scholarly journals Utility of MGG and Papanicolaou stained smears in the detection of Mucormycosis in nasal swab/scraping/biopsy samples of COVID 19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish C. Philip ◽  
Prarthna Madan ◽  
Sonal Sharma ◽  
Shukla Das
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Pearl A. McElfish ◽  
Rachel Purvis ◽  
Laura P. James ◽  
Don E. Willis ◽  
Jennifer A. Andersen

(1) Background: Prior studies have documented that access to testing has not been equitable across all communities in the US, with less testing availability and lower testing rates documented in rural counties and lower income communities. However, there is limited understanding of the perceived barriers to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing. The purpose of this study was to document the perceived barriers to COVID-19 testing. (2) Methods: Arkansas residents were recruited using a volunteer research participant registry. Participants were asked an open-ended question regarding their perceived barriers to testing. A qualitative descriptive analytical approach was used. (3) Results: Overall, 1221 people responded to the open-ended question. The primary barriers to testing described by participants were confusion and uncertainty regarding testing guidelines and where to go for testing, lack of accessible testing locations, perceptions that the nasal swab method was too painful, and long wait times for testing results. (4) Conclusions: This study documents participant reported barriers to COVID-19 testing. Through the use of a qualitative descriptive method, participants were able to discuss their concerns in their own words. This work provides important insights that can help public health leaders and healthcare providers with understanding and mitigating barriers to COVID-19 testing.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110340
Author(s):  
Bhagyashree Katare ◽  
Shuoli Zhao ◽  
Joel Cuffey ◽  
Maria I. Marshall ◽  
Corinne Valdivia

Purpose: Describe preferences toward COVID-19 testing features (method, location, hypothetical monetary incentive) and simulate the effect of monetary incentives on willingness to test. Design: Online cross-sectional survey administered in July 2020. Subjects: 1,505 nationally representative U.S. respondents. Measures: Choice of preferred COVID-19 testing options in discrete choice experiment. Options differed by method (nasal-swab, saliva), location (hospital/clinic, drive-through, at-home), and monetary incentive ($0, $10, $20). Analysis: Latent class conditional logit model to classify preferences, mixed logit model to simulate incentive effectiveness. Results: Preferences were categorized into 4 groups: 34% (n = 517) considered testing comfort (saliva versus nasal swab) most important, 27% (n = 408) were willing to trade comfort for monetary incentives, 19% (n = 287) would only test at convenient locations, 20% (n = 293) avoided testing altogether. Relative to no monetary incentives, incentives of $100 increased the percent of testing avoiders (16%) and convenience seekers (70%) that were willing to test. Conclusion: Preferences toward different COVID-19 testing features vary, highlighting the need to match testing features with individuals to monitor the spread of COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 166 (4) ◽  
pp. 1259-1262
Author(s):  
Bin Tian ◽  
Dongjie Cai ◽  
Weiqiang Li ◽  
Qinglong Bu ◽  
Mingshu Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractIn 2019, diarrhea cases occurred on cattle farms in Qionglai and Guang'an, Sichuan Province. Two out of 20 (10%) serum and nasal swab samples were positive when tested using a bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antigen-capture ELISA kit. Two non-cytopathic strains of BVDV were isolated and named QL1903 and GA190608, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of the genomes of the two isolates were 89.52% identical. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 5'-UTR sequence revealed that the BVDV isolate QL1903 belonged to BVDV subtype 1b, whereas isolate GA190608 clustered with strains HN1814, EN-19, and BJ09_26 in a separate branch, which has tentatively been classified as a new genetic subtype, "1v".


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurre A. Steens ◽  
Yifan Zhu ◽  
David W. Taylor ◽  
Jack P. K. Bravo ◽  
Stijn H. P. Prinsen ◽  
...  

AbstractCharacteristic properties of type III CRISPR-Cas systems include recognition of target RNA and the subsequent induction of a multifaceted immune response. This involves sequence-specific cleavage of the target RNA and production of cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA) molecules. Here we report that an exposed seed region at the 3′ end of the crRNA is essential for target RNA binding and cleavage, whereas cOA production requires base pairing at the 5′ end of the crRNA. Moreover, we uncover that the variation in the size and composition of type III complexes within a single host results in variable seed regions. This may prevent escape by invading genetic elements, while controlling cOA production tightly to prevent unnecessary damage to the host. Lastly, we use these findings to develop a new diagnostic tool, SCOPE, for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal swab samples, revealing sensitivities in the atto-molar range.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 441
Author(s):  
Shollie Falkenberg ◽  
Alexandra Buckley ◽  
Melissa Laverack ◽  
Mathias Martins ◽  
Mitchell V. Palmer ◽  
...  

The host range of SARS-CoV-2 and the susceptibility of animal species to the virus are topics of great interest to the international scientific community. The angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein is the major receptor for the virus, and sequence and structural analysis of the protein has been performed to determine its cross-species conservation. Based on these analyses, cattle have been implicated as a potential susceptible species to SARS-CoV-2 and have been reported to have increased ACE2 receptor distribution in the liver and kidney, and lower levels in the lungs. The goal of the current study was to determine the susceptibility of cattle to SARS-CoV-2 utilizing inoculation routes that facilitated exposure to tissues with increased ACE2 receptor distribution. For this, colostrum-deprived calves approximately 6 weeks of age were inoculated via the intratracheal or intravenous routes. Nasal and rectal swab samples, as well as blood and urine samples, were collected over the course of the study to evaluate viral shedding, viremia, and seroconversion. Pyrexia was used as the primary criteria for euthanasia and tissue samples were collected during necropsy. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in only two nasal swab samples collected on days 3 and 10 post-inoculation (pi) in two calves; one calf in the intratracheal group and the other calf in the intravenous group, respectively. Additionally, the calf in the intratracheal group that was positive on the nasal swab on day 3 pi also had a positive tracheobronchial lymph node on day 9 pi. Viral nucleic acid load on these samples, based on PCR cycle threshold values, were low and infectious virus was not recovered from the samples. These results suggest that there was no productive replication of SARS-CoV-2 in calves following intratracheal and intravenous inoculation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s470-s471
Author(s):  
Shannon Snellgrove ◽  
Matthew Brown ◽  
Seth Edwards ◽  
Sixto Leal ◽  
Allen Bryan ◽  
...  

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization has been a well-established risk for developing MRSA pneumonia. In previous studies, the MRSA nasal screening test has shown an excellent negative predictive value (NPV) for MRSA pneumonia in patients without exclusion criteria such as mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic instability, cavitary lesions, and underlying pulmonary disease. MRSA nasal screening can be used as a stewardship tool to de-escalate broad antibiotic coverage, such as vancomycin. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementation of a MRSA nasal screening questionnaire improves de-escalation of vancomycin for patients with pneumonia. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 250 patients from October 2018 to January 2019 who received MRSA nasal screening due to their prescriber choosing only “respiratory” on the vancomycin dosing consult form. Data obtained included demographics and clinical outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed, and P < .05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 250 patients screened, only 19 patients (8%) were positive for MRSA. Moreover, 40% of patients met exclusion criteria. In 149 patients without exclusion criteria, the MRSA nasal swab had a 98% NPV. Although not statistically significant, vancomycin days of therapy (DOT) based on MRSA nasal swab result was 1 day shorter in those with negative swabs (3.49 days negative vs 4.58 days positive; P = .22). Vancomycin DOT was significantly reduced in pneumonia patients without exclusion criteria (3.17 days “no” vs 4.17 days “yes”; P = .037). Conclusions: The implementation of an electronic MRSA nasal screening questionnaire resulted in reduced vancomycin DOT in pneumonia patients at UAB Hospital. The MRSA nasal swab is an effective screening tool for antibiotic de-escalation based on its 98% NPV for MRSA pneumonia if utilized in the correct patient population.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Rachael Anne Lee reports a speaker honoraria from Prime Education, LLC.


Author(s):  
B. L. K. Brady

Abstract A description is provided for Beauveria bassiana. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS & SUBSTRATA: All stages of insects of all groups; lungs of wild rodents, nasal swab of horse; man; giant tortoise. The fungus overwinters in vegetable matter and is found in the soil. DISEASE: The fungus has been known since 1835 as the cause of the muscardine disease of silkworms. Although B. bassiana has multiplied in bees in laboratory tests it has so far not been recorded from bees in nature (Bailey, 1971). According to Wasti & Hartman (1975) penetration of the cuticle of gypsy moth (Porthetria dispar[Lymantria dispar]) larvae takes place 24 h after 2nd instar larvae have crawled over a culture of B. bassiana and within 64h the interior of the insect is completely filled with hyphae. These authors also note penetration of the gut wall. Fargues & Vey (1974), who sprayed conidia on to 3rd instar larvae of Leptinostarsa decemlineata (Colorado beetle), showed that conidia germinate on the surface of the integument, penetrate the loosening skin, and blastospores develop in the moulting fluid, infecting the new integument as it forms. Some individuals cannot finish the moult, in others the delicate new skin ruptures and hyphae enter the haemolymph. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: World wide.


Author(s):  
Sonu S. Ahirwar ◽  
Prabhat Jatav ◽  
Kirti Kushwaha

Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CoNS) associated infection is a growing concern in healthcare settings now a day. MR-CoNS are the main infectious agents of the hospital acquired infection. Clinical staffs to patients transmission of resistant strains have caused a rapid increase in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in recent years. Growing rate of antimicrobial resistant against available antibiotics of MR-CoNS is a developing problem in low income or lower middle income counties. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence MR-CoNS isolated from different clinical staffs of tertiary care hospital. This prospective study conducted in clinical staffs, nasal swab were collected from all the participants. Screening of CoNS were done on the basis of cultural, morphological and biochemical tests, identification and AST analysis done by VITEK-2 automated system. Methicillin resistance pattern was checked by VITEK-2 and Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to CLSI guideline. A total of 129 nasal swab samples were collected from clinical staffs, of which n=81 isolates (85.6%) were CoNS. Among n=81 CoNS, (48.12%) , (41.97%) , (7.4%) and (2.4%) were reported. Out of n=81 CoNS isolates, n=26 were conformed as MR-CoNS. Maximum methicillin resistance were reported in 53.48% (14/26), 42.30% (11/26), 3.84% (1/26) and 0% (0/26). Theoccurrence rate of MR-CoNS are higher (20.6%) in the healthcare workers and most of the methicillin resistant-CoNS isolates shows high level of resistance against widely used antibiotics but all the isolates susceptible against vancomycin.


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