Resurgence of human respiratory syncytial virus during COVID-19 pandemic in Southern Brazil.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is an important cause of respiratory infection in humans. Severe cases are common in children ≤2 years old, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. In 2020, RSV infection reduced in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), southern Brazil; however, in 2021 resurgence of RSV was observed.

Machine learning in predicting severe acute respiratory infection outbreaks.

Severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) outbreaks occur annually, with seasonal peaks varying among geographic regions. Case notification is important to prepare healthcare networks for patient attendance and hospitalization. Thus, health managers need adequate resource planning tools for SARI seasons.

Chikungunya virus infection in the southernmost state of Brazil was characterised by self-limited transmission (2017-2019) and a larger 2021 outbreak.

Background: Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that has been causing large outbreaks in the Americas since 2014. In Brazil, Asian-Caribbean (AC) and East-Central-South-African (ECSA) genotypes have been detected and lead to large outbreaks in several Brazilian states. In Rio Grande do Sul (RS), the southernmost state of Brazil, the first cases were reported in 2016.

Tracking the emergence of antigenic variants in influenza A virus epidemics in Brazil.

Influenza A virus (IAV) circulation patterns differ in North America and South America, with influenza seasons often characterized by different subtypes and strains. However, South America is relatively undersampled considering the size of its population. To address this gap, we sequenced the complete genomes of 220 IAVs collected between 2009 and 2016 from hospitalized patients in southern Brazil.

The health burden of natural and technological disasters in Brazil from 2013 to 2021.

Disasters deeply impact the health of the affected population and the economy of a country. The health burden of disasters in Brazil is underestimated and more studies are needed to underpin policies and actions for disaster risk reduction. This study analyzes and describes disasters that occurred in Brazil from 2013 to 2021.

Influenza A(H3N2) infection followed by separate COVID-19 infection.

This study describes the case of a health professional infected first by influenza virus A(H3N2) and then by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 11 days later. Respiratory samples and clinical data were collected from the patient and from close contacts. RNA was extracted from samples and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to investigate the viruses.

SARS-CoV-2 laboratory surveillance during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in southern Brazil.

Background: Brazil has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in southern Brazil is one of the leading states in terms of case numbers. As part of the national public health network, the State Central Laboratory (LACEN-RS) changed its routine in 2020 to focus on the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory infection surveillance in Brazil: the role of public, private and philanthropic healthcare units.

Epidemiological surveillance and notification of respiratory infections are important for management and control of epidemics and pandemics. Fact-based decisions, like social distancing policies and preparation of hospital beds, are taken based on several factors, including case numbers; hence, health authorities need quick access to reliable and well-analysed data. We aimed to analyse the role of the Brazilian public health system in the notification and hospitalization of patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI).

SARS-CoV-2 introduction and lineage dynamics across three epidemic peaks in Southern Brazil: massive spread of P.1.

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is paramount for understanding viral dynamics, contributing to disease control. This study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, including the first reported case in each Regional Health Coordination and cases from three epidemic peaks. Ninety SARS-CoV-2 genomes from RS were sequenced and analyzed through comparison with SARS-CoV-2 datasets available in GISAID for phylogenetic inference and mutation analysis.

Gene expression evaluation of antioxidant enzymes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: RT-qPCR and bioinformatic analyses.

Any condition leading to chronic liver disease is a potential oncogenic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alterations in the expression of antioxidant enzymes could alter the redox balance. Our aim was to evaluate the expression of the genes GPX1, GPX4, SEP15, SELENOP, SOD1, SOD2, GSR, CAT, and NFE2L2 in patients with HCC.

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caught the attention of the global community and rekindled the debate about our ability to prevent and manage outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Many alternatives are suggested to address these urgent issues. Some of them are quite interesting, but with little practical application in the short or medium term.

Epidemiology of influenza B infection in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 2003 to 2019.

Influenza B virus (IBV) causes respiratory tract infections with mild, moderate, or life-threatening symptoms. This study describes the epidemiology of IBV infection in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, over 17 years. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from outpatients presenting acute respiratory illness (ARI) between 2003 and 2019, and from inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) from 2009 to 2019.

Epidemiology of human adenovirus associated with respiratory infection in southern Brazil.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are associated with respiratory infection in the human population worldwide, but HAdV is underreported and less studied than other respiratory viruses. We investigated HAdV in patients with respiratory infection in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, between 2004 and 2018. The frequency and seasonality of HAdV, clinical symptoms and underlying diseases were analysed.

More than just a common cold: Endemic coronaviruses OC43, HKU1, NL63, and 229E associated with severe acute respiratory infection and fatality cases among healthy adults.

Respiratory viral infection can cause severe disease and hospitalization, especially among children, the elderly, and patients with comorbidities. In Brazil, the official surveillance system of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) investigates influenza A (IAV) and B (IBV) viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (HAdV), and parainfluenza viruses (hPIV 1-3). In Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, many fatalities associated with SARI between 2013 and 2017 occurred among patients without underlying diseases and for whom the causative agent had not been identified using official protocols.

Dual and Triple Infections With Influenza A and B Viruses: A Case-Control Study in Southern Brazil.

Influenza surveillance is important for disease control and should consider possible coinfection with different viruses, which can be associated with disease severity. This study analyzed 34 459 patients with respiratory infection from 2009 to 2018, of whom 8011 were positive for influenza A virus (IAV) or influenza B virus (IBV). We found 18 cases of dual influenza virus infection, including coinfection with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus (A[H1N1]pdm09) and influenza A(H3N2) virus (1 case), A(H1N1)pdm09 and IBV (6 cases), A(H3N2) and IBV (8 cases), and nonsubtyped IAV and IBV (3 cases); and 1 case of triple infection with A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09, and IBV.

A 12-year study of fungal infections in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil.

Background: The number of fungal infections has increased in recent years in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Epidemiological studies are important for proper control of infections.

Aims: To evaluate the etiology of fungal infections in patients in RS, from 2003 to 2015.

A 28-year study of human parainfluenza in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil.

Problem: Human parainfluenza virus (hPIV) is an important pathogen in respiratory infections, however the health burden of hPIV is underestimated. This study describes the infections by hPIV1-3 in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from 1990 to 2017, providing data of the frequency and seasonality of cases and associated clinical symptoms.

Method Of Study: Nasopharyngeal samples of patients with respiratory infection were collected, clinical data were analyzed, and immunofluorescence was used to detect hPIV.

Prevalence of symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children in Southern Brazil: a ten-year monitoring study.

This study analyzes and describes trends in prevalence of asthma and rhinitis in children 6-7 years old living in Santo Ângelo, Brazil, by comparing data from 2007, 2012, and 2017. The ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) standardized written questionnaire was used in a three cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire was applied between March and May of 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Comparison of the nasopharynx microbiome between influenza and non-influenza cases of severe acute respiratory infections: A pilot study.

Aims: Influenza A virus (IAV) can cause severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), and disease outcome may be associated with changes in the microbiome of the nasopharynx. This is a pilot study to characterize the microbiome of the nasopharynx in patients hospitalized with SARI, infected and not infected by IAV.

Methods And Results: Using target sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we assessed the bacterial community of nasopharyngeal aspirate samples and compared the microbiome of patients infected with IAV with the microbiome of patients who were negative for IAV.

Is recurrent respiratory infection associated with allergic respiratory disease?

Objective: Respiratory infections cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aims to estimate the relationship between allergic respiratory diseases with the occurrence of recurrent respiratory infection (RRI) in children and adolescents.

Methods: The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and a questionnaire that provides data on the history of respiratory infections and the use of antibiotics were used to obtain data from patients.

Dengue in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: 2014 to 2016.

The first autochthonous dengue case in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Southern Brazil, occurred in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, only imported cases were reported in RS, but from 2010 to 2013, reports of autochthonous infections increased significantly. This study analyzes and discusses laboratory, demographic, and clinical data regarding dengue cases in RS, from 2014 to 2016.

Emerging arboviruses in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: Chikungunya and Zika outbreaks, 2014-2016.

Questions Investigated: The recent emergence of arboviruses such as Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil has posed a threat to human health and to the country's economy. Outbreaks occur mainly in tropical areas; however, increasing number of cases have been observed in Rio Grande do Sul (RS), the Southernmost state; therefore, surveillance of these arboviruses is essential for public health measures.

Design: In this study, we analyzed 1276 samples from patients with clinically suspected arboviral diseases between 2014 and 2016.

Polymorphisms and resistance mutations of hepatitis C virus on sequences in the European hepatitis C virus database.

Aim: To evaluate the occurrence of resistant mutations in treatment-naïve hepatitis C virus (HCV) sequences deposited in the European hepatitis C virus database (euHCVdb).

Methods: The sequences were downloaded from the euHCVdb (https://euhcvdb.ibcp.

FREQUENCY OF THE MDR1 GENE POLYMORPHISM RS1045642 (C3435T) IN HCV-HIV CO-INFECTED PATIENTS.

Background: Due to the high prevalence of co-infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the severity of these infections, the understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in these processes, including viral behavior and host genetic profile, is of great importance for patient treatment and for public health policies.Some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome, such as the SNP rs1045642 (C3435T) in the MDR1 gene, have been reported to be associated to the sustained virological response (SVR) to HCV treatment in HCV-HIV co-infected patients.

Objective: The present study analyzes the MDR1 gene C3435T polymorphism in HCV-HIV co-infected patients.