Detection of herpesviruses in neotropical primates from São Paulo, Brazil.

Transmission of herpesvirus between humans and non-human primates represents a serious potential threat to human health and endangered species conservation. This study aimed to identify herpesvirus genomes in samples of neotropical primates (NTPs) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 242 NTPs, including Callithrix sp., Alouatta sp., Sapajus sp., and Callicebus sp., were evaluated by pan-herpesvirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Sixty-two (25.6%) samples containing genome segments representative of members of the family Herpesviridae, including 16.1% for Callitrichine gammaherpesvirus 3, 6.1% for Human alphaherpesvirus 1, 2.1% for Alouatta macconnelli cytomegalovirus, and 0.83% for Cebus albifrons lymphocryptovirus 1. No co-infections were detected. The detection of herpesvirus genomes was significantly higher among adult animals (p = 0.033) and those kept under human care (p = 0.008671). These findings confirm the importance of monitoring the occurrence of herpesviruses in NTP populations in epizootic events.

One-step Multiplex Real-time RT-PCR for Molecular Detection and Typing of Dengue Virus Infection From Paraffin-embedded Tissues During the Brazilian 2019 Outbreak.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are an important source for investigation of dengue virus (DENV) infection, particularly when blood or fresh frozen (FF) samples are unavailable. Histopathologic features and immunohistochemistry may have poor sensitivity and serotype determination is not always possible. Viral RNA genome detection tests are faster and considered the most sensitive technique for this kind of analysis, however, the use of molecular methods applied to FFPE tissues is still limited. The authors applied a single-step multiplex reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for the investigation of DENV infection and typing to FFPE samples of 32 fatal cases received during the 2019 outbreak that occurred in São Paulo state, Brazil. The authors compared the results with those obtained using FF tissues. Of the 24 cases with both FF and FFPE samples, 22 (91.67%) of the FF and 19 (76.20%) of the FFPE specimens were positive. Two cases (8.33%) tested negative in both types of samples. All 8 cases with only FFPE samples available were positive. The accuracy (87.5%) of the RT-qPCR for DENV in FFPE samples were satisfactory. Although the cycle quantification (Cq) values were significantly higher in these materials (P<0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) when compared with FF tissues, Spearman's rank coefficient indicated a good correlation between the Cq values from both sample types (P=0.0063; rho=0.576). RT-qPCR applied to FFPE samples improved detection of DENV in fatal cases and represents a useful tool for diagnosis and epidemiologic studies.

Assessment of Adherence to Prescribed Therapy in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence shows that treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) can suppress viral load. Among the factors directly linked to therapeutic success is adherence to the treatment. Several instruments to assess adherence are available, but they are not validated for use in chronic hepatitis B. The purpose of this paper was to adapt and validate the "Assessment of Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Questionnaire-HIV" (CEAT-VIH) for patients with chronic hepatitis B (referred to herein as CEAT-HBV). METHODS: The validity of the adapted questionnaire evidence was established through concurrent, criterion, and construct validities. RESULTS: We found negative and significant correlation between the domain "degree of compliance to antiviral therapy" assessed by CEAT-HBV and the Morisky test (r = -0.62, P < 0.001) and between the domain "barriers to adherence" and HBV viral load (r = -0.42, P < 0.001). In terms of the construct's discriminative capacity, scores greater than or equal to 80 detected antiviral therapy success, which are necessary for the prediction of an undetectable HBV viral load. Thus, a cutoff value of 80.5 was set with a value of 81% for sensitivity and 67% for specificity. CONCLUSION: The CEAT-HBV identified 43% (n = 79) non-adherent patients and was shown to be a useful tool in clinical practice.