Re-emerging Infectious Disease Research Articles

Perbandingan Efektivitas Penyuluhan Demam Berdarah Dengue dengan Metode Role Play dan Metode Permainan Simulasi terhadap Perilaku Ibu tentang DBD di Kecamatan Medan Deli

Background: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in Indonesia is a “re-emerging infectious disease”. DHF can be prevented by vector control. Human behavior is very influential on dengue vector control, namely the cleanliness of the house and activities. In 2017, DHF cases in Indonesia were 59,047 cases. In North Sumatra Province, there were 5,327 cases, in Medan City as many as 1216 cases, with Medan Deli District as the sub-district with the most cases, with 100 cases. 
 Objective: This study aims to see the improvement of mother's behavior by using the roleplay method and simulation games.
 Methods: The research is a quasi-experimental non-equivalent group design. The target population is mothers who live in Medan Deli District. The selection of research subjects by purposive sampling, with the number of subjects in each group is 15 people. This study uses the method of role play and games as a comparison method, with a questionnaire as a measuring tool. Paired t-test to see the increase in the mean of each group, and unpaired t-test to see the difference in the mean value.
 Results: The results of the paired t-test data analysis found that these two methods showed significant results, with p values ​​of 0.000 and 0.001 with a mean increase in the role play method of 1.40 and the game method of 1.53. The unpaired t-test was found to have a significant difference between the average post-test scores between the role play method and the game method, the mean post-test score for the role-play method was found to be lower than the post-test score for the game method.
 Conclusions: Counseling using the role play method and games provides significant results in increasing maternal behavior about DHF. The game method shows a greater average increase than the role play method.

Disentangling associations between vegetation greenness and dengue in a Latin American city: Findings and challenges

Being a Re-Emerging Infectious Disease, dengue causes 390 million cases globally and is prevalent in many urban areas in South America. Understanding the fine-scale relationships between dengue incidence and environmental and socioeconomic factors can guide improved disease prevention strategies. This ecological study examines the association between dengue incidence and satellite-based vegetation greenness in 3826 census tracts nested in 474 neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, during the 2010 dengue epidemic. To reduce potential bias in the estimated dengue-greenness association, we adjusted for socioeconomic vulnerability, population density, building height and density, land cover composition, elevation, weather patterns, and neighborhood random effects. We found that vegetation greenness was negatively associated with dengue incidence in a univariate model, and this association attenuated after controlling for additional covariates. The dengue-greenness association was modified by socioeconomic vulnerability: while a positive association was observed in the least vulnerable census tracts, the association was negative in the most vulnerable areas. Using greenness as a proxy for vegetation quality, our results show the potential of vegetation management in reducing dengue incidence, particularly in socioeconomically vulnerable areas. We also discuss the role of water infrastructure, sanitation services, and tree cover in lowering dengue risk.

Prevalence of arbovirus antibodies in young healthy adult population in Brazil

BackgroundThe emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases are a cause for worldwide concern. The introduction of Zika and Chikungunya diseases in the Americas has exposed unforeseen medical and logistical challenges for public health systems. Moreover, the lack of preventive measures and vaccination against known and emerging mosquito-transmitted pathogens, and the occurrence of unanticipated clinical complications, has had an enormous social and economic impact on the affected populations. In this study, we aimed to measure the seroprevalence of endemic and emerging viral pathogens in military personnel stationed in Manaus, Amazonas state.MethodsWe measured the seropositivity of antibodies against 19 endemic and emerging viruses in a healthy military personnel group using a hemagglutination inhibition assay (HIA).ResultsOverall, DENV positivity was 60.4%, and 30.9% of the individuals reacted against ZIKV. Also, 46.6%, 54.7%, 51.3% and 48.7% individuals reacted against West Nile virus (WNV), Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV) and Rocio virus (ROCV), respectively. Individuals with high DENV HIA titer reacted more frequently with ZIKV or WNV compared to those with low HIA titers. Observed cross-reactivity between Flaviviruses varied depending on the virus serogroup. Additionally, 0.6% and 0.3% individuals were seropositive for Oropouche virus (OROV) and Catu virus (CATUV) from the family Peribunyaviridae, respectively. All samples were negative for Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis virus (WEEV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), Mucambo virus (MUCV) and CHIKV from the family Togaviridae.ConclusionsA high proportion of individuals in our high-risk population (~ 60%) lacked antibodies against major endemic and emerging viruses, which makes them susceptible for further infections. Military personnel serving in the Amazon region could serve as sentinels to strengthen global infectious disease surveillance, particularly in remote areas.Graphical abstract

A comparative GC-MS analysis of bioactive secondary metabolites produced by halotolerant Bacillus spp. isolated from the Great Sebkha of Oran.

The reemergence of infectious diseases and resistant pathogens represents a serious problem for human life. Hence, the screening for new or alternative antimicrobial compounds is still urgent. Unusual ecosystems such as saline habitats are considered promising environments for the purposes of isolating bacterial strains able to produce potent natural products. The aim of this study is the identification of bioactive compounds biosynthesized by three halotolerant strains isolated from the Sebkha of Oran (Algeria) using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Primary screening investigation of antimicrobial activities were performed against reference bacterial and fungal strains and revealed a broad-spectrum activity. Secondary metabolite extraction was carried out using ethyl acetate and chloroform. Crude extracts were tested for bioactivity using the disc diffusion method and subjected to GC-MS analysis. The extracts showed an important inhibitory effect against all tested strains. Fifty-six compounds were identified; they include tert-butyl phenol compounds, fatty acid methyl esters due to the methylation procedure, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, benzoquinones, pyrrols, and terpenes. Literature reports such compounds to have wide biological and pharmaceutical applications. The molecular identification of the three isolates was achieved using the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region (ITS) and 16S rRNA sequencing. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed very high similarity with many species of Bacillus. This study provided insights on the potential of halotolerant Bacillus as drug research target for bioactive metabolites. The findings suggest that the Great Sebkha of Oran is a valuable source of strains exhibiting variety of beneficial attributes that can be utilized in the development of biological antibiotics.

New Insights on Leptospira Infections in a Canine Population from North Sardinia, Italy: A Sero-Epidemiological Study.

Simple SummaryLeptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires live in the kidneys of different mammalian species and are excreted in the environment with the urine. The infection of humans is mainly caused by direct contact with infected animals or indirectly by contact with a contaminated environment. The aim of this study was to perform a sero-epidemiological survey to assess the presence of antibodies against Leptospira serovars in a representative sample of kennel and owned dogs from a selected area of Sardinia Island. In addition, kidney homogenates from rodents collected from the same study area were also analyzed by culture-based and real-time PCR-based testing methods. Higher antibody titers were observed against Leptospira Icterohaemmorrhagiae, which is believed to be responsible for the majority of severe cases of leptospirosis in humans. The detection of pathogenic Leptospira serotypes in dogs from northern Sardinia may represent a potential risk of infection for humans and contribute to the spread of the bacteria in the environment. Public health strategies to control possible Leptospira outbreaks should be implemented to prevent the disease from becoming a major medical and veterinary problem in this region.Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease in a wide variety of animal species, including humans and dogs. No data exist regarding the presence of Leptospira species in the canine population of Sardinia Island. This study reports the first sero-survey for leptospirosis in kennel and owned dogs from six areas of the north of Sardinia. Sera from 1296 dogs were tested by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) specific for nine different serovars that are known to be well widespread in the Mediterranean environment. Moreover, kidney homogenates from rodents collected from the study area were also analyzed by LipL32 real-time PCR and multi-locus sequence type (MLST) on the basis of the analysis of seven concatenated loci. A total of 13% of the examined sera (95%CI: 11–15) tested positive for one or more serovars of Leptospira MAT detected; antibodies for serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (57%; 95%CI: 49–65) were the most common, followed by serovars Bratislava (22%; 95%CI: 16–28), Canicola (14%; 95%CI: 9–19), and Grippotyphosa (7%; 95%CI: 3–11). MLST analyses on isolates from rodents identified L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii genomospecies. Different serovars belonging to pathogenic Leptospira serogroups are circulating in dogs from the island. Moreover, data obtained from rodents, indicated that rodents likely act as reservoir of spirochetes. Further sero-epidemiological studies are needed in order to obtain data from other collection sites in Sardinia and to increase the information on Leptospira species circulating in this area.

Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) as a Tool for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Surveillance in the Military

Context: Military organizations like civilian communities are under considerable threat due to COVID-19 and other re-emerging infectious diseases, which may impair their operations and training. The aim of this review was to discuss the application of RT-PCR technology for detecting and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 among armed forces to successfully halt COVID-19 transmission. Evidence Acquisition: Relevant literature was collected from PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar Results: By combining both detection and quantification of pathogens, RT-PCR provides a reliable and sensitive method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 via targeting the viral ORF1ab, E, and N genes. Military surveillance plays an important role in the early detection and identification of positive cases, isolating infected patients, contact tracing, and quarantine to contain the spread of the disease among personnel. This technology emerges as a suitable tool for disease surveillance in the military and early detection and control of diseases. Conclusions: The COVID-19 disease has spread into different parts of the world and may affect military training and operations. So, there is a need for active disease surveillance and preparedness plans in the military. Accordingly, RT-PCR, as a standard tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection, can be used for the surveillance and monitoring of military personnel to successfully curtail COVID-19.

Comparison of haematological profile in influenza A H1N1 positive and negative patient

Re-emergence of infectious diseases are commonly seen with viral infections among which those caused by Influenza viruses are by nature unstable and unpredictable because of the unique capability of changing their antigenic characteristics by mutation. This study aims to unravel the haematological consequences of Influenza A H1N1 infections and also to compare it with Influenza A H1N1 negative infections. Materials and Methods: Applying the relevant inclusion and exclusion criterion yielded a total hundred patients consisting of sixty-five Influenza A H1N1 positive and thirty-five Influenza A H1N1 negative patients. The CBC profile of all these subjects were obtained from an Automated hematology analyzer which yielded various haematological parameters. Results: The mean hemoglobin was 12.145 gm/dl in H1N1 positive cases and 12.6 gm/dl in H1N1 negative cases. The mean hematocrit value was 36.28% in H1N1 positive cases and 40.65% in H1N1 negative cases. 26 H1N1 positive cases had leucopenia, whereas 4 H1N1 negative cases had leucopenia and 8 H1N1 positive cases had leucocytosis. Lymphopenia was observed in 60% of H1N1 positive cases and in 22.9% H1N1 negative cases. Thrombocytopenia was a feature in 8 H1N1 positive cases and 2 H1N1 negative cases. Conclusions: Several haematological variations are observed in both H1N1 positive cases and H1N1 negative influenza cases, but to different extents. Keywords: H1N1, Influenza, Haematological.

Bacteria Emerging As an Opportunistic Pathogen

Due to the re-emergence of infectious diseases, the causative pathogenic microorganisms are becoming the major microbiologic public health threat. It seems to be difficult to control the emergence of new and severe bacterial diseases. However, efforts are continuously being made to identify the main cause to prevent the uncontrolled spread of emerging diseases. This review focuses on emerging bacterial diseases and their causative bacteria and the pathway of pathogenesis.

Ecological and Socio-Economic Determinants of Livestock Animal Leptospirosis in the Russian Arctic.

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Regional differences in the disease manifestation and the role of ecological factors, specifically in regions with a subarctic and arctic climate, remain poorly understood. We here explored environmental and socio-economic features associated with leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic during 2000–2019. Spatial analysis suggested that the locations of the majority of 808 cases were in “boreal” or “polar” climate regions, with “cropland,” “forest,” “shrubland,” or “settlements” land-cover type, with a predominance of “Polar Moist Cropland on Plain” ecosystem. The cases demonstrated seasonality, with peaks in March, June, and August, corresponding to the livestock pasturing practices. We applied the Forest-based Classification and Regression algorithm to explore the relationships between the cumulative leptospirosis incidence per unit area by municipal districts (G-rate) and a number of socio-economic, landscape, and climatic factors. The model demonstrated satisfactory performance in explaining the observed disease distribution (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.01), with human population density, livestock units density, the proportion of crop area, and budgetary investments into agriculture per unit area being the most influential socio-economic variables. Climatic factors demonstrated a significantly weaker influence, with nearly similar contributions of mean yearly precipitation and air temperature and number of days with above-zero temperatures. Using a projected climate by 2100 according to the RCP8.5 scenario, we predict a climate-related rise of expected disease incidence across most of the study area, with an up to 4.4-fold increase in the G-rate. These results demonstrated the predominant influence of the population and agricultural production factors on the observed increase in leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic. These findings may contribute to improvement in the regional system of anti-leptospirosis measures and may be used for further studies of livestock leptospirosis epidemiology at a finer scale.

Qualitative Phytochemical Screening of Selected Medicinal Plants

Phytochemicals have great potency as therapeutic agents. There is continuous and urgent need to discover new therapeutic compounds with diverse chemical structures and novel mechanism of action because there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of new and re-emerging infectious diseases. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to assess the phytoconstituents of leaf extracts of four different medicinal plants viz. Acorus calamus, Senna alata, Solanum torvum and Solanum trilobatum. The leaves of four plants were collected from their wild habitats, washed, air dried and then powdered. The solvent extracts of the respective leaves were prepared using Soxhlet apparatus with acetone, ethanol and petroleum ether. The extracts were subjected to preliminary phytochemical analyses as per standard procedures. The results showed that alkaloids were present in all the four plants analyzed and all the three solvents extracted. Meanwhile, carbohydrates and proteins were absent in the same. It was also indicated that the ethanol extract of Solanum trilobatum leaf showed the presence of 7 compounds among 9 phytochemicals analyzed. The result of this study is encouraging further quantitative estimation and the need for clinical studies to determine the potential effectiveness of particular phytochemical in vivo.&#x0D; Keywords: Preliminary phytochemical analyses, Acorus calamus, Senna alata, Solanum torvum and Solanum trilobatum.

Diphtheria: a re-emerging infectious disease

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Diphtheria is a fatal bacterial infection which affects the mucous membranes of oropharyngeal and nasal cavity, caused by aerobic gram-positive bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Clinical diphtheria is on the increase worldwide, mainly affecting developing countries and leading cause of morbidity and mortality. We sought to understand its presentation among patients and also early intervention of the disease. The objective of the study was to study the clinico-demographic profile of cases, the relationship between immunization status and clinical disease, the role of microbiological investigations and to identify complications in diphtheria cases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; This study is a hospital based observational study from September 2019 - September 2020 at a tertiary care centre, S.Nijalingappa Medical College and HSK hospital, Bagalkot, Karnataka. The cases were analysed with respect to demographic details, clinical features, immunization status, microbiological confirmation and complications of diphtheria cases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;32 cases were suspected to have diphtheria on clinical examination. The mean age of presentation was 15 years. Fever, sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, neck swelling and pseudomembrane in oral cavity were the common signs and symptoms. Airway compromise, myocarditis and neurological complications were noted. Antidiphtheritic serum (ADS) was tried in all 32 cases and 8 cases had adverse reactions. Case fatality rate was 12.5%.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Shifting of occurrence of diphtheria in the age group of &amp;gt;5 years suggest the need to improve and strengthen the immunization program specially the booster doses.&lt;/p&gt;

Proximity ligation assay: an ultrasensitive method for protein quantification and its applications in pathogen detection.

It is of great significance to establish sensitive and accurate pathogen detection methods, considering the continuous emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases seriously influences the safety of human and animals. Proximity ligation assay (PLA) is developed for the sensitive protein detection and also can be used for the detection of pathogens. PLA employs aptamer or monoclonal/polyclonal antibody-nucleic acid complexes as proximity probes. When the paired proximity probes bind to the same target protein or protein complex, they will be adjacent to each other and form an amplifiable DNA sequence through ligation. Combining the specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), PLA transforms the detection of protein into the detection of DNA nucleic acid sequence. Therefore, as an ultrasensitive protein assay, PLA has great potential for quantification, localization of protein, and clinical diagnostics. In this review, we summarize the basic principles of PLA and its applications in pathogen detection. KEY POINTS: • Different forms of proximity ligation assay are introduced. • Applications of proximity ligation assay in pathogen detection are summarized. • Proximity ligation assay is an ultrasensitive method to quantify protein and pathogen.

Improving Detection of Disease Re-emergence Using a Web-Based Tool (RED Alert): Design and Case Analysis Study

BackgroundCurrently, the identification of infectious disease re-emergence is performed without describing specific quantitative criteria that can be used to identify re-emergence events consistently. This practice may lead to ineffective mitigation. In addition, identification of factors contributing to local disease re-emergence and assessment of global disease re-emergence require access to data about disease incidence and a large number of factors at the local level for the entire world. This paper presents Re-emerging Disease Alert (RED Alert), a web-based tool designed to help public health officials detect and understand infectious disease re-emergence.ObjectiveOur objective is to bring together a variety of disease-related data and analytics needed to help public health analysts answer the following 3 primary questions for detecting and understanding disease re-emergence: Is there a potential disease re-emergence at the local (country) level? What are the potential contributing factors for this re-emergence? Is there a potential for global re-emergence?MethodsWe collected and cleaned disease-related data (eg, case counts, vaccination rates, and indicators related to disease transmission) from several data sources including the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), World Bank, and Gideon. We combined these data with machine learning and visual analytics into a tool called RED Alert to detect re-emergence for the following 4 diseases: measles, cholera, dengue, and yellow fever. We evaluated the performance of the machine learning models for re-emergence detection and reviewed the output of the tool through a number of case studies.ResultsOur supervised learning models were able to identify 82%-90% of the local re-emergence events, although with 18%-31% (except 46% for dengue) false positives. This is consistent with our goal of identifying all possible re-emergences while allowing some false positives. The review of the web-based tool through case studies showed that local re-emergence detection was possible and that the tool provided actionable information about potential factors contributing to the local disease re-emergence and trends in global disease re-emergence.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first tool that focuses specifically on disease re-emergence and addresses the important challenges mentioned above.

POLICY RESPONSE OF ASIAN ECONOMIES TO COVID-2019 PANDEMIC: CHINA, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, JAPAN

The countries of Northeast Asia were the first countries in the world, which faced the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the epicenter of which was the city of Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei. As of the end of March, the spread of the pandemic has been brought under control. Compared to other sub-regions in Asia and the Pacific, Northeast Asia was relatively well prepared for COVID-19 in terms of health systems, access to basic services and connectivity. The national response to COVID-19 was quick and varied. The governments have adopted numerous policies to contain the spread of the virus, as well as to address growing socio-economic challenges and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments of China, the Republic of Korea and Japan have leveraged an existing memorandum of cooperation and a joint action plan to implement joint responses to pandemic influenza and new and re-emerging infectious diseases. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary containment measures have resulted in a sharp decline in economic activity, widespread loss of jobs and livelihoods and disruptions in the provision of basic services. In 2020, the countries in the region experienced a marked economic decline. After a significant drop in domestic demand and trade disruptions in the first half of 2020, the second half of 2020 was characterized by a gradual recovery in exports, there are currently signs of a recovery. The aim of current research was to investigate the practices of the three Asian countries – China, the Republic of Korea and Japan – in supporting businesses and citizens who found themselves in a difficult life situation due to the coronavirus, in order to identify optimal examples of economic policy during pandemic. The most effective measures to support the economy of China during the COVID-19 pandemic were food supply; control over the increase in the production; online services launched by the government. The most effective measures to support the economy of the Republic of Korea were: the Bank of Korea has cut its key rate to a record low benchmark; the Bank of Korea has provided the loans to the country’s commercial banks; the country’s government has allocated considerable funds to support South Korean SMEs; Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency has actively developed a global online trading platform; consumption taxes in case of car purchases have been reduced significantly to support the market; the enterprises with an annual turnover of less than Korean WON 60 million won have been provided with VAT exemptions. The most effective measures which have been taken by the government of Japan to were: there have been allocated USD 4.1 billion to support Japanese SMEs; there has been announced the development of a package of large-scale measures to support the country’s economy; there have been introduced special conditions for lending to SMEs; the activities of the companies involved in the fight against the pandemic have been subsidized; there has been introduced a simplified license renewal procedure for import/export and tariff quota certificates; the Bank of Japan has doubled up to USD 112 billion the exchange-traded fund (ETF) buyback program; a payment has been provided for the citizens who cannot work; a consulting service has been organized to support SMEs; for SMEs which were forced to send part of their employees on vacation or training, the state would cover the costs of forced leave in the amount of 4/5 during 100 days.

Isolation and molecular confirmation of leptospires from dogs in Himachal Pradesh, India

Leptospirosis is a common but largely underreported zoonotic disease in India. It has been recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease causing deaths in dogs as well as humans. Leptospires have been isolated from both clinically ill and apparently healthy animals from different geographical regions but there is no information on the presence of leptospires in various clinical conditions of animals in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Here, using dark field microscopy, culture isolation and molecular biology-based tests, we confirm leptospirosis in three clinically affected dogs with chronic renal involvement. The study reports the first isolation and molecular confirmation of leptospires from clinically affected dogs in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Zoonotic diseases: a One Health perspective

Abstract The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases including zoonoses and persistence of neglected zoonotic diseases threaten the global health and economy of rural societies now more than any time in the history of humanity. Animals are the main reservoirs of zoonotic disease agents, and zoonotic pathogens are transmitted to humans by direct contacts with infected animals or indirectly through animal products and the environment. A range of factors contribute in persistence and emergence of zoonoses, and globalization, climate change, and lack of proper coordination among the governmental organization responsible for human and animal health are the key indicators. Given the shared nature of zoonotic diseases and the spread, emergence, and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases in human and animal populations, integrated One Health is the only effective approach to solve this most important health issue. In this article, different aspects of zoonotic diseases, their role in incremental poverty, and the needs for integrated activities for their control and management are reviewed and discussed in detail.

Development and Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Printer–Based DNA Extraction Method Coupled to Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Congenital Chagas Disease in Endemic Regions

Vertical transmission of Trypanosomacruzi is the cause of congenital Chagas disease, a re-emerging infectious disease that affects endemic and nonendemic regions alike. An early diagnosis is crucial because prompt treatment achieves a high cure rate, precluding evolution to symptomatic chronic Chagas disease. However, early diagnosis involves low-sensitive parasitologic assays, making necessary serologic confirmation after 9 months of life. With the aim of implementing early diagnostic strategies suitable for minimally equipped laboratories, a T. cruzi-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) prototype was coupled with an automated DNA-extraction device repurposed from a three-dimensional printer (PrintrLab). The whole process takes <3 hours to yield a result, with an analytical sensitivity of 0.1 to 2 parasite equivalents per milliliter, depending on the T. cruzi strain. Twenty-five blood samples from neonates born to seropositive mothers were tested blindly. In comparison to quantitative real-time PCR, the PrintrLab-LAMP dual strategy showed high agreement, while both molecular-based methodologies yielded optimal sensitivity and specificity with respect to microscopy-based diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease. PrintrLab-LAMP detected all 10 congenitally transmitted T. cruzi infections, showing promise for point-of-care early diagnosis of congenital Chagas disease.

Epidemics and Climate Change in India

As the world deals with COVID-19, there is increasing attention to the threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. India is especially vulnerable to climate-induced health risks and a hotspot for infectious diseases. In this study we use a scoping review to synthesize evidence on the impact of climate on infectious diseases. We use this to uncover gaps and understand the implications for policymaking and health system preparedness. There is a strong evidence base linking climate change to disease outbreaks, both directly and indirectly. Socio-economic factors are the modifiers that determine disease severity in different populations and locations.

Plague reservoir species throughout the world.

Plague has been known since ancient times as a re-emerging infectious disease, causing considerable socioeconomic burden in regional hotspots. To better understand the epidemiological cycle of the causative agent of the plague, its potential occurrence, and possible future dispersion, one must carefully consider the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological requirements of reservoir-species in relation either to natural or human-driven changes (e.g. climate change or urbanization). In recent years, the depth of knowledge on species taxonomy and species composition in different landscapes has undergone a dramatic expansion, driven by modern taxonomic methods such as synthetic surveys that take into consideration morphology, genetics, and the ecological setting of captured animals to establish their species identities. Here, we consider the recent taxonomic changes of the rodent species in known plague reservoirs and detail their distribution across the world, with a particular focus on those rodents considered to be keystone host species. A complete checklist of all known plague-infectable vertebrates living in plague foci is provided as a Supporting Information table.

Anti-FIM and Anti-FHA Antibodies Inhibit Bordetella pertussis Growth and Reduce Epithelial Cell Inflammation Through Bacterial Aggregation.

The pertussis vaccination is highly recommended for infants, children, and pregnant women. Despite a high coverage of vaccination, pertussis continues to be of public health concern as a re-emerging infectious disease. The mechanism by which vaccine-elicited anti-pertussis antibodies mediate direct bactericidal effects is poorly understood. In this study, we showed that the interaction of B. pertussis with A549 epithelial cells induce release of biological factors which enhance bacteria growth. Complement-depleted antisera from vaccine-immunized guinea pigs or monoclonal antibodies targeting FHA and FIM mediate bacteria aggregation and elicit bactericidal effects. Our in vitro results indicated that aggregation of bacteria through anti-FIM and anti-FHA specific antibodies is one of the major biological mechanisms to clear bacterial infections and restore epithelial cell survival in vitro. Our data also indicates that the anti-pertussis antibodies reduce secretion of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines by preventing interaction of B. pertussis with host cells. The results of this study not only demonstrate mechanism of action of anti-FIM and anti-FHA antibodies, but also opens translational applications for potential therapeutic approaches or development of analytical assays such as in vitro potency assays.