Dengue virus: A review

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness that is quickly spreading over the globe, with significant death and morbidity rates. Dengue fever is an acute viral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitos and caused by an RNA virus from the Flaviviridae family. The symptoms might vary from asymptomatic fever to life-threatening complications including hemorrhagic fever and shock. Although dengue virus infections are normally self-limiting, the disease has become a public health concern in tropical and subtropical countries. Dengue fever is a major public health concern owing to its rapid worldwide spread, and its burdens are now unmet due to a lack of accurate therapy and a simple diagnostic approach for the early stages of illness.

COVID-19 Infection in Pregnancy: A Review

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is a highly contagious viral illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had a catastrophic effect on the world's demographics, resulting in more than 3.8 million deaths worldwide, and establishing itself as the most serious global health crisis since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Several questions remain unanswered regarding the effects of COVID-19 disease during pregnancy. Although most infections are mild in high-risk populations, severe disease frequently leads to intubation, intensive care unit admission, and, in some cases, death. Hormonal and physiological changes in the immune and respiratory systems, cardiovascular function, and coagulation may affect the progression of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy. However, consequences of coronavirus infection on implantation, fetal growth and development, labor, and newborn health have yet to be determined, and, consequently, a coordinated global effort is needed in this respect . Principles of management concerning COVID-19 in pregnancy include early isolation, aggressive infection control procedures, oxygen therapy, avoidance of fluid overload, consideration of empiric antibiotics (secondary to bacterial infection risk), laboratory testing for the virus and co-infection, fetal and uterine contraction monitoring, prevention and / or treatment of thromboembolism early mechanical ventilation for progressive respiratory failure, individualized delivery planning, and a team-based approach with multispecialty consultations. This review focuses on COVID-19 during pregnancy, its management, and the area where further investigations are needed to reduce the risk to mothers and their newborns.

Out of Pocket Expenditure Associated with COVID 19 Pandemic in India

Corona virus 2019, popularly known as COVID-19 is a viral illness which has caused a threat in the minds of people across the world in recent times. Even developed countries are facing major challenges in preventing and treating this dreadful disease. In view of unavailability of effective vaccine and healthcare facilities, the burden of this disease is growing day by day. An important concern among the people living in these countries is the Out of Pocket Expenditure, which is ‘an expenditures borne directly by a patient, where insurance does not cover the full cost of the health goods or service’. As of 2014 data, Public expenditure on health in India has remained at 1% of GDP, very low compared to emerging BRICS (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) economies and even below neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka. Hence it is high time that Government of India focuses on strengthening the primary healthcare system, community participation and Public private partnership so that disparity in healthcare needs is addressed and OOPE is reduced.

Management of Acute Kidney Injury in Patient with Dengue and COVID-19 Illness Simultaneously

Dengue is a viral illness spreads through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito leading to a serious health hazard. Dengue induced acute kidney injury is a fatal consequence and there are very few studies reported. Hence early identification of high risk groups is crucial for prevention, to restrict progression and effective treatment of acute kidney injury and to minimise associated morbidity and mortality. The coronavirus disease outbreak has widely spread into a pandemic all over the world. COVID-19 cases have presented with wide spectrum of severity ranging from a mild presentation to severe cases affecting the lungs(ARDS) mainly and rapidly affecting various body organs leading to multiorgan failure. Among these renal involvement is common, the severity of which ranges from mild loss of protein in urine to progressive acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy.

Nutritional Agonists of PPAR-γ: An Immunomodulatory Approach to Control Cytokine Storm in Covid19 Patients

Recent examinations express that multi organ failure is seen in Corona virus infected patients with different pathway. It has been shown in contemplates that increased levels of cytokines like IL-1B and INF gamma were observed. It is called as cytokine storm with higher convergences of CCL2 and CXCL10. The cytokine storm is trailed by our immune system attacking own body which thus may cause numerous organ abnormalities and conclusive outcome being death. There is currently no specific treatment for viral illness, and this methodology is an optional path for focusing on specific qualities that may diminish cytokine storm. In such manner Peroxisome Proliferators Activated Receptors (PPARs) have a place with group of transcription factors which are known to manage the inflammatory mechanisms in body. This immunomodulatory approach is intended to focus PPAR-gamma ligands and their molecular docking studies. The activation or increased expression levels of PPAR gamma because of chosen agonists may reduce the cytokine storm in the covid patients. Thus, this is one such fascinating way to deal with neutralization of the cytokines exorbitantly elevated by use of substances like pomegranate, lemon grass and so on to activate PPARs reliably.

TLRs in COVID-19: How they drive immunopathology and the rationale for modulation

COVID-19 is both a viral illness and a disease of immunopathology. Proximal events within the innate immune system drive the balance between deleterious inflammation and viral clearance. We hypothesize that a divergence between the generation of excessive inflammation through over activation of the TLR associated myeloid differentiation primary response (MyD88) pathway relative to the TIR-domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β (TRIF) pathway plays a key role in COVID-19 severity. Both viral elements and damage associated host molecules act as TLR ligands in this process. In this review, we detail the mechanism for this imbalance in COVID-19 based on available evidence, and we discuss how modulation of critical elements may be important in reducing severity of disease.

COVID-19-associated Invasive Fungal Infection

COVID-19 can become complicated by secondary invasive fungal infections (IFI), stemming primarily from severe lung damage and immunologic deficits associated with the virus or immunomodulatory therapy. Other risk factors include poorly controlled diabetes, structural lung disease and/or other comorbidities, and fungal colonization. Opportunistic invasive fungal infection following severe respiratory viral illness has been increasingly recognized, most notably with severe influenza. There have been many reports of fungal infections associated with COVID-19, initially predominated by pulmonary aspergillosis, but with recent emergence of mucormycosis, candidiasis and endemic mycoses. These infections can be challenging to diagnose and are associated with poor outcomes. The reported incidence of IFI has varied, often related to heterogeneity in patient populations, surveillance protocols and definitions used for classification of fungal infections. Herein, we review IFI complicating COVID-19 and address knowledge gaps related to epidemiology, diagnosis and management of COVID-19-associated fungal infections.

Resolution of pituitary microadenoma after coronavirus disease 2019: a case report

Background This report describes the case of a patient whose pituitary microadenoma resolved after he contracted coronavirus disease 2019. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reported cases of pituitary tumor resolution due to viral illness. We present this case to further investigate the relationship between inflammatory response and tumor remission. Case presentation A 32-year-old man in Yemen presented to the hospital with fever, low blood oxygen saturation, and shortness of breath. The patient was diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019. Past medical history included pituitary microadenoma that was diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging and secondary adrenal insufficiency, which was treated with steroids. Due to the severity of coronavirus disease 2019, he was treated with steroids and supportive care. Three months after his initial presentation to the hospital, brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed and compared with past scans. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed changes in the microadenoma, including the disappearance of the hypointense lesion and hyperintense enhancement observed on the previous scan. Conclusions Pituitary adenomas rarely undergo spontaneous resolution. Therefore, we hypothesized that tumor resolution was secondary to an immune response to coronavirus disease 2019.

Contribution of Nanotechnologies to Vaccine Development and Drug Delivery against Respiratory Viruses

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus disease 2019, a respiratory viral illness linked to significant morbidity, mortality, production loss, and severe economic depression, was the third-largest cause of death in 2020. Respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV-2, and adenovirus, are among the most common causes of respiratory illness in humans, spreading as pandemics or epidemics throughout all continents. Nanotechnologies are particles in the nanometer range made from various compositions. They can be lipid-based, polymer-based, protein-based, or inorganic in nature, but they are all bioinspired and virus-like. In this review, we aimed to present a short review of the different nanoparticles currently studied, in particular those which led to publications in the field of respiratory viruses. We evaluated those which could be beneficial for respiratory disease-based viruses; those which already have contributed, such as lipid nanoparticles in the context of COVID-19; and those which will contribute in the future either as vaccines or antiviral drug delivery systems. We present a short assessment based on a critical selection of evidence indicating nanotechnology’s promise in the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections.

The risk factors of measles outbreak in Dollo zone Somali region, Ethiopia

Background: Measles is a highly contagious acute viral illness with the possibility of severe and dangerous complications. Measles occurrence is related to urbanization because of high entry of migrants and high population density; cities have become important hubs for the spread of infectious diseases. The African region is a crucial player in the global fight against measles and has made tremendous progress in its effort to immunize children and to control the disease. Despite the accessibility of safe and cost-effective vaccine, measles has remained endemic with persistent periodic outbreaks in the horn of Africa.Methods: We reviewed the measles cases line lists in Dollo zone from January 2017 to March 2018. There was a total of 771-line listed cases in 2017 and 326 line-listed in 2018. Measles case investigations on alerts were also reviewed when there is an alert rumors verification case investigation done. The line list included variables on vaccination status, age, sex, treatment modality, date of onset the rash, date seen health facility, diagnosis, outcome (alive or dead), locations from place cases came from, contact history and travel history were reviewed.Results: We found that the measles outbreak affected different age groups in Dollo zone and most affected age group were between the ages of 15 years to 30 years and most of the cases have no history of immunization.Conclusions: The outbreak affected all age groups, which may show the continuous low routine immunization coverage over several years and the gathering of the susceptible population in the older age group that may have led to the current outbreak.