Human enterovirus 71 and hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is generally a benign febrile exanthematous childhood disease caused by human enteroviruses. The route of transmission is postulated to be faeco-oral in developing areas but attributed more to respiratory droplet in developed areas. Transmission is facilitated by the prolonged environmental survival of these viruses and their greater resistance to biocides. Serious outbreaks with neurological and cardiopulmonary complications caused by human enterovirus 71 (HEV-71) seem to be commoner in the Asian Pacific region than elsewhere in the world. This geographical predilection is unexplained but could be related to the frequency of intra- and inter-typic genetic recombinations of the virus, the host populations' genetic predisposition, environmental hygiene, and standard of healthcare. Vaccine development could be hampered by the general mildness of the illness and rapid genetic evolution of the virus. Antivirals are not readily available; the role of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of serious complications should be investigated. Monitoring of this disease and its epidemiology in the densely populated Asia Pacific epicentre is important for the detection of emerging epidemics due to enteroviruses. Copyright © 2010 Cambridge University Press.published_or_final_versio

Clinical and molecular epidemiology of human bocavirus in respiratory and fecal samples from children in Hong Kong

Background. Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a recently discovered parvovirus associated with respiratory tract infections in children. We conducted the first systematic prospective clinical and molecular study using nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) and fecal samples. Methods. NPAs negative for influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, and coronavirus and fecal samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis were included. On the basis of results from a pilot study using 400 NPAs from all age groups, a prospective 12-month study was conducted to detect HBoV in 1200 NPAs and 1435 fecal samples from patients <18 years old by polymerase chain reaction. The complete genome sequences of HBoVs from 12 NPAs and 12 fecal samples were determined. Results. Of the 400 NPAs collected in the pilot study, 20 (5.0%) were found to contain HBoV, all from children <5 years old. In the subsequent prospective study of pediatric patients, HBoV was detected in 83 (6.9%) of 1200 NPAs. Upper and lower respiratory tract infections were equally common. HBoV was detected in 30 (2.1%) of 1435 fecal samples. Fever and watery diarrhea were the most common symptoms. The seasonality of HBoV in NPAs and fecal samples was similar. Codetection with other pathogens occurred in 33% and 56% of NPAs and fecal samples, respectively, from patients with HBoV infection. Genomes of HBoVs from NPAs and fecal samples displayed minimal sequence variations. Conclusions. HBoV was detected in fecal specimens in children with acute gastroenteritis. A single lineage of HBoV was associated with both respiratory tract and enteric infections. © 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.published_or_final_versio

Isolation and characterization of dromedary camel coronavirus UAE-HKU23 from dromedaries of the Middle East: minimal serological cross-reactivity between MERS coronavirus and dromedary camel coronavirus UAE-HKU23

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Emotion recognition, morphed emotions, neural substrates

The present study examined the nature of emotion recognition impairments in patients with subcortical brain damage (SBD). Twenty-eight patients with SBD (19 left and 19 right), along with 19 healthy volunteers (HV) were presented with morphed facial photographs and, asked to categorize these photographs according to six basic emotion labels. Patients with SBD categorized these photographs differently from HV and, did not employ certain emotion labels. Only those with right SBD were impaired (relative to HV) in terms of their identification of happiness. These findings provide further support for the role of subcortical brain structures in emotion recognition.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

The differential effects of thalamus and basal ganglia on facial emotion recognition

This study examined if subcortical stroke was associated with impaired facial emotion recognition. Furthermore, the lateralization of the impairment and the differential profiles of facial emotion recognition deficits with localized thalamic or basal ganglia damage were also studied. Thirty-eight patients with subcortical strokes and 19 matched normal controls volunteered to participate. The participants were individually presented with morphed photographs of facial emotion expressions over multiple trials. They were requested to classify each of these morphed photographs according to Ekman's six basic emotion categories. The findings indicated that the clinical participants had impaired facial emotion recognition, though no clear lateralization pattern of impairment was observed. The patients with localized thalamic damage performed significantly worse in recognizing sadness than the controls. Longitudinal studies on patients with subcortical brain damage should be conducted to examine how cognitive reorganization post-stroke would affect emotion recognition. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Complete genome sequence of a novel picornavirus, canine picornavirus, discovered in dogs

We discovered a novel canine picornavirus in fecal, nasopharyngeal, and urine samples from dogs. The coding potential of its genome (5'-VP4-VP2-VP3-VP1-2A-2B-2C-3A-3B-3C pro-3D pol-3', where 3C pro is 3' protease and 3D pol is 3D polymerase) is similar to those of other picornaviruses, with putative P1, P2, and P3 sharing 54% to 58%, 60%, and 64% to 67% amino acid identities with bat picornavirus groups 1, 2, and 3. © 2012, American Society for Microbiology.link_to_OA_fulltex

Scanning laser polarimetry in patients with acute attack of primary angle closure

Purpose: To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer measurements of attacked eyes with their fellow eyes after a single unilateral attack of acute primary angle closure (APAC). Methods: Patients with a single episode of APAC in 1 eye, successfully treated with laser peripheral iridotomy, were recruited. Eyes with persistently raised intraocular pressure (IOP) after resolution of the acute attack were excluded. Scanning laser polarimetry was carried out at 6 months after remission of the acute attack. The various parameters between the attacked and the fellow eyes were compared using the Student t-test. Results: Twenty-six patients (24 female and 2 male, mean age 66.9±8.1 years) were recruited. The duration of the APAC ranged from 5 to 98 hours (mean, 36.3 hours). The mean presenting IOP during the acute attack was 62.0±9.4 mm Hg. Only the mean inferior ratio and the ellipse modulation showed a statistically significant difference between the attacked and the fellow eyes among the 12 standard scanning laser polarimetry measurement parameters. Conclusion: No severe retinal nerve fiber layer damage was documented in eyes that suffered a single episode of APAC with duration of attack up to 48 hours. With duration of attack longer than 48 hours, retinal nerve fiber layer damage was detected. © 2003 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Short report: Identification of adenoviruses in fecal specimens from wild chimpanzees (Pan trogylodytes schweinfurthii) in Western Tanzania

DNA of two distinctive adenoviruses was detected in wild chimpanzees in western Tanzania that showed clinical signs of acute, upper respiratory disease, notably coughing. The amplified sequences from part of the capsid hexon gene suggests that one virus is a novel adenovirus serotype candidate and the other virus is a species C adenovirus most closely related to recent isolates from captive chimpanzees in the United States, Simian AdV 37 with 86% nucleic acid identity and Simian AdV 40 with 95% nucleic acid identity, respectively. The species C adenovirus sequences suggest possible recombination with a human adenovirus. The source of these viruses and disease association is not known. Copyright © 2010 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.link_to_subscribed_fulltex