Infection with mpox virus via the genital mucosae increases shedding and transmission in the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis).

The 2022 mpox virus (MPXV) outbreak was sustained by human-to-human transmission; however, it is currently unclear which factors lead to sustained transmission of MPXV. Here we present Mastomys natalensis as a model for MPXV transmission after intraperitoneal, rectal, vaginal, aerosol and transdermal inoculation with an early 2022 human outbreak isolate (Clade IIb). Virus shedding and tissue replication were route dependent and occurred in the presence of self-resolving localized skin, lung, reproductive tract or rectal lesions.

Host and viral determinants of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Syrian hamster.

It remains poorly understood how SARS-CoV-2 infection influences the physiological host factors important for aerosol transmission. We assessed breathing pattern, exhaled droplets, and infectious virus after infection with Alpha and Delta variants of concern (VOC) in the Syrian hamster. Both VOCs displayed a confined window of detectable airborne virus (24-48 hr), shorter than compared to oropharyngeal swabs.

Sex differences and individual variability in the captive Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) intestinal microbiome and metabolome.

The intestinal microbiome plays an important role in mammalian health, disease, and immune function. In light of this function, recent studies have aimed to characterize the microbiomes of various bat species, which are noteworthy for their roles as reservoir hosts for several viruses known to be highly pathogenic in other mammals. Despite ongoing bat microbiome research, its role in immune function and disease, especially the effects of changes in the microbiome on host health, remains nebulous.

Lower Double-Wall Puncture Rate During Ultrasound-Guided Internal Jugular Vein Cannulation Using Sharper, Narrower-Gauge, and/or Length-Optimized Needles: A 6-Year Quality Improvement Clinical Series in Adult Patients.

During internal jugular vein (IJV) cannulation, needle tip injury to vulnerable subjacent cervical anatomic structures can be prevented if the cannulating needle tip is not permitted, even momentarily, to penetrate the deep portion of the IJV wall, an event known as double-wall puncture (DWP), also called posterior wall puncture. We conducted a 6-year ultrasound-guided IJV cannulation quality improvement project, seeking to minimize the occurrence of DWP in 228 adult patients using needles of different gauge and tip sharpness. Most needles were length-optimized to the distance between the skin puncture site and the IJV mid-lumen for a selected angle of needle insertion by (1) using a nylon screw-on needle stop or (2) using a cannulating needle that already had the desired shaft length.

Atypical and Unique Transmission of Monkeypox Virus during the 2022 Outbreak: An Overview of the Current State of Knowledge.

An ongoing monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries has resulted in the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Though monkeypox has long been endemic in regions of sub-Saharan Africa, relatively little is known about its ecology, epidemiology, and transmission. Here, we consider the relevant research on both monkeypox and smallpox, a close relative, to make inferences about the current outbreak.

Host and viral determinants of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Syrian hamster.

It remains poorly understood how SARS-CoV-2 infection influences the physiological host factors important for aerosol transmission. We assessed breathing pattern, exhaled droplets, and infectious virus after infection with Alpha and Delta variants of concern (VOC) in the Syrian hamster. Both VOCs displayed a confined window of detectable airborne virus (24-48 h), shorter than compared to oropharyngeal swabs.

Infection- or vaccine mediated immunity reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but increases competitiveness of Omicron in hamsters.

Omicron has demonstrated a competitive advantage over Delta in vaccinated people. To understand this, we designed a transmission chain experiment using naïve, intranasally (IN) or intramuscularly (IM) vaccinated, and previously infected (PI) hamsters. Vaccination and previous infection protected animals from disease and virus replication after Delta and Omicron dual challenge.

OraSure InteliSwab Rapid Antigen Test Performance with the SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern-Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic have led to the development of various diagnostic tests. The OraSure InteliSwab COVID-19 Rapid Test is a recently developed and FDA emergency use-authorized rapid antigen-detecting test that functions as a lateral flow device targeting the nucleocapsid protein. Due to SARS-CoV-2 evolution, there is a need to evaluate the sensitivity of rapid antigen-detecting tests for new variants, especially variants of concern such as Omicron.

Postinduction Paced Pulseless Electrical Activity in a Patient With a History of Oropharyngeal Instrumentation-Induced Reflex Circulatory Collapse.

Background: Reflex hypotension and bradycardia have been reported to occur following administration of several drugs associated with administration of anesthesia and also following a variety of procedural stimuli.

Case Report: A 54-year-old postmenopausal female with a history of asystole associated with sedated upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and post-anesthetic-induction tracheal intubation received advanced cardiac resuscitation after insertion of a temporary transvenous pacemaker failed to prevent pulseless electrical activity. The patient's condition stabilized, and she underwent successful cataract extraction, intraocular lens implantation, and pars plana vitrectomy.

Development of effective prophylaxis against intraoperative carcinoid crisis.

Study Objective: The prophylactic use of a preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative high-dose continuous octreotide acetate infusion was evaluated for its ability to minimize the incidence of carcinoid crises during neuroendocrine tumor (NET) cytoreductive surgeries.

Design: A retrospective study was approved by the institutional review boards at Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.

Setting: Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner operating room and multispecialty NET clinic.

Case report: intracranial placement of a nasotracheal tube in a patient with Goldenhar syndrome associated with cribriform plate agenesis.

We describe a case of inadvertent intracranial placement of a nasotracheal tube in a patient with an undiagnosed major congenital cranial anomaly (a variant of Goldenhar syndrome, which included absence of the cribriform plate). We believe that this is the first reported case in which this complication arose as a result of a congenital abnormality rather than traumatic or iatrogenic disruption of the skull base. We conclude that patients with known craniofacial abnormalities or associated syndromes scheduled for procedures involving planned nasotracheal intubation or nasogastric tube placement should undergo preoperative cranial imaging studies to verify an intact skull base.

Non-invasive cryolipolysis for subcutaneous fat reduction does not affect serum lipid levels or liver function tests.

Background And Objective: Cryolipolysis provides a method of non-invasive fat reduction that significantly reduces subcutaneous fat without injury to adjacent tissues. Preliminary animal and human data have suggested that cryolipolysis has no effect on serum lipid profiles or liver tests. This study was intended to more fully document any effect of this procedure on lipid and liver-related blood tests.

Circumferential adjustment of ultrasound probe position to determine the optimal approach to the internal jugular vein: a noninvasive geometric study in adults.

Circumferential adjustment of the position of a two-dimensional ultrasound (US) probe around the neck has been recommended as a strategy for reducing the potential for unintentional common carotid artery puncture during internal jugular venous (IJV) cannulation. We obtained multiple high-resolution US images bilaterally from the necks of 107 adult subjects and analyzed these to determine the degree to which this strategy permits identification of a pathway from the skin to the IJV that minimizes venoarterial overlap while maximizing venous target (angular) width. The method consistently permitted identification of an approach to the IJV superior to that obtainable with any one of four popular surface anatomy-based ("blind") approaches and was even more powerful if used in concert with a US-guided 1) adjustment of the degree of head rotation, 2) choice between a high and low approach, and 3) choice between the right and left IJV.

Ultrasound-guided internal jugular venous cannulation: an introduction for non-radiologists to a technique that is here to stay.

The availability of relatively low-cost, portable ultrasound units has increased interest among non-radiologists in performing image-guided central venous cannulation, especially in high-risk patients. The essential elements of this relatively simple method of increasing the success and safety of internal jugular cannulation are presented.