Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 Immunoglobulin M and Immunoglobulin G Antibodies among the Population of Koya University

Coronavirus is a pandemic disease. In most cases, the exact infection rate cannot be determined as not everybody can be tested for the virus, even though some of them carry the virus silently. Therefore, detection of antibodies of this virus is more practical to give us a better clue about the rate of infection because the asymptomatic people can be tested too. The serological detection of anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) antibodies among asymptomatic and moderate symptomatic individuals gives us the vital point to understanding the prevalence rate of COVID-19 among the population. Total of (436) volunteers were participated, (96) from teaching staff, (172) employee, and (168) students. Anti-SARS-COV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM) were detected in the serum by ELISA technique, and complete blood count was performed for all participants. The number of seropositive of anti-SARS-COV-2/IgG was (159), whereas IgM was (66). The highest prevalence rate of IgG detected among participants with family member infected with coronavirus (42.7%). Total WBCs count significantly increased among IgM positive participants. Many asymptomatic people were infected with coronavirus, which lead to more spreading of the virus among the population. Therefore, mass screening of the population for specific antibody against coronavirus is important to reduce the infection rate.

Comparison of BP26, Omp25 and Omp31 and a Multi-Epitope Based Fusion Protein in Serological Detection of Canine Brucellosis

Background Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases in the world. Canine brucellosis caused mainly by B. canis is seriously neglected and there is lack of accurate diagnostic tools. Methods In this study, using 34 brucellosis positive dog sera and 62 negative control sera, the Brucella outer membrane protein of Omp31, BP26, Omp25 and a multi-epitope based fusion protein were evaluated by iELISA for their potential use as antigens in serological diagnosis for canine brucellosis. Results The result showed that multi-epitope based fusion protein performed best in distinguishing brucellosis positive and negative dog sera, with positive predictive value (PPV) was 100% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 98.41%. BP26 and Omp31 showed excellent sensitivity in detecting brucellosis positive dog sera, but their cross reaction to sera infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes may hinder their application as diagnostic reagent. While Omp25 was lack of sufficient sensitivity and just showed limited ability in distinguishing positive and negative dog sera. Conclusion The multi-epitope based fusion protein could accelerate the development of diagnostic kit for canine brucellosis currently urgently needed in China.

Dengue Infection: Frequently Asked Questions by People in the Province of Aklan, Philippines

Dengue virus is the most common mosquito borne viral disease in humans, and poses a major challenge to global public health services. Infection can be caused by any of the 4 DENV serotypes, transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Presenting features may vary from a mild self-limiting febrile illness to life-threatening symptoms of bleeding, organ impairment, and plasma leakage leading to shock. Early diagnosis and monitoring are critical to reduce mortality, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Laboratory tests, such as the serological detection of either antigen or antibodies are useful in the diagnosis. Currently, although a vaccine for DENV is available, it remains a challenge to develop an effective vaccine against 4 discrete serotypes and antiviral drugs effective in reducing morbidity or improving disease outcome.

Unified platform for genetic and serological detection of COVID-19 with single-molecule technology

The COVID-19 pandemic raises the need for diverse diagnostic approaches to rapidly detect different stages of viral infection. The flexible and quantitative nature of single-molecule imaging technology renders it optimal for development of new diagnostic tools. Here we present a proof-of-concept for a single-molecule based, enzyme-free assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2. The unified platform we developed allows direct detection of the viral genetic material from patients’ samples, as well as their immune response consisting of IgG and IgM antibodies. Thus, it establishes a platform for diagnostics of COVID-19, which could also be adjusted to diagnose additional pathogens.

Molecular Characterization of the env Gene of Bovine Leukemia Virus in Cattle from Pakistan with NGS-Based Evidence of Virus Heterogeneity

Characterization of the global genetic diversity of the bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an ongoing international research effort. Up to now BLV sequences have been classified into eleven distinct genotypes. Although BLV genotyping and molecular analysis of field isolates were reported in many countries, there is no report describing BLV genotypes present in cattle from Pakistan. In this study we examined 27 env gene sequences from BLV-infected cattle coming from four farms located in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Gilgit Baltisan and Punjab provinces. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the classification of Pakistani sequences into genotypes G1 and G6. The alignment with the FLK-BLV sequence revealed the presence of 45 mutations, namely, seven in genotype G1 and 33 in genotype G6. Five mutations were found in both, G1 and G6 genotypes. Twelve amino acid substitutions were found in the analyzed sequences, of which only one P264S was specific for sequences from Pakistan. Furthermore, a certain degree of nucleotide heterogeneity was identified by NGS. These results highlight the need for further study on the importance of genetic variability of BLV, especially in the context of its pathogenicity and potential effect on serological detection.