Environmental surveillance of a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 outbreak in Israel between 2022 and 2023: a genomic epidemiology study.

BACKGROUND: Similarly to wild poliovirus, vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) strains can cause acute flaccid paralysis, posing a considerable challenge to public health and the eradication of poliovirus. VDPV outbreaks, particularly VDPV type 2 (VDPV2), are increasing worldwide, including in high-income countries with high vaccine coverage. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the molecular epidemiology of a widespread VDPV2 outbreak in Israel in 2022-23 using conventional polio identification techniques and whole-genome sequencing. METHODS: In this genomic epidemiology study, we monitored and identified poliovirus type 2 (PV2) through the surveillance of stool samples from individuals with acute flaccid paralysis and related contacts, as well as environmental surveillance of sewage samples. Environmental surveillance involved 15 routine surveillance sites and an additional 30 sites dedicated to monitoring this outbreak, covering approximately 70% of Israel's population between April 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Additionally, we performed phylogenetic and mutation analyses using whole-genome, next-generation sequencing of PV2 isolates to identify recombination events, characterise VDPV2 lineages according to the capsid region, and establish the geographical distribution and linkage of PV2 isolates. FINDINGS: We detected 256 genetically linked samples from environmental surveillance, as well as one case of acute flaccid paralysis and four positive contacts associated with the Sabin type 2 oral vaccine strain. Most affected locations showed a high-density population of Jewish Ultra-Orthodox communities. Through high-resolution genomic characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of 202 representative sequences with complete capsid coverage, including isolates from both environmental surveillance and the case of acute flaccid paralysis, a conclusive linkage was established among all detections, confirming them to be part of a single VDPV2 outbreak. This strategy enabled the characterisation of three distinct lineages and established connections between different locations in Israel, including linking the case of acute flaccid paralysis and nearby environmental surveillance detections from the northern region with detections in the geographically distant central region. INTERPRETATION: This study highlights the role of environmental surveillance in the early detection and monitoring of poliovirus circulation, enabling a prompt public health response involving enhanced surveillance and a catch-up campaign with inactivated polio vaccine. Whole-genome sequencing offered valuable insights into the origins of the outbreak, linkage across detections, and the geographical distribution of the virus, with higher resolution than would have been possible with the standard analysis of the VP1 gene alone. FUNDING: None.

The Outbreak of Unexplained Acute Hepatitis in Children: The Role of Viral Infections in View of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: An increase in the number of cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin (HUO) in children was observed in 2021. Adenovirus and adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) infections have been suggested as possible triggers. However, the potential etiology is still unclear. We aimed to characterize a cohort of children with HUO in Israel in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Demographics, clinical data, and laboratory results on the children compatible with the CDC criteria for HUO were collected by the established registry of the Ministry of Health. Available specimens were sent to the Central Virology Laboratory. RESULTS: A total of 39 children were included in the registry. A total of 20 were enrolled prospectively, in which human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) infection or reactivation was identified in 11/19, adenovirus was found in 4/19 of the cases, and AAV2 was detected in 2/16. Past COVID-19 exposure was recorded for 24/39 of the children. A total of 10 children underwent liver biopsy, and 8 were successfully treated with steroids and 2 underwent liver transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic and the related containment measures combined with reactivation or active infection with other viruses could have been a trigger for the HUO outbreak. In our cohort, HHV6 was the most abundant finding.

Separating the wheat from the chaff - Optimizing the diagnosis of enterovirus-associated meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Enteroviruses (EV) comprise the single most common cause of aseptic meningitis with variable geographical and temporal epidemiology. While EV-PCR in CSF is considered a gold standard for diagnosis, it is not-uncommon to use stool EV as a surrogate. Our aim was to assess the clinical significance of EV-PCR-positive CSF and stool in the investigation of patients with neurological symptoms. METHODS: In this retrospective study from Sheba Medical centre, the largest tertiary hospital in Israel, we collected demographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients with EV-PCR-positive between 2016 and 2020. A comparison between various combinations of EV-PCR-positive CSF and stool was conducted. Data regarding EV strain-type and cycle threshold (Ct) were crossed with clinical symptoms and temporal kinetics. RESULTS: Between 2016-2020, 448 CSF samples with positive EV-PCR were recorded from unique patients, the vast majority of which were diagnosed with meningitis (98%, 443/448). Unlike the diverse strain types of EV background activity, meningitis-related EV showed a clear epidemic pattern. In comparison with the EV CSF+/Stool+ group, the EV CSF-/Stool+ group had frequently more alternative pathogens detected and a higher stool Ct-value. Clinically, EV CSF-/Stool+ patients were less febrile and more lethargic and convulsive. DISCUSSION: The comparison of the EV CSF+/Stool+ and CSF-/Stool+ groups suggests that putative diagnosis of EV meningitis is prudent in the febrile, non-lethargic non-convulsive patients with an EV-PCR-positive stool. Otherwise, the detection of stool EV only, in a non-epidemic setup, especially with a high Ct-value, may be incidental and mandate a continuous diagnostic effort for an alternative culprit.

Oral and fecal polio vaccine excretion following bOPV vaccination among Israeli infants.

INTRODUCTION: Inactivated polio virus (IPV) vaccinations are a mainstay of immunization schedules in developed countries, while oral polio vaccine (OPV) is administered in developing countries and is the main vaccine in outbreaks. Due to circulating wild poliovirus (WPV1) detection in Israel (2013), oral bivalent polio vaccination (bOPV) was administered to IPV primed children and incorporated into the vaccination regimen. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the extent and timeframe of fecal and salivary polio vaccine virus (Sabin strains) shedding following bOPV vaccination among IPV primed children. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from a convenience sample of infants and toddlers attending 11 Israeli daycare centers. Salivary samples were collected from infants and toddlers following bOPV vaccination. RESULTS: 398 fecal samples were collected from 251 children (ages: 6-32 months), 168 received bOPV vaccination 4-55 days prior to sample collection. Fecal excretion continued among 80 %, 50 %, and 20 %, 2, 3, and 7 weeks following vaccination. There were no significant differences in the rate and duration of positive samples among children immunized with 3 or 4 IPV doses. Boys were 2.3-fold more likely to excrete the virus (p = 0.006). Salivary shedding of Sabin strains occurred in 1/47 (2 %) and 1/49 (2 %) samples 4, and 6 days following vaccination respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fecal detection of Sabin strains among IPV-primed children continues for 7 weeks; additional doses of IPV do not augment intestinal immunity; limited salivary shedding occurs for up to a week. This data can enhance understanding of intestinal immunity achieved by different vaccination schedules and guide recommendations for contact precautions of children following bOPV vaccination.

Increased detection of Echovirus 6-associated meningitis in patients hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic, Israel 2021-2022.

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of enteroviral meningitis occur periodically and may lead to hospitalization and severe disease. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and describe the meningitis outbreak in patients hospitalized in Israel in 2021-2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In December 2021, before the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant, an off-season increase in enterovirus (EV) infections was observed among patients hospitalized with meningitis. In January 2022, enterovirus cases decreased by 66% in parallel with the peak of the Omicron wave, and then increased rapidly by 78% in March (compared with February) after a decline in Omicron cases. Sequencing of the enterovirus-positive samples showed a dominance of echovirus 6 (E-6) (29%) before and after the Omicron wave. Phylogenetic analysis found that all 29 samples were very similar and all clustered in the E-6 C1 subtype. The main E-6 symptoms observed were fever and headache, along with vomiting and neck stiffness. The median patient age was 25 years, with a broad range (0-60 years). CONCLUSION: An upsurge in enterovirus cases was observed after the decline of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave. The dominant subtype was E-6, which was present prior to the emergence of the omicron variant, but increased rapidly only after the omicron wave decline. We hypothesize that the omicron wave delayed the rise in E-6-associated meningitis.

Environmental surveillance detected type 3 vaccine-derived polioviruses in increasing frequency at multiple sites prior to detection of a poliomyelitis case.

Israel conducts routine environmental (15 sites) and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance for poliovirus. During September 2021, increasing numbers of wastewater samples collected from more than one site in the Jerusalem region proved positive for ambiguous type 3 vaccine-derived poliovirus (aVDPV3), while environmental samples from remaining sampling sites were negative. In late February 2022, a VDPV3, genetically related to the Jerusalem environmental surveillance samples, was isolated from a stool sample collected from a non-immunodeficient, non-immunized child from Jerusalem who developed AFP, indicating that the aVDPV3s were circulating (cVDPV3s) rather than immunodeficiency-related VDPV3s (iVDPVs). In response to these isolations, the Israel Ministry of Health launched a catch-up immunization program.

An Outbreak of Coxsackievirus B Type 2 Acute Meningoencephalitis in Children, Israel, July-September 2022.

During July-September 2022, 14 children suffering from meningoencephalitis tested positive for Coxsackievirus B2 (8 cerebrospinal fluid, 9 stool samples). Mean age 22 months (range 0-60 months); 8 were males. Seven of the children presented with ataxia and 2 had imaging features of rhombencephalitis, not previously described in association with Coxsackievirus B2.

Epidemiology of Type 3 Poliovirus AFP Cases in Israel between 1973 and 1988: Whole Genome Sequencing of RNA Extracted Directly from Archived Stocks to Avoid Re-Culturing Neurovirulent Wild Poliovirus.

BACKGROUND: Poliovirus post-eradication containment of wild-type 2 poliovirus (PV2) requires the destruction of all materials containing, or potentially containing, PV2. Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in Israel between 1973 and 1988 were caused by all three serotypes; thus, isolates from cases and case-contacts were either PV2 or potentially contaminated with PV2. AIMS: To provide a proof-of-concept that whole genome sequences (WGS) of wild-type 3 poliovirus (PV3s) could be salvaged from the RNA extracted directly from archived poliovirus stocks avoiding re-amplification of neurovirulent viruses, we link WGSs to case histories and determine the phylogenetic relationships among the PV3s. METHODS: Data retrieved from 427 poliovirus-positive cases reported between 1973 and 1988 identified 85 PV3-associated cases. A total of 71 archived PV3 isolates were available from PV3-positive cases and contacts. WGSs were obtained by NGS from cDNA libraries constructed from RNA extracted directly from archived viral stocks. Sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis and linked to case data. RESULTS: WGSs were successfully constructed for 55 isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation of seven lineages of PV3. One lineage, with 23 isolates, presented as an outbreak of six-year duration. Isolates from six other lineages were consistent with subsequent separate introductions, sporadic cases, and limited transmission. Recombinant vaccine-like PV3 recombinants were isolated from some cases. CONCLUSIONS: Whole or near-whole genome sequence information, obtained from RNA extracted directly from the archived material, safely provided detailed genetic information linked to patient data from a time when limited sequence information was previously available and revealed the pattern of transmission of wild PV3 in Israel.

Emergence of genetically linked vaccine-originated poliovirus type 2 in the absence of oral polio vaccine, Jerusalem, April to July 2022.

We report an emergence and increase in poliovirus type 2 detection via routine wastewater surveillance in three non-overlapping regions in the Jerusalem region, Israel, between April and July 2022. Sequencing showed genetic linkage among isolates and accumulation of mutations over time, with two isolates defined as vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPV). This demonstrates the emergence and potential circulation of type 2 VDPV in a high-income country with high vaccine coverage and underscores the importance of routine wastewater surveillance during the polio eradication.

National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel.

In this report, we describe a national-scale monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variant dynamics in Israel, using multiple-time sampling of 13 wastewater treatment plants. We used a combination of inclusive and selective quantitative PCR assays that specifically identify variants A19/A20 or B.1.1.7 and tested each sample for the presence and relative viral RNA load of each variant. We show that between December 2020 and March 2021, a complete shift in the SC-2 variant circulation was observed, where the B.1.1.7 replaced the A19 in all examined test points. We further show that the normalized viral load (NVL) values and the average new cases per week reached a peak in January 2021 and then decreased gradually in almost all test points, in parallel with the progression of the national vaccination campaign, during February-March 2021. This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring SC-2 variant by using a combination of inclusive and selective PCR tests on a national scale through wastewater sampling, which is far more amendable for high-throughput monitoring compared with sequencing. This approach may be useful for real-time dynamics surveillance of current and future variants, such as the Omicron (BA.1, BA.2) and other variants.

Monitoring of Enterovirus D68 Outbreak in Israel by a Parallel Clinical and Wastewater Based Surveillance.

Enterovirus D68 (EVD68) was recently identified as an important cause of respiratory illness and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), mostly in children. Here, we examined 472 pediatric patients diagnosed with severe respiratory illness and screened for EVD68 between April and October 2021. In parallel, samples collected from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) covering the residential area of the hospitalized patients were also tested for EVD68. Of the 472 clinical samples evaluated, 33 (7%) patients were positive for EVD68 RNA. All wastewater samples were positive for EVD68, with varying viral genome copy loads. Calculated EVD68 genome copies increased from the end of May until July 2021 and dramatically decreased at the beginning of August. A similar trend was observed in both clinical and wastewater samples during the period tested. Sequence analysis of EVD68-positive samples indicated that all samples originated from the same branch of subclade B3. This study is the first to use wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to monitor EVD68 dynamics by quantitative detection and shows a clear correlation with clinically diagnosed cases. These findings highlight the potential of WBE as an important tool for continuous surveillance of EVD68 and other enteroviruses.

City-level SARS-CoV-2 sewage surveillance.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a global crisis impacting not only healthcare systems, but also economics and society. Therefore, it is important to find novel methods for monitoring disease activity. Recent data have indicated that fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 is common, and that viral RNA can be detected in wastewater. This suggests that wastewater monitoring is a potentially efficient tool for both epidemiological surveillance, and early warning for SARS-CoV-2 circulation at the population level. In this study we sampled an urban wastewater infrastructure in the city of Ashkelon (Ì´ 150,000 population), Israel, during the end of the first COVID-19 wave in May 2020 when the number of infections seemed to be waning. We were able to show varying presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater from several locations in the city during two sampling periods, before the resurgence was clinically apparent. This was expressed with a new index, Normalized Viral Load (NVL) which can be used in different area scales to define levels of virus activity such as red (high) or green (no), and to follow morbidity in the population at the tested area. The rise in viral load between the two sampling periods (one week apart) indicated an increase in morbidity that was evident two weeks to a month later in the population. Thus, this methodology may provide an early indication for SARS-CoV-2 infection outbreak in a population before an outbreak is clinically apparent.

Inferring Numbers of Wild Poliovirus Excretors Using Quantitative Environmental Surveillance.

Response to and monitoring of viral outbreaks can be efficiently focused when rapid, quantitative, kinetic information provides the location and the number of infected individuals. Environmental surveillance traditionally provides information on location of populations with contagious, infected individuals since infectious poliovirus is excreted whether infections are asymptomatic or symptomatic. Here, we describe development of rapid (1 week turnaround time, TAT), quantitative RT-PCR of poliovirus RNA extracted directly from concentrated environmental surveillance samples to infer the number of infected individuals excreting poliovirus. The quantitation method was validated using data from vaccination with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). The method was then applied to infer the weekly number of excreters in a large, sustained, asymptomatic outbreak of wild type 1 poliovirus in Israel (2013) in a population where >90% of the individuals received three doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Evidence-based intervention strategies were based on the short TAT for direct quantitative detection. Furthermore, a TAT shorter than the duration of poliovirus excretion allowed resampling of infected individuals. Finally, the method documented absence of infections after successful intervention of the asymptomatic outbreak. The methodologies described here can be applied to outbreaks of other excreted viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), where there are (1) significant numbers of asymptomatic infections; (2) long incubation times during which infectious virus is excreted; and (3) limited resources, facilities, and manpower that restrict the number of individuals who can be tested and re-tested.

A Unique SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein P681H Variant Detected in Israel.

The routine detection, surveillance, and reporting of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants is crucial, as these threaten to hinder global vaccination efforts. Herein we report a novel local variant with a non-synonymous mutation in the spike (S) protein P681H. This local Israeli variant was not associated with a higher infection rate or higher prevalence. Furthermore, the local variant was successfully neutralized by sera from fully vaccinated individuals at a comparable level to the B.1.1.7 variant and an Israel wild-type strain. While it is not a variant of concern, routine monitoring by sequencing is still required.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants by genomic analysis of wastewater samples in Israel.

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 spread and identification of variants in sewers has been demonstrated to accurately detect prevalence of viral strains and is advantageous to clinical sampling in population catchment size. Herein, we utilized an established nationwide system of wastewater sampling and viral concentration approaches to perform large-scale surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants in nine different locations across Israel that were sampled from August 2020 to February 2021 and sequenced (n = 58). Viral sequences obtained from the wastewater samples had high coverages of the genome, and mutation analyses successfully identified the penetration of the B.1.1.7 variant into Israel in December 2020 in the central and north regions, and its spread into additional regions in January and February 2021, corresponding with clinical sampling results. Moreover, the wastewater analysis identified the B.1.1.7 variant in December 2020 in regions in which non-sufficient clinical sampling was available. Other variants of concern examined, including P.1 (Brazil/Manaus), B.1.429 (USA/California), B.1.526 (USA/New York), A.23.1 (Uganda) and B.1.525 (Unknown origin), did not show consistently elevated frequencies. This study exemplifies that surveillance by sewage is a robust approach which allows to monitor the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating in the community. Most importantly, this approach can pre-identify the emergence of epidemiologically or clinically relevant mutations/variants, aiding in public health decision making.

Relationship Between Helicobacter pylori IgG Seroprevalence and the Immune Response to Poliovirus Vaccine Among School-Age Children From a Population With Near-Universal Immunity Level.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence and serum pepsinogens (PGs) as markers of gastric inflammation), with high neutralizing antibody titers to poliovirus type 1 and 3 vaccine strains among children age 3-4 years, subsequent to sub-clinical infection acquired during a wild-type poliovirus type 1 outbreak in Israel. METHODS: A serosurvey was conducted among 336 children aged 5-17 years who were vaccinated with both inactivated polio vaccine and oral polio vaccines. H. pylori serum IgG antibodies and PG concentrations were measured using ELISA. Neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus vaccine strains were measured and children with a titer ≥1:8 were considered immune. High-level immunity was defined as having a serum NA titer >1:2048. Propensity score inverse weighting was used to account for confounders. RESULTS: Neutralizing antibodies titers ≥1:8 to poliovirus type 1 and 3 vaccine strains were found in 99.4 and 98.2% of the children, respectively. An inverse association was found between H. pylori seropositivity accompanied by PGI:PGII ratio ≤6.5 (marker of gastric inflammation) and high-level immunity to poliovirus type 1: OR 0.39 (95% CI 0.68-0.91), p = 0.027. The association between H. pylori seropositivity of CagA virulent phenotype and polio high immunity was not significant. The association between H. pylori seropositivity and high neutralizing antibodies to type 3 poliovirus was of low magnitude and not significant. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori seroprevalence accompanied by evidence of gastric inflammation was inversely correlated with high titers of neutralizing antibodies to poliovirus in children from a population with near universal polio immunity.

Regressing SARS-CoV-2 Sewage Measurements Onto COVID-19 Burden in the Population: A Proof-of-Concept for Quantitative Environmental Surveillance.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus, a member of the coronavirus family of respiratory viruses that includes severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). It has had an acute and dramatic impact on health care systems, economies, and societies of affected countries during the past 8 months. Widespread testing and tracing efforts are being employed in many countries in attempts to contain and mitigate this pandemic. Recent data has indicated that fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 is common and that the virus RNA can be detected in wastewater. This indicates that wastewater monitoring may provide a potentially efficient tool for the epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in large populations at relevant scales. In particular, this provides important means of (i) estimating the extent of outbreaks and their spatial distributions, based primarily on in-sewer measurements, (ii) managing the early-warning system quantitatively and efficiently, and (iii) verifying disease elimination. Here we report different virus concentration methods using polyethylene glycol (PEG), alum, or filtration techniques as well as different RNA extraction methodologies, providing important insights regarding the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage. Virus RNA particles were detected in wastewater in several geographic locations in Israel. In addition, a correlation of virus RNA concentration to morbidity was detected in Bnei-Barak city during April 2020. This study presents a proof of concept for the use of direct raw sewage-associated virus data, during the pandemic in the country as a potential epidemiological tool.

Underperformed and Underreported Testing for Persistent Oropharyngeal Poliovirus Infections in Primary Immune Deficient Patients-Risk for Reemergence of Polioviruses.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with primary immune deficiencies (PIDs) may excrete poliovirus for extended periods and remain a major reservoir for polio after eradication. Poliovirus can spread by fecal-oral or oral-oral transmission. In middle- and high-income countries, oral-oral transmission may be more prevalent than fecal-oral transmission of polioviruses where PIDs patients survive longer. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of prolonged or persistent oropharyngeal poliovirus infections in PIDs. METHODS: We performed a literature search for reports of prolonged (excreting poliovirus for ≥6 months and ≤5 years) or persistent (excreting poliovirus for >5 years) poliovirus infections in PIDs. RESULTS: There were 140 PID cases with prolonged or persistent poliovirus infections. All had poliovirus-positive stools. Testing of oropharyngeal mucosa was only reported for 6 cases, 4 of which were positive. Molecular analyses demonstrated independent evolution of poliovirus in the gut and oropharyngeal mucosa in 2 cases. Seven PIDs had multiple lineages of the same poliovirus serotype in stools without information about polioviruses in oropharyngeal mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: Testing for persistence of poliovirus in oropharyngeal mucosa of PID patients is rare, with virus recovered in 4 of 5 cases in whom stools were positive. Multiple lineages or serotypes in 7 additional PID cases may indicate separate foci of infection, some of which might be in oropharyngeal mucosa. We recommend screening throat swabs in addition to stools for poliovirus in PID patients. Containment protocols for reducing both oral-oral and fecal-oral transmission from PID patients must be formulated for hospitals and community settings.

Testing IgG antibodies against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 is sufficient and necessary for COVID-19 diagnosis.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the fast global spread of the disease resulted in unprecedented decline in world trade and travel. A critical priority is, therefore, to quickly develop serological diagnostic capacity and identify individuals with past exposure to SARS-CoV-2. In this study serum samples obtained from 309 persons infected by SARS-CoV-2 and 324 of healthy, uninfected individuals as well as serum from 7 COVID-19 patients with 4-7 samples each ranging between 1-92 days post first positive PCR were tested by an "in house" ELISA which detects IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Sensitivity of 47%, 80% and 88% and specificity of 100%, 98% and 98% in detection of IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies, respectively, were observed. IgG antibody levels against the RBD were demonstrated to be up regulated between 1-7 days after COVID-19 detection, earlier than both IgM and IgA antibodies. Study of the antibody kinetics of seven COVID 19 patients revealed that while IgG levels are high and maintained for at least 3 months, IgM and IgA levels decline after a 35-50 days following infection. Altogether, these results highlight the usefulness of the RBD based ELISA, which is both easy and cheap to prepare, to identify COVID-19 patients even at the acute phase. Most importantly our results demonstrate that measuring IgG levels alone is both sufficient and necessary to diagnose past exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

First report of a persistent oropharyngeal infection of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPV2) in a primary immune deficient (PID) patient after eradication of wild type 2 poliovirus.

This is the first report of persistent oropharyngeal mucosal infection with type 2 poliovirus (iVDPV2) in a primary immune deficient patient (PID) after wild type 2 poliovirus eradication. The iVDPV2 also established persistence in the gut. iVDPV2 at both loci evolved independently. Persistent oral infections present a potential risk for oral-oral as well as fecal-oral poliovirus transmission during transition to a poliovirus 2-free world.