Evaluation of two anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody immunoassays for monitoring patients on pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is crucial to prevent severe COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients. A reliable method is needed to quantify anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels for personalized monitoring during PrEP. We measured the binding antibody concentrations of 63 immunocompromised patients receiving 300mg or 600mg tixagevimab/cilgavimab on PrEP day and twice during the following 3 months.

Omicron Wave SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis: Evaluation of Saliva, Anterior Nasal, and Nasopharyngeal Swab Samples.

The Omicron variant differs from earlier strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the way it enters host cells and grows . We therefore reevaluated its diagnosis using saliva, nasopharyngeal swab (NPs), and anterior nasal swab (ANs) specimens from 202 individuals (64.9% symptomatic) tested at the Toulouse University Hospital SARS-CoV-2 drive-through testing center.

Current immunoassays and detection of antibodies elicited by Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The present study aimed to determine whether current commercial immunoassays are adequate for detecting anti-Omicron antibodies. We analyzed the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response of 23 unvaccinated individuals 1-2 months after an Omicron infection. All blood samples were tested with a live virus neutralization assay using a clinical Omicron BA.

Antibody Titers and Protection against Omicron (BA.1 and BA.2) SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern has greatly influenced the immune correlates of protection, and there are little data about the antibody threshold concentrations to protect against infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 or BA.2.

Will the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic be an ecological disaster? There is an urgent need to replace plastic by ecologically virtuous materials.

Background And Aims: Direct virological diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectionis based on either viral antigen or viral genome detection. These methods, in addition to the dedicated reagents and transport packaging, require the use of quantities of plastic that may individually appear negligible but which, in the context of a pandemic, are very high. The aim was to estimate the amount of plastic involved in a diagnostic assay whether molecular or antigenic.

Rotavirus meningitis in an adult with transient aphasia.

We identified an additional case of documented Rotavirus meningitis in an adult with full medical history. A previously healthy 37-year-old patient presented herself for transient aphasia associated with fever and headaches at the end of a one-week history of gastroenteritis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed lymphocytic meningitis, and treatment with aciclovir was initiated.

Vectorial Release of Human RNA Viruses from Epithelial Cells.

Epithelial cells are apico-basolateral polarized cells that line all tubular organs and are often targets for infectious agents. This review focuses on the release of human RNA virus particles from both sides of polarized human cells grown on transwells. Most viruses that infect the mucosa leave their host cells mainly via the apical side while basolateral release is linked to virus propagation within the host.

Prediction of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Lineages Using the S1-Encoding Region Sequence Obtained by PacBio Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in late 2019. The outbreak of variants with mutations in the region encoding the spike protein S1 sub-unit that can make them more resistant to neutralizing or monoclonal antibodies is the main point of the current monitoring. This study examines the feasibility of predicting the variant lineage and monitoring the appearance of reported mutations by sequencing only the region encoding the S1 domain by Pacific Bioscience Single Molecule Real-Time sequencing (PacBio SMRT).

Hepatitis A: Epidemiology, High-Risk Groups, Prevention and Research on Antiviral Treatment.

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a leading cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. It is transmitted mainly by direct contact with patients who have been infected or by ingesting contaminated water or food. The virus is endemic in low-income countries where sanitary and sociodemographic conditions are poor.

Evaluation of two RT-PCR screening assays for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Background: The recent emergence of new SARS CoV-2 variants (variants of concern, VOC) that spread rapidly and may lead to immune escape has emphasized the urgent need to monitor and control their spread.

Methods: We analyzed 2018 SARS-CoV-2 positive specimens collected between February 9 and March 22, 2021 using the Thermofisher® TaqPath™ COVID-19 CE-IVD RT-PCR kit (TaqPath) and the ID solutions® ID™ SARS-CoV-2/UK/SA Variant Triplex RT-PCR (ID triplex) assay to screen for VOCs.

Results: The ID triplex assay identified 62.

Testing individual and pooled saliva samples for sars-cov-2 nucleic acid: a prospective study.

Control of the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus requires efficient testing. We collected paired nasopharyngeal swab (NPs) and saliva samples from 303 subjects (52.8% symptomatic) at a drive-through testing center; 18% of whom tested positive.

Classification of the Zoonotic Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 Into Distinct Subgenotypes.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is the most common genotype linked to HEV infections in Europe and America. Three major clades (HEV-3.1, HEV-3.

No evidence of sexual transmission of HEV among individuals using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

We investigated the seroprevalence and incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) who have been exposed to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV as sexual transmission of HEV has been suggested. A total of 147 PrEP-using MSM and 147 blood donors matched for sex, age and geographical area were tested for anti-HEV IgG and IgM. Among them, 135 have been followed for 1 year, at the end of which serological tests for HEV were performed retrospectively on stored samples.

Hepatitis E Virus: How It Escapes Host Innate Immunity.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of viral hepatitis in the world. It is usually responsible for acute hepatitis, but can lead to a chronic infection in immunocompromised patients. The host's innate immune response is the first line of defense against a virus infection; there is growing evidence that HEV RNA is recognized by toll-like receptors (TLRs) and retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), leading to interferon (IFN) production.

Performance of the Xpert HBV Viral Load assay versus the Aptima Quant assay for quantifying hepatitis B virus DNA.

Quantification of HBV DNA is used for initiating and monitoring antiviral treatment. We have evaluated the Xpert HBV Viral Load (VL) assay on the GeneXpert instrument. We estimated its limit of detection to be 7.

Hepatitis E virus replication in human intestinal cells.

Objective: Hepatitis E virus (HEV), one of the most common agent of acute hepatitis worldwide, is mainly transmitted enterically, via contaminated water for HEV genotypes 1 (HEV1) and HEV2, or by eating raw or undercooked infected meat for HEV genotype 3 (HEV3) and HEV4. However, little is known about how the ingested HEV reaches the liver or its ability to replicate in intestinal cells.

Design: We developed human primary cultures of small intestine epithelial cells and intestinal explants obtained from small bowel resections.

Hepatitis E virus infections in Europe.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. The systematic use of improved tools for diagnosing and genotyping has completely changed our understanding of the epidemiology and clinical consequences of HEV infection. Most cases of HEV in Europe arise from infected animals such as pigs, wild boar, deer and rabbits.