependent behavioral factors) after the lockdown was lifted, with a trend largely consistent with reported age-specific adherence levels to social distancing and preventive measures. Specifically, the older groups (> 45) (with the highest levels of adherence) appear to have the most significant reductions of susceptibility (e.g., post-lockdown susceptibility reduced to 31.6% [29.3%, 34%] of the estimate before lifting the lockdown for the 6+ group). Finally, we find heterogeneity in case reporting among different age groups, with the lowest rate occurring among the 0–17 group (9.7% [6.4%, 19%]). Our results provide a more fundamental understanding of the impacts of stringent lockdown measures, and finer evidence that other social distancing and preventive measures may be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. These results may be exploited to guide more effective implementations of these measures in many current settings (with low vaccination rate globally and emerging variants) and in future potential outbreaks of novel pathogens.

Inequities in access to diagnostics threatens global public health security

Epidemic response encompasses enormous efforts from public health, medical, political, security, educational, and many other sectors of society—all beginning with a diagnosis. Yet, inadequate diagnostic systems and inequity in access to reliable diagnostic tests too often contribute to substantial delays in every aspect of outbreak response from initial detection to final containment. These delays are particularly relevant in outbreaks of high consequence pathogens that rapidly spread, for which a diagnosis serves to alert public health agencies and put in to motion the actions needed to provide care for people who are infected, protect those at risk, and prevent further transmission.

Generation of Human Lung Organoid Cultures from Healthy and Tumor Tissue to Study Infectious Diseases.

Respiratory viruses cause mild to severe diseases in humans every year, constituting a major public health problem. Characterizing the pathogenesis in physiologically relevant models is crucial for developing efficient vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we show that lung organoids derived from human primary or lung tumor tissue maintain the cellular composition and characteristics of the original tissue. Moreover, we show that these organoids sustain viral replication with particular infection foci formation, and they activate the expression of interferon-associated and proinflammatory genes responsible for mediating a robust innate immune response. All together, we show that three-dimensional (3D) lung organoids constitute a relevant platform to model diseases and enable the development of drug screenings. IMPORTANCE Three-dimensional (3D) human lung organoids reflect the native cell composition of the lung as well as its physiological properties. Human 3D lung organoids offer ideal conditions, such as timely availability in large quantities and high physiological relevance for reassessment and prediction of disease outbreaks of respiratory pathogens and pathogens that use the lung as a primary entry portal. Human lung organoids can be used in basic research and diagnostic settings as early warning cell culture systems and also serve as a relevant platform for modeling infectious diseases and drug development. They can be used to characterize pathogens and analyze the influence of infection on, for example, immunological parameters, such as the expression of interferon-associated and proinflammatory genes in the context of cancer. In our study, we found that cancer-derived lung organoids were more sensitive to influenza A virus infection than those derived from healthy tissue and demonstrated a decreased innate immune response.

Shared water facilities and risk of COVID-19 in resource-poor settings: A transmission modelling study

Shared water facilities are widespread in resource-poor settings within low- and middle-income countries. Since gathering water is essential, shared water sites may act as an important COVID-19 transmission pathway, despite stay-at-home recommendations. This analysis explores conditions under which shared water facility utilization may influence COVID-19 transmission. We developed two SEIR transmission models to explore COVID-19 dynamics. The first describes an urban setting, where multiple water sites are shared within a community, and the second describes a rural setting, where a single water site is shared among communities. We explored COVID-19 mitigation strategies including social distancing and adding additional water sites. Increased water site availability and social distancing independently attenuate attack rate and peak outbreak size through density reduction. In combination, these conditions result in interactive risk reductions. When water sharing intensity is high, risks are high regardless of the degree of social distancing. Even moderate reductions in water sharing can enhance the effectiveness of social distancing. In rural contexts, we observe similar but weaker effects. Enforced social distancing and density reduction at shared water sites can be an effective and relatively inexpensive mitigation effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Building additional water sites is more expensive but can increase the effectiveness of social distancing efforts at the water sites. As respiratory pathogen outbreaks—and potentially novel pandemics—will continue, infrastructure planning should consider the health benefits associated with respiratory transmission reduction when prioritizing investments.

The required size of cluster randomized trials of nonpharmaceutical interventions in epidemic settings.

To control the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic and future pathogen outbreaks requires an understanding of which nonpharmaceutical interventions are effective at reducing transmission. Observational studies, however, are subject to biases that could erroneously suggest an impact on transmission, even when there is no true effect. Cluster randomized trials permit valid hypothesis tests of the effect of interventions on community transmission. While such trials could be completed in a relatively short period of time, they might require large sample sizes to achieve adequate power. However, the sample sizes required for such tests in outbreak settings are largely undeveloped, leaving unanswered the question of whether these designs are practical. We develop approximate sample size formulae and simulation‐based sample size methods for cluster randomized trials in infectious disease outbreaks. We highlight key relationships between characteristics of transmission and the enrolled communities and the required sample sizes, describe settings where trials powered to detect a meaningful true effect size may be feasible, and provide recommendations for investigators in planning such trials. The approximate formulae and simulation banks may be used by investigators to quickly assess the feasibility of a trial, followed by more detailed methods to more precisely size the trial. For example, we show that community‐scale trials requiring 220 clusters with 100 tested individuals per cluster are powered to identify interventions that reduce transmission by 40% in one generation interval, using parameters identified for SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission. For more modest treatment effects, or when transmission is extremely overdispersed, however, much larger sample sizes are required.

인삼뿌리썩음병원균에 의한 국내 인삼재배지의 병 발생 현황

Background: Ginseng is a high value medicinal herb and cash crop in Korea. It takes four to six years to reach ginseng root harvest. Over the extensive cultivation period, ginseng is targeted by many pathogens.BRMethods and Results: We investigated the disease severity of ginseng root rot in 27 harvest fields. The highest disease severity was Hongcheon 1 (2.92) and the lowest was Ansung 1 (0.04). Ginseng lesions were collected and the pathogens were identified by the color of the fungus. A total of 587 pathogen strains were isolated from the ginseng root rot. Of these strains, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was sequenced for 141 isolates. The sequence of the ITS region revealed Ilyonectria radicicola, as the main disease of ginseng root rot in 45 isolates. Fusarium solani occurred in 44 isolates, F. oxysporum was in 45 isolates, and 7 other fungi also existed. The fungi isolated from six years old ginseng harvest fields were grouped into I. mors-panacis, I. cyclaminicola, I. robusta and I. liriodendri in the I. radicicola complex. F. solani, was divided into two groups.BRConclusions: Analyzing the correlations between ginseng root rot pathogen and disease outbreaks provides a basis for establishing a pathogen control strategy during ginseng cultivation.

Study on Outbreak of Deadly Enteric Pathogens due to Sewage Contamination of Drinking Water Supply at Halisohor, Chattogram

Introduction: Access to safe drinking water is very important issue at all level of life for maintaining good health and development. Water contamination by sewage waste is one of the most important causes of water pollution world-wide. Objectives: To detect the causative infectious agents from all hospitalized patients hailing from an area of simultaneous outbreak of jaundice and fever and also to highlight the importance of regular bacteriological tests of drinking water. Materials and Methods: This observational study was carried out among 1298 patients reported to CMH Chattogram between April 2018 to May 2018. For diagnosis, all relevant investigations were done following standard laboratory proceducers in CMH Chattogram, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Dhaka and in ICDDR,B. Results: Out of 1298 admitted patients, 933(71.9%) patients had symptoms of acute viral hepatitis (AVH). IgM anti-HEV were found positive (100%) in 550 randomly selected hepatitis patients. From seropositive cases, 7 of the 10 random samples (70%) were found HEV-RNA positive by real time PCR. Co-infection of AVH with enteric fever was detected in 73(5.6%) patients. Only enteric fever was diagnosed in 150 (35.7%) high febrile cases. Water for bacteriological tests revealed thermos-tolerant E. coli immediately before and during the outbreak. Conclusion: Providing safe drinking water in a developing country is always a big issue. Contaminated drinking water can transmit deadly enteric pathogen that often causes a catastrophe of mass population. Only ensuring safe water distribution systems following WHO guidelines can minimize these sufferings. JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 17, No 1 (June) 2021: 7-9

When danger strikes: A linguistic tool for tracking America’s collective response to threats

In today's vast digital landscape, people are constantly exposed to threatening language, which attracts attention and activates the human brain's fear circuitry. However, to date, we have lacked the tools needed to identify threatening language and track its impact on human groups. To fill this gap, we developed a threat dictionary, a computationally derived linguistic tool that indexes threat levels from mass communication channels. We demonstrate this measure's convergent validity with objective threats in American history, including violent conflicts, natural disasters, and pathogen outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the dictionary offers predictive insights on US society's shifting cultural norms, political attitudes, and macroeconomic activities. Using data from newspapers that span over 100 years, we found change in threats to be associated with tighter social norms and collectivistic values, stronger approval of sitting US presidents, greater ethnocentrism and conservatism, lower stock prices, and less innovation. The data also showed that threatening language is contagious. In all, the language of threats is a powerful tool that can inform researchers and policy makers on the public's daily exposure to threatening language and make visible interesting societal patterns across American history.

Pathogen Peak "Averaging" in Potable Reuse Systems: Lessons Learned from Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.

This study describes wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 at seven different sampling locations in Southern Nevada (ranging from 4.2 to 8.7 log10 gc/L) and highlights several key variables affecting those concentrations, including COVID-19 incidence, sample type, and service area population. This information is important for implementing wastewater-based epidemiology, but it also provides insight relevant to the design and regulation of potable reuse systems. Specifically, smaller systems may be more prone to influent concentration spikes that can drive enteric pathogen risk during disease outbreaks. It may be possible to leverage reactor hydraulics to achieve peak “averaging” in these scenarios, although it then becomes important to consider how elevated risks at the lower percentiles potentially offset benefits at the upper percentiles. Informed by SARS-CoV-2 concentration dynamics, the current study simulated relative risk for a hypothetical enteric pathogen. Simulated reactor hydraulics (i.e., dispersion) increased pathogen concentrations by up to 2.6 logs at lower percentiles but also decreased concentrations by up to 1.1 logs at the upper percentiles that sometimes drive public health risk. Collectively, these data highlight the importance of considering outbreak conditions, pathogen spikes, and peak “averaging” in the design and operation of treatment systems and in the development of regulatory frameworks.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Professional Identity of Massage Therapists: The Reporting of a Quantitative Strand of a Mixed-Methods Study

Introduction: In late 2019, a pathogen outbreak occurred that rapidly spread, resulting in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Governments responded to the pandemic with a range of strategies, including forced quarantines and nationwide lockdowns. Research on professional identity during the pandemic has predominately focused on health care providers declared as "essential" rather than "nonessential." In this study, the authors examine the impacts on the professional identity of massage therapists (MTs) who were predominately deemed as nonessential health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: An online, questionnaire-based study sought to answer "In what ways has the professional identity of MTs in Canada and Australia been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic?" MTs in Canada and Australia were recruited using convenience sampling through e-mail and social media. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested before implementation. Results: Six hundred and forty-nine MTs participated (329 from Canada and 316 from Australia). Known constructs of professional identity that were affected during the pandemic included not feeling respected as a health care practitioner, feeling less professional than other health care providers, and experiencing burnout. New constructs that may have developed out of the pandemic and the measures established to manage them included being classified as nonessential and feeling a sense of camaraderie and belonging. Conclusions: This study is the first of its kind to report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional identity of MTs. The emerging constructs reported will be used to create interview questions for the subsequent qualitative strand of this explanatory mixed-methods study. In the qualitative study, respondents will be invited to share their experiences with their own voice to further the understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MTs' professional identity.

Molecular detection, phylogenetic analysis and genetic diversity of recently isolated foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype A African topotype,\xa0Genotype IV

BackgroundSurveillance for circulating emerging diseases of economic importance has a major role in the rapid response to major pathogen outbreaks. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is one of the significant endemic viruses in Egypt. FMDV is periodically investigated for monitoring evolution and emergence of new variants. The genetic characterization of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus serotype A responsible for recent outbreaks of FMD in Egypt was determined.MethodsSamples were collected from different locations and virus isolation was performed using BHK-21 cells. Viral RNA was extracted and samples were screened for FMDV using real-time RT-PCR. DNA sequence analysis was performed and computational and bioinformatics analyses were used to determine the substitution rates and phylogenetic relationship.ResultsSequence and phylogenetic analyses of full-length 1D region of FMDV samples collected from different governorates in 2020 showed close similarity to Egyptian FMDV strains from serotype A-African topotype-G-IV with genetic variation of 6.5%. Recently isolated FMDV strains showed high genetic variations from locally used vaccine strains in the major antigenic sites of VP1 region.ConclusionsAlthough, efforts made by the veterinary authorities to implement an effective mass vaccination plan, the recently detected FMDV strains in this study could not be subtyped using the FMDV primers routinely used for molecular serotyping. These dissimilarities raise the alarm for reconsideration of the FMDV isolates used in vaccine manufacture. Clearly close monitoring of FMD in Egypt is urgently required to define the risks of future outbreaks and to ensure appropriate control measures against FMD major outbreaks.

Formation of Oleic Acid Chlorohydrins in Vegetables during Postharvest Chlorine Disinfection.

High chlorine doses (50-200 mg/L) are used in postharvest washing facilities to control foodborne pathogen outbreaks. However, chlorine can react with biopolymers (e.g., lipids) within the produce to form chlorinated byproducts that remain in the food. During chlorination of micelles of oleic acid, an 18-carbon alkene fatty acid, chlorine added rapidly across the double bond to form the two 9,10-chlorohydrin isomers at a 100% yield. The molar conversion of lipid-bound oleic acid to 9,10-chlorohydrins in chlorine-treated glyceryl trioleate and produce was much lower, reflecting the restricted access of chlorine to lipids. Yields from spinach treated with 100 mg/L chlorine at 7.5 °C for 2 min increased from 0.05% (0.9 nmol/g-spinach) for whole leaf spinach to 0.11% (2 nmol/g) when shredding increased chlorine access. Increasing temperature (21 °C) and chlorine contact time (15 min) increased yields from shredded spinach to 0.83% (22 nmol/g) at 100 mg/L chlorine and to 1.8% (53 nmol/g) for 200 mg/L chlorine. Oleic acid 9,10-chlorohydrin concentrations were 2.4-2.7 nmol/g for chlorine-treated (100 mg/L chlorine at 7.5 °C for 2 min) broccoli, carrots, and butterhead lettuce, but 0.5-1 nmol/g for cabbage, kale, and red leaf lettuce. Protein-bound chlorotyrosine formation was higher in the same vegetables (5-32 nmol/g). The Chinese hamster ovary cell chronic cytotoxicity LC50 value for oleic acid 9,10-chlorohydrins was 0.106 mM. The cytotoxicity associated with the chlorohydrins and chlorotyrosines in low masses (9-52 g) of chlorine-washed vegetables would be comparable to that associated with trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids at levels of regulatory concern in drinking water.

The effect of human vaccination behaviour on strain competition in an infectious disease: An imitation dynamic approach

Strain competition plays an important role in shaping the dynamics of multiple pathogen outbreaks in a population. Competition may lead to exclusion of some pathogens, while it may influence the invasion of an emerging mutant in the population. However, little emphasis has been given to understand the influence of human vaccination choice on pathogen competition or strain invasion for vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Coupling game dynamic framework of vaccination choice and compartmental disease transmission model of two strains, we explore invasion and persistence of a mutant in the population despite having a lower reproduction rate than the resident one. We illustrate that higher perceived strain severity and lower perceived vaccine efficacy are necessary conditions for the persistence of a mutant strain. The numerical simulation also extends these invasion and persistence analyses under asymmetric cross-protective immunity of these strains. We show that the dynamics of this cross-immunity model under human vaccination choices is determined by the interplay of parameters defining the cross-immune response function, perceived risk of infection, and vaccine efficacy, and it can exhibit invasion and persistence of mutant strain, even complete exclusion of resident strain in the regime of sufficiently high perceived risk. We conclude by discussing public health implications of the results, that proper risk communication in public about the severity of the disease is an important task to reduce the chance of mutant invasion. Thus, understanding pathogen competitions under social interactions and choices may be an important component for policymakers for strategic decision-making.

Context-aware genomic surveillance reveals hidden transmission of a carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Genomic surveillance can inform effective public health responses to pathogen outbreaks. However, integration of non-local data is rarely done. We investigate two large hospital outbreaks of a carbapenemase-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae strain in Germany and show the value of contextual data. By screening about 10 000 genomes, over 400 000 metagenomes and two culture collections using in silico and in vitro methods, we identify a total of 415 closely related genomes reported in 28 studies. We identify the relationship between the two outbreaks through time-dated phylogeny, including their respective origin. One of the outbreaks presents extensive hidden transmission, with descendant isolates only identified in other studies. We then leverage the genome collection from this meta-analysis to identify genes under positive selection. We thereby identify an inner membrane transporter (ynjC) with a putative role in colistin resistance. Contextual data from other sources can thus enhance local genomic surveillance at multiple levels and should be integrated by default when available.

651. Clinical Characteristics and Susceptibility Profiles of Infections Due to Elizabethkingia

Abstract Background Elizabethkingia spp. are non-enteric, gram-negative bacilli that are ubiquitous in environment. It has recently been identified as a causative pathogen in hospital outbreaks of life-threatening bloodstream infections in the Midwestern United States. Methods Retrospective electronic medical record review was performed for patients with Elizabethkingia spp. isolated from any site between November 2011 and September 2020 at our tertiary academic medical center. Antimicrobial susceptibilities are performed using Wadsworth agar dilution method. Results Fifteen cases with Elizabethkingia spp. were included. Ten patients (66.7%) were male and fourteen (93.3%) were Caucasian. The median age was 58 years (IQR 42-67). Four patients had diabetes mellitus, with two of these having end-organ damage (nephropathy, neuropathy, or retinopathy). Five patients had a tracheostomy, two patients had a history of lung transplantation, and four patients had active malignancy at the time of diagnosis (table 1). The most common clinical syndrome was respiratory infection (n=6), followed by catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) (n=4). Three patients were considered to be asymptomatically colonized. Five patients (33.3%) died, one of which was attributable to Elizabethkingia infection. A total of 55 isolates from all sites were available from the fifteen patients. The most common site of isolation was respiratory tract (23/55, 41.8%). In total, 33 of 55 isolates had polymicrobial growth, with the highest rate occurring in respiratory tract specimens (Table 2). A total of 23 clinical isolates were included in tabulation of antimicrobial susceptibility profiles; except for aztreonam (n=13). 95.7% of Elizabethkingia isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, followed by levofloxacin and piperacillin-tazobactam (87% and 73.9%, respectively). All isolates were uniformly resistant to amikacin, aztreonam, and tobramycin (Table 3). Conclusion Elizabethkingia spp. can result in respiratory, bloodstream, and sinus infections especially in patients with active malignancy and tracheostomy. Amongst tested antimicrobials, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showed the most favorable susceptibility profile (Figure 1). Figure 1. AN, amikacin; ATM, aztreonam; CAZ, ceftazidime; CIP, ciprofloxacin; FEP, cefepime; GM, gentamicin; LVX, levofloxacin; MEM, meropenem; NN, tobramycin; SXT, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim; TZP, piperacillin/tazobactam. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

1029. Torus Synestia Nucleic Acid Analysis Platform for Fast, High Multiplex Analysis of Nucleic Acids With Single-Nucleotide Discrimination Level

BackgroundNucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) is an essential tool both for biomedical research and for clinical molecular diagnostics. Currently, there are multiple NAAT platforms available, each offering certain performance and utility advantages and disadvantages as compared to each other. Next generation NAAT platforms aim to deliver increased target detection sensitivity and specificity, low limits of target detection, quantitative high multiplex target capacity, rapid time to results, and simple sample-to-answer workflow.MethodsHere we describe the Torus Synestia System, a NAAT platform capable of rapid, highly multiplexed amplification and detection of both DNA and RNA targets. The platform comprises a small, portable (~ 2kg) amplification and detection device and a disposable single-use cartridge housing a PCR amplification chamber with an integrated label-free microarray for real-time data acquisition and interpretation. The platform offers a 30-min turnaround time with a detection limit of 10 DNA/RNA molecules per assay and single nucleotide discrimination. ResultsWe demonstrate the Synestia System performance and utility with three distinct molecular applications: 1) detection of 20 genetic loci and 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms in human genomic DNA; 2) detection and genotyping of 43 unique bacterial species associated with human urinary tract infections; and 3) detection and profiling human respiratory viral pathogens including SARS-CoV-1/2, seasonal coronaviruses, Influenza A/B, and human respiratory syncytial viruses. In addition, the single-nucleotide specificity of our label-free microarray probes allowed for robust identification and discrimination of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages, such as B.1.1.7 (a.k.a. UK), B.1.351 (a.k.a. South African), P.1 (a.k.a. Brazilian), and B.1.617 (a.k.a. Indian).ConclusionThe Torus Synestia System has broad applicability in both clinical and research environments. We are confident that the Torus Synestia System will revolutionize syndromic diagnostics at the point of care (PoC) and lead to improved response times during future epidemic and pandemic pathogen outbreaks.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Zoonotik Bir Patojen Olan Salmonella’nın Bitki Konaklarındaki Davranışı

Salmonella is known as one of the main factors of food-borne gastroenteritis, and with this feature, it poses a great risk in terms of public health and economic losses. It is estimated that of the approximately 94 million cases of salmonellosis occurring in the world each year (about 85 percent of these are food-borne), an average of 150,000 result in death. Current social trends highlight the important health benefits of fresh produce in our daily diet. As an irony; Uncooked consumption of fresh herbal products is increasingly identified as a source of transmission for pathogens of intestinal origin, and epidemics occurring in this way are spreading rapidly. Today, the frequency of anthropogenic pathogen outbreaks associated with fresh produce, spices, and nuts has surpassed those associated with foods of animal origin. Human pathogens in the production chain; It can be transferred to plant material by basic means such as the use of animal manure, contaminated irrigation water, biological vectors (insects and animals) and contaminated seeds. In the light of these data, many intestinal pathogens have been identified as phyllo sphere-associated bacteria. Despite all these findings, there are many unknowns on the persistence and infectivity of Salmonella in contaminated plant hosts. In this review article, the factors affecting the attachment, colonization and survival of Salmonella on plant surfaces, as well as the information on the infection processes that continue with the invasion of plant tissues are discussed in the light of contemporary literature data.

HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED MRSA SEPSIS IN BURN CARE UNIT OF A TERTIARY CARE CENTER IN NORTH INDIA.

INTRODUCTION: Bloodstream infection and the subsequent development of sepsis are among the most common infection complications occurring in burn patients. Hospital-Acquired transmission of microorganisms are associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance among a variety of bacterial and fungal burn wound pathogens which limits the therapeutic options for the treatment of infections associated with burns. Over the last several decades, antibiotic resistant organisms have resulted in increased mortality in burns patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, over a period of 1 year The patients admitted to burn care unit with the following criteria were included in the study: No infection at the time of admission and up to 48 hrs (cultures negative); Length of stay in the hospital more than 48 hrs; Signs and symptoms suggestive of infection. Patients referred from other hospitals were excluded. Samples from patients falling under the inclusion criteria of the study and manifesting any symptoms and signs of Hospital-Acquired infection during the management of burns were included in the study H. ospital-Acquired infections were dened based on CDC criteria as described below: Blood samples for culture were collected from patients with burn wounds showing signs of infection as dened by CDC. Positive Isolates were conrmed by conventional biochemical tests. Isolates exhibiting ambiguous taxonomic classication were conrmed by Vitek-2 Compact Automated Identication System following the manufacturer's instructions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS: A total 71 patients developed Hospital-Acquired infections out of these 20 % developed blood stream infection. Most common age group in our study was between 31-40 years (33.80%) Most frequent organisms isolated from blood culture were MRSA (20%) followed by pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%) and Acinetobacter spp (10%).Candida spp was isolated from 10% of cultures. All isolates of stayphlococcus aureus were Methicillin resistant however all ve isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, clindamycin and linezolid. All isolates of Pseudomonas were sensitive to polymyxin-b,while as 33% were sensitive to Gentamicin. All isolates of Acinetobacter were sensitive to Gentamicin and Tobramycin while as only 50% were sensitive to Ooxacin. Further burn units are CONCLUSION: ideal for outbreaks of MDR pathogens which can affect other patients, so adequate infection control measures need to be in place. Culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be performed routinely, including MRSA and ESBL screening, whenever burn wound and blood stream infections are suspected. Antimicrobial sensitivity test results should be used to guide the choice of antibiotics. Also we need to conduct molecular studies on the isolates to determine their resistance genes and strains typing to determine which strains are implicated in these hospital acquired infections.

Drugs of Abuse and Their Impact on Viral Pathogenesis.

Commonly misused substances such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and opioids suppress immune responses and may impact viral pathogenesis. In recent years, illicit use of opioids has fueled outbreaks of several viral pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). This review focuses on the myriad of mechanisms by which drugs of abuse impact viral replication and disease progression. Virus–drug interactions can accelerate viral disease progression and lead to increased risk of virus transmission.