West Nile Virus Emergence in Germany 2019: Looking for Hidden Human West Nile Virus Infections.

Autochthonous human West Nile virus (WNV) infections were notified in the infectious disease surveillance system in Germany in 2018 for the first time and every year since then. Since clinically apparent infections are infrequent, we conducted two studies to investigate subclinical infections of this emerging disease in Germany in 2019 to detect infections not visible to surveillance based on symptomatic infections: limited-scope blood donor testing and a serosurvey among employees at two Berlin zoos with a history of demonstrated WNV infections in animals. For the zoo study, employees of the two zoos in Berlin were invited to participate in the study in late 2019.

External quality assessment of orthohantavirus and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus molecular detection and serology in Europe, 2021.

BackgroundRodent-borne viruses such as orthohantaviruses and arenaviruses cause considerable disease burden with regional and temporal differences in incidence and clinical awareness. Therefore, it is important to regularly evaluate laboratory diagnostic capabilities, e.g.

Seroconversion and persistence of neutralizing antibody response after yellow fever vaccination in patients with perinatally acquired HIV infection.

Objectives: To describe the dynamics of neutralizing antibody (NAbs) response after yellow fever (YF) vaccine in young adults and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (pHIV).

Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study at three time points around YF vaccination and a matched case-control comparison of NAbs titers several years after YF vaccination.

Methods: We selected patients who had both documented YF vaccination and perinatally acquired HIV (n = 46).

Laboratory evaluation of RealStar Yellow Fever Virus RT-PCR kit 1.0 for potential use in the global yellow fever laboratory network.

Background: Early detection of human yellow fever (YF) infection in YF-endemic regions is critical to timely outbreak mitigation. African National Laboratories chiefly rely on serological assays that require confirmation at Regional Reference Laboratories, thus delaying results, which themselves are not always definitive often due to antibody cross-reactivity. A positive molecular test result is confirmatory for YF; therefore, a standardized YF molecular assay would facilitate immediate confirmation at National Laboratories.

Duration of Protection After Vaccination Against Yellow Fever: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The duration of protection after a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is a matter of debate. To summarize the current knowledge, we performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Studies on the duration of protection after 1 and ≥2 vaccine doses were reviewed.

Seroconversion and antibody persistence after yellow fever vaccination in people living with HIV: impact of baseline HIV viral load and yellow fever seropositivity.

Background: Data on seroconversion rates following yellow fever (YF) vaccine and effect of revaccination in people living with HIV (PLWH) are scarce. We aimed at determining key factors for seroconversion after YF vaccine in PLWH and the role of preexisting neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) at vaccination.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study at several timepoints in two Belgian AIDS Reference Center.

Laboratory capacity assessments in 25 African countries at high risk of yellow fever, August-December 2018.

Introduction: accurate and timely laboratory diagnosis of yellow fever (YF) is critical to the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance recognized the need to support and build capacity in the national and regional laboratories in the Global YF Laboratory Network (GYFLN) as part of this strategy.

Methods: to better understand current capacity, gaps and needs of the GYFLN laboratories in Africa, assessments were carried out in national and regional reference laboratories in the 25 African countries at high risk for YF outbreaks that were eligible for new financial support from Gavi.

Resource-efficient internally controlled in-house real-time PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: The reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 has become one of the most important contributions to COVID-19 crisis management. With the publication of the first sequences of SARS-CoV-2, several diagnostic PCR assays have been developed and published. In addition to in-house assays the market was flooded with numerous commercially available ready-to-use PCR kits, with both approaches showing alarming shortages in reagent supply.

Immunogenicity and duration of protection after yellow fever vaccine in people living with human immunodeficiency virus: a systematic review.

Background: We lack the rationale on which to base the development of a yellow fever (YF) vaccination schedule for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWHIV).

Objectives: To report on the current evidence regarding the seroconversion rate and the duration of humoral protection after YF vaccine, as well as the impact of revaccination in PLWHIV.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Google Scholar, LILACS and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched.

Serological Protection 5-6 Years Post Vaccination Against Yellow Fever in African Infants Vaccinated in Routine Programmes.

Although effective live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccines have been available for over 9 decades sporadic outbreaks continue to occur in endemic regions. These may be linked to several factors including epidemiological factors such as vector and intermediate host distribution or vaccine coverage and efficacy. The World Health Organization's research priorities include gathering systematic evidence around the potential need for booster vaccination with YF vaccine whether this follows full or fractional doses in children.

Severe Multiorgan Failure Following Yellow Fever Vaccination.

Background: The yellow fever (YF) vaccination is recommended by the WHO for people traveling or living in endemic areas at risk for yellow fever infections in Africa and South America. Although the live attenuated yellow fever vaccine is a safe and efficient vaccine, rare serious adverse events after vaccination have been reported.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 74-year-old male with multiorgan failure after yellow fever vaccination for a trip to Brazil.

Travel-associated neurological disease terminated in a postmortem diagnosed atypical HSV-1 encephalitis after high-dose steroid therapy - a case report.

Background: Human encephalitis can originate from a variety of different aetiologies, of which infection is the most common one. The diagnostic work-up is specifically challenging in patients with travel history since a broader spectrum of unfamiliar additional infectious agents, e. g.

Long-term immunity against yellow fever in children vaccinated during infancy: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: A single dose of vaccine against yellow fever is routinely administered to infants aged 9-12 months under the Expanded Programme on Immunization, but the long-term outcome of vaccination in this age group is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the long-term persistence of neutralising antibodies to yellow fever virus following routine vaccination in infancy.

Methods: We did a longitudinal cohort study, using a microneutralisation assay to measure protective antibodies against yellow fever in Malian and Ghanaian children vaccinated around age 9 months and followed up for 4·5 years (Mali), or 2·3 and 6·0 years (Ghana).

Need for additional capacity and improved capability for molecular detection of yellow fever virus in European Expert Laboratories: External Quality Assessment, March 2018.

An external quality assessment of yellow fever virus (YFV) molecular detection in European laboratories was organised in rapid response to an increase in human cases in Brazil in 2018 with risk of import to Europe. Detection of YFV was assessed among 32 laboratories in 23/31 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries and two laboratories in one non-EU/EEA country. Adequate capabilities were lacking in 10/23 countries; five did not participate as they lacked implemented assays.

Yellow fever in the diagnostics laboratory.

Yellow fever (YF) remains a public health issue in endemic areas despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. In 2015-2016, urban outbreaks of YF were declared in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a sylvatic outbreak has been ongoing in Brazil since December 2016. Of great concern is the risk of urban transmission cycles taking hold in Brazil and the possible spread to countries with susceptible populations and competent vectors.

Integrating expert knowledge and ecological niche models to estimate Mexican primates' distribution.

Ecological niche modeling is used to estimate species distributions based on occurrence records and environmental variables, but it seldom includes explicit biotic or historical factors that are important in determining the distribution of species. Expert knowledge can provide additional valuable information regarding ecological or historical attributes of species, but the influence of integrating this information in the modeling process has been poorly explored. Here, we integrated expert knowledge in different stages of the niche modeling process to improve the representation of the actual geographic distributions of Mexican primates (Ateles geoffroyi, Alouatta pigra, and A.

[Efficacy of a multidisciplinary care management program for patients admitted at hospital because of heart failure (ProMIC)].

Objective: To assess the efficacy of the ProMIC, multidisciplinary program for patients admitted at hospital because of heart failure (HF) programme, in reducing the HF-related readmission rate.

Desing: Quasi-experimental research with control group.

Settings: Twelve primary health care centres and 3 hospitals from the Basque Country.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a multiplexed amplification and next generation sequencing method for viral hemorrhagic fever diagnostics.

Background: We describe the development and evaluation of a novel method for targeted amplification and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based identification of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) agents and assess the feasibility of this approach in diagnostics.

Methodology: An ultrahigh-multiplex panel was designed with primers to amplify all known variants of VHF-associated viruses and relevant controls. The performance of the panel was evaluated via serially quantified nucleic acids from Yellow fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, Ebola virus, Junin virus and Chikungunya virus in a semiconductor-based sequencing platform.

Long-term Immune Response to Yellow Fever Vaccination in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected Individuals Depends on HIV RNA Suppression Status: Implications for Vaccination Schedule.

Background: In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals, the immune response over time to yellow fever vaccination (YFV) and the necessity for booster vaccination are not well understood.

Methods: We studied 247 participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) with a first YFV after HIV diagnosis and determined their immune responses at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years postvaccination by yellow fever plaque reduction neutralization titers (PRNTs) in stored blood samples. A PRNT of 1:≥10 was regarded as reactive and protective.

[Severe Yellow fever vaccine-associated disease: a case report and current overview].

 A 56-year-old man developed high fever with severe headaches, fatigue, impaired concentration skills, and an exanthema 5 days after a yellow fever (YF) vaccination.  Liver enzymes and YF antibody titers were remarkably elevated. YF vaccine virus was detected in urine by PCR.

Key aspects related to implementation of risk stratification in health care systems-the ASSEHS study.

Background: The lack of proven efficacy of new healthcare interventions represents a problem for health systems globally. It is partly related to suboptimal implementation processes, leading to poor adoption of new interventions. Activation of Stratification Strategies and Results of the interventions on frail patients of Healthcare Services (ASSEHS) EU project (N° 2013 12 04) aims to study current existing health Risk Stratification (RS) strategies and tools on frail elderly patients.

Co-circulation of West Nile virus and distinct insect-specific flaviviruses in Turkey.

Background: Active vector surveillance provides an efficient tool for monitoring the presence or spread of emerging or re-emerging vector-borne viruses. This study was undertaken to investigate the circulation of flaviviruses. Mosquitoes were collected from 58 locations in 10 provinces across the Aegean, Thrace and Mediterranean Anatolian regions of Turkey in 2014 and 2015.