Post-market surveillance of six COVID-19 point-of-care tests using pre-Omicron and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Post-market surveillance of test performance is a critical function of public health agencies and clinical researchers that ensures tests maintaining diagnostic characteristics following their regulatory approval. Changes in product quality, manufacturing processes over time, or the evolution of new variants may impact product performance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a plethora of point-of-care tests (POCTs) was released onto the Canadian market.

Inflammatory Patterns Associated with in HIV and Pneumonia Coinfections.

infections have a propensity for occurring in HIV-infected individuals, with immunosuppressed individuals tending to present with more severe disease. However, understanding regarding the host response in immune compromised individuals is lacking. This study investigated the inflammatory profiles associated with infection in patients hospitalized with HIV and pneumonia in Medellín, Colombia from February 2007 to April 2014, and correlated these profiles with clinical outcomes.

A Sensitive and Rapid Wastewater Test for SARS-COV-2 and Its Use for the Early Detection of a Cluster of Cases in a Remote Community.

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, wastewater surveillance has been used to monitor trends in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevalence in the community. A major challenge in establishing wastewater surveillance programs, especially in remote areas, is the need for a well-equipped laboratory for sample analysis. Currently, no options exist for rapid, sensitive, mobile, and easy-to-use wastewater tests for SARS-CoV-2.

Generation of False-Positive SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Results with Testing Conditions outside Manufacturer Recommendations: A Scientific Approach to Pandemic Misinformation.

Antigen-based rapid diagnostics tests (Ag-RDTs) are useful tools for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection. However, misleading demonstrations of the Abbott Panbio coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Ag-RDT on social media claimed that SARS-CoV-2 antigen could be detected in municipal water and food products. To offer a scientific rebuttal to pandemic misinformation and disinformation, this study explored the impact of using the Panbio SARS-CoV-2 assay with conditions falling outside manufacturer recommendations.

Development of a Fluorescent Tool for Studying Intracellular Infection.

Legionnaires' disease incidence is on the rise, with the majority of cases attributed to the intracellular pathogen, Nominally a parasite of protozoa, can also infect alveolar macrophages when bacteria-laden aerosols enter the lungs of immunocompromised individuals. pathogenesis has been well characterized; however, little is known about the >25 different spp. that can cause disease in humans.

Inflammatory mediators and lung abnormalities in HIV: A systematic review.

HIV and pneumonia infections have both been shown to negatively impact lung function. However, evidence of the role of inflammation on lung dysfunction in HIV and pneumonia co-infected individuals remains limited. We aimed to systematically review the association of inflammatory markers and lung abnormalities in HIV and pneumonia co-infected individuals.

Inflammatory Cell Differentiation and Chemotaxis and Extracellular Tissue Repair Markers Are Correlated with Pulmonary Dysfunction in HIV Infected Individuals Presenting with Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Prior studies have shown that HIV patients develop permanent pulmonary dysfunction following an episode of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the mechanism causing pulmonary dysfunction remains an enigma. HIV patients experience chronic inflammation.

Legionella co-infection in HIV-associated pneumonia.

Due to poor diagnostics and increased co-infections, HIV-associated Legionella infections are underreported. We aimed to retrospectively determine the frequency of Legionella infections in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from HIV-associated pneumonia patients hospitalized in Medellin, Colombia, between February 2007 and April 2014. Although culture was negative, 17 BAL (36%) were positive for Legionella by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, most of which were in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Pneumocystis jirovecii co-infected patients, and included L.

Atypical bacterial pneumonia in the HIV-infected population.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals are more susceptible to respiratory tract infections by other infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi) as their disease progresses to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Despite effective antiretroviral therapy, bacterial pneumonia (the most frequently occurring HIV-associated pulmonary illness) remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the HIV-infected population. Over the last few decades, studies have looked at the role of atypical bacterial pneumonia (i.

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in gold mine tailings in Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada.

A sampling trip to Central Gold Mine, Nopiming Provincial Park, Canada, was taken in September 2011. Abundance, distribution, and physiology of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAP) from 4 locations were studied. Enumeration revealed 14.

Alternative pre-approved and novel therapies for the treatment of anthrax.

Background: Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a spore forming and toxin producing rod-shaped bacterium that is classified as a category A bioterror agent. This pathogenic microbe can be transmitted to both animals and humans. Clinical presentation depends on the route of entry (direct contact, ingestion, injection or aerosolization) with symptoms ranging from isolated skin infections to more severe manifestations such as cardiac or pulmonary shock, meningitis, and death.

In vitro evaluation of the effect of linezolid and levofloxacin on Bacillus anthracis toxin production, spore formation and cell growth.

Background: Owing to its ability to form spores and toxins, Bacillus anthracis is considered a bioterror agent. Although current therapeutic strategies can be effective, treatment does not prevent sporulation and toxin production.

Objectives: To quantify the combined effect of a protein synthesis inhibitor and a bactericidal agent on B.