Viral load decrease in SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron sublineages infection after treatment with monoclonal antibodies and direct antiviral agents.

The efficacy on the Omicron variant of the approved early coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) therapies, especially monoclonal antibodies, has been challenged by in vitro neutralization data, while data on in vivo antiviral activity are lacking. We assessed potential decrease from Day 1 to Day 7 viral load (VL) in nasopharyngeal swabs of outpatients receiving Sotrovimab, Molnupiravir, Remdesivir, or Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 due to sublineages BA.1 or BA.2, and average treatment effect by weighted marginal linear regression models. A total of 521 patients (378 BA.1 [73%], 143 [27%] BA.2) received treatments (Sotrovimab 202, Molnupiravir 117, Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir 84, and Remdesivir 118): median age 66 years, 90% vaccinated, median time from symptoms onset 3 days. Day 1 mean VL was 4.12 log2 (4.16 for BA.1 and 4.01 for BA.2). The adjusted analysis showed that Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir significantly reduced VL compared to all the other drugs, except versus Molnupiravir in BA.2. Molnupiravir was superior to Remdesivir in both BA.1 and BA.2, and to Sotrovimab in BA.2. Sotrovimab had better activity than Remdesivir only against BA.1. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir showed the greatest antiviral activity against Omicron variant, comparable to Molnupiravir only in the BA.2 subgroup. VL decrease could be a valuable surrogate of drug activity in the context of the high prevalence of vaccinated people and low probability of hospital admission.

Temporal intra-host variability of mpox virus genomes in multiple body tissues.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has been widely used for the genomic characterization and the phylogenesis of mpox virus (MPXV) 2022 multi-country outbreak. To date, no evidence has been reported on intra-host evolution within samples collected over time from a single patient with long-term infection. Fifty-one samples were collected from five patients at different time points post-symptom onset. All samples were confirmed as MPXV DNA positive, amplified by a multiplexed PCR amplicon, and sequenced by WGS. Complete MPXV genomes were assembled by reference mapping and then aligned to perform phylogenetic and hierarchical clustering analysis. Large intra-host variability was observed among the MPXV genomes sequenced from samples of two immunocompromised with advanced HIV-1 infection patients with prolonged MPXV shedding. Overall, 20 nucleotide mutations were identified in the 32 genomes from HIV patients, differently distributed in samples collected from different tissues and at different time points. No sequence compartmentalization nor variation was observed in the three patients with rapid viral clearance. MPXV exhibits adaptation to changing environments within the infected host and consequently demonstrates tissue compartmentalization. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of this adaptation in forming a pool of genetic variability and contributing to viral persistence and its clinical implications.

Effect of tecovirimat on healing time and viral clearance by emulation of a target trial in patients hospitalized for mpox.

Tecovirimat is a treatment option for severe mpox, although randomized clinical trials are ongoing. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of tecovirimat on healing time and the extent of viral clearance by target trial emulation using observational data. Clinical and virological data of patients hospitalized for mpox were collected. Samples from the upper respiratory tract (URT) were grouped in two time points: T1 (median 6 days from symptoms onset) and T2 (median 5 days from T1). Patients were followed-up until recovery. Average treatment effect (ATE) in patients untreated versus treated with tecovirimat was estimated on time to healing and variation in viral load in URT, using a weighted and cloning analysis. Among the 41 patients included, 19 completed a course of tecovirimat. The median time from symptoms onset to hospitalization and to drug-starting was 4 days and 10 days, respectively. No improvement in healing time in treated versus untreated was observed. No difference by treatment group in time to viral clearance was detected by ATE fitted in a subset of 13 patients after controlling for confounders. We found no evidence for a large effect of tecovirimat in shortening healing time and viral clearance. While awaiting the results of randomized studies, the use of tecovirimat should be restricted to the clinical trial setting.

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Nasopharyngeal Swab and Saliva Samples from Patients Infected with Omicron Variant.

To compare the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in nasopharyngeal-swab (NPS) and oral saliva samples. 255 samples were obtained from 85 Omicron-infected patients. SARS-CoV-2 load was measured in the NPS and saliva samples by using Simplexa™ COVID-19 direct and Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 AMP assays. Results obtained with the two diagnostic platforms showed very good inter-assay concordance (91.4 and 82.4% for saliva and NPS samples, respectively) and a significant correlation among cycle threshold (Ct) values. Both platforms revealed a highly significant correlation among Ct obtained in the two matrices. Although the median Ct value was lower in NPS than in saliva samples, the Ct drop was comparable in size for both types of samples after 7 days of antiviral treatment of the Omicron-infected patients. Our result demonstrates that the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is not influenced by the type of sample used for PCR analysis, and that saliva can be used as an alternative specimen for detection and follow-up of Omicron-infected patients.

Humoral and Cellular Immune Response Elicited by mRNA Vaccination Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy Based on Current CD4 T-Lymphocyte Count.

BACKGROUND: Data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunogenicity in PLWH are currently limited. Aim of the study was to investigate immunogenicity according to current CD4 T-cell count. METHODS: PLWH on ART attending a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination program, were included in a prospective immunogenicity evaluation after receiving BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273. Participants were stratified by current CD4 T-cell count (poor CD4 recovery, PCDR: <200/mm3; intermediate CD4 recovery, ICDR: 200-500/mm3; high CD4 recovery, HCDR: >500/mm3). RBD-binding IgG, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and IFN-γ release were measured. As control group, HIV-negative healthcare workers (HCWs) were used. FINDINGS: Among 166 PLWH, after 1 month from the booster dose, detectable RBD-binding IgG were elicited in 86.7% of PCDR, 100% of ICDR, 98.7% of HCDR, and a neutralizing titre ≥1:10 elicited in 70.0%, 88.2%, and 93.1%, respectively. Compared to HCDR, all immune response parameters were significantly lower in PCDR. After adjusting for confounders, current CD4 T-cell <200/mm3 significantly predicted a poor magnitude of anti-RDB, nAbs and IFN-γ response. As compared with HCWs, PCDR elicited a consistently reduced immunogenicity for all parameters, ICDR only a reduced RBD-binding antibody response, whereas HCDR elicited a comparable immune response for all parameters. CONCLUSION: Humoral and cell-mediated immune response against SARS-CoV-2 were elicited in most of PLWH, albeit significantly poorer in those with CD4 T-cell <200/mm3 versus those with >500 cell/mm3 and HIV-negative controls. A lower RBD-binding antibody response than HCWs was also observed in PLWH with CD4 T-cell 200-500/mm3, whereas immune response elicited in PLWH with a CD4 T-cell >500/mm3 was comparable to HIV-negative population.

Detection of recombinant breakpoint in the genome of human enterovirus E11 strain associated with a fatal nosocomial outbreak.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to characterize the genome of a recombinant Enterovirus associated with severe and fatal nosocomial infection; it was typed as Echovirus 11 (E-11) according to the VP1 gene. Enterovirus infection is generally asymptomatic and self-limited, but occasionally it may progress to a more severe clinical manifestation, as in the case described here. Recombination plays a crucial role in the evolution of Enteroviruses (EVs) and has been recognized as the main driving force behind the emergence of epidemic strains associated with severe infection. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to monitor the circulation of recombinant strains for surveillance purposes. METHODS: Enterovirus-RNA was detected in the serum and liver biopsy of patients involved in the nosocomial cluster by commercial One-Step qRT-PCR method and the Enterovirus strains were isolated in vitro. The EVs typing was determined by analyzing the partial-length of the 5'UTR and VP1 sequences with the web-based open-access Enterovirus Genotyping Tool Version 0.1. The amplicons targeting 5'UTR, VP1 and overlapping fragments of the entire genome were sequenced with the Sanger method. Phylogenetic analysis was performed comparing the VP1 and the full-genome sequences of our strains against an appropriate reference set of Enterovirus prototypes of the Picornaviridae genera and species retrieved from the Enterovirus Genotyping Tool. Recombination analysis was performed using RDP4 software. RESULTS: The Neighbor-Joining tree of the VP1 gene revealed that the 4 patients were infected with an identical molecular variant of Echovirus 11 (E-11). While the phylogenetic and the RDP4 analysis of the full-genome sequences provided evidence that it was a chimeric strain between an E-11 and a Coxsackievirus B (CV-B). CONCLUSIONS: The chimeric structure of the E-11 genome might have contributed to the severe infection and epidemic feature of the strain, but further biological characterizations are needed. The evidence reported in this study, highlights the limit of typing techniques based on the VP1 gene, as they fail to identify the emergence of recombinant strains with potentially more pathogenic or epidemic properties, thus providing only partial information on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Enteroviruses.

Spatial modes for transmission of chikungunya virus during a large chikungunya outbreak in Italy: a modeling analysis.

BACKGROUND: The spatial spread of many mosquito-borne diseases occurs by focal spread at the scale of a few hundred meters and over longer distances due to human mobility. The relative contributions of different spatial scales for transmission of chikungunya virus require definition to improve outbreak vector control recommendations. METHODS: We analyzed data from a large chikungunya outbreak mediated by the mosquito Aedes albopictus in the Lazio region, Italy, consisting of 414 reported human cases between June and November 2017. Using dates of symptom onset, geographic coordinates of residence, and information from epidemiological questionnaires, we reconstructed transmission chains related to that outbreak. RESULTS: Focal spread (within 1 km) accounted for 54.9% of all cases, 15.8% were transmitted at a local scale (1-15 km) and the remaining 29.3% were exported from the main areas of chikungunya circulation in Lazio to longer distances such as Rome and other geographical areas. Seventy percent of focal infections (corresponding to 38% of the total 414 cases) were transmitted within a distance of 200 m (the buffer distance adopted by the national guidelines for insecticide spraying). Two main epidemic clusters were identified, with a radius expanding at a rate of 300-600 m per month. The majority of exported cases resulted in either sporadic or no further transmission in the region. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggest that human mobility contributes to seeding a relevant number of secondary cases and new foci of transmission over several kilometers. Reactive vector control based on current guidelines might allow a significant number of secondary clusters in untreated areas, especially if the outbreak is not detected early. Existing policies and guidelines for control during outbreaks should recommend the prioritization of preventive measures in neighboring territories with known mobility flows to the main areas of transmission.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a paucisymptomatic patient: epidemiological and clinical challenge in settings with limited community transmission, Italy, February 2020.

Data concerning the transmission of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in paucisymptomatic patients are lacking. We report an Italian paucisymptomatic case of coronavirus disease 2019 with multiple biological samples positive for SARS-CoV-2. This case was detected using the World Health Organization protocol on cases and contact investigation. Current discharge criteria and the impact of extra-pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 samples are discussed.

Detection of Viral RNA in Tissues following Plasma Clearance from an Ebola Virus Infected Patient.

An unprecedented Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic occurred in 2013-2016 in West Africa. Over this time the epidemic exponentially grew and moved to Europe and North America, with several imported cases and many Health Care Workers (HCW) infected. Better understanding of EBOV infection patterns in different body compartments is mandatory to develop new countermeasures, as well as to fully comprehend the pathways of human-to-human transmission. We have longitudinally explored the persistence of EBOV-specific negative sense genomic RNA (neg-RNA) and the presence of positive sense RNA (pos-RNA), including both replication intermediate (antigenomic-RNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, in the upper and lower respiratory tract, as compared to plasma, in a HCW infected with EBOV in Sierra Leone, who was hospitalized in the high isolation facility of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" (INMI), Rome, Italy. We observed persistence of pos-RNA and neg-RNAs in longitudinally collected specimens of the lower respiratory tract, even after viral clearance from plasma, suggesting possible local replication. The purpose of the present study is to enhance the knowledge on the biological features of EBOV that can contribute to the human-to-human transmissibility and to develop effective intervention strategies. However, further investigation is needed in order to better understand the clinical meaning of viral replication and shedding in the respiratory tract.

Early improvement of glycaemic control after virus clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis C and severe liver fibrosis: a cohort study.

HCV has been recognized as the cause of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) since 1990. CHC is associated with progressive liver damage and extrahepatic conditions. Direct antiviral agents (DAAs), approved in 2014, have shown effectiveness in eradicating HCV in most patients. However, little is known about the effect of viral eradication on hepatic and extra-hepatic damage. We performed a historical cohort study of patients with HCV-related liver diseases who achieved SVR from March 2015 to October 2016 at INMI Lazzaro Spallanzani liver Unit in Rome (Italy). Repeated measures of glycaemia were analysed through a multilevel analysis framework to assess short time kinetics of blood glucose level at different times after therapy and for different levels of HCV viremia. The analysis included 205 patients. A model assessing temporal kinetics and variation of glycaemia according to HCV viremia provided evidence that blood glucose levels significantly dropped in patients with diabetes achieving SVR. Most of the variations occurred at 3-5 weeks of therapy (-17.96 mg/dL; p<0.001) and in coincidence with HCV clearance (-13.92 mg/dL; p<0.001). A weak, non-statistically significant reduction was observed in normoglycemic patients. Our study provides evidence that DAAs therapy may significantly improve glycaemic control in patients with CHC achieving SVR even when liver diseases are already established.

Relationship Between Viremia and Specific Organ Damage in Ebola Patients: A Cohort Study.

Background: Pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease remains poorly understood. We used concomitant determination of routine laboratory biomarkers and Ebola viremia to explore the potential role of viral replication in specific organ damage. Methods: We recruited patients with detectable Ebola viremia admitted to the EMERGENCY Organizzazione Non Governativa Organizzazione Non Lucrativa di Utilità Sociale (ONG ONLUS) Ebola Treatment Center in Sierra Leone. Repeated measure of Ebola viremia, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), activated prothrombin time (aPTT), international normalized ratio (INR), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were recorded. Patients were followed up from admission until death or discharge. Results: One hundred patients (49 survivors and 51 nonsurvivors) were included in the analysis. Unadjusted analysis to compare survivors and nonsurvivors provided evidence that all biomarkers were significantly above the normal range and that the extent of these abnormalities was generally higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Multivariable mixed-effects models provided strong evidence for a biological gradient (suggestive of a direct role in organ damage) between the viremia levels and either ALT, AST, CPK LDH, aPTT, and INR. In contrast, no direct linear association was found between viremia and either creatinine, BUN, or bilirubin. Conclusions: This study provides evidence to support that Ebola virus may have a direct role in muscular damage and imbalance of the coagulation system. We did not find strong evidence suggestive of a direct role of Ebola virus in kidney damage. The role of the virus in liver damage remains unclear, but our evidence suggests that acute severe liver injury is not a typical feature of Ebola virus disease.

Impact of new DAA therapy on real clinical practice: a multicenter region-wide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Management of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has significantly accelerated in the last few years. Currently, second generation direct acting antivirals (DAAs) promise clearance of infection in most of patients. Here we present the results of the first analysis carried out on data of Lazio clinical network for DAAs. METHODS: The study was designed as a multicenter cohort: a) to assess the evolution of treatment during the first 24 months of the activity of the Clinical Network; b) to report overall efficacy of treatments; c) to analyze potential factors associated with lack of virological response at 12 weeks after therapy (SVR12); d) to evaluate the variation of ALT at baseline and 12 weeks after therapy in those who achieved SVR12 in comparison to those who did not. Analyses of efficacy were carried out with multilevel mixed effect logistic regression model. ALT temporal variation was assessed by mixed effect model mixed models with random intercept at patient's level and random slope at the level of the time; i.e. either before or after therapy. RESULTS: Between 30 December 2014 and 31 December 2016 5279 patients started a DAA treatment; of those, 5127 (in 14 clinical centers) had completed the 12-week follow-up. Overall proportion of SVR12 was 93.41% (N = 4780) with no heterogeneity between the 14 clinical centers. Interruption as the consequence of severe side effect was very low (only 23 patients). Unadjusted analysis indicates that proportion of SVR12 significantly changes according to patient's baseline characteristics, however after adjusting for potential confounders only adherence to current guidelines, stage of liver diseases, gender, transplant and HIV status were independently associated with the response to therapy. Analysis of ALT temporal variation showed that ALT level normalized in most, but not, all patients who achieved SVR12. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed the extraordinary efficacy of DAAs outside clinical trials. The advantage of DAAs was particularly significant for those patients who were previously considered as difficult-to-treat and did not have treatment options before DAAs era. Intervention based on network of select centers and prioritization of patients according to diseases severity was successful. Further studies are needed to establish whether clearance of HCV after DAAs therapy can arrest or even revert liver fibrosis in non-cirrhotic patients and/or improve life quality and expectancy in those who achieve SVR12 with cirrhosis.

Measles Cases during Ebola Outbreak, West Africa, 2013-2106.

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa caused breakdowns in public health systems, which might have caused outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. We tested 80 patients admitted to an Ebola treatment center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for measles. These patients were negative for Ebola virus. Measles virus IgM was detected in 13 (16%) of the patients.

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - A Continuing Risk to Global Health Security.

Two new zoonotic coronaviruses causing disease in humans (Zumla et al. 2015a; Hui and Zumla 2015; Peiris et al. 2003; Yu et al. 2014) have been the focus of international attention for the past 14 years due to their epidemic potential; (1) The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (Peiris et al. 2003) first discovered in China in 2001 caused a major global epidemic of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). (2) The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a new corona virus isolated for the first time in a patients who died of severe lower respiratory tract infection in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) in June 2012 (Zaki et al. 2012). The disease has been named Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and it has remained on the radar of global public health authorities because of recurrent nosocomial and community outbreaks, and its association with severe disease and high mortality rates (Assiri et al. 2013a; Al-Abdallat et al. 2014; Memish et al. 2013a; Oboho et al. 2015; The WHO MERS-CoV Research Group 2013; Cotten et al. 2013a; Assiri et al. 2013b; Memish et al. 2013b; Azhar et al. 2014; Kim et al. 2015; Wang et al. 2015; Hui et al. 2015a). Cases of MERS have been reported from all continents and have been linked with travel to the Middle East (Hui et al. 2015a; WHO 2015c). The World Health Organization (WHO) have held nine meetings of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) regarding MERS-CoV (WHO 2015c). There is wishful anticipation in the political and scientific communities that MERS-CoV like SARS-CoV will disappear with time. However it's been nearly 4 years since the first discovery of MERS-CoV, and MERS cases continue to be reported throughout the year from the Middle East (WHO 2015c). There is a large MERS-CoV camel reservoir, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine (Zumla et al. 2015a). With 10 million people visiting Saudi Arabia every year for Umrah and/or Hajj, the potential risk of global spread is ever present (Memish et al. 2014a; McCloskey et al. 2014; Al-Tawfiq et al. 2014a).

Analysis of Diagnostic Findings From the European Mobile Laboratory in Guéckédou, Guinea, March 2014 Through March 2015.

BACKGROUND: A unit of the European Mobile Laboratory (EMLab) consortium was deployed to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) treatment unit in Guéckédou, Guinea, from March 2014 through March 2015. METHODS: The unit diagnosed EVD and malaria, using the RealStar Filovirus Screen reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kit and a malaria rapid diagnostic test, respectively. RESULTS: The cleaned EMLab database comprised 4719 samples from 2741 cases of suspected EVD from Guinea. EVD was diagnosed in 1231 of 2178 hospitalized patients (57%) and in 281 of 563 who died in the community (50%). Children aged <15 years had the highest proportion of Ebola virus-malaria parasite coinfections. The case-fatality ratio was high in patients aged <5 years (80%) and those aged >74 years (90%) and low in patients aged 10-19 years (40%). On admission, RT-PCR analysis of blood specimens from patients who died in the hospital yielded a lower median cycle threshold (Ct) than analysis of blood specimens from survivors (18.1 vs 23.2). Individuals who died in the community had a median Ct of 21.5 for throat swabs. Multivariate logistic regression on 1047 data sets revealed that low Ct values, ages of <5 and ≥45 years, and, among children aged 5-14 years, malaria parasite coinfection were independent determinants of a poor EVD outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Virus load, age, and malaria parasite coinfection play a role in the outcome of EVD.

Liver transplant recipients and prioritization of anti-HCV therapy: an Italian cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), recurrence of infection after liver transplant (LT) is universal and associated with worst survival. We present the results of an Italian cohort to compare the 3-year outcome of HCV-Ab-positive and HCV-Ab-negative LT recipients and to assess the potential interaction between HCV-Ab sero-status and other risk factors for LT failure. METHODS: The study is a multicentre cohort including a sample of liver transplant centres. Participant's information was collected at the local level. The best functional form of variables was decided according to the objective methods based on information theory. Association between transplant failure and potential risk factors was assessed in univariate and multivariate Poisson regression model with random intercept. RESULTS: Between June 2007 and May 2009, 1164 LT recipients were enrolled in 16 Italian transplant centres, of them 275 (23.63%) experienced LT failure. Incidence rates of LT failure was 0.32 and 0.23 per 1000 person-days in HCV-Ab-positive and HCV-Ab-negative recipients respectively (P = 0.003). Inferential models according to Akaike information criterion indicated that donor-recipient age difference and donor-recipient sex matching were more informative to predict LT failure than the age and the sex as separate variables. Multivariate analysis provided evidence that HCV-Ab sero-status, time after LT, donor-recipient age difference, donor-recipient sex matching and recipient's MELD score were significantly associated with LT failure. Moreover, the effect of HCV-Ab sero-status on LT failure was modified by the simultaneous action of time after LT and donor-recipient age difference. No interaction was found between recipient's HCV-Ab sero-status and either recipient's MELD or donor-recipient sex matching. CONCLUSION: In view of the imminent introduction of new anti-HCV therapies, our study provides information to assess which LT recipients should be prioritized for receiving these highly effective, but expensive, new treatments. This is particularly relevant for those clinical settings where healthcare prioritization is endorsed by national authorities.

Short-term economic impact of the Zika virus outbreak.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes bites. However, transmission by sexual contacts has been reported in 11 non endemic countries. The rapid spread of ZIKV in Latin American and Caribbean Countries (LCR), person-to-person transmission and perceived risk on people's well being can affect the emerging economies of LCR which historically dependent on truism. Here we present an analysis on economic outputs for assessing the current impact of ZIKV on markets. Our analysis show an unexpected resilience of LCR markets to international alerts. This positive response represents an opportunity to scale-up interventions for preventing the further spreading of the ZIKV epidemic.

Ebola virus disease complicated with viral interstitial pneumonia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In the current Ebola epidemic in Western Africa, many healthcare workers have become infected. Some of these have been medically evacuated to hospitals in Europe and the USA. These clinical experiences provide unique insights into the course of Ebola virus disease under optimized condition within high level isolation units. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old Caucasian male physician contracted Ebola virus diseases in Sierra Leone and was medically evacuated to Italy. Few days after the admission the course of the illness was characterized by severe gastro-intestinal symptoms followed by respiratory failure, accompanied by pulmonary infiltration and high Ebola viral load in the bronchial aspirate and Plasmodium vivax co-infection. The patient received experimental antiviral therapy with favipiravir, convalescent plasma and ZMAb. Ebola viral load started to steadily decrease in the blood after ZMAb administration and became undetectable by day 19 after admission, while it persisted longer in urine samples. No temporal association was observed between viral load decay in plasma and administration of favipiravir. The patient completely recovered and was discharged 39 days after admission. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of Ebola-related interstitial pneumonia documented by molecular testing of lung fluid specimens. This reports underlines the pivotal role of fluid replacement and advanced life support with mechanical ventilation in the management of patients with Ebola virus diseases respiratory failure. Beside our finding indicates a close temporal association between administration of cZMAb and Ebola virus clearance from blood.

Triple therapy for hepatitis C improves viral response but also increases the risk of severe infections and anaemia: a frequentist meta-analysis approach.

This meta-analysis assesses the efficacy and safety of triple therapy with either boceprevir or telaprevir compared to the standard of care (SoC), pegylated interferon plus ribavirin, in patients chronically infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV). We included 10 randomized controlled trials comprising 33 individual treatment arms which enrolled 5,312 subjects. Meta-analysis for sustained virologic response (SVR) provided evidence that triple therapy with either boceprevir or telaprevir increased response by 1.76 times (CI-95% 1.63-1.89) in comparison with SoC. However, heterogeneity was strong (I-2 79.7% p for heterogeneity <0.001). Meta-analyses for severe adverse reactions (SAE) indicated that triple therapy increased the risk of any SAE, severe anaemia and severe infections by 1.52 (CI-95% 1.23-1.88), 2.29 (CI-95% 1.49-3.52) and 1.87 (CI-95% 1.19-2.95) times, respectively, with no detectable heterogeneity. Additional analyses showed that the exposure to previous interferon treatment may explain all the heterogeneity found in the SVR meta-analysis. Meta-analysis for dose response found that both SVR and SAE have a direct log-linear association with telaprevir exposure. This study provides evidence that triple therapy with boceprevir and telaprevir can remarkably increase both the proportion of SVR and the occurrence of SAEs.