Traceback and Testing of Food Epidemiologically Linked to a Norovirus Outbreak at a Wedding Reception.

We investigated a suspected norovirus outbreak associated with a wedding reception in Wisconsin in May 2015. Fifty-six of 106 (53%) wedding attendees were interviewed, and 23 (41%) reported symptoms consistent with norovirus infection. A retrospective cohort study identified fruit salad as the likely vehicle of infection (risk ratio 3.

Increased circulation of GII.17 noroviruses, six European countries and the United States, 2023 to 2024.

We report an increase in GII.17 norovirus outbreaks and sporadic infections of acute gastroenteritis in Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, England and the United States during the 2023/24 season. A decrease in GII.

Hospital-based norovirus surveillance in children <5 years of age from 2017 to 2019 in India.

After the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine into the Universal Immunization Program in India in 2016, relatively few studies have assessed the prevalence and epidemiological patterns of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among hospitalized children ≤5 years of age. We used a uniform protocol to recruit children with AGE as well as standardized testing and typing protocols. Stool specimens from children with AGE younger than 5 years of age admitted to six hospitals in three cities in India were collected from January 2017 through December 2019.

SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination in metro-Atlanta grocery stores.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on many businesses worldwide, essential businesses, such as grocery stores, continued to operate despite potential disease transmission. Although the principal mode by which people are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is through exposure to respiratory droplets and very small particles carrying infectious virus, contaminated surfaces might play a role in transmission. We collected swab samples from frequently touched surfaces, including grocery carts, touchscreen monitors, credit card keypads, pharmacy counters, self-service food utensils, and refrigerator and freezer handles, in two metro-Atlanta grocery stores over the course of two sampling events in March 2021.

Improved survival of SARS COV-2-infected K18- mice treated with adenosine AR agonist.

A life-threatening manifestation of Covid-19 infection is a cytokine storm that requires hospitalization and supplemental oxygen. Various strategies to reduce inflammatory cytokines have had some success in limiting cytokine storm and improving survival. Agonists of adenosine A receptors (AR) reduce cytokine release from most immune cells.

Regadenoson for the treatment of COVID-19: A five case clinical series and mouse studies.

Background: Adenosine inhibits the activation of most immune cells and platelets. Selective adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) agonists such as regadenoson (RA) reduce inflammation in most tissues, including lungs injured by hypoxia, ischemia, transplantation, or sickle cell anemia, principally by suppressing the activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. The anti-inflammatory effects of RA are magnified in injured tissues due to induction in immune cells of A2ARs and ecto-enzymes CD39 and CD73 that convert ATP to adenosine in the extracellular space.

Adeno-associated virus type 2 in US children with acute severe hepatitis.

As of August 2022, clusters of acute severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children have been reported from 35 countries, including the USA. Previous studies have found human adenoviruses (HAdVs) in the blood from patients in Europe and the USA, although it is unclear whether this virus is causative. Here we used PCR testing, viral enrichment-based sequencing and agnostic metagenomic sequencing to analyse samples from 16 HAdV-positive cases from 1 October 2021 to 22 May 2022, in parallel with 113 controls.

Delivery of Dissociated Islets Cells within Microporous Annealed Particle Scaffold to Treat Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by the autoimmune loss of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The only clinical approach to patient management of blood glucose that doesn't require exogenous insulin is pancreas or islet transplantation. Unfortunately, donor islets are scarce and there is substantial islet loss immediately after transplantation due, in part, to the local inflammatory response.

Advances in understanding of the innate immune response to human norovirus infection using organoid models.

Norovirus is the leading cause of epidemic and endemic acute gastroenteritis worldwide and the most frequent cause of foodborne illness in the United States. There is no specific treatment for norovirus infections and therapeutic interventions are based on alleviating symptoms and limiting viral transmission. The immune response to norovirus is not completely understood and mechanistic studies have been hindered by lack of a robust cell culture system.

Homotypic and Heterotypic Protection and Risk of Reinfection Following Natural Norovirus Infection in a Highly Endemic Setting.

Background: Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, yet there is limited information on homotypic or heterotypic protection following natural infection to guide vaccine development.

Methods: A total of 6020 stools collected from 299 Peruvian children between 2010 and 2014 were tested by norovirus real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction followed by sequence-based genotyping. Cox proportional hazards models were used to derive adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of infection among children with vs without prior exposure.

Human Calicivirus Typing tool: A web-based tool for genotyping human norovirus and sapovirus sequences.

Background: The family Caliciviridae consists of a genetically diverse group of RNA viruses that infect a wide range of host species including noroviruses and sapoviruses which cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. Typing of these viruses relies on sequence-based approaches, and therefore there is a need for rapid and accurate web-based typing tools.

Objective: To develop and evaluate a web-based tool for rapid and accurate genotyping of noroviruses and sapoviruses.

Detection of Norovirus Variant GII.4 Hong Kong in Asia and Europe, 2017-2019.

We report a new norovirus GII.4 variant, GII.4 Hong Kong, with low-level circulation in 4 Eurasia countries since mid-2017.

Single-step RT-PCR assay for dual genotyping of GI and GII norovirus strains.

Background: Noroviruses are the major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in people of all ages globally. Standardized genotyping is key for outbreak investigations and surveillance networks.

Objective: Here we describe the validation of a one-step conventional RT-PCR assay for sequence-based dual typing of GI and GII noroviruses.

Updated classification of norovirus genogroups and genotypes.

Noroviruses are genetically diverse RNA viruses associated with acute gastroenteritis in mammalian hosts. Phylogenetically, they can be segregated into different genogroups as well as P (polymerase)-groups and further into genotypes and P-types based on amino acid diversity of the complete VP1 gene and nucleotide diversity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region of ORF1, respectively. In recent years, several new noroviruses have been reported that warrant an update of the existing classification scheme.

A 50-bp enhancer of the mouse acrosomal vesicle protein 1 gene activates round spermatid-specific transcription in vivo†.

Enhancers are cis-elements that activate transcription and play critical roles in tissue- and cell type-specific gene expression. During spermatogenesis, genes coding for specialized sperm structures are expressed in a developmental stage- and cell type-specific manner, but the enhancers responsible for their expression have not been identified. Using the mouse acrosomal vesicle protein (Acrv1) gene that codes for the acrosomal protein SP-10 as a model, our previous studies have shown that Acrv1 proximal promoter activates transcription in spermatids; and the goal of the present study was to separate the enhancer responsible.

Dramatic Weight Loss Following Addition of Aripiprazole to Olanzapine in a Patient With Treatment-resistant Schizophrenia: A Case Report.

Case Summary: A 26-year-old man with a history of longstanding treatment-resistant schizophrenia gained a substantial amount of weight while being treated with high-dose combination antipsychotic therapy with olanzapine and amisulpride. The patient was switched to combination therapy with olanzapine and aripiprazole to reverse a drug-induced hyperprolactinemia. The patient subsequently lost over 37 lb in weight over a period of 4 months despite no measurable changes in his dietary caloric intake or in his level of physical activity and without any identifiable medical cause on physical investigation.

Healthy Donor Polyclonal IgMs Diminish B-Lymphocyte Autoreactivity, Enhance Regulatory T-Cell Generation, and Reverse Type 1 Diabetes in NOD Mice.

Autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) arise from unrestrained activation of effector lymphocytes that destroy target tissues. Many efforts have been made to eliminate these effector lymphocytes, but none has produced a long-term cure. An alternative to depletion therapy is to enhance endogenous immune regulation.

Genetic Diversity of Noroviruses Circulating in a Pediatric Cohort in Bangladesh.

Noroviruses are a leading cause of diarrhea in children aged <5 years worldwide. We genotyped 88 viruses collected by active surveillance in a birth cohort of children <2 years of age in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during 2010-2013. Twenty-five of 31 (81%) established GI and GII genotypes were detected, with GII.

Evidence for the Role of the Cecal Microbiome in Maintenance of Immune Regulation and Homeostasis.

Objective (s): Our objective was to investigate alterations in the cecal microbial composition during the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) with or without IgM therapy, and correlate these alterations with the corresponding immune profile.

Methods: (1) Female nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice treated with IgM or saline (n = 20/group) were divided into 5-week-old nondiabetic; 9 to 12-week-old prehyperglycemic stage-1; ≥13-week-old prehyperglycemic stage-2; and diabetic groups. 16S rRNA libraries were prepared from bacterial DNA and deep-sequenced.

Near-Complete Genome Sequences of Several New Norovirus Genogroup II Genotypes.

We report here the near-complete genome sequences of 13 norovirus strains detected in stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis from Bangladesh, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Nicaragua, and the United States that are classified into one existing (genotype II.22 [GII.22]), 3 novel (GII.

Comparison of three multiplex gastrointestinal platforms for the detection of gastroenteritis viruses.

Background: Viruses are major etiological agents of childhood gastroenteritis. In recent years, several molecular platforms for the detection of viral enteric pathogens have become available.

Objective/study Design: We evaluated the performance of three multiplex platforms including Biofire's Gastrointestinal Panel (FilmArray), Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP), and the TaqMan Array Card (TAC) for the detection of five gastroenteritis viruses using a coded panel of 300 archived stool samples.