Screening of Feral and Wood Pigeons for Viruses Harbouring a Conserved Mobile Viral Element: Characterization of Novel Astroviruses and Picornaviruses

A highly conserved RNA-motif of yet unknown function, called stem-loop-2-like motif (s2m), has been identified in the 3′ end of the genomes of viruses belonging to different RNA virus families which infect a broad range of mammal and bird species, including Astroviridae, Picornaviridae, Coronaviridae and Caliciviridae. Since s2m is such an extremely conserved motif, it is an ideal target for screening for viruses harbouring it. In this study, we have detected and characterized novel viruses harbouring this motif in pigeons by using a s2m-specific amplification. 84% and 67% of the samples from feral pigeons and wood pigeons, respectively, were found to contain a virus harbouring s2m. Four novel viruses were identified and characterized. Two of the new viruses belong to the genus Avastrovirus in the Astroviridae family. We propose two novel species to be included in this genus, Feral pigeon astrovirus and Wood pigeon astrovirus. Two other novel viruses, Pigeon picornavirus A and Pigeon picornavirus B, belong to the Picornaviridae family, presumably to the genus Sapelovirus. Both of the novel picornaviruses harboured two adjacent s2m, called (s2m)2, suggesting a possible increased functional effect of s2m when present in two copies

Genomic epidemiology of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis strains causing invasive disease in Norway during 2018

Background: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging global pathogen, yet the epidemiology and population genetics of SDSE species have not been extensively characterized. Methods: We carried out whole genome sequencing to characterize 274 SDSE isolates causing bloodstream infections obtained through national surveillance program in 2018. We conducted multilocus sequence typing (MLST), emm-typing, core genome phylogeny, as well as investigated key features associated with virulence. Moreover, comparison to SDSE from other geographic regions were performed in order to gain more insight in the evolutionary dynamics in SDSE. Results: The phylogenetic analysis indicated a substantial diversity of emm-types and sequence types (STs). Briefly, 17 emm-types and 58 STs were identified that formed 10 clonal complexes (CCs). The predominant ST-types were ST20 (20%), ST17 (17%), and ST29 (11%). While CC17 and CC29 clades showed a substantial heterogeneity with well-separated emm-associated subclades, the CC20 clade harboring the stG62647 emm-type was more homogenous and the most prevalent in the present study. Moreover, we observed notable differences in the distribution of clades within Norway, as well as several disseminated CCs and also distinct geographic variations when compared to data from other countries. We also revealed extensive intra-species recombination events involving surface exposed virulence factors, including the emm gene important for phylogenetic profiling. Conclusion: Recombination events involving the emm as well as other virulence genes in SDSE, are important mechanisms in shaping the genetic variability in the SDSE population, potentially offering selective advantages to certain lineages. The enhanced phylogenetic resolution offered by whole genome sequencing is necessary to identify and delimitate outbreaks, monitor and properly characterize emerging strains, as well as elucidate bacterial population dynamics.publishedVersio

Etiology of viral respiratory tract infections in hospitalized adults, and evidence of the high frequency of prehospitalization antibiotic treatment in Norway

publishedVersio

Deletion of the s2m RNA Structure in the Avian Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus and Human Astrovirus Results in Sequence Insertions

Coronaviruses infect a wide variety of host species, resulting in a range of diseases in both humans and animals. The coronavirus genome consists of a large positive-sense single-stranded molecule of RNA containing many RNA structures. One structure, denoted s2m and consisting of 41 nucleotides, is located within the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) and is shared between some coronavirus species, including infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2, as well as other pathogens, including human astrovirus. Using a reverse genetic system to generate recombinant viruses, we investigated the requirement of the s2m structure in the replication of IBV, a globally distributed economically important Gammacoronavirus that infects poultry causing respiratory disease. Deletion of three nucleotides predicted to destabilize the canonical structure of the s2m or the deletion of the nucleotides corresponding to s2m impacted viral replication in vitro. In vitro passaging of the recombinant IBV with the s2m sequence deleted resulted in a 36-nucleotide insertion in place of the deletion, which was identified to be composed of a duplication of flanking sequences. A similar result was observed following serial passage of human astrovirus with a deleted s2m sequence. RNA modeling indicated that deletion of the nucleotides corresponding to the s2m impacted other RNA structures present in the IBV 3′ UTR. Our results indicated for both IBV and human astrovirus a preference for nucleotide occupation in the genome location corresponding to the s2m, which is independent of the specific s2m sequence.publishedVersio

Randomized implementation of a primary human papillomavirus testing-based cervical cancer screening protocol for women 34 to 69 years in Norway

Background: Cervical cancer screening programs are facing a programmatic shift where screening protocol based on human papillomavirus testing (HPV-Screening protocol) is replacing the liquid-based cytology (LBC-Screening protocol). For safe technology transfer within the nationwide screening programme in Norway, HPV-Screening protocol was implemented randomized to compare the real-world effectiveness of HPV-Screening protocol and LBC-Screening protocol at the first screening round. Methods: Among 302,295 women ages 34 to 69 years scheduled to attend screening from February 2015 to June 2017, 157,447 attended. A total of 77,207 were randomly allocated to the HPV-Screening protocol and 80,240 were allocated to the LBC-Screening protocol. All women were followed up for 18 months. Results: The HPV-Screening protocol resulted in a relative increase of 60% in the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 or worse [risk ratio (RR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.5–1.7], 40% in CIN grade 3 or worse (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.3–1.6), 40% in cancer (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0–2.1), and 60% in colposcopy referrals (RR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.5–1.6) compared with LBC-Screening. The performance of both protocols was age dependent, being more effective in women ages under 50 years. Conclusions: The HPV-Screening protocol was well accepted by women in Norway and detected more CIN2, CIN3, and cancers compared with the LBC-Screening protocol. Impact: A randomized implementation of the HPV-Screening protocol with real-world assessment enabled a gradual, quality assured, and safe technology transition. HPV-based screening protocol may further be improved by using HPV genotyping and age-specific referral algorithms.publishedVersio

Feeding Practices and Dietary Diversity in the First Year of Life: PreventADALL, a Scandinavian Randomized Controlled Trial and Birth Cohort Study

publishedVersio

Emergence of Salmonid Alphavirus Genotype 2 in Norway—Molecular Characterization of Viral Strains Circulating in Norway and Scotland

Publication history: Accepted - 29 July 2021; Published online - 6 August 2021.Pancreas disease (PD) and sleeping disease (SD), caused by an alphavirus, are endemic in European salmonid aquaculture, causing significant mortality, reduced growth and poor flesh quality. In 2010, a new variant of salmonid alphavirus emerged in Norway, marine salmonid alphavirus genotype 2 (SAV2). As this genotype is highly prevalent in Scotland, transmission through well boat traffic was hypothesized as one possible source of infection. In this study, we performed full-length genome sequencing of SAV2 sampled between 2006 and 2012 in Norway and Scotland, and present the first comprehensive full-length characterization of Norwegian marine SAV2 strains. We analyze their relationship with selected Scottish SAV2 strains and explore the genetic diversity of SAV. Our results show that all Norwegian marine SAV2 share a recent last common ancestor with marine SAV2 circulating in Scotland and a higher level of genomic diversity among the Scottish marine SAV2 strains compared to strains from Norway. These findings support the hypothesis of a single introduction of SAV2 to Norway sometime from 2006–2010, followed by horizontal spread along the coast.This research was funded by Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF) grant 90079

Infant colic and abdominal pain; associations with infant multimorbidity and maternal perceived stress up to 3 months postpartum—A cross-sectional/cohort study in the PreventADALL study

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Aims and Objectives: The primary aim was to explore whether infants with pain symptoms (colic, abdominal pain and visit to healthcare provider with pain or other discomforts) had increased multimorbidity (common infections, eczema and food sensitivity) compared with infants without these conditions. Secondarily, we aimed to determine whether infant pain symptoms were associated with maternal perceived stress in pregnancy and 3 months postpartum. Background: Infant colic and abdominal pain are common concerns in early infancy. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, little research exists on the relationship between infant pain and common infant infections, eczema and food sensitization as comorbidities, and the impact of infant pain on the development of maternal perceived stress from pregnancy to infancy is inconsistent. Design: This study was cross-sectional and partly prospective. Methods: The sample consisted of mother–infant pairs (N = 1852); information regarding infant pain and multimorbidity was collected from the 3-month questionnaire and postpartum visits in the PreventADALL prospective cohort study. Chi-square tests and regression analyses were conducted. The STROBE checklist was followed. Results: Our results showed a statistically significant higher proportion of respiratory and other infections in infants with pain symptoms. The odds of infant pain were higher for infants with multimorbidity compared to those with no comorbidity. Mothers of infants with colic and of infants visiting healthcare with pain and other discomforts reported statistically significant higher perceived stress by 3 months compared with mothers of infants with no reported pain. Conclusion: Our results indicate an association between infant pain symptoms and the presence of infections. Mothers of infants with colic and visiting healthcare had higher perceived stress compared to the no pain group. Implications for Practice: Our study indicates that infant pain is associated with infant multimorbidity and maternal perceived stress, which may be useful when planning diagnostic, treatment and coping strategies in infant and family care. Patient or Public Contribution: The PreventADALL is a collaborative study with governmental and patient organisation representation. Selected infants with parents were also contributing during calibrating courses on eczema assessment for the data collectors. Trial Registration: The study was approved by the Regional Committee in Norway (2014/518) and Sweden (2014/2242–31/4) and registered at clinicaltrial.gov (NCT02449850). Link for clinical trials: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02449850publishedVersio

Frequent oil baths and skin barrier during infancy in the PreventADALL study

publishedVersio

Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin levels in early childhood and association with preschool asthma – A prospective observational study

publishedVersio