In December 2020, research surveillance detected the B.1.1.7 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in São Paulo, Brazil. Rapid genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis ...revealed 2 distinct introductions of the lineage. One patient reported no international travel. There may be more infections with this lineage in Brazil than reported.
Redondovirus (ReDoV) is a DNA virus present in the respiratory tract of many healthy individuals. Since SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, also primarily infects the same site, we ...evaluated whether ReDoV was present at increased frequency in patients with COVID-19 and influenced infection parameters. Saliva samples were collected weekly from 59 individuals with COVID-19 and from 132 controls. ReDoV was detected by polymerase chain reaction and the genotypes were identified by metagenomics. Torque Teno Virus (TTV) in these samples were previously reported. ReDoV was detected in saliva more frequently from COVID-19 patients (72.9%) than from controls (50.0%) (p = 0.0015). There were no associations between ReDoV detection and either continuous or intermittent SARS-CoV-2 shedding, the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva, patients' sex or if infection was by the B1 or Gamma strain. The two ReDoV strains, Brisavirus and Vientovirus, were present in equivalent frequencies in ReDoV-positive COVID-19 patients and controls. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the two ReDoV strains in Brazil were similar to strains previously detected on other continents. ReDoV expression in saliva is increased in males and females in Brazil with mild COVID-19 but its presence does not appear to influence properties of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Although infection with Trypanosoma cruzi is thought to be lifelong, less than half of those infected develop cardiomyopathy, suggesting greater parasite control or even clearance. Antibody levels ...appear to correlate with T. cruzi (antigen) load. We test the association between a downwards antibody trajectory, PCR positivity and ECG alterations in untreated individuals with Chagas disease.
This is a retrospective cohort of T. cruzi seropositive blood donors. Paired blood samples (index donation and follow-up) were tested using the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-T.cruzi (Chagas) assay (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan NJ) and PCR performed on the follow-up sample. A 12-lead resting ECG was performed. Significant antibody decline was defined as a reduction of > 1 signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) unit on the VITROS assay. Follow-up S/CO of < 4 was defined as borderline/low. 276 untreated seropositive blood donors were included. The median (IQR) follow-up was 12.7 years (8.5-16.9). 56 (22.1%) subjects had a significant antibody decline and 35 (12.7%) had a low/borderline follow-up result. PCR positivity was lower in the falling (26.8% vs 52.8%, p = 0.001) and low/borderline (17.1% vs 51.9%, p < 0.001) antibody groups, as was the rate of ECG abnormalities. Falling and low/borderline antibody groups were predominantly composed of individuals with negative PCR and normal ECG findings: 64% and 71%, respectively.
Low and falling antibody levels define a phenotype of possible spontaneous parasite clearance.
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemics highlighted the need of sensitive, selective, and easy-to-handle biosensing devices. In the contemporary scenario, point-of-care devices for mass testing and ...infection mapping within a population have proven themselves as of primordial importance. Here, we introduce a graphene-based Electrical-Electrochemical Vertical Device (EEVD) point-of-care biosensor, strategically engineered for serologic COVID-19 diagnosis. EEVD uses serologic IgG quantifications on SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) bioconjugate immobilized onto device surface. EEVD combines graphene basal plane with high charge carrier mobility, high conductivity, low intrinsic resistance, and interfacial sensitivity to capacitance alterations. EEVD application was carried out in real human serum samples. Since EEVD is a miniaturized device, it requires just 40 μL of sample for a point-of-care COVID-19 infections detection. When compared to serologic assays such ELISA and other immunochromatographic methods, EEVD presents some advantages such as time of analyses (15 min), sample preparation, and a LOD of 1.0 pg mL-1. We glimpse that EEVD meets the principles of robustness and accuracy, desirable analytic parameters for assays destined to pandemics control strategies.
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•We present a miniaturized graphene 2D device for COVID-19 diagnosis.•OCP potential of each interface used as detection signal.•Use of AuNP bioconjugates for IgG immobilization at the interface.•Achievement of a LOD of 1.0 pg mL-1 for IgG antibodies.
The emergence of the graphene-based hybrid electrical-electrochemical vertical device (EEVD) has introduced a promising nanostructured biosensor tailored for point-of-care applications. In this ...study, we present an innovative EEVD capable of simultaneously detecting the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in both serum and saliva. The foundation of the EEVD lies in a poly-neutral red-graphene heterojunction, which has been enhanced with a bioconjugate of gold nanoparticles and antibodies. The biodevice demonstrates a remarkable limit of detection, registering at the femtomolar scale (2.86 fmol L−1 or 0.1 pg mL−1). Its sensitivity is characterized by a 6.1 mV/decade response, and its operational range spans 10−12 to 10−7 g mL−1 in both serum and saliva samples. With a 20.0 μL of biological samples and a rapid processing time of under 10 min, the EEVD achieves the feat of dual antigen detection. The tests achieved 100.0% specificity, accuracy, and sensitivity in saliva, and 100.0% specificity, 88.9% accuracy, and 80.0% sensitivity in serum. This study highlights the EEVD as a low-cost solution of rapid viral detection during the crucial initial phases of COVID-19 infections.
•Graphene-based hybrid electrical-electrochemical vertical device was used for detection of RBD of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in serum and saliva.•Dual detection is obtained in less than 10 min with just 20.0 μL of synthetic saliva or serum.•This device is suitable for early-stage detection of COVID-19 infection at low-cost.
Chagas disease remains a major social and public health problem in Latin America. Benznidazole (BZN) is the main drug with activity against
. Due to the high number of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), ...BZN is underprescribed. The goal of this study was to evaluate the genetic and transcriptional basis of BZN adverse reactions.
A prospective cohort with 102 Chagas disease patients who underwent BZN treatment was established to identify ADRs and understand their genetic basis. The patients were classified into two groups: those with at least one ADR (
= 73), and those without ADRs (
= 29). Genomic analyses were performed comparing single nucleotide polymorphisms between groups. Transcriptome data were obtained comparing groups before and after treatment, and signaling pathways related to the main ADRs were evaluated.
A total of 73 subjects (71.5%) experienced ADRs. Dermatological symptoms were most frequent (45.1%). One region of chromosome 16, at the gene LOC102724084 (rs1518601, rs11861761, and rs34091595), was associated with ADRs (
= 5.652 × 10
). Transcriptomic data revealed three significantly enriched signaling pathways related to BZN ADRs.
These data suggest that part of adverse BZN reactions might be genetically determined and may facilitate patient risk stratification prior to starting BZN treatment.
The recognition of the causal association between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy and congenital abnormalities including microcephaly underlines the importance of preventing this disease ...in pregnant women (PW) and women of childbearing age (WCA). Although Brazil and other Latin American countries reported a significant reduction in the number of ZIKV infections in recent years, epidemic waves can recur in settings with previous outbreaks as conditions for transmission remain optimal and susceptible populations are continuously replenished.
In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 64 PW and 260 non-pregnant WCA attending routine medical appointments in two primary care units in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and assessed knowledge and attitudes about ZIKV infection and prevention.
Most women reported knowing that ZIKV is transmitted through the bite of Aedes mosquitos, and most knew that acute symptoms are similar to those seen in Dengue infection. Furthermore, most participants correctly described that ZIKV infection during pregnancy may cause detrimental outcomes for the newborn. However, most ignored that ZIKV infection can be asymptomatic, and only 15% knew about the risk of ZIKV sexual transmission. We found no statistically significant differences between PW and WCA regarding knowledge about ZIKV sexual transmission. Knowledge about ZIKV sexual transmission was significantly associated with education; among participants with ≤12 schooling years, only 9.0% (95%CI 3.4-18.5%) correctly answered that ZIKV can be sexually transmitted, compared to 12.9% (95%CI 8.2-18.8%) among participants with 12-14 schooling years, and to 24.4% (95%CI 15.9-34.9%) of participants with ≥15 schooling years (p = 0.015). Education remained independently associated with knowledge about sexual transmission of ZIKV in a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for age, race and pregnancy status (p = 0.022).
Our findings underscore the urgent need of educational and family planning programs that may help prevent detrimental outcomes of ZIKV infection in an endemic area of Brazil.
Monkeypox virus (MPXV), a zoonotic virus endemic to the African continent, has been reported in 33 non-endemic countries since May 2022. We report an almost complete genome of the first confirmed ...case of MPXV in Brazil. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was completed in 18 hours, from DNA extraction to consensus sequence generation.
Chikungunya (CHIK) is a debilitating mosquito-borne disease with an epidemiology and early clinical symptoms similar to those of other arboviruses-triggered diseases such as dengue or Zika. Accurate ...and rapid diagnosis of CHIK virus (CHIKV) infection is therefore challenging. This international study evaluated the performance of the automated VIDAS
anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG assays compared to that of manual competitor IgM and IgG ELISA for the detection of anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG antibodies in 660 patients with suspected CHIKV infection. Positive and negative agreements of the VIDAS
CHIKV assays with ELISA ranged from 97.5% to 100.0%. The sensitivity of the VIDAS
CHIKV assays evaluated in patients with a proven CHIKV infection confirmed reported kinetics of anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG response, with a positive detection of 88.2-100.0% for IgM ≥ 5 days post symptom onset and of 100.0% for IgG ≥ 11 days post symptom onset. Our study also demonstrated the superiority of ELISA and VIDAS
assays over rapid diagnostic IgM/IgG tests. The analytical performance of VIDAS
anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG assays was excellent, with a high precision (coefficients of variation ≤ 7.4%) and high specificity (cross-reactivity rate ≤ 2.9%). This study demonstrates the suitability of the automated VIDAS
anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG assays to diagnose CHIKV infections and supports its applicability for epidemiological surveillance and differential diagnosis in regions endemic for CHIKV.
In 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox is being reported in non-endemic areas, with unusual clinical manifestations. The detailed clinical description of the first patient that received the diagnosis of ...monkeypox in Brazil is reported here, whose clinical manifestations can easily lead to misdiagnosis of sexually transmitted infections. A 41 years old male presented to an emergency room with a vesicular rash with eight days of evolution. He had traveled to Portugal and Spain and reported non-penetrative sexual involvement with three different male individuals. On the third day of symptoms, he sought medical care and received empirical treatment directed to sexually transmitted infections. As the symptoms did not improve, he sought medical attention at an infectious disease referral center presenting, on admission, an ulcerated penile lesion with central necrotic crusts, a disseminated pleomorphic skin rash and an oropharyngeal ulcer. The monkeypox diagnosis was suspected due to the characteristics of the lesions and the history of intimate contact with casual partners, and it was later confirmed by sequencing the almost complete monkeypox genome. The patient was hospitalized for pain control, which required opiate administration. He developed a secondary bacterial infection on the penile lesions, which were treated with oral antibiotics. He was discharged after 14 days, with lesions in process of re-epithelialization. Given the current outbreak, we must consider the possibility of monkeypox in patients with suggestive lesions, anywhere on the body (including the genitals), added to an epidemiological link or history of intimate contact with strangers or casual partners.
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