Publications by authors named "Joanna Maria Ortiz Alcantara"

The epidemiologic transition in Mexico has generated a change of paradigm in public health. Morbidity is characterized by infectious diseases and the mortality is due to chronic degenerative diseases. The three most important infectious diseases in the country are: respiratory infections, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections.

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Article Synopsis
  • The article explores how bacterial biopolymers produced by biofilm bacteria affect the surface properties of Mayan limestone buildings, focusing on disaggregation, hardness, and color change.
  • Isolates TM1B-488, TM1B-489, TM1B-349, and TM1B-464 were identified, with TM1B-349 linked to Psychrobacter and TM1B-464 to Agrococcus.
  • Biopolymer A significantly reduced disaggregation by 26% and increased hardness by 34%, while also showing minimal color change, positioning it as a promising candidate for limestone stabilization and suggesting further research is needed for practical applications.
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Here, we report for the first time the circulation of dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) belonging to the lineage IV of genotype V (African American genotype) based on phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences from 10 DENV-1-positive samples obtained in Mexico between 2012 and 2014. Our data revealed that the lineages III and IV of DENV-1 genotype V were found circulating during the same period, probably explaining the rise in the number of cases of severe dengue during that period.

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Rabies virus (RABV), a member of the genus , causes encephalitis that is almost always fatal following the onset of clinical signs. Here, we report the complete codifying sequence of an RABV isolated from a dog in Mexico. Molecular data showed that this strain belongs to the Chiapas lineage.

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Hepatitis B virus infection is currently a global public health problem. Here, we present the first characterization and complete genome sequence of a strain belonging to genotype E in Mexico, obtained from a foreign carrier with chronic infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • In September 2013, two cholera cases were identified in Mexico City, confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor, with strains differing from previous cases in Mexico.
  • A subsequent outbreak occurred in Hidalgo, with four additional cases reported, leading to a larger cholera outbreak in the La Huasteca region.
  • Genomic analysis of the isolates revealed similarities to the strain associated with the 2010 Haiti epidemic, confirming the presence of important pathogenicity genes and elements.
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The genus Psychrobacter contains environmental, psychrophilic and halotolerant gram-negative bacteria considered rare opportunistic pathogens in humans. Metagenomics was performed on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a pediatric patient with meningitis. Nucleic acids were extracted, randomly amplified, and sequenced with the 454 GS FLX Titanium next-generation sequencing (NGS) system.

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Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family, which causes varicella (chicken pox) and herpes zoster (shingles) in humans. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of varicella-zoster virus, isolated from a vesicular fluid sample, revealing the circulation of VZV clade VIII in Mexico.

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus encodes several RNA-processing enzymes that are unusual for RNA viruses, including Nsp15 (nonstructural protein 15), a hexameric endoribonuclease that preferentially cleaves 3' of uridines. We solved the structure of a catalytically inactive mutant version of Nsp15, which was crystallized as a hexamer. The structure contains unreported flexibility in the active site of each subunit.

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