Severe Respiratory Disease Research Articles

SARS-CoV-2 co-detection with influenza and human respiratory syncytial virus in Ethiopia: Findings from the severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) sentinel surveillance, January 01, 2021, to June 30, 2022.

SARS-CoV-2 co-infection with the influenza virus or human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may complicate its progress and clinical outcomes. However, data on the co-detection of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory viruses are limited in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa to inform evidence-based response and decision-making. We analyzed 4,989 patients' data captured from the national severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) sentinel surveillance sites over 18 months period from January 01, 2021, to June 30, 2022. Laboratory specimens were collected from the patients and tested for viral respiratory pathogens by real-time, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the national influenza center. The median age of the patients was 14 years (IQR: 1-35 years), with a slight preponderance of them being at the age of 15 to less than 50 years. SARS-CoV-2 was detected among 459 (9.2%, 95% CI: 8.4-10.0) patients, and 64 (1.3%, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6) of SARS-CoV-2 were co-detected either with Influenza virus (54.7%) or RSV (32.8%) and 12.5% were detected with both of the viruses. A substantial proportion (54.7%) of SARS-CoV-2 co-detection with other respiratory viruses was identified among patients in the age group from 15 to less than 50 years. The multivariable analysis found that the odds of SARS-CoV-2 co-detection was higher among individuals with the age category of 20 to 39 years as compared to those less than 20 years old (AOR: 1.98, 95%CI:1.15-3.42) while the odds of SARS-CoV-2 co-detection was lower among cases from other regions of the country as compared to those from Addis Ababa (AOR:0.16 95%CI:0.07-0.34). Although the SARS-CoV-2 co-detection with other respiratory viral pathogens was minimal, the findings of this study underscore that it is critical to continuously monitor the co-infections to reduce transmission and improve patient outcomes, particularly among the youth and patients with ILI.

Key Factors Impacting a Medical Ventilator Supply Chain During the COVID- 19 Pandemic: Lessons for Pandemic Preparedness.

Future pandemics may cause more severe respiratory illness in younger age groups than COVID-19, requiring many more mechanical ventilators. This publication synthesizes the experiences of diverse contributors to Medtronic's mechanical ventilator supply chain during the pandemic, serving as a record of what worked and what didn't, while identifying key factors affecting production ramp-up in this healthcare crisis. In-depth, one-on-one interviews (n = 17) were held with key Medtronic personnel and suppliers. Template analysis was used, and interview content was analyzed for signals, initiatives, actions, and outcomes, as well as influencing forces. Key findings revealed many factors limiting ventilator production ramp-up. Supply chain strengths and weaknesses were identified. Political factors played a role in allocating ventilators and also supported production. Commercial considerations were not priority, but economic awareness was essential to support suppliers. Workers were motivated and flexible. Component shortages, space, production processes, and logistics were challenges. Legally based pressures were reported e.g., import and export restrictions. Crisis response alone is not enough; preparation is essential. Coordinated international strategies are more effective than individual country responses. Supply chain resilience based on visibility and flexibility is key. This research can help public health planners and the medical device industry prepare for future healthcare crises.

Assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic progression in Ecuador through seroprevalence analysis of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies in blood donors.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory illness caused by the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2. Globally, there have been over 759.4 million cases and 6.74 million deaths, while Ecuador has reported more than 1.06 million cases and 35.9 thousand deaths. To describe the COVID-19 pandemic impact and the vaccinations effectiveness in a low-income country like Ecuador, we aim to assess the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a sample from healthy blood donors at the Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana. The present seroprevalence study used a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies in months with the highest confirmed case rates (May 2020; January, April 2021; January, February, June, July 2022) and months with the highest vaccination rates (May, June, July, August, December 2021) in Quito, Ecuador. The IgG and IgM seroprevalence were also assessed based on sex, age range, blood type and RhD antigen type. The sample size was 8,159, and sampling was performed based on the availability of each blood type. The results showed an overall IgG and IgM seroprevalence of 47.76% and 3.44%, respectively. There were no differences in IgG and IgM seroprevalences between blood groups and sex, whereas statistical differences were found based on months, age range groups, and RhD antigen type. For instance, the highest IgG seroprevalence was observed in February 2022 and within the 17-26 years age range group, while the highest IgM seroprevalence was in April 2021 and within the 47-56 years age range group. Lastly, only IgG seroprevalence was higher in RhD+ individuals while IgM seroprevalence was similar across RhD types. This project contributes to limited data on IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Ecuador. It suggests that herd immunity may have been achieved in the last evaluated months, and highlights a potential link between the RhD antigen type and COVID-19 susceptibility. These findings have implications for public health strategies and vaccine distribution not only in Ecuador but also in regions with similar characteristics.

H1N1-associated Cardiomyopathy: A Case Series

Abstract H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, is a viral infection that can result in severe respiratory illness. However, it is essential to recognize that it can also lead to cardiac complications such as viral myocarditis, which in turn leads to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and, in some cases, sudden cardiac death. Noninvasive diagnostic modalities such as transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging further help in the diagnosis of cardiac complications. Early recognition and timely intervention are critical to improving outcomes in such cases. In most of these cases, just like the viral illness being self-limiting, these cardiac complications are also usually reversible with time. This case series highlights two different cases with H1N1-associated cardiomyopathy, which in turn becomes reversible on treatment.

Newcastle Disease - overview and analysis of the current spread of the disease in Bulgaria and Europe

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious and severe worldwide disease affecting birds. The infection is a mild zoonosis and can cause conjunctivitis in humans, but the condition is usually mild and self-limiting. ND is caused by virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1. The disease occurs in five forms: velogenic viscerotrophic, velogenic neutrotropic, mesogenic, lentogenic Newcastle disease and asymptomatic enteric Newcastle disease. Lentogenic strains are very widespread, but are usually asymptomatic and do not cause outbreaks in poultry. Newcastle disease in its highly pathogenic form, is a WOAH listed disease and must be reported. It usually manifests as severe respiratory disease, depression, nervousness and/or diarrhea. The clinical picture is very similar to bird flu, so laboratory tests are important to confirm the diagnosis.

Анализ вакцин против ринопневмонии лошадей отечественного и зарубежного производства

Equine rhinopneumonia is caused by two closely related viruses of the Herpesviridae family: equine herpesvirus-1 and equine herpesvirus-4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4). The disease is manifested by decreased performance of animals, in neglected cases by severe respiratory disease, abortion and paralysis. Outbreaks of rhinopneumonia have a negative impact on the livestock industry. A number of vaccines have been developed worldwide to prevent and control the infection. Despite the seriousness of the disease there are currently only a few well-studied strains of the virus that are the mainstay of vaccine development. Due to the dramatic increase in the number of rhinopneumonia outbreaks around the world, scientists have recently been faced with the need to isolate new strains of the virus. However, the creation of polyvalent associated vaccines has not yet yielded the desired results. The review article presents a comparison of domestic preparations with foreign ones. Analysis of the considered sources, based on the scientific achievements of foreign researchers, allows us to form a modern idea of the degree of preparation for the fight against infectious viral disease.

Enhancement of the efficacy of Tylvalosin by administration with Eucalyptus oil or Bromhexine against Mycoplasma gallisepticum-infected broiler chickens

Abstract Tylvalosin tartrate is a macrolide antibiotic that has antibacterial activity against Gram-positive, some Gram-negative organisms, and mycoplasma. It acts by inhibiting protein synthesis in bacterial cells. Mycoplasma gallisepticum causes chronic respiratory disease in poultry, especially in the presence of management stresses and other respiratory pathogens. The disease is characterized by coryza, conjunctivitis, sneezing, and sinusitis, particularly in turkeys and birds. It can result in loss of production downgrading of meat-type birds, and loss of egg production. In the current study, the efficacy of tylvalosin on performance parameters, hematological and biochemical profile alone, and in combination with eucalyptus oil and bromhexine were studied. A total of 56-day adult chickens were used in the experiment and infection occurred by Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The birds were classified into seven groups and treated as follows; non-infected non-treated group (control negative), infected non-treated group (control positive), group infected and treated by tylvalosin alone, group infected and treated by eucalyptus oil, group infected and treated by bromhexine, group infected and treated by tylvalosin plus eucalyptus oil, and group infected and treated by tylvalosin plus bromhexine. Clinical symptoms, bacterial re-isolation, mortality rate, and hematobiochemical and histopathological parameters were investigated. The results showed a significant decrease in mortality & improved growth performance (increased weight gain and feed utilization efficiency) in combined treated groups compared to tylvalosin group as well as improvement in hematobiochemical and histopathological parameters of combined treated groups. Furthermore, the combination of tylvalosin and eucalyptus oil or bromhexine was more potent in the treatment of Mycoplasmosis in chickens than each treatment alone and alleviated or partially reduced the severity of chronic respiratory disease induced by Mycoplasma gallisepticum in broiler chickens. Finally, this protective effect could improve the use of antibiotics in poultry farms as well as reduce the problem of antibiotic residues and bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Leptospirosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital at Kolar

Introduction: Leptospirosis is an acute treponemal infection with high mortality and morbidity. Due to varied presentations in different geographical areas and unexpected seasonal patterns, clinical diagnosis is difficult. The present study aims to analyze the varied clinical presentations and epidemiological factors in correlation with laboratory diagnosis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among the clinically suspected cases of leptospirosis at R. L. Jalappa Hospital, Kolar, from January 2023 to December 2023. A total of 750 blood samples were tested for IgM ELISA leptospira test. All patient samples that tested positive for IgM antibodies were considered seropositive for Leptospira. The clinical history, laboratory parameters, management, course, and outcome of these patients were recorded. Results: The majority of the affected population were in the 41-60 year age group. Males were more affected than females. Due to unexpected rains, cases peaked in March. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 32 patients (34%), hyperbilirubinemia in 28 patients (30%), raised transaminases in 27 patients (29%), followed by low hemoglobin levels in 27 patients (28%). Severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) was the most common complication, seen in 24 patients (26%), followed by renal failure in 11 patients (12%). Conclusion: The morbidity and mortality due to leptospirosis can be reduced by better understanding environmental factors, by early detection through rapid tests, and predicting the severity of illness using laboratory parameters.

Evaluation of the design of the influenza-like illness sentinel surveillance system in Brazil.

The influenza-like illness (ILI) sentinel surveillance operates in Brazil to identify respiratory viruses of public health relevance circulating in the country and was first implemented in 2000. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of early detection of the circulation of new viruses in Brazil. Therefore, an analysis of the design of the ILI sentinel surveillance is timely. To this end, we simulated a sentinel surveillance network, identifying the municipalities that would be part of the network according to the criteria defined in the design of the ILI sentinel surveillance and, based on data from tested cases of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) from 2014 to 2019, we drew samples for each sentinel municipality per epidemiological week. The draw was performed 1,000 times, obtaining the median and 95% quantile interval (95%QI) of virus positivity by Federative Unit and epidemiological week. According to the ILI sentinel surveillance design criteria, sentinel units would be in 64 municipalities, distributed mainly in capitals and their metropolitan areas, recommending 690 weekly samples. The design showed good sensitivity (91.65% considering the 95%QI) for qualitatively detecting respiratory viruses, even those with low circulation. However, there was important uncertainty in the quantitative estimate of positivity, reaching at least 20% in 11.34% of estimates. The results presented here aim to assist in evaluating and updating the ILI sentinel surveillance design. Strategies to reduce uncertainty in positivity estimates need to be evaluated, as does the need for greater spatial coverage.

Assessing immune factors in maternal milk and paired infant plasma antibody binding to human rhinoviruses.

Before they can produce their own antibodies, newborns are protected from infections by transplacental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies and after birth through breast milk IgA antibodies. Rhinovirus (RV) infections are extremely common in early childhood, and while RV infections often result in only mild upper respiratory illnesses, they can also cause severe lower respiratory illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. We used high-density peptide arrays to profile infant and maternal antibody reactivity to capsid and full proteome sequences of three human RVs - A16, B52, and C11. Numerous plasma IgG and breast milk IgA RV epitopes were identified that localized to regions of the RV capsid surface and interior, and also to several non-structural proteins. While most epitopes were bound by both IgG and IgA, there were several instances where isotype-specific and RV-specific binding were observed. We also profiled 62 unique RV-C protein loop sequences characteristic of this species' capsid VP1 protein. Many of the RV-C loop sequences were highly bound by IgG from one-year-old infants, indicating recent or ongoing active infections, or alternatively, a level of cross-reactivity among homologous RV-C sites.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV): an associated etiology of severe acute respiratory infection in children of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a serious public health concern across the world, causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Every year, around 13 million children under the age of five die. Approximately 95% of them are from developing nations, and ARIs are responsible for one-third of all deaths. Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) is one of the causative agents associated with respiratory tract infections. There is lack of information about hMPV from the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh. At Indian Council of Medical Research- Regional Medical Research Centre, Gorakhpur (ICMR-RMRC, Gorakhpur) in Uttar Pradesh, India; we tested respiratory pathogens in under-five patients presenting with ARI and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) through semi nested PCR. A total of 100 nasal and throat specimens were collected from the outdoor and indoor patient Departments (OPD) and (IPD) of Department of Paediatrics, BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur during February to April 2022. Out of 100 enrolled paediatric patients, 4(4%) were found to be hMPV positive. Among the patients who tested positive for hMPV, 25%(1/4) unfortunately died. The phylogenetic analysis of hMPV showed the close resemblance with the clade of Singapore and USA hMPV isolates. The study underlines the importance of hMPV as the cause of acute respiratory infections in children and the highlight the need for routine testing for this virus in laboratories. Further more comprehensive detailed study on various aspects of hMPV in this area is needed.

Mucosal immunity in upper and lower respiratory tract to MERS-CoV.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has emerged as a deadly pathogen with a mortality rate of up to 36.2%. MERS-CoV can cause severe respiratory tract disease and multiorgan failure. Therefore, therapeutic vaccines are urgently needed. This intensive review explores the human immune responses and their immunological mechanisms during MERS-CoV infection in the mucosa of the upper and lower respiratory tracts (URT and LRT, respectively). The aim of this study is to provide a valuable, informative, and critical summary of the protective immune mechanisms against MERS-CoV infection in the URT/LRT for the purpose of preventing and controlling MERS-CoV disease and designing effective therapeutic vaccines. In this review, we focus on the immune potential of the respiratory tract following MERS-CoV infection. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the following terms: "MERS-CoV", "B cells", "T cells", "cytokines", "chemokines", "cytotoxic", and "upper and lower respiratory tracts". We found and included 152 studies in this review. We report that the cellular innate immune response, including macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, produces antiviral substances such as interferons and interleukins to prevent the virus from spreading. In the adaptive and humoral immune responses, CD4+ helper T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and plasma cells protect against MERS-CoV infection in URT and LRT. The human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) could successfully limit the spread of several respiratory pathogens. However, in the case of MERS-CoV infection, limited research has been conducted in humans with regard to immunopathogenesis and mucosal immune responses due to the lack of relevant tissues. A better understanding of the immune mechanisms of the URT and LRT is vital for the design and development of effective MERS-CoV vaccines.

Label-free electrochemical immunosensor employing new redox probes/porous organic polymers/graphene oxide nanocomposite towards multiplex detection of three SARS-COV2-induced storming proteins for severe COVID-19 diagnosis

Since an outbreak of severe acute respiratory disease caused by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the province of Wuhan, China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has tremendously evolved into a global pandemic. COVID-19 causing serious failures in organ functions is found to be involved in many groups or kinds of “cytokine storm effect” protein biomarkers resulting from the human immunological responses to the virus. The in-body abnormalities and clinical features relevant to COVID-19 exhibit a wide range and it is difficult to forecast the severity of infection in patients. Consequently, the development of a fast and highly accurate method for screening, diagnosis, monitoring, rapid identification, and isolation of COVID-19-infected patients, and monitoring its severity is urgently needed. This work aims to develop a highly sensitive multiplex label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on a porous organic polymer (POP-AQ)/graphene oxide (GO) electrode to screen and diagnose COVID-19 severity. The screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) consisting of three working electrodes is modified by a new POP-AQ/GO nanocomposite to enhance its specific surface area and electrochemical reactivity. The resultant platform is functionalized with three different chitosan-encapsulated redox probes (m-cresol purple (mCP), thymol blue (TMB), and polydopamine (PDA)), followed by three different antibodies, which are employed to quantitatively detect the corresponding proteins from the immunological response. This novel platform allows for the simultaneous measurement of critical illness biomarkers (IL-6, D-dimer, and ferritin), with high sensitivities and low detection limits (LODs). The biosensor displays an excellent analytical performance with wide linear dynamic ranges of 0.005–5, 2.5−100, and 2.5−100 ng mL−1, and LODs of 0.0040, 0.844, and 0.806 ng mL−1 for IL-6, D-dimer, and ferritin, respectively. Moreover, this platform reveals high reproducibility and stability, while maintaining low instrumentation complexity, and cost-effectiveness. This proposed multiplex immunosensor has excellent potential for fast COVID-19 diagnosis and severity screening in infected patients. Additionally, its versatility suggests applicability in diagnosing other diseases and emerging pathogens.

Investigation of House Birds Pathogens Related to Severe Respiratory Human Diseases

Investigation of House Birds Pathogens Related to Severe Respiratory Human Diseases

Outbreak investigations of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 15 in central Iowa in the winter of 2021-2022

From November 2021 to January 2022, 20 growing-pig sites in central Iowa reported severe clinical respiratory disease and weekly mortality of up to 50%. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 15 was identified as the causative agent of the clinical disease. Given that A pleuropneumoniae serotype 15 has been infrequently diagnosed in the United States, an outbreak investigation was conducted to explore biosecurity hazards and epidemiological aspects associated with the surge of cases. The investigations revealed that all farms had significant gaps in biosecurity and relied heavily on third-party service providers, which may have contributed to the pathogen spread.

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF BASRAH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ABOUT COVID19 AT AL- QARMA LOCATION

In late December 2019 a new (novel) coronavirus was identified in China causing severe respiratory disease including pneumonia. It was originally named Novel Coronavirus and The World Health Organization (WHO) advised the following language associated with the virus. The virus causing the infection has been named – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused as a result of infection is named – coronavirus disease (COVID-19). COVID-19 has been categorized as an airborne High Consequence Infections Disease. SARS-CoV-2 is spreading between people globally and can be seen on the WHO situation reports dashboard.

Sputum production and salivary microbiome in COVID-19 patients reveals oral-lung axis.

SARS-CoV-2, a severe respiratory disease primarily targeting the lungs, was the leading cause of death worldwide during the pandemic. Understanding the interplay between the oral microbiome and inflammatory cytokines during acute infection is crucial for elucidating host immune responses. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the oral microbiome and cytokines in COVID-19 patients, particularly those with and without sputum production. Saliva and blood samples from 50 COVID-19 patients were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing for oral microbiome analysis, and 65 saliva and serum cytokines were assessed using Luminex multiplex analysis. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare cytokine levels between individuals with and without sputum production. Logistic regression machine learning models were employed to evaluate the predictive capability of oral microbiome, salivary, and blood biomarkers for sputum production. Significant differences were observed in the membership (Jaccard dissimilarity: p = 0.016) and abundance (PhILR dissimilarity: p = 0.048; metagenomeSeq) of salivary microbial communities between patients with and without sputum production. Seven bacterial genera, including Prevotella, Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Atopobium, Filifactor, Leptotrichia, and Selenomonas, were more prevalent in patients with sputum production (p<0.05, Fisher's exact test). Nine genera, including Prevotella, Megasphaera, Stomatobaculum, Selenomonas, Leptotrichia, Veillonella, Actinomyces, Atopobium, and Corynebacteria, were significantly more abundant in the sputum-producing group, while Lachnoanaerobaculum was more prevalent in the non-sputum-producing group (p<0.05, ANCOM-BC). Positive correlations were found between salivary IFN-gamma and Eotaxin2/CCL24 with sputum production, while negative correlations were noted with serum MCP3/CCL7, MIG/CXCL9, IL1 beta, and SCF (p<0.05, Mann-Whitney test). The machine learning model using only oral bacteria input outperformed the model that included all data: blood and saliva biomarkers, as well as clinical and demographic variables, in predicting sputum production in COVID-19 subjects. The performance metrics were as follows, comparing the model with only bacteria input versus the model with all input variables: precision (95% vs. 75%), recall (100% vs. 50%), F1-score (98% vs. 60%), and accuracy (82% vs. 66%).

Rescuing Masked Doctor-Patient Relationship Enforced by Covid-19: Integrating Empathy in the Healthcare System

Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic has posed a critical moral challenge for medical professionals due to its highly contagious nature that can cause severe respiratory disease and death. As a result, conventional doctor-patient relationships have collapsed since the pandemic. Patients and medical personnel are negatively impacted when social distancing is enforced due to concerns about viral transmission. How to provide high-quality services and maintain professional moral standards in such critical conditions is discussed in this paper, emphasizing empathy as a key moral virtue for professional practice. As moral philosophers offer and advance persuasive arguments, the definition of empathy has been examined to eliminate ambiguity and highlight the distinctions between emotion, passion, compassion, and sympathy. It has been argued that empathy gives medical professionals direction to take the proper perspective in a critical pandemic like Covid-19. Cases are discussed in relation to actual occurrences to argue the moral virtue of empathy and uphold professional standards in medical practices. Empathy can reduce malpractice claims significantly, increase patient satisfaction, and contribute to the good governance of healthcare service management.

Respiratory pathogens circulation among non-reactive sars-cov2 patients during the covid-19 pandemic in morocco

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted the implementation of stringent measures to curb viral transmission, including mask mandates, hand hygiene practices, and social distancing. These interventions may also have a substantial impact on the prevalence of other respiratory infections, such as influenza and severe acute respiratory illness. This study aimed to assess the incidence of respiratory pathogens among SARS-CoV-2 negative patients admitted to healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak. From February to July 2021, nasopharyngeal swabs from 167 adults presenting with COVID-19 syndrome symptoms and negative SARS-CoV-2 tests were collected from seven regional sites across Morocco. Multiplexed nucleic acid testing was employed to simultaneously detect and differentiate 22 respiratory pathogens. Our findings revealed a 43% (n=72) overall prevalence of respiratory pathogens, with Human Rhinovirus (HRV) accounting for 38%, Human Coronavirus OC43 HCoV OC43) for 37%, and Human Parainfluenza3 (HPIV3) for 12%. In contrast to the decline in Influenza A/B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) detection, a significant increase was observed in HRV and HCoV OC43 prevalence. These observations suggest that SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic measures have significantly altered the dynamics of airborne transmission and epidemic patterns for respiratory pathogens. Our findings provide valuable insights into the impact of COVID-19 containment strategies on respiratory infection epidemiology and can inform future prevention and management strategies.

Detection of parechovirus A in respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological clinical samples of pediatric patients from Panama (2014–2015)

Parechovirus A (PeV-A, Parechovirus, Picornaviridae) are human pathogens associated with mild to severe gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in young children. While several studies have investigated the association of PeV-A with human disease, little is known about its epidemiology or detection in Latin America. Between the years 2014 and 2015, a total of 200 samples were collected from Panamanian pediatric patients aged < 16 years old exhibiting symptoms associated with respiratory (n = 64), gastrointestinal (n = 68), or neurological (n = 68) diseases. These samples were gathered from patients who had previously received negative diagnoses for the main respiratory viruses, rotavirus, and neurological viruses like herpes virus, enterovirus, and cytomegalovirus. The presence of PeV-A was analyzed by real time RT-PCR.Eight positive PeV-A infections (4.0%, 95% CI: 1.7 to 7.7) were detected: two in respiratory samples (3.0%, 95% CI: 0.3 to 10.8), five in gastrointestinal samples (7.3%, 95% CI: 2.4 to 16.3), and one in cerebrospinal fluid (1.5%, 95% CI: 1.4 to 7.9). The study provides evidence of PeV-A circulation in Panama and the data collectively, remarked on the importance of considering PeV-A in the Panamanian pediatric diagnostic landscape, especially when conventional testing for more common viruses yields negative results.