RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the number of positive cases of COVID-19 and the environmental parameters of temperature and humidity in five departments of the province of Catamarca, Argentina. METHODS: The departments Capital, Andalgalá, Paclín, Ambato and Tinogasta, Catamarca, Argentina, were studied. Between April 2021 and April 2022 variables analyzed were: number of COVID-19 cases, temperature, and percentage of environmental humidity. The correlation of variables was analyzed by the coefficient of Spearman. RESULTS: The temperature with the numbers of COVID-19 cases show inverse correlation values that ranged between -0.56 and -0.34. The humidity percentages show a slightly positive relationship only for Capital and Andalgalá, with values of 0.34 and 0.40 with the number of cases. CONCLUSION: The results showed a relationship between the number of positive cases of COVID-19 and the environmental parameters of temperature and humidity in five departments in the province of Catamarca.
Introducción: El objetivo del trabajo fue estudiar la relación entre el número de casos positivos de COVID-19 y los parámetros ambientales de temperatura y humedad en cinco departamentos de la provincia de Catamarca. Métodos: Los departamentos estudiados fueron Capital, Andalgalá, Paclín, Ambato y Tinogasta, Catamarca, Argentina. Las variables número de casos COVID-19, temperatura y porcentaje de humedad ambiental fueron obtenidos entre abril de 2021 y abril de 2022. La correlación de variables se analizó mediante el coeficiente de Spearman. Resultados: La temperatura, en relación con los nú- meros de casos por COVID-19 mostró valores de correlación inversa que oscilaron entre -0.56 y -0.34. El porcentaje de humedad, indicó una relación levemente positiva con el número de casos solo para Capital y Andalgalá con valores de 0.34 y 0.40. Conclusión: Los resultados muestran una relación entre el número de casos positivos de COVID-19 y los parámetros ambientales de temperatura y humedad en cinco departamentos de la provincia de Catamarca.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , Argentina/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
A massive vaccination in Argentina was implemented recently. The antigenic dominants of VP7 in G9 and G1 rotavirus strains, circulating in La Rioja, Argentina with strain vaccines were compared. From 2000 to 2010 in several attention centers of La Rioja, at northwestern Argentina, 418 stool samples from children younger than 5 years old were collected. Ninety were positive by immunochromatography and 51 were genotyped by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction followed by nested-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with type-specific primers. Six G9 strains and four G1 strains were sequenced by MACROGEN Korea. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted in MEGA 6.0. The 940 bp were aligned using CLUSTALW and the tree was inferred using the UPGMA method. The antigenic dominants of VP7, 7-1a, 7-1b, and 7-2 were studied using BioEdit, 7.2.5. In the comparison between G9-lineage III d rotavirus (RV) strains circulating in La Rioja with ROTAVAC vaccine strain, three differences were detected corresponding to 100, 211, and 145 positions. In the comparison between G1-Lineage 1 strains and G1 Rotarix and G1 RotaTeq, three differences were observed in 94, 123, and 217 positions. All these positions were important for the escape to neutralization for study with monoclonal antibody. In conclusion, the differences between the G1 strains in La Rioja, Argentina and the G1 components of the RotaTeq and Rotarix vaccine strains are few, but important for the escape immunologic, and need to be monitored for appropriate evaluation of long-term impact of vaccine used in Argentina. Nevertheless, the VP7 antigenic regions of G9 RV strains circulating in La Rioja and ROTAVAC vaccine strains are different to other zones of Argentina and could play an important role in the failure of vaccine response in these regions and Argentina.
