Research and product development for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: priorities for 2024-30.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widely distributed and potentially fatal tick-borne viral disease with no licensed specific treatments or vaccines. In 2019, WHO published an advanced draft of a research and development roadmap for CCHF that prioritised the development and deployment of the medical countermeasures most needed by CCHF-affected countries. This Personal View presents updated CCHF research and development priorities and is the product of broad consultation with a working group of 20 leading experts in 2023-24.

Pathogens Detected in Questing Ticks in a Mountainous Area in Greece.

ticks are vectors of a plethora of pathogens. The purpose of this study was to screen 398 ticks for a variety of pathogens. Following the pooling, homogenization, and extraction of total nucleic acids, a real-time PCR was applied for the detection of a panel of tick-borne pathogens, while additional conventional PCRs combined with Sanger sequencing were applied for the detection of viruses and typing of and species.

Third International Conference on Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Thessaloniki, Greece, September 19-21, 2023.

The Third International Conference on Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, September 19-21, 2023, bringing together a diverse group of international partners, including public health professionals, clinicians, ecologists, epidemiologists, immunologists, and virologists. The conference was attended by 118 participants representing 24 countries and the World Health Organization (WHO). Meeting sessions covered the epidemiology of CCHF in humans; Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in ticks; wild and domestic animal hosts; molecular virology; pathogenesis and animal models; immune response related to therapeutics; and CCHF prevention in humans.

West Nile virus spread in Europe: Phylogeographic pattern analysis and key drivers.

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks in birds, humans, and livestock have occurred in multiple areas in Europe and have had a significant impact on animal and human health. The patterns of emergence and spread of WNV in Europe are very different from those in the US and understanding these are important for guiding preparedness activities.

Methods: We mapped the evolution and spread history of WNV in Europe by incorporating viral genome sequences and epidemiological data into phylodynamic models.

Neonatal Bloodstream Infection with Ceftazidime-Avibactam-Resistant -Producing Carrying .

Background: Although ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI) has become an important option for treating adults and children, no data or recommendations exist for neonates. We report a neonatal sepsis case due to CAZ/AVI-resistant -harboring carrying and the use of a customized active surveillance program in conjunction with enhanced infection control measures.

Methods: The index case was an extremely premature neonate hospitalized for 110 days that had been previously treated with multiple antibiotics.

The 2022 West Nile Virus Season in Greece; A Quite Intense Season.

Since 2010, the West Nile virus (WNV) has been established in Greece. We describe the epidemiology of diagnosed human WNV infections in Greece with a focus on the 2022 season. During the transmission period, clinicians were sending samples from suspected cases for testing.

Overview of Mpox Outbreak in Greece in 2022-2023: Is It Over?

In May 2022, for the first time, multiple cases of mpox were reported in several non-endemic countries. The first ever case of the disease in Greece was confirmed on 8 June 2022, and a total of 88 cases were reported in the country until the end of April 2023. A multidisciplinary response team was established by the Greek National Public Health Organization (EODY) to monitor and manage the situation.

Development of Toehold Switches as a Novel Ribodiagnostic Method for West Nile Virus.

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging neurotropic RNA virus and a member of the genus . Naturally, the virus is maintained in an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes as vectors and birds that are the principal amplifying virus hosts. In humans, the incubation period for WNV disease ranges from 3 to 14 days, with an estimated 80% of infected persons being asymptomatic, around 19% developing a mild febrile infection and less than 1% developing neuroinvasive disease.

Clinical Performance Evaluation of the NeuMoDx Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 Vantage Assay.

SARS-CoV-2 infections may present with various symptoms that are similar to those of other respiratory diseases. For this reason, the need for simultaneous detection of at least RSV and influenza viruses together with SARS-CoV-2 was evident from the early stages of the pandemic. In the present study, we evaluated the clinical performance of the NeuMoDx™ Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 Vantage Assay against the conventional low-plex PCR utilized to detect influenza A-B, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2.

Spa diversity and genetic characterization of t127 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary Greek hospital.

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes severe community and hospital acquired infections. Identification of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), multilocus-sequence typing, and sequencing of S. aureus protein A (spa) gene are used for MRSA typing.

The COVID-19 pandemic as inspiration to reconsider epidemic models: A novel approach to spatially homogeneous epidemic spread modeling.

Epidemic spread models are useful tools to study the spread and the effectiveness of the interventions at a population level, to an epidemic. The workhorse of spatially homogeneous class models is the SIR-type ones comprising ordinary differential equations for the unknown state variables. The transition between different states is expressed through rate functions.

History and classification of Aigai virus (formerly Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus genotype VI).

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the medically most important member of the rapidly expanding bunyaviral family . Traditionally, CCHFV isolates have been assigned to six distinct genotypes. Here, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Study Group outlines the reasons for the recent decision to re-classify genogroup VI (aka Europe-2 or AP-92-like) as a distinct virus, Aigai virus (AIGV).

Dissecting miRNA-Gene Networks to Map Clinical Utility Roads of Pharmacogenomics-Guided Therapeutic Decisions in Cardiovascular Precision Medicine.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) create systems networks and gene-expression circuits through molecular signaling and cell interactions that contribute to health imbalance and the emergence of cardiovascular disorders (CVDs). Because the clinical phenotypes of CVD patients present a diversity in their pathophysiology and heterogeneity at the molecular level, it is essential to establish genomic signatures to delineate multifactorial correlations, and to unveil the variability seen in therapeutic intervention outcomes. The clinically validated miRNA biomarkers, along with the relevant SNPs identified, have to be suitably implemented in the clinical setting in order to enhance patient stratification capacity, to contribute to a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, to guide the selection of innovative therapeutic schemes, and to identify innovative drugs and delivery systems.