Evaluation of 11 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests by using samples from patients with defined IgG antibody titers.

We evaluated the performance of 11 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests using a reference set of heat-inactivated samples from 278 unexposed persons and 258 COVID-19 patients, some of whom contributed serial samples. The reference set included samples with a variation in SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers, as determined by an in-house immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The five evaluated rapid diagnostic tests had a specificity of 99.

Retrospective meta-transcriptomic identification of severe dengue in a traveller returning from Africa to Sweden, 1990.

Pathogens associated with haemorrhagic fever commonly have zoonotic origins. The first documented imported case of likely viral severe haemorrhagic fever in Sweden occurred in 1990. Despite extensive study, no aetiological agent was identified.

Expansion of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody-Secreting Cells and Generation of Neutralizing Antibodies in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in late 2019 and has since become a global pandemic. Pathogen-specific Abs are typically a major predictor of protective immunity, yet human B cell and Ab responses during COVID-19 are not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed Ab-secreting cell and Ab responses in 20 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Outbreak of gastroenteritis highlighting the diagnostic and epidemiological challenges of enteroinvasive , County of Halland, Sweden, November 2017.

An outbreak of gastroenteritis with 83 cases occurred at a conference venue in November 2017 in Halland County, Sweden. Stool samples from two venue visitors and a symptomatic secondary case attributed to household transmission were PCR-positive for the gene, a target found in both spp. and enteroinvasive (EIEC).

Etiology of Central Nervous System Infections in a Rural Area of Nepal Using Molecular Approaches.

The etiology of infections of the central nervous system (CNS) in Nepal often remains unrecognized because of underdeveloped laboratory facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the etiology of CNS infections in a rural area of Nepal using molecular methods. From November 2014 to February 2016, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected from 176 consecutive patients presenting at United Mission Hospital in Tansen, Nepal, with symptoms of possible CNS infection.

Worsening epidemiological situation of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Europe, assessment by national experts from 37 countries, July 2018.

A survey on the epidemiological situation, surveillance and containment activities for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) was conducted in European countries in 2018. All 37 participating countries reported CPE cases. Since 2015, the epidemiological stage of CPE expansion has increased in 11 countries.

Seroepidemiological Studies of Arboviruses in Africa.

The literature on sero-epidemiological studies of flaviviral infections in the African continent is quite scarce. Much of the viral epidemiology studies have been focussing on diseases such as HIV/AIDS because of their sheer magnitude and impact on the lives of people in the various affected countries. Increasingly disease outbreaks caused by arboviruses such as the recent cases of chikungunya virus, dengue virus and yellow fever virus have prompted renewed interest in studying these viruses.

Antibodies Against Chikungunya in Northern Mozambique During Dengue Outbreak, 2014.

An outbreak of dengue and high densities of Aedes aegypti were reported in 2014 in northern Mozambique, suggesting an increased risk for other arboviruses such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in this region. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of CHIKV during an outbreak of dengue virus (DENV) in Pemba city in northern Mozambique in 2014. Febrile patients (n = 146) seeking medical attention at the Pemba Provincial Hospital between March and April 2014 were enrolled in this study.

Investigation of a food-borne outbreak of gastroenteritis in a school canteen revealed a variant of sapovirus genogroup V not detected by standard PCR, Sollentuna, Sweden, 2016.

A food-borne outbreak of gastroenteritis with more than 650 suspected cases occurred in April 2016 in Sollentuna, Sweden. It originated in a school kitchen serving a total of 2,700 meals daily. Initial microbiological testing (for Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, adeno-, astro-, noro-, rota- and sapovirus) of stool samples from 15 symptomatic cases was negative, despite a clinical presentation suggestive of calicivirus.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Sapporo Virus GV.2 Variant from a 2016 Outbreak of Gastroenteritis in Sweden.

During an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in Sweden when laboratory routine diagnostics failed to detect a causative agent, Sapporo virus was detected in stool specimens using electron microscopy (M.-P. Hergens, J.

Imported Case of Lassa Fever in Sweden With Encephalopathy and Sensorineural Hearing Deficit.

We describe an imported case of Lassa fever with both encephalopathy and bilateral sensorineural hearing deficit. Absence of fever during hospitalization, initially nonspecific symptoms, and onset of hearing deficit in a late stage of disease probably contributed to delayed diagnosis (14 days after admittance to hospital). The pathogenesis of neurological manifestations of Lassa fever is poorly understood and no specific treatment was given.

Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing Rift Valley fever virus antigens: Mice exhibit systemic immune responses as the result of oral administration of the transgenic plants.

The zoonotic Rift Valley fever virus affects livestock and humans in Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula. The economic impact of this pathogen due to livestock losses, as well as its relevance to public health, underscores the importance of developing effective and easily distributed vaccines. Vaccines that can be delivered orally are of particular interest.

Molecular Diagnosis of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Caused by Puumala Virus.

Rodent-borne hantaviruses cause two severe acute diseases: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS; also called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome [HCPS]) in the Americas. Puumala virus (PUUV) is the most common causative agent of HFRS in Europe. Current routine diagnostic methods are based on serological analyses and can yield inconclusive results.

Analytical Performance Characteristics of the Cepheid GeneXpert Ebola Assay for the Detection of Ebola Virus.

Background: The recently developed Xpert® Ebola Assay is a novel nucleic acid amplification test for simplified detection of Ebola virus (EBOV) in whole blood and buccal swab samples. The assay targets sequences in two EBOV genes, lowering the risk for new variants to escape detection in the test. The objective of this report is to present analytical characteristics of the Xpert® Ebola Assay on whole blood samples.

One-step real-time RT-PCR assays for serotyping dengue virus in clinical samples.

Background: Dengue is one of the leading causes of morbidity in tropical and subtropical regions and infection with any of the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-4) result in a wide range of clinical manifestations. Given the geographic expansion of DENV1-4, assays for serotyping are needed to be able to perform surveillance and epidemiological studies. In this study, we describe the design and validation of one-step real-time serotype-specific DENV RT-PCR assays.

Multiplex nucleic acid suspension bead arrays for detection and subtyping of filoviruses.

Here we describe multiplex suspension bead array systems that allow fast and reliable detection of reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR amplified filovirus genomes and also enable subtyping of Ebola virus species and Marburg virus strains. These systems have an analytical sensitivity equivalent to that of RT-PCR.

Specificity and dynamics of effector and memory CD8 T cell responses in human tick-borne encephalitis virus infection.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is transferred to humans by ticks. The virus causes tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) with symptoms such as meningitis and meningoencephalitis. About one third of the patients suffer from long-lasting sequelae after clearance of the infection.

Universal single-probe RT-PCR assay for diagnosis of dengue virus infections.

Background: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has become more prevalent in the last few decades. Most patients are viremic when they present with symptoms, and early diagnosis of dengue is important in preventing severe clinical complications associated with this disease and also represents a key factor in differential diagnosis. Here, we designed and validated a hydrolysis-probe-based one-step real-time RT-PCR assay that targets the genomes of dengue virus serotypes 1-4.

Detection of antibodies against H5 and H7 strains in birds: evaluation of influenza pseudovirus particle neutralization tests.

Introduction: Avian influenza viruses circulate in bird populations, and it is important to maintain and uphold our knowledge of the viral strains that are currently of interest in this context. Here, we describe the use of hemagglutinin-pseudotype retroviruses based on highly pathogenic influenza viruses for the screening of avian sera for influenza A antibodies. Our aim was also to determine whether the pseudovirus neutralization tests that we assessed were sensitive and simple to use compared to the traditional methods, including hemagglutination inhibition assays and microneutralization tests.

Stability of a formalin-inactivated Rift Valley fever vaccine: evaluation of a vaccination campaign for cattle in Mozambique.

In Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) are characterized by abortions in gestating animals and high mortality rates among domestic ruminants. An immunization program using a formalin-inactivated vaccine was initiated in Mozambique in 2002 to control RVF in cattle. In this intervention, the vaccine must be transported for more than a week within the country before it can be administered to the animals, and it is practically impossible to maintain low storage temperatures during that time.