Torquetenovirus Viremia Quantification Using Real-Time PCR Developed on a Fully Automated, Random-Access Platform.

Quantification of Torquetenovirus (TTV) viremia is becoming important for evaluating the status of the immune system in solid organ transplant recipients, monitoring the appearance of post-transplant complications, and controlling the efficacy of maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. Thus, diagnostic approaches able to scale up TTV quantification are needed. Here, we report on the development and validation of a real-time PCR assay for TTV quantification on the Hologic Panther Fusion System by utilizing its open-access channel.

MPXV DNA kinetics in bloodstream and other body fluids samples.

Since spring 2022, the global epidemiology of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) has changed. The unprecedented increase of human clade II MPXV cases worldwide heightened concerns about this emerging zoonotic disease. We analysed the positivity rates, viral loads, infectiousness, and persistence of MPXV DNA for up to 4 months in several biological samples from 89 MPXV-confirmed cases.

Molnupiravir increases SARS-CoV-2 genome diversity and complexity: A case-control cohort study.

Molnupiravir, an oral direct-acting antiviral effective in vitro against SARS-CoV-2, has been largely employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, since December 2021. After marketing and widespread usage, a progressive increase in SARS-CoV-2 lineages characterized by a higher transition/transversion ratio, a characteristic signature of molnupiravir action, appeared in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) and International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) databases. Here, we assessed the drug effects by SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing on 38 molnupiravir-treated persistently positive COVID-19 outpatients tested before and after treatment.

Pharyngo-tonsillar involvement of Mpox in a cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM): A serious risk of missing diagnosis.

During the 2022-outbreak, peculiar clinical presentations of Mpox have been described, some of which can make the diagnosis of the disease extremely challenging. Here we report a case series of fourteen patients with Mpox pharynogotonsillar involvement (PTI) seen at National Institute for Infectious Diseases, "Lazzaro Spallanzani", in Rome, Italy from May to September 2022. All included patients were men who have sex with men (median age 38 years) reporting unprotected sex within three weeks from symptoms onset.

Autochthonous Dengue Fever in 2 Patients, Rome, Italy.

Since August 2023, outbreaks of dengue virus (DENV) infection have occurred in Italy. We report 2 autochthonous case-patients and their extended follow-up. Despite persistent DENV detected in blood by PCR, results for antigenomic DENV RNA were negative after day 5, suggesting that a 5-day isolation period is adequate to avoid secondary cases.

Development and validation of a nanoplate-based digital PCR assay for absolute MPXV quantification.

Quantification of mpox virus (MPXV) across different human body anatomical sites can provide insights about the most likely transmission routes, so methods able to release absolute and exact quantitative values of MPXV DNA are crucial. Here, we optimized a new QIAcuity digital PCR (dPCR) protocol for the detection and quantification of MPXV DNA in clinical samples and assessed the performance of the assay by comparing the results obtained in 144 biological samples with those resulting from the use of an in-house real-time PCR (qPCR). Overall, the concordance between the two assays was 95%, with samples identified concordantly as MPXV DNA positive and having a mean number of copies per μl of 1708 (95% CI: 107-2830 copies/μl).

Virological characterization of HIV-1 RNA elements detected exclusively through the LTR region by the dual-target Aptima HIV-1 Quant Dx assay in a subset of positive patients.

Background: In a restricted subset of HIV patients with suppressed viral load (i.e., pol-undetected HIV-RNA), the Aptima HIV-1 Quant Dx Assay (Aptima), a dual-target (pol and LTR) and dual-probe test for viral load (VL) monitoring, can detect HIV-RNA exclusively through amplification of the LTR region.

Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern over a period of Delta and Omicron cocirculation, among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in an Italian reference hospital: Impact on clinical outcomes.

Despite the higher transmissibility of Omicron Variant of Concern (VOC), several reports have suggested lower risk for hospitalization and severe outcomes compared to previous variants of SARS-CoV-2. This study, enrolling all COVID-19 adults admitted to a reference hospital who underwent both the S-gene-target-failure test and VOC identification by Sanger sequencing, aimed to describe the evolving prevalence of Delta and Omicron variants and to compare the main in-hospital outcomes of severity, during a trimester (December 2021 to March 2022) of VOCs' cocirculation. Factors associated with clinical progression to noninvasive ventilation (NIV)/mechanical ventilation (MV)/death within 10 days and to MV/admission to intensive care unit (ICU)/death within 28 days, were investigated through multivariable logistic regressions.