Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Pradakshina Sharma, Shariq Suleman, Asim Farooqui, Wajid Ali, Jagriti Narang, Shweta J. Malode, Nagaraj P. Shetti
Summary: This article introduces the diagnosis strategies for Ebola virus and the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of medical things for disease diagnosis. Timely disease identification and treatment optimization are crucial for controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Hin Fung Tsang, Wai Ming Stanley Leung, Lawrence Wing Chi Chan, William Chi Shing Cho, Sze Chuen Cesar Wong
Summary: The study compared the performance of cepheid (R) Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay and cobas (R) Liat (R) SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B assay in detecting SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating excellent concordance between the two systems. The study is limited by the small number of SARS-CoV-2 positive and weak-positive specimens.
EXPERT REVIEW OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Betty R. Mchaki, Fauster X. Mgaya, Peter P. Kunambi, Bernard Hang'ombe, Mecky Matee, Musso Munyeme
Summary: This study assessed the diagnostic performance of two rapid molecular assays, LPA and GeneXpert, in detecting rifampicin monoresistance in tuberculosis. The results showed that LPA outperformed GeneXpert in detecting rifampicin monoresistance. However, logistic challenges may limit the use of LPA.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jyoti Jain, Pooja Jadhao, Shashank Banait, Preetam Salunkhe
Summary: The study found that GXpert assay has a very high specificity but low sensitivity in diagnosing TPE. For clinically and radiologically suspected patients, especially in high TB burden countries, a physician's clinical acumen along with routine pleural fluid analysis should be the key factor in diagnosing TPE.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Rostislav Bukasov, Dina Dossym, Olena Filchakova
Summary: The review focuses on RNA-based virus detection methods, including the detection of various viruses and human antibodies as well as the accuracy and specificity of different detection methods. The article also covers the research results of various detection methods and discusses the detection limits of each study.
ANALYTICAL METHODS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Maryza Graham, Eloise Williams, Nicole Isles, Eka Buadromo, Tebuka Toatu, Julian Druce, Mike Catton, Chantel Lin, Benjamin P. Howden, Deborah A. Williamson
Summary: The unprecedented global demand for laboratory supplies due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led laboratories to investigate sample pooling as a strategy to preserve testing capacity. Evaluation of the Cepheid Xpert (R) Xpress SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay showed that pooling 4 or 6 samples can effectively increase testing capacity.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Suresh Kumar Kailasa, Vaibhavkumar N. Mehta, Janardhan Reddy Koduru, Hirakendu Basu, Rakesh Kumar Singhal, Z. V. P. Murthy, Tae-Jung Park
Summary: This article discusses the use of molecular biology tools and nanotechnology-based analytical tools in the diagnosis of COVID-19, focusing on the rapid screening and accurate detection of 2019-nCoV. These tools play a crucial role in minimizing local transmission and preventing an epidemic.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniel Mukadi-Bamuleka, Junior Bulabula-Penge, Bart K. M. Jacobs, Anja De Weggheleire, Francois Edidi-Atani, Fabrice Mambu-Mbika, Anais Legand, John D. Klena, Peter N. Fonjungo, Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, Sheila Makiala-Mandanda, Masahiro Kajihara, Ayato Takada, Joel M. Montgomery, Pierre Formenty, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Kevin K. Arien, Johan van Griensven, Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, Study Grp
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of four rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for Ebola virus disease (EVD) detection. The sensitivity of the RDTs did not meet the desired levels set by the World Health Organization, but the specificity was satisfactory. Among the RDTs evaluated, QuickNavi-EbolaTM and OraQuick(R) Ebola Rapid Antigen Test showed the most favorable profiles and can be used as frontline tests for screening suspected cases.
Article
Immunology
Thomas L. Rudge Jr, Nicholas J. Machesky, Karen A. Sankovich, Erin E. Lemmon, Christopher S. Badorrek, Rachel Overman, Nancy A. Niemuth, Michael S. Anderson
Summary: Since the discovery of Marburg virus in 1967 and Ebola virus in 1976, there have been over 40 reported outbreaks of filovirus disease with case fatality rates greater than 50%. The need for efficacious vaccines against these highly pathogenic filoviruses is highlighted, with the development of vaccines needing to be vetted through regulatory pathways such as the U.S. FDA Animal Rule. There is currently no identified correlate of protection for filovirus disease, but anti-glycoprotein antibodies are believed to play a critical role in protection and are thus a focus for vaccine development.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Durbbin Lupiya Mulengwa, Maropeng Charles Monyama, Sogolo Lucky Lebelo
Summary: This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay in sputum samples from suspected tuberculosis patients, with a high positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Sputum volume significantly impacted the performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF, showing increased sensitivity in 4 ml and 6 ml samples.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sophia B. Georghiou, Riccardo Alagna, Daniela M. Cirillo, Sergio Carmona, Morten Ruhwald, Samuel G. Schumacher
Summary: The laboratory validation study showed high concordance between Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra testing on the GeneXpert System and the GeneXpert Omni System for tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance detection, across diverse clinical specimens and environmental conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Anna Andrew, Marimuthu Citartan, Kiing Aik Wong, Thean Hock Tang, Sum Magdline Sia Henry, Ewe Seng Ch'ng
Summary: A TaqMan RT-qPCR assay was developed and evaluated for detecting CHIKV in clinical samples. The assay showed high sensitivity and specificity, making it a potential diagnostic tool for CHIKV. Further validation with prospective patient samples is needed.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Stephen Young, Laurence Vaughan, Karen Yanson, Karen Eckert, Aojun Li, James Harris, Aaron Ermel, James A. Williams, Mohammad Al-Ghoul, Catherine L. Cammarata, Stephanie N. Taylor, Ronald Luff, Charles K. Cooper, Barbara Van der Pol
Summary: The study investigated the reproducibility and performance of the BD Onclarity HPV assay on the BD Viper LT platform with contrived and clinical specimens. Results showed that Onclarity demonstrated reliability and reproducibility across various sample types and conditions, indicating its effectiveness for cervical cancer screening.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sachin Agnihotri, Charles Alpren, Brima Bangura, Sarah Bennett, Yelena Gorina, Jadnah D. Harding, Sara Hersey, Ansumana S. Kamara, Mohamed A. M. Kamara, John D. Klena, Fiona McLysaght, Nishi Patel, Lance Presser, John T. Redd, Thomas T. Samba, Alexander K. Taylor, Mohamed A. Vandi, Scott Van Heest
Summary: This study details the process of consolidating epidemic records and establishing a database during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, with a focus on assisting families in locating the graves of loved ones who passed away during the epidemic through the SLED Family Reunification Program. The project aimed to create a data source for epidemiological research and highlighted the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of this unique information source for public health research.
ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juan Francisco Iturralde Martinez, Cristina Rosa
Summary: Detecting viruses in the early stages of infection is challenging due to their low abundance, making it difficult to use sensitive laboratory techniques. To overcome this, researchers have developed a portable and affordable system that can detect tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus in real time using a technique called Recombinase Polymerase Amplification. This technique allows for detection directly from crude plant extracts without the need for nucleic acid extraction and can be visually identified by the formation of DNA-flocculus complexes. This system provides a practical solution for in-field virus detection and can be used by scientists and extension managers without the need for specialized laboratory facilities.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Jennifer A. Newberry, Marc Gautreau, Katherine Staats, Eli Carrillo, William Mulkerin, Samuel Yang, Michael A. Kohn, Loretta Matheson, Scott D. Boyd, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Andra L. Blomkalns, Matthew C. Strehlow, Peter A. D'Souza
Summary: The study investigated the seropositivity rate and acute infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 among firefighter first responders in Santa Clara County, California. The results showed a lower seroprevalence rate but a higher cumulative incidence compared to the surrounding community.
PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE
(2022)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Hannah Wang, Catherine A. Hogan, Michelle Verghese, Daniel Solis, Mamdouh Sibai, ChunHong Huang, Katharina Roltgen, Bryan A. Stevens, Fumiko Yamamoto, Malaya K. Sahoo, James Zehnder, Scott D. Boyd, Benjamin A. Pinsky
Summary: This study found that the concentration of nucleocapsid antigen in plasma is associated with the severity of COVID-19, particularly with ICU admission. Antigenemia showed comparable diagnostic performance to upper respiratory NAAT, aiding in triaging patients for optimized intensive care utilization.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Priscilla S-W Yeung, Hannah Wang, Mamdouh Sibai, Daniel Solis, Fumiko Yamamoto, Naomi Iwai, Becky Jiang, Nathan Hammond, Bernadette Truong, Selamawit Bihon, Suzette Santos, Marilyn Mar, Claire Mai, Kenji O. Mfuh, Jacob A. Miller, ChunHong Huang, Malaya K. Sahoo, James L. Zehnder, Benjamin A. Pinsky
Summary: This study developed and validated an RT-qPCR-based detection method that can accurately distinguish different SARS-CoV-2 variants. The method showed high accuracy in identifying various variants and can be used in clinical laboratories for epidemiological surveillance and clinical decision-making.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Virology
Mamdouh Sibai, Hannah Wang, Priscilla S-W Yeung, Malaya K. Sahoo, Daniel Solis, Kenji O. Mfuh, ChunHong Huang, Fumiko Yamamoto, Benjamin A. Pinsky
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yiran E. Liu, Sirle Saul, Aditya Manohar Rao, Makeda Lucretia Robinson, Olga Lucia Agudelo Rojas, Ana Maria Sanz, Michelle Verghese, Daniel Solis, Mamdouh Sibai, Chun Hong Huang, Malaya Kumar Sahoo, Rosa Margarita Gelvez, Nathalia Bueno, Maria Isabel Estupinan Cardenas, Luis Angel Villar Centeno, Elsa Marina Rojas Garrido, Fernando Rosso, Michele Donato, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Shirit Einav, Purvesh Khatri
Summary: The study integrated multiple datasets and developed an XGBoost model based on 8 genes, which accurately predicted the progression of severe dengue. The model performed well in predicting during the early febrile stage.
Article
Immunology
Philipp A. Ilinykh, Sivakumar Periasamy, Kai Huang, Natalia A. Kuzmina, Palaniappan Ramanathan, Michelle N. Meyer, Chad E. Mire, Ivan V. Kuzmin, Preeti Bharaj, Jessica R. Endsley, Maria Chikina, Stuart C. Sealfon, Steven G. Widen, Mark A. Endsley, Alexander Bukreyev
Summary: Respiratory tract vaccination induces immune responses at the portal of SARS-CoV-2 entry, including neutralizing antibodies and memory T cell responses, providing advantages against COVID-19.
Letter
Microbiology
ChunHong Huang, Malaya K. Sahoo, Michelle Verghese, Mamdouh Sibai, Daniel Solis, Kenji O. Mfuh, Jason Kurzer, Catherine A. Hogan, Thuy A. Doan, Benjamin A. Pinsky
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Aslam Khan, Caroline Ichura, Hannah Wang, Izabela Rezende, Malaya K. Sahoo, ChunHong Huang, Daniel Solis, Mamdouh Sibai, Fumiko Yamamoto, Sindiso Nyathi, Bethel Bayrau, Benjamin A. Pinsky, A. Desiree LaBeaud
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the clinical severity and host factors associated with disease by different SARS-CoV-2 variants and evaluate if there are differences in disease severity caused by circulating variants. The results indicated that the delta variant was associated with severe/critical disease compared to other studied variants. The model also revealed that underlying respiratory disease and diabetes were risk factors for progression to severe disease.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marwah Karim, Sirle Saul, Luca Ghita, Malaya Kumar Sahoo, Chengjin Ye, Nishank Bhalla, Chieh-Wen Lo, Jing Jin, Jun-Gyu Park, Belen Martinez-Gualda, Michael Patrick East, Gary L. Johnson, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Christopher R. M. Asquith, Aarthi Narayanan, Steven De Jonghe, Shirit Einav
Summary: This study investigates the functional relevance of NAKs in SARS-CoV-2 infection and demonstrates that pharmacological inhibition of NAKs can be a potential approach to treat COVID-19.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Makeda L. Robinson, David R. Glass, Veronica Duran, Olga Lucia Agudelo Rojas, Ana Maria Sanz, Monika Consuegra, Malaya Kumar Sahoo, Felix J. Hartmann, Marc Bosse, Rosa Margarita Gelvez, Nathalia Bueno, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Jose G. Montoya, Holden Maecker, Maria Isabel Estupinan Cardenas, Luis Angel Villar Centeno, Elsa Marina Rojas Garrido, Fernando Rosso, Sean C. Bendall, Shirit Einav
Summary: Approximately 5 million dengue virus-infected patients progress to severe dengue (SD) infection annually. This study reveals uncoordinated immune responses in SD patients and provides insights into SD pathogenesis in humans with potential implications for prediction and treatment.
Article
Microbiology
Jordan Mah, Chun Hong Huang, Malaya K. Sahoo, Benjamin A. Pinsky
Summary: Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) cause severe disease in immunocompromised patients. Quantitation of HAdV DNA in peripheral blood is used to assess the risk of disseminated disease and to monitor response to therapy. The semiautomated AltoStar adenovirus quantitative PCR provides accurate quantitation of HAdV DNA and is well suited for virological testing following transplantation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Seth Gibson, Leela E. Noronha, Heidi Tubbs, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, William C. Wilson, Chad Mire, Dana Mitzel, Assaf Anyamba, Melinda Rostal, Kenneth J. Linthicum, Ary Faraji
Summary: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that poses a threat to global agriculture and public health. It can be transmitted by mosquitoes and direct contact with infected tissues. With changing climate and environmental factors, the virus may be introduced to new areas. However, understanding the virus's transmission patterns and evolutionary factors can help reduce the risk of outbreaks.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam J. Ronk, Nicole M. Lloyd, Min Zhang, Caroline Atyeo, Hailee R. Perrett, Chad E. Mire, Kathryn M. Hastie, Rogier W. Sanders, Philip J. M. Brouwer, Erica Olmann Saphire, Andrew B. Ward, Thomas G. Ksiazek, Juan Carlos Alvarez Moreno, Harshwardhan M. Thaker, Galit Alter, Sunny Himansu, Andrea Carfi, Alexander Bukreyev
Summary: The study presents an mRNA-based Lassa virus vaccine that provides protection against lethal infection in a guinea pig model without the need for neutralizing antibodies. Vaccination induced strong binding antibody responses and demonstrated the potential of mRNA vaccines as a platform against Lassa virus.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Winnie Zambrana, David Catoe, Mhara M. Coffman, Sooyeol Kim, Archana Anand, Daniel Solis, Malaya K. Sahoo, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Ami S. Bhatt, Alexandria B. Boehm, Marlene K. Wolfe
Summary: Monitoring wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 RNA can help identify small spatial areas with COVID-19 infections outside the scope of wastewater treatment plants. This study demonstrates that wastewater monitoring can aid the public health response at the subsewershed level.
Letter
Immunology
Cristina Costales, Malaya K. Sahoo, ChunHong Huang, Carolina V. Guimaraes, Donald Born, Lauren Kushner, Hayley A. Gans, Thuy A. Doan, Benjamin A. Pinsky
Summary: This article reports a fatal case of vaccine-associated measles encephalitis in an immunocompromised child in California, USA. The infection was confirmed by whole-genome RNA sequencing of measles virus from brain tissue. Biased matrix-gene hypermutation consistent with persistent measles virus central nervous system infection was observed.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
