Background: Children living with chronic comorbid conditions are at increased risk for severe COVID-19, though there is limited evidence regarding the risks associated with specific conditions and which children may benefit from targeted COVID-19 therapies. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with severe disease among hospitalized children with COVID-19 in Canada.
Methods: We conducted a national prospective study on hospitalized children with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection via the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) from April 2020-May 2021.
Background: Risk factors for severe outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection are not well established in children. We sought to describe pediatric hospital admissions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canada and identify risk factors for more severe disease.
Methods: We conducted a national prospective study using the infrastructure of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP).
Whereas the infant gut microbiome is the subject of intense study, relatively little is known regarding the nares microbiome in newborns and during early life. This study aimed to survey the typical composition and diversity of human anterior nare microflora for developing infants over time, and to explore how these correlate to their primary caregivers. Single nare swabs were collected at five time points over a one-year period for each subject from infant-caregiver pairs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To review the experiences at Winnipeg Children's Hospital (WCH) during the 2009 influenza season, with an emphasis on nosocomial transmission and infection prevention and control responses.
Design: A case series of patients admitted to WCH who had laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza between January 1 and July 31, 2009, with a comparison of patients with seasonal influenza and those with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza; a review of the impact of infection prevention and control modifications on nosocomial transmission.
Patients And Setting: A total of 104 inpatients with influenza, 81 of whom had pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza, were reviewed at a large Canadian pediatric tertiary care center.
APOBEC3G is an important innate immune molecule that causes human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) hypermutation, which can result in detrimental viral genome mutations. The Vif protein of wild-type HIV-1 counteracts APOBEC3G activity by targeting it for degradation and inhibiting its incorporation into viral particles. Additional APOBEC cytidine deaminases have been identified, such as APOBEC3F, which has a similar mode of action but different sequence specificity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The goal was to determine incidence, determinants, and morbidity and mortality rates of neonatal herpes simplex virus infections in Canada.
Methods: From October 1, 2000, to September 30, 2003, reports of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection were solicited actively from all Canadian pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists on a monthly basis.
Results: Fifty-eight cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus were reported (5.
Many factors can influence the rate of HIV disease progression, including those that maintain T cell homeostasis. One key homeostatic regulator is the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R). Previous studies have shown IL-7R expression levels decrease in HIV infection, but effects on memory subtypes, CD4(+) T cells, and cell function have not been explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe initial site of exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 during heterosexual transmission occurs in the genital tract. Although the majority of immunological studies have focused on the immune response to HIV-1 at the systemic level, our understanding of tissue-specific immunity is deficient. The goal of the present study was to characterize T cell populations found in the cervix of women shown to be resistant to infection by HIV-1.
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