Deep RNA sequencing of muscle tissue reveals absence of viral signatures in dermatomyositis.

: To explore a possible connection between active viral infections and manifestation of dermatomyositis (DM). Skeletal muscle biopsies were analyzed from patients diagnosed with juvenile (n=10) and adult (n=12) DM. Adult DM patients harbored autoantibodies against either TIF-1γ (n=7) or MDA5 (n=5).

Hepatitis E virus is highly resistant to alcohol-based disinfectants.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide and is mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral route or through consumption of contaminated food products. Due to the lack of efficient cell culture systems for the propagation of HEV, limited data regarding its sensitivity to chemical disinfectants are available. Consequently, preventive and evidence-based hygienic guidelines on HEV disinfection are lacking.

Structural basis of DNA methylation-dependent site selectivity of the Epstein-Barr virus lytic switch protein ZEBRA/Zta/BZLF1.

In infected cells, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) alternates between latency and lytic replication. The viral bZIP transcription factor ZEBRA (Zta, BZLF1) regulates this cycle by binding to two classes of ZEBRA response elements (ZREs): CpG-free motifs resembling the consensus AP-1 site recognized by cellular bZIP proteins and CpG-containing motifs that are selectively bound by ZEBRA upon cytosine methylation. We report structural and mutational analysis of ZEBRA bound to a CpG-methylated ZRE (meZRE) from a viral lytic promoter.

Risk Factors for Primary Infection; Results From the Observational Study of Risk Factors for Infection in Hospitalized Patients With Infective Diarrhea (ORCHID).

There are inconsistent data on the risk factors for infection (CDI) in the literature. To use two infection (CDI) case-control study groups to compare risk factors in hospitalized patients with diarrhea across different countries. A multi-center group of CDI cases/controls were identified by standardized testing from seven countries from the prior EUropean, multi-center, prospective bi-annual point prevalence study of Infection in hospitalized patients with Diarrhea (EUCLID).

Development of a fully automated high throughput PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2: The need for speed.

Currently, testing for coronavirus is performed with time and personnel consuming PCR assays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and capacity of a fully automated, random access high-throughput real-time PCR-based diagnostic platform for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The system displayed an equal or better detection rate for SARS-CoV-2 compared with the system and showed a specificity of 100%.

Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR.

Background: The ongoing outbreak of the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) poses a challenge for public health laboratories as virus isolates are unavailable while there is growing evidence that the outbreak is more widespread than initially thought, and international spread through travellers does already occur.

Aim: We aimed to develop and deploy robust diagnostic methodology for use in public health laboratory settings without having virus material available.

Methods: Here we present a validated diagnostic workflow for 2019-nCoV, its design relying on close genetic relatedness of 2019-nCoV with SARS coronavirus, making use of synthetic nucleic acid technology.

Guidance document for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection in acute healthcare settings.

Scope: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most important infective cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea in high income countries and one of the most important healthcare-associated pathogens in both Europe and the United States. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality resulting in both societal and financial burden. A significant proportion of this burden is potentially preventable by a combination of targeted infection prevention and control measures and antimicrobial stewardship.