8 research outputs found
Candida albicans in Urinary Tract or in Seminal Sac
A case of urinary tract infection due to Candida albicans and responding to fluconazole is presente
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Discovery of Novel Rhabdoviruses in the Blood of Healthy Individuals from West Africa
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to transform the discovery of viruses causing unexplained acute febrile illness (UAFI) because it does not depend on culturing the pathogen or a priori knowledge of the pathogen’s nucleic acid sequence. More generally, it has the potential to elucidate the complete human virome, including viruses that cause no overt symptoms of disease, but may have unrecognized immunological or developmental consequences. We have used NGS to identify RNA viruses in the blood of 195 patients with UAFI and compared them with those found in 328 apparently healthy (i.e., no overt signs of illness) control individuals, all from communities in southeastern Nigeria. Among UAFI patients, we identified the presence of nucleic acids from several well-characterized pathogenic viruses, such as HIV-1, hepatitis, and Lassa virus. In our cohort of healthy individuals, however, we detected the nucleic acids of two novel rhabdoviruses. These viruses, which we call Ekpoma virus-1 (EKV-1) and Ekpoma virus-2 (EKV-2), are highly divergent, with little identity to each other or other known viruses. The most closely related rhabdoviruses are members of the genus Tibrovirus and Bas-Congo virus (BASV), which was recently identified in an individual with symptoms resembling hemorrhagic fever. Furthermore, by conducting a serosurvey of our study cohort, we find evidence for remarkably high exposure rates to the identified rhabdoviruses. The recent discoveries of novel rhabdoviruses by multiple research groups suggest that human infection with rhabdoviruses might be common. While the prevalence and clinical significance of these viruses are currently unknown, these viruses could have previously unrecognized impacts on human health; further research to understand the immunological and developmental impact of these viruses should be explored. More generally, the identification of similar novel viruses in individuals with and without overt symptoms of disease highlights the need for a broader understanding of the human virome as efforts for viral detection and discovery advance
Sero-positivity to EKV-1 and EKV-2.
<p>A serosurvey for EKV-1 and EKV-2 was performed on Nigerian samples (n = 320). Cut-off values were based on the mean of US normals (n = 137) plus either 3xSD or 5xSD (SD = standard deviation).</p><p>Sero-positivity to EKV-1 and EKV-2.</p
Sequencing results and schematic representation of the EKV-1 and -2 genome organization.
<p>(<b>A</b>) Overview of the data generated for each novel rhabdovirus. (<b>B</b>) A schematic showing the assembled genomes, consisting of the following genes: <i>nucleoprotein</i> (N), <i>phosphoprotein</i> (P), <i>matrix</i> (M), <i>U1</i>/<i>U2</i>/<i>U3</i> (uncharacterized accessory proteins), <i>glycoprotein</i> (G), and <i>polymerase</i> (L). We indicate in orange (EKV-1) and blue (EKV-2) segments of the viral genomes that could not be assembled from Illumina reads and instead Sanger sequenced. (<b>C</b>) Coverage plots of the final viral genomes.</p
Examples of rhabdoviruses reported in Africa.
<p>A map depicting examples of rhabdoviruses isolated in sub-Saharan Africa. This map does not depict the current distribution of rhabdoviruses in Sub-Saharan Africa, nor is it meant as a comprehensive listing of all rhabdoviruses isolated in Africa; rather its purpose is to illustrate that many rhabdoviruses have been discovered throughout Africa over the past half-century. Country refers to the sample’s country of origin. Abbreviations: CAR, Central African Republic; DRC, Democratic Republic of Congo.</p