Continental concerted efforts to control the seventh outbreak of Ebola Virus disease in Uganda: The first 90 days of the response.

On 20th September 2022, Uganda declared the 7th outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) caused by the Sudan Ebola strain following the confirmation of a case admitted at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. Upon confirmation, the Government of Uganda immediately activated the national incident management system to initiate response activities. Additionally, a multi-country emergency stakeholder meeting was held in Kampala; convening Ministers of Health from neighbouring Member States to undertake cross-border preparedness and response actions.

Peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding motif bind to ACE2 but do not block ACE2-mediated host cell entry or pro-inflammatory cytokine induction.

SARS-CoV-2 viral attachment and entry into host cells is mediated by a direct interaction between viral spike glycoproteins and membrane bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The receptor binding motif (RBM), located within the S1 subunit of the spike protein, incorporates the majority of known ACE2 contact residues responsible for high affinity binding and associated virulence. Observation of existing crystal structures of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (SRBD)-ACE2 interface, combined with peptide array screening, allowed us to define a series of linear native RBM-derived peptides that were selected as potential antiviral decoy sequences with the aim of directly binding ACE2 and attenuating viral cell entry.

Modified-Live Feline Calicivirus Vaccination Elicits Cellular Immunity against a Current Feline Calicivirus Field Strain in an Experimental Feline Challenge Study.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common cat virus associated with oral ulcerations and virulent-systemic disease. Efficacious FCV vaccines protect against severe disease but not against infection. The high genetic diversity of FCV poses a challenge in vaccine design.

Modified-Live Feline Calicivirus Vaccination Reduces Viral RNA Loads, Duration of RNAemia, and the Severity of Clinical Signs after Heterologous Feline Calicivirus Challenge.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common cat virus causing clinical signs such as oral ulcerations, fever, reduced general condition, pneumonia, limping and occasionally virulent-systemic disease. Efficacious FCV vaccines protect against severe disease but not against infection. FCV is a highly mutagenic RNA virus whose high genetic diversity poses a challenge in vaccine design.

Stapled ACE2 peptidomimetics designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein do not prevent virus internalization.

COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Virus cell entry is mediated through a protein-protein interaction (PPI) between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). A series of stapled peptide ACE2 peptidomimetics based on the ACE2 interaction motif were designed to bind the coronavirus S-protein RBD and inhibit binding to the human ACE2 receptor.

Environmental Contamination and Hygienic Measures After Feline Calicivirus Field Strain Infections of Cats in a Research Facility.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) can cause painful oral ulcerations, salivation, gingivitis/stomatitis, fever and depression in infected cats; highly virulent virus variants can lead to fatal epizootic outbreaks. Viral transmission occurs directly or indirectly via fomites. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and viability of FCV in the environment after sequential oronasal infections of specified pathogen-free cats with two FCV field strains in a research facility.

RNA-Seq Analysis of Differentiated Keratinocytes Reveals a Massive Response to Late Events during Human Papillomavirus 16 Infection, Including Loss of Epithelial Barrier Function.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) replication cycle is tightly linked to epithelial cell differentiation. To examine HPV-associated changes in the keratinocyte transcriptome, RNAs isolated from undifferentiated and differentiated cell populations of normal, spontaneously immortalized keratinocytes (NIKS) and NIKS stably transfected with HPV16 episomal genomes (NIKS16) were compared using next-generation sequencing (RNA-Seq). HPV16 infection altered expression of 2,862 cellular genes.

Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of Vulvovaginal species among Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, South Western Uganda.

Aims: To identify the species that cause vulvovaginal candidiasis and determine their antifungal susceptibility patterns.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: The study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Mbarara Municipality, between December 2012 and February 2013.

Comparison of instantaneous rate of population increase and critical-effect estimates in Folsomia candida exposed to four toxicants.

The instantaneous rate of population increase (ri) integrates several life cycle variables into one accessible statistic and has been proposed as a more practical alternative than assembling full life tables in the study of population-level responses to toxicant exposure. In this study the sensitivity of instantaneous rate of population increase is compared to critical-effect estimates for populations exposed to four toxicants with different modes of action. Populations of the Collembolan Folsomia candida were exposed to cadmium, copper, pyrene, and chlorpyrifos in artificial soil following the standardized ISO (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1999) protocol.

Telematics for clinical guidelines: a conceptual modelling approach.

PRESTIGE is a project for applying telematics to assist the dissemination and application of clinical practice guidelines and protocols. Previous publications have described PRESTIGE's technical approach, including the use of a generic model for representing the knowledge content of clinical guidelines. This approach offers the possibility of 'plug-and-play' electronic distribution of clinical guidelines produced by multiple authoring bodies for use on multiple healthcare clinical management software platforms.

Acquired immunity to Toxocara canis infection in mice.

Acquired immunity develops against Toxocara canis infection in mice, and NIH mice are more immunoresponsive than CD1 mice. Twice infected NIH female mice showed 27% reduction in the total larval recoveries compared with non-sensitized controls. Twice-infected NIH male, and CD1 (both sexes) mice showed a negligible reduction in the total recoveries, though a significant (P less than 0.

Histochemical localisation of acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase in the midguts of two species of tick, Boophilus microplus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, as determined by light microscopy.

Serial sections of glycol methacrylate-embedded and frozen midguts of Boophilus microplus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus were studied histochemically by light microscopy. The use of the naphthol AS-TR phosphate technique combined with glycol methacrylate embedding enabled the precise localisation of lysosomal enzyme activity, despite the ubiquity of haematin granules in tick midgut epithelia. The presence of acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase activity in the same cells was observed in all of the various developmental stages and feeding phases of the ticks.

Variations in innate resistance to experimental Toxocara canis infection in two strains of mice.

Strain-, sex- and age-based resistance of mice to Toxocara canis infection was demonstrated. Infection doses of similar numbers resulted in significantly (P less than 0.05) greater worm establishment in CD1 mice than in NIH mice, as well as a greater heterogeneity of responses between individuals.

Resistance in cattle against Rhipicephalus appendiculatus with an assessment of cross-resistance to R. pulchellus (Acari: Ixodidae).

A comparison of the yield of engorged nymphs of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and R. pulchellus was carried out between cattle highly resistant to R. appendiculatus but susceptible to R.

The morphometrics of Babesia motasi (Wales) and its transmission by Haemaphysalis punctata (Canestrini and Fanzago 1877) to sheep.

Babesia motasi (Wales) was transmitted to sheep by larvae, nymphs and adult female Haemaphysalis punctata ticks which were either collected from rough grazing pasture, at Mynydd Mawr, Aberdaron, North Wales, or from laboratory cultures derived from ticks collected at the above site. Both transovarial and transstadial transmission of infection were demonstrated. Only larvae were shown to pick up infection.

Pathogenesis of infection with Theileria recondita (Wales) isolated from Haemaphysalis punctata from north Wales.

The pathogenicity of Theileria recondita infection in both splenectomised and non-splenectomised sheep was investigated. Following transmission of T. recondita to splenectomised animals both by adult ticks and blood transfusion a fever and severe macrocytic hypochromic anaemia developed which lasted the 9 days or more of patent infection.

Morphology and transmission of Theileria recondita (Theileriidae: Sporozoa) isolated from Haemaphysalis punctata from north Wales.

Adult Haemaphysalis punctata (Canestrini and Fanzago 1877) collected from an area of rough grazing at Mynydd Mawr, Aberdaron, North Wales, transmitted Theileria recondita (Wales); field-collected nymphs failed to transmit this parasite. Following adult tick infestation, piroplasms were first observed in the blood of splenectomised infested sheep 8 days after tick attachment; the parasitaemia lasted 9 days. The parasite can also be transferred by syringe passage of blood from splenectomised to normal sheep and vice versa.

The pathogenesis of Babesia motasi (Wales) infection in sheep.

Studies on the pathogenesis of Babesia motasi (Wales) infection following blood transfusion of infected blood to normal or splenectomised recipients showed that the intact animal is refractory to infection but that infection in splenectomised animals caused weight loss, fever, anorexia, lassitude and a macrocytic hypochromic anaemia which coincided with the peak of parasitaemia. There was an initial leucocytosis, largely due to a neutrophilia. The prepatent period following blood transfusion was 2-3 days.