Update on Hepatitis C Vaccine: Results and Challenges.

Therapy against the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has significantly improved with the introduction of direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs), achieving over 95% sustained virological response (SVR). Despite this, the development of an effective anti-HCV vaccine remains a critical challenge due to the low number of patients treated with DAAs and the occurrence of HCV reinfections in high-risk groups. Current vaccine strategies aim to stimulate either B-cell or T-cell responses.

ABCO risk score for in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units.

Purpose: To develop a mortality risk score for COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU), and to compare it with other existing scores.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective observational study included consecutive adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to ICUs of 18 hospitals from nine Brazilian cities, from September 2021 to July 2022. Potential predictors were selected based on the literature review.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with preexisting dementia: a large multicenter propensity-matched Brazilian cohort study.

Background: Although dementia has emerged as an important risk factor for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, results on COVID-19-related complications and mortality are not consistent. We examined the clinical presentations and outcomes of COVID-19 in a multicentre cohort of in-hospital patients, comparing those with and without dementia.

Methods: This retrospective observational study comprises COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed patients aged ≥ 60 years admitted to 38 hospitals from 19 cities in Brazil.

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium in ruminants and observation of natural infection by Cryptosporidium andersoni in sheep from Paraná, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to identify Cryptosporidium species found in cattle and sheep in Paraná, southern region of Brazil. Individual fecal samples from 458 bovines and 101 sheep were submitted for molecular analysis by PCR and nested PCR using specific primers for sequences of the 18S ribosomal unit (rRNA). Positive samples were analyzed using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), followed by genetic sequencing for species confirmation.

Bocaparvovirus in infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit in Midwest Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2022).

Human bocaparvoviruses (HBoVs) belong to the Parvoviridae family, being currently classified into four species (HBoV1-4). These viruses have been found in association with respiratory and gastroenteric symptoms, as well as in asymptomatic individuals. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of HBoVs in infants under 5 months old admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic (between March 2021 and March 2022).