scholarly journals Zika fever: clinical, epidemiological, laboratory, and diagnostic aspects

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-117
Author(s):  
K. V. Zhdanov ◽  
S. M. Zakharenko ◽  
Aleksandr N. Kovalenko ◽  
A. V. Semenov ◽  
S. S. Kozlov ◽  
...  

The authors overview data on the prevalence of Zika fever with reference to biological properties of the causative agent, epidemiological process, pathogenesis, and clinical symptoms of the disease. Special attention is given to the identification of the virus in pregnant women, microcephaly in the babies born by Zika-infected women, algorithm of laboratory diagnostics, and measures needed to prevent and control mosquitoes that spread viruses.

REPORTS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (333) ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
N.P. Ivanov ◽  
◽  
N.N. Egorova ◽  
S.N. Sarimbekova ◽  
V.Yu Sushi ◽  
...  

Necrobacteriosis (necrobacteriosis) is established as an infectious disease characterized by purulent-necrotic lesions of tissues mainly of the lower parts of the extremities, especially in the area of the corolla, and in some cases in the oral cavity, on the udder, in the genitals, liver, lungs and other tissues and organs. Many animal species are affected by necrobacteriosis. The most susceptible and sensitive to Fusobacterium necrophorum are reindeer, cattle and small ruminants, pigs, and rabbits. A constant carrier of the causative agent of necrobacteriosis in the rumen and intestines of ruminants has been established, it is found in food particles during chewing, in feces, in objects of the external environment. The disease is especially often observed in animals kept in damp places with poor zoohygienic conditions. Infection of animals occurs when the pathogen enters the injured skin areas or when the mucous membranes are macerated. The work was carried out in the laboratory and production conditions of KazSRVI LLC and at the MTF of the Arkabay settlement of the Talgar district of the Almaty region, where stall keeping of animals is practiced. Material for laboratory research (sections from the horny tissue of the hoof on the border with the healthy one) were taken fresh and inoculated on a nutrient medium for anaerobes (Kitt-Tarozzi medium). Samples of the selected biological material were plated on Kitt-Tarozzi medium at the sampling site on the farm. The biological material taken from sick animals was examined within several hours after taking in accordance with the guidelines for laboratory diagnostics of necrobacteriosis (YEAR INDICATION METHOD). To get rid of the numerous accompanying microflora and obtain a pure culture of F. necrophorum, a bioassay was set up on laboratory animals - rabbits. On the 14-15th day after infection, the experimental rabbits died, which is evidence of the high pathogenicity of the isolated cultures. A pure culture of F. necrophorum from rabbit’s internal organs, not contaminated with extraneous microflora, was cultured. It was found that rabbits are the optimal biomodel for purification of the F. necrophorum culture. The results of cultivation of the causative agent of presented necrobacteriosis on solid and liquid nutrient media are. The biochemical properties of the isolated cultures have been studied. It was found that epizootic cultures of the causative agent of necrobacteriosis in cattle emitted hydrogen sulfide, formed ammonia, and had hemolytic properties. In experiments in vitro and in vivo, it was found that the isolated cultures of F. necrophorum showed hyaluronidase activity. Cultures of F. necrophorum had high catalase activity, i.e. split hydrogen peroxide with the release of gas bubbles. Four cultures of F. necrophorum, isolated from biological material from cattle, were identical in biological properties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-443
Author(s):  
Yudianto Budi Saroyo ◽  
Amanda Rumondang ◽  
Irene Sinta Febriana ◽  
Achmad Kemal Harzif ◽  
Rima Irwinda

Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that causes novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major health problem worldwide and been declared a pandemic since March 2020 by WHO. One special population that poses a challenge is pregnant women with COVID-19. There have not been many studies related to COVID-19 in pregnancy. In this study, we present five serial cases of Remdesivir treatment for COVID-19 in pregnant women with moderate to severe symptoms. Case Illustration: We briefly describe five serial cases being treated with Remdesivir therapy during hospitalization. Four cases were delivered by cesarean section, and one was delivered vaginally in gestation week 37. All cases showed a shortened duration of hospitalization, rapid improvement in clinical symptoms, and no adverse events were observed in mothers, fetuses, and neonates. Discussion: Remdesivir, an inhibitor RNA Polymerase, has been used in COVID-19 treatment and is known to shorten recovery time in nonpregnant women. Some studies have shown no adverse effects on Remdesivir for pregnant women. Based on randomized control trial (RCT) during the Ebola epidemic, Remdesivir was safe to use for pregnant women. All cases showed reduced hospitalization time and better clinical outcomes without maternal, fetal, or neonatal adverse events. Conclusion: Remdesivir protocol for pregnant women with moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19 has resulted in better clinical improvement with a shorter recovery period and no adverse effects during the hospitalization period. Further studies and RCT are warranted to evaluate the biosafety and effects of Remdesivir in pregnant women.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 900-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Antonio Figueiro-Filho ◽  
Mark Yudin ◽  
Dan Farine

AbstractThe objective of this review was to identify the most significant studies reporting on COVID-19 during pregnancy and to provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women and perinatal outcomes. Eligibility criteria included all reports, reviews; case series with more than 100 individuals and that reported at least three of the following: maternal characteristics, maternal COVID-19 clinical presentation, pregnancy outcomes, maternal outcomes and/or neonatal/perinatal outcomes. We included eight studies that met the inclusion criteria, representing 10,966 cases distributed in 15 countries around the world until July 20, 2020. The results of our review demonstrate that the maternal characteristics, clinical symptoms, maternal and neonatal outcomes almost 11,000 cases of COVID-19 and pregnancy described in 15 different countries are not worse or different from the general population. We suggest that pregnant women are not more affected by the respiratory complications of COVID-19, when compared to the outcomes described in the general population. We also suggest that the important gestational shift Th1-Th2 immune response, known as a potential contributor to the severity in cases of viral infections during pregnancy, are counter-regulated by the enhanced-pregnancy-induced ACE2-Ang-(1–7) axis. Moreover, the relatively small number of reported cases during pregnancy does not allow us to affirm that COVID-19 is more aggressive during pregnancy. Conversely, we also suggest, that down-regulation of ACE2 receptors induced by SARS-CoV-2 cell entry might have been detrimental in subjects with pre-existing ACE2 deficiency associated with pregnancy. This association might explain the worse perinatal outcomes described in the literature.


2021 ◽  
pp. 61-63
Author(s):  
Shelesh Kumar Swami ◽  
Nitesh Kumar Chauhan ◽  
Shuchi Goyal ◽  
A.K. Verma ◽  
Shweta Biyani

Background:Current pandemic caused by Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) causes clinical symptoms from fever to acute respiratory distress syndrome but may remain mild or asymptomatic. To evaluate the cumulative prevalence of SARSCoV-2 infection in a community and know how immune response develops in the population, reliable assay alongwith RT-PCR for detection of SARS-CoV 2 antibodies is needed. Healthcare workers (HCWs) represent a high-risk populat - ion for infection with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We evaluated total antibodies recognizing the SARS CoV 2 receptor binding domain (S1-RBD) - - - or the Spike protein over a period of six months in a total of 310 healthcare workers engaged in hospital using SARS-CoV-2 Total antibody assay kit. Findings: The overall seroprevalence found in our analysis was 41.93%. In case of males the percentage positive was found to be signicantly higher at 43.91%, compared to females at 36.25%. Seroprevalence was signicantly higher in 50 years above age group in comparison to 20-50 years old aged healthcare workers. The seroprevalence was higher in doctors, nursing staff and lab technicians than other healthcare professionals as 44.6%. Conclusions: This study showed high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers which means remaining proportion of the healthcare workers are still susceptible to the infection. Good compliance to infection eradication and control measures, adequate PPEs, and early detection and isolation of healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 are mandatory to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vu Du ◽  
Pham Thai Dung ◽  
Nguyen Linh Toan ◽  
Can Mao ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Bac ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns. Maternal GBS colonization rates vary depending on geographic area, ethnic and social conditions worldwide. Many studies suggested the continuous surveillance of GBS to provide data to guide decision-making and planning prevention and control strategies. Here, we report the rate and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of GBS from Vietnamese pregnant women over 5 year period. Methods We worked with 3863 Vietnamese pregnant women at < 37 weeks of gestation at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanoi, Vietnam from Jan 2016 to Dec 2020. The data were recorded and retrieved from the computerized laboratory database. GBS was identified according to the American Society for Microbiology’s guidelines. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by the VITEK 2 system or E-test strips. The results were calculated according to the MIC breakpoints recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Results The positivity for GBS was 8.02% (310/3863) and the highest resistance rate was to tetracycline 89.66% (234/261), followed by 76.23% (202/265) for erythromycin, 58.21% (156/268) for clindamycin. The multidrug-resistance rate was 59.19% (161/272), and 8.46% (23/272) of isolates were resistant to 6 to 7 of the 12 antibiotics. Resistance to clindamycin in the absence of erythromycin resistance was found in 6/272 (2.2%) samples. The resistance rate to clindamycin was significantly increased (p < 0.01) over the time study period. Nevertheless, all isolates were sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, quinupristin/dalfopristin, and vancomycin. Conclusion Our results indicate that penicillin and ampicillin are currently the drugs of choice for the prevention and treatment of GBS-related diseases for Vietnamese pregnant women. However, antibiotic resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was high. Thus, it reinforces the need for continuous surveillance of GBS to provide data to guide planning prevention and control strategies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria C. Sandrim ◽  
Mayara Caldeira-Dias ◽  
Heloisa Bettiol ◽  
Marco Antonio Barbieri ◽  
Viviane Cunha Cardoso ◽  
...  

Preeclampsia is the major cause of maternal and fetal deaths worldwide. Circulating biomarker concentrations to predict preeclampsia must be determined. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) concentration in both plasma and urine samples from pregnant women before the development of preeclampsia and to identify a potential biomarker for preeclampsia development. We performed a case-control study nested in a prospective study cohort at University Hospital of the Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Of 1400 pregnant women evaluated at 20–25 weeks of gestation, 460 delivered in hospitals outside our institution. Of 940 pregnant women who completed the protocol, 30 developed preeclampsia (cases, 14 cases of severe preeclampsia and 16 cases of mild preeclampsia). Healthy pregnant women (controls, n=90) were randomly selected from the remaining 910 participants. HO-1 concentration was evaluated in plasma/urine samples by using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. We found similar HO-1 levels in the plasma and urine for case and control groups. In the subgrouped preeclampsia, lower plasma HO-1 levels were found in mild compared with severe preeclampsia. We conclude that plasma HO-1 levels were not altered at 20–25 weeks of gestation before the manifestation of preeclampsia symptoms. Pregnant women who subsequently develop severe preeclampsia show higher expression of HO-1. This may be indicative of important underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms that differentiate between mild and severe preeclampsia and may possibly be related to a higher prooxidative status even before the development of clinical symptoms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (471) ◽  
pp. eaat0944 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sebba ◽  
Alexander G. Lastovich ◽  
Melody Kuroda ◽  
Eric Fallows ◽  
Joshua Johnson ◽  
...  

Hemorrhagic fever outbreaks such as Ebola are difficult to detect and control because of the lack of low-cost, easily deployable diagnostics and because initial clinical symptoms mimic other endemic diseases such as malaria. Current molecular diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction require trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, hindering diagnostics at the point of need. Although rapid tests such as lateral flow can be broadly deployed, they are typically not well-suited for differentiating among multiple diseases presenting with similar symptoms. Early detection and control of Ebola outbreaks require simple, easy-to-use assays that can detect and differentiate infection with Ebola virus from other more common febrile diseases. Here, we developed and tested an immunoassay technology that uses surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags to simultaneously detect antigens from Ebola, Lassa, and malaria within a single blood sample. Results are provided in <30 min for individual or batched samples. Using 190 clinical samples collected from the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, along with 163 malaria positives and 233 negative controls, we demonstrated Ebola detection with 90.0% sensitivity and 97.9% specificity and malaria detection with 100.0% sensitivity and 99.6% specificity. These results, along with corresponding live virus and nonhuman primate testing of an Ebola, Lassa, and malaria 3-plex assay, indicate the potential of the SERS technology as an important tool for outbreak detection and clinical triage in low-resource settings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-172
Author(s):  
Khilyatul Baroroh ◽  
Suradi Suradi ◽  
Ade Rima

Background: Amplification of inflammation in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress in the airways, pulmonary and systemic circulation that are characterized by increased plasma level of IL-6 and MDA, resulting in worsening of clinical symptoms. Xanthones in mangosteen pericarp have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, potentially as an adjuntive therapy in acute exacerbations of COPD. Methods: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mangosteen pericarp extract to clinical improvements, plasma level of IL-6 and MDA of acute exacerbation COPD patients. A clinical trial of experimental with pretest and posttest was conducted on 34 acute exacerbation of COPD patients in Dr. Moewardi Hospital Surakarta and Dr. Ario Wirawan Lung Hospital Salatiga from April until May 2016. The sample was taken by consecutive sampling. Subjects were divided by randomized double blind technique into the treatment group (n=17) received mangosteen pericarp extract 2x1100mg/day and control group (n = 17) received placebo. Clinical improvements were measured in CAT score and length of stay. CAT score, plasma level of IL-6 and MDA were measured on admission and at discharge. Length of stay based on the number of days of care in hospitals. Results: There was significant difference (p=0,011) towards decreased of IL-6 plasma level between treatment group (-2,17 ± 3,46 pg/ mL) and control group (+1,67 ± 6,81 pg/mL). There were no significant difference towards decreased of length of stay (p=0,34) between treatment group (4,12 ± 1,54 days) and control group (5,24 ± 2,49 days), towards decreased of CAT score (p=0,252) between treatment group (-19,18 ± 3,96) and control group (-18,24 ± 2,75), and towards decreased of MDA plasma level (p=0,986) between treatment group (+0,03 ± 0,36μmol/L) and control group (+0,35 ± 1,58). Conclusions: The addition of mangosteen pericarp extract 2x1100mg/day during hospitalization was significantly lowered plasma levels of IL-6, but were not significant in lowering the CAT score, shortening the length of stay, and reducing the increase in plasma level of MDA.


Author(s):  
Khalid Najm Nadheer ◽  
Zohreh Zahraei ◽  
Hussein Al-Hakeim

Preeclampsia (PE) is characterized by a series of clinical features such as hypertension and proteinuria associated with endothelial dysfunction and the impairment of placenta vascular endothelial integrity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of serum copper (Cu) level on some angiogenesis-related factors including vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sVEGF-R1), soluble endoglin (sEng) and cerruloplasmin (Cp) in Iraqi women with preeclampsia (PE) and control pregnant women. Therefore, 60 women with PE in addition to 30 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Serum concentration of sEng, VEGF-A, sVEGF-R1, and Cu in PE group significantly increased (p&lt;0.05) in the PE group compared with that in the control group. Increased production of antiangiogenic factors, soluble VEGF-A and sEng contribute to the pathophysiology of PE, indicating the involvement of these parameters in the angiogenic balance in patients with PE. Tests for between-subject effects showed that the circulating angiogenesis factors and Cu were significantly associated with the presence of PE. Serum Cu level was significantly correlated with VEGF- A and VEGF-R1 levels but not with sEng. Multiple regression analysis revealed that only Cp and BP can significantly predict the complications in women with PE. In conclusion, serum Cu has a role in the angiogenesis in women with PE and may be a new drug target in the prevention or treatment of PE.


Author(s):  
Ling Luo ◽  
Xinglong Yu ◽  
Xiang Qu ◽  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Yan Ding ◽  
...  

A goose hemorrhagic polyomavirus (GHPV) outbreak occurred in a Goose Farm in Hunan, China, between January and July 2021. Approximately 1,500 breeding goose died, and hatching rates dropped from the previous 85% to about 50% in this outbreak. GHPV HUN-01, isolated from the liver of infected Landes geese, shared a close evolutionary relationship with the Toulouse Goose 2000 and 14234 strain, isolated from geese in France and Hungary. The isolation of GHPV from the livers of dead embryos also demonstrates that the virus can be transmitted vertically. In conclusion, clinical and laboratory diagnostics of the diseased geese in this outbreak were consistent with GHPV being the causative agent. We learned that this is the first time that GHPV has been isolated from geese in mainland China.


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