Efficient inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human apheresis platelet concentrates with amotosalen and ultraviolet A light.

OBJECTIVES: The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood and platelet concentrates from asymptomatic donors, and the detection of viral particles on the surface and inside platelets during in vitro experiments, raised concerns over the potential risk for transfusion-transmitted-infection (TTI). The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the amotosalen/UVA pathogen reduction technology for SARS-CoV-2 in human platelet concentrates to mitigate such potential risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five apheresis platelet units in 100% plasma were spiked with a clinical SARS-CoV-2 isolate followed by treatment with amotosalen/UVA (INTERCEPT Blood System), pre- and posttreatment samples were collected as well as untreated positive and negative controls. The infectious viral titer was assessed by plaque assay and the genomic titer by quantitative RT-PCR. To exclude the presence of infectious particles post-pathogen reduction treatment below the limit of detection, three consecutive rounds of passaging on permissive cell lines were conducted. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 in platelet concentrates was inactivated with amotosalen/UVA below the limit of detection with a mean log reduction of>3.31±0.23. During three consecutive rounds of passaging, no viral replication was detected. Pathogen reduction treatment also inhibited nucleic acid detection with a log reduction of>4.46±0.51 PFU equivalents. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 was efficiently inactivated in platelet concentrates by amotosalen/UVA treatment. These results are in line with previous inactivation data for SARS-CoV-2 in plasma as well as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-1 in platelets and plasma, demonstrating efficient inactivation of human coronaviruses.

Amotosalen and ultraviolet A light efficiently inactivate MERS-coronavirus in human platelet concentrates.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the INTERCEPT™ Blood System [amotosalen/ultraviolet A (UVA) light] to reduce the risk of Middle East respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) transmission by human platelet concentrates. BACKGROUND: Since 2012, more than 2425 MERS-CoV human cases have been reported in 27 countries. The infection causes acute respiratory disease, which was responsible for 838 deaths in these countries, mainly in Saudi Arabia. Viral genomic RNA was detected in whole blood, serum and plasma of infected patients, raising concerns of the safety of blood supplies, especially in endemic areas. METHODS: Four apheresis platelet units in 100% plasma were inoculated with a clinical MERS-CoV isolate. Spiked units were then treated with amotosalen/UVA to inactivate MERS-CoV. Infectious and genomic viral titres were quantified by plaque assay and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Inactivated samples were successively passaged thrice on Vero E6 cells to exclude the presence of residual replication-competent viral particles in inactivated platelets. RESULTS: Complete inactivation of MERS-CoV in spiked platelet units was achieved by treatment with Amotosalen/UVA light with a mean log reduction of 4·48 ± 0·3. Passaging of the inactivated samples in Vero E6 showed no viral replication even after nine days of incubation and three passages. Viral genomic RNA titration in inactivated samples showed titres comparable to those in pre-treatment samples. CONCLUSION: Amotosalen and UVA light treatment of MERS-CoV-spiked platelet concentrates efficiently and completely inactivated MERS-CoV infectivity (>4 logs), suggesting that such treatment could minimise the risk of transfusion-related MERS-CoV transmission.

Modulation by essential oil of vaccine response and production improvement in chicken challenged with velogenic Newcastle disease virus.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of Eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils on immune modulation and production of broiler chicken challenged with a molecularly characterized velogenic NewCastle disease virus (vNDV). METHODS AND RESULTS: The experimental design included five treatments with three replicate pens/treatment comprised of 12-day-old broilers chicks/replicate. The five treatments included a positive challenge control (non-NDV vaccinated/nonessential oil treated/challenged) (NNEOC), a negative challenge control (NDV vaccinated/essential oil treated/unchallenged) (VEOU), a non-NDV vaccinated/essential oil treated/challenged (NEOC), a NDV vaccinated/nonessential oil treated/challenged (VNEOC) and a NDV vaccinated/essential oil treated/challenged (VEOC). The lowest mean survival rate (0·0%) and lowest production performance were obtained by the positive challenge control, while the best mean survival (93·3%) and average body weight (2649 g) were obtained by the negative challenge controls (P < 0·05). Among the three others challenged treatments, the best mean survival (79·2%), highest mean body weight at 42 days of age (2445 g), the lowest feed conversion ratio (1·60) and the highest serum conversion immunopotentiation at 35 days of age determined by ELISA and hemagglutination titres were obtained by the VEOC birds compared with respective means obtained by birds of the NEOC and VNEOC treatments (P < 0·05). CONCLUSIONS: The results supported the possibility of using the essential oils of Eucalyptus and Peppermint in broilers to immunopotentiate the response to vaccination against velogenic NDV, helping in significant improvement of survival and production. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides information about the potential use of essential oils of eucalyptus and peppermint that can be exploited as commercial immunopotentiators for the protection of NDV-vaccinated broiler chickens against economic velogenic NDV.

New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM-1): an update.

New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM-1) is a novel broad spectrum carbapenemase with ability to inactivate all ß-lactams except aztreonam. However, most of the NDM-1-producers also produce aztreonam hydrolysing-ß-lactamases thereby making these pathogens absolutely resistant to all ß-lactams. The bla(NDM-1) gene encodes a 27.5 kDa protein of 269 amino acids. It shares very little identity with other metallo-ß-lactamases. Maximum identity has been observed to VIM-1/VIM-2 (32.4%). This mini-review is an update of the scientific literature for the said enzyme. Following the recommendation of David livermore, we further propose to combine "aztreonam" and "inhibitor of the most frequently encountered aztreonam hydrolysing-ß-lactamases in a given setting" as a possible strategy against NDM-1-producers. The inhibitor should be 'versatile' as well, i.e. it should have the ability to inhibit most of the variants of aztreonam hydrolysing-ß-lactamases prevalent in the concerned setting. We strongly recommend surveillance studies using aztreonam/NXL-104-combination against NDM-1-producing pathogens in different geographical regions across the globe.

Serologial screening of human T cell lymphotropic virus I and II (HTLV I/II) in blood banks by immunoblotting and enzyme-immuno assays: to demand or to defeat?

Human T cell lymphotropic virus I and II (HTLV I/II) has been recommended to be screened for blood donors since 1988, and it become a mandatory test to get college of american Pathologists (CAP) accreditation. The present study aimed at investigating the prevalence rate of HTLV I/II among Arab blood donors, to revise whether is its screening mandatory? Thirty-thousand (30,000) Arab donors along two years attending two central hospital blood banks in Jeddah. Antibodies to HTLV I/II have been screened using enzyme immunoassay (E.I.A) and immunoblotting assay (Western blot). Results revealed zero prevalence rate. Based upon this finding, no potential risk of HTLV I/II transmission among blood donors population exist. As screening for HTLV I/II is still mandatory, it could be done on pools of sera rather than on individual serum samples, after standardization of a pooling protocol, to fulfill coast-effectiveness and reduce the coasts by 90-95%.

Successful treatment of visceral leishmaniasis with allopurinol plus ketoconazole in a renal transplant recipient after the occurrence of pancreatitis due to stibogluconate.

A case of a renal transplant recipient who developed pancreatitis during stibogluconate treatment for visceral leishmaniasis and who was successfully treated with a combination of allopurinol and ketoconazole is reported. The features of this case are compared with those of the three previously reported cases of pancreatitis during stibogluconate treatment. Complete cure was achieved during the follow-up period of 15 months. If stibogluconate is used for treatment of renal transplant recipients, we advise extreme caution with close observation and combination therapy to be considered instead.