Rift Valley Fever outbreaks in the East African Community: insights from ProMed data (2010-2024).

Background: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that poses a serious threat to both humans and livestock across various regions, particularly in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of the Indian Ocean Islands. This study seeks to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution and trends of RVF outbreaks within the East African Community (EAC) countries, offering insights into the patterns and progression of these outbreaks in the region.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMed), a digital, event-based disease surveillance system, to identify reports of outbreak events in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and South Sudan from 2010 to 2024.

Immuno-informatics study identifies conserved T cell epitopes in non-structural proteins of Bluetongue virus serotypes: formulation of a computationally optimized next-generation broad-spectrum multi-epitope vaccine.

Introduction: Bluetongue (BT) poses a significant threat to the livestock industry, affecting various animal species and resulting in substantial economic losses. The existence of numerous BT virus (BTV) serotypes has hindered control efforts, highlighting the need for broad-spectrum vaccines.

Methodology: In this study, we evaluated the conserved amino acid sequences within key non-structural (NS) proteins of BTV and identified numerous highly conserved murine- and bovine-specific MHC class I-restricted (MHC-I) CD8+ and MHC-II-restricted CD4+ epitopes.

Multiple Protein Profiler 1.0 (MPP): A Webserver for Predicting and Visualizing Physiochemical Properties of Proteins at the Proteome Level.

Determining the physicochemical properties of a protein can reveal important insights in their structure, biological functions, stability, and interactions with other molecules. Although tools for computing properties of proteins already existed, we could not find a comprehensive tool that enables the calculations of multiple properties for multiple input proteins on the proteome level at once. Facing this limitation, we developed Multiple Protein Profiler (MPP) 1.

Identification of Marker Genes in Infectious Diseases from ScRNA-seq Data Using Interpretable Machine Learning.

A common result of infection is an abnormal immune response, which may be detrimental to the host. To control the infection, the immune system might undergo regulation, therefore producing an excess of either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory pathways that can lead to widespread inflammation, tissue damage, and organ failure. A dysregulated immune response can manifest as changes in differentiated immune cell populations and concentrations of circulating biomarkers.

Identification of 3-Aryl-1-benzotriazole-1-yl-acrylonitrile as a Microtubule-Targeting Agent (MTA) in Solid Tumors.

Recently, a compound derived from recent scientific advances named has emerged as the focus of this research, the aim of which is to explore its potential impact on solid tumor cell lines. Using a combination of bioinformatics and biological assays, this study conducted an in-depth investigation of the effects of . The results of this study have substantial implications for cancer research and treatment.

Ancient Plasmodium genomes shed light on the history of human malaria.

Malaria-causing protozoa of the genus Plasmodium have exerted one of the strongest selective pressures on the human genome, and resistance alleles provide biomolecular footprints that outline the historical reach of these species. Nevertheless, debate persists over when and how malaria parasites emerged as human pathogens and spread around the globe. To address these questions, we generated high-coverage ancient mitochondrial and nuclear genome-wide data from P.

Formulation of next-generation polyvalent vaccine candidates against three important poxviruses by targeting DNA-dependent RNA polymerase using an integrated immunoinformatics and molecular modeling approach.

Background: Poxviruses comprise a group of large double-stranded DNA viruses and are known to cause diseases in humans, livestock animals, and other animal species. The Mpox virus (MPXV; formerly Monkeypox), variola virus (VARV), and volepox virus (VPXV) are among the prevalent poxviruses of the Orthopoxviridae genera. The ongoing Mpox infectious disease pandemic caused by the Mpox virus has had a major impact on public health across the globe.

Complete Genome Sequencing, Annotation, and Mutational Profiling of the Novel Clade I Human Mpox Virus, Kamituga Strain.

Introduction: Human Mpox (formerly monkeypox) infection is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the Mpox virus (MPXV). We describe the complete genome annotation, phylogeny, and mutational profile of a novel, sustained Clade I Mpox outbreak in the city of Kamituga in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational, cohort study was performed among patients of all ages admitted to the Kamituga Hospital with Mpox infection symptoms between late September 2023 and late January 2024.

PASC (Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19) is associated with decreased neutralizing antibody titers in both biological sexes and increased ANG-2 and GM-CSF in females.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or the continuation of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) symptoms past 12 weeks may affect as many as 30% of people recovering from a SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2) infection. The mechanisms regulating the development of PASC are currently not known; however, hypotheses include virus reservoirs, pre-existing conditions, microblood clots, immune dysregulation, as well as poor antibody responses. Importantly, virus neutralizing antibodies are essential for COVID-19 recovery and protection from reinfection but there is currently limited information on these immune regulators and associated cytokines in PASC patients.

The impact of public transportation on the transmission of COVID-19 in Rwanda.

Introduction: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan regions where healthcare resources are limited. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is facilitated by the movement of people from place to place. Therefore, implementing measures that restrict movement of people and contacts is crucial in controlling the spread of the disease.

CDBProm: the Comprehensive Directory of Bacterial Promoters.

The decreasing cost of whole genome sequencing has produced high volumes of genomic information that require annotation. The experimental identification of promoter sequences, pivotal for regulating gene expression, is a laborious and cost-prohibitive task. To expedite this, we introduce the Comprehensive Directory of Bacterial Promoters (CDBProm), a directory of predicted bacterial promoter sequences.

Inhibition potential of natural flavonoids against selected omicron (B.1.19) mutations in the spike receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2: a molecular modeling approach.

The omicron (B.1.19) variant of contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is considered a variant of concern (VOC) due to its increased transmissibility and highly infectious nature.

Understanding knowledge, attitudes and practices on Ebola Virus Disease: a multi-site mixed methods survey on preparedness in Rwanda.

Background: The overall goal of this survey was to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Rwanda.

Methods: This mixed-method cross-sectional survey was conducted in five selected districts of Rwanda. Quantitative data were collected from 1,010 participants using Kobo Collect Software and the analysis was performed using SPSS and Python software.

Third COVID-19 vaccine dose boosts antibody function in Rwandans with high HIV viral load.

SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) causing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) poses a greater health risk to immunocompromized individuals including people living with HIV (PLWH). However, most studies on PLWH have been conducted in higher-income countries. We investigated the post-vaccination antibody responses of PLWH in Rwanda by collecting peripheral blood from participants after receiving a second or third COVID-19 vaccine.

Development of a novel tobramycin dependent riboswitch.

We herein report the selection and characterization of a new riboswitch dependent on the aminoglycoside tobramycin. Its dynamic range rivals even the tetracycline dependent riboswitch to be the current best performing, synthetic riboswitch that controls translation initiation. The riboswitch was selected with RNA Capture-SELEX, a method that not only selects for binding but also for structural changes in aptamers on binding.

Transcriptomics reveals shared immunosuppressive landscapes in ventilator-associated lower respiratory tract infections (VA-LRTI) patients.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) represents a transitory status of immunoparalysis, and we hypothesized that ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) could share also some degree of immune response to a respiratory infection.

Research Design And Methods: A prospective observational study in five medical ICUs to evaluate immunological alterations of patients with VA-LRTI. Immunological gene expression profiles in the blood using whole transcriptome microarrays in the first 24 hours following diagnosis.

Host Transcriptome Analysis of Ferret Tissues Following Henipavirus Infection.

Ferrets are commonly used as experimental models of infection for a variety of viruses due to their susceptibility to human respiratory viruses and the close resemblance of pathological outcomes found in human infections. Even though ferret-specific reagents are limited, the use of ferrets as a preclinical experimental model of infection has gained considerable interest since the publication of the ferret transcriptome and draft ferret genome. These advances have made it feasible to easily perform whole-genome gene expression analysis in the ferret infection model.

RNAseq Analysis of Novel 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Chalcogen Analogues Reveals Anti-Tubulin Properties on Cancer Cell Lines.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole derivatives are among the most studied anticancer drugs. Previous studies have analyzed the action of different 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives and their effects on cancer cells. This study investigated the characterization of two new compounds named and on HeLa and PC-3 cancer cell lines.

Tapping the potential of synthetic riboswitches: reviewing the versatility of the tetracycline aptamer.

Synthetic riboswitches are a versatile class of regulatory elements that are becoming increasingly established in synthetic biology applications. They are characterized by their compact size and independence from auxiliary protein factors. While naturally occurring riboswitches were mostly discovered in bacteria, synthetic riboswitches have been designed for all domains of life.

Convergence in Mobility Data Sets From Apple, Google, and Meta.

Background: The higher movement of people was one of the variables that contributed to the spread of the infectious agent SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments worldwide responded to the virus by implementing measures that would restrict people's movements, and consequently, the spread of the disease. During the onset of the pandemic, the technology companies Apple, Google, and Meta used their infrastructure to anonymously gather mobility reports from their users.

Repurposing of drugs against methyltransferase as potential Zika virus therapies.

In recent years, the outbreak of infectious disease caused by Zika Virus (ZIKV) has posed a major threat to global public health, calling for the development of therapeutics to treat ZIKV disease. Several possible druggable targets involved in virus replication have been identified. In search of additional potential inhibitors, we screened 2895 FDA-approved compounds using Non-Structural Protein 5 (NS5) as a target utilizing virtual screening of in-silco methods.

Evaluating the effectiveness of lockdowns and restrictions during SARS-CoV-2 variant waves in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

Introduction: After the initial onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the government of Canada and provincial health authorities imposed restrictive policies to limit virus transmission and mitigate disease burden. In this study, the pandemic implications in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (NS) were evaluated as a function of the movement of people and governmental restrictions during successive SARS-CoV-2 variant waves (i.e.

Effect of viral storm in patients admitted to intensive care units with severe COVID-19 in Spain: a multicentre, prospective, cohort study.

Background: The contribution of the virus to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate associations between viral RNA load in plasma and host response, complications, and deaths in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Methods: We did a prospective cohort study across 23 hospitals in Spain.

Parallel Dysregulated Immune Response in Severe Forms of COVID-19 and Bacterial Sepsis via Single-Cell Transcriptome Sequencing.

Critically ill COVID-19 patients start developing single respiratory organ failure that often evolves into multiorgan failure. Understanding the immune mechanisms in severe forms of an infectious disease (either critical COVID-19 or bacterial septic shock) would help to achieve a better understanding of the patient's clinical trajectories and the success of potential therapies. We hypothesized that a dysregulated immune response manifested by the abnormal activation of innate and adaptive immunity might be present depending on the severity of the clinical presentation in both COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis.