Complete genome characterization of two wild-type measles viruses from Vietnamese infants during the 2014 outbreak

A large measles virus outbreak occurred across Vietnam in 2014. We identified and obtained complete measles virus genomes in stool samples collected from two diarrheal pediatric patients in Dong Thap Province. These are the first complete genome sequences of circulating measles viruses in Vietnam during the 2014 measles outbreak

Depression after low-energy fracture in older women predicts future falls: a prospective observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Falls are one of the main causes of fractures in elderly people and after a recent fracture, the risk of another fall is increased, resulting in subsequent fracture. Therefore, risk factors for future falls should be determined. We prospectively investigated the relationship between depression and the incidence of falls in post-menopausal women after a low-energy fracture.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>At baseline, 181 women aged 60 years and older who presented with a recent low-energy fracture were evaluated at the fracture and osteoporosis outpatient clinics of two hospitals. As well as clinical evaluation and bone mineral density tests, the presence of depression (measured using the Edinburgh Depression Scale, EDS, depression cut-off > 11) and risk factors for falling were assessed. During two years of follow-up, the incidence of falls was registered annually by means of detailed questionnaires and interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-nine (44%) of the women sustained at least one fall during follow-up. Of these, 28% (<it>n </it>= 22) suffered from depression at baseline compared to 10% (<it>n </it>= 10) of the 102 women who did not sustain a fall during follow-up (<it>Χ</it>²= 8.76, df = 1, <it>p </it>= .003). Multiple logistic regression showed that the presence of depression and co-morbidity at baseline were independently related to falls (OR = 4.13, 95% CI = 1.58-10.80; OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.11-4.56, respectively) during follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The presence of depression in women aged 60 years and older with recent low-energy fractures is an important risk factor for future falls. We propose that clinicians treating patients with recent low-energy fractures should anticipate not only on skeletal-related risk factors for fractures, but also on fall-related risk factors including depression.</p

Genome sequences of a novel Vietnamese bat bunyavirus

To document the viral zoonotic risks in Vietnam, fecal samples were systematically collected from a number of mammals in southern Vietnam and subjected to agnostic deep sequencing. We describe here novel Vietnamese bunyavirus sequences detected in bat feces. The complete L and S segments from 14 viruses were determined

Identification and characterization of Coronaviridae genomes from Vietnamese bats and rats based on conserved protein domains

The Coronaviridae family of viruses encompasses a group of pathogens with a zoonotic potential as observed from previous outbreaks of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Accordingly, it seems important to identify and document the coronaviruses in animal reservoirs, many of which are uncharacterized and potentially missed by more standard diagnostic assays. A combination of sensitive deep sequencing technology and computational algorithms is essential for virus surveillance, especially for characterizing novel- or distantly related virus strains. Here, we explore the use of profile Hidden Markov Model-defined Pfam protein domains (Pfam domains) encoded by new sequences as a Coronaviridae sequence classification tool. The encoded domains are used first in a triage to identify potential Coronaviridae sequences and then processed using a Random Forest method to classify the sequences to the Coronaviridae genus level. The application of this algorithm on Coronaviridae genomes assembled from agnostic deep sequencing data from surveillance of bats and rats in Dong Thap province (Vietnam) identified thirty-four Alphacoronavirus and eleven Betacoronavirus genomes. This collection of bat and rat coronaviruses genomes provided essential information on the local diversity of coronaviruses and substantially expanded the number of coronavirus full genomes available from bat and rats and may facilitate further molecular studies on this group of viruses

Thiazide Diuretic Usage and Risk of Fracture: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies

Inconsistent findings in regard to association between thiazide diuretic use and the risk of fracture have been reported during the past decade. This updated meta-analysis, which pooled data from 11 qualified prospective designed studies, found that thiazides have a significant protective effect on fracture risk. Introduction: An updated comprehensive meta-analysis examine the association between thiazide diuretic use and therisk of fracture is needed. Methods: Cohort studies regarding thiazide diuretic exposure and the risk of fracture, published from inception to May 1 2017, were identified through MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The literature search, study selection, study appraisal, and data extraction were pre-defined in the protocol and were independently conducted by two investigators. Due to the heterogeneity of the original studies, a random effects model was used to pool the confounder-adjusted relative risk (RR). Results: Eleven eligible cohort studies involving 2,193,160 participants were included for analysis. Overall, thiazide diuretic users, as compared with non-users, had a significant 14% reduction in the risk of all fractures (relative risk [RR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80–0.93; p = 0.009) and an 18% reduction in the risk of hip fracture (RR, 0.82; 95%CI, 0.80–0.93; p = 0.009). However, the effect size associated with thiazide use became slightly weaker when the analysis was limited to only high-quality original studies (quality score \u3e 8) (RR, 0.89; 95%CI, 0.80–0.99; p = 0.005), studies with a larger sample size (\u3e 10,000) (RR, 0.90; 95%CI, 0.80–1.00; p = 0.002), and studies published after 2007 (RR, 0.92; 95%CI, 0.82–1.02; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that thiazide diuretic use may convey a decreased risk of fracture and as such, the protective effect of this class of medicine should be considered when prescribing thiazide diuretics in clinical practice