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1.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 30(8): 1706-1709, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39043454

ABSTRACT

Little is known about using noninvasive samples for diagnosing Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). We investigated detection of CCHF virus in serum, saliva, and urine samples. Our results indicate that serum is the best sample type for CCHF diagnosis; saliva can be used for noninvasive sampling.


Subject(s)
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean , Saliva , Humans , Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo/isolation & purification , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/urine , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/virology , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/diagnosis , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/epidemiology , Saliva/virology , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Female , Kinetics , Adult , RNA, Viral/urine , Middle Aged
2.
N Engl J Med ; 378(15): 1377-1385, 2018 04 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29641964

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus that has been linked to adverse birth outcomes. Previous reports have shown that person-to-person transmission can occur by means of sexual contact. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study involving men with symptomatic ZIKV infection to determine the frequency and duration of ZIKV shedding in semen and urine and to identify risk factors for prolonged shedding in these fluids. Specimens were obtained twice per month for 6 months after illness onset and were tested by real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay for ZIKV RNA and by Vero cell culture and plaque assay for infectious ZIKV. RESULTS: A total of 1327 semen samples from 184 men and 1038 urine samples from 183 men were obtained 14 to 304 days after illness onset. ZIKV RNA was detected in the urine of 7 men (4%) and in the semen of 60 (33%), including in semen samples from 22 of 36 men (61%) who were tested within 30 days after illness onset. ZIKV RNA shedding in semen decreased substantially during the 3 months after illness onset but continued for 281 days in 1 man (1%). Factors that were independently associated with prolonged RNA shedding included older age, less frequent ejaculation, and the presence of certain symptoms at the time of initial illness. Infectious ZIKV was isolated from 3 of 78 semen samples with detectable ZIKV RNA, all obtained within 30 days after illness onset and all with at least 7.0 log10 ZIKV RNA copies per milliliter of semen. CONCLUSIONS: ZIKV RNA was commonly present in the semen of men with symptomatic ZIKV infection and persisted in some men for more than 6 months. In contrast, shedding of infectious ZIKV appeared to be much less common and was limited to the first few weeks after illness onset. (Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.).


Subject(s)
RNA, Viral/analysis , Semen/virology , Virus Shedding , Zika Virus Infection/virology , Zika Virus/isolation & purification , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , RNA, Viral/urine , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Risk Factors , Time Factors , Viral Load , Young Adult , Zika Virus/genetics
3.
Virol J ; 18(1): 134, 2021 07 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34210325

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in the body fluids of patients with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may increase the potential risk of viral transmission. There is still uncertainty on whether the recommended quarantine duration is sufficient to reduce the risk of transmission. This study aimed to investigate the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharyngeal, blood, urine, and stool samples of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: In this hospital-based longitudinal study, 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recruited between March 2020 and August 2020 in Guilan Province, north of Iran. Nasopharyngeal, blood, urine, and stool samples were obtained from each participant at the time of hospital admission, upon discharge, 1 week after discharge, and every 2 weeks until all samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. A survival analysis was also performed to identify the duration of viral persistence. RESULTS: The median duration of viral RNA persistence in the nasopharyngeal samples was 8 days from the first positive RT-PCR result upon admission (95% CI 6.91-9.09); the maximum duration of viral shedding was 25 days from admission. Positive blood, urine, and stool RT-PCR results were detected in 24%, 7%, and 6% of the patients, respectively. The median duration of viral persistence in the blood, urine, and stool samples was 7 days (95% CI 6.07-7.93), 6 days (95% CI 4.16-8.41), and 13 days (95% CI 6.96-19.4), respectively. Also, the maximum duration of viral persistence in the blood, urine, and stool samples was 17, 11, and 42 days from admission, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the present results, immediately after the hospitalized patients were discharged, no evidence of viral genetic materials was found. Therefore, appropriate treatments were selected for the patients at this hospital. However, we recommend further investigations on a larger sample size in multi-center and prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effects of different drugs on the shedding of the virus through body secretions.


Subject(s)
Feces/virology , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Nasopharynx/virology , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/transmission , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing , Female , Humans , Iran , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Viral/analysis , Survival Analysis , Virus Shedding
4.
World J Urol ; 39(9): 3127-3138, 2021 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32462305

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE: We performed a systematic review on COVID-19 and its potential urological manifestations. METHODS: A literature search was performed using combination of keywords (MeSH terms and free text words) relating to COVID-19, urology, faeces and stool on multiple databases. Primary outcomes were the urological manifestations of COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA detection in urine and stool samples. Meta-analyses were performed when there were two or more studies reporting on the same outcome. Special considerations in urological conditions that were relevant in the pandemic of COVID-19 were reported in a narrative manner. RESULTS: There were a total of 21 studies with 3714 COVID-19 patients, and urinary symptoms were absent in all of them. In patients with COVID-19, 7.58% (95% CI 3.30-13.54%) developed acute kidney injury with a mortality rate of 93.27% (95% CI 81.46-100%) amongst them. 5.74% (95% CI 2.88-9.44%) of COVID-19 patients had positive viral RNA in urine samples, but the duration of viral shedding in urine was unknown. 65.82% (95% CI 45.71-83.51%) of COVID-19 patients had positive viral RNA in stool samples, which were detected from 2 to 47 days from symptom onset. 31.6% of renal transplant recipients with COVID-19 required non-invasive ventilation, and the overall mortality rate was 15.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury leading to mortality is common amongst COVID-19 patients, likely as a result of direct viral toxicity. Viral RNA positivity was detected in both urine and stool samples, so precautions are needed when we perform transurethral or transrectal procedures.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury , COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Urologic Diseases , Acute Kidney Injury/diagnosis , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Acute Kidney Injury/mortality , COVID-19/mortality , COVID-19/physiopathology , COVID-19/therapy , Humans , RNA, Viral/urine , Urologic Diseases/classification , Urologic Diseases/therapy , Urologic Diseases/virology
5.
BMC Nephrol ; 22(1): 169, 2021 05 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33962580

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppression in solid organ transplantation is associated with frequent infections. Renal allograft recipients are susceptible to opportunistic infections and can acquire human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections even within the allograft. There, HCMV can be found in both the glomerulus and tubular cells, but is mostly restricted to specific and circumscribed sites. Therefore, not all organ infections are identifiable by immunohistology for HCMV proteins in fine needle core biopsies. Thus, we performed a urinalysis study to search for HCMV-specific RNA transcripts in the urine sediment of patients with acute kidney injury. METHODS: Urinary sediment of 90 patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), including 48 renal transplant recipients (RTX) and 42 non-transplant recipients (nRTX), was collected from morning urine for RNA extraction and reverse transcription. The copy number of HCMV transcripts was evaluated using a UL132 HCMV-specific probe set and by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: Of the 48 RTX patients, ten showed HCMV copies in their urine sediment cells. Within this group, three recipients had negative HCMV serology and received an allograft from an HCMV-seropositive donor. In addition, all three RTX patients on a belatacept-based immunosuppressive regimen had HCMV transcripts in their urine. Of the 42 nRTX patients, only two had detectable HCMV transcripts in urine sediment cells and both were under immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Ten immunosuppressed renal allograft recipients and two immunosuppressed non-transplant patients with AKI showed HCMV copies in urine sediment. Thus, HCMV positivity in urinary sediment appears to be associated with immunosuppression. This study describes a novel noninvasive method for detection of HCMV in urinary sediment. Whether all HCMV infections can be detected or only those with viral replication warrants further investigation.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury/microbiology , Cytomegalovirus Infections/diagnosis , Cytomegalovirus Infections/urine , Cytomegalovirus/isolation & purification , Immunocompromised Host , Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis , Opportunistic Infections/urine , Acute Kidney Injury/immunology , Acute Kidney Injury/urine , Adult , Aged , Cytomegalovirus Infections/immunology , Female , Humans , Kidney Transplantation , Male , Middle Aged , Opportunistic Infections/immunology , RNA, Viral/urine , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Transplantation, Homologous , Urine/microbiology
6.
Mikrochim Acta ; 188(10): 333, 2021 Sep 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34498149

ABSTRACT

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are powerful tools for the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). We demonstrated highly sensitive, specific, and rapid detection of JEV by colorimetric reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (cRT-LAMP). Under optimized conditions, the RT-LAMP assay results showed that the limit of detection was approximately equivalent to 1 RNA genome copy/µL with an assay time of 30 min. The assay was highly specific to JEV when tested with other mosquito-borne virus panels (Zika virus and dengue virus types 2-4). The ability to detect JEV directly from crude human sample matrices (serum and urine) demonstrated the suitability of our JEV RT-LAMP for widespread clinical application. The JEV RT-LAMP provides combination of  rapid colorimetric determination of true-positive JEV RT-LAMP amplicons with our recently developed JEV-nanobarcodes, measured at absorbance wavelenght of 530 (A530) and 650 (A650), which have a limit of detection of 23.3 ng/µL. The AuNP:polyA10-JEV RT-LAMP nanobarcodes exhibited superior capability for stabilizing the true-positive JEV RT-LAMP amplicons against salt-induced AuNP aggregation, which improved the evaluation of true/false positive signals in the assay. These advances enable to expand the use of RT-LAMP for point-of-care tests, which will greatly bolster JEV clinical programs. The JEV RT-LAMP nanobarcode assay targeting the envelope (E) gene and MgSO4 induced AuNP aggregation, indicated by an instant pink-to-violet colorimetric read-out.


Subject(s)
Colorimetry/methods , Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/chemistry , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods , RNA, Viral/analysis , Animals , Base Sequence , Blood/virology , Gold/chemistry , Humans , Immobilized Nucleic Acids/chemistry , Limit of Detection , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Poly A/chemistry , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Swine , Urine/virology
7.
BMC Infect Dis ; 20(1): 116, 2020 Feb 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32041533

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Yellow fever vaccine exists for over 80 years and is considered to be relatively safe. However, in rare cases it can produce serious neurotropic and viscerotropic complications. We report a case of a patient who presented both viscerotropic and neurological manifestations after yellow fever vaccination. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 37 years old man who developed after the yellow fever vaccination a yellow fever vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease followed by acute uveitis. Prolonged detection of yellow fever RNA in blood and urine was consistent with yellow fever vaccine-associated adverse event. The final outcome was good, although with persistent fatigue over a few months. CONCLUSIONS: Even if the yellow fever vaccine is relatively safe, physicians should be aware of its possible serious adverse effects.


Subject(s)
Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/etiology , Uveitis/chemically induced , Vaccination/adverse effects , Yellow Fever Vaccine/adverse effects , Acute Disease , Adult , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/blood , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/pathology , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/urine , Fatigue/chemically induced , Humans , Male , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine
8.
Euro Surveill ; 25(10)2020 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32183931

ABSTRACT

IntroductionCrimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease in Africa, Asia, the Balkan peninsula, the south-east of Europe and the Middle East, with mortality rates of 3-30%. Transmission can also occur through contact with infected animals or humans.AimThis observational, prospective case series aimed to investigate detectable viral genomic RNA in whole-body fluids and antibody dynamics in consecutive daily samples of patients diagnosed with CCHF until discharge from hospital.MethodsWe tested 18 patients and 824 swabs and sera with RT-PCR and 125 serum samples serologically.ResultsThe longest duration until clearance of viral RNA was 18 days from serum collection and 18, 15, 13, 19 and 17 days, respectively, from nasal, oral, genital (urethral or vaginal) and faecal swab, and urine. In seven patients, viral load decreased in serum at the same time as it increased in urine or persisted at the same logarithmic values. Despite clearance in serum, viral RNA was detected in faeces and genital swabs in two and three patients, respectively. Viral clearance from body fluids occurred earlier than from serum in eight patients on ribavirin treatment. The shortest seroconversion time was 3 days after symptom onset for IgM and IgG. Seroconversion of IgG occurred until Day 14 of symptoms.ConclusionWe report persistence of viral RNA in urine, faeces and genital swabs despite serum clearance. This may indicate a need for extending isolation precautions, re-evaluating discharge criteria and transmission risk after discharge, and considering oral swabs as a less invasive diagnostic alternative.


Subject(s)
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo/isolation & purification , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/diagnosis , Virus Shedding , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antibodies, Viral/urine , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Female , Genome, Viral , Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo/genetics , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/drug therapy , Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean/epidemiology , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Ribavirin/therapeutic use , Serologic Tests , Tick-Borne Diseases , Turkey/epidemiology , Viral Load , Young Adult
9.
J Med Virol ; 91(1): 115-123, 2019 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30091789

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA can be detected in body fluids such as urine. However, because of deficiencies in established isolation and detection methods, the actual prevalence and form of HCV RNA in the urine of patients with hepatitis C remain unclear. To more sensitively and accurately measure urine HCV RNA levels, a novel real-time PCR assay with a modified isolation method and short amplicon designed for short HCV RNA fragments was developed in this study. The limit of detection, precision, linearity, and specificity of the assay was evaluated and demonstrated high-quality performance. The prevalence of HCV RNA in the urine of viremic patients infected with HCV was 60% (36/60), as determined by a 62-bp assay. The HCV RNA detection rate and concentration were much lower with a 157-bp assay, and were undetectable with 222- and 304-bp assays. With the 62-bp assay, patients with detectable urine HCV RNA had significantly higher plasma HCV RNA levels ( P < 0.001), and plasma and urine concentrations were significantly positively correlated ( R 2 = 0.708, P < 0.001). The method not only increased the detection rate of urine HCV RNA but also revealed the presence of short HCV RNA fragments in urine, indicating that urine from CHC patients with normal kidney function should not be infectious. In addition, it raised the possibility of urinary HCV RNA as a potential noninvasive marker for therapeutic monitoring of patients with hepatitis C.


Subject(s)
Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology , RNA, Viral/urine , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Urine/virology , Humans , Prevalence , Sensitivity and Specificity
10.
J Neurovirol ; 25(4): 608-611, 2019 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30949974

ABSTRACT

West Nile virus is a notable cause of neuroinvasive disease, damage to the central nervous system, or even death. In this study, using metagenomics analysis and quantitative real-time PCR validation, we identified a JC virus infection in urine and cerebrospinal fluid samples of a West Nile virus patient with severe neurological symptoms and extended disease. JC virus is known to be involved in neurological complications, especially in immunocompromised individuals thus suggesting that the coinfection with JC virus is involved with the West Nile virus infection persistence and severe symptoms. JC virus was identified in urine samples from additional West Nile virus patients via quantitative real-time PCR, however, JC virus was not found in any cerebrospinal fluid samples of West Nile virus patients, suggesting that JC virus does not regularly infect the central nervous system of WNV patients. Overall, this study highlights the importance of identifying infection by opportunistic viruses in already-diagnosed patients and highlights the advantages of next-generation sequencing and metagenomics for viral diagnosis.


Subject(s)
JC Virus/genetics , Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal/virology , West Nile Fever/virology , West Nile virus/genetics , Acute Disease , Coinfection , DNA, Viral/cerebrospinal fluid , DNA, Viral/genetics , DNA, Viral/urine , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Humans , JC Virus/isolation & purification , Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal/cerebrospinal fluid , Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal/diagnosis , Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal/urine , Metagenomics , RNA, Viral/cerebrospinal fluid , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/urine , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , West Nile Fever/cerebrospinal fluid , West Nile Fever/diagnosis , West Nile Fever/urine , West Nile virus/isolation & purification
11.
Clin Infect Dis ; 66(8): 1173-1180, 2018 04 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29300893

ABSTRACT

Background: To improve our understanding of the natural history of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in humans, we described the dynamics of ZIKV RNA shedding in different body fluids and antibody responses in patients with acute infection. Methods: Twenty-nine adults with travel-associated infection and 1 case of sexual transmission were enrolled and followed up with weekly ZIKV RNA testing in blood, urine, saliva, and semen samples and antibody testing. Results: ZIKV RNA was detected in plasma, urine, and saliva of 57%, 93.1%, and 69.2% of participants, with estimated median times to clearance of 11.5 days (interquartile range [IQR] 6-24 days), 24 days (IQR, 17-34), and 14 days (IQR, 8-31), respectively. In 2 pregnant women, ZIKV RNA persisted in blood until delivery of apparently healthy infants. ZIKV RNA was detected in semen of 5 of 10 tested men; median time to clearance was 25 days (IQR 14-29), and the longest time of shedding in semen was 370 days. In flavivirus-naive patients, the median times to detection of ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1)-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were estimated as 8 days (IQR, 5-15 days) and 17 days (IQR, 12-26 days), respectively. ZIKV NS1 IgM antibodies were undetectable in patients with previous dengue. Conclusions: Prolonged viremia and ZIKV RNA shedding in urine, saliva, and semen occur frequently in patients with acute ZIKV infection. At the time of diagnosis, about half of patients are ZIKV IgM negative. ZIKV NS1 IgM antibodies remain undetectable in patients with previous dengue. Estimates of the times to viral clearance and seroconversion are useful to optimize diagnostic algorithms.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Zika Virus Infection/virology , Zika Virus/immunology , Acute Disease , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Infant , Italy , Male , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Saliva/virology , Semen/virology , Travel , Viremia , Virus Shedding , Young Adult , Zika Virus/genetics , Zika Virus/physiology , Zika Virus Infection/diagnosis , Zika Virus Infection/immunology
12.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 24(1)2018 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29058663

ABSTRACT

Yellow fever virus RNA is usually detected in blood of infected humans. We detected virus RNA in urine and semen samples from a convalescent patient. A complete virus genome was sequenced for an isolate from a urine sample. This virus had a South American I genotype and unique synapomorphic changes.


Subject(s)
Semen/virology , Yellow Fever/epidemiology , Yellow fever virus , Aged , Brazil/epidemiology , Humans , Male , RNA, Viral/analysis , RNA, Viral/urine , Semen/chemistry , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Yellow Fever/urine , Yellow fever virus/genetics
13.
BMC Infect Dis ; 18(1): 273, 2018 06 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29898712

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Due to the increasing number of DCD transplantations since 2015, the transmission of rabies through solid organ transplantation has become a notable problem in China and has attracted the attention of the public. CASE PRESENTATION: From 2015 to 2017, four solid organ recipients in our centre were successively diagnosed with rabies that was considered to have been transmitted from two donors who died due to viral encephalitis of unknown cause and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The incubation periods were 44, 48, 158 and 303 days. The four patients had neurological symptoms associated with rabies and died. The survival times were 44, 34, 8 and 6 days. Another kidney transplant recipient received timely post-exposure prophylaxis and has remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Organs should be discarded whenever rabies is confirmed or suspected, especially in cases diagnosed as encephalitis of unknown cause. It is important to establish a supervisory system to manage donor-derived infectious diseases. When rabies-infected donor organs are inadvertently transplanted, the recipients must receive post-exposure prophylaxis in a timely manner, which may be the only possible effective method to prevent the transmission of rabies.


Subject(s)
Encephalitis, Viral/diagnosis , Organ Transplantation , Rabies/diagnosis , Adult , Child , Encephalitis, Viral/etiology , Encephalitis, Viral/mortality , Female , Humans , Kidney Transplantation , Male , Middle Aged , Post-Exposure Prophylaxis , RNA, Viral/urine , Rabies/mortality , Rabies/transmission , Rabies virus/genetics , Rabies virus/isolation & purification , Saliva/virology , Sputum/virology , Tissue Donors
14.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 23(7): 1223-1225, 2017 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28445122

ABSTRACT

We report a case of Zika virus infection that was imported to Japan by a traveler returning from Vietnam. We detected Zika virus RNA in the patient's saliva, urine, and whole blood. In the Zika virus strain isolated from the urine, we found clearly smaller plaques than in previous strains.


Subject(s)
Zika Virus Infection/virology , Zika Virus/physiology , Adult , Genome, Viral , Humans , Japan , Male , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/isolation & purification , RNA, Viral/urine , Saliva/virology , Travel , Vietnam , Zika Virus Infection/blood , Zika Virus Infection/urine
15.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 23(1): 99-101, 2017 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27748649

ABSTRACT

Infection with Zika virus is an emerging public health crisis. We observed prolonged detection of virus RNA in vaginal mucosal swab specimens and whole blood for a US traveler with acute Zika virus infection who had visited Honduras. These findings advance understanding of Zika virus infection and provide data for additional testing strategies.


Subject(s)
RNA, Viral/blood , Vagina/virology , Zika Virus Infection/virology , Adult , Animals , Chlorocebus aethiops , Culture Media, Conditioned/chemistry , Female , Honduras , Humans , RNA, Viral/urine , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Saliva/virology , Time Factors , Travel , United States , Vagina/metabolism , Vero Cells , Zika Virus/genetics , Zika Virus/growth & development , Zika Virus Infection/blood , Zika Virus Infection/physiopathology , Zika Virus Infection/urine
16.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 23(1): 137-139, 2017 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27748650

ABSTRACT

Zika virus is normally transmitted by mosquitos, but cases of sexual transmission have been reported. We describe a patient with symptomatic Zika virus infection in whom the virus was detected in semen for 92 days. Our findings support recommendations for 6 months of barrier contraceptive use after symptomatic Zika virus infection.


Subject(s)
Semen/virology , Zika Virus Infection/virology , Zika Virus/isolation & purification , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Brazil , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Viral/urine , Time Factors , Travel , United Kingdom , Zika Virus/genetics , Zika Virus/immunology , Zika Virus/pathogenicity , Zika Virus Infection/blood , Zika Virus Infection/transmission , Zika Virus Infection/urine
17.
J Clin Microbiol ; 55(7): 2198-2203, 2017 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28468854

ABSTRACT

The Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas poses a public health emergency that requires a swift response. Accurate and reliable ZIKV diagnostic tests serve as an important tool for limiting the spread of ZIKV infections. The Aptima Zika virus assay (Hologic, Marlborough, MA) performed on the automated Panther system is a rapid and high-throughput method for detecting ZIKV RNA using transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) technology. We evaluated the performance characteristics of the Aptima Zika virus assay on clinical serum and urine specimens (n = 124) from two different patient populations and samples spiked with ZIKV from three different lineages (n = 10). Compared to the real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) reference method, the Aptima ZIKV assay detected ZIKV RNA with a diagnostic accuracy of 94.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.4 to 97.6), a sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI, 73.5 to 99.9), and a specificity of 94.8% (95% CI, 88.9 to 97.8). Similar results were obtained regardless of whether a serum or urine source was used. The limits of detection of the assay at a 95% detection probability were 11.5 genome copy equivalents (GCE)/ml (95% fiducial limits, 7.9 to 20.2) in serum and 17.9 GCE/ml (95% fiducial limits, 13.1 to 27.5) in urine. The Aptima Zika virus assay results were highly reproducible (99%), and no cross-reactivity was seen during the testing of a panel of 95 specimens with potentially interfering substances, such as clinically relevant bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including other flaviviruses. The excellent performance characteristics and the convenience of a fully automated testing system make the Aptima ZIKV assay an attractive choice for clinical laboratories detecting ZIKV RNA from serum and urine.


Subject(s)
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Zika Virus Infection/diagnosis , Zika Virus/isolation & purification , Animals , Automation, Laboratory/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , RNA, Viral/genetics , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Zika Virus/genetics
18.
BMC Infect Dis ; 17(1): 778, 2017 12 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29258444

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The recent emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil and its precipitous expansion throughout the Americas has highlighted the urgent need for a rapid and reliable on-site diagnostic assay suitable for viral detection. Such point-of-need (PON), low-cost diagnostics are essential for ZIKV control in vulnerable areas with limited resources. METHODS: We developed and evaluated a ZIKV-specific field-deployable RT-iiPCR reagent set targeting the E gene for rapid detection of ZIKV in ZIKV-spiked human and mosquito specimens, and compared its performance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) RT-qPCR assays targeting the E and NS2B genes, respectively. RESULTS: These assays demonstrated exclusive specificity for ZIKV (African and Asian lineages), had limits of detection ranging from 10 to 100 in vitro transcribed RNA copies/µl and detection endpoints at 10 plaque forming units/ml of infectious tissue culture fluid. Analysis of human whole blood, plasma, serum, semen, urine, and mosquito pool samples spiked with ZIKV showed an agreement of 90% (k = 0.80), 92% (k = 0.82), 95% (k = 0.86), 92% (k = 0.81), 90% (k = 0.79), and 100% (k = 1), respectively, between the RT-iiPCR assay and composite results from the reference RT-qPCR assays. Overall, the concurrence between the ZIKV RT-iiPCR and the reference RT-qPCR assays was 92% (k = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: The ZIKV RT-iiPCR has a performance comparable to the reference CDC and PAHO RT-qPCR assays but provides much faster results (~1.5 h) with a field-deployable system that can be utilized as a PON diagnostic with the potential to significantly improve the quality of the health care system in vulnerable areas.


Subject(s)
RNA, Viral/analysis , Zika Virus Infection/diagnosis , Zika Virus/genetics , Animals , Culicidae/virology , Humans , Point-of-Care Systems , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Sensitivity and Specificity , Zika Virus/isolation & purification , Zika Virus Infection/virology
19.
BMC Infect Dis ; 17(1): 55, 2017 01 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28068904

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The magnitude of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic has led to a declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO. Findings of viable viral particles in semen for several weeks are corroborating reports of sexual transmission of ZIKV. Serious consequences of a positive diagnostic result particularly in the pregnant patient are calling for precise diagnostic tools also at later time points after infection. Currently, recommendations suggest a diagnostic period of direct viral detection of 5 to 7 days after onset of symptoms in serum or plasma, and up to 3 weeks in urine samples. CASE PRESENTATION: A vasectomized 41-year-old German returning from Martinique presented at the outpatient clinic of the Department for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Munich, with subfebrile temperature, rash, malaise, severe retro-orbital pain and occipital lymphadenopathy. The main complaints resolved after ten days without specific treatment. We are reporting on clinical course and results of direct and indirect detection methods of ZIKV in different sample types including whole blood, ejaculate, urine, serum, plasma and saliva samples up to 119 days post symptom onset. Ejaculate samples remained PCR positive for ZIKV until day 77, whole blood samples until day 101. CONCLUSIONS: The case presentation adds to the still limited knowledge of kinetics of detection of ZIKV by direct as well as indirect methods. Here, a complete data set including results from PCR, serology and cell culture is provided allowing an improved evaluation of optimum diagnostic periods for testing a variety of sample types. Moreover, a high viral load of ZIKV RNA was detected in ejaculate of the vasectomized patient. This finding sheds new light on the possible localizations of ZIKV replication in the human male reproductive tract.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/immunology , RNA, Viral/metabolism , Saliva/virology , Semen/virology , Zika Virus Infection/transmission , Zika Virus/genetics , Adult , Epidemics , Humans , Kinetics , Male , Martinique , RNA, Viral/blood , RNA, Viral/urine , Saliva/immunology , Semen/immunology , Travel , Vasectomy , Viral Load , Zika Virus Infection/epidemiology
20.
BMC Infect Dis ; 17(1): 293, 2017 04 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28427352

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Zika, dengue, and chikungunya are three mosquito-borne viruses having overlapping transmission vectors. They cause diseases having similar symptoms in human patients, but requiring different immediate management steps. Therefore, rapid (< one hour) discrimination of these three viruses in patient samples and trapped mosquitoes is needed. The need for speed precludes any assay that requires complex up-front sample preparation, such as extraction of nucleic acids from the sample. Also precluded in robust point-of-sampling assays is downstream release of the amplicon mixture, as this risks contamination of future samples that will give false positives. METHODS: Procedures are reported that directly test urine and plasma (for patient diagnostics) or crushed mosquito carcasses (for environmental surveillance). Carcasses are captured on paper samples carrying quaternary ammonium groups (Q-paper), which may be directly introduced into the assay. To avoid the time and instrumentation requirements of PCR, the procedure uses loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Downstream detection is done in sealed tubes, with dTTP-dUTP mixtures in the LAMP with a thermolabile uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG); this offers a second mechanism to prevent forward contamination. Reverse transcription LAMP (RT-LAMP) reagents are distributed dry without requiring a continuous chain of refrigeration. RESULTS: The tests detect viral RNA in unprocessed urine and other biological samples, distinguishing Zika, chikungunya, and dengue in urine and in mosquitoes infected with live Zika and chikungunya viruses. The limits of detection (LODs) are ~0.71 pfu equivalent viral RNAs for Zika, ~1.22 pfu equivalent viral RNAs for dengue, and ~38 copies of chikungunya viral RNA. A handheld, battery-powered device with an orange filter was constructed to visualize the output. Preliminary data showed that this architecture, working with pre-prepared tubes holding lyophilized reagent/enzyme mixtures and shipped without a chain of refrigeration, also worked with human plasma samples to detect chikungunya and dengue in Pune, India. CONCLUSIONS: A kit, complete with a visualization device, is now available for point-of-sampling detection of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. The assay output is read in ca. 30 min by visualizing (human eye) three-color coded fluorescence signals. Assay in dried format allows it to be run in low-resource environments.


Subject(s)
Chikungunya Fever/diagnosis , Dengue/diagnosis , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods , Zika Virus Infection/diagnosis , Animals , Chikungunya virus/genetics , Culicidae , Dengue/blood , Dengue/urine , Dengue Virus/genetics , Dengue Virus/pathogenicity , Female , Humans , India , Limit of Detection , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/instrumentation , RNA, Viral/analysis , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/urine , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Reverse Transcription , Zika Virus/genetics , Zika Virus/isolation & purification , Zika Virus/pathogenicity
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