Seasonal variability of vitamin D status in patients with inflammatory bowel disease - A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES:Vitamin D deficiency predicts unfavorable disease outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease. Endogenous vitamin D synthesis is affected by seasonal factors including sunlight exposure, raising the question whether seasonality determines the risk of vitamin D deficiency and may mask other clinical risk factors. METHODS:Univariable and multiple regression analyses were performed in a retrospective cohort of 384 patients to determine risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Since the observed 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations followed a sinusoidal pattern over the year, all 25(OH)D concentrations were normalized for the predicted variability of the respective day of analysis based on a sinusoidal regression analysis of 25(OH)D test results obtained in more than 86,000 control serum samples. RESULTS:Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (63% and 55%, respectively) and associated with winter/spring seasons. After normalization of 25(OH)D concentrations for the day of analysis, vitamin D deficiency was associated with histories of complications related to inflammatory bowel disease, surgery, smoking and ongoing diarrhea while initial disease manifestation during adulthood, ongoing vitamin D supplementation and diagnosis of ulcerative colitis vs. Crohn's disease appeared to be protective. Multiple regression analyses revealed that vitamin D deficiency was associated with disease activity in Crohn's disease and anemia in ulcerative colitis patients. Only few deficient patients achieved sufficient 25(OH)D concentrations over time. However, increasing 25(OH)D concentrations correlated with improved Crohn's disease activity. CONCLUSIONS:Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and dependent on the season of the year. Following normalization for seasonality by sinusoidal regression analysis, vitamin D deficiency was found to be associated with parameters of complicated disease course while increasing 25(OH)D concentrations over time correlated with reduced activity of Crohn's disease

Spread of West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus in the German Bird Population, 2019–2020

West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are important flaviviruses circulating in Germany. While USUV was first reported more than 10 years ago, WNV has only reached the country in 2018. Wild birds are important amplifying hosts for both viruses. Therefore, we have been monitoring the bird population in different regions of Germany by a previously established network for many years. This report summarizes the results of molecular and/or serological methods of 2345 blood samples from birds of 22 different orders and over 2900 bird carcasses from 2019 and 2020. USUV RNA circulation was found in different regions of Germany, with emphasis on USUV lineages Europe 3 and Africa 3. Increased evidence of USUV lineage Europe 2 was detected in eastern Germany. WNV RNA was found only in birds from the eastern part of the country. The seroprevalence for USUV was between 3.11% and 7.20% in all three regions investigated, whereas the WNV seroprevalence spanned from 14.77% to 16.15% in eastern Germany, with a noticeable tendency for a westward and southward expansion in both years. Thus, wild bird monitoring for WNV and USUV can serve as an early warning system for a human exposure risk

Spread of West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus in the German Bird Population, 2019–2020

West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are important flaviviruses circulating in Germany. While USUV was first reported more than 10 years ago, WNV has only reached the country in 2018. Wild birds are important amplifying hosts for both viruses. Therefore, we have been monitoring the bird population in different regions of Germany by a previously established network for many years. This report summarizes the results of molecular and/or serological methods of 2345 blood samples from birds of 22 different orders and over 2900 bird carcasses from 2019 and 2020. USUV RNA circulation was found in different regions of Germany, with emphasis on USUV lineages Europe 3 and Africa 3. Increased evidence of USUV lineage Europe 2 was detected in eastern Germany. WNV RNA was found only in birds from the eastern part of the country. The seroprevalence for USUV was between 3.11% and 7.20% in all three regions investigated, whereas the WNV seroprevalence spanned from 14.77% to 16.15% in eastern Germany, with a noticeable tendency for a westward and southward expansion in both years. Thus, wild bird monitoring for WNV and USUV can serve as an early warning system for a human exposure risk