Respiratory Lesions Research Articles

IRF7-deficient MDBK cell based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology for enhancing IBRV replication

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), characterized by acute respiratory lesions in cattle, is a major infectious disease caused by bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoAHV-1). Control of this disease is primarily depending on vaccination. Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells (MDBK) being the main host cells and the important production platform for IBR vaccines. However, innate immune genes inhibit viral replication. Accordingly, the aim of this study was developing of IRF7 gene deleted MDBK cells to facilitate the production of high-titer vaccines. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to knock out the IRF7 gene in MDBK cells and the impact on virus replication was examined using virus growth curves, CCK-8 assays, cell scratch assays, and qPCR. The knockout of the IRF7 gene in MDBK cells led to an increased replication capacity of IBRV and a significant reduction in type I interferons expression, specifically IFN-α and IFN-β. This indicates that IRF7−/−MDBK cell lines can effectively result in production of IBRV with high-titer, which will enhance the development of inactivated or attenuated vaccines.

Yellow bronchoalveolar lavage: a case series and systematic review of the literature

Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) is a diagnostic tool that provides pathological and microbiological diagnosis of lower respiratory tract lesions. BAL return may sometimes be of a different color, giving insight into the underlying disease process. Here, we present two cases of yellow BAL fluid with distinct etiologies.

Mortality in Stray Kittens under Eight Weeks Old: Focusing on Congenital Malformations.

Neonatal and pediatric mortality in kittens could be associated with bacterial infections, complications from inadequate management, congenital malformations, neonatal isoerythrolysis, parasitic diseases, and viral diseases. The complexity of causes, coupled with kittens' physiological and immunological immaturity, complicates the diagnosis and treatment of disease, highlighting the necessity for preventive measures. This study aimed to identify the leading causes of death and the occurrence of congenital malformations in stray kittens. Necropsies were performed on 68 kittens, all aged under two months. Results indicated that respiratory lesions were the leading cause of death in the youngest group, while gastrointestinal problems were more prevalent in older groups. Infectious causes were predominant across all age groups. Congenital malformations were observed in 40% of the animals, with megaesophagus, cardiovascular anomalies, bone defects, and kidney defects being the most prevalent. The findings underscore the critical importance of hygiene in preventing infections and related complications. Promoting sterilization and sanitary control in stray cats is essential to reduce overpopulation and improve living conditions.

Detection of Aerobic Bacterial Species Causing Pneumonia in Sheep and Goats and their Susceptibility to Antibiotics in Sudan

Aims: This study was conducted in Khartoum and Gezira States slaughterhouses to investigate the bacterial spp. associated with pneumonia in condemned sheep and goat lungs. Study Design: A total of 2085 animals were examined grossly for respiratory lesions (sheep= 1601 and goats= 484). Place and Duration of Study: Khartoum and Gezira States slaughterhouses during different seasons, from 2018-2020 and conducted in Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Sudan. Methodology: Bacterial spp. were isolated and identified using analytical profile index strips then more characterization done using Polymerase chain reaction for representative 20 selected isolates and finally antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed. Results: Out of 320 pneumonic lung samples, 116 samples showed pure colonies and 41 were mixed culture while 163 revealed no bacterial growth. The main bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Streptococcus spp. Corynebacterium spp. Pseudomonas spp. Staph spp. and Bacillus spp. Twenty representative bacterial isolates examined by PCR technique 10 were Staph aureus and 10 were E. coli to confirm identification. Seven of each were found positive. The Gram-positive bacteria resulted in 41 resistant isolates, 21 intermediate and 141 sensitive to different antibiotics. Ten bacterial species were reported resistant for more than two Antibiotics from different classes mainly tetracycline, methicillin, penicillin and erythromycin. The Gram-negative bacteria resulted in 59 were resistant, 13 intermediate and 108 sensitive to antibiotics. Seventeen of them were multidrug resistance to tetracycline, gentamicin, Imipenem and ceftriaxone. Conclusion: It was concluded that bacteria could be the main cause responsible for pneumonia in sheep and goats, some of these bacterial isolates were resistance to several Antibiotic which have an impact on public health.

Characterisation of Pasteurella multocida Strains from Different Lesions in Rabbits.

Pasteurellosis, a disease caused by Pasteurella multocida, is responsible for economic losses in rabbit industrial farms due to rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, metritis, mastitis, orchitis, subcutaneous abscesses, otitis, encephalitis, and septicaemic forms. Although the occurrence of the disease is conditioned by predisposing factors that affect the rabbit immune response, the strains of P. multocida involved in the infection may have a different pathogenic ability. Therefore, typing of strains spread among the rabbits is important to assess their pathogenic potential. The aim of this study is to investigate the P. multocida strains responsible for disease in rabbit industrial farms. A total of 114 strains identified from different lesions were serotyped. Additionally, the presence of virulence-associated genes was investigated using three PCR (polymerase chain reaction) protocols. Capsular type A was prevalently found in strains from respiratory lesions while types D and F in those from metritis, mastitis, and other lesions. Different associations between some virulence-associated genes and both capsular type and lesions found in rabbits were detected. The presence of 8 virulence-associated genes seems to increase the occurrence of metritis. In addition, strains belonging to capsular type A and responsible for respiratory disorders especially, were found equipped with 10 and 11 virulence-associated genes. Nevertheless, the presence of strains responsible only for rhinitis was also detected among the latter, suggesting that the pathogenic ability of the bacteria depends on the expression rather than the presence of a gene.

Establishment of a real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR detection method and phylogenetic analysis of BoAHV-1

BackgroundInfectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), caused by Bovine alphaherpesvirus-1 (BoAHV-1), is an acute, highly contagious disease primarily characterized by respiratory tract lesions in infected cattle. Due to its severe pathological damage and extensive transmission, it results in significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Accurate detection of BoAHV-1 is of paramount importance. In this study, we developed a real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR detection method for detecting BoAHV-1 infections. Utilizing this method, we tested clinical samples and successfully identified and isolated a strain of BoAHV-1.1 from positive samples. Subsequently, we conducted a genetic evolution analysis on the isolate strain’s gC, TK, gG, gD, and gE genes.ResultsThe study developed a real-time quantitative PCR detection method using SYBR Green II, achieving a detection limit of 7.8 × 101 DNA copies/μL. Specificity and repeatability analyses demonstrated no cross-reactivity with other related pathogens, highlighting excellent repeatability. Using this method, 15 out of 86 clinical nasal swab samples from cattle were found to be positive (17.44%), which was higher than the results obtained from conventional PCR detection (13.95%, 12/86). The homology analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis of the gC, TK, gG, gD, and gE genes of the isolated strain indicate that the JL5 strain shares high homology with the BoAHV-1.1 reference strains. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that gC, gE, and gG each had two amino acid mutations, while the TK gene had one synonymous mutation and one H to Y mutation, with no amino acid mutations observed in the gD gene. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that the JL5 strain belongs to the BoAHV-1.1 genotype and is closely related to American strains such as C33, C14, and C28.ConclusionsThe established real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR detection method exhibits good repeatability, specificity, and sensitivity. Furthermore, genetic evolution analysis of the isolated BoAHV-1 JL-5 strain indicates that it belongs to the BoAHV-1.1 subtype. These findings provide a foundation and data for the detection, prevention, and control Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis.

The population morbidity with diseases of ear and mastoid and accessibility of otorhinolaryngological care

The article analyses level and dynamics of morbidity of diseases of ear and mastoid in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in 2020-2021 and availability of otorhinolaryngological care. The methods of comparative statistics and mathematical analysis were applied to analyze official data provided by the Yakut Republic Medical Information and Analytical Center, the specialized Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the Republic Hospital № 2 - Center for Emergency Medical Care and the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia. The study established increasing trend of increasing morbidity of these diseases in both the adult and child population. In 2021, the growth rate of overall morbidity of adult population reached 17.7% and 8.8% in children, as compared to 2020. The primary morbidity of adults made up to 22.3%, in children - 15.7%. The comparative analysis demonstrated higher rates of general morbidity in the Republic: by 0.5% as compared with the Russian Federation and by 14.1% as compared with the Far Eastern Federal Okrug. The level of primary morbidity was lower than similar indicators of the compared territories by 17.1% and 3.0%, respectively. It is worth noting that analyzed morbidity of diseases of ear and mastoid reflects prevalence of ENT diseases in the region only indirectly, as the statistical data do not allow to estimate separately rate of upper respiratory tract lesions. Meanwhile, respiratory diseases rank first in the structure of population diseases in Yakutia. The growth of disability in children due to diseases of ear and mastoid requires attention. Among children of 0-17 years old, the indicator of primary disability increased from 0.38 to 0.8 per 10,000 of children population (increase of 110.5%); in children 0-3 years old - from 0.9 to 2.3 per 10,000 of the child population (an increase of 155.6%). The analysis of the number of beds in otorhinolaryngology wards established that that the bed capacity per 10,000 population was 0.6 that is significantly lower than the established standards. The article emphasizes need to adjust the Federal standards for hospital bed capacity, taking into account climatic and geographical conditions of the region, which contribute to spread and chronization of ENT diseases.

Immunogenicity and efficacy of VLA2001 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection in male cynomolgus macaques

BackgroundThe fight against COVID-19 requires mass vaccination strategies, and vaccines inducing durable cross-protective responses are still needed. Inactivated vaccines have proven lasting efficacy against many pathogens and good safety records. They contain multiple protein antigens that may improve response breadth and can be easily adapted every year to maintain preparedness for future seasonally emerging variants.MethodsThe vaccine dose was determined using ELISA and pseudoviral particle-based neutralization assay in the mice. The immunogenicity was assessed in the non-human primates with multiplex ELISA, neutralization assays, ELISpot and intracellular staining. The efficacy was demonstrated by viral quantification in fluids using RT-qPCR and respiratory tissue lesions evaluation.ResultsHere we report the immunogenicity and efficacy of VLA2001 in animal models. VLA2001 formulated with alum and the TLR9 agonist CpG 1018™ adjuvant generate a Th1-biased immune response and serum neutralizing antibodies in female BALB/c mice. In male cynomolgus macaques, two injections of VLA2001 are sufficient to induce specific and polyfunctional CD4+ T cell responses, predominantly Th1-biased, and high levels of antibodies neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture. These antibodies also inhibit the binding of the Spike protein to human ACE2 receptor of several variants of concern most resistant to neutralization. After exposure to a high dose of homologous SARS-CoV-2, vaccinated groups exhibit significant levels of protection from viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and from lung tissue inflammation.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that the VLA2001 adjuvanted vaccine is immunogenic both in mouse and NHP models and prevent cynomolgus macaques from the viruses responsible of COVID-19.

Evaluation of serum and urine biomarkers for severe COVID-19.

The new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, poses complex challenges exacerbated by several factors, with respiratory tissue lesions being notably significant among them. Consequently, there is a pressing need to identify informative biological markers that can indicate the severity of the disease. Several studies have highlighted the involvement of proteins such as APOA1, XPNPEP2, ORP150, CUBN, HCII, and CREB3L3 in these respiratory tissue lesions. However, there is a lack of information regarding antibodies to these proteins in the human body, which could potentially serve as valuable diagnostic markers for COVID-19. Simultaneously, it is relevant to select biological fluids that can be obtained without invasive procedures. Urine is one such fluid, but its effect on clinical laboratory analysis is not yet fully understood due to lack of study on its composition. Methods used in this study are as follows: total serum protein analysis; ELISA on moderate and severe COVID-19 patients' serum and urine; bioinformatic methods: ROC analysis, PCA, SVM. The levels of antiAPOA1, antiXPNPEP2, antiORP150, antiCUBN, antiHCII, and antiCREB3L3 exhibit gradual fluctuations ranging from moderate to severe in both the serum and urine of COVID-19 patients. However, the diagnostic value of individual anti-protein antibodies is low, in both blood serum and urine. On the contrary, joint detection of these antibodies in patients' serum significantly increases the diagnostic value as demonstrated by the results of principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM). The non-linear regression model achieved an accuracy of 0.833. Furthermore, PCA aided in identifying serum protein markers that have the greatest impact on patient group discrimination. The study revealed that serum serves as a superior analyte for describing protein quantification due to its consistent composition and lack of organic salts and drug residues, which can otherwise affect protein stability.

The VP1/2 Protein of a New Recombinant PRV Strain Promotes the Infectivity and Pathogenicity of PRV in Northeastern China

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an acute infectious disease characterized by neurological and respiratory symptoms. In order to have a better understanding of the current prevalence of PRV in northeastern China, a strain of PRV was isolated by us. Then, protein structure analysis and pathogenicity testing of the virus were performed to give insight into the characterization of the isolated PRV strains. In this study, the PRV strain named CH/HLJPRVJ/2023 was isolated and identified. Genome-wide phylogenetic analysis shows CH/HLJPRVJ/2023 and HeN1 have higher homology. The CH/HLJPRVJ/2023 strain had the highest homology with HeN1 strain (97.3%) and the lowest homology with Bartha-K61 (89.2%). Recombinant evolution analysis shows CH/HLJPRVJ/2023 shows many variants in OBP, AN, UL21, UL17, VP11/12, and VP1/2 fragments, which predict its unique genetically. VP1/2, an effector protein of capsid transport and neuroinvasion, has mutations and deletions in its amino acids, which cause changes in the protein conformation of CH/HLJPRVJ/2023. Besides the typical neurologic and respiratory lesions, infection with highly pathogenic CH/HLJPRVJ/2023 can lead to damage to the colonic villi and colonic barrier in piglets. This study will provide a basis for knowledge about the prevalence, genetic evolution, and vaccine optimization of endemic PRV strains in northeastern China.

Morbidity and Prognostic Factors Associated with Wild Hedgehogs Admitted to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Catalonia (NE Spain) from 1995 to 2020.

Wildlife rehabilitation centers (WRC) play a crucial role in the collection of data and the monitoring of hedgehog populations. The main objective of this study was to identify the morbidity and prognostic factors associated with the mortality of wild hedgehogs admitted at a WRC in Catalonia. A total number of 3397 hedgehogs admitted from 1995 to 2020 were studied. The principal cause of admission was orphaned/young category (41%) followed by misplacement (19%), natural disease (17%), and trauma (14%). The best outcomes for release were for misplacement (93.6%), orphaned/young (72.3%), and other causes (77.6%), and the lowest proportion of released animals were found for natural disease (41.4%) and trauma (44.7%) categories. The most common macroscopic findings were the respiratory and digestive lesions. Internal parasites were also prevalent in 61% of the animals but with no association with a higher mortality. In the multivariate analyses, the prognostic indicators related with the mortality outcome were the presence of systemic (OR = 3.6, CI 95%: 2.8-4.6) and neurological (OR = 4.3, CI 95%: 2.9-6.4) signs. Morbidity and prognostic factors in wildlife rehabilitation are essential for providing effective care, making informed decisions, optimizing resources, and improving rehabilitation success rates.

Detection and typization of HPV genotypes in subjects with oral and upper respiratory tract lesions, Milan, Italy

Background Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) is common among healthy individuals but causes and implications of persistent infections are under evaluation in the pathogenesis of head and neck neoplasms. Methods This was a retrospective study evaluating the prevalence of high-risk (HR), probable HR and low-risk (LR) HPV types in patients reporting signs/symptoms of oral and upper respiratory tract lesions. Individuals attending between 2019 and 2022 a University Hospital in Milan, Italy, with risk factors for HPV (unprotected oral sex and/or previous documentation of HPV infection in oral and upper respiratory tract and/or another anatomical site) were included. Results Fourteen out of 110 (12.7%) individuals tested positive for HPV DNA. The prevalence of HR-HPV and LR-HPV was 3.6% (4/110) and 9.1% (10/110), respectively. No probable/possible HR-HPV was detected. Specifically, 10/110 (9.1%) were diagnosed with 1 LR-HPV genotype, 3/110 (2.7%) were infected with 1 HR-HPV and 1/110 had 3 concomitant HR-HPV types. HPV 16 (2.7%, 3/110) and 6 (4.5%, 5/110) were the most common HR and LR types, respectively. One patient positive for HPV 16, 33 and 35 was diagnosed with cancer at the base of the tongue. Two individuals among those who tested positive for HPV DNA reported previous HPV vaccination. Conclusions Our data, in line with observations from previous prevalence studies, support the potential role of HPV in head and neck neoplasms. HPV DNA testing should be performed in patients presenting lesions in oral/respiratory tracts and risk factors for HPV. Improvement in HPV vaccination coverage is warranted.

Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19 in Different Periods of the Pandemic in Persons from Occupational Risk Groups of Infection

Relevance. One of the most affected by the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) groups of the population were medical workers who have high risks of infection in the performance of professional dutiesAim. Analysis the clinical manifestations of COVID–19 in different periods of the pandemic in medical organizations, taking into account the genetic variability of circulating strains of SARSCoV- 2 and vaccination status.Materials and methods. To study the clinical manifestations of coronavirus infection, an online survey of medical workers in a large industrial region was conducted in March 2022 using a specially designed anonymous questionnaire. The total number of respondents was 3,078. Clinical manifestations were analyzed during five epidemic rises in the incidence of COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2022. To assess the SARS-CoV-2 virus strains circulating in the region, data from the GISAID database (the first and second waves of the pandemic, n = 298) and the results of PCR studies in the laboratory of UMMC-Health LLC (third - fifth waves, n = 349) were used.Results and discussion. In the first and second epidemic rises of morbidity associated with SARS-CoV-2 strains B.1. and B.1.1, the structure of clinical forms did not significantly differ: 3.6% and 3.9% were asymptomatic forms, 61.3% – variants of acute respiratory infection (AR I) and 35.1% and 34.8% - pneumonia, accordingly. In the third epidemic upsurge caused by the Delta variant (V.1.617.2), the structure of clinical forms did not undergo significant changes. In the fourth epidemic rise in morbidity, also associated with the spread of the Delta variant, the share of ARI in the structure of clinical forms increased to 77.0%, and pneumonia decreased to 21.3%.In the fifth wave of the pandemic caused by the Omicron gene variant (B.1.1.529), there was an increase to 91.3% of the proportion of mild clinical forms and a decrease to 7.1% of forms with lung damage. The frequency of detection of general infectious symptoms, upper respiratory tract lesions and neurological manifestations of COVID-19 had statistically significant differences in different periods of the pandemic. Whereas the frequency of gastrointestinal disorders did not significantly differ. The high clinical efficacy of vaccination has been shown – in ter ms of a 3.6-fold reduction in the chances of developing moderate and severe forms of the disease.Conclusion. Based on the results of the study, new data were obtained on the features of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in different periods of the pandemic with the change of genetic variants of the pathogen and the role of vaccination in preventing the development of moderate and severe clinical forms of infection was shown.

КЛИНИЧЕСКАЯ, ЭПИДЕМИОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ И ЛАБОРАТОРНАЯ СПЕЦИФИКА НОВОЙ КОРОНАВИРУСНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ У ДЕТЕЙ

Background. COVID-19 is characterized by high contagiousness in all population groups, however, children are more likely to carry the infection both asymptomatically and in a mild form. The characteristics of COVID-19 in children require analysis and a search for a risk factors for severe course. Objective. To study the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory specifics of the new coronavirus infection in children permanently resident in Bronnitsy, Moscow region, to conduct a comparative analysis of the occurrence of the main factors affecting the severity of COVID-19, including the level of body supply with vitamin D and iron. Methods. Among the patients examined, school age children predominated (61.3%). The disease was predominantly mild and infection in 89.1% of cases in family centers as a result of close contact with sick family members. The symptoms of the disease were nonspecific in nature of upper respiratory tract lesions (fever, cough, symptoms of nasopharyngitis). Patients with moderate COVID-19 had lower hemoglobin, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, and ESR (p<0.05). A decrease in iron and 25(OH) levels was revealed in the blood serum of children with COVID-19. Results. School-age children predominated among the examined patients (61.3%). The disease was predominantly mild and infection in 89.1% of cases in family centers as a result of close contact with sick family members. The disease was predominantly mild and the symptoms were nonspecific in nature, catarrhal inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (fever, cough and signs of nasopharyngitis). Patients with moderate COVID-19 had lower hemoglobin, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, and ESR (p<0.05). A decrease in serum iron and 25(OH)D concentration indices was revealed in children who had undergone COVID-19. Conclusions. Among those infected with COVID-19, school-age children with asymptomatic and mild disease prevailed. The infection clinic presented with catarrhal symptoms, including fever, cough, and signs of nasopharyngitis. In the moderate course of COVID-19, the chances of anemia in children increased (OR= 2.56), as well as the indicators of iron availability and VD status decreased, which requires further study.

Evaluation of the diagnostic yield of lung cancer on various Bronchoscopic modalities

Background: The application of cytological techniques in identifying malignant respiratory tract lesions has been widely praised as a significant achievement. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy has greatly transformed respiratory cytology, making procedures such as bronchial brushings, broncho-alveolar lavage, and bronchial forceps biopsy more convenient, accessible, and popular. Methodology: All the suspected cases of lung cancer from 1st Jan, 2020 - 31st Dec, 2022 fulfilling inclusion criteria who have undergone flexible bronchoscopy in our center have been analyzed and enrolled in the study. Results: Out of 90 patients, 85 were found to be malignant. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common carcinoma (31.1%) followed by adenocarcinoma (26.7%), non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma (17.8%) and small cell carcinoma (12.2%), majority of the cases were of 6-7th decade of life and were smoker. Sensitivities of Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL), Bronchial brush, Endobronchial forceps Biopsy (EBB), Transbronchial Lung Biopsy (TBLB) and Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (TBNA) were found to be 32%, 87%, 83%, 55% and 69% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of BAL, bronchial brush, EBB, TBLB and TBNA were found to be 36%, 87%, 83%, 55% and 61% respectively. Conclusion: With a greater sensitivity (87%) and diagnostic accuracy (87%), bronchial brushing shows great promise as a convenient cytological technique suitable for screening ambiguous cases and early detection of lung cancer, as it saves the time required for processing biopsy samples.

Avian colibacillosis – current aspects

Colibacillosis is a bacterial disease of humans, animals and birds caused by Escherichia coli, pathogenic gram-negative bacillus. Despite its secondary nature, colibacillosis widely affects poultry farms and causes significant economic losses. The disease spread is closely associated with antibiotic resistance problem because a diseased carrier bird may be a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains. In addition, genes of virulence and resistance have been proven to be transferred from avian Escherichia strains toextra intestinal pathogenic strains that are dangerous to humans. Colibacillosis is transmitted aerogenically, alimentally, rarely transovarially, with droppings, mucus, feed, water, handling tools and operating personnel. Birds are most susceptible attheage of1–14days and at the onset of laying period. The disease may present asacute, subacute and chronic forms and is most often manifested by catarrhal hemorrhagic enteritis with profuse foamy diarrhea, respiratory tract lesions, fibrinous peritonitis and polyserositis, as well as a significant decrease in weight gains, stunting, egg laying decrease or complete cessation. Colibacillosis is diagnosed comprehensively taking into account the epizootic situation, findings of clinical examination and postmortem examination of dead or emergency-slaughtered poultry as well as laboratory test and bioassay results. Bacteriological, serological and molecular genetic methods are used for the disease diagnosis. Colibacillosis prevention includes improvement of poultry keeping practice (control of feed and water quality, disinfection, pest control, microclimate control) as well as timely complex vaccination of all poultry. The disease shall be treated taking into account primary etiological factors and bacteria sensitivity to antimicrobials.

Cutaneous and Respiratory Lesions in Bushfire-Affected Koalas.

In the wake of increasingly frequent bushfires emerging as a threat to wildlife worldwide, koalas have notably been the most rescued species in Australia. However, our understanding of burns and their severity in koalas is limited; hence, this study investigated the histopathological features and depth of burns in koala skin, as well as the presence of smoke-induced respiratory tract damage. In four bushfire-affected koalas that had been euthanised on welfare grounds, skin burns in various body regions were scored based on clinical appearance as superficial, partial thickness, or full thickness. Histological sections of affected regions of skin were assessed as Grades I-IV and showed that furred regions on the ear margins and dorsum were histologically more severe, at Grade III, compared with the clinical score. There was a similar finding for footpad burns, which were the most common body region affected. In the respiratory tract, pulmonary oedema and congestion were evident in all koalas. Overall, the results highlight that cutaneous burn lesions on furred and palmar/plantar surfaces can have higher severity based on the burn depth than is clinically apparent. Therefore, there is a need to consider this when developing treatment plans and establishing prognosis for burnt koalas at triage, as well as that a high likelihood of pulmonary oedema exists.

A case of laryngeal tuberculosis mimicking supraglottic carcinoma in a pregnant patient and literature review

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common granulomatous disease, but laryngeal involvement is rare. The risk of developing this clinical form is higher in immunocompromised patients due to primary infection or reactivation of latent TB. Laryngeal TB can be misdiagnosed as laryngeal cancer since they have similar macroscopic lesions, and both cause dysphonia. We present a case of laryngeal TB in a 37-week pregnant patient who complained of dysphonia, odynophagia, and dysphagia. A mass with supraglottic carcinoma findings was discovered during a laryngoscopic examination. The reason for presenting this case is to emphasize the necessity for a high degree of suspicion for laryngeal TB involvement in patients with upper respiratory tract lesions in regions with high TB prevalence, to achieve early diagnosis and treatment.

Use of Saccharomyces boulardii to Prevent Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea in Children with Pneumonia and Bronchitis

In recent years, an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in children has been registered. In modern conditions, there are changes in the microbial spectrum of AAD pathogens and their sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs. This indicates the need for further research on the effectiveness and safety of the use of antidiarrheal drugs, in particular Saccharomyces boulardii (SB), in clinical practice. The objective: to analyze the clinical effectiveness and safety of the use of SB in the prevention of AAD manifestations in children. Materials and methods. The results of examination and treatment of 84 children aged 1 to 16 years with pneumonia (n=50) and acute bronchitis of bacterial etiology (n=34) were analyzed. Patients comparable in age, gender, etiology and clinical form of acute respiratory disease were divided into two research groups: I (main) group – 44 children who received SB for a course of 10–12 days in complex treatment (antibacterial and symptomatic therapy) and II (control) group – 40 patients who received only antibiotic therapy and did not take probiotic drugs. During the study, the condition of the digestive tract (appetite, presence of nausea and vomiting, frequency and severity of diarrhea), skin (dryness, drowsiness), nervous system (sleep disturbances, restlessness) was assessed. Results. At the beginning of the study there was no statistical difference between the frequency of pathological symptoms in the research groups. In the course of treatment, positive dynamics of clinical manifestations of respiratory tract lesions were observed in children in the groups. In the patients of the I group who received SB, on the 10th day all patients had formed stools, while in the II group, on the 10th day diarrhea was detected in 12 (30%) of 40 children (p<0.01). In the dynamics of treatment on the 10th–12th day, the decrease in the number of bifidobacteria (<1010) was found in 2 (6.7%) of 30 children of the I group and in 15 (60%) of the 25 children of the II group (р<0.01). A decrease in the number of lactobacilli (<107) was found in 1 (3.3%) of 30 children of group I and in 9 (36.0%) of 25 patients of group II (p<0.05). On the 10th–12th day, it was possible to achieve complete normalization of intestinal function in almost all children of the I group. There were no side effects during the use of the drug. Conclusions. The use of SB simultaneously with antibacterial therapy made it possible to reliably reduce flatulence and intestinal colic in 86.4–88.6% of children on the 5th day of complex treatment. In the main group the frequency and consistency of bowel movements quickly normalized. Such dynamics of clinical symptoms was not observed in the comparison group.

Features of COVID-19 in teenagers. Clinical cases

Coronavirus infection in childhood is a common disease and has a number of features of the clinical course. There remain quite a lot of problems related to the variety of clinical symptoms, the severity of the course and treatment tactics in different age categories. Purpose - to study the epidemiological and clinical features of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 in adolescents compared to the younger age group in order to predict the severity of the course and determine treatment tactics. Materials and methods. A single-center retrospective open cohort study of 188 patients under the age of 18 hospitalized in the infectious disease department of the Chernivtsi Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital with a confirmed respiratory infection caused by SARS-CоV-2 was conducted. This cohort of patients is divided into 2 clinical groups. The Group I consisted of children aged 12 to 18 years (43 children), the Group II included children aged 0 to 11 years (145 patients). Results. Epidemiologically, extrafamilial sources of infection prevail in adolescence in the range of 44.2% (n=19), which is explained by greater social activity compared to children from birth to 11 years of age. For the 1st observation group, symptoms of damage to the lower respiratory tract are more characteristic, in particular, cough 81.4% (n=23), shortness of breath 51.1% (n=22), hypoxemia 14.2% (n=6) and symptoms of associated with intoxication syndrome (general weakness, asthenia 97.6% (n=42), decreased appetite, refusal to eat 74.4% (n=32), myalgia 11.6% (n=5), headache 14,2% (n=6)). The severity of the course of the coronavirus infection in adolescence is due to the dominance of lower respiratory tract lesions with the development of pneumonia in 58.2% (n=25) of cases, which required longer and more intensive treatment. Conclusions. The share of adolescents hospitalized due to COVID-19 was 22.9% (n=43), among them with a severe degree of impairment of the general condition - 16.4% (n=7), which is due to the predominance of damage to the lower respiratory tract with the development of pneumonia in 58.2% (n=25) of cases. This cohort of patients is characterized by a longer intoxication syndrome, the epidemiological role of family contacts with regard to COVID-19 decreases, and the value of unidentified non-familial sources of infection increases - 44.2% (n=19). The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The research protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the institution mentioned in the work. Informed consent of parents or their guardians was obtained for conducting research. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.