scholarly journals Inactivation of Human Coronavirus by Titania Nanoparticle Coatings and UVC Radiation: Throwing Light on SARS-CoV-2

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Svetlana Khaiboullina ◽  
Timsy Uppal ◽  
Nikhil Dhabarde ◽  
Vaidyanathan Ravi Subramanian ◽  
Subhash C. Verma
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Photocatalytic Properties ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Virus Infectivity ◽  
Atypical Pneumonia ◽  
Human Coronavirus ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Nanoparticle Coatings

The newly identified pathogenic human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, led to an atypical pneumonia-like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak called coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated as COVID-19). Currently, nearly 77 million cases have been confirmed worldwide with the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States. Individuals are getting vaccinated with recently approved vaccines, which are highly protective in suppressing COVID-19 symptoms but there will be a long way before the majority of individuals get vaccinated. In the meantime, safety precautions and effective disease control strategies appear to be vital for preventing the virus spread in public places. Due to the longevity of the virus on smooth surfaces, photocatalytic properties of “self-disinfecting/cleaning” surfaces appear to be a promising tool to help guide disinfection policies for controlling SARS-CoV-2 spread in high-traffic areas such as hospitals, grocery stores, airports, schools, and stadiums. Here, we explored the photocatalytic properties of nanosized TiO2 (TNPs) as induced by the UV radiation, towards virus deactivation. Our preliminary results using a close genetic relative of SAR-CoV-2, HCoV-NL63, showed the virucidal efficacy of photoactive TNPs deposited on glass coverslips, as examined by quantitative RT-qPCR and virus infectivity assays. Efforts to extrapolate the underlying concepts described in this study to SARS-CoV-2 are currently underway.

scholarly journals In Vitro Inactivation of Human Coronavirus by Titania Nanoparticle Coatings and UVC Radiation: Throwing Light on SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Khaiboullina ◽  
Timsy Uppal ◽  
Nikhil Dhabarde ◽  
Vaidyanathan Ravi Subramanian ◽  
Subhash C. Verma
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Photocatalytic Properties ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Atypical Pneumonia ◽  
Human Coronavirus ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Nanoparticle Coatings

AbstractThe newly identified pathogenic human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, led to an atypical pneumonia-like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Currently, nearly 23 million cases have been confirmed worldwide with the highest COVID-19 cases been confirmed in the United States. As there is no vaccine or any effective interventions, massive efforts to create a postential vaccine to combat COVID-19 is underway. In the meantime, safety precautions and effective disease control strategies appear to be vital for preventing the virus spread in the public places. Due to the longevity of the virus on smooth surfaces, photocatalytic properties of self-disinfecting/cleaning surfaces appear to be a promising tool to help guide disinfection policies to control infectious SAR-CoV-2 spread in high-traffic areas such as hospitals, grocery stores, airports, schools, and stadiums. Here, we explored the photocatalytic properties of nanosized TiO2 (TNPs) as induced by the UV radiation, towards virus deactivation. Our preliminary results using close genetic relative of SAR-CoV-2, HCoV-NL63, showed the virucidal efficacy of photoactive TNPs deposited on glass coverslips, as examined by quantitative RT-PCR and virus culture assays. Efforts to extrapolate the underlying concepts described in this study to SARS-CoV-2 are currently underway.

Meningococcal Disease Prevention and Control Strategies for Practice-based Physicians

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Meningococcal Disease ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Invasive Meningococcal Disease ◽  
Appropriate Use ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Control And Prevention

Localized outbreaks of meningococcal disease in the United States and Canada continue to cause serious alarm within communities as a result of the fulminating pattern of the disease, high mortality rate, and high incidence among adolescents. The increasing number of outbreaks since 1991 has raised questions about the management and prevention of further cases during an outbreak. The purpose of this statement is to guide primary-care physicians in their role in infection control and prevention of both sporadic cases and outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease. This statement provides information on the epidemiology of meningococcal disease, including definitions of sporadic, secondary, and coprimary cases, clusters of cases, and outbreaks. Data are presented on identification of cases, disease risk of contacts, and agents for chemoprophylaxis, and recommendations are given for: (1) risk assessment of contacts, (2) administration of chemoprophylaxis, (3) appropriate use of meningococcal vaccine, (4) appropriate use of the microbiology laboratory, (5) the necessity for timely and appropriate reporting of invasive meningococcal disease to local public health authorities, and (6) information on counseling and public education that may be helpful during an outbreak to minimize public anxiety. An additional section, "Information for Sharing," which uses a question-and-answer format and which may be helpful to parents and community and health care workers during an outbreak, is also provided.

Application of chitosan microparticles against human norovirus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace Barnes ◽  
Rebecca Barber ◽  
Keith R. Schneider ◽  
Michelle D. Danyluk ◽  
Anita C. Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Water ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virus Infectivity ◽  
Log10 Reduction ◽  
Human Norovirus ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Chitosan Microparticles ◽  
Natural Treatment ◽  
Fecal Suspension ◽  
Tulane Virus

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading causative agent of foodborne outbreaks and is associated with the second most prevalent cause of waterborne infections in the United States. The goal of this research was to investigate the antiviral activity of chitosan microparticles (CM) against HuNoV GII.4 Sydney and its cultivable surrogate, Tulane virus (TuV), in suspensions mimicking fecally-contaminated water. CM was prepared by crosslinking chitosan molecules with sodium sulfate, and then its anti-noroviral activity was assessed using infectivity assay on TuV and RT-qPCR on TuV and HuNoV. A 3% CM suspension in PBS (pH 7.2) showed binding to TuV particles but with a negligible impact on virus infectivity (p>0.05). TuV and HuNoV suspended in fecal suspensions showed a 1.5-log10 reduction in genomic copies per ml following a 10-min contact time (p<0.05). Despite the negligible impact on viral infectivity, CM moderately binds to virus particles and helps purify environmental water by removing infectious virus particles. In this study, TuV served as a suitable surrogate for HuNoV by showing a similar log10 reduction in fecal suspension. Overall, the outcomes of thisresearch highlight the potential application of CM as a novel, natural treatment to minimize the spread of water-transmitted viral pathogens.

scholarly journals High risk of relapsed disease in patients with NK/T cell chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease outside of Asia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blachy J Dávila Saldaña ◽  
Tami D John ◽  
Challice L Bonifant ◽  
David Buchbinder ◽  
Sharat Chandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epstein Barr Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Curative Therapy ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Relapsed Disease

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) disease (CAEBV) is characterized by high levels of EBV predominantly in T and/or NK cells with lymphoproliferation, organ failure due to infiltration of tissues with virus-infected cells, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and/or lymphoma. The disease is more common in Asia than in the United States and Europe. While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered the only curative therapy for CAEBV, its efficacy and the best treatment modality to reduce disease severity prior to HSCT is unknown. Here, we retrospectively assessed an international cohort of 57 patients outside of Asia. Treatment for the disease varied widely, although most patients ultimately proceeded to HSCT. Though patients undergoing HSCT had better survival than those who did not (55% v 25%, p<0.01), there was still a high rate of death in both groups. Mortality was largely not affected by age, ethnicity, cell type involvement, or disease complications, but development of lymphoma showed a trend with increased mortality (56% v 35%, p=0.1). The overwhelming majority (75%) of patients who died after HSCT succumbed to relapsed disease. CAEBV remains challenging to treat when advanced disease is present. Outcomes would likely improve with better disease control strategies, earlier referral for HSCT, and close follow-up after HSCT including aggressive management of rising EBV DNA levels in the blood.

scholarly journals First report on the molecular detection, phylogeny, virological and pathological investigations of Avibacterium paragallinarum in chickens in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (03) ◽  
pp. 6378-2020
Author(s):  
SAJID UMAR ◽  
HASAN ONGOR ◽  
ERHAN BAYRAKTAR ◽  
HAZAL OZTURK GURGEN ◽  
BELGI DIREN SIGIRCI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infections ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
The United States ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Nasal Discharge ◽  
Direct Pcr ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Avibacterium Paragallinarum ◽  
Species Specific

Avibacterium paragallinarum is an important pathogen affecting the respiratory tract of chickens. There is a paucity of information on the molecular characteristics and pathology of A. paragallinarum in Turkish poultry flocks. In the present study, broiler and layer flocks (n = 2) suspected of viral infections with serious respiratory signs and significant mortality were visited. Chickens showed various disease signs and necropsy lesions, including purulent nasal discharge, respiratory distress, facial edema, sticky eyes, mucoid tracheitis, hemorrhagic inflammation of the infraorbital sinuses along with fibrinous mass and conjunctivitis. Histopathological lesions included loss of cilia along with necrosis and exfoliation of the superficial mucosal epithelium of the trachea, facial cellulitis, dermatitis, fibrinous plasmatic edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially heterophils. A. paragallinarum was detected in tissue samples by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the core region of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene revealed that Turkish strains detected here belonged to serotype A (serovar A1). They were related to strains reported from India (VRDC), the United States (0083), and Japan (0221), which are representatives of serovar A1. A homology of 88-90% was found between Indian strains and the Turkish strains detected in this study. Surprisingly, only vaccine strains of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were detected as a co-infecting agent in all samples positive for A. paragallinarum. Our findings suggest that A. paragallinarum may be an emerging pathogen in Turkish poultry flocks, and direct PCR may facilitate rapid diagnosis of infectious coryza. These results will also help to develop control strategies for A. paragallinarum.

scholarly journals Recurrent and Sporadic Listeria monocytogenes Contamination in Alheiras Represents Considerable Diversity, Including Virulence-Attenuated Isolates

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 3887-3895 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. S. Fel�cio ◽  
T. Hogg ◽  
P. Gibbs ◽  
P. Teixeira ◽  
M. Wiedmann
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Tetracycline Resistance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Molecular Serotyping ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Invasion Assays

ABSTRACT Microbiological characterization of alheiras, traditional smoked meat sausages produced in northern Portugal, had previously shown that more than 60% of the lots analyzed were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes at levels higher than 100 CFU/g. In order to better understand L. monocytogenes contamination patterns in alheiras, we characterized 128 L. monocytogenes isolates from alheiras using a variety of subtyping techniques (i.e., molecular serotyping; arsenic, cadmium, and tetracycline resistance typing; and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis [PFGE]). Subtyping of isolates from products collected on two separate dates provided evidence for the persistence of specific L. monocytogenes PFGE types in the production and distribution chains of alheiras from four different processors. A subset of 21 isolates was further characterized using ribotyping and Caco-2 cell invasion assays to evaluate the pathogenic potential of L. monocytogenes present in alheiras. Caco-2 invasion assays revealed seven isolates with invasion efficiencies that were less than 20% of that of the control strain 10403S. All seven isolates had premature stop codons in inlA that represented three distinct mutations, which had previously been observed in isolates from the United States or France. Our findings indicate the need for a comprehensive approach to control L. monocytogenes in alheiras, including strategies to reduce persistence. The presence of considerable diversity in invasion phenotypes among L. monocytogenes strains present in alheiras, including the presence of subtypes likely to be virulence attenuated, may provide an opportunity to initially focus control strategies on the subtypes most likely to cause human disease.

scholarly journals Transmission and evolutionary dynamics of human coronavirus OC43 strains in coastal Kenya investigated by partial spike sequence analysis, 2015–16

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A Abidha ◽  
Joyce Nyiro ◽  
Everlyn Kamau ◽  
Osman Abdullahi ◽  
David James Nokes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Respiratory Pathogen ◽  
Human Coronavirus ◽  
Spike Gene ◽  
Low Genetic Diversity ◽  
Coastal Kenya ◽  
Close Phylogenetic Relationship

Abstract Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is a major contributor to seasonal outbreaks of acute respiratory illness (ARI). The origins of locally circulating HCoV-OC43 strains and characteristics of their genetic diversity are unknown for most settings despite significance to effective HCoV control strategies. Between December 2015 and June 2016, we undertook ARI surveillance in coastal Kenya in nine outpatients and one inpatient health facility (HF). Ninety-two patient samples tested HCoV-OC43 positive and forty (43.5%) were successfully sequenced in spike (S) gene region (2,864 long, ∼70%). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed co-circulation of two distinct HCoV-OC43 clades that closely clustered with genotype G (n = 34, 85%) and genotype H (n = 6, 15%) reference strains. Local viruses within the same clade displayed low genetic diversity yielding identical sequences in multiple HF. Furthermore, the newly sequenced Kenyan viruses showed close phylogenetic relationship to other contemporaneous sampled strains (2015–16) including those originating from distant places (e.g. USA and China). Using a genetic similarity threshold of 99.1 per cent at nucleotide level, the HCoV-OC43 strains sampled globally between 1967 and 2019 fell into nine sequence clusters. Notably, some of these clusters appeared to have become extinct, or occurred only sporadically in a few geographical areas while others persisted globally for multiple years. In conclusion, we found that HCoV-OC43 strains spread rapidly both locally and across the globe with limited genetic evolution in the spike gene. Full-genome sequences that are spatio-temporally representative are required to advance understanding of the transmission pathways of this important human respiratory pathogen.

scholarly journals Bikes or Bust? Analyzing the Impact of Bicycle Infrastructure on Business Performance in San Francisco

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (12) ◽  
pp. 277-289
Author(s):  
Raleigh McCoy ◽  
Joseph A. Poirier ◽  
Karen Chapple
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Mode Shift ◽  
Bicycle Infrastructure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Transportation agencies at the local, state, and federal levels in the United States (U.S.) have shown a growing interest in expanding bicycle infrastructure, given its link to mode shift and safety goals. These projects, however, are far from universally accepted. Business owners have been particularly vocal opponents, claiming that bicycle infrastructure will diminish sales or fundamentally change the character of their neighborhoods. Using the case of San Francisco, this research explores the relationship between bicycle infrastructure and business performance in two ways: change in sales over time, and a comparison of sales for new and existing businesses. An ordinary least squares regression is used to model the change in sales over time, isolating the effect of location on bicycle infrastructure while controlling for characteristics of the business, corridor, and surrounding neighborhood. Through a series of t-tests, average sales for businesses that pre-date bicycle infrastructure and for those that opened after the installation of such projects are compared. Ultimately, the research suggests that location on bicycle infrastructure and changes in on-street parking supply generally did not have a significant effect on the change in sales, with a few exceptions. Businesses that sell goods for the home or auto-related goods and services saw a significant decline in sales when located on corridors with bike lanes. New and existing businesses generally had similar sales, though not across the board. New restaurants and grocery stores had significantly higher sales than their existing counterparts, suggesting bicycle infrastructure may attract more upmarket businesses in those industries.

scholarly journals Human coronavirus circulation in the United States 2014–2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 52-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie E. Killerby ◽  
Holly M. Biggs ◽  
Amber Haynes ◽  
Rebecca M. Dahl ◽  
Desiree Mustaquim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Coronavirus
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