title: Recent epidemiological status of canine viral enteric infections and Giardia infection in Japan.

text: Epidemiology of canine enteric infections was studied. Rectal swabs collected from 95 dogs presented at animal hospitals during a period from January to June of 2000 were examined for enteric pathogens, including viruses and Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia). Most frequently detected in both diarrheal and normal feces were canine coronavirus (55.4%) and G. lamblia (48.2%). Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) was specifically associated with diarrheal cases and CPV-2b was the predominant antigenic type. Although canine rotavirus, canine adenovirus, and canine distemper virus were also detected in a small number of diarrheal cases, no evidence for calicivirus infection was obtained.


title: Some viral and protozool diseases in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris).

text: Ten European wildcats (Felis silvestris) were examined at necropsy and an additional 23 were examined clinically for evidence of viral diseases in Scotland. Two plasma samples taken from live free-living wildcats showed positive ELISA reactions to feline leukemia antigen. A feline leukemia virus of subgroup A was isolated from one of these samples, taken from a wildcat in north-western Scotland. No antibodies to feline coronavirus or feline immunodeficiency virus were detected in any sample. Three of the live wildcats and one of the dead had chronic mucopurulent rhinotracheitis suggestive of "cat flu." One other dead wildcat had diffuse enlargement of anterior lymph nodes. The findings indicated that feline leukemia virus infection can occur in free-living Felis silvestris. It is possible that the disease exists as a sustained infection in some wildcat populations, although the close interaction between wildcat and the domestic cat means that the latter could act as a continual source of infection.


title: [Occupational bio hazards: current issues].

text: Over the last decade, there was noted a large advancement of knowledge on living organisms and their products posing a potential occupational risk. Novel risk factors, often new to science, were identified, the role and significance of already known factors better comprehended, and occupational groups endangered by biological hazards more thoroughly recognized. Novel viruses and prions, emerging in different parts of the world, may pose a particular threat to health and life of health care workers, agriculture workers and veterinarians. A new coronavirus (SCoV) that evoked a rapid outbreak of disease described as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the first half of 2003 may serve as an example. The disease was particularly common among health care workers. Previously discovered zoonotic viruses, Nipah virus in pigs and Hendra virus in horses, may be a cause of fatal encephalitis in animal farmers. Hantaviruses (Puumala, Hantaan, Sin Nombre and others) infecting field rodents may be a cause of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in farmers and laboratory workers. Prions responsible for inducing a zoonotic variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are considered to be a potential cause of work-related infections in agricultural and health care workers, however, this assumption has not as yet been supported by any conclusive evidence. In many countries, blood-borne occupational infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major epidemiological problem among health care workers, mostly because no vaccine against this virus has been produced to date. Vaccinations effectively restricted the number of occupational infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and work-related infections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are very rare. Hazardous bioserosols, occurring in many work environments, pose an occupational health hazard of particular importance. Many new biological factors present in organic dusts that may induce work-related allergic and immunotoxic diseases among farmers and workers of the agricultural and wood industries have been identified. Droplet aerosols, which are generated from water, oils, oil-water emulsions and other liquids in various work environments, may contain infectious agents (Legionella spp.) as well as allergic and/or toxic agents. It has been shown that allergens and endotoxins produced by Gram-negative bacteria occurring in oil mist from metalworking fluids may cause occupational respiratory diseases in workers of the metallurgic industry.


title: Mouse model to study the replication of primate foamy viruses.

text: A mouse model was developed to study the virus-host interaction of molecularly cloned human foamy virus (HFV) in vivo. The infectious process was analysed in two mouse strains, CBA/Ca and C57BL/6J, over a period of 24 weeks by PCR on DNAs from various animal tissues; virus serology was examined by immunoblotting. The infection persisted in both mouse strains and did not induce clinical symptoms. Upon infection of adult CBA/Ca mice HFV became detectable by PCR in an increasing number of organs over time. In contrast, in C57BL/6J mice, after an initial phase of dissemination, viral DNA sequences were found only in a few organs. Interestingly, the different course of infection was accompanied by differences in the antiviral immune response. In particular, C57BL/6J mice were high responders with respect to antibodies to the viral Bet protein, while CBA/Ca mice were low responders.


title: A microengraving method for rapid selection of single cells producing antigen-specific antibodies.

text: Monoclonal antibodies that recognize specific antigens of interest are used as therapeutic agents and as tools for biomedical research. Discovering a single monoclonal antibody requires retrieval of an individual hybridoma from polyclonal mixtures of cells producing antibodies with a variety of specificities. The time required to isolate hybridomas by a limiting serial-dilution, however, has restricted the diversity and breadth of available antibodies. Here we present a soft lithographic method based on intaglio printing to generate microarrays comprising the secreted products of single cells. These engraved arrays enable a rapid (<12 h) and high-throughput (>100,000 individual cells) system for identification, recovery and clonal expansion of cells producing antigen-specific antibodies. This method can be adapted, in principle, to detect any secreted product in a multiplexed manner.


Symptom management and end-of-life care of residents with COVID-19 in long-term care homes.


title: Recombinant vaccinia viruses which express MHV-JHM proteins: protective immune response and the influence of vaccination on coronavirus-induced encephalomyelitis.

text: Vaccinia-virus (VV) recombinants encoding either the nucleocapsid (N) or the spike (S) protein of MHV-JHM were constructed to study the role of the immune response against defined coronavirus antigens. For the S-protein, a fusogenic (Sfus+) or non fusogenic variant (Sfus-) of the gene was inserted into the VV genome. A strong protection against acute encephalomyelitis (AE) was mediated in Lewis rats which were immunized by VV-Sfus+ and challenged with an otherwise lethal dose of MHV-JHM before the induction of S-specific IgG antibodies. By contrast, a VV recombinant encoding a variant non fusogenic S-protein or the N-protein was not capable conferring protection. In addition, we demonstrated that MHV-JHM S-specific IgG antibodies elicited before MHV-JHM challenge modulated the disease process, changing it from an acute disease to subacute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (SDE).


title: Tools from the new institutional economics for reforming the delivery of veterinary services.

text: The new institutional economics offers a range of analytical tools and insights which can be used in restructuring the animal health services of a country. This paper discusses three of the most important--externalities, transaction costs and asymmetric (unequal) information. These tools can be used to craft a system which is sensitive to the particular institutional heritage of a country and to its political, social and economic realities. Institutions are important in this process and the best way for one society is often not the optimal choice for another.


title: Rapid assessment of a helpdesk service supporting severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives.

text: BACKGROUND To contain severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority set a policy that stipulated there should be no visitors to hospital wards. A helpdesk service was established with the goal of providing immediate emotional and communication support to relatives while severe acute respiratory syndrome patients were isolated during the acute phase of the illness. AIM This study describes the results of a rapid assessment of the effectiveness of a helpdesk service designed to meet the immediate needs of relatives of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients in Hong Kong. DESIGN Survey. METHOD Eighty-three respondents, representing about 46.3% of relatives (179), attending the helpdesk on the day of the study were recruited. Service evaluation data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire completed by respondents. RESULTS Nearly 100% of respondents who used the service found the delivery service with on-site counselling useful for alleviating their anxiety. However, about half of these relatives complained of insufficient information regarding the patient's condition and progress. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the service. In describing the most important traits of the service providers, caring and enthusiasm were mentioned most frequently by respondents who stated that they were very satisfied with the service. CONCLUSION The results support the value of the service, and demonstrate that the service is effective in meeting relatives' immediate needs. These needs include information, aid in fulfilling their role as caretaker for the patient (delivering prepared soup) and psychological support. The results suggest that facilitation of visitation of patients by relatives via video conferencing and education of the public on the nature and course of severe acute respiratory syndrome to reduce the social stigma of having a potentially life-threatening disease should be introduced in Hong Kong. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The results highlight important attributes that helpers (nurses) should have in order to alleviate the suffering of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives.


title: Significance of variation within HIV, EBV, and KSHV subtypes.

text: Since their initial transmission to humans, viruses have diversified extensively through recombination and mutation. The presence of intra- and inter-individual viral diversity influences disease progression, drug resistance, and therapy and presumably explains the conflicting results in many studies, including the failure of peptide-based vaccination strategies. Although HIV is a small RNA virus, coinfection with large DNA viruses, notably the oncogenic gamma-herpesviridae human herpesvirus-8 and Epstein Barr virus, is common. This coinfection occurs secondary to immunosuppression and shared transmission routes with high-risk predisposing behavior. In addition, all 3 of these viruses can lead to chronic infections, long periods of latency, and reactivation characterized by pain and suffering. The efficient targeting of their genetic diversity represents one of the major challenges in their control, both in prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. An understanding of diversity will help delineate whether population-specific vaccine strategies are necessary.


Isolation of primate calicivirus Pan paniscus type 1 from a douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus l.).


docid: kknvejxd

title: Properties of isonucleotide-incorporated oligodeoxynucleotides and inhibition of the expression of spike protein of SARS-CoV.

text: Antisense oligonucleotides are recognized to be very efficient tools for the inhibition of gene expression in a sequence specific way. For the discovery of a novel efficient way to modify oligonucleotides, a series of single isonucleotide-incorporated antisense oligodeoxynucleotides have been synthesized, in which an isonucleotide was introduced at different positions of the sequences. The binding behaviors of modified oligodeoxynucleotides to the complementary sequence were studied by UV, CD, and molecular dynamics simulation. The results showed that although the incorporated isonucleotides at certain positions of the sequence interfere with the binding ability to a different extent, B-form duplexes were maintained and the binding abilities of the 3'-end-modified duplexes were better than the corresponding mismatched duplexes. The digestion of modified oligodeoxynucleotides by snake venom phosphodiesterase showed that an isonucleotide strongly antagonizes hydrolysis. The DNA/RNA hybrid formed by a modified oligodeoxynucleotide and its target RNA could activate RNase H. The 3'-end-modified antisense oligodeoxynucelotides inhibited S-glycoprotein expression of SARS-CoV at the mRNA levels in insect Sf9 cells. This study indicated the possibility of designing a novel and effective antisense oligodeoxynucleotide by incorporating an isonucleotide at the 3'-end of the sequence.


title: Reactivity of human coronavirus OC43 and neonatal calf diarrhoea coronavirus membrane-associated antigens.

text: Human embryonic lung fibroblast cultures and Vero cell cultures infected with cell culture-adapted strains of human coronavirus (HCV) OC43 or neonatal calf diarrhoea coronavirus (NCDCV) were shown to possess highly cross-reactive membrane-associated antigens (MAA) by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFAMA). MAA appeared 3 h post-infection, concurrently with the appearance of cytoplasmic antigens. Electron microscopic observations of cell cultures infected with either coronavirus strain and labelled with the immunoperoxidase antibody (IPA) technique for MAA detection showed that MAA consisted mainly of a strongly labelled, discontinuous, brush-like layer of amorphous material, strictly associated with the infected cell membrane. By light microscopy, reactivity of MAA with homologous and heterologous immune serum was similar to that of antigens detected by IPA in ethanol-fixed infected cells. IPA and IFAMA, but not haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) and neutralizing (Nt) antibody, were strongly decreased by absorption of immune sera with trypsin-treated glutaraldehyde-fixed cell cultures infected with homologous virus. MAA IgG antibodies were detected by IFAMA in both human and animal sera. Sera from infants showing an HI and Nt, but not an IPA, antibody response to HCV OC43 were also free of detectable IFAMA antibody to HCV OC43.


title: Effects of antibiotics administration on the incidence of wound infection in percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy.

text: The effect of antibiotics during the perioperative period of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is still controversial. A total of 297 patients who underwent the PDT procedure were divided into 2 groups:those administered antibiotics perioperatively and those not administered antibiotics. Wound infections were noted in 7 cases (incidence rate, 2.36%) and no death was recorded. Of the 69 patients without antibiotics, 5 developed wound infections (incidence rate, 7.25%), while only 2 of the 228 patients with antibiotics developed wound infections (incidence rate, 0.88%) (p＝0.002;risk ratio, 8.82;95% confidence interval, 1.67-46.6). Of the 7 cases of wound infection, 5 cases occurred during the early period after PDT (within 7 days). Collectively, the present results suggest that prophylactic administration of antibiotics may prevent the incidence of PDT-induced wound infection, especially in the early phase after the PDT procedures. The need for antibiotics in PDT should be reconsidered.


title: Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein in sars patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

text: We report the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) nucleocapsid protein. The assay was carried out with hyperimmune polyclonal nucleocapsid-specific antibodies from guinea pigs and rabbits immunized with recombinant His(6)-tagged SARS CoV nucleocapsid protein. The assay was used for the detection of SARS CoV nucleocapsid protein in nasopharyngeal aspirate, urine, and fecal samples collected from patients with confirmed SARS between days 2 and 33 after the onset of illness. The ELISA was capable of detecting this protein in SARS CoV cell culture lysates at 15 50% tissue culture infective doses/ml but did not produce positive signals when tested with cell culture lysates of human coronaviruses OC43 and 229E. When tested with 120 nasopharyngeal aspirate, 100 urine, and 100 fecal specimens from hospitalized patients without SARS, the assay was shown to have high specificities-96.7, 99, and 96%, respectively. In an evaluation of clinical specimens from SARS patients, 34 (52%) of 66 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from 50 patients, 5 (5%) of 94 urine samples from 94 patients, and 36 (55%) of 65 fecal samples from 65 patients tested positive for SARS CoV nucleocapsid protein. Nucleocapsid protein could be detected from days 6 to 24 in nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens, from days 11 to 31 in urine specimens, and from days 8 to 32 in fecal specimens after the onset of illness. Moreover, the protein could be detected in 25 (83%) of 30 nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens obtained from days 11 to 15 and in all 7 fecal specimens obtained from days 21 to 32. Since the present ELISA is more convenient and economical than reverse transcription-PCR, it may serve as an alternative tool for the early diagnosis of SARS CoV infection in laboratories with limited resources and expertise and for mass screening for the reservoir of SARS CoV. Further studies on serial clinical specimens should reveal the duration of nucleocapsid protein shedding and may reveal a higher detection rate in SARS patients.


title: Review of COVID-19 Antibody Therapies.

text: Under the global health emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), efficient and specific therapies are urgently needed. Compared with traditional small-molecular drugs, antibody therapies are relatively easy to develop and as specific as vaccines in targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and thus attract much attention in the past few months. This work reviews seven existing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein with three-dimensional (3D) structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. Five antibody structures associated with SARS-CoV are evaluated for their potential in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. The interactions of these antibodies with the S protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) are compared with those of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and RBD complexes. Due to the orders of magnitude in the discrepancies of experimental binding affinities, we introduce topological data analysis (TDA), a variety of network models, and deep learning to analyze the binding strength and therapeutic potential of the aforementioned fourteen antibody-antigen complexes. The current COVID-19 antibody clinical trials, which are not limited to the S protein target, are also reviewed.


Kawasaki disease lacks association with human coronavirus NL63 and human bocavirus.


title: A Survey of County Health Departments of Kansas Regarding COVID-19.

text: Introduction SARS-CoV-2 virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) causing COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) initially was identified in China in December 2019. It has resulted in a pandemic with increasing spread of the virus in the U.S. The county health departments around U.S. are spearheading the response to contain the spread of this virus. Methods This project was a survey of county health departments in the state of Kansas with data collection period from April 15 to April 24, 2020. This study evaluated the staffing, resources, and funding of these health departments and how it was affecting the efforts to contain COVID-19. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the responses. Results A total of 75% of the county health departments in Kansas responded to the survey. In 89% of locations, the staffing had not increased. Most health departments had an average of five people and the four largest ones had 30 to 98 staff working on COVID-19. Most locations used the Kansas Department of Health and Environment criteria for testing and used a combination of state or private laboratories. The results of the tests were available three days or longer in 62% and after five days in 14% of sites. All locations were active in contact tracing, but most had one to three people for this purpose and in 90% the contact tracing interview was via phone calls. There was no change in funding in 21% and decreased funding in 8.5% of health departments. Most locations had an average of five nasopharyngeal swabs on the day of the survey. The most common needs expressed were help to increase testing capability, more public education, more personal protective equipment, increased personnel, and assistance with contract tracing. Conclusion There is an urgent need in Kansas to increase support to county health departments for testing capability, personal protective equipment, increased number of staff, increased help with contact tracing, and especially increase support for public education.


title: Dangerous liaisons at the virological synapse.

text: Cell-to-cell viral transmission facilitates the propagation of HIV-1 and human T cell leukemia virus type 1. Mechanisms of cell-to-cell transmission by retroviruses were not well understood until the recent description of virological synapses (VSs). VSs function as specialized sites of immune cell-to-cell contact that direct virus infection. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of VS formation provides a fascinating insight into how pathogens subvert immune cell communication programs and achieve viral spread.


title: Simultaneous mechanical ventilation of several patients with a single ventilator.

text: INTRODUCTION Simultaneous mechanical ventilation of several patients with a single ventilator might reduce the deficit of these devices for the care of patients with acute respiratory failure due to Covid-19. OBJECTIVE To communicate the results of a mechanical ventilation exercise with a ventilator in a lung simulator, and simultaneously in two and four. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were observed between programmed, recorded and measured positive end-expiratory pressure, mean airway pressure and peak pressure, except when simultaneously ventilating four lung simulators. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous mechanical ventilation should be implemented by medical personnel with experience in the procedure, be restricted to two patients and carried out in the intensive care unit.


Breaches of safety regulations are probable cause of recent SARS outbreak, WHO says.


title: A new method for insertion of long intestinal tube for small bowel obstruction: Nonendoscopic over-the-wire method via short nasogastric tube.

text: It is often difficult to insert a long intestinal tube (LT) in patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO). We developed a novel technique for inserting an LT without endoscopy called nonendoscopic over-the-wire method via short nasogastric tube (NEWSt). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of NEWSt.We performed a retrospective study of patients who underwent LT insertion for SBO without any indications of strangulation with either NEWSt (n = 16) or endoscopy (n = 17) between November 2011 and February 2015 at our hospital. Univariate analysis was used to assess the success rate of LT placement beyond the duodenojejunal flexure, time required for the procedure, clinical outcomes, and adverse events.The success rate was 100% in both groups. Procedure time was numerically, but not statistically, shorter in the NEWSt group compared with the endoscopy group (24 ± 13 vs 30 ± 13 min; P = 0.174). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of surgery rate (31% vs 12%; P = 0.225), fasting period (11.3 ± 6.3 vs 9.9 ± 4.5 days; P = 0.482), hospital stay (26.4 ± 22.1 vs 18.7 ± 7.0 days; P = 0.194), and recurrence rate (19% vs 24%; P = 1.0). No serious adverse event was observed in the NEWSt group, whereas serious aspiration pneumonia was observed in 2 patients after LT insertion in the endoscopy group.Without endoscopy, NEWSt enabled the high success rate and the short procedure time for the LT insertion. Prospective, randomized controlled trials are needed.


title: A Sociotechnical Framework for Governing Climate Engineering.

text: Proposed ways of governing climate engineering have most often been supported by narrowly framed and unreflexive appraisals and processes. This article explores the governance implications of a Deliberative Mapping project that, unlike other governance principles, have emerged from an extensive process of reflection and reflexivity. In turn, the project has made significant advances in addressing the current deficit of responsibly defined criteria for shaping governance propositions. Three such propositions argue that (1) reflexive foresight of the imagined futures in which climate engineering proposals might reside is required; (2) the performance and acceptance of climate engineering proposals should be decided in terms of robustness, not optimality; and (3) climate engineering proposals should be satisfactorily opened up before they can be considered legitimate objects of governance. Taken together, these propositions offer a sociotechnical framework not simply for governing climate engineering but for governing responses to climate change at large.


title: The spread of pathogens through trade in wildlife.

text: Discussions on diseases of wildlife have generally focused on two basic models: the effect of disease on wildlife, and the role that wildlife plays in diseases affecting people or domestic animal health, welfare, economics and trade. Traditionally, wildlife professionals and conservationists have focused on the former, while most human/animal health specialists have been concerned largely with the latter. Lately, the (re-)emergence of many high-profile infectious diseases in a world with ever-increasing globalisation has led to a more holistic approach in the assessment and mitigation of health risks involving wildlife (with a concurrent expansion of literature). In this paper, the authors review the role of wildlife in the ecology of infectious disease, the staggering magnitude of the movement of wild animals and products across international borders in trade, the pathways by which they move, and the growing body of risk assessments from a multitude of disciplines. Finally, they highlight existing recommendations and offer solutions for a collaborative way forward.


title: Identification of a new intestinal spirochete with pathogenicity for chickens.

text: Two intestinal spirochete isolates obtained from chickens with diarrhea were examined by electron microscopy, biochemical tests, rRNA gene restriction pattern analysis, and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. One isolate (strain 91-1207/C1) was pathogenicity tested in vivo in chickens. The chicken spirochetes were morphologically indistinguishable from Serpulina innocens and Serpulina hyodysenteriae and phenotypically similar to S. innocens. However, the chicken spirochetes could be distinguished from S. innocens, S. hyodysenteriae, and other swine intestinal spirochetes by rRNA gene restriction pattern analysis and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. In pathogenicity tests in 1-day-old chicks and 14-month-old hens, chicken spirochete 91-1207/C1 produced pale-yellow, watery cecal contents and mild lymphocytic typhlitis. These findings support the conclusion that avian intestinal spirochetes can be pathogenic to commercial poultry and that the microorganisms are different from intestinal spirochetes that infect pigs.


Clinical study on high-resolution CT and pulmonary function in severe acute respiratory syndrome patients during recovery phase.


title: Coronavirus transcription early in infection.

text: We studied the accumulation kinetics of murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) RNAs early in infection by using cloned MHV defective interfering (DI) RNA that contained an intergenic sequence from which subgenomic DI RNA is synthesized in MHV-infected cells. Genomic DI RNA and subgenomic DI RNA accumulated at a constant ratio from 3 to 11 h postinfection (p.i.) in the cells infected with MHV-containing DI particles. Earlier, at 1 h p.i., this ratio was not constant; only genomic DI RNA accumulated, indicating that MHV RNA replication, but not MHV RNA transcription, was active during the first hour of MHV infection. Negative-strand genomic DI RNA and negative-strand subgenomic DI RNA were first detectable at 1 and 3 h p.i., respectively, and the amounts of both RNAs increased gradually until 6 h p.i. These data showed that at 2 h p.i., subgenomic DI RNA was undergoing synthesis in the cells in which negative-strand subgenomic DI RNA was undetectable. These data, therefore, signify that negative-strand genomic DI RNA, but not negative-strand subgenomic DI RNA, was an active template for subgenomic DI RNA synthesis early in infection.


Sustainable yield and conservation goals.


title: Microbial adaptation and change: avian influenza.

text: The evolution of influenza is a continuing process involving viral and host factors. The increasing frequency of emergence of the highly pathogenic H5N1, H7N3 and H7N7 influenza viruses and the panzootic spread of H9N2 influenza virus, all of which can be potentially transmitted to humans, are of great concern to both veterinary and human public health officials. The question is how soon the next pandemic will emerge. A convergence of factors, including the population densities of poultry, pigs and humans, are likely factors affecting the evolution of the virus. Highly concentrated poultry and pig farming, in conjunction with traditional live animal or 'wet' markets, provide optimal conditions for increased mutation, reassortment and recombination of influenza viruses. Strategies to reduce the evolution of influenza and the emergence of pandemics include the separation of species, increased biosecurity, the development of new vaccine strategies and better basic knowledge of the virus. More effective co-operation between scientists and veterinary and public health officials is required to achieve these goals.


title: Coronavirus escape from heptad repeat 2 (HR2)-derived peptide entry inhibition as a result of mutations in the HR1 domain of the spike fusion protein.

text: Peptides based on heptad repeat (HR) domains of class I viral fusion proteins are considered promising antiviral drugs targeting virus cell entry. We have analyzed the evolution of the mouse hepatitis coronavirus during multiple passaging in the presence of an HR2-based fusion inhibitor. Drug-resistant variants emerged as a result of multiple substitutions in the spike fusion protein, notably within a 19-residue segment of the HR1 region. Strikingly, one mutation, an A1006V substitution, which consistently appeared first in four independently passaged viruses, was the main determinant of the resistance phenotype, suggesting that only limited options exist for escape from the inhibitory effect of the HR2 peptide.


title: [Innate immune recognition of viral infection].

text: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key molecules of the innate immune systems, which detect conserved structures found in a broad range of pathogens and triggers innate immune responses. A subset of TLRs recognize viral components and induce antiviral responses by producing type I interferons. Whereas TLR2 and TLR4 recognize viral components at the cell surface, TLR3, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9 are exclusively expressed in endosomal compartments. After phagocytes internalize viruses or virus-infected apoptotic cells, viral nucleic acids are released in phagolysosomes and are recognized by these TLRs. Recent reports have shown that hosts also have a mechanism to detect replicating viruses in the cytoplasm in a TLR-independent manner. In this review, we focus on the viral recognition by innate immunity and the signaling pathways.


title: [Andrology and penile cancer. Recommendations during COVID-19 pandemia.]

text: PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic which has affected Spain since the beginning of 2020 compels us to determine recomendations for the practice of Andrology in present times. MATERIALS AND METHODS A web search is carried out in English and Spanish and a joint proposal is defined by experts in Andrology from different regions of Spain. RESULTS Most diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in Andrology can be safey postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online consultations and outpatient surgeries must be encouraged. Andrologic emergencies and penile cancer management should be considered high priority, and should be diagnosed and treated promptly even in the most severe phases of the pandemic.


title: [Epidemiology of SARS: mission of the emergency medical department of the French Hospital of Hanoi].

text: During the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that occurred in Vietnam in March 2003, the French Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs dispatched a mission composed of personnel from the emergency medical assistance department (French acronym, SAMU) and one virologist from the Pasteur Institute to the French hospital in Hanoi. The purpose of this mission was to reinforce the local medical staff, to bring medical equipment, and to assist in identifying the cause of the SARS epidemic. Most of the 39 cases observed involved health care personnel working at the hospital. Six including 5 who died presented severe manifestations. Application of strict empirical measures of isolation, hygiene, and personal protection allowed containment of the SARS outbreak in Hanoi.


SARS: are we still at risk?


Review series: lung disease around the world: lung health in India.


title: [Cell entry mechanisms of coronaviruses].

text: Enveloped viruses enter into cells via fusion of their envelope and cellular membrane. Spike (S) protein of coronavirus (CoV) is responsible for entry events. We studied the cell entry mechanisms of two different CoVs, murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). MHV-JHM that induces syncytia in infected cells entered directly from cell surface, i.e., fusion of envelope and plasma membrane, whereas SARS-CoV and MHV-2 that fail to induce syncytia entered via endosome in a protease-dependent fashion, i.e., fusion of envelope and endosomal membrane. The latter viruses entered directly from cell surface, when receptor-bound viruses were treated with proteases that activate fusion activity of their S proteins. The entry pathway of SARS-CoV could influence the severity of the disease. It was also reveled that a highly neurovirulent JHM spread in a receptor-independent fashion, which could result in a high neuropathogenicity of the virus.


title: Thyroid function in clinical subtypes of major depression: an exploratory study.

text: BACKGROUND Unipolar depression might be characterized by a 'low-thyroid function syndrome'. To our knowledge, this is the first study which explores the possible relationship of DSM-IV depressive subtypes and the medium term outcome, with thyroid function. METHODS MATERIAL Thirty major depressive patients (DSM-IV) aged 21-60 years and 60 control subjects were included. Clinical Diagnosis: The SCAN v 2.0 and the IPDE were used. The psychometric Assessment included HDRS the HAS and the GAF scales. Free-T3, Free-T4, TSH, Thyroid Binding Inhibitory Immunoglobulins (TBII), Thyroglobulin antibodies (TA) and Thyroid Microsomal Antibodies (TMA) were measured in the serum. The Statistical analysis included 1 and 2-way MANCOVA, discriminant function analysis and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS All depressive subtypes had significantly higher TBII levels in comparison to controls. Atypical patients had significantly higher TMA in comparison to controls. No significant correlation was observed between the HDRS, HAS and GAF scales and thyroid indices. Discriminant function analysis produced functions based on thyroid indices, which could moderately discriminate between diagnostic groups, but could predict good response to treatment with 89.47% chance of success. CONCLUSION Although overt thyroid dysfunction is not common in depression, there is evidence suggesting the presence of an autoimmune process affecting the thyroid gland in depressive patients


The SARS attack on Hong Kong.


title: Prevalence of enteric pathogens in the feces of healthy beef calves.

text: Fecal specimens from 136 healthy beef calves (1 day to 12 weeks of age) were examined for the presence of infectious agents known to cause enteric disease in calves. The calves were selected from 22 herds in which all calves were free of clinically apparent enteric disease. Salmonella sp, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium, and coronavirus were not detected in any of the calves. Three calves were infected with rotavirus and 1 calf was infected with Yersinia enterocolitica. Campylobacter-like bacteria were isolated from 50 of 130 calves, with 36 of the calves positive for C jejuni. Seemingly, clinically normal calves may be infected more often with enterotoxigenic E coli, Cryptosporidium, coronavirus, or rotavirus in herds in which some calves have enteric disease than in herds free of major enteric disease. Campylobacter jejuni was well adapted to the bovine host and was of similar prevalence in diarrheal and nondiarrheal calves. The K99 positive, nonenterotoxigenic E coli was isolated from the feces of 16 healthy calves. Information in addition to the presence of K99 antigen is useful when diagnosing enterotoxic colibacillosis in calves.


title: Optimization of targeted RNA recombination and mapping of a novel nucleocapsid gene mutation in the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus.

text: We have recently described a method of introducing site-specific mutations into the genome of the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) by RNA recombination between cotransfected genomic RNA and a synthetic subgenomic mRNA (C. A. Koetzner, M. M. Parker, C. S. Ricard, L. S. Sturman, and P. S. Masters, J. Virol. 66:1841-1848, 1992). By using a thermolabile N protein mutant of MHV (Alb4) as the recipient virus and synthetic RNA7 (the mRNA for the nucleocapsid protein N) as the donor, we selected engineered recombinant viruses as heat-stable progeny resulting from cotransfection. We have now been able to greatly increase the efficiency of targeted recombination in this process by using a synthetic defective interfering (DI) RNA in place of RNA7. The frequency of recombination is sufficiently high that, with Alb4 as the recipient, recombinants can be directly identified without using thermal selection. The synthetic DI RNA has been used to demonstrate that the lesion in another temperature-sensitive and thermolabile MHV mutant, Alb1, maps to the N gene. Sequencing of the Alb1 N gene revealed two closely linked point mutations that fall in a region of the N molecule previously noted as being the most highly conserved region among all of the coronavirus N proteins. Analysis of revertants of the Alb1 mutant revealed that one of the two mutations is critical for the temperature-sensitive phenotype; the second mutation is phenotypically silent.


title: Sympathetic enhancement in futsal players but not in football players after repeated sprint ability test.

text: BACKGROUND Heart rate variability (HRV) can disclose the specific adaptation of sympathovagal modulation to exercise. This study investigated the change in HRV measures after anaerobic and aerobic intermittent exercises in university football and futsal players. METHOD 36 male university students with physically active lifestyle (n=14), football (n=12), and futsal (n=10) participated in this study. The participants completed the repeated sprint ability (RSA) test and Yo-Yo (YY) intermittent recovery test level 1 in randomised order. ECG signals of the participants were recorded in supine position 15 min before and 30 min after exercises. Before exercise, and 5 and 30 min after exercise, the blood pressures were also taken. RESULTS In the RSA protocol, the percentage changes in normalised high-frequency power (nHFP) were significantly decreased, while the percentage changes in the very low/high frequency power ratio (VLHR) and low/high frequency power ratio (LHR) were significantly increased in futsal players after exercise, as compared with the controls. No significant changes in all HRV indices were found in the YY protocol, except the respiratory frequency. CONCLUSIONS After exercise, the percent decrease in vagal modulation in futsal players was significantly reduced, while the percentage increase in sympathetic modulation in futsal players was significantly enhanced in the RSA test, but not in the YY test, as compared with the control group. The increase in sympathetic activity and the decrease in vagal activity in the futsal players were greater than the corresponding increase and decrease in the football players in the RSA test.


title: Severe acute respiratory syndrome: implications for perinatal and neonatal nurses.

text: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infection that causes a potentially fatal respiratory disease. Although the SARS outbreak lasted less than 1 year, it resulted in significant morbidity and mortality and impacted nursing practices. A literature review was conducted. Only English language research articles in peer-reviewed journals, national organization publications, and book chapters were utilized. Data from 37 relevant articles were extracted, analyzed, and summarized. SARS' clinical description is presented, including its common signs/symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Recommended isolation practices for labor and delivery and proper procedures for donning, using, and doffing personal protective equipment are provided. Potential maternal outcomes include spontaneous miscarriage during the first trimester, preterm birth, emergency cesarean section, renal failure, secondary bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, surgical site infection, and maternal death. There have been no documented cases of vertical transmission; passive immunity is suspected on the basis of the presence of antibodies in some maternal body fluids. Potential neonatal outcomes include complications related to premature birth, intrauterine growth restriction, respiratory distress syndrome, and severe gastrointestinal manifestations. It is not known if or when SARS will reemerge, but perinatal and neonatal nurses should become familiar with its clinical description and proper infection control procedures to halt potential outbreaks.


title: Outbreak of dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome) in a closed colony of pet cats.

text: Six of eight pet cats in a closed colony developed overt signs of dysautonomia over a period of seven days; two of them died and one was euthanased. Dysautonomia was confirmed histopathologically in two of these cats, and in the others the diagnosis was based on the characteristic clinical and radiographic findings. In the two apparently unaffected cats abnormal oesophageal motility was demonstrated by fluoroscopy, suggesting that there may be a subclinical form of the disease. The surviving cats had higher and more variable heart rates (mean 165 bpm) than the non-survivors (mean 121 bpm).


title: Bilevel noninvasive positive pressure ventilation for acute respiratory failure: survey of Ontario practice.

text: OBJECTIVE To determine physicians' stated practices regarding the use of bilevel noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for acute respiratory failure and the predictors of practice variation. DESIGN Cross-sectional postal survey. SETTING Province of Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS Attending physicians and residents in four specialties at 15 teaching hospitals. INTERVENTIONS We used literature searches and focus groups to design questions related to NIV utilization with respect to frequency, location of and indications for use, awareness of supporting literature, and perceived efficacy. We assessed the survey's clinical sensibility and reliability. We used regression analyses to evaluate practice variation among hospitals and specialties and to determine predictors of more frequent NIV use, initiation of and continued use in nonmonitored settings, and use for specific indications. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Three hundred eighty-five (48%) of 808 physicians responded; 242 used NIV. The two most common indications for NIV use were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. NIV guidelines, protocols, or policies were available in 12 of 15 hospitals. We found variation in NIV utilization among specialties but not hospitals. Specialty (critical care and respirology versus internal and emergency medicine), fewer years of postgraduate experience, and a greater number of noninvasive ventilators were predictors of more frequent NIV use (all p < or = .001). Only 6% of respondents reported initiation of use and continued use most frequently in nonmonitored settings, which increased with the number of noninvasive ventilators (p = .02). Physician characteristics such as awareness of the literature were predictive of NIV use for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, whereas perceived NIV efficacy was predictive of use for many indications, including congestive heart failure. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported practice variation for bilevel NIV exists among specialties but not hospitals and differs with respect to frequency, location of use, and use for specific indications. Some factors associated with variation in NIV use may be suitable targets for utilization improvement interventions.


title: [Current Status of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Vaccines].

text: Middle East respiratory syndrome is a kind of respiratory disease Caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus. Now the disease has spread to 27 countries around the world, more than 1806 people infected and more than 600 people were killed, and four countries have reported cases of camel infection MERS. Prevention of the disease are very important measures to research and development related to the vaccine. In order to have more resources into the development of safe and effective vaccine, this article summarizes the current some candidate vaccine of MERS research progress for the prevention and treatment of the disease that could trigger a global public health security problems ahead.


title: Autophagy: eating for good health.

text: A renaissance in the autophagy field has illuminated many areas of biology, and infectious disease is no exception. By identifying key components of this broadly conserved membrane traffic pathway, yeast geneticists generated tools for microbiologists and immunologists to explore whether autophagy contributes to host defenses. As a result, autophagy is now recognized to be another barrier confronted by microbes that invade eukaryotic cells. Mounting evidence also indicates that autophagy equips cells to deliver cytosolic Ags to the MHC class II pathway. By applying knowledge of the autophagy machinery and exploiting microbes as genetic probes, experimentalists can now examine in detail how this ancient membrane traffic pathway contributes to these and other mechanisms critical for infection and immunity.


title: Binding of transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus to brush border membrane sialoglycoproteins.

text: Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) is a porcine pathogen causing enteric infections that are lethal for suckling piglets. The enterotropism of TGEV is connected with the sialic acid binding activity of the viral surface protein S. Here we show that, among porcine intestinal brush border membrane proteins, TGEV recognizes a mucin-type glycoprotein designated MGP in a sialic acid-dependent fashion. Virus binding assays with cryosections of the small intestine from a suckling piglet revealed the binding of TGEV to mucin-producing goblet cells. A nonenteropathogenic mutant virus that lacked a sialic acid binding activity was unable to bind to MGP and to attach to goblet cells. Our results suggest a role of MGP in the enteropathogenicity of TGEV.


Malaria control and public health.


title: Respiratory medical societies and the threat of bioterrorism.

text: Respiratory medical societies throughout the world have an important role in helping governments to develop public policy to counter the threat of bioterrorism.


title: Prevalence of coronavirus antibodies in rabbits.

text: Antibodies to coronavirus were detected by an indirect fluorescent antibody test in rabbit sera from six rabbitries. The prevalence ranged from 3 to 40% in different rabbitries and most seropositive rabbits were more than 4 months old. A rabbitry with high prevalence of antibodies and high incidence of diarrhea could serve as a source of virus and aid in studying the natural history of coronavirus infection in rabbits.


title: A noise-optimized virtual monochromatic reconstruction algorithm improves stent visualization and diagnostic accuracy for detection of in-stent re-stenosis in lower extremity run-off CT angiography.

text: PURPOSE To evaluate the impact of noise-optimized virtual monochromatic imaging (VMI+) on stent visualization and accuracy for in-stent re-stenosis at lower extremity dual-energy CT angiography (DE-CTA). MATERIAL AND METHODS We evaluated third-generation dual-source DE-CTA studies in 31 patients with prior stent placement. Images were reconstructed with linear blending (F_0.5) and VMI+ at 40-150 keV. In-stent luminal diameter was measured and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) calculated. Diagnostic confidence was determined using a five-point scale. In 21 patients with invasive catheter angiography, accuracy for significant re-stenosis (≥50 %) was assessed at F_0.5 and 80 keV-VMI+ chosen as the optimal energy level based on image-quality analysis. RESULTS At CTA, 45 stents were present. DSA was available for 28 stents whereas 12 stents showed significant re-stenosis. CNR was significantly higher with ≤80 keV-VMI+ (17.9 ± 6.4-33.7 ± 12.3) compared to F_0.5 (16.9 ± 4.8; all p < 0.0463); luminal stent diameters were increased at ≥70 keV (5.41 ± 1.8-5.92 ± 1.7 vs. 5.27 ± 1.8, all p < 0.001) and diagnostic confidence was highest at 70-80 keV-VMI+ (4.90 ± 0.48-4.88 ± 0.63 vs. 4.60 ± 0.66, p = 0.001, 0.0042). Sensitivity, negative predictive value and accuracy for re-stenosis were higher with 80 keV-VMI+ (100, 100, 96.4 %) than F_0.5 (90.9, 94.1, 89.3 %). CONCLUSION 80 keV-VMI+ improves image quality, diagnostic confidence and accuracy for stent evaluation at lower extremity DE-CTA. KEY POINTS • The impact of noise-optimized virtual monochromatic imaging on stent visualization was assessed. • Virtual monochromatic imaging significantly improves stent lumen visualization and diagnostic confidence. • At 80 keV diagnostic performance for detection of in-stent restenosis was increased. • 80 keV virtual monochromatic images are recommended for stent evaluation of lower extremity vasculature.


title: Immunohistochemical screening for viral agents in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) with myelopathy.

text: Numerous cases of acute-onset progressive ataxia, hindlimb paresis and paralysis of unknown aetiology occurred during 1993 to 2003 in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) within the European Endangered Species Programme (eep). This study describes the immunohistochemical investigation of a possible viral aetiology of the "cheetah myelopathy". Antibodies to feline herpesvirus type 1, canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and Borna disease virus were applied to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded brain and spinal cord sections from 25 affected cheetahs aged between three-and-a-half months and 13 years. Using the avidin-biotin complex technique, none of the antibodies gave positive immunosignals in either the brain or the spinal cord tissue.


title: Late-onset rejection of a unilateral donor lung with vascular C4d deposition in bilateral living-donor lobar lung transplantation: an autopsy case report.

text: A 37-year-old woman had undergone bilateral living-donor lobar lung transplantation 11 years previously for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Her father donated the right lobe and her brother donated the left lobe. She subsequently developed progressively worsening respiratory dysfunction due to pneumonia. CT showed left dominant pulmonary artery dilatation, bronchial wall thickening and airway stenosis, followed by sudden death. An autopsy showed marked pathologic left dominant rejection of the pulmonary artery, small airway and large airway. Notably, only the left lung showed C4d vascular deposition, thus suggesting that antibody-mediated lung rejection may have occurred.


title: AEGIS: a robust and scalable real-time public health surveillance system.

text: In this report, we describe the Automated Epidemiological Geotemporal Integrated Surveillance system (AEGIS), developed for real-time population health monitoring in the state of Massachusetts. AEGIS provides public health personnel with automated near-real-time situational awareness of utilization patterns at participating healthcare institutions, supporting surveillance of bioterrorism and naturally occurring outbreaks. As real-time public health surveillance systems become integrated into regional and national surveillance initiatives, the challenges of scalability, robustness, and data security become increasingly prominent. A modular and fault tolerant design helps AEGIS achieve scalability and robustness, while a distributed storage model with local autonomy helps to minimize risk of unauthorized disclosure. The report includes a description of the evolution of the design over time in response to the challenges of a regional and national integration environment.


title: Epidemiological features of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing urban and suburb areas in 2003.

text: OBJECTIVE To describe the epidemiologic features of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in urban and suburb areas in Beijing and to explore their differences between these two areas. METHODS Data of SARS cases were collected from daily notification of China Ministry of Health and a database of infectious diseases was established by the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Prevention and Control (BCDC). All the data were put into dataset files by Microsoft Excel-2000 and analyzed with SPSS version 10.0 software. RESULTS The respective urban incidence and mortality rate were 29.06 and 2.21 per 100,000, while the case fatality rate was 7.62%. In contrast, the respective suburb incidence and mortality rate were 10.61 and 0.78 per 100,000, and the case fatality rate was 7.32%. No significant differences were found in demographic characteristics between the urban and suburb areas. CONCLUSION Beijing urban area suffered a more serious SARS epidemic than the suburb area in 2003.


title: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein expressed by attenuated vaccinia virus protectively immunizes mice.

text: The spike protein (S), a membrane component of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is anticipated to be an important component of candidate vaccines. We constructed recombinant forms of the highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) containing the gene encoding full-length SARS-CoV S with and without a C-terminal epitope tag called MVA/S-HA and MVA/S, respectively. Cells infected with MVA/Sor MVA/S-HA synthesized a 200-kDa protein, which was recognized by antibody raised against a synthetic peptide of SARS-CoV S or the epitope tag in Western blot analyses. Further studies indicated that S was N-glycosylated and migrated in SDS polyacrylamide gels with an apparent mass of approximately 160 kDa after treatment with peptide N-glycosidase F. The acquisition of resistance to endoglycosidase H indicated trafficking of S to the medial Golgi compartment, and confocal microscopy showed that S was transported to the cell surface. Intranasal or intramuscular inoculations of BALB/c mice with MVA/S produced serum antibodies that recognized the SARS S in ELISA and neutralized SARS-CoV in vitro. Moreover, MVA/S administered by either route elicited protective immunity, as shown by reduced titers of SARS-CoV in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of mice after challenge. Passive transfer of serum from mice immunized with MVA/S to naïve mice also reduced the replication of SARS-CoV in the respiratory tract after challenge, demonstrating a role for antibody to S in protection. The attenuated nature of MVA and the ability of MVA/S to induce neutralizing antibody that protects mice support further development of this candidate vaccine.


title: Proteolytic processing of the polyprotein encoded by ORF1b of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV).

text: We present here evidence demonstrating that four previously predicted Q-S(G) cleavage sites, encoded by the IBV sequences from nucleotide 15,129 to 15,134, 16,929 to 16,934, 18,492 to 18,497, and 19,506 to 19,511, respectively, can be recognised and transcleaved by the 3C-like proteinase. Five mature products with sizes of approximately 100 kDa, 65 kDa, 63 kDa, 42 kDa and 35 kDa are released from the ORF1b polyprotein by the 3C-like proteinase-mediated cleavage at these positions. Meanwhile, expression of plasmids containing only the ORF1b region showed no autocleavage of the polyprotein encoded, suggesting that the 3C-like proteinase may be the sole proteinase involved in processing of the 1b polyprotein. These data may therefore represent a complete processing map of the polyprotein encoded by ORF1b of mRNA1.


title: Workplace hand hygiene and wellness: a survey of knowledge, beliefs, and practices.

text: Community hand hygiene interventions have reduced the spread of infectious disease in elementary schools, daycare centers, and private homes. Despite this success, and the potential for reducing workplace absenteeism and presenteeism, few peer-reviewed hand hygiene intervention studies among workers have been published. This research used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to guide the development of a model to understand and predict motivations for performing hand hygiene, and to examine related illness, absenteeism, and presenteeism among employees from 39 bank branches in Ohio. Although the TPB has been used extensively to elucidate hand hygiene practices among employees in the health care and food industries, little is known about the ability of the TPB to predict hand hygiene practices among workers in public settings. These survey findings indicate a need for hand hygiene improvement, and support the use of attitudinal beliefs and social norms to guide multimodal approaches for workplace hand hygiene interventions.


title: Promoting a safer practice environment as related to occupational tuberculosis: a nursing care quality issue in Taiwan.

text: As a result of a recent cluster of tuberculosis (TB) transmission among healthcare providers in a regional teaching hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, there has been growing concern about occupational health hazards, especially of communicable diseases, faced by our nurses in practice. Tuberculosis is an invisible killer of nurses in the process of nursing care delivery. This descriptive article briefly reviews the epidemiology of TB in Taiwan, discusses the recent cluster of TB transmission in Taipei, and reviews relevant studies of occupational hazards. This article also focuses nurses' attention on relevant legislation and hospital policies related to occupational hazards in Taiwan. Suggestions and practice implications are discussed.


Role of medical associations in times of disaster.


docid: ismrzcbz

title: Clinico-radiological Presentation of COVID-19 Patients at a Tertiary Care Center at Bhilwara Rajasthan, India.

text: Background COVID-19 has now become a pandemic. From Wuhan, China, in December 2019 to European countries, USA and now it seems to gain a strong foothold in India. The objective of this work is to report the initial experience with demographic and clinical features, and management of COVID-19 patients admitted in medical college Bhilwara, India. Methods This is a descriptive case series of first 26 COVID-19 patients. Demographical, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and treatment and outcomes data were obtained with data collection forms and history given by 26 COVID-19 patients. Results and Discussion During this study 26 COVID-19 positive patients were admitted in MG Hospital, Bhilwara. Male patients were 61.54% and majority (88.46%) were below 60 years of age. Approximately 30.76 % patients were asymptomatic. Fever was the most common symptom (61.54%) followed by sore throat (53.84 %), cough (42.30%) myalgia (38.46%)and dyspnea(23.07%). Six patients (23.07%) of total 26 had comorbidities. Leucopenia was seen in in 9 (34.61%) and leukocytosis was seen in 2 patient. Ten patient (38.46%) out of 26 shown increased lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio. Chest X- ray was normal in 20 patients (76.92%). Abnormalities in chest CT were detected among 10 (38.46%) patients. Typical findings were bilateral multifocal patchy peripheral subsegmental areas of consolidation more towards middle and lower zones and bilateral ground glass opacities involving multiple segments. Oseltamivir and chloroquine were given to all 26 patients. Azithromycin was given in 24 patients. Mean duration of conversion of COVID-19 patients was 6.83 days. All discharged patients advised home quarantine for 14 days as per guidelines. Conclusion Patients often present without fever, and many may not have abnormal radiologic findings. Patients with older age and associated comorbid conditions (COPD and diabetes) seem to have greater risk for lung injury.


title: Proximal airway mucous cells of ovalbumin-sensitized and -challenged Brown Norway rats accumulate the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide.

text: Mucous cell hypersecretion and increased neuropeptide production play a role in the exacerbation of symptoms associated with asthma. The source of these neuropeptides have been confined to the contributions of small afferent nerves or possibly neuroendocrine cells. We tested the hypothesis that repeated exposure to allergen would alter the sources and abundance of neuropeptides in airways. Right middle lobes from rats (8 wk old) exposed to 2.5% ovalbumin (OVA) for five episodes (30 min each) or filtered air were inflation fixed with paraformaldehyde. The lobes were dissected to expose the airway tree, permeabilized with DMSO, and incubated in antibody to rat calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), followed with a fluorochrome-labeled second antibody. CGRP-positive structures were imaged via confocal microscopy. Airways were later embedded in plastic and sectioned for cell identification. In animals challenged with OVA, CGRP-positive cells, not neuroendocrine or neuronal in origin (confirmed by a lack of protein gene product 9.5 signal), were recorded along the axial path. In section, this fluorescent signal was localized to granules within epithelial cells. Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff staining of these same sections positively identify these cells as mucous cells. Mucous cells of animals not challenged with OVA were not positive for CGRP. We conclude that episodic allergen exposure results in the accumulation of CGRP within mucous cells, creating a new source for the release of this neuropeptide within the airway.


Value of throat swabs from index cases of meningococcal meningitis.


title: Laparoscopic modified Sugarbaker parastomal hernia repair with 2-point anchoring and zigzag tacking of Parietex™ Parastomal Mesh technique.

text: BACKGROUND The ideal mesh and mesh fixation technique for laparoscopic Sugarbaker (SB) parastomal hernia repair have not yet been identified. METHODS Sixteen patients with parastomal hernia who underwent laparoscopic modified SB repair (LSB) between June 2012 and October 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. LSB was performed using a developed standardized 2-point anchoring and zigzag tacking of Parietex™ Parastomal Mesh (PCO-PM) technique. RESULTS Out of 16 cases, 14 were primary and 2 recurrent hernias; 13 were para-end colostomy and 3 were para-ileal conduit (PIC) hernias. The median longitudinal and transverse diameters of the hernia orifice were 5 cm (2.5-7 cm) and 4.2 cm (2-6 cm), respectively. Five cases had a concomitant midline incisional hernia, which was simultaneously repaired. In all cases, the mesh was placed without deflection. The median operation time was 193 (75-386) min. Perioperative complications occurred in two cases (13 %) with PIC, one intra-operatively and the other postoperatively. The intra-operative complication was enterotomy close to the ureteroenteric anastomosis of the ileal conduit; it was repaired through a mini-laparotomy. LSB was accomplished without any subsequent postoperative complications. The postoperative complication was ureteral obstruction that required creation of nephrostomy. Mini-laparotomy was necessary in those two cases (13 %) because of intra-operative enterotomy and severe intra-abdominal adhesions. The median postoperative length of stay was 9 (5-14) days. No recurrence was observed with a median follow-up of 14.5 (2-41) months. CONCLUSIONS Our LSB using standardized mesh fixation technique is safe and feasible, and the PCO-PM seems to be the most optimal prosthesis.


title: Bioterrorism and emerging infectious disease - antimicrobials, therapeutics and immune-modulators. SARS coronavirus.

text: The purpose of this meeting was to provide a forum for expert presentations and discussion about the threats of bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases, and to address the issues relating to epidemics, prevention of infection and treatment of some of these emerging infectious diseases classified as potential agents of bioterror. Included in the talks were state-of-the-art presentations about infectious clone technology and recombinant viruses, pathogen and receptor interactions at the cellular and molecular level, genomic responses to infection, and new information on antiviral mechanisms of action. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and progress toward understanding the epidemic was addressed, and other sessions were presented concerning immune therapy and immunopotentiation of disease, siRNA and gene silencing, host responses to pathogen infections, as well as the use of genetic engineering to circumvent and direct the immune response. Many discussions were held and data were presented about possible compounds and new drugs that may have antiviral properties, yet there were few discussions of any available new drugs. This report addresses reverse genetics of SARS virus, as well as its epidemiology, and a host of different recent approaches to developing antivirals effective against SARS, including some potential vaccine candidates. Also presented are hypotheses about the human immune response to SARS infection, as well as immune therapies against botulinum and anthrax toxins. This report also addresses antiviral approaches exploiting siRNAs, and different aspects of the host immune response to many of the different dangerous pathogens discussed at this meeting. Finally, approaches to circumventing and directing the immune response using genetic engineering will be reported.


title: [Severe acute respiratory syndrome in 78 patients: a retrospective study].

text: OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. METHODS Seventy-eight patients with SARS referred to the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases (GIRD), China from December 22, 2002 to March 2003 were studied retrospectively. The data reviewed included those of clinical manifestations, laboratory investigation and roentgenology. RESULTS The patients consisted of 42 men and 36 women, aged 20 - 75 years (mean 37.5 +/- 11.6 years), including 44 infected health-care professionals. Clinical symptoms of these patients were fever (100%), coughing (88%), and dyspnea (80%). Routine blood test revealed WBCs <4.0 x 10(9)/L in 12 patients (15%), (4.0 -10.0) x 10(9)/L in 49 (63%), and over 10.0 x 10(9)/L in 17 (22%) [average (7.6 +/- 5.0) x 10(9)/L]. The level of neutrophilic granulocyte was 0.75 +/- 0.13 and that of lymphocyte was 0.18 +/- 0.11. Chest X-ray and CT scanning revealed changes related to pneumonia. The transmission of the disease was likely via close contact with contagious droplets. The prevalences of acute lung injury (ALI,37 patients) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, 21 of the 37 patients) were considerably high among the patients. Seven patients who developed ARDS complicated with MODS died. CONCLUSIONS A history of close contact, fever, X-ray signs of pneumonia and normal or lowered WBC counts are favorable for the diagnosis of SARS. Recognition of ALI as the important index for critical SARS and comprehensive supportive management are of paramount importance in decreasing the mortality of patients with SARS.


title: Membrane transplantation to correct integral membrane protein defects.

text: In this report we show that the tendency of certain viruses to carry host membrane proteins in their envelopes can be harnessed for transplantation of small patches of plasma membrane, including fully functional, polytopic ion channel proteins and their regulatory binding partners. As a stringent model we tested the topologically complex epithelial ion channel CFTR. Initially an attenuated vaccinia virus was found capable of transferring CFTR in a properly folded, functional and regulatable form to CFTR negative cells. Next we generated viruslike particles (VLPs) composed of retroviral structural proteins that assemble and bud at the host cell plasma membrane. These particles were also shown to mediate functional ion channel transfer. By testing the capacity of complex membrane proteins to incorporate into viral envelopes these experiments provide new insight into the permissiveness of viral envelopment, including the ability of incorporated proteins to retain function and repair defects at the cell surface, and serve as a platform for studies of ion channel and membrane protein biochemistry.


title: Universal oligonucleotides for the detection of infectious bronchitis virus by the polymerase chain reaction.

text: The universality of seven pairs of oligonucleotides for detection of the coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was examined using 41 isolates of IBV collected over five decades from Europe, Japan and the USA. Oligonucleotides specific for sequences within the S2 region of the spike (S) gene (Lin et al., 1991a) and nucleocapsid (N) gene (Zwaagstra et al., 1992) gave the appropriate products with all 41 isolates. Oligonu-cleotide pair UTR1 - UTR2 +, corresponding to sequences within the 3 untranslated region (UTR) of the genome, also gave the predicted product with all the isolates. Oligonucleotide pair UTR3 - /UTR4 + was internal to oligonucleotides UTR1 - /UTR2 + and was used in a nested-set arrangement for greater specificity and sensitivity, giving the correct product with the 39 isolates examined. Oligonucleotide pair S1Unil - /S1Uni2 + was used to produce a 1.6 kb cDNA, corresponding to most of the S1 region of the S gene, with 24/24 isolates tested. This oligonucleotide pair was less suited than the others for routine detection of IBV but is recommended for the amplification of the S1 region of the S gene of new isolates for subsequent analysis. Other oligonucleotide pairs, yielding cDNA corresponding to the variable region of the IBV genome where genes 3 and 4 (M) overlap, were selected to be largely specific for Massachusetts serotype isolates, in the context of European strains. RT-PCR analysis using these oligonucleotide pairs showed that a number of field isolate preparations also contained a small amount of Massachusetts serotype virus, probably of vaccine origin and indicative of low level persistent infection. These results suggest that any strain of IBV is likely to be detectable by RT-PCR with at least one of our primer pairs.


Parrot proventricular dilation disease.


title: Exposure of feral swine (Sus scrofa) in the United States to selected pathogens.

text: Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are widely distributed in the United States. In 2011 and 2012, serum samples and tonsils were recovered from 162 and 37 feral swine, respectively, in the US to evaluate exposure to important swine endemic pathogens. Antibodies against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) were found in 2.5% and 25.3% of tested sera, respectively. Positive serological reactions against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae have been detected in 19.7% and 69.7% of animals. More than 15% of animals presented antibodies against these 2 pathogens simultaneously. Most animals were also seropositive for Lawsonia intracellularis. Feral swine can also be involved in transmission of zoonotic agents. Almost 50% of animals possessed antibodies against Salmonella. In addition, 94.4% of animals were carriers of Streptococcus suis in their tonsils. In conclusion, feral swine may be considered as a potential reservoir for different endemic diseases in domestic pigs, as well as for important zoonotic agents.


title: [Epidemiology of respiratory virus infections].

text: Respiratory viral infections are very common in young children. They sometimes occur as primary infections (and sometimes re-infections) by influenza and parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (VRS), adenovirus, rhinovirus and coronavirus. The clinical pictures are very varied and without strict clinico-virological correlation. In adults the role of the site (frail lung, aged persons) and the type of virus play an important part. Many viral infections develop in an epidemiological way (influenza, VRS bronchiolitis, rhinovirus infections...) and several epidemics by different viruses overlap from September-October to March-April making it very difficult to decide the precise cause. Epidemics are followed thanks to networks of medical practitioners (GROG, SENTINELLE...) and by data from hospitalised patients, but precise identification of epidemic viruses is only possible and validated by virological analysis of samples taken from patients.


title: An ultrasensitive young interferometer handheld sensor for rapid virus detection.

text: Future viral outbreaks are a major threat to societal and economic development throughout the world. A rapid, sensitive and easy-to-use test for viral infections is essential to prevent and control such viral pandemics. Furthermore, a compact, portable device is potentially very useful in remote or developing regions without easy access to sophisticated laboratory facilities. In this report we discuss the application of a Young interferometer sensor device for ultrasensitive and real-time detection of viruses. The essential innovation in this technique is the combination of an integrated optical interferometric sensor with antibody-antigen recognition approaches to yield very sensitive, rapid virus detection. The technology is amenable to miniaturization and mass production and, thus, has significant potential to be developed into a handheld, point-of-care device.


title: Detection of feline coronavirus infection in southern African nondomestic felids.

text: Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infects members of the Felidae family with results ranging from seroconversion with no disease to fatal feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Infection of non-domestic felids with FCoV is of concern, particularly in endangered populations such as cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). In this investigation, we tested 342 animals in the Republic of South Africa and Namibia, including 140 animals from wild populations, for evidence of FCoV infection by serology and/or reverse transcription/nested polymerase chain reaction (RT/nPCR) on feces from 1999 through 2001. Past or current infection was evaluated. Of these, 195 animals had evidence of infection and included 41 animals from wild populations. Serology (indirect immunofluorescence) did not always correlate with viral RNA detection, as seronegative animals were occasionally virus-positive, while many seropositive animals were not shedding virus. Serology indicated the infecting virus was most closely related to type I FCoV. Antibody levels in the majority of animals were low, even in those actively infected. Ten of 48 animals tested at more than one time point by RT/nPCR were shedding virus at multiple time points possibly indicating persistent infection. Infection in free-ranging animals was also notable, as over a quarter of the free-ranging animals tested had evidence of current or previous FCoV infection. Testing by serology and RT/nPCR is recommended for screening for FCoV infection.


COVID-19 Testing in South Korea: Current Status and the Need for Faster Diagnostics.


title: Realistic expectations: investing in organizational capacity building for chronic disease prevention.

text: PURPOSE This article presents findings that explore investment in organizational capacity building for chronic disease prevention. Specifically, this analysis examines variation in investment inputs, intervention outputs, and capacity changes to inform expectations of health-promotion capacity-building investment. DESIGN/SETTING This multiple case study involving both qualitative and quantitative data is based on seven provincial dissemination projects involved in the Canadian Heart Health Initiative. METHODS Data on investment, number, and type of capacity-building activities and capacity changes come from a questionnaire, key informant interviews, and project report analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and for trends, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. RESULTS Per capita investments in capacity building ranged from a low of $0.21 in Ontario to $167.41 in Prince Edward Island. Multiple, tailored capacity-building interventions were used in each project. Mostly positive but modest changes were observed in at least five dimensions of capacity in all but one project. CONCLUSION These findings reveal that capacity building for chronic disease prevention requires a long-term investment and is context specific. Even limited investment can produce interventions that appear to positively influence capacity for chronic disease prevention. The findings also suggest an urgent need to expand surveillance to include indicators of capacity-building investments and interventions to allow policy makers to make more informed decisions about investments in public health.


docid: tggetsup

title: Providing critical care during a disaster: the interface between disaster response agencies and hospitals.

text: OBJECTIVE Recent natural disasters have highlighted shortfall areas in current hospital disaster preparedness. These include the following: 1) insufficient coordination between hospitals and civil/governmental response agencies; 2) insufficient on-site critical care capability; 3) a lack of "portability" of acute care processes (i.e., patient transport and/or bringing care to the patient); 4) education shortfalls; and 5) the inability of hospitals to align disaster medical requirements with other competing priorities. CONCLUSIONS Definition of the roles and responsibilities of a hospital during a disaster requires additional planning precision beyond the prehospital response phase. Planners must also better define plans for circumstances when or if a hospital is rendered unusable. Disaster medical training of hospital personnel has been inadequate. This article details the specifics of these issues and outlines various potential approaches to begin addressing and formulating remedies to these shortfalls.


title: Feline leukaemia provirus load during the course of experimental infection and in naturally infected cats.

text: Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection in domestic cats can vary in its outcome (persistent, transient, no infection) for reasons that are not entirely known. It was hypothesized that the initial virus and provirus load could significantly influence the course of retrovirus infection. To determine the role of provirus loads, two methods of PCR, a nested PCR and a fluorogenic probe-based (TaqMan) real-time quantitative PCR, which were specific to the U3 region of FeLV-A were established. FeLV provirus in naturally and experimentally infected cats was then measured. Only 3 weeks after experimental FeLV-A infection, persistently infected cats demonstrated higher provirus loads and lower humoral immune responses than cats that had overcome antigenaemia. Lower initial provirus loads were associated with successful humoral immune responses. Unexpectedly, provirus in the buffy-coat cells of two cats that tested negative for the p27 antigen (a marker for viraemia) was also detected. In 597 Swiss cats, comparison of p27 antigen levels with PCR results revealed broad agreement. However, similar to the experimental situation, a significant number of animals (10%) was negative for the p27 antigen and FeLV-positive by PCR. These cats had a mean provirus load 300-fold lower than that of animals testing positive for the p27 antigen. In conclusion, an association between the provirus load and the outcome of FeLV infection was found. Detection of provirus carriers should contribute to further the control of FeLV. In addition, quantification of provirus loads will lead to a better understanding of FeLV pathogenesis and anti-retrovirus protective mechanisms.


Recovery pathway of post-SARS patients.


title: Infection control and pandemic influenza.

text: If an influenza pandemic occurs, the spread of the virus should be reduced for as long as possible while an effective vaccine is produced. Influenza spreads mainly by large respiratory droplets (> 5 microm) depositing onto the mucosal surfaces of the eye, mouth or respiratory tract. Hands are another major means for spread, and are frequently contaminated by droplets. The most effective way to reduce the spread of the virus is with good infection control practices and social distancing. Infection control practices include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, and respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. Infected people should be isolated and spatial separation observed in common areas where infected people may be present. Any practices that create aerosols (eg, nebulisation) should be avoided, unless performed with appropriate precautions, especially with all people in the room wearing appropriate PPE. Now is the time to re-examine all our current practices so that we are better prepared, well practised and have good infection control practices in place for all transmissible respiratory infections.


title: Prevalence of antibodies to feline parvovirus, calicivirus, herpesvirus, coronavirus, and immunodeficiency virus and of feline leukemia virus antigen and the interrelationship of these viral infections in free-ranging lions in east Africa.

text: While viral infections and their impact are well studied in domestic cats, only limited information is available on their occurrence in free-ranging lions. The goals of the present study were (i) to investigate the prevalence of antibodies to feline calicivirus (FCV), herpesvirus (FHV), coronavirus (FCoV), parvovirus (FPV), and immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen in 311 serum samples collected between 1984 and 1991 from lions inhabiting Tanzania's national parks and (ii) to evaluate the possible biological importance and the interrelationship of these viral infections. Antibodies to FCV, never reported previously in free-ranging lions, were detected in 70% of the sera. In addition, a much higher prevalence of antibodies to FCoV (57%) was found than was previously reported in Etosha National Park and Kruger National Park. Titers ranged from 25 to 400. FeLV antigen was not detectable in any of the serum samples. FCoV, FCV, FHV, and FIV were endemic in the Serengeti, while a transient elevation of FPV titers pointed to an outbreak of FPV infection between 1985 and 1987. Antibody titers to FPV and FCV were highly prevalent in the Serengeti (FPV, 75%; FCV, 67%) but not in Ngorongoro Crater (FPV, 27%; FCV, 2%). These differences could be explained by the different habitats and biological histories of the two populations and by the well-documented absence of immigration of lions from the Serengeti plains into Ngorongoro Crater after 1965. These observations indicate that, although the pathological potential of these viral infections seemed not to be very high in free-ranging lions, relocation of seropositive animals by humans to seronegative lion populations must be considered very carefully.


title: The Alzheimer pandemic: is paracetamol to blame?

text: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The clinical recognition of a form of dementia closely resembling Alzheimer's disease dates from around 1800. The role of analgesics derived from coal-tar in the spread of the pandemic is traced in terms of the introduction of phenacetin (PN) in 1887; its nephrotoxicity; the observation of lesions characteristic of the disease by Fischer and Alzheimer; the discovery of paracetamol (PA) as the major metabolite of PN; the linking of kidney injury and dementia with high PN usage; and the failure of PN replacement by PA to halt and reverse the exponential, inexorable rise in the incidence of Alzheimer-type dementia. Fischer observed his first case before Alzheimer; it is proposed to rename the syndrome Fischer-Alzheimer disease (F-AD). Disease development: PA-metabolising enzymes are localised in the synaptic areas of the frontal cortex and hippocampus, where F-AD lesions arise. The initiating chemical lesions in liver poisoning comprise covalent binding of a highly reactive product of PA metabolism to proteins; similar events are believed to occur in brain, where alterations in the antigenic profiles of cerebral proteins activate the microglia. β-Amyloid forms, and, like PA itself, induces nitric oxide synthase. Peroxynitrite modifies cerebral proteins by nitrating tyrosine residues, further challenging the microglia and exacerbating the amyloid cascade. Spontaneous reinnervation, N-acetyl cysteine administration and tyrosine supplementation may attenuate the early stages of F-AD development. CONCLUSION F-AD is primarily a man-made condition with PA as its principal risk factor.


title: Vademecum for the treatment of people with COVID-19. Edition 2.0, 13 March 2020.

text: The spread of COVID-19 epidemic in Italy, and particularly in Lombardy determined the need to standardize the therapeutic approach in order to offer the same indications for all hospitals in Lombardy. However, no specific drug has been previously approved for the COVID-19 treatment. The Lombardy Section of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases provided this «vademecum» with the aim to explore the current evidence about the drugs likely to be efficacious in the treatment of COVID-19. Moreover, a multidisciplinary group including critical care specialists has been created in order to provide indications about supporting measures and the use of steroids. A new grading scale has been proposed to help patients' stratification according to the severity of the respiratory conditions. Lastly, a collaborating group with immunologists and rheumatologists has been built with the aim of providing some guidance about the use of tocilizumab, a promising option for the treatment of the hyperinflammatory state occurring in most patients affected by COVID-19.


title: Intracellular Tat of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 activates lytic cycle replication of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus: role of JAK/STAT signaling.

text: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection significantly increases the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) occurrence in individuals infected with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). KSHV infection appears to be necessary but not sufficient for KS development without other cofactors. However, factors that facilitate KSHV to cause KS have not been well defined. Previously, we determined that human herpesvirus 6 was one of the cofactors that activated lytic cycle replication of KSHV. Here, we demonstrate that the Tat protein of HIV-1 is a potentially important factor in the pathogenesis of KS, as determined by production of lytic phase mRNA transcripts and viral proteins in BCBL-1 cells. Mechanistic studies showed ectopic expression of Tat induced the production of human interleukin-6 (huIL-6) and its receptor (huIL-6Ra) and activated STAT3 signaling. Neutralization of huIL-6 or huIL-6R or inhibition of STAT3 signaling enhanced the replication. In addition, IL-4/STAT6 signaling also partially contributed to Tat-induced KSHV replication. These findings suggest that Tat may participate in KS pathogenesis by inducing KSHV replication and increasing KSHV viral load. These data also suggest that JAK/STAT signaling may be of therapeutic value in AIDS-related KS patients.


title: The management of acute bronchitis in children.

text: Acute bronchitis is one of the most common infections reported in children under 5 years of age, and is a leading cause of hospitalisation. In general practice, confusion surrounds the clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis, especially when distinguishing it from asthma. The microbiological causes are mostly known, but the contribution of each is much less clear, and they are non-specific in their clinical expression in individual cases. Viral pathogens, particularly respiratory syncytial virus and rhinoviruses are cited as the leading agents in the development of serious episodes, but other pathogens may also be important. This article covers a range of issues surrounding acute bronchitis, including epidemiology and pathogenesis, as well as the management, prevention and treatment of disease in children.


title: Antiviral activity of substituted salicylanilides--a review.

text: Chemotherapy of viral infections is still challenging. Salicylanilides demonstrated a wide range of biological activities including antiviral potency and the review summarizes this field. Niclosamide was described to be able to affect coronaviruses. Some salicylanilides and salicylamides could inhibit HIV virus by targeting of HIV-1 integrase or reverse transcriptase. Hepatitis C virus is another virus, which could be potentially afflicted by salicylanilides on the level of two enzymes--NS3 protease and NS5B RNA polymerase. Nitazoxanide is a nitrothiazole derivative of salicylamide useful for the treatment of protozoal and bacterial infections with an extended range of antiviral activity and innovative mechanism of action, especially against hepatitis and influenza viruses or rotaviruses. Nitazoxanide, its metabolite tizoxanide and their derivatives are a very promising stream in the development of new antiviral compounds. In this review, we summarize the antiviral activity of structures containing salicylanilide and partly salicylamide moiety.


docid: sdzajznv

title: Human paragonimiasis after eating raw or undercooked crayfish --- Missouri, July 2006-September 2010.

text: Paragonimiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Paragonimus trematodes, commonly known as lung flukes. Humans become infected by eating raw or undercooked crayfish (also known as crawfish and crawdads) or freshwater crabs that harbor the parasites. Paragonimiasis most frequently involves the lungs, but can affect other organs, including the brain and skin. In North America, Paragonimus kellicotti causes infections among dogs, cats, and wild carnivores, but rarely infects humans. Paragonimiasis is not a nationally notifiable condition. In September 2009, physicians from the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis published details of three paragonimiasis cases diagnosed since July 2006 in persons who had eaten raw crayfish from rivers in Missouri, prompting the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS), CDC, and WUSM to collaborate in paragonimiasis surveillance and prevention. During September 2009-September 2010, six additional cases were diagnosed in Missouri. These nine patients, aged 10-32 years, had fever, cough, pleural effusion, and eosinophilia. All had eaten raw or undercooked crayfish from rivers in Missouri while on canoeing or camping trips within 4 months of illness onset. Health-care providers should consider paragonimiasis when examining patients with unexplained fever, cough, eosinophilia, and pleural effusion or other chest radiographic abnormalities and should ask those patients whether they have eaten raw or undercooked crayfish.


title: [Attenuated vaccine against rota- and coronavirus enteritis in calves].

text: Tested was the effect of the Bulgarian attenuated vaccine of rota- and corona-viruses 'PoKo-81', via treatment of dry and freshly calved cows (injected into the udder) and newborn calves (peritoneal injection). It was found that calves fed three times daily on milk obtained from cows that had had intramammary injections did not develop clinical signs of a disease following experimental infection with rota- and corona-viruses. When the cows on infected farms were treated in the same way the disease in calves, offered immune milk, dropped to 36 per cent as against calves of unvaccinated cows, with which morbidity ran as high as 85 per cent. Calves vaccinated via the peritoneum did not fall ill after infection with rota- and corona-viruses on the 6th day following vaccination. In experiments on 18 infected farms morbidity among control, unvaccinated calves was 76 per cent, and mortality--6.8 per cent. With vaccinated calves on the same farms morbidity dropped to 44 per cent, and mortality--to 2.5 per cent. The duration of diarrhea in the vaccinated calves was radically lowered. Discussed is the possibility to enhance the protective effect of the vaccine.


docid: pqtabmjc

title: Canine parvovirus in vaccinated dogs: a field study.

text: The authors report a field study that investigated the canine parvovirus (CPV) strains present in dogs that developed the disease after being vaccinated. Faecal samples of 78 dogs that have been vaccinated against CPV and later presented with clinical signs suspected of parvovirus infection were used. Fifty (64.1 per cent) samples tested positive by PCR for CPV. No CPV vaccine type was detected. The disease by CPV-2b occurred in older and female dogs when compared with that by CPV-2c. The clinical signs presented by infected dogs were similar when any of both variants were involved. In most cases of disease, the resulting infection by field variants occurred shortly after CPV vaccination. Two dogs that had been subjected to a complete vaccination schedule and presented with clinical signs after 10 days of vaccination, had the CPV-2c variant associated. The phylogenetic studies showed a close relationship of the isolates in vaccinated dogs to European field strains. Despite the limited sample size in this study, the findings point to the significance of the continuous molecular typing of the virus as a tool to monitor the prevalent circulating CPV strains and access the efficacy of current vaccines. Adjustments on the vaccine types to be used may have to be evaluated again according to each epidemiological situation in order to achieve the dog's optimal immune protection against CPV.


title: Cocktail therapy for hip necrosis in SARS patients.

text: BACKGROUND There are no treatment guidelines for hip necrosis in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients. A new regimen of cocktail therapy that consists of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) and oral alendronate was utilized in four patients with eight hips. This study evaluated the outcomes of cocktail therapy with a 4-year followup. METHODS There were 3 women and 1 man with an average age of 26 +/- 3.8 years. Each hip was treated with 6000 impulses of ESWT at 0.62 mJ/mm2 energy flux density in a single session. Each patient received HBO treatment for 100 sessions and oral alendronate for one year. The evaluations included pain score and Harris hip score, radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the affected hips. RESULTS At the 4-year follow-up, significant improvements in pain score and Harris hip score were observed in all cases (p < 0.001). All patients returned to work as healthcare providers. None required surgical intervention including hip replacement. MRI showed a trend of reduction in bone marrow edema and the size of the lesion, but no changes in the stage of the lesion. CONCLUSION Cocktail therapy seems promising in delaying the disease progression of SARS-associated femoral head necrosis in the short-term.


title: Recent advances in pancreatic transplantation.

text: Pancreatic transplantation has progressed in the past 25 years since its initial stages, proving to be highly promising for those with diabetes and its resultant multiorgan disorders. Several studies have shown that patients who receive transplants have better glycemic control, blood pressure control, lipid control, and show reversal of microscopic diabetic changes including neuropathy and improved cardiovascular risks. Advances in many fields have made it possible for more than 32,000 procedures to be done worldwide, and 1- and 5-year posttransplant survival to be 95% and 83%. We sought to explore what advances have taken place in surgical techniques, patient selection, and immuno-suppressant therapy to allow this improvement and reduction in complications. New techniques (ie, islet cell implantation) promise early results. However, pancreatic transplant is currently the single existing therapy to establish normal glucose without exogenous insulin.


docid: ljtfugzt

title: Can chlorine dioxide prevent the spreading of coronavirus or other viral infections? Medical hypotheses.