Analysis of Cultured Gut Microbiota Using MALDI-TOF MS in COVID-19 Patients from Serbia during the Predominance of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant.

The currently dominant SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant, while causing mild respiratory symptoms, exhibits high transmissibility, drug resistance, and immune evasion. We investigated whether the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 affected the dynamics of fecal microbial composition isolated in culture in moderate COVID-19 patients. Blood, stool, and medical records were collected from 50 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Seroepidemiology of Human Parvovirus B19 Infection among the Population of Vojvodina, Serbia, over a 16-Year Period (2008-2023).

This study aimed to estimate the serological status and dynamic changes in the prevalence of Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) antibodies within the general population residing in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia (Province of Vojvodina) during a 16-year period. Serum samples were analyzed for Human PVB19-specific IgM and IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Throughout the study period, the overall seroprevalence was 49.

Diagnostic value of urine qRT-PCR for the diagnosis of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease.

Short and low-level viremia and virorachia, antibody cross-reactivity, IgM persistence, and inaccessibility of neutralization test, make laboratory diagnosis of West Nile virus (WNV) infection difficult. Recent investigations imply that WNV is excreted in urine longer and at higher concentrations compared to blood. The detection of WNV nucleic acid in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, and urine samples collected from 41 patients with suspected WNV neuroinvasive disease, was done by real-time RT-PCR assay.

Human papillomavirus-specific antibody status among unvaccinated subjects in the region of Vojvodina, Serbia.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the immune status of young people from the Vojvodina province, Serbia, through the detection of IgG antibodies specific for the L1 protein of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 contained in quadrivalent vaccine.

Methods: The study enrolled 514 healthy persons of both genders, aged between 18 and 30 years. All potential participants were informed about the project's aims by trained interviewers before venous blood collection.

Detection and Molecular Characterization of Rotavirus Infections in Children and Adults with Gastroenteritis from Vojvodina, Serbia.

Rotaviruses (RV) are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in infants, young children, and adults, responsible for serious disease burden. In the period 2012-2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted using stool samples collected from patients with acute gastroenteritis from Vojvodina, Serbia. We described age and gender distribution, as well as seasonal patterns of RV prevalence.

Negative trend in seroprevalence of anti-toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies among the general population of the province of Vojvodina, Serbia, 2008-2021.

This study aimed to estimate dynamic changes in seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii within the general population living in the northern part of the Republic of Serbia (Province of Vojvodina) during a 14-year period. The differences in prevalence of anti-toxoplasma antibodies were analyzed in correlation with age, gender, residential area (rural/urban) and meteorological factors. In this cohort retrospective study, 24,440 subjects between 1 and 88 years old were enrolled.

The prevalence of 30 HPV genotypes detected by EUROArray HPV in cervical samples among unvaccinated women from Vojvodina province, Serbia.

This study evaluates the pre-vaccination prevalence of HPV infection in women from Vojvodina, Serbia, according to age and cytological status. A total of 1,495 women, ranging from 18 to 65 years of age, with different cytological results were enrolled. The HPV genotyping assay was performed using the EUROArray HPV test in order to detect thirty genitally relevant HPV subtypes.

Assessment of climate change impact on the malaria vector Anopheles hyrcanus, West Nile disease, and incidence of melanoma in the Vojvodina Province (Serbia) using data from a regional climate model.

Motivated by the One Health paradigm, we found the expected changes in temperature and UV radiation (UVR) to be a common trigger for enhancing the risk that viruses, vectors, and diseases pose to human and animal health. We compared data from the mosquito field collections and medical studies with regional climate model projections to examine the impact of climate change on the spreading of one malaria vector, the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV), and the incidence of melanoma. We analysed data obtained from ten selected years of standardised mosquito vector sampling with 219 unique location-year combinations, and 10 years of melanoma incidence.

Seroepidemiological study of rubella in Vojvodina, Serbia: 24 years after the introduction of the MMR vaccine in the national immunization programme.

Although rubella is usually a mild childhood disease, this infection in early pregnancy poses a serious problem due to its teratogenic effect. The goal of interrupted circulation and elimination of rubella virus was achieved in many countries in the world. The aim of this study was to determine the status of rubella immunity in Vojvodina and evaluate Serbia's progress toward this goal.

Emerging Trends in the Epidemiology of West Nile and Usutu Virus Infections in Southern Europe.

The epidemiology of West Nile (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Since 1999, there have been regular reports of WNV outbreaks and the virus has expanded its area of circulation in many Southern European countries. After emerging in Italy in 1996, USUV has spread to other countries causing mortality in several bird species.

Prevalence of oncogenic Human papillomavirus and genetic diversity in the L1 gene of HPV16 HPV 18 HPV31 and HPV33 found in women from Vojvodina Province Serbia.

The main purpose of this paper is to estimate the pre-vaccination prevalence of 12 hrHPV types among 564 women from Vojvodina province (Serbia). The corrected contingency coefficient (Ccorr) was used to estimate the importance of association of examined HPV types and cytological diagnosis. The highest association with the abnormal cytology was observed for HPV 16 (Ccorr = 0.

West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Associated with Human Case in Republic of Serbia.

A suspicion on West Nile virus (WNV) in Serbia was first reported in 1972 by a seroprevalence study, after which no data were available for four decades. We report full sequence of the isolate obtained for the first time from a human sample in Serbia. The closest clustering was obtained with lineage 2 WNV identified in Greece in 2010.

Risk factors for severe influenza A virus infections in post-2009 pandemic period.

Introduction: Literature data concerning risk factors for severe influenza in post-2009 pandemic period, from low- and middle-income Central and Eastern European countries are very limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for severe A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) influenza during the post-2009 pandemic period.

Methods: During four consecutive seasons of 2010/2011–2013/2014, nasopharyngeal or nasal and pharyngeal swab samples from 153 patients with mild and 147 patients with severe influenza were tested using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT PCR) assays.

TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS INFECTION IN HUMANS.

Introduction: Tick-borne meningoencephalitis virus is a flavivirus that causes the most important vector-borne central nervous system infection in many countries of Europe and Asia. There are three subtypes of tick-borne encephalitis virus: European, Siberian and the Far-Eastern subtype.

Transmission: In endemic areas, the virus remains in transmissive cycles between Ixodes ticks and small rodents.

Testing for viral material in water of public bathing areas of the Danube during summer, Vojvodina, Serbia, 2014.

From August to September 2014 a water quality study was conducted on five popular public Danube beaches in Vojvodina, Serbia. To assess the safety of Danube water for bathing, physical, chemical, bacteriological tests were performed. While many parameters for monitoring the quality of water are regulated by law, there are neither national nor international legislations addressing the presence of viruses in recreational waters.

Epidemics of the central nervous system infections caused by West Nile virus in the territory of the South Backa District, Vojvodina, Serbia.

Background/aim: West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic RNA virus particle which belongs to the Flaviviidae family, genus Flavivirus. It is sustained in arthropods within the transmission cycle between the mosquitoes and birds. Most commonly (80% of cases) WNV infections are asymptomatic among people.

Influenza B Viruses in the Population of Province of Vojvodina during the 2012/2013 Season: Differentiation of B/Yamagata and B/Victoria Lineages by Real-time RT-PCR, Antigenic and Phylogenetic Characterization.

Introduction: At present, two phylogenetically distinct influenza B virus lineages, B/Yamagata and B/ Victoria, co-circulate worldwide and can cause significant morbidity and mortality.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalences of two influenza B virus lineages in the population of Vojvodina and to identify their antigenic and phylogenetic properties.

Methods: A total of 369 and 334 nasopharyngeal, or nasal/throat swab samples, collected during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons, respectively, were tested using specific singleplex influenza A, influenza B, influenza B/Yamagata and influenza B/Victoria real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays.

CHIKUNGUNYA - A SERIOUS THREAT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.

Introduction: Chikungunya is a contagious disease caused by Chikungunya virus, an arbovirus from the Togaviridae family. This infection is mostly spread by mosquitoes from the genus Aedes, especially Aedes albopiclus, which have spread from Asia to America and Europe including some countries surrounding Serbia. EPIDEMIOLOGIC FEATURES: The outbreak of epidemics has been reported in Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Indonesia, West Africa region (from Senegal to Cameroon), Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Uganda, Guinea, Malawi, Central African Republic, Burundi, South Africa and India.

[Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women].

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of seropositive pregnant women, i.e. of pregnant women infected with Toxoplasma gondii in order to provide an insight into the risk of developing congenital toxoplasmosis in our community.

Detection of enteroviruses in clinical samples of patients with aseptic meningitis by rapid antigen detection assay.

Introduction: Human enteroviruses represent the most common etiological agents of aseptic meningitis. Rapid diagnosis of aseptic meningitis affects the management of patients.

Objective: The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of rapid antigen detection (RAD) assay for the confirmation of human enteroviruses in comparison to that of the conventional cell culture (CCC), and to identify the serotypes associated with aseptic meningitis cases in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.

[Enterococcal endocarditis--a case report].

Introduction: Bacteria from genus Enterococcus may cause infections mostly in those who are immunocompromised and those who underwent endoscopic or surgical procedures. Endocarditis is caused by enterococci in 5-10% of cases. Its clinical presentation does not differ from endocarditis of other bacterial origin.

[Up-to-date knowledge of West Nile virus infection].

Unlabelled: VIRUS: West Nile virus is a single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus.

Epidemiology: West Nile virus is maintained in the cycle involving culicine mosquitoes and birds. Humans typically acquire West Nile infection through a bite from infected adult mosquito.