(TTV) Infection in Patients with Encephalitis.

virus (TTV) is a ssDNA orphan virus belonging to the family, but some recent studies suggested its possible involvement in central nervous system (CNS) pathology. We analyzed serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples (CSF) from 109 patients with encephalitis for TTV infection using serological and molecular testing, virus quantitative measurement, and next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) phylogenetic analysis. TTV noncoding region (UTR) and/or open reading frame 1 (ORF-1) sequences were detected in serum of 86 (79%) patients and in nine (8%) patients in CSF.

Natural Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5N1 Virus in Pet Ferrets.

The study involved five ferrets from one household in Poland, comprising three sick 9-week-old juveniles, their healthy mother, and another clinically normal adult, admitted to the veterinary clinic in June 2023. The juvenile ferrets displayed significant lethargy and a pronounced unwillingness to move with accompanying pulmonary distress. Prompted by concurrent outbreaks of A/H5N1 influenza virus infections in Polish cats, point-of-care tests were conducted that revealed type A influenza antigens in the throat swabs of all five ferrets.

Upper Respiratory Tract Disease in a Dog Infected by a Highly Pathogenic Avian A/H5N1 Virus.

In summer 2023, during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in cats in Poland, a 16-year-old dog was presented to the veterinary clinic with persistent, debilitating, dry cough, submandibular lymphadenomegaly, mild serous nasal discharge, and left apical heart murmur. A preliminary diagnosis of kennel cough was made and the treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and dexamethasone was initiated. Due to the lack of improvement within 2 days, a blood check-up, thoracic radiography and ultrasonography, and echocardiography were performed.

A Fatal A/H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus Infection in a Cat in Poland.

A European Shorthair male cat, neutered, approximately 6 years of age, was presented to the veterinary clinic due to apathy and anorexia. The cat lived mostly outdoors and was fed raw chicken meat. After 3 days of diagnostic procedures and symptomatic treatment, respiratory distress and neurological signs developed and progressed into epileptic seizures, followed by respiratory and cardiac arrest within the next 3 days.

Enteroviral central nervous system infections in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) are rarely tested for the presence of neurovirulent viruses other than tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV); however, such coinfections could be of clinical importance. The aim of the study was to search for the presence of neurotropic viruses in a LNB patients. Fourteen patients admitted with signs and symptoms of neuroinfection who were eventually diagnosed to have LNB (according to the guidelines of the European Federation of Neurological Societies) were subjects of the study.

Metagenomic search of viral coinfections in herpes simplex encephalitis patients.

Little is known about concomitant central nervous system (CNS) infections by more than one virus. Current diagnostics are based on molecular tests for particular pathogens making it difficult to identify multi-viral infections. In the present study, we applied DNA- and RNA-based next-generation sequencing metagenomics (mNGS) to detect viruses in cerebrospinal fluids from 20 patients with herpes simplex encephalitis.

Efficiency rating of SG Diagnostics COVID-19 antigen rapid test kit.

Rapid detection is crucial in complementing vaccination to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Nasopharyngeal swabs (n = 213) and oropharyngeal swabs (n = 98) were tested. with the antigen rapid test kit.

mRNA vaccines: The future of prevention of viral infections?

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against COVID-19 are the first authorized biological preparations developed using this platform. During the pandemic, their administration has been proven to be a life-saving intervention. Here, we review the main advantages of using mRNA vaccines, identify further technological challenges to be met during the development of the mRNA platform, and provide an update on the clinical progress on leading mRNA vaccine candidates against different viruses that include influenza viruses, human immunodeficiency virus 1, respiratory syncytial virus, Nipah virus, Zika virus, human cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus.

Fresh Versus Frozen Stool for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation-Assessment by Multimethod Approach Combining Culturing, Flow Cytometry, and Next-Generation Sequencing.

The objective of this work was to compare the quality of FMT preparations made from fresh feces with those made from feces frozen at -30°C without any pre-processing or cryopreservation additives. The research hypothesis was that such preservation protocol (frozen whole stool, then thawed and processed) is equipotent to classical fresh FMT preparation. For that, three complementary methods were applied, including: (i) culturing in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, (ii) measuring viability by flow cytometry, and (iii) next-generation sequencing.

Challenges of the Immunotherapy: Perspectives and Limitations of the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment.

Immunotherapy is a quickly developing type of treatment and the future of therapy in oncology. This paper is a review of recent findings in the field of immunotherapy with an emphasis on immune checkpoint inhibitors. The challenges that immunotherapy might face in near future, such as primary and acquired resistance and the irAEs, are described in this article, as well as the perspectives such as identification of environmental modifiers of immunity and development of anti-cancer vaccines and combined therapies.

Global data analysis and risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality of COVID-19.

This review was focused on global data analysis and risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 from different countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Central Eastern Europe, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, and South Asia, Africa, Turkey and UAE. Male showed higher confirmed and death cases compared to females in most of the countries. In addition, the case fatality ratio (CFR) for males was higher than for females.

How to Maintain Safety and Maximize the Efficacy of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in COVID-19 Patients: Insights from the Recent Guidelines.

Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has remained a challenge for governments and healthcare systems all around the globe. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased rates of hospital admissions and significant mortality. The pandemic increased the rate of cardiac arrest and the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Nanoparticles: a breakthrough in COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The three key principles in management of the COVID-19 pandemic are prevention, early detection and targeted treatment. Vaccine-based prevention together with early detection has already proven its efficacy in controlling the pandemic.

The New Status of Parasitic Diseases in the COVID-19 Pandemic-Risk Factors or Protective Agents?

It is possible that parasites may influence the course of COVID-19 infection, as either risk factors or protective agents; as such, the current coronavirus pandemic may affect the diagnosis and prevention of parasitic disease, and its elimination programs. The present review highlights the similarity between the symptoms of human parasitoses and those of COVID-19 and discuss their mutual influence. The study evaluated selected human parasitoses with similar symptoms to COVID-19 and examined their potential influence on SARS-CoV-2 virus invasion.

Clinical utility of the updated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium computed tomography criteria of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in hematological malignancies.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a life-threatening complication in the cases of patients with hematologic malignancies. In December 2019, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium published a revision and an update of the consensus definitions of invasive fungal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the signs and radiologic patterns of early-stage invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in computed tomography in patients with hematologic entities according to the latest criteria.

Comprehensive Analysis of Correlations in the Expression of miRNA Genes and Immune Checkpoint Genes in Bladder Cancer Cells.

Personalised medicine is the future and hope for many patients, including those with cancers. Early detection, as well as rapid, well-selected treatment, are key factors leading to a good prognosis. MicroRNA mediated gene regulation is a promising area of development for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods, crucial for better prospects for patients.

Coronaviruses - a new old menace.

The current pandemic caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been described as a global health emergency. The outbreak of this virus has raised a number of questions: what exactly is SARS-CoV-2? How transmissible the novel coronavirus is? How severely affected are patients infected with SARS-CoV-2? What are the risk factors for COVID-19? What are the differences between this novel coronavirus and other coronaviruses? To answer these questions, a comparative study of three pathogenic coronaviruses that primarily invade the human respiratory system and may cause death, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-1), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This review describes the source of origin, transmission, and pathogenicity of these viruses.

Should emergency medical service stuff use respirators with filtered valve in COVID-19 pandemic?

Performing medical procedures with the use of personal protective equipment may reduce the efficiency of medical procedures performed, for example, as with the current use of respiratory protection devices, including N95 or surgical masks. Healthcare workers (HCWs) using N95 respirators or medical masks may experience discomfort associated with wearing a mask when performing medical procedures, in particular those associated with increased physical activity, causing increased respiratory effort.

Search for Viral Infections in Cerebrospinal Fluid From Patients With Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Background: It has been reported that virus-mediated brain tissue damage can lead to autoimmune encephalitis (AE) characterized by the presence of antibodies against neuronal surface antigens. In the study, we investigate the presence of viruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with AE using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/PCR and shotgun metagenomics.

Methods: CSF samples collected from 200 patients with encephalitis were tested for the presence of antibodies against antiglutamate receptor (NMDAR), contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2), glutamate receptors (type AMPA1/2), leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1), dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-like protein 6 (DPPX), and GABA B receptor, and those found positive were further analyzed with real-time RT-PCR/PCR for common viral neuroinfections and shotgun DNA- and RNA-based metagenomics.

Search for viral agents in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with multiple sclerosis using real-time PCR and metagenomics.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system of unclear etiology, but there is some evidence that viral infections could be responsible for triggering autoimmune mechanisms against myelin. We searched for viral RNA and DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 34 MS patients and 13 controls using RT-PCR/PCR against common neurotropic viruses. In addition, shotgun DNA- and RNA-based metagenomics were done in 13 MS patients and 4 controls.