Viral diseases

A spatial simulation model for dengue virus infection in urban areas

The World Health Organization estimates that the global number of dengue infections range between 80–100 million per year, with some studies estimating approximately three times higher numbers. Furthermore, th...

Authors: Stephan Karl, Nilimesh Halder, Joel K Kelso, Scott A Ritchie and George J Milne

Estimating the number of hand, foot and mouth disease amongst children aged under-five in Beijing during 2012, based on a telephone survey of healthcare seeking behavior

Over the last decade, increases in the number of outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) have shifted the disease into the public health spotlight in China. Children under the age of five years are pa...

Authors: Xiaoli Wang, Xiaona Wu, Lei Jia, Xitai Li, Jie Li, Shuang Li, Haikun Qian and Quanyi Wang

Effect of human movement on airborne disease transmission in an airplane cabin: study using numerical modeling and quantitative risk analysis

Airborne transmission of respiratory infectious disease in indoor environment (e.g. airplane cabin, conference room, hospital, isolated room and inpatient ward) may cause outbreaks of infectious diseases, whic...

Authors: Zhuyang Han, Gin Nam Sze To, Sau Chung Fu, Christopher Yu-Hang Chao, Wenguo Weng and Quanyi Huang

Decline in severe diarrhea hospitalizations after the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Ghana: a prevalence study

Almost all diarrhea deaths in young children occur in developing countries. Immunization against rotavirus, the leading cause of childhood severe dehydrating acute diarrhea may reduce the burden of severe diar...

Authors: Christabel C Enweronu-Laryea, Isaac Boamah, Eric Sifah, Stanley K Diamenu and George Armah

Surveillance of low pathogenic novel H7N9 avian influenza in commercial poultry barns: detection of outbreaks and estimation of virus introduction time

Both high and low pathogenic subtype A avian influenza remain ongoing threats to the commercial poultry industry globally. The emergence of a novel low pathogenic H7N9 lineage in China presents itself as a new...

Authors: Amy Pinsent, Isobel M Blake, Michael T White and Steven Riley

Surveillance of hepatitis A virus in urban sewages and comparison with cases notified in the course of an outbreak, Italy 2013

Over the past 20 years, Hepatitis A notifications in Italy have been in decline. Since the beginning of 2013 however, Italy has been experiencing a foodborne hepatitis A outbreak caused by genotype IA, involvi...

Authors: Giuseppina La Rosa, Simonetta Della Libera, Marcello Iaconelli, Anna Rita Ciccaglione, Roberto Bruni, Stefania Taffon, Michele Equestre, Valeria Alfonsi, Caterina Rizzo, Maria Elena Tosti, Maria Chironna, Luisa Romanò, Alessandro Remo Zanetti and Michele Muscillo

The correlation between the presence of viremia and clinical severity in patients with enterovirus 71 infection: a multi-center cohort study

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a great disease burden across the whole world, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, in recent decades, the pathogenesis of severe EV71 infection was not well understood. This study...

Authors: Hao-Yuan Cheng, Yi-Chuan Huang, Ting-Yu Yen, Shao-Hsuan Hsia, Yu-Chia Hsieh, Chung-Chen Li, Luan-Yin Chang and Li-Min Huang

Sequential determination of serum viral titers, virus-specific IgG antibodies, and TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ levels in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Although there have been a number of studies on the pathogenesis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) recently, knowledge on this topic is still insufficient. This study aims to reveal the kinetics of ser...

Authors: Safak Kaya, Nazif Elaldi, Ayhan Kubar, Nevcihan Gursoy, Meral Yilmaz, Gulderen Karakus, Turabi Gunes, Zubeyde Polat, Mustafa Gokhan Gozel, Aynur Engin, Ilyas Dokmetas, Mehmet Bakir, Neziha Yilmaz and Mehmet Sencan

Rate of decline of antibody titers to pandemic influenza A (H1N1-2009) by hemagglutination inhibition and virus microneutralization assays in a cohort of seroconverting adults in Singapore

The rate of decline of antibody titers to influenza following infection can affect results of serological surveys, and may explain re-infection and recurrent epidemics by the same strain.

Authors: Jung Pu Hsu, Xiahong Zhao, Mark I-Cheng Chen, Alex R Cook, Vernon Lee, Wei Yen Lim, Linda Tan, Ian G Barr, Lili Jiang, Chyi Lin Tan, Meng Chee Phoon, Lin Cui, Raymond Lin, Yee Sin Leo and Vincent T Chow

The changing incidence of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever in Indonesia: a 45-year registry-based analysis

Increases in human population size, dengue vector-density and human mobility cause rapid spread of dengue virus in Indonesia. We investigated the changes in dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) incidence in Indones...

Authors: Mulya Rahma Karyanti, Cuno S P M Uiterwaal, Rita Kusriastuti, Sri Rezeki Hadinegoro, Maroeska M Rovers, Hans Heesterbeek, Arno W Hoes and Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen

Erratum To: Respiratory viral pathogens among Singapore military servicemen 2009 – 2012: epidemiology and clinical characteristics

Authors: Xin Quan Tan, Xiahong Zhao, Vernon J Lee, Jin Phang Loh, Boon Huan Tan, Wee Hong Victor Koh, Sock Hoon Ng, Mark I-Cheng Chen and Alex Richard Cook

Human papillomavirus infection in Bhutan at the moment of implementation of a national HPV vaccination programme

Cervical cancer is the most common female cancer in Bhutan, the first low/middle-income country to implement a national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme.

Authors: Ugyen Tshomo, Silvia Franceschi, Dorji Dorji, Iacopo Baussano, Vanessa Tenet, Peter JF Snijders, Chris JLM Meijer, Maaike CG Bleeker, Tarik Gheit, Massimo Tommasino and Gary M Clifford

Burden of herpes zoster in the UK: findings from the zoster quality of life (ZQOL) study

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a painful condition that can have a substantial negative impact on patients’ lives. However, UK-specific data on the debilitating impact of HZ, in terms of patients’ experience of pain an...

Authors: Adam Gater, Linda Abetz-Webb, Stuart Carroll, Azharul Mannan, Mick Serpell and Robert Johnson

Preliminary evaluation of near infrared spectroscopy as a method to detect plasma leakage in children with dengue hemorrhagic fever

Dengue viral infections are prevalent in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Clinical manifestations range from a self-limited fever to a poten...

Authors: Babs Soller, Anon Srikiatkachorn, Fengmei Zou, Alan L Rothman, In-Kyu Yoon, Robert V Gibbons, Siripen Kalayanarooj, Stephen J Thomas and Sharone Green

Epidemic characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in China, 2006–2012

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by hantaviruses is a serious public health problem in China. The National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) was established online by China CDC ...

Authors: Shuo Zhang, Shiwen Wang, Wenwu Yin, Mifang Liang, Jiandong Li, Quanfu Zhang, Zijian Feng and Dexin Li

Can epidemic detection systems at the hospital level complement regional surveillance networks: Case study with the influenza epidemic?

Early knowledge of influenza outbreaks in the community allows local hospital healthcare workers to recognise the clinical signs of influenza in hospitalised patients and to apply effective precautions. The ob...

Authors: Solweig Gerbier-Colomban, Véronique Potinet-Pagliaroli and Marie-Hélène Metzger

Spatiotemporal characteristics of pandemic influenza

Prediction of timing for the onset and peak of an influenza pandemic is of vital importance for preventive measures. In order to identify common spatiotemporal patterns and climate influences for pandemics in ...

Authors: Lars Skog, Annika Linde, Helena Palmgren, Hans Hauska and Fredrik Elgh

Viral etiology and seasonality of influenza-like illness in Gabon, March 2010 to June 2011

Surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Central Africa began only recently, and few data are therefore available on the circulation of influenza virus and other respiratory viruses. In Gabon, a Central...

Authors: Sonia Etenna Lekana-Douki, Dieudonné Nkoghe, Christian Drosten, Edgar Brice Ngoungou, Jan Felix Drexler and Eric M Leroy

Spatial-temporal excess mortality patterns of the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic in Spain

The impact of socio-demographic factors and baseline health on the mortality burden of seasonal and pandemic influenza remains debated. Here we analyzed the spatial-temporal mortality patterns of the 1918 infl...

Authors: Gerardo Chowell, Anton Erkoreka, Cécile Viboud and Beatriz Echeverri-Dávila

Geographical heterogeneity and influenza infection within households

Although it has been suggested that schoolchildren vaccination reduces influenza morbidity and mortality in the community, it is unknown whether geographical heterogeneity would affect vaccine effectiveness.

Authors: Day-Yu Chao, Kuang-Fu Cheng, Ying-Hen Hsieh, Tsai-Chung Li, Trong-Neng Wu and Chiu-Ying Chen

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in children: a case report

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by a novel bunyavirus (SFTSV) in China. Humans of all ages living in endemic areas have high risk of acquiring SFTS. ...

Authors: Li-Yuan Wang, Ning Cui, Qing-Bin Lu, Ying Wo, Hong-Yu Wang, Wei Liu and Wu-Chun Cao

Development of a sensitive novel diagnostic kit for the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus

Sporadic emergence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus infection in humans is a serious concern because of the potential for a pandemic. Conventional or quantitative RT-PCR is the standa...

Authors: Yasuko Tsunetsugu-Yokota, Kengo Nishimura, Shuhei Misawa, Mie Kobayashi-Ishihara, Hitoshi Takahashi, Ikuyo Takayama, Kazuo Ohnishi, Shigeyuki Itamura, Hang LK Nguyen, Mai TQ Le, Giang T Dang, Long T Nguyen, Masato Tashiro and Tsutomu Kageyama

Significant cross reactive antibodies to influenza virus in adults and children during a period of marked antigenic drift

Little is known about the development of cross-reactive antibodies following natural exposure to pathogens. Such knowledge is critical in the development of new universal influenza vaccines.

Authors: Michal Mandelboim, Michal Bromberg, Hilda Sherbany, Inbar Zucker, Karnit Yaary, Ravit Bassal, Rita Dichtiar, Danny Cohen, Tamar Shohat, Ella Mendelson and Manfred S Green

Diagnostic proficiency and reporting of Lassa fever by physicians in Osun State of Nigeria

Lassa fever is highly contagious and commonly results in death. It is therefore necessary to diagnose and report any suspected case of Lassa fever to facilitate preventive strategies. This study assessed the p...

Authors: Samuel Anu Olowookere, Akinola Ayoola Fatiregun, Olalere Omoyosola Gbolahan and Ebenezer Gbenga Adepoju

Characterisation of acute respiratory infections at a United Kingdom paediatric teaching hospital: observational study assessing the impact of influenza A (2009 pdmH1N1) on predominant viral pathogens

According to the World Health Organisation, influenza A (2009 pdmH1N1) has moved into the post-pandemic phase, but there were still high numbers of infections occurring in the United Kingdom in 2010-11. It is ...

Authors: Emily A Lees, Enitan D Carrol, Christine Gerrard, Fiona Hardiman, Gareth Howel, Alison Timmis, Kent Thorburn, Malcolm Guiver and Paul S McNamara

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children who died from hand, foot and mouth disease in Vietnam, 2011

In 2011, a large outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Vietnam resulted in 113,121 children seeking medical attention, of whom170 died. Understanding the epidemiology of fatal HFMD may improve tre...

Authors: Ngoc TB Nguyen, Hau V Pham, Cuong Q Hoang, Tien M Nguyen, Long T Nguyen, Hung C Phan, Lan T Phan, Long N Vu and Nguyen N Tran Minh

The significance of Notch ligand expression in the peripheral blood of children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD)

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), a virus-induced infectious disease that usually affects infants and children, has an increased incidence in China in recent years. This study attempted to investigate the r...

Authors: Zhen Jiang Bai, Yi Ping Li, Jie Huang, Yong Jun Xiang, Chun Yu Lu, Xiao Xing Kong, Jian Mei Tian, Jiang Huai Wang and Jian Wang

Predictors of fatality in pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection among adults

The fatality attributed to pandemic influenza A H1N1 was not clear in the literature. We described the predictors for fatality related to pandemic influenza A H1N1 infection among hospitalized adult patients.

Authors: Önder Ergönül, Servet Alan, Öznur Ak, Fatman Sargın, Arzu Kantürk, Alper Gündüz, Derya Engin, Oral Öncül, Ilker Inanc Balkan, Bahadir Ceylan, Nur Benzonana, Saadet Yazıcı, Funda Şimşek, Nuray Uzun, Asuman İnan, Eren Gulhan…

Identification of congenital rubella syndrome in Sudan

Epidemiological data about congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) are scarce and rubella vaccine is not yet included in the childhood immunization schedule in Sudan. This study aimed to identify and describe CRS ca...

Authors: Omer Adam, Ahmed KM Ali, Judith M Hübschen and Claude P Muller

Increasing incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome could be associated with livestock husbandry in Changchun, Northeastern China

Since the end of the 1990s, the incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has been increasing dramatically in Changchun, northeastern China. However, it is unknown which, and how, underlying ri...

Authors: Jing Wu, Dan-Dan Wang, Xin-Lou Li, Sake J de Vlas, Ya-Qin Yu, Jian Zhu, Ying Zhang, Bo Wang, Li Yan, Li-Qun Fang, Ya-Wen Liu and Wu-Chun Cao

Rotavirus and Norovirus infections among acute gastroenteritis children in Morocco

Acute gastroenteritis is a serious cause of child mortality and morbidity in resource-limited countries. A viral etiology is most common, and rotavirus and norovirus are reported to be the leading causative ag...

Authors: Maria El Qazoui, Hicham Oumzil, Larbi Baassi, Nezha El Omari, Khalid Sadki, Saaid Amzazi, Mohamed Benhafid and Rajae El Aouad

Do the omeprazole family compounds exert a protective effect against influenza-like illness?

Infections by influenza viruses place a heavy burden on public health and economies worldwide. Although vaccines are the best weapons against influenza, antiviral drugs could offer an opportunity to alleviate ...

Authors: Roberto Gasparini, Piero Luigi Lai, Francesca Casabona, Cecilia Trucchi, Sara Boccalini, Maria Luisa Cristina, Stefania Rossi, Daniela Amicizia and Donatella Panatto

Detection of a divergent Parainfluenza 4 virus in an adult patient with influenza like illness using next-generation sequencing

Human Parainfluenza viruses are a common cause of both upper and lower respiratory tract infections, particularly in children. Of the four Parainfluenza virus serotypes, Parainfluenza 4 is least well character...

Authors: Seweryn Bialasiewicz, Jodie McVernon, Terry Nolan, Stephen B Lambert, Guoyan Zhao, David Wang, Michael D Nissen and Theo P Sloots

Vitamin D₃and gargling for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial

We undertook a 2X2 factorial, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether vitamin D₃ supplementation (10,000 international units per week) versus placebo and gargling versus no gargling could prevent vira...

Authors: Emma C Goodall, Andrea C Granados, Kathy Luinstra, Eleanor Pullenayegum, Brenda L Coleman, Mark Loeb and Marek Smieja

A rare case of cytomegalovirus, scedosporium apiospermum and mycobacterium tuberculosis in a renal transplant recipient

Renal transplant recipients are at high risk of developing multiple infections, often concomitantly because of their immunocompromised status. Post renal transplant infections are often elusive and require ext...

Authors: Manish Rathi, Srikant Gundlapalli, Raja Ramachandran, Sandeep Mohindra, Harsimran Kaur, Vivek Kumar, Harbir Singh Kohli, Krishan Lal Gupta and Vinay Sakhuja

Serum activin A and B, and follistatin in critically ill patients with influenza A(H1N1) infection

Activin A and its binding protein follistatin (FS) are increased in inflammatory disorders and sepsis. Overexpression of activin A in the lung causes similar histopathological changes as acute respiratory dist...

Authors: Rita Linko, Mark P Hedger, Ville Pettilä, Esko Ruokonen, Tero Ala-Kokko, Helen Ludlow and David M de Kretser

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult hand, foot, and mouth disease in northern Zhejiang, China, May 2008 – November 2013

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease typically caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16. The incidence of HFMD appears to be increasing across the Asia Pacific region, wi...

Authors: Xin-guang Yin, Hui-xing Yi, Jin Shu, Xing-ju Wang, Xiao-jun Wu and Ling-hua Yu

West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease: neurological manifestations and prospective longitudinal outcomes

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that has caused ongoing seasonal epidemics in the United States since 1999. It is estimated that ≤1% of WNV-infected patients will develop neuroinvasive dis...

Authors: John Hart Jr, Gail Tillman, Michael A Kraut, Hsueh-Sheng Chiang, Jeremy F Strain, Yufeng Li, Amy G Agrawal, Penny Jester, John W Gnann Jr and Richard J Whitley

Distinguishing West Nile virus infection using a recombinant envelope protein with mutations in the conserved fusion-loop

West Nile Virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that continues to spread and cause disease throughout several parts of the world, including Europe and the Americas. Specific diagnosis of W...

Authors: Stefan Chabierski, Luisa Barzon, Anna Papa, Matthias Niedrig, Jonathan L Bramson, Justin M Richner, Giorgio Palù, Michael S Diamond and Sebastian Ulbert

Urine real-time polymerase chain reaction detection for children virus pneumonia with acute human cytomegalovirus infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen of viral pneumonia in children. The diagnosis of acute HCMV infection is complicated and difficult.

Authors: Zhidai Liu, Penghui Zhang, Shi Tang, Xiaoyan He, Rong Zhang, Xinbin Wang, Zhaojian Yuan, Junjie Tan, Bin Peng, Enmei Liu, Zhou Fu and Lin Zou

Epidemiology of the avian influenza A (H7N9) outbreak in Zhejiang Province, China

A novel influenza A virus infection was identified on March 31, 2013 in China and a total of 134 cases were identified in 12 provinces of China between March 25 and September 31, 2013. Of these, 46 cases occur...

Authors: Zhenyu Gong, Huakun Lv, Hua Ding, Jiankang Han, Jimin Sun, Chengliang Chai, Jian Cai, Zhao Yu and Enfu Chen

The variations of VP1 protein might be associated with nervous system symptoms caused by enterovirus 71 infection

The VP1 protein of enterovirus 71 (EV71) is an important immunodominant protein which is responsible for host-receptor binding. Nevertheless, the relationship between VP1 and neurovirulence is still poorly und...

Authors: Bao Zhang, Xianbo Wu, Keyong Huang, Ling Li, Li Zheng, Chengsong Wan, Ming-Liang He and Wei Zhao

Norovirus-related chronic diarrhea in a patient treated with alemtuzumab for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Norovirus infection is increasingly recognized as an important cause of persistent gastroenteritis in immunocompromised hosts and can be a potential cause of morbidity in these populations.

Authors: Anne-Marie Ronchetti, Benoit Henry, Katia Ambert-Balay, Pierre Pothier, Justine Decroocq, Véronique Leblond and Damien Roos-Weil

Incidence and risk factors for influenza-like-illness in the UK: online surveillance using Flusurvey

Influenza and Influenza-like-illness (ILI) represents a substantial public health problem, but it is difficult to measure the overall burden as many cases do not access health care. Community cohorts have the ...

Authors: Alma J Adler, Ken TD Eames, Sebastian Funk and W John Edmunds

A cross-sectional analysis of symptom severity in adults with influenza and other acute respiratory illness in the outpatient setting

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are common in outpatient practice, and the severity of symptoms contributes to the overall burden of illness. We examined the association between a subjective symptom severi...

Authors: Jeffrey J VanWormer, Maria E Sundaram, Jennifer K Meece and Edward A Belongia

Prevalence and trends of markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human Immunodeficiency virus in Argentine blood donors

Transfusion-transmitted infections are a major problem associated with blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and trends of HBV, HCV and HIV in blood donors in Argentina.

Authors: Diego M Flichman, Jorgelina L Blejer, Beatriz I Livellara, Viviana E Re, Sonia Bartoli, Juan A Bustos, Claudia P Ansola, Susana Hidalgo, Martin E Cerda, Alicia E Levin, Adriana Huenul, Victoria Riboldi, Elena MC Treviño, Horacio J Salamone, Felix A Nuñez, Robert J Fernández…

Human rabies surveillance and control in China, 2005–2012

Rabies reemerged in China during the 1990s with a gradual increase in the number and geographical dispersion of cases. As a consequence, a national surveillance program was introduced in 2005 to investigate th...

Authors: Miao Song, Qing Tang, Simon Rayner, Xiao-Yan Tao, Hao Li, Zhen-Yang Guo, Xin-Xin Shen, Wen-Tao Jiao, Wei Fang, Jun Wang and Guo-Dong Liang

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of hospital health-care workers regarding influenza A/H1N1: a cross sectional survey

To assess the knowledge, the attitudes, and the behaviour towards influenza A/H1N1 and the vaccination among health-care workers (HCWs).

Authors: Luciana Albano, Anna Matuozzo, Paolo Marinelli and Gabriella Di Giuseppe

School closures during the 2009 influenza pandemic: national and local experiences

School closure is a non-pharmaceutical intervention that was considered in many national pandemic plans developed prior to the start of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic, and received considerable attention ...

Authors: Simon Cauchemez, Maria D Van Kerkhove, Brett N Archer, Martin Cetron, Benjamin J Cowling, Peter Grove, Darren Hunt, Mira Kojouharova, Predrag Kon, Kumnuan Ungchusak, Hitoshi Oshitani, Andrea Pugliese, Caterina Rizzo, Guillaume Saour, Tomimase Sunagawa, Amra Uzicanin…

Respiratory viral pathogens among Singapore military servicemen 2009 – 2012: epidemiology and clinical characteristics

Few studies have comprehensively described tropical respiratory disease surveillance in military populations. There is also a lack of studies comparing clinical characteristics of the non-influenza pathogens w...

Authors: Xin Quan Tan, Xiahong Zhao, Vernon J Lee, Jin Phang Loh, Boon Huan Tan, Wee Hong Victor Koh, Sock Hoon Ng, Mark I-Cheng Chen and Alex Richard Cook