A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Children and Young Adults with HIV Infection.

BACKGROUND: Children and young adults with HIV infection may exhibit vitamin D deficiency, which is harmful to bone health as well as the endocrine and immune systems. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on children and young adults with HIV infection. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials that have evaluated the effects of vitamin D supplementation (ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol) at any dose or for any duration in children and young adults with HIV infection, aged 0-25 y, were included. A random-effects model was used, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS: Ten trials, with 21 publications and 966 participants (mean age: 17.9 y), were included in the meta-analysis. The supplementation dose and the duration of the studies included ranged from 400 to 7000 IU/d and from 6 to 24 mo, respectively. Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a significantly higher serum 25(OH)D concentration at 12 mo (SMD: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.64, 1.65; P < 0.00001) compared with a placebo. No significant difference was observed in spine BMD (SMD: -0.09; 95% CI: -0.47, 0.3; P = 0.65) at 12 mo between these 2 groups. However, participants who received higher doses (1600-4000 IU/d) had significantly higher total BMD (SMD: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.44; P = 0.03) and nonsignificantly higher spine BMD (SMD: 0.3; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.61; P = 0.07) at 12 mo compared with those who received standard doses (400-800 IU/d). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D supplementation in children and young adults with HIV infection increases the serum 25(OH)D concentration. A relatively high daily dose of vitamin D (1600-4000 IU) improves total BMD at 12 mo and results in sufficient 25(OH)D concentrations.

Molecular and Genetics-Based Systems for Tracing the Evolution and Exploring the Mechanisms of Human Norovirus Infections.

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are major causes of acute gastroenteritis around the world. The high mutation rate and recombination potential of noroviruses are significant challenges in studying the genetic diversity and evolution pattern of novel strains. In this review, we describe recent advances in the development of technologies for not only the detection but also the analysis of complete genome sequences of noroviruses and the future prospects of detection methods for tracing the evolution and genetic diversity of human noroviruses. The mechanisms of HuNoV infection and the development of antiviral drugs have been hampered by failure to develop the infectious virus in a cell model. However, recent studies have demonstrated the potential of reverse genetics for the recovery and generation of infectious viral particles, suggesting the utility of this genetics-based system as an alternative for studying the mechanisms of viral infection, such as cell entry and replication.

The optimal strategy for pertussis vaccination: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials and real-world data.

OBJECTIVE: Severe pertussis infection has been reported in infants before receiving routine immunization series. This problem could be solved by vaccinating mothers during pregnancy or children at birth. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world evidence to evaluate the optimal strategy for pertussis vaccination. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched until December 2020. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: RCTs, cohort studies, case-control studies, and case series were included if they investigated the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of acellular pertussis vaccine during pregnancy and at birth. METHODS: Number of pertussis cases, severe adverse events (SAEs), and pertussis antibody concentration in infants before and after they receive routine vaccination series were extracted and random-effect model was used to pool the analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 29 studies were included. Our meta-analysis revealed that pertussis immunization during pregnancy significantly increased the concentrations of 3 pertussis antibodies and reduced the incidence rates of infected infants below 3 months of age (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.33). Similarly, infants vaccinated at birth had higher levels of pertussis antibody than those who were not. No significant difference in rates of severe adverse events was seen in all vaccination groups (during pregnancy [risk ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-1.82] and at birth [risk ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-1.54]). CONCLUSION: Pertussis vaccination during pregnancy could protect infants against pertussis disease before the routine vaccination. Pertussis immunization at birth would be an alternative for infants whose mothers did not receive pertussis vaccines during pregnancy.

Clinical significance of the fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) secretor status in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The FUT2 gene is a histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) that determines the susceptibility to Norovirus (NoV) infection. This study investigated the clinical significance of the FUT2 gene profile and HBGA expression in NoV infection. METHODS: Fecal specimens were collected from children in Chang-Gung Children's Hospital with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). The medical records were reviewed for clinical data. The viral etiology of gastroenteritis was validated using molecular methods. Genomic DNA was isolated from saliva or whole blood with the Puregene B Kit, according to the manufacturers' instructions. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined by real-time PCR assays. RESULTS: FUT2 gene DNA was examined in 98 children with AGE. NoV was detected by RT-PCR in 44 patients (44.8%), while 54 (55.2%) had non-NoV AGE. Of the 44 NoV patients, 38 (86.3%) were secretors (no G428A mutation) and six (13.7%) were non-secretors (G428A mutation). Of the 54 non-NoV AGE patients, 28 (51.9%) were secretors and 20 (48.1%) were non-secretors. NoV-infected patients who were secretors had more frequent vomiting (P < 0.001), longer duration of diarrhea (P < 0.001), and greater overall disease severity score (P < 0.001) compared with non-secretors. Non-NoV infection secretor AGE patients had a longer duration of diarrhea (P < 0.001) than non-secretors. CONCLUSION: FUT2 secretor status affects NoV AGE in children. Secretor patients have prolonged diarrhea, more frequent vomiting, more severe disease, and greater infection transmissibility than non-secretors.

The impact of shared decision making with patient decision aids on the rotavirus vaccination rate in children: A randomized controlled trial.

Rotavirus vaccination reduces the incidence and severity of acute gastroenteritis due to rotavirus infection. However, because of a lack of understanding and private payment for the rotavirus vaccine, the rotavirus vaccination rate is still low in some countries. We intended to assess the impact of shared decision-making (SDM) with the assistance of patient decision aids (PDAs) on the rotavirus vaccination rate, and the knowledge, confidence, and congruence of value among baby's parents when decision-making. The study was a two-group, outcome assessor-blind, randomized, controlled trial. The families of 1-month-old infants for routine vaccination were enrolled; they were divided randomly into non-SDM and SDM groups. The influence of SDM on the acceptance of rotavirus vaccination was assessed when their infants were 2 months old. Outcome measures were decisional conflict, decision-making difficulties, and rotavirus vaccine knowledge, and the overall rotavirus vaccination rate. The study enrolled 180 participants. SDM, parents' education level, and rotavirus vaccination of a previous child were variables that influenced acceptance of rotavirus vaccination. The SDM group scored significantly higher for understanding the information on the oral rotavirus vaccine than the non-SDM group, which helped them to decide whether to vaccinate the baby against rotavirus. The rotavirus vaccination rate was 16.7% higher in the SDM group than the non-SDM group. SDM assisted with PDAs gives more information and helps infants' families understand what they need, reduces their decision conflict, and increases their baby's vaccination against rotavirus, which promotes public health. The clinical trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03804489).

Double-balloon enteroscopy for pediatric patients: Application and feasibility evaluation in a medical center in northern Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in adults are established, but few data are available on pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of DBE in pediatric patients in Taiwan. METHODS: From April 2005 to September 2015, DBE procedures performed for diagnosis or therapy of small-bowel disease in children less than 18 years of age at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan were evaluated. The clinical decision to perform DBE via the oral or anal approach was based on the patient's primary clinical presentation. Data on indications, endoscopic findings, treatment outcome, and complications associated with the procedure were collected and reviewed retrospectively. RESULT: In total, 20 pediatric patients underwent a total of 29 DBEs due to suspicion of small-bowel disease. Among them, nine patients were evaluated for suspected small-bowel bleeding, six for Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, two for chronic abdominal pain, two for chronic diarrhea, and one for suspected protein-losing enteropathy. After excluding the six Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients, 9 of the 14 patients (64%) got a positive endoscopic finding and diagnosis in 8 of the 14 patients (57%). DBE resulted in a further therapeutic intervention (endoscopic or surgical) in 50% of the patients (10/20) without serious complications. CONCLUSION: DBE has a high diagnostic yield and leads to therapeutic interventions in pediatric patients and shows promise for assessment and treating small-intestinal diseases in children in Taiwan.

Long-term impact of suboptimal rotavirus vaccines on acute gastroenteritis in hospitalized children in Northern Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Rotavirus vaccines were launched in Taiwan since early 2006. Our study was aimed to figure out long-term extended molecular epidemiology in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in hospitalized young children after rotavirus vaccination in Taiwan. METHODS: During the 10-year period from January 2007 to December 2016, fecal samples from children under 5 years old with AGE hospitalized in Chang Gung Children's Hospital (CGCH) were examined for enteric pathogens and they were divided into two time intervals: early post-vaccine (Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2011; EPV) and late post-vaccine (Jan. 2012 to Dec. 2016; LPV). RESULTS: In total, 837 patients with AGE were enrolled with complete study. In the EPV period, 106 (26.7%) rotavirus and 65 (16.4%) norovirus infections were identified as major pathogens. In the LPV period, 79 (17.9%) rotavirus and 98 (22.2%) norovirus infections were diagnosed. Statistical analyses showed a significantly decreased prevalence of rotavirus infection (P = 0.002) and a significantly increased prevalence of norovirus (P = 0.034) and enteric bacterial infections (P < 0.001). A substantial decrease of rotavirus G1 (P = 0.079) in the LPV period and norovirus GII.4 prevailed through the decade. CONCLUSION: In Taiwan, under a suboptimal rotavirus vaccination policy, there was a marked decrease in the rate of rotavirus AGE of hospitalized young children. Significantly increased norovirus infection has replaced rotavirus as the leading cause. Expansion of rotavirus vaccine coverage, development of a norovirus prevention strategy, and sustained bacterial infection control are important for AGE containment in children in Taiwan.

Development of a gastric carcinoid tumor following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Gastric carcinoid tumor is rarely diagnosed in children. We report a case of gastric carcinoid tumor that occurred after allogeneic HSCT. A 13-year-old girl with ETP acute lymphoblastic leukemia underwent allogeneic HSCT from a 7/8 HLA-matched unrelated donor. She presented with rashes, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which were suggestive of GVHD, 7 months after HSCT. Immunosuppressive agents failed to resolve these symptoms well. After a series of evaluations, carcinoid syndrome caused by a gastric carcinoid tumor was diagnosed. The tumor was located in the antral region and resulted in partial gastric outlet obstruction. She received subtotal gastrectomy with regional lymph node dissection. However, she had a flare-up of GVHD 1 month after surgery, and immunosuppressive therapy was intensified accordingly. Although her GVHD was getting better, she developed respiratory syncytial viral pneumonia with rapid progression to respiratory failure. She died of multiple organ failure 2 months postoperatively. This is the first pediatric case of a gastric carcinoid tumor following allogeneic HSCT. Our case also highlights the necessity for pediatric transplant physicians to be aware of carcinoid syndrome caused by this rare tumor in the setting of GVHD with poor response to immunosuppressive agents.

Complicated norovirus infection and assessment of severity by a modified Vesikari disease score system in hospitalized children.

BACKGROUND: Norovirus (NoV) GII.4 is the most common genotype for norovirus gastroenteritis worldwide. New variants or subgenotypes are continuously emerging, thus posing a serious threat to child health. METHODS: We compared retrospectively the clinical manifestations and complications of norovirus gastroenteritis in children from April, 2004 through December, 2012. NoV variants were analyzed to investigate the association of circulating viral strains with the complications. A modified disease severity score system based on Vesikari score system was devised and to evaluate disease severity. RESULTS: Compared to the outbreak in 2004/2005 winter, significant higher incidence of complications in the later periods are: convulsive disorder (p < 0.001) in 2006/2007 winter gastrointestinal hemorrhage (p = 0.047) and severe abdominal pain or irritability (p = 0.033) in 2008/09/10 winter; gastrointestinal hemorrhage (p = 0.030), severe abdominal pain or irritability (p = 0.014), and prominent hyperthermia (fever >39 °C, p = 0.001) in 2011/2012 winter. GII.4 Den_Haag_2006b, GII.4 2010, GII.4 Sydney 2012, and GII.4 2012b were the predominant strains in the outbreaks after 2006. By the modified severity score system, severe norovirus disease occurred in 28.5 %, 32 %, 33.3 %, and 30.2 % of the patients in the four periods. A longer duration of hospitalization (p = 0.02) were found in those with high score irrespective of the year of admission. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated NoV outbreaks in northern Taiwan caused by different GII.4 variants that were associated with specific complications and uncommon clinical presentations. A modified severity score system first proposed in this study was able to identify severe cases with a longer hospital stay in NoV-infected children.

Clinical relevance and genotypes of circulating noroviruses in northern Taiwan, 2006-2011.

The incidence of noroviral gastroenteritis has increased dramatically in recent years, and norovirus (NoV) genogroup II.4 (GII.4) is associated with outbreaks worldwide. The NoV genotypes and their clinical relevance in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis between 2006 and 2011 in northern Taiwan were evaluated in this study. NoV sequences were amplified from 47 clinical specimens and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Based on noroviral capsid protein (VP1) and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) phylogeny, circulating NoV could be divided into GII.2, GII.3, GII.12, and GII.4 and GII.16, GII.12, GII.g, and GII.4; respectively. The GII.4 subtype was predominant and could be divided further into the 2004 (Hunter), 2006b, and 2010 (New Orleans) subtypes. Regarding clinical manifestations, convulsive disorder occurred only in cases caused by NoV GII.4 2006b. Patients affected by NoV GII.4 2006b presented with a higher frequency of diarrhea (P = 0.0204), longer duration of diarrhea (P = 0.0215), more frequent hypoglycemia (P = 0.038), and electrolyte imbalance (P = 0.0487) than acute gastroenteritis caused by NoV GII.4 2010. Structural analysis showed that the amino acid changes in viral VP1 between GII.4 2006b and 2010 subtype were located mainly in the protruding domain 2 (P2 domain). In conclusion, the NoV GII.4 variants 2006b and 2010 were the main causes of acute gastroenteritis in hospitalized children in northern Taiwan during 2006-2011. The clinical presentations and structural changes in VP1 of the two NoV GII.4 variants should be evaluated in the future.

Twenty years' experience of midgut malrotation and volvulus in a tertiary center in northern Taiwan: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and surgical intervention for midgut malrotation with bowel obstruction are crucial. We aimed to identify risk factors for adverse outcomes in infants with midgut malrotation and to develop a prediction model. METHODS: We reviewed the operation records of infants surgically diagnosed with midgut malrotation at Chang Gung Children's Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2020. Patients were classified into the poor-outcome group (PO) if they underwent bowel resection or experienced mortality; all others were categorized as the favorable-outcome group (FO). Data on demographics, initial presentations, laboratory results, radiographic or sonographic findings, maternal conditions, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Fisher's exact test, the independent sample t-test, and the Mann-Whitney test were utilized for comparative analysis when suitable. RESULTS: The study included 103 infants. Eleven were in the PO group, and 92 were in the FO group. Initial presentations such as respiratory distress, poor activity, and shock status were notably more prevalent in the PO group. The INR, hemoglobin, HCO3, base excess, and aspartate transaminase values showed significant variation between the two groups. Multivariate analysis identified that lower hemoglobin (OR 0.677, p = 0.043) and higher AST (OR 1.036, p = 0.044) were independent predictors of adverse outcomes. An AST/Hb ratio of <3.78 demonstrated a high negative predictive value (98.6%) for an adverse outcome in midgut malrotation. CONCLUSIONS: Prompt diagnosis and surgical treatment of midgut malrotation are vital to prevent bowel resection or mortality. The independent predicting factors for poor outcomes include low hemoglobin and elevated AST levels.

Unraveling the interplay between norovirus infection, gut microbiota, and novel antiviral approaches: a comprehensive review.

Norovirus infection is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and can also cause harmful chronic infections in individuals with weakened immune systems. The role of the gut microbiota in the interactions between the host and noroviruses has been extensively studied. While most past studies were conducted in vitro or focused on murine noroviruses, recent research has expanded to human noroviruses using in vivo or ex vivo human intestinal enteroids culture studies. The gut microbiota has been observed to have both promoting and inhibiting effects on human noroviruses. Understanding the interaction between noroviruses and the gut microbiota or probiotics is crucial for studying the pathogenesis of norovirus infection and its potential implications, including probiotics and vaccines for infection control. Recently, several clinical trials of probiotics and norovirus vaccines have also been published. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the current understanding and recent updates on the interactions between noroviruses and gut microbiota, including the impact of norovirus on the microbiota profile, pro-viral and antiviral effects of microbiota on norovirus infection, the use of probiotics for treating norovirus infections, and human norovirus vaccine development.

Corrigendum: Unraveling the interplay between norovirus infection, gut microbiota, and novel antiviral approaches: a comprehensive review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1212582.].

Diagnostic accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the pediatric population: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Rapid identification and isolation of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are critical methods for blocking COVID-19 transmission. The advantages of antigen tests, such as their relatively low cost and short turnaround time, can contribute to the prompt identification of infectious individuals. However, the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for COVID-19 in children remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 in the pediatric population. METHODS: We conducted a literature search for relevant studies in the PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Biomed Central databases. Studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric patients were included. In addition, we included studies that provided sufficient data to construct a 2 × 2 table on a per-patient basis. The final literature search was performed on October 10, 2021. Days after symptom onset, asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals may have been potential sources of heterogeneity. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the antigen tests were generated using a bivariate random-effects model. RESULTS: Five studies with 4400 participants were included. The meta-analysis of antigen tests generated a pooled sensitivity of 65.9% (95% CI: 52.8%-77.0%) and pooled specificity of 99.9% (95% CI: 98.9%-100.0%). A subgroup analysis of studies reporting antigen test data for symptomatic patients showed a pooled sensitivity of 64.5% and a pooled specificity of 99.7%. The subgroup analysis of studies that included 881 asymptomatic participants generated a pooled sensitivity of 48.4% and a pooled specificity of 99.5%. CONCLUSION: Antigen tests exhibit moderate sensitivity and high specificity for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in children. Antigen tests might have moderate sensitivity for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic children, and serial testing might effectively prevent further SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

The Health Care Utilization and Medical Costs in Long-Term Follow-Up of Children Diagnosed With Leukemia, Solid Tumor, or Brain Tumor: Population-Based Study Using the National Health Insurance Claims Data.

BACKGROUND: Childhood cancer survivors are at a high risk of medical consequences of their disease and treatment. There is growing information about the long-term health issues of childhood cancer survivors; however, there are very few studies describing the health care utilization and costs for this unique population. Understanding their utilization of health care services and costs will provide the basis for developing strategies to better serve these individuals and potentially reduce the cost. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the utilization of health services and costs for long-term survivors of childhood cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: This is a nationwide, population-based, retrospective case-control study. We analyzed the claims data of the National Health Insurance that covers 99% of the Taiwanese population of 25.68 million. A total of 33,105 children had survived for at least 5 years after the first appearance of a diagnostic code of cancer or a benign brain tumor before the age of 18 years from 2000 to 2010 with follow-up to 2015. An age- and gender-matched control group of 64,754 individuals with no cancer was randomly selected for comparison. Utilization was compared between the cancer and no cancer groups by χ2 test. The annual medical expense was compared by the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 7 years, childhood cancer survivors utilized a significantly higher proportion of medical center, regional hospital, inpatient, and emergency services in contrast to no cancer individuals: 57.92% (19,174/33,105) versus 44.51% (28,825/64,754), 90.66% (30,014/33,105) versus 85.70% (55,493/64,754), 27.19% (9000/33,105) versus 20.31% (13,152/64,754), and 65.26% (21,604/33,105) versus 59.36% (38,441/64,754), respectively (all P<.001). The annual total expense (median, interquartile range) of childhood cancer survivors was significantly higher than that of the comparison group (US $285.56, US $161.78-US $535.80 per year vs US $203.90, US $118.98-US $347.55 per year; P<.001). Survivors with female gender, diagnosis before the age of 3 years, and diagnosis of brain cancer or a benign brain tumor had significantly higher annual outpatient expenses (all P<.001). Moreover, the analysis of outpatient medication costs showed that hormonal and neurological medications comprised the 2 largest costs in brain cancer and benign brain tumor survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of childhood cancer and a benign brain tumor had higher utilization of advanced health resources and higher costs of care. The design of the initial treatment plan minimizing long-term consequences, early intervention strategies, and survivorship programs have the potential to mitigate costs of late effects due to childhood cancer and its treatment.

Assessment of the detection accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test in children and adolescents: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Real-time and appropriate antigen tests play a pivotal role in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, a previous meta-analysis reported that the antigen test had lower sensitivity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in children. To provide a comprehensive evaluation of diagnostic efficiency, we performed an updated meta-analysis to assess the detection accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests stratified by days after symptom onset and specimen type in children and adolescents. METHODS: We comprehensively searched for appropriate studies in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies on the diagnostic accuracy of antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents were included. The relevant data of the included studies were extracted to construct a 2 × 2 table on a per-patient basis. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests were estimated using a bivariate random-effects model. RESULTS: Seventeen studies enrolling 10 912 patients were included in the present meta-analysis. For the detection accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests, the meta-analysis generated a pooled sensitivity of 77.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 67.3%-85.8%) and a pooled specificity of 99.6% (95% CI: 98.9%-99.8%). The subgroup analysis of studies that examined antigen tests in symptomatic participants ≦7 days after symptom onset generated a pooled sensitivity of 79.4% (95% CI: 47.6%-94.2%) and a pooled specificity of 99.4% (95% CI: 98.2%-99.8%). Another subgroup analysis of studies that evaluated nasal swab specimens demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 80.1% (95% CI: 65.0%-89.7%) and a pooled specificity of 98.5% (95% CI: 97.3%-9.2%). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that the antigen test performed using nasal swab specimens exhibited high sensitivity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 within 7 days after symptom onset. Therefore, antigen testing using nasal swabs may be effective in blocking SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children.

Viral Pneumonia during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019-2021 Evoking Needs for SARS-CoV-2 and Additional Vaccinations.

Coronaviruses can cause pneumonia, with clinical symptoms that may be similar to the symptoms of other viral pneumonias. To our knowledge, there have been no reports regarding cases of pneumonia caused by coronaviruses and other viruses among hospitalized patients in the past 3 years before and during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we analysed the causes of viral pneumonia among hospitalized patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2019-2021). Between September 2019 and April 2021, patients hospitalized at Shuang Ho Hospital in north Taiwan with a diagnosis of pneumonia were enrolled in this study. Age, sex, onset date, and season of occurrence were recorded. Respiratory tract pathogens were identified with molecular detection using the FilmArray® platform from nasopharyngeal swabs. In total, 1147 patients (128 patients aged <18 years and 1019 patients aged ≥18 years) with pneumonia and identified respiratory tract pathogens were assessed. Among the 128 children with pneumonia, the dominant viral respiratory pathogen was rhinovirus (24.2%), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 22.7%), parainfluenza virus (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) (17.2%), adenovirus (12.5%), metapneumovirus (9.4%), coronavirus (1.6%), and influenza virus (A + B) (1.6%). Among the 1019 adults with pneumonia, the dominant viral respiratory pathogen was rhinovirus (5.0%), followed by RSV (2.0%), coronavirus (2.0%), metapneumovirus (1.5%), parainfluenza virus (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) (1.1%), adenovirus (0.7%), and influenza virus (A + B) (0%). From 2019-2021, older patients (aged >65 years) with pneumonia tested positive for coronavirus most commonly in autumn. Coronavirus was not detected during summer in children or adults. Among children aged 0-6 years, RSV was the most common viral pathogen, and RSV infection occurred most often in autumn. Metapneumovirus infection occurred most often in spring in both children and adults. In contrast, influenza virus was not detected in patients with pneumonia in any season among children or adults from January 2020 to April 2021. Among all patients with pneumonia, the most common viral pathogens were rhinovirus in spring, adenovirus and rhinovirus in summer, RSV and rhinovirus in autumn, and parainfluenza virus in winter. Among children aged 0-6 years, RSV, rhinovirus, and adenovirus were detected in all seasons during the study period. In conclusion, the proportion of pneumonia cases caused by a viral pathogen was higher in children than the proportion in adults. The COVID-19 pandemic period evoked a need for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2) vaccination to prevent the severe complications of COVID-19. However, other viruses were also found. Vaccines for influenza were clinically applied. Active vaccines for other viral pathogens such as RSV, rhinovirus, metapneuomoccus, parainfluenza, and adenovirus may need to be developed for special groups in the future.

Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Unusual Complications of Norovirus Infection in Taiwan: What We Know after Rotavirus Vaccines.

Noroviruses (NoVs) are one of the emerging and rapidly spreading groups of pathogens threatening human health. A reduction in sporadic NoV infections was noted following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the return of NoV gastroenteritis during the COVID-19 pandemic has been noted recently. Research in recent years has shown that different virus strains are associated with different clinical characteristics; moreover, there is a paucity of research into extraintestinal or unusual complications that may be associated with NoV. The genomic diversity of circulating NoVs is also complex and may vary significantly. Therefore, this short narrative review focuses on sharing the Taiwan experience of NoV infection including epidemiology, clinical features, and complications following suboptimal rotavirus immunization in Taiwan (after October 2006). We also highlight the unusual complications associated with NoV infections and the impacts of NoV infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in the literature for possible future research directions. To conclude, further research is needed to quantify the burden of NoV across the spectrum of disease severity in Taiwan. The evidence of the connection between NoV and the unusual complications is still lacking.

The Human Virome: Viral Metagenomics, Relations with Human Diseases, and Therapeutic Applications.

The human body is colonized by a wide range of microorganisms. The field of viromics has expanded since the first reports on the detection of viruses via metagenomic sequencing in 2002. With the continued development of reference materials and databases, viral metagenomic approaches have been used to explore known components of the virome and discover new viruses from various types of samples. The virome has attracted substantial interest since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Increasing numbers of studies and review articles have documented the diverse virome in various sites in the human body, as well as interactions between the human host and the virome with regard to health and disease. However, there have been few studies of direct causal relationships. Viral metagenomic analyses often lack standard references and are potentially subject to bias. Moreover, most virome-related review articles have focused on the gut virome and did not investigate the roles of the virome in other sites of the body in human disease. This review presents an overview of viral metagenomics, with updates regarding the relations between alterations in the human virome and the pathogenesis of human diseases, recent findings related to COVID-19, and therapeutic applications related to the human virome.

Validation of a point-of-need diagnostic tool for rapid diagnosis of norovirus gastroenteritis.

BACKGROUND: The genogroups GI and GII of norovirus (NoV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) genetic variants are the most prevalent cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks, especially in children, worldwide. A fast, accurate and convenient tool for diagnosis of NoV may be preferable to the more complicated performance of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). METHODS: In this study, we developed and evaluated a tool using insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR)-mediated POCKIT Central NoV GI and NoV GII assay systems for diagnosis of NoV infection in pediatric patients suspected with gastroenteritis. RESULTS: Performance of POCKIT Central Norovirus GI and GII assays using RT-iiPCR, compared to regular real-time RT-PCR showed the same diagnosis rate to NoV GI (100% of total percent agreement and 1.0 of Cohen's kappa value) and a similar detection rate to norovirus GII (96.3% of total percent agreement and 0.92 of Cohen's kappa value). In exclusivity tests, the POCKIT Central NoV GI and GII assays showed negative results to other viruses, indicating that the assays may be a NoV-specific detection tool. CONCLUSION: POCKIT Central NoV GI and GII Assay systems can provide a simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific point-of-need diagnostic tool for the detection of NoV GI and GII RNAs in clinical specimens from children with acute gastroenteritis.