Publications by authors named "Xiao-ai Zhang"

Toscana virus (TOSV), a member of the genus transmitted by sandflies, is acknowledged for its capacity to cause neurological infections and is widely distributed across Mediterranean countries. The potential geographic distribution and risk to the human population remained obscure due to its neglected nature. We searched PubMed and Web of Science for articles published between 1 January 1971 and 30 June 2023 to extract data on TOSV detection in vectors, vertebrates and humans, clinical information of human patients, as well as the occurrence of two identified sandfly vectors for TOSV.

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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease with a high fatality rate. The clinical diagnosis criteria mainly rely on white blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT), which, however, are of limited usage in identifying atypical SFTS. A multicenter study was performed in two hospitals from 2011 to 2023.

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  • Fusarium mycotoxins, including Fusaric acid (FA) and others, are prevalent global contaminants that pose serious health risks.
  • CRISPR screening identified Malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) and Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunit beta (PDHB) as critical genes related to FA-induced cell death, particularly through their involvement in mitochondrial functions.
  • MDH2 was found to play a vital role in regulating the toxicity of various Fusarium toxins, suggesting potential targets for treatment strategies against their harmful effects.
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  • In June 2019, a patient in Inner Mongolia developed severe symptoms after a tick bite, leading to the discovery of a new virus named Wetland virus (WELV) through advanced genetic testing.
  • Active surveillance identified 17 cases of WELV infection across multiple regions in China, with patients exhibiting a range of nonspecific symptoms and laboratory abnormalities.
  • WELV was isolated from various ticks and animals, and studies showed that it can cause serious illness in mice, indicating a potential tick vector for the virus.
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Shrews being insectivores, serve as natural reservoirs for a wide array of zoonotic viruses, including the recently discovered Langya henipavirus (LayV) in China in 2018. It is crucial to understand the shrew-associated virome, viral diversity, and new viruses. In the current study, we conducted high-throughput sequencing on lung samples obtained from 398 shrews captured along the eastern coast of China, and characterized the high-depth virome of 6 common shrew species (Anourosorex squamipes, Crocidura lasiura, Crocidura shantungensis, Crocidura tanakae, Sorex caecutiens, and Suncus murinus).

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Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging viral hemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates. The blockade of pro-inflammatory cytokines presents a promising therapeutic strategy.

Methods: We conducted a randomized clinical trial at the 154th hospital, Xinyang, Henan Province.

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Background: A viral infection can modify the risk to subsequent viral infections via cross-protective immunity, increased immunopathology, or disease-driven behavioral change. There is limited understanding of virus-virus interactions due to lack of long-term population-level data.

Methods: Our study leverages passive surveillance data of 10 human acute respiratory viruses from Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai collected during 2009 to 2019: influenza A and B viruses; respiratory syncytial virus A and B; human parainfluenza virus (HPIV), adenovirus, metapneumovirus (HMPV), coronavirus, bocavirus (HBoV), and rhinovirus (HRV).

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Introduction: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) are major intestinal coronaviruses that cause vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and mortality in piglets. These viruses coexist and lead to significant economic losses in the swine industry. Virus-like particles (VLPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional inactivated vaccines due to their exceptional safety, efficacy, and ability to provide multi-disease protection with a single dose.

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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease with increasing incidence and geographic extent. The extent to which global climate change affects the incidence of SFTS disease remains obscure. We use an integrated multi-model, multi-scenario framework to assess the impact of global climate change on SFTS disease in China.

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Background: Optimal treatment strategy for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) remained unknown. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on SFTS.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on medical records of the laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients hospitalized during 2010-2020 in the 154th hospital, China.

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Pneumonia complicated by preterm birth is related to adverse clinical sequelae from the neonatal period to childhood. Children with pneumonia during 2009-2021 were enrolled at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Altogether 20 respiratory pathogens were detected and compared.

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  • Acute diarrhea with fever may indicate a more severe condition, and this study aimed to analyze the characteristics and pathogens involved in febrile diarrhea across different age groups in China between 2011 and 2020.
  • A nationwide survey of 146,296 acute diarrhea patients showed that 18.6% had fever, with the highest incidence (24.2%) in children under 5, who also had a greater prevalence of viral pathogens.
  • The study found notable differences in pathogen associations with fever, revealing that nontyphoidal Salmonella was more common in febrile patients across all ages, while rotavirus A and diarrheagenic E. coli were more strongly linked to fever in specific age groups.
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Objectives: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus with a high pathogenicity. Little is known about the longitudinal dynamics of the SFTSV-specific neutralizing antibody (NAb) and the related factors in patients with SFTS.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of patients with laboratory-confirmed SFTS were conducted.

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Background: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is associated with a substantial number of hospitalisations and deaths worldwide. Infection or co-infection patterns, along with their age dependence and clinical effects are poorly understood. We aimed to explore the causal and epidemiological characteristics by age, to better describe patterns of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and their association with severe disease.

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Objectives: To determine whether glucocorticoids can improve clinical outcomes of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) patients, and how to identify patients who may benefit from the treatment.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed to include patients with confirmed SFTS from designated hospitals. The effect of glucocorticoids in reducing case fatality rate (CFR) and improving clinical recovery was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression models.

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  • Human adenovirus (HAdV) causes significant acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) and is responsible for outbreaks in China, though the prevalence and specific types involved are not well understood.
  • A systematic review of literature from 2009 to 2020 identified 950 relevant articles, revealing a disparity between prevalent HAdV types in hospital surveillance and those seen in outbreak situations.
  • The analysis found that while HAdV-3 and HAdV-7 are commonly detected in hospitals, HAdV-7 led most outbreaks, especially in military and school settings, with varying clinical outcomes influenced by the virus type and patient age, particularly affecting young children who experience worse outcomes, like pneumonia, from HAdV-
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  • - The study examines how globalization has increased the movement of people and consequently altered the spread of diseases among foreign travelers in China, focusing on the types and characteristics of imported infections.
  • - Data from 2014 to 2018 revealed that over 17,000 travelers were diagnosed with 58 different infectious diseases, with respiratory infections like influenza and blood/sex-transmitted diseases like Hepatitis B and HIV being the most common.
  • - Findings highlight that Asia and Europe contribute the most cases, and Africa has the highest incidence rate. Specific seasonal patterns for vector-borne diseases were identified, indicating the need for targeted health measures.
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  • The Karimabad virus (KARV) is a mosquito-borne virus primarily found in the Mediterranean region that can infect humans through sandflies, with notable detection in certain countries of Africa and Asia.
  • A study in Xinjiang, China, used next-generation sequencing to identify a complete KARV sequence from local wild small animals, with only 2.29% of captured mammals testing positive for the virus.
  • The findings reveal a new potential host for KARV in China and suggest implications for zoonotic transmission, expanding the knowledge of its geographical presence and genetic diversity.
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Objectives: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease with a high case fatality rate. Key gaps remained as to the assessment of the clinical picture in fatal cases.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 496 patients with fatal SFTS.

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  • * Three species of RF were identified, including one that can affect humans, with the most common species found in ticks being the one responsible for human infections.
  • * The presence of multiple RF species in a single tick species suggests a significant risk, indicating a wide distribution and variety of RF in China that could threaten public health.
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  • COVID-19 continues to be a significant global health issue, with a study analyzing the metabolic profiles of 56 patients from Sierra Leone to understand the links between metabolites and disease severity.
  • Among 596 metabolites, 58 showed notable differences between severe and nonsevere cases, with glutamine and glutamate metabolism identified as critical pathways.
  • Elevated levels of glutamate are linked to increased risk of COVID-19 and severe outcomes, while higher glutamine levels might reduce these risks, suggesting these metabolites could be potential targets for future treatments.
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  • Ticks are significant carriers of zoonotic pathogens that impact both animals and humans, with most studies focused on disease-causing microorganisms.
  • The research compiled a comprehensive dataset of 4,418 records from 76 studies, analyzing the microbiome in field-collected ticks through next-generation sequencing (NGS).
  • This dataset identifies 83 emerging viruses from 24 tick species, allowing for comparisons based on tick species, life stages, specimen types, and geographic locations, which can inform future studies on tick-borne diseases.
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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease with a high case fatality rate. Few studies have been performed on bacterial or fungal coinfections or the effect of antibiotic therapy. A retrospective, observational study was performed to assess the prevalence of bacterial and fungal coinfections in patients hospitalized for SFTSV infection.

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