Ebola epidemic--Liberia, March-October 2014.

On March 21, 2014, the Guinea Ministry of Health reported the outbreak of an illness characterized by fever, severe diarrhea, vomiting and a high fatality rate (59%), leading to the first known epidemic of Ebola virus disease (Ebola) in West Africa and the largest and longest Ebola epidemic in history. As of November 2, Liberia had reported the largest number of cases (6,525) and deaths (2,697) among the three affected countries of West Africa with ongoing transmission (Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). The response strategy in Liberia has included management of the epidemic through an incident management system (IMS) in which the activities of all partners are coordinated. Within the IMS, key strategies for epidemic control include surveillance, case investigation, laboratory confirmation, contact tracing, safe transportation of persons with suspected Ebola, isolation, infection control within the health care system, community engagement, and safe burial. This report provides a brief overview of the progression of the epidemic in Liberia and summarizes the interventions implemented.

Molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax in Latin America: polymorphism and evolutionary relationships of the circumsporozoite gene.

BACKGROUND: The origins and dispersal of Plasmodium vivax to its current worldwide distribution remains controversial. Although progress on P. vivax genetics and genomics has been achieved worldwide, information concerning New World parasites remains fragmented and largely incomplete. More information on the genetic diversity in Latin America (LA) is needed to better explain current patterns of parasite dispersion and evolution. METHODS: Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein gene polymorphism was investigated using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and Sanger sequencing in isolates from the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. In conjunction with worldwide sequences retrieved from the Genbank, mismatch distribution analysis of central repeat region (CRR), frequency estimation of unique repeat types and phylogenetic analysis of the 3' terminal region, were performed to obtain an integrative view of the genetic relationships between regional and worldwide isolates. RESULTS: Four RFLP subtypes, vk210a, b, c and d were identified in Southern Mexico and three subtypes vk210a, e and f in Nicaragua. The nucleotide sequences showed that Mexican vk210a and all Nicaraguan isolates were similar to other American parasites. In contrast, vk210b, c and d were less frequent, had a domain ANKKAEDA in their carboxyl end and clustered with Asian isolates. All vk247 isolates from Mexico and Peru had identical RFLP pattern. Their nucleotide sequences showed two copies of GGQAAGGNAANKKAGDAGA at the carboxyl end. Differences in mismatch distribution parameters of the CRR separate vk247 from most vk210 isolates. While vk247 isolates display a homogeneous pattern with no geographical clustering, vk210 isolates display a heterogeneous geographically clustered pattern which clearly separates LA from non-American isolates, except vk210b, c and d from Southern Mexico. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of vk210a in Mexico and vk210e, f and g in Nicaragua are consistent with other previously reported LA isolates and reflect their circulation throughout the continent. The vk210b, c and d are novel genotypes in LA. Their genetic relationships and low variability within these vk210 and/or within the vk247 parasites in Southern Mexico suggest its recent introduction and/or recent expansion to this region. The global analysis of P. vivax csp suggests this parasite introduction to the region and likely LA by different independent events.

Detection of human leptospirosis as a cause of acute fever by capture ELISA using a Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni (M20) derived antigen.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a potentially lethal zoonosis mainly affecting low-resource tropical countries, including Peru and its neighbouring countries. Timely diagnosis of leptospirosis is critical but may be challenging in the regions where it is most prevalent. The serodiagnostic gold standard microagglutination test (MAT) may be technically prohibitive. Our objective in this study was to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of an IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunoassay (MAC-ELISA) derived from the M20 strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni (M20) by comparison to MAT, which was used as the gold standard method of diagnosis. METHODS: Acute and convalescent sera from participants participating in a passive febrile surveillance study in multiple regions of Peru were tested by both IgM MAC-ELISA and MAT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV) of the MAC-ELISA assay for acute, convalescent and paired sera by comparison to MAT were calculated. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay for acute sera were 92.3%, 56.0%, 35.3% and 96.6% respectively. For convalescent sera, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay were 93.3%, 51.5%, 63.6% and 89.5% respectively. For paired sera, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the MAC-ELISA assay were 93.6%, 37.5%, 59.2%, 85.7% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The M20 MAC-ELISA assay performed with a high sensitivity and low specificity in the acute phase of illness. Sensitivity was similar as compared with MAT in the convalescent phase and specificity remained low. Paired sera were the most sensitive but least specific by comparison to MAT serodiagnosis. NPV for acute, convalescent and paired sera was high. The limited specificity and high sensitivity of the MAC-ELISA IgM suggests that it would be most valuable to exclude leptospirosis in low-resource regions that lack immediate access to definitive reference laboratory techniques such as MAT.

Postinfectious gastrointestinal disorders following norovirus outbreaks.

BACKGROUND: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20.9 million norovirus infections annually in the United States. Although the acute disease burden is sizeable, emerging data suggest norovirus may be associated with chronic gastrointestinal problems. We identified known outbreaks in US military recruits and used the Defense Medical Encounter Database (DMED) to identify the risk of new onset functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: Subjects reporting for care of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a military treatment clinic during 3 known norovirus outbreaks were identified. Each AGE subject was matched with up to 4 subjects with unrelated medical encounters. Medical encounter data were analyzed for the duration of military service time (or a minimum of 1 year) to assess for incident FGD or GERD. Relative risks were calculated using regression models. RESULTS: We identified 1718 subjects from 3 outbreaks. After controlling for important demographic covariates, the incidence of constipation, dyspepsia, and GERD was approximately 1.5-old higher (P < .01) in AGE-exposed subjects than matched subjects. We also noted variability in outcome incidence across outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the risk of dyspepsia, constipation, and GERD are higher among those who have AGE during a confirmed norovirus outbreak. Although these findings need confirmation, they suggest that dysmotility may result subsequent to these infections. If confirmed, the costs and morbidity associated with the chronic consequences of norovirus should be considered.

Genotype distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) in histological sections of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical carcinoma in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotype distribution and co-infection occurrence was studied in cervical specimens from the city of Madrid (Spain), as a contribution to the knowledge of Human Papillomavirus genotype distribution and prevalence of carcinogenic HPV types in cervical lesions in Spain. METHODS: A total of 533 abnormal specimens, from the Hospital General Universitario "Gregorio Marañón" of Madrid, were studied. These included 19 benign lesions, 349 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias 1 (CIN1), 158 CIN2-3 and 7 invasive cervical carcinomas (ICC). HPV genotyping was performed using PCR and tube array hybridization. RESULTS: We detected 20 different HPV types: 13 carcinogenic high-risk HPV types (HR-HPVs), 2 probably carcinogenic high-risk HPV types (PHR-HPVs) and 5 carcinogenic low-risk HPV types (LR-HPVs). The most frequent HPV genotypes found in all specimens were HPV16 (26.0%), 31 (10.7%) and 58 (8.0%). HPV 18 was only detected in 5.0%. Co-infections were found in 30.7% of CIN 1 and 18.4% cases of CIN2-3. The highest percentage of HR HPVs was found in those specimens with a CIN2-3 lesion (93.7%). CONCLUSION: As our study shows the current tetravalent vaccine could be effective in our geographical area for preventing all the invasive cervical carcinomas. In addition, upon the estimates of the important presence of other HR-HPV types - such as 31, 58, 33 and 52 - in different preneoplasic lesions the effectiveness of HPV vaccination in our geographical area, and others with similar genotype distribution, should be limited.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Brucella melitensis isolates in Peru.

Brucellosis is an important public health problem in Peru. We evaluated 48 human Brucella melitensis biotype 1 strains from Peru between 2000 and 2006. MICs of isolates to doxycycline, azithromycin, gentamicin, rifampin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were determined by the Etest method. All isolates were sensitive to tested drugs during the periods of testing. Relapses did not appear to be related to drug resistance.

Training initiatives within the AFHSC-Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System: support for IHR (2005).

Training is a key component of building capacity for public health surveillance and response, but has often been difficult to quantify. During fiscal 2009, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (AFHSC-GEIS) supported 18 partner organizations in conducting 123 training initiatives in 40 countries for 3,130 U.S. military, civilian and host-country personnel. The training assisted with supporting compliance with International Health Regulations, IHR (2005). Training activities in pandemic preparedness, outbreak investigation and response, emerging infectious disease (EID) surveillance and pathogen diagnostic techniques were expanded significantly. By engaging local health and other government officials and civilian institutions, the U.S. military's role as a key stakeholder in global public health has been strengthened and has contributed to EID-related surveillance, research and capacity-building initiatives specified elsewhere in this issue. Public health and emerging infections surveillance training accomplished by AFHSC-GEIS and its Department of Defense (DoD) partners during fiscal 2009 will be tabulated and described.

Enteric disease surveillance under the AFHSC-GEIS: current efforts, landscape analysis and vision forward.

The mission of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (AFHSC-GEIS) is to support global public health and to counter infectious disease threats to the United States Armed Forces, including newly identified agents or those increasing in incidence. Enteric diseases are a growing threat to U.S. forces, which must be ready to deploy to austere environments where the risk of exposure to enteropathogens may be significant and where routine prevention efforts may be impractical. In this report, the authors review the recent activities of AFHSC-GEIS partner laboratories in regards to enteric disease surveillance, prevention and response. Each partner identified recent accomplishments, including support for regional networks. AFHSC/GEIS partners also completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) survey as part of a landscape analysis of global enteric surveillance efforts. The current strengths of this network include excellent laboratory infrastructure, equipment and personnel that provide the opportunity for high-quality epidemiological studies and test platforms for point-of-care diagnostics. Weaknesses include inconsistent guidance and a splintered reporting system that hampers the comparison of data across regions or longitudinally. The newly chartered Enterics Surveillance Steering Committee (ESSC) is intended to provide clear mission guidance, a structured project review process, and central data management and analysis in support of rationally directed enteric disease surveillance efforts.

Pre-positioned Outbreak Research: The Joint Medical Emerging Diseases Intervention Clinical Capability Experience in Uganda.

The West Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014-2016 demonstrated that responses to viral hemorrhagic fever epidemics must go beyond emergency stopgap measures and should incorporate high-quality medical care and clinical research. Optimal patient management is essential to improving outcomes, and it must be implemented regardless of geographical location or patient socioeconomic status. Coupling clinical research with improved care has a significant added benefit: Improved data quality and management can guide the development of more effective supportive care algorithms and can support regulatory approvals of investigational medical countermeasures (MCMs), which can alter the cycle of emergency response to reemerging pathogens. However, executing clinical research during outbreaks of high-consequence pathogens is complicated and comes with ethical and research regulatory challenges. Aggressive care and excellent quality control must be balanced by the requirements of an appropriate infection prevention and control posture for healthcare workers and by overcoming the resource limitations inherent in many outbreak settings. The Joint Mobile Emerging Disease Intervention Clinical Capability was established in 2015 to develop a high-quality clinical trial capability in Uganda to support rigorous evaluation of MCMs targeting high-consequence pathogens like Ebola virus. This capability assembles clinicians, laboratorians, clinical researchers, logisticians, and regulatory professionals trained in infection prevention and control and in good clinical and good clinical laboratory practices. The resulting team is prepared to provide high-quality medical care and clinical research during high-consequence outbreaks.

Molecular epidemiology of Brucella genotypes in patients at a major hospital in central Peru.

The multiple-locus variable-number repeat analysis of 90 human Brucella melitensis isolates from a large urban area in central Peru revealed variations at 4 (Bruce07, Bruce09, Bruce18, and Bruce42) out of 16 loci investigated, of which 1 (Bruce42) also is used for species identification. Ten genotypes were identified, separated by the number of Bruce42 repeats into two groups that may have distinct phenotypic characteristics. Whereas genotypes with five or six Bruce42 repeats were cultured mainly from adult patients, genotypes with three Bruce42 repeats were isolated from children and young adolescents as well as from adults. In addition, the isolates with three Bruce42 repeats were obtained more often from patients with splenomegaly (P = 0.02) or hepatomegaly (P = 0.006). An annual variation in the diversity of genotypes was observed, possibly reflecting changes in sources of fresh dairy products, supply routes to city shops and markets, and the movement of infected dairy goat herds.

Evaluation of brucellosis by PCR and persistence after treatment in patients returning to the hospital for follow-up.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was applied to confirm the diagnosis of brucellosis and to study its clearance in response to the standard treatment regimen with doxycycline and rifampin at hospitals in Callao and Lima, Peru. The PCR confirmed the diagnosis in 23 (91.7%) patients with brucellosis including 12 culture-confirmed cases. For patients treated at the hospital in Callao, PCR was positive for all samples collected during and at the conclusion of treatment and for 76.9% of follow-up samples collected on average 15.9 weeks after completion of treatment. For patients treated at the hospital in Lima, PCR tests were positive for 81.8% of samples collected during treatment, for 33.3% of samples collected at the conclusion of treatment, and for > or = 50% of samples collected at first, second, and third post-treatment follow-up. Thus, Brucella DNA may persist in the serum weeks to months after completion of the standard treatment regimen.

Human papillomavirus genotypes in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with anal pathology in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: We studied anal specimens to determine the distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and co-infection occurrence. This information will contribute to the knowledge of HPV genotype distributions and provide an estimate of the prevalence of different oncogenic HPV genotypes found in patients in Madrid (Spain). METHODS: We studied a total of 82 anal biopsies from the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón of Madrid. These included 4 specimens with benign lesions, 52 specimens with low-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesion, 24 specimens with high-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions and 2 specimens with invasive anal carcinoma. HPV genotyping was performed with PCR amplification and reverse dot blot hybridization. RESULTS: We detected 33 different HPV genotypes, including 16 HPVs associated with a high risk of carcinogenesis, 3 HPVs associated with a highly likely risk of carcinogenesis and 14 HPVs associated with a low-risk of carcinogenesis. In two specimens, an uncharacterized HPV genotype was detected. The most frequent HPV genotypes found were HPV-16 (10.3%; 95% CI: 6.6%-15.1%), HPV-52 (8.5%; 95% CI: 5.2%-13%) and HPV-43/44 (7.6%; 95% CI: 4.5%-11.9%). HPV-18 was only detected in 0.9% (95% CI: 0.1%-3.2%) of the total viruses detected in all lesions. HPV co-infections were found in 83.9% of all types of lesions. The majority of cases (90.2%) were concomitantly infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of high-risk carcinogenic genotypes in anal pathological samples was remarkable. Therefore, further studies that include a greater number of samples, particularly invasive carcinoma cases are needed to evaluate the potential influence of these HPV genotypes in the appearance of anal carcinomas. Also, the influence of other accompanying infections should be evaluated clarify the appearance of this type of carcinoma. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/2075238024106058.

The effect of preparation of cebiche on the survival of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

BACKGROUND: Cebiche is a common dish in Latin America, prepared using raw fish mixed with vegetables and marinated with lime juice. The acidity of the lime juice is commonly believed to destroy bacteria and render cebiche as safe to eat. Little data exist concerning rates of cebiche-associated gastroenteritis outbreaks, although these may be high given the popularity of the dish. METHODS: We inoculated raw fish with Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to determine the effect of the cebiche preparation process on bacterial viability. Raw fish were exposed to a suspension of 1.0 × 10(8) colony-forming units (CFUs) of each organism in a 50-mL solution, prior to the addition of cebiche ingredients. A typical Peruvian cebiche recipe was used combining limes, onions, sweet potatoes, cilantro, and hot peppers marinated together for 30 minutes. A homogenized mixture of the dish was then evaluated for pH and bacterial counts at 0, 10, and 30 minutes. As much as 100 µL of inocula were streaked onto tryptic soy agar (TSA) agar plates and incubated for 24 hours. RESULTS: The initial average pH of the fish was 6.4 prior to adding cebiche ingredients and 5.0 immediately afterwards. The pH at 10- and 30-minute periods was 5.4 and 5.2, respectively. Little reduction in bacterial counts was observed at either the 10- or 30-minute time periods, with counts increasing at 30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The putative bactericidal role of lime juice in the preparation process is not sufficient to reduce the microbial population present in cebiche. Pathogens may remain viable after exposure to acidic conditions. The increasing popularity of Peruvian cuisine may also lead to cebiche-associated illness outside of Latin America.

Susceptibility of the Aotus nancymaae owl monkey to eastern equine encephalitis.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is an arthropod-borne virus associated with life-threatening encephalitis in humans, equines, birds and many other domestic animals. To investigate the suitability of the Aotus nancymaae New World owl monkey as a viable animal model for EEE candidate vaccine testing we used clinical presentation, serology, viral isolation and PCR to evaluate pathogenesis and immunity in infected animals. Monkeys were inoculated subcutaneously (SQ) or intranasally (IN) with 10(4)pfu of virulent EEEV and were initially followed for 45 days. While none of the animals displayed clinical signs of disease, all of the SC inoculated animals (n=6) manifested a viremia averaging 3.2 days (+/-0.8 days). Likewise, serologic responses (IgM, IgG and PRNT) were observed in all SC infected animals. Interestingly, none of the IN inoculated animals (n=6) became viremic or mounted an antibody response and no pathological abnormalities were observed in two animals that were necropsied on day 6 post-infection (p.i.) from each group. To determine if the antibodies produced by the SC inoculated animals were protective against homologous challenge, three animals from the SC group were serologically evaluated on day 253 p.i. and were administered an inoculum identical to initial challenge on day 270 p.i. A positive control group of four naïve animals was also infected as before. All of the naïve positive control animals manifested a similar viremia as observed initially, averaging 2.75 days (+/-0.5 days) while none of the previously challenged animals became viremic. On days 45 and 253 p.i. geometric mean PRNT titers in the SC group were 453 and 101, respectively. This study demonstrates that the Aotus nancymaae can be reproducibly infected with EEE virus and can serve as a suitable model for infection and immunogenicity for the evaluation of candidate vaccines against EEEV.

Comparison of culture techniques at different stages of brucellosis.

The lysis centrifugation technique is preferred for culturing Brucella spp. at all stages of brucellosis because it yields 25% more positive results and on average provides results 10 days earlier than the Ruiz-Castaneda method. This lysis method is inexpensive and easier to use and may be used in laboratories with limited expertise or equipment if all safety precautions are taken.

MLVA genotyping of human Brucella isolates from Peru.

Recent human Brucella melitensis isolates from Peru were genotyped by multiple locus variable number repeat analysis. All 24 isolates originated from hospitalized patients living in the central part of Peru and consisted of six genomic groups comprising two to four isolates and nine unique genotypes. The isolates were most closely related to the two previously genotyped isolates from Mexico, with a maximum distance of 2 to 4. The Peruvian strains were clearly distinct from the East and West Mediterranean groups of B. melitensis genotypes, suggesting that they may constitute a unique Latin American cluster.