Spread Of Infection Research Articles

ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ МИССИОНЕРСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ НОВЫХ РЕЛИГИОЗНЫХ ДВИЖЕНИЙ: СПОСОБЫ И ПРИНЦИПЫ ЗАКОННОСТИ

The article analyzes the methods of missionary activity of new religious movements used by their leaders and followers to spread their doctrines and spiritual practices. To analyze the missionary activity of new religious movements, the author primarily examined organizations and cults operating in the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, using materials from the Internet, as well as those obtained in the course of practical work of an expert in religious studies and a teacher of religious studies. The author conducted a comparative analysis of the formats of missionary work used by representatives of new religious movements before the era of mass use of the Internet in the religious space, and the methods of missionary work by new religious movements at the present stage with the use of new information and communication technologies. As a result of the analysis, characteristic features of transformations in the nature of missionary activity of new religious movements at the present stage were revealed. An important point in the presented article was the correlation of the nature of modern missionary work with the changes in Russian legislation that have influenced the methods of conducting missionary work of new religious movements. The author draws attention to how the situation regarding the missionary activity of new religious movements has changed since 2016, when the Yarovaya-Ozerov Law was adopted, regulating missionary work in the Russian Federation. The changes in the environment of Internet users, which have been growing, including in connection with the spread of the new Covid-19 infection, which has caused restrictions on the functioning of believers in the physical religious space and contributed to the transfer of the center of gravity of religious, including missionary, activity to the virtual space, are also analyzed.

Effect of Infectious Disease Risk Management on Indoor Environmental Quality in Lecture Rooms: Current Performance and Future Considerations

The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant and accelerated developments in ventilation practises, where the need to ventilate buildings has been put centre stage. Longer-term ventilation approaches are now more likely to utilise hybrid ventilation strategies to address the challenge of ensuring resilient indoor thermal environments that are carbon neutral while also minimising the risk of long-range airborne infectious spread of viral pathogens. In the short term, there are many existing buildings which may not undergo retrofit for some time, and consequently, risk mitigation strategies have been implemented in these buildings by utilising existing systems. This paper will present an indoor environmental quality evaluation of ten university lecture rooms both before, during and after changes in ventilation management behaviour and systems that were accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate a mean reduction in internal carbon dioxide levels of between 46% and 67% when pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 datasets are compared and between 11% and 62% when pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 datasets are compared. Changes in behaviour and systems have reduced the time spent above thresholds conducive to virus growth by between 8% and 54%, depending on the lecture room. Despite this, a “rebound” can be observed in many rooms, with CO2 levels appearing to be trending toward pre-pandemic levels. This work indicates the effect of behavioural and system changes on ventilation and the potential risk for virus spread. The results indicate a need to retrofit existing lecture rooms with more advanced natural or mechanical systems to ensure consistent indoor environmental quality.

Comparação da qualidade de dietas distribuídas em seringas e frascos e seu custo em um lactário de um instituto nacional de saúde

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections are considered a serious public health issue. When caring for newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the administration of a diet contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms can help spread infections. Objective: To compare the cost and microbiological quality of the diet offered in syringes and bottles by the lactator for enteral administration to patients admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Methods: An exploratory experimental study “in loco” carried out between January and May 2019, consisting of the microbiological analysis of 72 samples of enteral diets and pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) distributed in syringes and bottles. The microbiological parameters used were those of the Board of Health Collegiate Resolution No. 63/2000 and No. 171/2006. The microbiological quality of the water used in the reconstitution of the enteral diet; the swab of the manipulators’ hands and oropharynx; surfaces such as benches and equipment, utensils, and the air quality of the areas for diet preparation were also assessed. The critical control points of the diet manipulation flowcharts reviewed were defined. Results: In the enteral diet samples, coliforms at 35˚C and mesophilic aerobic microorganisms above the established standards levels were found in both modalities of the diet administration (bottle and syringe) during two days of collection (lots). In the LHOP samples, no microorganisms from the coliform group were found. When filling plastic bottles, mesophilic bacteria exceeding the established standards were detected. It was observed that the cost of distributing the diet in bottles was higher than that of using a syringe. Conclusion: It was found that the microbiological quality of the diets supplied in syringes was safer than that of the diets distributed in bottles. In addition, the diet infusion time was shorter and cost was lower with the use of the syringe.

Dynamics analysis of epidemic spreading with individual heterogeneous infection thresholds

In the real world, individuals may become infected with an epidemic after multiple exposures to the corresponding virus. This occurs because each individual possesses certain physical defenses and immune capabilities at the time of exposure to the virus. Repeated exposure to the virus can lead to a decline in immune competence, consequently resulting in epidemic infection. The susceptibility of individuals to an epidemic is heterogeneous. We model this characteristic as the individual heterogeneous infection threshold. Then, we propose an individual logarithmic-like infection threshold function on a single-layer complex network to reflect the heterogeneity of individual susceptibility on infecting the virus and the associated epidemic. Next, we introduce a partition theory based on the edge and logarithmic-like infection threshold function to qualitatively analyze the mechanisms of virus infection and epidemic spreading. Finally, simulation results on Erdő–Rényi (ER) and scale-free (SF) networks indicate that increasing both the epidemic infection initial threshold and outbreak threshold, as well as decreasing the virus and epidemic infection probability, can all effectively suppress epidemic spreading and epidemic infection outbreak. With an increase in the epidemic infection outbreak threshold, the increasing pattern of the final epidemic infection scale transitions from a second-order continuous phase transition to a first-order discontinuous phase transition. Additionally, degree distribution heterogeneity also significantly impacts the outbreak and spread of diseases. These findings provide valuable guidance for the formulation of immunization strategies.

Environmental drivers of spatial variation in myrtle rust development on a critically endangered tree species

The spread of invasive plant pathogens is on the rise globally, introducing additional threats to forest ecosystems and their constituent species above those already caused by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. Austropuccinia psidii is a widespread invasive fungus that infects hundreds of species in the Myrtaceae plant family, causing myrtle rust. It was first detected in New Zealand in 2017, where the threatened endemic tree Lophomyrtus bullata is one of the worst affected hosts. Recent studies have described heavy disease severity on this species but environmental drivers of spatial variation in disease severity have not been explored, including the possible role of edge effects which are prevalent across much of this species' highly fragmented natural range. In this study, we tracked changes in disease incidence and severity across a forest edge gradient over three years. Individuals further from the forest edge, where forest canopies were more intact, forest structure more complex, and with greater understorey humidity, had greater disease severity in the first year of infection. In subsequent years, the influence of edge was no longer evident as myrtle rust severity became more even across the site, but disease was more prevalent in denser L. bullata populations. Only small individuals were asymptomatic across all three years. Since all available myrtle rust control techniques are currently feasible only at small scales, our research implies that their application needs to be as early as possible before infection spreads and across all suitable microclimates, and without bias toward easily accessible forest edges.

Dishonesty is linked with the spread of infectious diseases

This paper investigates the link between dishonesty and the spread of COVID-19 infections. In an online experiment and panel survey, 2,723 Germans completed an incentivized coin-tossing task in March 2020 and reported their infection status in four subsequent survey waves up until December 2021. We find that individuals who are most likely dishonest in the coin-tossing task at the onset of the pandemic, as they report the highest number of winning coin tosses, are more than twice as likely to get a future COVID-19 infection than the sample mean. Respondents who are most likely to have reported dishonestly also engage more in behaviors that increase the risk of becoming infected and of transmitting the infection relative to likely honest respondents. Hence, we postulate that differences in preferences and norm compliance are underlying determinants that affect behavior in the experiment and in the field. We observe a similar relationship at the country level between an incentivized measure of civic honesty and excess deaths due to COVID-19 in 22 OECD countries.

Miniaturized electrophoresis: An integrated microfluidic cartridge with functionalized hydrogel-assisted LAMP for sample-to-answer analysis of nucleic acid.

Accurate detection of pathogenic nucleic acids is crucial for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and containment of infectious diseases. It facilitates the timely identification of pathogens, aids in monitoring disease outbreaks, and helps prevent the spread of infections within healthcare settings and communities. We developed a multi-layered, paper-based microfluidic and miniaturized electrophoresis system for rapid nucleic acid extraction, separation, amplification, and detection, designed for resource-limited settings. Constructed from acrylic, transparency film, pressure-sensitive adhesion, and Whatman paper using a CO2 laser, the setup simplifies traditional methods and eliminates the need for complex equipment. DNA extraction and purification are achieved using Zweifach-Fung bifurcation and Fahraeus effect principles, with detection via a hydrogel-assisted colorimetric isothermal reverse transcriptase-loop-mediated isothermal amplification technique. The system accurately identified the SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and β-actin human gene, validated by a compact electrophoresis setup. In clinical validation with 12 patient specimens, the system demonstrated a positive predictive agreement of 83.0% and a negative predictive agreement of 100%. The system achieves a limit of detection of 1 copy/μl and can potentially transform nucleic acid detection assays in healthcare settings. This study addresses key challenges in nucleic acid detection, such as ensuring sample quality and quantity, reducing reliance on sophisticated equipment, preventing contamination, simplifying procedures, and providing rapid and accurate diagnostics for emerging pathogens.

Erosive bilateral glenohumeral osteoarthritis caused by urosepsis-induced septic arthritis.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bacterial infections of the skin, soft tissues, bones, bloodstream, and respiratory system. When the infection spreads to the joints, it is known as septic arthritis. The shoulder is the third most common location for septic arthritis in adults. Treatment is arthroscopic or open irrigation and debridement, but even after eradicating the bacteria, cartilage and bone destruction can occur. This article describes a patient who developed bilateral septic arthritis of the shoulders shortly after a urinary tract infection, and was treated with a relatively rare reverse shoulder hemiarthroplasty procedure.

Secondary Syphilis with Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Coinfection: A Case Report

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by spirochete microorganism Treponema pallidum, the infection spreads in four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. It can impact almost all organ systems in the body, even years or even decades after the initial infection. Syphilis is an infection that could be transmitted sexually with almost 21.000 new cases in Indonesia. The CDC also estimates that 44% of men who have sex with men and bisexual men who test positive for syphilis will also have HIV. The infection has also re-emerged in developed countries in homosexual population with high number of cases co-infected with HIV. Syphilis is also very common among people with multiple sexual partners, Significant risk factors include HIV infection, this coinfection is common, and the two diseases affect each other in several ways. HIV and syphilis each facilitate infection by the other, and aggravate one another’s clinical course. A 34year-old male was referred from public health center with red rashes found on the palm and soles bilaterally since 1 month before visit. Dermatological examination of the palms and soles showed multiple violaceous macules with clear boundaries, with varying sizes between 0.5cm-1cm,no alopecia,no abnormalities were found in oral mucosa, The result of VDRL examination the titer was 1:64, and TPHA result was Positif. Rapid HIV test showed positive result. Patient was prescribed Benzanthine Peniciline injection intra muscular 2.4 million IU, the patient experienced clinical improvement and decreased VDRL and TPHA titers after a two month of evaluation. Co-infection of syphilis and HIV , HIV and syphilis each facilitate infection by the other, and aggravate one another’s clinical course. The majority of persons with HIV infection respond appropriately to the recommended benzathine penicillin G treatment regimen for primary and secondary syphilis.

A Review on: Rice Disease Prediction

Abstract: Rice disease prediction is an emerging technology that leverages machine learning and image processing techniques to forecast disease outbreaks in rice crops. Early and accurate prediction of diseases like rice blast, bacterial leaf blight, and sheath blight is critical for maintaining crop health, optimizing resource use, and enhancing yield quality. This paper explores the use of high-resolution imaging and data-driven models to identify early signs of disease in rice plants. By analyzing data from multiple sources, including aerial imagery and environmental sensors, these predictive systems enable targeted and timely interventions, reducing the spread of infections and minimizing the use of pesticides. The application of predictive technologies not only aids in sustainable farming practices by lowering environmental impact but also aligns with the goals of precision agriculture to support food security and increase productivity. As agricultural practices continue to evolve, predictive models for rice disease management offer a promising solution for addressing the challenges posed by crop diseases in a changing climate

Information technology for forecasting epidemiological threats based on the telegraphic equation

Based on the analysis, it is established that traditional approaches, such as the SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Covered) and SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Covered) models, do not provide sufficient forecasting accuracy and do not take into account the complex dynamics of the spread of infectious diseases. The need to develop a method that will improve forecasting accuracy and provide support for managerial decision-making to predict the spread of epidemiological threats based on the telegraphic equation is substantiated. The developed system allows for making effective management decisions aimed at reducing the negative impact of the epidemic on the population and medical infrastructure. The use of the telegraphic level allows us to predict the wave spread of infection, spatial and temporal delays, as well as sources of new infections, which ensures accurate forecasting of peak periods, the duration of the epidemic, and the workload of medical facilities. The developed method integrates the classical SIR model with the telegraphic level, which allows the modelling the dynamics of infection spread in a spatio-temporal environment. This method provides forecasting of the spatial and temporal dynamics of infection spread, taking into account wave effects, delays, and the influence of external factors. It provides an opportunity to accurately analyze key epidemic indicators, such as the peak of the disease, its duration, and the distribution of the burden on hospitals. The developed method and mathematical model based on the telegraphic level provided an appropriate level of accuracy in predicting the spatial and temporal dynamics of the spread of epidemiological threats. Testing the model on historical COVID-19 data showed that the average forecast error was 5...10%. This indicates the model's adequacy. In the case of high population mobility, the model accurately described the wave dynamics of the infection. The proposed decision support system includes a user-friendly interface with four tabs for entering model parameters, analyzing results, visualizing them, and generating recommendations. It allows to improve the accuracy of estimating the duration of the epidemic, peak loads, and some resources. The developed system is a tool for managers to support the adoption of governmental decisions aimed at predicting the infection of the population of regions and optimizing the use of medical resources. The results of the study can be used to plan epidemic response measures at the local, regional, and global levels. The proposed system ensures efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy, which are key to managing epidemiological situations in the face of modern challenges.

Healthy ageing in long-term care? Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: a position paper.

This position paper focuses on healthy ageing for the frailest and institutionalized older adults in the context of the recent pandemic. The paper aims to identify and discuss hindering and promoting factors for healthy ageing in this context, taking both health safety and a meaningful social life into account, in a pandemic situation and beyond. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of frail older adults residing in long-term care institutions. This is a segment of the older population that does not seem to align well with the recent policy trend of healthy and active ageing. The need for healthy ageing in this population has been voiced by professionals and interest organizations alike, alluding to inadequate support systems during the pandemic, conditioned by both previous and newly emerging contextual factors. Supporting healthy ageing in older adults in nursing homes and other residential care settings calls for attending to meaningful social life as well as to disease control. Findings and early conclusions leading up to the position paper were presented with peer discussions involving healthcare professionals and researchers at two joint EFPC PRIMORE workshops 2021 and 2022, as well as other international research seminars on long-term care. The following aspects of long-term care and COVID-19 were systematically discussed in those events, with reference to relevant research literature: 1. Long-term care policies, 2. pre-COVID state of long-term care facilities and vulnerability to the pandemic, 3. factors influencing the extent of spread of infection in long-term care facilities, and 4. the challenge of balancing between strict measures for infection control and maintaining a meaningful social life for residents and their significant others. A policy shift towards ageing at home and supporting the healthiest of older adults seems to have had unwarranted effects both for frail older adults, their significant others, and professional care staff attending to their needs. Resulting insufficient investment in primary health care staff and in the built environment for frail older adults in nursing homes were detrimental both for the older adults living in nursing homes, their significant others, and staff. More investment in staff and in physical surroundings might improve the quality of care and the social life of older adults in nursing homes in a non-pandemic situation and be a resource for primary health care staff ensuring both protection from health hazards and a meaningful social life for frail older adults in a pandemic or epidemic situation. As for investing in the physical surroundings, smaller nursing homes are advantageous, with singular resident rooms and for developing out-and indoor spaces for socializing and for meeting with families and other visitors. Regarding investment in staff, there is a documented need for educated staff in full-time positions. Use of part-time or temporary staff should be limited.

The risk of COVID-19 infection in medical workers of a clinical hospital during a pandemic

In occupational health, scientists view the COVID-19 as a biological factor that can occur not only in the environment, but also in industrial conditions. In this regard, the spread of a new coronavirus infection requires addressing issues of preserving and strengthening the health of medical workers who make up the risk group. The study aims to assess the risk of COVID–19 infection during the pandemic in medical workers of a clinical hospital, depending on working conditions and the degree of contact with infectious patients. The object of the study was medical workers of the state budgetary healthcare institution of the Moscow region. The total number of medical workers amounted to 495 people. According to the degree of probability of medical workers' contact with an infectious agent, the following groups were identified: a high–risk zone of infection; an average risk zone of infection; a comparison group — a group that did not come into contact with patients with COVID-19. Within each of the above groups, three production and professional groups were formed: doctors; secondary medical personnel; junior medical personnel. The authors studied the frequency of temporary disability due to COVID-19 in medical workers who performed their professional duties during the pandemic. To assess the risk of infection of medical workers with COVID-19, they calculated the relative risk (RR). The study showed that the incidence of temporary disability among medical personnel during the pandemic period was 64.6±2.1 per 100 employees. Morbidity rates with temporary disability in the group of doctors who performed work duties in the high-risk area of COVID-19 infection amounted to 60.9±10.2 and in the medium-risk area of COVID-19 infection 63.2±4.0, which is significantly higher compared to workers in the comparison group 40.0±8.9 who had no contact with infectious patients. At the time of the study, the presence of a history of chronic diseases of the circulatory system in medical workers increases the risk of infection with COVID-19 (OR=3.9 with DI=2.62–5.78). The presence of chronic diseases of the endocrine system, eating disorders and metabolic disorders also increases the risk of COVID-19 infection (OR=3.3 with DI=2.08–5.13). The data obtained as a result of the performed study indicate an increased risk of infection for doctors employed in areas of high and medium risk of COVID-19 infection, which are the most vulnerable professional group. Limitations. The present study requires further study of the issue and verification of the data obtained due to the limited observation period. Ethics. All medical workers have given informed consent to the use of personal data for statistical processing.

Effects of transmission pathways, immunological thresholds, and long-distance dispersal on infectious spread: chronic wasting disease case study

Effects of transmission pathways, immunological thresholds, and long-distance dispersal on infectious spread: chronic wasting disease case study

A game theoretic complex network model to estimate the epidemic threshold under individual vaccination behaviour and adaptive social connections

In today’s interconnected world, the spread of information is closely linked to infectious disease dynamics. Public awareness plays a crucial role, as individual vaccination decisions significantly impact collective efforts to combat emerging health threats. This study explores disease transmission within a framework integrating social connections, information sharing, and individual vaccination decisions. We introduce a behaviour-prevalence model on an adaptive multiplex network, where the physical layer (Layer-II) captures disease transmission under vaccination. In contrast, the virtual layer (Layer-I) represents adaptive social contacts and the flow of information, shaping vaccination decisions within a socially influenced environment. We derive analytical expressions for the epidemic threshold using the microscopic Markov Chain Method (MMCM). Simulation results highlight that adaptive social contacts lead to a higher epidemic threshold than non-adaptive networks. Additionally, network characteristics, such as the power-law exponent in scale-free networks, significantly impact infection spread within populations. Our results reveal that changes in perceived infection risk and an individual’s sensitivity to non-vaccinated neighbour’s status strongly influence vaccine uptake across populations. These insights can guide public health officials in developing targeted vaccination programs that address the evolving dynamics of social connections, information dissemination, and vaccination choice in the digital era.

Genotyping <em> Escherichia coli </em> O157:H7 strains isolated from cattle and small ruminants in Fars province (Iran) using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus PCR Analysis

Genotyping <em> Escherichia coli </em> O157:H7 strains isolated from cattle and small ruminants in Fars province (Iran) using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus PCR Analysis

Inline Detection of Citrus Rind Micro-wounds Using Contrast-enhanced X- ray Imaging: a Feasibility Study

Decay management is crucial in the citrus industry due to the rapid spread of infections through wounds. Despite the urgency, effective methodologies for screening citrus rind micro-wounds are lacking. This study presents a preliminary investigation into real-time detection of citrus rind micro-wounds using contrast-enhanced X-ray imaging. This method highlights and magnifies rind wounds in X-ray images. The process involves immersing fruit in a contrast solution, capturing three sequential X-ray images, and then washing off residual contrast.Satsuma mandarins were used, with potassium iodide (KI) as the contrast agent duo to its distinct contrast properties on rind wounds coupled with high safety levels. A Convolutional Neural Network-Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) model with multi-head attention mechanisms was developed, achieving a detection accuracy of 97.19 %. Post-radiography assessments showed minimal effects on the fruit’s external appearance and internal quality, though a slight weight loss was observed. These results demonstrate the proposed method’s effectiveness in detecting citrus rind micro-wounds, offering a promising approach for enhancing decay management in the citrus industry.

PREVALENCE OF PARVOVIRUS INFECTION IN THE NORTHWESTERN FEDERAL DISTRICT OF RUSSIA

Abstract Here, we analyze the spread of parvovirus B19 infection in the Northwestern Federal District from the years 2018 to 2023. It was shown that cases of infection were recorded in 10 out of 11 territories, excepting the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Overall, IgM antibodies to parvovirus B19 (B19V) were detected in 295 samples out of 2079 tested (14.1%). The prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection varied over the years of the study: in 2023, an increase in incidence was detected in the Northwestern Federal District, with an indicator of 0.93 per 100 thousand population, which significantly exceeded the long-term average level of 0.43 per 100 thousand population in the district. Children under 14 years of age predominated in the age pattern. The virus circulated most actively in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, which is due to the high population density in these territories and the many municipal institutions where long-term close contacts between people take place. The winter-spring seasonality of the infection has been confirmed. An analysis of primary diagnoses in patients with laboratory-confirmed parvovirus infection (2022) showed that the correct clinical diagnosis was not established in any case. The most common clinical diagnostic errors were: “Acute respiratory infection”; “measles” and “rubella”; herpes virus infections. In 30% of cases, parvovirus B19 infection was assessed by clinicians as a non-infectious disease. Errors in the initial diagnosis of parvovirus infection can contribute to the spread of infection, including in risk groups. Thus, while examining patients at a dialysis center, laboratory methods revealed latent parvovirus B19 circulation in this risk group confirmed by the detection of B19V DNA and virus-specific IgM antibodies in some samples tested. The seroprevalence established among patients not exceeding 76.9% accounts for an opportunity of infection spread among patients seronegative for parvovirus B19 with worsening of disease course and prognosis. Considering the widespread distribution of parvovirus infection, when identifying infectious diseases and respiratory diseases that occur with unclear exanthema manifestations among people at risk and/or from organized groups, it is advisable to conduct targeted serological monitoring for laboratory markers of parvovirus B19 infection. One of the directions for further qualitative study of parvovirus infection is to solve an issue of its identification and recording in the epidemiological surveillance system.

A multiplex RT-qPCR assay for simultaneous detection of cucurbit viruses from individual whitefly and plant samples.

Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) are a significant pest of cucurbits and vectors many viruses leading to substantial economic losses. Modern diagnostic tools offer the potential for early detection of viruses in the whiteflies before crop production. One such tool is the multiplex reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) probe-based technique, which can detect multiple targets in a single reaction and simultaneously quantify the levels of each target, with a detection limit of 100 copies per target. In this study, a multiplex RT-qPCR-based detection system capable of identifying one DNA virus and three RNA viruses in whiteflies: cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), and squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV) was developed. To ensure the reliability of the assay, an internal gene control as the fifth target to monitor false-negative results was incorporated. This newly developed molecular diagnostic tool possesses several advantages. It can detect up to five desired targets from a single whitefly RNA sample, even at concentrations as low as 1 ng/µl. To evaluate its sensitivity, we conducted experiments using serially diluted cloned plasmids and in vitro transcribed RNA transcripts of the target viruses. We also assessed the specificity of the assay by including aphid-transmitted viruses and other viruses known to infect cucurbits. The diagnostic method successfully detected all five targets simultaneously and allowed for the quantification of up to 100 copies using a mixture of healthy? RNA and in vitro transcribed RNA. Our aim with this study was to develop a highly specific and sensitive one-step multiplex RT-qPCR system for the simultaneous detection of viruses transmitted by whiteflies in cucurbits. This system offers significant advantages for early detection, enabling prompt control measures to mitigate the further spread of viral infections and reduce yield losses. Additionally, we demonstrated the ability to simultaneously detect mixed viruses (CCYV, CYSDV, CuLCrV, and SqVYV) in individual whiteflies and quantify the number of viral copies carried by each whitefly. The multiplex RT-qPCR assay outperforms currently available techniques for detecting many samples at a given time and can be effectively utilized for early monitoring of plant viruses in individual whiteflies and symptomless plants.

Expression Study of Bmlipase in Silkworm Bombyx mori midgut against BmNPV

Silkworms are susceptible to various pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The present study focused on the viral disease known as nucleopolyhedrosis virus, which causes severe infections in silkworms. Silkworms possess several antiviral proteins that play a crucial role in preventing the spread of infection. One protein, which is found in the digestive juice produced in the silkworm's midgut, was focused, and it is lipase. This protein is responsible for controlling the virus infection. To investigate the role of lipase expression in silkworm for virus control, its concentration after post-infection was measured. This was quantified and analysed using SDS-PAGE. The band of interest, with a molecular weight of 29 kDa, was further analysed through MALDI-TOF/MS, and it showed 70% homology to the lipase enzyme.