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Journal of Water and Health Apr 2024The measurement of the enterovirus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in sewage water is relevant in the early detection of the...
The measurement of the enterovirus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in sewage water is relevant in the early detection of the introduction or disappearance of these viruses in the ecosystem. We evaluated the co-circulation of the enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2 in 81 sewage water samples collected between September 2021 and April 2023 from different regions of north and southeast Romania, at the border with Ukraine. We used, for the molecular detection of the pathogens, the multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay produced for respiratory samples and the Respiratory 2.1 Plus panel Biofire Film array. The isolation of enteroviruses was performed on cell culture lines, in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. By molecular investigations, we detected the SARS-CoV-2 in 22 (27%) samples, and the human rhinovirus/enterovirus in 64 (79%) samples. By isolation on cell culture lines, 27 samples (33,33%) were positive for non-polio enteroviruses, and no poliovirus strains were isolated, proving the maintenance of the polio-free status in Romania. In an emergency situation, the molecular detection of the pathogens in sewage water using a PCR system integrating sample preparation, amplification, detection, and analysis in 1 h could be implemented.
Topics: Humans; Sewage; Enterovirus; SARS-CoV-2; Poliomyelitis; COVID-19; Romania
PubMed: 38678424
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2024.327 -
Vaccines Apr 2024In 2016, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recommended the cessation of using type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and OPV, with countries having to switch...
BACKGROUND
In 2016, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recommended the cessation of using type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and OPV, with countries having to switch from the trivalent to bivalent OPV (bOPV) with the addition of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in their routine immunization schedule. The current GPEI strategy 2022-2026 includes a bOPV cessation plan and a switch to IPV alone or a combination of vaccine schedules in the future. The focus of our study was to evaluate the immunogenicity of monovalent OPV type 1 (mOPV1) with IPV and IPV-only schedules.
METHODS
This was a three-arm, multi-center randomized-controlled trial conducted in 2016-2017 in India. Participants, at birth, were randomly assigned to the bOPV-IPV (Arm A) or mOPV1-IPV (Arm B) or IPV (Arm C) schedules. Serum specimens collected at birth and at 14, 18, and 22 weeks old were analyzed with a standard microneutralization assay for all the three poliovirus serotypes.
RESULTS
The results of 598 participants were analyzed. The type 1 cumulative seroconversion rates four weeks after the completion of the schedule at 18 weeks were 99.5% (97.0-99.9), 100.0% (97.9-100.0), and 96.0% (92.0-98.1) in Arms A (4bOPV + IPV), B (4mOPV1 + IPV), and C (3IPV), respectively. Type 2 and type 3 seroconversions at 18 weeks were 80.0% (73.7-85.1), 76.9% (70.3-82.4); 93.2% (88.5-96.1), 100.0% (98.0-100.0); and 81.9% (75.6-86.8), 99.4% (96.9-99.9), respectively, in the three arms.
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows the high efficacy of different polio vaccines for serotype 1 in all three schedules. The type 1 seroconversion rate of mOPV1 is non-inferior to bOPV. All the vaccines provide high type-specific immunogenicity. The program can adopt the use of different vaccines or schedules depending on the epidemiology from time to time.
PubMed: 38675806
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040424 -
Vaccines Mar 2024Vaccines are an effective tool to reduce the disease burden from infectious diseases on a population, infrastructural, and individual level. Before vaccines can be... (Review)
Review
Vaccines are an effective tool to reduce the disease burden from infectious diseases on a population, infrastructural, and individual level. Before vaccines can be administered to populations at large, they must go through rigorous testing in the form of clinical trials. While vaccine trials can be used to assess the efficacy of interventions on a local populace as well as target local endemic diseases, most clinical trials are sponsored and conducted by companies in high-income countries (HICs). This can lead to vaccines that are not optimized for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and that often neglect to address diseases specific to the local population. This narrative review aims to explore the factors leading to discrepancies in the execution of and access to vaccine trials between HICs and LMICs, thus guiding future efforts in confronting them. This review was written using the literature sourced from the PubMed database and supplemented with articles from Google Scholar along with grey literature. Several themes are highlighted including poorly defined regulatory and ethical guidelines, staff shortages, lack of research infrastructure, and logistical barriers. We discuss how these challenges have affected vaccine development in various capacities through case examples of SARS-CoV-2, poliovirus, and malaria. Many challenges remain in equitable vaccine clinical trial development and implementation. Facilitating the implementation of locally sponsored vaccine clinical trials in LMICs may be one avenue to address these challenges. In doing so, LMICs can become active stakeholders in the health of their citizens by addressing endemic diseases, tailoring vaccine specifications based on local needs, and implementing wide-scale vaccine access and delivery.
PubMed: 38675731
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040348 -
Microorganisms Apr 2024The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the rise of emerging and re-emerging viruses in recent years constitute significant public health problems. Therefore, it...
The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the rise of emerging and re-emerging viruses in recent years constitute significant public health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new antimicrobial strategies to overcome these challenges. Herein, we describe an innovative method to synthesize ligand-free silver nanoparticles by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (PLAL-AgNPs). Thus produced, nanoparticles were characterized by total X-ray fluorescence, zeta potential analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to evaluate the nanoparticles' cytotoxicity. Their potential was evaluated against the enveloped herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and the naked poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) by plaque reduction assays and confirmed by real-time PCR and fluorescence microscopy, showing that nanoparticles interfered with the early stage of infection. Their action was also examined against different bacteria. We observed that the PLAL-AgNPs exerted a strong effect against both methicillin-resistant ( MRSA) and () producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). In detail, the PLAL-AgNPs exhibited a bacteriostatic action against and a bactericidal activity against . Finally, we proved that the PLAL-AgNPs were able to inhibit/degrade the biofilm of and .
PubMed: 38674764
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040820 -
Microorganisms Mar 2024The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a surge in research on microbiology and virology, shedding light on overlooked aspects such as the infection of bacteria by RNA virions...
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a surge in research on microbiology and virology, shedding light on overlooked aspects such as the infection of bacteria by RNA virions in the animal microbiome. Studies reveal a decrease in beneficial gut bacteria during COVID-19, indicating a significant interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the human microbiome. However, determining the origins of the virus remains complex, with observed phenomena such as species jumps adding layers to the narrative. Prokaryotic cells play a crucial role in the disease's pathogenesis and transmission. Analyzing previous studies highlights intricate interactions from clinical manifestations to the use of the nitrogen isotope test. Drawing parallels with the history of the Poliovirus underscores the need to prioritize investigations into prokaryotic cells hosting RNA viruses.
PubMed: 38674588
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040643 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024As the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) strategizes towards the final steps of eradication, routine immunization schedules evolve, and high-quality vaccination... (Review)
Review
As the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) strategizes towards the final steps of eradication, routine immunization schedules evolve, and high-quality vaccination campaigns and surveillance systems remain essential. New tools are consistently being developed, such as the novel oral poliovirus vaccine to combat outbreaks more sustainably, as well as non-infectiously manufactured vaccines such as virus-like particle vaccines to eliminate the risk of resurgence of polio on the eve of a polio-free world. As the GPEI inches towards eradication, re-strategizing in the face of evolving challenges and preparing for unknown risks in the post-certification era are critical.
PubMed: 38668278
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040323 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024A sharp rise in circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks in the years following the cessation of routine use of poliovirus type 2-containing oral... (Review)
Review
A sharp rise in circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks in the years following the cessation of routine use of poliovirus type 2-containing oral polio vaccine and the trend of seeding new emergences with suboptimal vaccination response during the same time-period led to the accelerated development of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), a vaccine with enhanced genetic stability and lower likelihood of reversion to neuroparalytic variants compared to its Sabin counterpart. In November 2020, nOPV2 became the first vaccine to be granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) Prequalification Team (PQT), allowing close to a billion doses to be used by countries within three years after its first rollout and leading to full licensure and WHO prequalification (PQ) in December 2023. The nOPV2 development process exemplifies how scientific advances and innovative tools can be applied to combat global health emergencies in an urgent and adaptive way, building on a collaborative effort among scientific, regulatory and implementation partners and policymakers across the globe.
PubMed: 38668228
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040273 -
Current Medicinal Chemistry 2024Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown unprecedented efficacy in treating many advanced cancers. Although FDA-approved ICIs have shown promising efficacy in... (Review)
Review
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown unprecedented efficacy in treating many advanced cancers. Although FDA-approved ICIs have shown promising efficacy in treating many advanced cancers, their application is greatly limited by the low response rate, immune-related adverse events (irAE), and drug resistance. Developing novel ICIs holds great promise to improve the survival and prognosis of advanced cancer patients. T-Cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is an inhibitory receptor expressed on T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and T regulatory cells. Increasing reports have shown that the disrupting CD155-TIGIT axis could activate the immune system and restore antitumor immune response. This review briefly summarized the role of TIGIT in tumor immune escape and targeting CD155-TIGIT axis drugs in preclinical and clinical trials for cancer immunotherapy.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Immunotherapy; Receptors, Immunologic; Receptors, Virus; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Animals
PubMed: 38666504
DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230324152532 -
PLoS Pathogens Apr 2024Human enteroviruses are the most common human pathogen with over 300 distinct genotypes. Previous work with poliovirus has suggested that it is possible to generate...
Human enteroviruses are the most common human pathogen with over 300 distinct genotypes. Previous work with poliovirus has suggested that it is possible to generate antibody responses in humans and animals that can recognize members of multiple enterovirus species. However, cross protective immunity across multiple enteroviruses is not observed epidemiologically in humans. Here we investigated whether immunization of mice or baboons with inactivated poliovirus or enterovirus virus-like-particles (VLPs) vaccines generates antibody responses that can recognize enterovirus D68 or A71. We found that mice only generated antibodies specific for the antigen they were immunized with, and repeated immunization failed to generate cross-reactive antibody responses as measured by both ELISA and neutralization assay. Immunization of baboons with IPV failed to generate neutralizing antibody responses against enterovirus D68 or A71. These results suggest that a multivalent approach to enterovirus vaccination is necessary to protect against enterovirus disease in vulnerable populations.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Cross Reactions; Antibodies, Viral; Enterovirus Infections; Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Papio; Humans; Poliovirus; Female; Antibody Formation; Enterovirus; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Enterovirus D, Human
PubMed: 38662650
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012159 -
Food and Environmental Virology Apr 2024In Iran, which is at high risk of the Wild Poliovirus (WPV) and Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV) importation due to its neighborhood with two polio endemic countries,...
In Iran, which is at high risk of the Wild Poliovirus (WPV) and Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV) importation due to its neighborhood with two polio endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Environmental Surveillance (ES) was established in November 2017. Sistan-Balouchestan province was chosen for the ES due to its vicinity with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Five sewage collection sites in 4 cities (Zahedan, Zabol, Chabahar and Konarak) were selected in the high-risk areas. Since the establishment of ES in November 2017 till the end of 2023, 364 sewage specimens were collected and analyzed. The ES detected polioviruses which have the highest significance for polio eradication program, that is, Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and Poliovirus type 2 (PV2). In April and May 2019, three of 364 (0.8%) sewage specimens from Konarak were positive for imported WPV1. According to phylogenetic analysis, they were highly related to WPV1 circulating in Karachi (Sindh province) in Pakistan. PV2 was also detected in 5.7% (21/364) of the sewage specimens, most of which proved to be imported from the neighboring countries. Of 21 isolated PV2s, 7 were VDPV2, of which 5 proved to be imported from the neighboring countries as there was VDPV2 circulating in Pakistan at the time of sampling, and 2 were ambiguous VDPVs (aVDPV) with unknown source. According to the findings of this study, as long as WPV1 and VDPV2 outbreaks are detected in Iran's neighboring countries, there is a definite need for continuation and expansion of the environmental surveillance.
PubMed: 38658427
DOI: 10.1007/s12560-024-09600-8