Phylogenetic Characterisation of the Full Genome of a Bagaza Virus Isolate from Bird Fatalities in South Africa.

Bagaza virus (BAGV), a member of the Ntaya serogroup in the genus of the , was isolated from the brain tissue of a Himalayan monal pheasant that died following neurological signs in Pretoria, South Africa in 2016. Next-generation sequencing was carried out on this isolate resulting in a genome sequence of 10980nt. The full genome sequence of this isolate, designated ZRU96-16, shared 98% nucleotide identity with a BAGV isolate found in mosquitoes from Namibia and 97% nucleotide identity with a Spanish BAGV sequence isolated from an infected partridge.

A duplex droplet digital PCR assay for Salmonella and Shigella and its application in diarrheal and non-diarrheal samples.

Objectives: To evaluate a duplex droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay targeting Salmonella fimY and Shigella ipaH genes.

Methods: The linear range, precision, analytical sensitivity, and analytical specificity of the ddPCR assay were analyzed. The ddPCR assay was compared with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) using 362 stool samples from 187 children with mild diarrhea and 175 children without diarrhea.

[Survey of antibody levels of pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus in 495 pregnant women in Nanshan District of 2019, Shenzhen].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the IgG antibody levels of whooping cough, diphtheria, and tetanus in pregnant women in Nanshan District. From January to March 2019, 495 pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria in a hospital in Nanshan District, Shenzhen were selected as the survey subjects. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum levels of pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus IgG antibodies and we compared the differences in antibody levels of pregnant women with different characteristics.

Genomic and molecular characterisation of Escherichia marmotae from wild rodents in Qinghai-Tibet plateau as a potential pathogen.

Wildlife is a reservoir of emerging infectious diseases of humans and domestic animals. Marmota himalayana mainly resides 2800-4000 m above sea level in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and is the primary animal reservoir of plague pathogen Yersinia pestis. Recently we isolated a new species, Escherichia marmotae from the faeces of M.

Assessing Kwa-Zulu-Natal's progress towards malaria elimination and its readiness for sub-national verification.

Background: The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal is rapidly approaching elimination status for malaria with a steady decline in local cases. With the possibility of achieving elimination in reach, the KZN malaria control programme conducted a critical evaluation of its practices and protocols to identify potential challenges and priorities to achieving elimination. Three fundamental questions were addressed: (1) How close is KZN to malaria elimination; (2) Are all systems required to pursue subnational verification of elimination in place; and (3) What priority interventions must be implemented to reduce local cases to zero?

Methods: Based on the 2017 World Health Organization Framework for Elimination, twenty-eight requirements were identified, from which forty-nine indicators to grade elimination progress were further stratified.

Influenza surveillance in Middle East, North, East and South Africa: Report of the 8th MENA Influenza Stakeholders Network.

The Middle-East and Africa Influenza Surveillance Network (MENA-ISN), established in 2014, includes 15 countries at present. Country representatives presented their influenza surveillance programmes, vaccine coverage and influenza control actions achieved, and provided a list of country surveillance/control objectives for the upcoming 3 years. This report details the current situation of influenza surveillance and action plans to move forward in MENA-ISN countries.

Using mHealth to improve tuberculosis case identification and treatment initiation in South Africa: Results from a pilot study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) incidence in South Africa is among the highest globally. Initial loss to follow-up (ILFU), defined as not starting on TB treatment within 28 days of testing positive, is undermining control efforts. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and potential of a mHealth application to reduce ILFU.

Serological evidence of rift valley fever virus among acute febrile patients in Southern Mozambique during and after the 2013 heavy rainfall and flooding: implication for the management of febrile illness.

Background: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) remains heavily neglected in humans in Mozambique, even though recent outbreaks were reported in neighboring countries in humans and several cases of RVFV in cattle were reported in several districts in Mozambique.

Findings: We conducted a cross sectional study during and after severe flooding that occurred in 2013 in Mozambique. Paired acute and convalescent serum samples were tested from febrile patients attending a primary health care unit in a suburban area of Maputo city for the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies against Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Clinical and Epidemiological Characterization of the First Recognized Outbreak of Dengue Virus-Type 2 in Mozambique, 2014.

Since the first reported epidemic of dengue in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province, in 1984-1985, no further cases have been reported in Mozambique. In March 2014, the Provincial Health Directorate of Cabo Delgado reported a suspected dengue outbreak in Pemba, associated with a recent increase in the frequency of patients with nonmalarial febrile illness. An investigation conducted between March and June detected a total of 193 clinically suspected dengue patients in Pemba and Nampula, the capital of neighboring Nampula Province.

Distribution and molecular characteristics of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor isolates recovered in Guangdong Province, China, 1961-2013.

China's Guangdong Province is located along the same latitude as Kolkata, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh, and is also considered a source of epidemic cholera. However, molecular description and the genetic relationships between Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor isolates in Guangdong remain unclear. In this study, 381 clinical V.

Seroprevalence of Lyme disease and associated risk factors in rural population of Beijing.

A seroepidemiological survey of 801 local residents from 28 villages was conducted to assess the seroprevalence of Lyme disease and to identify the risk factors of becoming seropositive for Lyme disease in the northern suburb of Beijing. Forty-one serum samples were positive for IgG against B burgdorferi and the seroprevalence was 5.1% (41/801), indicating that Lyme disease is endemic in the rural population.

Clinical features and patient management of Lujo hemorrhagic fever.

Background: In 2008 a nosocomial outbreak of five cases of viral hemorrhagic fever due to a novel arenavirus, Lujo virus, occurred in Johannesburg, South Africa. Lujo virus is only the second pathogenic arenavirus, after Lassa virus, to be recognized in Africa and the first in over 40 years. Because of the remote, resource-poor, and often politically unstable regions where Lassa fever and other viral hemorrhagic fevers typically occur, there have been few opportunities to undertake in-depth study of their clinical manifestations, transmission dynamics, pathogenesis, or response to treatment options typically available in industrialized countries.

Lyme Borreliosis-associated Risk Factors in Residents of Beijing Suburbs: a Preliminary Case-control Study.

A population-based case-control study was conducted to evaluate the relative factors in the environments, agricultural works, outdoor activities, and the effectiveness of Lyme borreliosis (LB)- associated personal protective measures in Beijing. Thirty-four cases and 272 controls were personally interviewed by well-trained interviewers. Venous blood samples were taken from each subject.

[Etiologic characteristics of Vibrio cholerae in Guangdong province in 2009-2013].

Objective: To analyze the etiologic characteristics of O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae in Guangdong province in 2009-2013.

Methods: Isolates from cholera cases and from the environment surveillance points were investigated by serological typing, antibiotic susceptibility testings, toxic genes detection and molecular typing to analyze the similarities and differences of the identified species.

Results: Totally, 190 isolations of O1/O139 V.

[Development of both multiple PCR and real-time SYBR green PCR for the detection of Vibrio cholerae non-O1/O139 serogroups].

Objective: To develop methodology of both multiple PCR and real-time SYBR green PCR for the detection of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) serogroups non-O1 and non-O139.

Methods: The outer membrane protein gene (ompW) specific for V.

Rapid, simple and sensitive detection of Q fever by loop-mediated isothermal amplification of the htpAB gene.

Background: Q fever is the most widespread zoonosis, and domestic animals are the most common sources of transmission. It is not only difficult to distinguish from other febrile diseases because of the lack of specific clinical manifestations in humans, but it is also difficult to identify the disease in C. burnetii-carrying animals because of the lack of identifiable features.

Studies on the arginase, 5'-nucleotidase and lysozyme activity by monocytes from visceral leishmaniasis patients.

Intracellular pathogenic protozoan infection like visceral leishmaniasis is considered in terms of the overall inflammatory response and the complex cellular interactions leading to formation of the activated macrophage. Analysis of the development of activation is facilitated when operationally defined stage of activation are characterized using a library of objective markers. There is a role of arginase in the immune response supporting its involvement in macrophage effector mechanism in vitro and in vivo.

Rapid, simple, and sensitive detection of the ompB gene of spotted fever group rickettsiae by loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Background: Spotted fever caused spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) is prevalent throughout China. In this study, we describe a rapid, simple, and sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the ompB gene of spotted fever group rickettsiae ideal for application in China. The LAMP assay has the potential to detect spotted fever group rickettsiae early in infection and could therefore serve as an alternative to existing methods.

[Study on the single nucleotide polymorphism in capsule plasmid gene of Bacillus anthracis in the China isolates].

Objective: To study the characteristic of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in capsule plasmid gene of Bacillus anthracis isolated from China.

Methods: 95 Bacillus anthracis isolates from different sources were selected. 23 SNP sites were amplified by PCR method, sequenced and analyzed by clustering analysis.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in domestic animals in ten provinces/cities of China.

A nationwide epidemiologic investigation of domestic animal infections has been conducted in nine provinces and one city during 2007-2010. Serum samples from a total of 707 goats, 433 cattle, and 219 dogs were collected for detecting Anaplasma phagocytophilum IgG antibody by immunofluorescence assays and the average seroprevalences were 10.05% for dogs, 3.

Expression and immunogenicity of recombinant immunoreactive surface protein 2 of Anaplasma phagocytophilum.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease throughout the world. The first HGA cases in China were documented in 2008, and the greatest challenge posed by the disease is rapid and accurate diagnosis during the acute phage of illness. In this study, we successfully cloned and expressed an A.

Serological investigation of vector-borne disease in dogs from rural areas of China.

Objective: To evaluate the Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum), Ehrlichia canis (E. canis), Dirofilaria immitis (D.

Spotted fever group Rickettsia in Yunnan Province, China.

Information about spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in southern China remains sparse. A specific and sensitive real-time PCR assay for detection of SFG rickettsiae was established and used to detect the prevalence rate of SFG rickettsiae in Yunnan Province, China. The limit of detection (LOD) of our real-time PCR was 200 copies per reaction, which is more sensitive than the previously developed nested PCR assays for Rickettsia.