Seasonality and Co-Detection of Respiratory Viral Infections Among Hospitalised Patients Admitted With Acute Respiratory Illness-Valencia Region, Spain, 2010-2021.

Background: Respiratory viruses are known to represent a high burden in winter, yet the seasonality of many viruses remains poorly understood. Better knowledge of co-circulation and interaction between viruses is critical to prevention and management. We use > 10-year active surveillance in the Valencia Region to assess seasonality and co-circulation.

Enterovirus D68 disease burden and epidemiology in hospital-admitted influenza-like illness, Valencia region of Spain, 2014-2020 influenza seasons.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is an emerging agent for which data on the susceptible adult population is scarce. We performed a 6-year analysis of respiratory samples from influenza-like illness (ILI) admitted during 2014-2020 in 4-10 hospitals in the Valencia Region, Spain. EV-D68 was identified in 68 (3.

Air quality of health facilities in Spain.

The present study examines indoor air pollution in health facilities, focusing on compounds from various sources, such as industrial products, healthcare activities and building materials. It assesses chemical and microbiological concentrations in two public hospitals, two public healthcare centres, and one public health laboratory in Spain. Measurements included indoor air quality, microbiological contaminants, ambient parameters and non-target analysis across ten different locations.

Indoor Air Quality and Bioaerosols in Spanish University Classrooms.

A comprehensive study assessed indoor air quality parameters, focusing on relevant air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM and PM), gaseous compounds (CO, CO, formaldehyde, NO) and volatile/semi-volatile organic chemicals, as well as respiratory viruses (including SARS-CoV-2), fungi and bacteria in Spanish university classrooms. Non-target screening strategies evaluated the presence of organic pollutants inside and outside the classrooms. Saliva samples from teachers and students were collected to explore correlations between respiratory viruses in the air and biological samples.

Hybrid capture shotgun sequencing detected unexpected viruses in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with acute meningitis and encephalitis.

Purpose: Investigation of undiagnosed cases of infectious neurological diseases, especially in the paediatric population, remains a challenge. This study aimed to enhance understanding of viruses in CSF from children with clinically diagnosed meningitis and/or encephalitis (M/ME) of unknown aetiology using shotgun sequencing enhanced by hybrid capture (HCSS).

Methods: A single-centre prospective study was conducted at Sant Joan de Déu University Hospital, Barcelona, involving 40 M/ME episodes of unknown aetiology, recruited from May 2021 to July 2022.

Development of Photonic Multi-Sensing Systems Based on Molecular Gates Biorecognition and Plasmonic Sensors: The PHOTONGATE Project.

This paper presents the concept of a novel adaptable sensing solution currently being developed under the EU Commission-founded PHOTONGATE project. This concept will allow for the quantification of multiple analytes of the same or different nature (chemicals, metals, bacteria, etc.) in a single test with levels of sensitivity and selectivity at/or over those offered by current solutions.

effect of mouthwashes on viable viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva: a pilot study.

Current data on the efficacy of antiseptic mouthwashes to reduce viral load are contradictory. Firstly, data indicate very strong virucidal effects that are not replicated in clinical studies. Secondly, most clinical studies identify a limited effect, do not include a control/placebo group, or do not evaluate viral viability in an infection model.

Clinical evaluation of antiseptic mouth rinses to reduce salivary load of SARS-CoV-2.

Most public health measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic are based on preventing the pathogen spread, and the use of oral antiseptics has been proposed as a strategy to reduce transmission risk. The aim of this manuscript is to test the efficacy of mouthwashes to reduce salivary viral load in vivo. This is a multi-centre, blinded, parallel-group, placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial that tests the effect of four mouthwashes (cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and hydrogen peroxide) in SARS-CoV-2 salivary load measured by qPCR at baseline and 30, 60 and 120 min after the mouthrinse.

Cytomegalovirus specific polyfunctional T-cell responses expressing CD107a predict control of CMV infection after liver transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load after liver transplantation (LT) is controlled by cell mediated immune responses (CMI). Quantification of CMV-specific T-cells may identify patients who control CMV spontaneously and avoid expensive and potentially toxic antiviral therapies. Prospective post-LT clinical, virological and immunological monitoring was carried out up to 1-year post-LT in a cohort of adult recipients.

Indoor Air Quality including Respiratory Viruses.

The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments is a cause of increasing concern. In this study, three sampling methodologies have been used in order to collect SARS-CoV-2 and 17 other respiratory viruses in indoor air, combined with a new analytical process to analyze respiratory viruses. Different areas of an ophthalmological hospital were investigated for the presence of these airborne viruses.

Role of age and birth month in infants hospitalized with RSV-confirmed disease in the Valencia Region, Spain.

Background: RSV is the leading cause of hospital admissions in infants and the principal cause of bronchiolitis in young children. There is a lack of granular data on RSV-associated hospitalization per season using laboratory confirmed results. Our current study addresses this issue and intends to fill this gap.

Re-emergence of enterovirus D68 in Europe after easing the COVID-19 lockdown, September 2021.

We report a rapid increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infections, with 139 cases reported from eight European countries between 31 July and 14 October 2021. This upsurge is in line with the seasonality of EV-D68 and was presumably stimulated by the widespread reopening after COVID-19 lockdown. Most cases were identified in September, but more are to be expected in the coming months.

Retrospective screening for SARS-CoV-2 among influenza-like illness hospitalizations: 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, Valencia region, Spain.

On 9 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Influenza Programme (GIP) asked participant sites on the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) to contribute to data collection concerning severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We re-analysed 5833 viral RNA archived samples collected prospectively from hospital admissions for influenza-like illness (ILI) in the Valencia Region of Spain by the Valencia Hospital Surveillance Network for the Study of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses (VAHNSI) network (four hospitals, catchment area population 1 118 732) during the pre-pandemic 2018/2019 (n = 4010) and pandemic 2019/2020 (n = 1823) influenza seasons for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. We did not find evidence for community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospital admissions for ILI in our region before early March 2020.

Recommendations for the introduction of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in clinical virology, part II: bioinformatic analysis and reporting.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an untargeted technique for determination of microbial DNA/RNA sequences in a variety of sample types from patients with infectious syndromes. mNGS is still in its early stages of broader translation into clinical applications. To further support the development, implementation, optimization and standardization of mNGS procedures for virus diagnostics, the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) Network on Next-Generation Sequencing (ENNGS) has been established.

Whole-Genome Analysis Surveillance of Influenza A Virus Resistance to Polymerase Complex Inhibitors in Eastern Spain from 2016 to 2019.

Molecular surveillance by whole-genome sequencing was used to monitor the susceptibility of circulating influenza A viruses to three polymerase complex inhibitors. A total of 12 resistance substitutions were found among 285 genomes analyzed, but none were associated with high levels of resistance. Natural resistance to these influenza A antivirals is currently uncommon.

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness and Waning Effect in Hospitalized Older Adults. Valencia Region, Spain, 2018/2019 Season.

Influenza vaccination is annually recommended for specific populations at risk, such as older adults. We estimated the 2018/2019 influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) overall, by influenza subtype, type of vaccine, and by time elapsed since vaccination among subjects 65 years old or over in a multicenter prospective study in the Valencia Hospital Surveillance Network for the Study of Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses (VAHNSI, Spain). Information about potential confounders was obtained from clinical registries and/or by interviewing patients and vaccination details were only ascertained by registries.

Recommendations for the introduction of metagenomic high-throughput sequencing in clinical virology, part I: Wet lab procedure.

Metagenomic high-throughput sequencing (mHTS) is a hypothesis-free, universal pathogen detection technique for determination of the DNA/RNA sequences in a variety of sample types and infectious syndromes. mHTS is still in its early stages of translating into clinical application. To support the development, implementation and standardization of mHTS procedures for virus diagnostics, the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) Network on Next-Generation Sequencing (ENNGS) has been established.

A population-based screening for hepatitis C antibodies and active infection using a point-of-care test in a low prevalence area.

Background: Data on the true prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population is essential. We evaluated a program implementing free universal HCV screening using a non-invasive point-of-care test (POCT) (OraQuick-HCV rapid test) in oral fluid in an urban area in Valencia, South-Eastern Spain.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed during 2015-2017.