Changes in Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

Background: Respiratory tract infections are common, often seasonal, and caused by multiple pathogens. We assessed whether seasonal respiratory illness patterns changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We categorized emergency department (ED) visits reported to the National Syndromic Surveillance Program according to chief complaints and diagnosis codes, excluding visits with diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infections.

County-Level Social Capital and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States.

Background: The association between county-level social capital indices (SCIs) and the 3 most commonly reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States is lacking. In this study, we determined and examined the association between 2 recently developed county-level SCIs (ie, Penn State Social Capital Index [PSSCI] vs United States Congress Social Capital Index [USCSCI]) and the 3 most commonly reported bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) using spatial and nonspatial regression techniques.

Methods: We assembled and analyzed multiyear (2012-2016) cross-sectional data on STIs and 2 SCIs (PSSCI vs USCSCI) on counties in all 48 contiguous states.

Dendritic cell-mediated HIV-1 infection of T cells demonstrates a direct relationship to plasma viral RNA levels.

Objective: To examine the relationship between infectivity of HIV-1 variants in dendritic cell (DC)-mediated in trans infection of T cells and plasma viral RNA levels in infected subjects.

Methods: HIV-1 was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronically infected individuals, typed for coreceptor usage, and viral replication were examined in monocyte-derived DCs-peripheral blood lymphocytes cocultures. The rate of p24 antigen production during the logarithmic phase of viral replication was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Serological evidence of typhus group rickettsia in a homeless population in Houston, Texas.

We tested sera from 176 homeless people in Houston for antibodies against typhus group rickettsiae (TGR). Sera from 19 homeless people were reactive to TGR antigens by ELISA and IFA. Two people had antibodies against Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus) and the remaining 17 had antibodies against Rickettsia typhi (murine typhus).

West Nile virus infection among the homeless, Houston, Texas.

Among 397 homeless participants studied, the overall West Nile virus (WNV) seroprevalence was 6.8%. Risk factors for WNV infection included being homeless >1 year, spending >6 hours outside daily, regularly taking mosquito precautions, and current marijuana use.

A nonneutralizing anti-HIV Type 1 antibody turns into a broad neutralizing antibody when expressed on the surface of HIV type 1-susceptible cells. II. Inhibition of HIV type 1 captured and transferred by DC-SIGN.

Previously, we demonstrated that the expression of a nonneutralizing human anti-HIV-1 gp41 scFv on the surface of HIV-1-susceptible cells markedly inhibits HIV-1 replication and HIV-1 envelope-mediated cell-cell fusion. The inhibition is at the level of viral entry, specific for the HIV-1 envelope, and independent of virus tropism. In the previous studies, cell-free viruses of laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains from subtype B were used to infect human CD4 T cell lines.

Relationship of cosmetic procedures and drug use to hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections in a low-risk population.

We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional seroprevalence study of a population with a low frequency of injection drug use to determine whether persons with a history of cosmetic procedures, such as tattooing and body piercing, or intranasal drug use were at increased risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Students 18 years and older from eight college campuses in Houston, Texas, were invited to participate in the study. Of the 7,960 who completed a self-administered questionnaire and provided a blood sample, 5,282 U.

Integration of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in untreated infection occurs preferentially within genes.

Previous analyses of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration sites generated in infections in vitro or in patients in whom viral replication was repressed by antiviral therapy have demonstrated a preference for integration within protein-coding genes. We analyzed integration sites in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), spleen, lymph node, and cerebral cortex from patients with untreated HIV-1 infections. The great majority of integration sites in each tissue were within genes.

Sexual risk behaviours and STIs in drug abuse treatment populations whose drug of choice is crack cocaine.

We investigated sexually transmissable infection (STI) prevalence in 407 drug users in three drug treatment programmes in two Texan cities and associated demographic and sexual behaviours. Data analysis focused on differences between those for whom crack cocaine was the drug of preference compared with other drugs, since crack is associated with sexual arousal and a sex for drugs economy. Data indicate that having crack as a drug of preference is significantly associated with increased levels of previous STIs, previous drug treatment, African-American race, selling or buying sex for drugs or money, and increased infection markers for syphilis, chlamydia and herpes simplex-2.