Rift Valley Fever, Mayotte, 2007–2008

After the 2006–2007 epidemic wave of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in East Africa and its circulation in the Comoros, laboratory case-finding of RVF was conducted in Mayotte from September 2007 through May 2008. Ten recent human RVF cases were detected, which confirms the indigenous transmission of RFV virus in Mayotte

A226V Strains of Chikungunya Virus, Réunion Island, 2010

International audienceChikungunya virus (CHIKV) first emerged in Indian Ocean islands off the eastern coast of Africa in 2005 and was responsible for large-scale epidemics on the islands of Réunion, Comoros, Mayotte, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Seychelles (1–4). On Réunion Island, a French overseas territory of 810,000 inhabitants, herd immunity reached 38% in October 2006 (5). Molecular epidemiology of the strain responsible for these outbreaks indicated that it had originated in Kenya (6). The epidemic on Réunion Island was associated with a mutation in the envelope protein gene (E1-A226V) that improves replication and transmission efficiency in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes (7)

Prolonged Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Immigrants, Paris

Few immigrant travelers have Plasmodium falciparum infections >2 months after leaving malaria-endemic areas. We conducted a case–control study to identify factors associated with prolonged P. falciparum infection in immigrant travelers. Results suggest that P. falciparum infection should be systematically suspected, even months after travel, especially in pregnant women and first-arrival immigrants

Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers

Yersinia pestis, the bacterial causative agent of plague, remains an important threat to human health. Plague is a rodent-borne disease that has historically shown an outstanding ability to colonize and persist across different species, habitats, and environments while provoking sporadic cases, outbreaks, and deadly global epidemics among humans. Between September and November 2017, an outbreak of urban pneumonic plague was declared in Madagascar, which refocused the attention of the scientific community on this ancient human scourge. Given recent trends and plague’s resilience to control in the wild, its high fatality rate in humans without early treatment, and its capacity to disrupt social and healthcare systems, human plague should be considered as a neglected threat. A workshop was held in Paris in July 2018 to review current knowledge about plague and to identify the scientific research priorities to eradicate plague as a human threat. It was concluded that an urgent commitment is needed to develop and fund a strong research agenda aiming to fill the current knowledge gaps structured around 4 main axes: (i) an improved understanding of the ecological interactions among the reservoir, vector, pathogen, and environment; (ii) human and societal responses; (iii) improved diagnostic tools and case management; and (iv) vaccine development. These axes should be cross-cutting, translational, and focused on delivering context-specific strategies. Results of this research should feed a global control and prevention strategy within a “One Health” approach

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Clinical trials for leptospirosis treatment in which adverse events were searched.

<p>RCT: Randomized Control Trial; NRCT: Non Randomized Control Trial.</p

Case reports and case series of Jarisch-Heirxheimer reaction after admistration of antibiotics for the treatment of leptospirosis.

<p>Case reports and case series of Jarisch-Heirxheimer reaction after admistration of antibiotics for the treatment of leptospirosis.</p

The *.Sat CubeSat Bus: When Three Cubes Meet

A collaborative effort between Stanford University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) begun in 2003 continues today with the primary objective of supporting a NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) biological payload scheduled for launch into orbit aboard a satellite conforming to the International CubeSat Specification authored in 2001. The Stanford portion of the program, named “StarDotSat” (*.Sat), seeks to put forth a standardized spacecraft bus adhering to the CubeSat Specification that provides all necessary services to one or more attached payload modules. The CubeSat specification was the result of a joint effort by the California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (CalPoly SLO) and Stanford University to provide the basis for low-cost, rapid-turnaround access to space geared primarily towards the University audience. Leading to development of a standardized launcher known as the Poly- Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) and subsequent launch service partnerships by the team at CalPoly, the CubeSat standard has grown to include over 70 universities worldwide. Based upon the CubeSat Specification, the *.Sat design implements a standardized set of mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces that allow the Bus Module, itself a single-sized CubeSat, to provide services such as electrical power, command and data handling, and communications to one or more Payload Modules. By defining the demarcation point between Bus and Payload(s), the *.Sat program allowed the interface itself to become the focal point for independent development of the Bus and Payload elements prior to integration. The initial mission, encompassing the use of the Stanford *.Sat Bus with a NASA ARC-designed biological payload has been named “GeneSat-1” (GS-1). The overall mission is a cooperative effort between NASA and various universities partnered at the Space Technology Center, managed by San Jose State University, including Santa Clara University, CalPoly, and Stanford. This paper will present the development and implementation of the *.Sat Bus from the perspective of the Stanford University development team, highlighting the successful cooperation between academia and industry expertise