Spatiotemporal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineages during 2020-2021 in Pernambuco-Brazil.

SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged as a new threat to humans and spread around the world, leaving a large death toll. As of January 2023, Brazil is among the countries with the highest number of registered deaths. Nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions have been heterogeneously implemented in the country, which, associated with large socioeconomic differences between the country regions, has led to distinct virus spread dynamics. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the Pernambuco state (Northeast Brazil) throughout the distinct epidemiological scenarios that unfolded in the first 2 years of the pandemic. We generated a total of 1,389 new SARS-CoV-2 genomes from June 2020 to August 2021. This sampling captured the arrival, communitary transmission, and the circulation of the B1.1, B.1.1.28, and B.1.1.33 lineages; the emergence of the former variant of interest P.2; and the emergence and fast replacement of all previous variants by the more transmissible variant of concern P.1 (Gamma). Based on the incidence and lineage spread pattern, we observed an East-to-West to inner state pattern of transmission, which is in agreement with the transmission of more populous metropolitan areas to medium- and small-size country-side cities in the state. Such transmission patterns may be partially explained by the main routes of traffic across municipalities in the state. Our results highlight that the fine-grained intrastate analysis of lineages and incidence spread can provide actionable insights for planning future nonpharmacological intervention for air-borne transmissible human pathogens.IMPORTANCEDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil was one of the most affected countries, mainly due its continental-size, socioeconomic differences among regions, and heterogeneous implementation of intervention methods. In order to investigate SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in the state of Pernambuco, we conducted a spatiotemporal dispersion study, covering the period from June 2020 to August 2021, to comprehend the dynamics of viral transmission during the first 2 years of the pandemic. Throughout this study, we were able to track three significant epidemiological waves of transmission caused by B1.1, B.1.1.28, B.1.1.33, P.2, and P.1 lineages. These analyses provided valuable insights into the evolution of the epidemiological landscape, contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of virus transmission during the early years of the pandemic in the state of Pernambuco.

Neutralizing antibody titers against D8 genotype and persistence of measles humoral and cell-mediated immunity eight years after the first dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in Brazilian children.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the level of measles vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies against the D8 genotype and the persistence of humoral and cell-mediated immunity in children who received their first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine eight years previously. METHODS: Measles-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies were determined in serum using ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization test, respectively. Cellular response was evaluated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). IFN-γ-secreting cells, memory B and T cells, and immunological mediators were assayed by ELISpot, flow cytometry, and multiplex liquid microarray assay, respectively. RESULTS: Antibody concentrations declined over time; however, the vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies' effect against D8 and vaccinal genotypes persisted. PBMC stimulated with the vaccine virus exhibited specific IFN- γ-measles-secreting responses in most participants. Participants with high levels of neutralizing antibodies showed a higher proportion of activated B cells compared to participants with low levels of neutralizing antibodies, while proportions of memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were similar between these groups. PBMC supernatant cytokine levels showed a significant difference between stimulated and non-stimulated conditions for IL-2, TNF-α, IL-10, and CXCL10. CONCLUSION: Despite the decline in antibody concentrations over time, the participants still demonstrated neutralizing capacity against the measles D8 genotype five to eight years after the second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Additionally, most of the enrolled children exhibited cell-mediated immunity responses to measles virus stimulation.

Influenza A(H11N2) Virus Detection in Fecal Samples from Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and Chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) Penguins, Penguin Island, Antarctica.

Influenza A viruses infect a range of host species, including a large variety of mammals and more than a hundred species of birds. A total of 95 avian fecal samples were collected from penguin colonies in the South Shetland Islands, close to the Antarctic Peninsula, and tested by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to detect avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Five out of seven samples collected from Penguin Island were positive for AIVs. Analysis of the genomes recovered from four samples revealed the detection of influenza A(H11N2) virus in fecal samples from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and from a colony of chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus). Bayesian phylogeographic analysis revealed the clustering of all currently available H11N2 samples from Antarctica's avifauna in a single cluster that emerged at least in the early 2010s, suggesting its continued circulation on the continent. Our results reinforce the need for continuous surveillance of avian influenza on the Antarctic continent. IMPORTANCE Although wild birds play a role in the transmission and ecology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) across the globe, there are significant gaps in our understanding of the worldwide distribution of these viruses in polar environments. In this study, using molecular analysis and full-genome sequencing, we describe the detection of distinct influenza A(H11N2) viruses in fecal samples of penguins in the Southern Shetland Islands, Antarctica. We emphasize the need for virus monitoring as AIVs may have implications for the health of endemic fauna and the potential risk of the introduction of highly pathogenic AIVs to the continent.

Emergence and Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern Delta across Different Brazilian Regions.

The SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) Delta was first detected in India in October 2020. The first imported cases of the Delta variant in Brazil were identified in April 2021 in the southern region, followed by more cases in different regions during the following months. By early September 2021, Delta was already the dominant variant in the southeastern (87%), southern (73%), and northeastern (52%) Brazilian regions. This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal dissemination dynamics of Delta in Brazil. To this end, we employed a combination of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods to reconstruct the evolutionary relationship of 2,264 VOC Delta complete genomes (482 from this study) recovered across 21 of the 27 Brazilian federal units. Our phylogeographic analyses identified three major transmission clusters of Delta in Brazil. The clade BR-I (n = 1,560) arose in Rio de Janeiro in late April 2021 and was the major cluster behind the dissemination of the VOC Delta in the southeastern, northeastern, northern, and central-western regions. The AY.101 lineage (n = 207) that arose in the Paraná state in late April 2021 and aggregated the largest fraction of sampled genomes from the southern region. Lastly, the AY.46.3 lineage emerged in Brazil in the São Paulo state in early June 2021 and remained mostly restricted to this state. In the rapid turnover of viral variants characteristic of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Brazilian regions seem to occupy different stages of an increasing prevalence of the VOC Delta in their epidemic profiles. This process demands continuous genomic and epidemiological surveillance toward identifying and mitigating new introductions, limiting their dissemination, and preventing the establishment of more significant outbreaks in a population already heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPORTANCE Amid the SARS-CoV-2 continuously changing epidemic profile, this study details the space-time dynamics of the emergence of the Delta lineage across Brazilian territories, pointing out its multiple introductions in the country and its most prevalent sublineages. Some of these sublineages have their emergence, alongside their genomic composition and geographic distribution, detailed here for the first time. A special focus is given to the emergence process of Delta outside the country's south and southeast regions, the most populated and subjects of most published SARS-CoV-2 studies in Brazil. In summary, the study allows a better comprehension of the evolution process of a SARS-CoV-2 lineage that would be associated with a significant recrudescence of the pandemic in Brazil.

Acute arthropathy in patients with rash diseases: a comparative study.

The aim of this study was to assess the association of acute arthropathy and selected clinical features in patients with acute rash diseases. Serum samples from 1,554 patients were tested for anti-measles, dengue, human parvovirus B19, and rubella virus IgM using enzyme immunoassay. Sera from children, in whom these infections were excluded, were studied for anti-human herpesvirus type 6 IgG antibodies using an indirect immunofluorescence test. Joint complaints occurred in 31.2% of the 862 patients with an etiologic diagnosis and were more frequently seen in adults than in children (OR 8.5). Among the adults, arthropathy prevailed in women compared to men (OR 1.8). Arthropathy was most frequently reported in rubella (41.2%) and in dengue fever cases (41.1%) than in the other rash diseases studied (p < 0.0001). Joint complaints were more frequently seen in patients with fever (OR 1.6) and with five or more days of onset of the disease (OR 1.6), regardless of serological diagnosis. Arthropathy appeared as a frequent condition in rash diseases, typically with low severity and no specific pattern of joint involvement.