Molecular Characterization of Imported and Autochthonous Dengue in Northeastern Spain.

Dengue is the most significant arbovirus worldwide and a public health threat to non-endemic areas in which Aedes vectors are present. Autochthonous dengue transmission has been reported in several European countries in the last decade. Infected travelers from endemic regions arriving to areas colonized by Aedes albopictus in Europe need to be monitored in surveillance and control programs. We aimed to perform molecular characterization of RT-PCR-positive dengue cases detected in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, from 2013 to 2018. The basic demographic information and the geographical regions of importation were also analyzed. One-hundred four dengue cases were studied (103 imported infections and the first autochthonous case in our region). The dengue virus strains detected were serotyped and genotyped using molecular methods, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted. All four dengue serotypes were detected in travelers, including up to 10 different genotypes, reflecting the global circulation of dengue in endemic areas. The primary travel-related case of the 2018 autochthonous transmission was not identified, but the molecular analysis revealed dengue serotype 1, genotype I of Asian origin. Our results highlight the diversity of imported dengue virus strains and the role of molecular epidemiology in supporting arbovirus surveillance programs.

Evaluation of a novel microfluidic immuno-magnetic agglutination assay method for detection of dengue virus NS1 antigen.

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus (DENV) is the most important arbovirus worldwide, causing infections in endemic countries and returning travellers from these areas. Rapid diagnostic tests are needed to improve patient management and monitor local transmission. The detection of DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a useful tool for the diagnosis, but the currently available methods can be time consuming or lack sensitivity. The objective of our study was to evaluate a new rapid and semi-quantitative microfluidic DENV NS1 immuno-magnetic agglutination assay based on aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles detected by an electronic reader (Virotrack Dengue Acute and Blubox, Blusense diagnostics, Copenhagen, Denmark). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A panel of 135 serum samples from travelers returning from dengue endemic countries was analyzed (74 DENV positive samples including the four DENV serotypes, 26 Zika virus positive samples, 25 chikungunya virus positive samples, 5 malaria positive samples and 5 negative samples). Samples were tested by three different antigen detection methods: SD Dengue NS1 Ag ELISA, SD BIOLINE Dengue Duo and ViroTrack Dengue Acute. The sensitivity observed for SD Dengue NS1 Ag ELISA, ViroTrack Dengue Acute and SD BIOLINE Dengue Duo was 97.2%, 91.1% and 68.1%, respectively. All methods showed high specificity (98.4% for ViroTrack Dengue Acute and 100% for both SD Dengue NS1 Ag ELISA and SD BIOLINE Dengue Duo). SD Dengue NS1 Ag ELISA and ViroTrack Dengue Acute only failed to detect samples positive for DENV-2. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: ViroTrack Dengue Acute is a sensitive and specific assay for DENV NS1 detection. It provides faster results than the ELISA method and a better performance than the rapid immunochromatographic tests. ViroTrack Dengue Acute could represent a valuable tool for rapid diagnosis of DENV infections in returning travellers from endemic countries.

Diagnostic Value of Platelet and Leukocyte Counts in the Differential Diagnosis of Fever in the Returning Traveler.

Malaria, arbovirus infection and travelers' diarrhea are among the most common etiologies of fever after a stay in the tropics. Because the initial symptoms of these diseases often overlap, the differential diagnostic remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to establish the effectiveness of platelet and leukocyte counts in the differential diagnosis of fever in the returning traveler. Between 2013 and 2016, patients with a clinical suspicion of malaria, who had thick blood smears performed were retrospectively included. The microbiological etiology of each episode was established based on molecular detection in the case of arbovirus infection, the detection of pathogens in stool samples for diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms and the thick and thin blood smear results for malaria. A total of 1,218 episodes were included. Malaria, arbovirus infection, and diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms caused 102 (8.4%), 68 (5.6%), and 72 (5.9%) episodes, respectively. The median platelet counts in malaria episodes were 89 × 109/L and thrombocytopenia (< 150,000 × 109 platelets/L) yielded a 98% negative predictive value to predict malaria. The median leukocyte counts in arbovirus infection episodes were 3.19 × 109/L and leucopenia (< 4 × 109 leukocytes/L) yielded a 97.9% negative predictive value to predict arbovirus infections. Platelet and leukocyte counts were not significantly altered in episodes caused by diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Initial platelet and leukocyte counts might be useful for the clinical differential diagnosis of fever in the returning traveler. Although these results are insufficient to establish a diagnosis, they should be considered in the initial clinical assessment.

Definitive diagnosis in suspected Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus cases.

We evaluated the microbiological diagnosis in 14 patients with epidemiological and clinical suspicion of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) attended in a non-endemic area between June 2015 and January 2017. While no MERS-CoV was detected, other respiratory viruses were identified in 12 cases and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 1 case.

Evaluation of a multiplex panel for the diagnosis of acute infectious diarrhea in immunocompromised hematologic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Diarrhea is a frequent complication in hematologic patients, being an infectious cause frequently suspected. Rapid and accurate detection of gastrointestinal pathogens is vital in immunocompromised hosts. The aim of this study was to compare routine diagnostic methods versus a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the diagnosis of infectious diarrhea in immunocompromised hematologic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study from March 2015 to January 2016 to compare conventional methods for the diagnosis of infectious diarrhea with FIlmArray GI Panel (BioFire-bioMérieux, France). Samples from adult immunocompromised hematologic patients with acute diarrhea were collected. In cases with discordant results, a second multiplex assay was performed (Allplex, Seegene, Korea). The result was considered positive or negative when the same result was obtained by at least two of the methods. RESULTS: A total of 95 samples were obtained from 95 patients (median age of 52 years (46-64)). Sixty-one (64%) episodes were hospital-acquired and 34 (36%) were community-acquired diarrhea. Twenty-five (26%) patients had a positive microbiological result, being Clostridium difficile the most frequent pathogen, followed by Campylobacter spp and norovirus. The concordance between FilmArray methods was good (k = 0.79). The FilmArray GI panel showed a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100% for positive results. The time required to obtain results was markedly reduced with the use of multiplex PCR methods. CONCLUSIONS: Multiplex molecular panels provide a rapid and sensitive tool for the diagnosis of infectious diarrhea, thereby allowing more timely clinical decisions in immunocompromised hematologic patients.

[Economic evaluation of desvenlafaxine in the treatment of major depressive disorder in Spain]. / Evaluación económica de la desvenlafaxina en el tratamiento de la depresión mayor en España.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the clinical and economic value of the use of 50mg-desvenlafaxine compared to the usual care (mix of duloxetine and venlafaxine) in the outpatient treatment of major depressive disorder after first line treatment failure (relapse) in Spain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Markov model was used to follow up a cohort of major depressive disorder patients for one year after failure of first-line treatment with a serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor and estimate outcome measures (percentage remission and depression-free days) and accrued and direct costs incurred during outpatient treatment of major depressive disorder. In order to obtain the efficacy data related to the treatment alternatives, a literature review of clinical trials was performed. A panel of clinical experts validated the use of clinical resources employed in the estimation of economic outcomes together with model assumptions. The analysis was performed in 2014 from the perspective of the National Health System. RESULTS: Due to fewer discontinuations, initiating second line treatment with desvenlafaxine was associated with more depression-free days and a higher percentage of patients in remission versus usual care: 1.7 days and 0.5%, respectively. This was translated into lower drug and events management costs, and an overall cost reduction of €108 for the National Health System. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who have not responded to a first-line serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor therapy, desvenlafaxine-50mg was clinically similar in effectiveness, but a less costly option, compared with a weighted average of duloxetine and venlafaxine for the second-line treatment of major depressive disorder patients from a payer (National Health System) perspective in Spain.

Use of a chronic model of articular cartilage and meniscal injury for the assessment of long-term effects after autologous mesenchymal stromal cell treatment in sheep.

Regenerative therapies using adult stem cells have attracted great interest in the recent years and offer a promising alternative to current surgical practices. In this report, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of an autologous cell-based treatment of osteoarthritis using mesenchymal stromal cells expanded from bone marrow aspirates that were administered intra-articularly. Ten 2-year old ewes were divided in two groups (for analysis at 6 and 12 months, respectively). Full thickness articular cartilage defects of approximately 60mm(2) were created arthroscopically in the medial femorotibial condyles and a meniscal tear in the anterior horn of the medial meniscus in the 20 hind legs. Intra-articular injection of 4 mL of either treatment (a suspension of cells) or control (same as treatment, without cells) were applied one month after generating a chronic condition similar to human pathology. Animals were monitored radiographically, by MRI and ultrasound scanning; and macroscopic and histological analyses were conducted at 6 and 12 months. Furthermore a full necropsy was performed at 12 months post-treatment. The intra-articular injection of autologous MSC was safe, as judged by the lack of local or systemic adverse effects during the clinical follow-up and by a full necropsy performed at 12 months post-treatment. Evidence of regeneration of articular cartilage and meniscus was case-dependent but statistically significant improvement was found in specific macroscopic and histological parameters. Such parameters included colour, rigidity, cell distribution and hyaline quality of the refill tissue as well as the structure of subchondral bone.