Of masks and methylene blue-The use of methylene blue photochemical treatment to decontaminate surgical masks contaminated with a tenacious small nonenveloped norovirus.

Background: In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, reuse of personal protective equipment, specifically that of medical face coverings, has been recommended. The reuse of these typically single-use only items necessitates procedures to inactivate contaminating human respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens. We previously demonstrated decontamination of surgical masks and respirators contaminated with infectious SARS-CoV-2 and various animal coronaviruses via low concentration- and short exposure methylene blue photochemical treatment (10 µM methylene blue, 30 minutes of 12,500-lux red light or 50,000 lux white light exposure).

Exploring inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, Ebola, Lassa, and Nipah viruses on N95 and KN95 respirator material using photoactivated methylene blue to enable reuse.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a worldwide shortage of N95 respirators, prompting the development of decontamination methods to enable limited reuse. Countries lacking reliable supply chains would also benefit from the ability to safely reuse PPE. Methylene blue (MB) is a light-activated dye with demonstrated antimicrobial activity used to sterilize blood plasma.

Direct Real-Time PCR for the Detection and Serotyping of Haemophilus influenzae without DNA Extraction.

To monitor the burden and changes in Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) disease, direct real-time PCR (drt-PCR) assays have been developed for Hi detection in monoplex form and its six serotypes in triplex form, directly from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. These assays target the gene for the species detection (Hi-) and serotype-specific genes in region II of the capsule biosynthesis locus (Hi-abf and Hi-cde), identified through comparative analysis of Hi and non-Hi whole-genome sequences. The lower limit of detection (LLD) is 293 CFU/mL for the Hi- assay and ranged from 11 to 130 CFU/mL for the triplex serotyping assays.

Use of Ebola Vaccine: Expansion of Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices To Include Two Additional Populations - United States, 2021.

On December 19, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP Ebola vaccine (ERVEBO, Merck) for the prevention of Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by infection with Ebola virus, species Zaire ebolavirus, in adults aged ≥18 years. In February 2020, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended preexposure vaccination with ERVEBO for adults aged ≥18 years in the United States who are at highest risk for potential occupational exposure to Ebola virus because they are responding to an outbreak of EVD, work as health care personnel at federally designated Ebola treatment centers in the United States, or work as laboratorians or other staff members at biosafety level 4 facilities in the United States (1).

Addressing personal protective equipment (PPE) decontamination: Methylene blue and light inactivates severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on N95 respirators and medical masks with maintenance of integrity and fit.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), underscoring the urgent need for simple, efficient, and inexpensive methods to decontaminate masks and respirators exposed to severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We hypothesized that methylene blue (MB) photochemical treatment, which has various clinical applications, could decontaminate PPE contaminated with coronavirus.

Design: The 2 arms of the study included (1) PPE inoculation with coronaviruses followed by MB with light (MBL) decontamination treatment and (2) PPE treatment with MBL for 5 cycles of decontamination to determine maintenance of PPE performance.

Lessons Learned From a COVID-19 Biohazard Spill During Swabbing at a Quarantine Facility.

The need for increased testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in an increase of testing facilities outside of traditional clinical settings and sample handling by individuals without appropriate biohazard and biocontainment training. During the repatriation and quarantine of passengers from the cruise ship at a US military base, biocontainment of a potentially infectious sample from a passenger was compromised. This study describes the steps taken to contain the spill, decontaminate the area, and discusses the needs for adequate training in a biohazard response.

Penicillin Use in Meningococcal Disease Management: Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Sites, 2009.

In 2009, in the Active Bacterial Core surveillance sites, penicillin was not commonly used to treat meningococcal disease. This is likely because of inconsistent availability of antimicrobial susceptibility testing and ease of use of third-generation cephalosporins. Consideration of current practices may inform future meningococcal disease management guidelines.

Cell culture and electron microscopy for identifying viruses in diseases of unknown cause.

During outbreaks of infectious diseases or in cases of severely ill patients, it is imperative to identify the causative agent. This report describes several events in which virus isolation and identification by electron microscopy were critical to initial recognition of the etiologic agent, which was further analyzed by additional laboratory diagnostic assays. Examples include severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and Nipah, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, West Nile, Cache Valley, and Heartland viruses.

Accuracy of real-time PCR, Gram stain and culture for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae meningitis diagnosis.

Background: Although cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture is the diagnostic reference standard for bacterial meningitis, its sensitivity is limited, particularly when antibiotics were previously administered. CSF Gram staining and real-time PCR are theoretically less affected by antibiotics; however, it is difficult to evaluate these tests with an imperfect reference standard.

Methods And Findings: CSF from patients with suspected meningitis from Salvador, Brazil were tested with culture, Gram stain, and real-time PCR using S.

Genomic basis of a polyagglutinating isolate of Neisseria meningitidis.

Containment strategies for outbreaks of invasive Neisseria meningitidis disease are informed by serogroup assays that characterize the polysaccharide capsule. We sought to uncover the genomic basis of conflicting serogroup assay results for an isolate (M16917) from a patient with acute meningococcal disease. To this end, we characterized the complete genome sequence of the M16917 isolate and performed a variety of comparative sequence analyses against N.

Neisseria Base: a comparative genomics database for Neisseria meningitidis.

Neisseria meningitidis is an important pathogen, causing life-threatening diseases including meningitis, septicemia and in some cases pneumonia. Genomic studies hold great promise for N. meningitidis research, but substantial database resources are needed to deal with the wealth of information that comes with completely sequenced and annotated genomes.

Serologically confirmed household transmission of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus during the first pandemic wave--New York City, April-May 2009.

Background: Understanding transmissibility of influenza viruses within households is critical for guiding public health response to pandemics. We studied serologically confirmed infection and disease among household contacts of index case patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus (pH1N1) infection in a setting of minimal community pH1N1 transmission.

Methods: We defined index case patients as students and staff of a New York City high school with laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 infection during the earliest phase of the pH1N1 outbreak in April 2009.

Using single-nucleotide polymorphisms to discriminate disease-associated from carried genomes of Neisseria meningitidis.

Neisseria meningitidis is one of the main agents of bacterial meningitis, causing substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, most of the time N. meningitidis is carried as a commensal not associated with invasive disease.

Detection of bacterial pathogens in Mongolia meningitis surveillance with a new real-time PCR assay to detect Haemophilus influenzae.

Since the implementation of Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) serotype b vaccine, other serotypes and non-typeable strains have taken on greater importance as a cause of Hi diseases. A rapid and accurate method is needed to detect all Hi regardless of the encapsulation status. We developed 2 real-time PCR (rt-PCR) assays to detect specific regions of the protein D gene (hpd).

A computational genomics pipeline for prokaryotic sequencing projects.

Motivation: New sequencing technologies have accelerated research on prokaryotic genomes and have made genome sequencing operations outside major genome sequencing centers routine. However, no off-the-shelf solution exists for the combined assembly, gene prediction, genome annotation and data presentation necessary to interpret sequencing data. The resulting requirement to invest significant resources into custom informatics support for genome sequencing projects remains a major impediment to the accessibility of high-throughput sequence data.

Population structure and capsular switching of invasive Neisseria meningitidis isolates in the pre-meningococcal conjugate vaccine era--United States, 2000-2005.

Background: A quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) was licensed in the United States in 2005; no serogroup B vaccine is available. Neisseria meningitidis changes its capsular phenotype through capsular switching, which has implications for vaccines that do not protect against all serogroups.

Methods: Meningococcal isolates from 10 Active Bacterial Core surveillance sites from 2000 through 2005 were analyzed to identify changes occurring after MCV4 licensure.

Development of a neutralization assay for Nipah virus using pseudotype particles.

Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are zoonotic paramyxoviruses capable of causing severe disease in humans and animals. These viruses require biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) containment. Like other paramyxoviruses, the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) can be used to detect antibodies to the surface glycoproteins, fusion (F) and attachment (G), and PRNT titers give an indication of protective immunity.

Meningococcus genome informatics platform: a system for analyzing multilocus sequence typing data.

The Meningococcus Genome Informatics Platform (MGIP) is a suite of computational tools for the analysis of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data, at http://mgip.biology.gatech.

Emergence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis in North America.

We report on three cases of meningococcal disease caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis, one in North Dakota and two in Minnesota. The cases were caused by the same serogroup B strain. To assess local carriage of resistant N.

Epidemiologic investigation and targeted vaccination initiative in response to an outbreak of meningococcal disease among illicit drug users in Brooklyn, New York.

Background: An outbreak of serogroup C meningococcal disease that involved illicit drug users and their contacts occurred in Brooklyn, New York, during 2005 and 2006.

Methods: The objectives of this study were to identify the population at risk for meningococcal disease, describe efforts to interrupt disease transmission, and assess the impact of a vaccine initiative. Descriptive and molecular epidemiological analysis was used to define the extent of the outbreak and the common risk factors among outbreak-related cases.

Determination of the henipavirus phosphoprotein gene mRNA editing frequencies and detection of the C, V and W proteins of Nipah virus in virus-infected cells.

The henipaviruses, Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV), are highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxoviruses. Like many other paramyxoviruses, henipaviruses employ a process of co-transcriptional mRNA editing during transcription of the phosphoprotein (P) gene to generate additional mRNAs encoding the V and W proteins. The C protein is translated from the P mRNA, but in an alternate reading frame.

Genetic characterization of Nipah virus, Bangladesh, 2004.

Until 2004, identification of Nipah virus (NV)-like outbreaks in Bangladesh was based on serology. We describe the genetic characterization of a new strain of NV isolated during outbreaks in Bangladesh (NV-B) in 2004, which confirms that NV was the etiologic agent responsible for these outbreaks.

Nipah virus: an emergent paramyxovirus causing severe encephalitis in humans.

Nipah virus is a recently emergent paramyxovirus that is capable of causing severe disease in both humans and animals. The first outbreak of Nipah virus occurred in Malaysia and Singapore in 1999 and, more recently, outbreaks were detected in Bangladesh. In humans, Nipah virus causes febrile encephalitis with respiratory syndrome that has a high mortality rate.