On the origin and evolution of RNA editing in metazoans.

Extensive adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing of nuclear-transcribed mRNAs is the hallmark of metazoan transcriptional regulation. Here, by profiling the RNA editomes of 22 species that cover major groups of Holozoa, we provide substantial evidence supporting A-to-I mRNA editing as a regulatory innovation originating in the last common ancestor of extant metazoans. This ancient biochemistry process is preserved in most extant metazoan phyla and primarily targets endogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) formed by evolutionarily young repeats.

Screening for parasites in migrant children.

Background: Globalization has pushed population movements in the last decades, turning imported diseases into the focus. Due to behavioral habits, children are at higher risk of acquiring parasitosis. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of parasites in migrant children and factors associated with parasitic diseases.

Eosinophilia in Migrant Children: How Should We Proceed?

Background: The diagnostic approach to eosinophilia is complex, given the numerous reported etiologies. Intestinal parasites (especially helminths) are a concern in children from high-burden settings. We describe the diagnostic approach and clinical management of eosinophilia in a cohort of migrant children.

Validation and implementation of a direct RT-qPCR method for rapid screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection by using non-invasive saliva samples.

Objective: To validate and implement an optimized screening method for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA combining use of self-collected raw saliva samples, single-step heat-treated virus inactivation and RNA extraction, and direct RT-qPCR.

Methods: This was a three-phase study conducted in Barcelona (Spain) during June to October, 2020. The three phases were (1) analytical validation against standard RT-qPCR in saliva samples; (2) diagnostic validation against standard RT-qPCR using paired saliva-nasopharyngeal samples obtained from asymptomatic teenagers and adults in a sports academy; and (3) pilot screening of asymptomatic health workers in a tertiary hospital.

Imported Mansonella perstans infection in Spain.

Background: Mansonella perstans infection can be considered one of the most neglected tropical infectious diseases. Very few studies have reported on the clinical picture caused by infection with this nematode. Therefore, our study was aimed to describe the clinical patterns and treatment of imported M.

Loiasis in sub-Saharan migrants living in Spain with emphasis of cases from Equatorial Guinea.

Background: Loiasis is an uncommon and poorly understood parasitic disease outside endemic areas of Africa. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and biological patterns and treatment of imported loiasis by sub-Saharan migrants diagnosed in Madrid, Spain.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with sub-Saharan immigrants seen at the Tropical Medicine Unit of the Carlos III Hospital in Madrid, Spain, a reference center, over 19 years.

Dermatological manifestations in onchocerciasis: A retrospective study of 400 imported cases.

Introduction: Onchocerciasis is caused by Onchocerca volvulus and mainly leads to pruritus and skin and visual disorders, including blindness. Seventeen million people are infected in 38 countries; 31 of these are in sub-Saharan Africa, six in Latin America and one on the Arabian Peninsula. More than 99% of cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa where 120 million people are at risk of infection.

Imported Dengue Infection in a Spanish Hospital with a High Proportion of Travelers from Africa: A 9-Year Retrospective Study.

Epidemiological data on dengue in Africa are still scarce. We investigated imported dengue infection among travelers with a high proportion of subjects from Africa over a 9-year period. From January 2005 to December 2013, blood samples from travelers with clinical suspicion of dengue were analyzed.

[Microbiological diagnosis of imported malaria].

Current diagnosis of malaria is based on the combined and sequential use of rapid antigen detection tests (RDT) of Plasmodium and subsequent visualization of the parasite stained with Giemsa solution in a thin and thick blood smears. If an expert microscopist is not available, should always be a sensitive RDT to rule out infection by Plasmodium falciparum, output the result immediately and prepare thick smears (air dried) and thin extensions (fixed with methanol) for subsequent staining and review by an expert microscopist. The RDT should be used as an initial screening test, but should not replace microscopy techniques, which should be done in parallel.

Performance of a new gelled nested PCR test for the diagnosis of imported malaria: comparison with microscopy, rapid diagnostic test, and real-time PCR.

Microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are the techniques commonly used for malaria diagnosis but they are usually insensitive at very low levels of parasitemia. Nested PCR is commonly used as a reference technique in the diagnosis of malaria due to its high sensitivity and specificity. However, it is a cumbersome assay only available in reference centers.

Is there interference in the interpretation of the tuberculin skin test in children with intestinal parasitic infestation?

Background: Infestation by intestinal parasites could be a cause of a false-negative tuberculin skin test (TST) result.

Objective: To evaluate TST results in a population of immigrants and internationally adopted children and to analyze whether intestinal parasitic infestation may modify or not TST results.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study which includes adopted children or immigrants evaluated in our hospital between January 2003 and December 2008.

Imported submicroscopic malaria in Madrid.

Background: Submicroscopic malaria (SMM) can be defined as low-density infections of Plasmodium that are unlikely to be detected by conventional microscopy. Such submicroscopic infections only occasionally cause acute disease, but they are capable of infecting mosquitoes and contributing to transmission. This entity is frequent in endemic countries; however, little is known about imported SMM.

[Imported malaria and HIV infection in Madrid. Clinical and epidemiological features].

Introduction: Few data are available in Spain data on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients coinfected with malaria. This study has aimed to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of imported malaria in patients coinfected with HIV.

Patients And Methods: A case-series retrospective study was performed using the patient's medical records.

[Imported malaria in adults. Clinical, epidemiological and analytical features].

Introduction: Up to now, the epidemiological and clinical features of imported malaria in Spain have been described in small series from general hospitals. Almost all diagnosis had been made based on symptomatic patients. The aim of this study has been to determine the epidemiological, clinical and laboratorial characteristics of imported malaria in a Reference Unit for Tropical Diseases.

[Assessment of two commercially available immunochromatographic assays for a rapid diagnosis of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in human fecal specimens].

Introduction: To assess and compare the performance of two immunochromatographic tests for the simultaneous detection of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in faeces.

Materials And Methods: In this study 254 faeces samples were tested using the two immunochromatography strips Cryto-Giardia (CerTest Biotec) and Stick Crypto-Giardia (Operon).

Application of real-time PCR for the differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar in cyst-positive faecal samples from 130 immigrants living in Spain.

In an effort to improve the diagnosis of intestinal amoebiasis, a real-time PCR has been used for the detection and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar infections in African or South American immigrants who live in Spain. Faecal samples from all of the 130 subjects had apparently been found to contain E.

[Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak in travelers to Cuba].

Initially described in travelers, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis were soon linked to imported food products. An outbreak of cyclosporiasis in Spanish travelers is described. After identification of Cyclospora cayetanensis in stool analyses, a specific questionnaire was completed.

Cyclosporiasis: a point source outbreak acquired in Guatemala.

Background: Cyclosporiasis is a disease due to Cyclospora cayetanensis, an emerging coccidian parasite first described in 1979. It is an orally transmitted disease that is more frequent in tropical and subtropical areas. Cyclospora cayetanensis has been mainly described as a cause of travelers' diarrhea.

Sensitivity of laser light depolarization analysis for detection of malaria in blood samples.

Automated light depolarization analysis could be a useful tool for diagnosing malarial infections. This work discusses the results of a diagnostic efficacy study on 411 samples from patients with suspected malaria infection performed with a Cell-Dyn 4000 analyser. Light dispersed at 90 degrees and depolarized can be used for identifying and counting eosinophils.

Abnormal depolarizing patterns in three patients with filarial infection.

Several authors have described a particular potential of automated depolarization analysis in detecting malaria infection as part of the routine full blood count (FBC) performed by the Cell-Dyn 4000 analyzer. In these cases, abnormal depolarizing patterns are due to the presence of leukocyte-associated malaria hemozoin, a pigment which depolarizes the laser light. In this report we describe samples from three individual patients who did not have malaria infection but showed abnormal depolarizing events.

Climate strength: a new direction for climate research.

Climate strength was conceptualized within D. Chan's (1998) discussion of compositional models and the concept of culture strength from the organizational culture literature. Climate strength was operationalized in terms of within-group variability in climate perceptions-the less within-group variability, the stronger the climate.

Limited level of accuracy provided by available rapid diagnosis tests for malaria enhances the need for PCR-based reference laboratories.

The rise of imported malaria cases and the high fatality rate in Europe make the search for new and easy diagnostic methods necessary. Rapid diagnosis tests (RDTs) are, in part, developed to cover the lack of diagnosis experience. Unfortunately, our data suggest that the accuracy of RDTs is insufficient and could increase the number of incorrect malaria diagnoses.