Characterization of the Protective Cellular Immune Response in Pigs Immunized Intradermally with the Live Attenuated African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) Lv17/WB/Rie1.

Candidate vaccines against African swine fever virus (ASFV) based on naturally attenuated or genetically modified viruses have the potential to generate protective immune responses, although there is no consensus on what defines a protective immune response against ASFV. Studies, especially in sensitive host species and focused on unravelling protective mechanisms, will contribute to the development of safer and more effective vaccines. The present study provides a detailed analysis of phenotypic and functional data on cellular responses induced by intradermal immunization and subsequent boosting of domestic pigs with the naturally attenuated field strain Lv17/WB/Rie1, as well as the mechanisms underlying protection against intramuscular challenge with the virulent genotype II Armenia/07 strain. The transient increase in IL-8 and IL-10 in serum observed after immunization might be correlated with survival. Protection was also associated with a robust ASFV-specific polyfunctional memory T-cell response, where CD4CD8 and CD8 T cells were identified as the main cellular sources of virus-specific IFNγ and TNFα. In parallel with the cytokine response, these T-cell subsets also showed specific cytotoxic activity as evidenced by the increased expression of the CD107a degranulation marker. Along with virus-specific multifunctional CD4CD8 and CD8 T-cell responses, the increased levels of antigen experienced in cytotoxic CD4 T cells observed after the challenge in immunized pigs might also contribute to controlling virulent infection by killing mechanisms targeting infected antigen-presenting cells. Future studies should elucidate whether the memory T-cell responses evidenced in the present study persist and provide long-term protection against further ASFV infections.

Oral Manifestations in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review.

Background: The period of pregnancy is characterized by a multitude of diverse changes that exert a notable impact on the oral cavity of women. During this gestational phase, patients necessitate tailored oral care and specific recommendations to preempt and address potential oral diseases. This systematic review aimed to perform a detailed analysis of the research studies that focused on the oral manifestations observed in pregnant women. Methods: A meticulous search was conducted in the databases Medline, Scopus, and Scielo by employing the following search terms: ((pregnant OR pregnancy)) AND (("oral manifestation*") OR ("oral health")). Articles that were published between 2013 and 2023 and written in English or Spanish and studies that scrutinized oral manifestations in pregnant women and included a diagnosis conducted by a qualified dentist were selected; we excluded articles published before 2013, articles that could not be accessed in full text, studies whose patients were not pregnant women at the time of the study, studies where patients were selected because they had a specific disease, studies where the clinical examination was not performed by a dentist, and articles written in languages other than English or Spanish. Subsequently, the risk of bias in the chosen articles was assessed in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) scale. Results: A total of 20 studies were included in the analysis, following the exclusion and inclusion criteria. These studies were categorized as cross-sectional, cohort, longitudinal, or case-control. Various oral manifestations in pregnant women were examined, with five studies comparing these manifestations with those observed in nonpregnant women. Conclusions: The most prevalent oral manifestations associated with pregnancy encompass dental caries, periodontitis, gingivitis, pyogenic granuloma, and candidiasis. Nonetheless, less common lesions may also emerge during the course of pregnancy.

A multi gene-approach genotyping method identifies 24 genetic clusters within the genotype II-European African swine fever viruses circulating from 2007 to 2022.

Introduction: African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease of pigs and wild boar that poses a major threat to the global swine industry. The genotype II African swine fever virus (ASFV) entered the European Union (EU) in 2014 and since then fourteen countries have been affected, Italy and North Macedonia being the last in 2022. While whole genome sequencing remains the gold standard for the identification of new genetic markers, sequencing of multiple loci with significant variations could be used as a rapid and cost-effective alternative to track outbreaks and study disease evolution in endemic areas. Materials and methods: To further our understanding of the epidemiology and spread of ASFV in Europe, 382 isolates collected during 2007 to 2022 were sequenced. The study was initially performed by sequencing the central variable region (CVR), the intergenic region (IGR) between the I73R and I329L genes and the O174L and K145R genes. For further discrimination, two new PCRs were designed to amplify the IGR between the 9R and 10R genes of the multigene family 505 (MGF505) and the IGR between the I329L and I215L genes. The sequences obtained were compared with genotype II isolates from Europe and Asia. Results: The combination of the results obtained by sequencing these variable regions allowed to differentiate the European II-ASFV genotypes into 24 different groups. In addition, the SNP identified in the IGR I329L-I215L region, not previously described, grouped the viruses from North Macedonia that caused the 2022 outbreaks with viruses from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, differentiating from other genotype II isolates present in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, tandem repeat sequence (TRS) within the 9R-10R genes of the multigene family 505 (MGF505) revealed eight different variants circulating. Discussion: These findings describe a new multi-gene approach sequencing method that can be used in routine genotyping to determine the origin of new introductions in ASF-free areas and track infection dynamics in endemic areas.

Dynamics of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection in domestic pigs infected with virulent, moderate virulent and attenuated genotype II ASFV European isolates.

This study aimed to compare the infection dynamics of three genotype II African swine fever viruses (ASFV) circulating in Europe. Eighteen domestic pigs divided into three groups were infected intramuscularly or by direct contact with two haemadsorbent ASFVs (HAD) from Poland (Pol16/DP/ OUT21) and Estonia (Est16/WB/Viru8), and with the Latvian non-HAD ASFV (Lv17/WB/Rie1). Parameters, such as symptoms, pathogenicity, and distribution of the virus in tissues, humoral immune response, and dissemination of the virus by blood, oropharyngeal and rectal routes, were investigated. The Polish ASFV caused a case of rapidly developing fatal acute disease, while the Estonian ASFV caused acute to sub-acute infections and two animals survived. In contrast, animals infected with the ASFV from Latvia developed a more subtle, mild, or even subclinical disease. Oral excretion was sporadic or even absent in the attenuated group, whereas in animals that developed an acute or sub-acute form of ASF, oral excretion began at the same time the ASFV was detected in the blood, or even 3 days earlier, and persisted up to 22 days. Regardless of virulence, blood was the main route of transmission of ASFV and infectious virus was isolated from persistently infected animals for at least 19 days in the attenuated group and up to 44 days in the group of moderate virulence. Rectal excretion was limited to the acute phase of infection. In terms of diagnostics, the ASFV genome was detected in contact pigs from oropharyngeal samples earlier than in blood, independently of virulence. Together with blood, both samples could allow to detect ASFV infection for a longer period. The results presented here provide quantitative data on the spread and excretion of ASFV strains of different virulence among domestic pigs that can help to better focus surveillance activities and, thus, increase the ability to detect ASF introductions earlier.

Genetic variation among African swine fever genotype II viruses, eastern and central Europe.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) was first reported in eastern Europe/Eurasia in 2007. Continued spread of ASFV has placed central European countries at risk, and in 2014, ASFV was detected in Lithuania and Poland. Sequencing showed the isolates are identical to a 2013 ASFV from Belarus but differ from ASFV isolated in Georgia in 2007.

African swine fever virus p72 genotype IX in domestic pigs, Congo, 2009.

African swine fever virus p72 genotype IX, associated with outbreaks in eastern Africa, is cocirculating in the Republic of the Congo with West African genotype I. Data suggest that viruses from eastern Africa are moving into western Africa, increasing the threat of outbreaks caused by novel viruses in this region.

[A patient at home; a clinical case]. / El paciente en su domicilio.

This article describes the practical application of the Nursing Process, bearing in mind the patterns set by Gordon, NANDA and NIC, during a clinical case involving a home care visit. By means of these patterns, health care professionals carried out the corresponding observation, nursing diagnosis and nursing treatment for the patient visited.