Latest Articles
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologySystematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Prevalence of Group A Streptococcal emm Clusters in Africa To Inform Vaccine DevelopmentLow vaccine coverage is of grave public health concern, particularly in developing countries where epidemiological data are often absent. To inform vaccine development for group A Streptococcus (GAS), we report on the epidemiology of the M protein emm clusters from GAS infections in Africa, where GAS-related illnesses and their sequelae, including rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, are of a high burden. This...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyHorizontal Plasmid Transfer among Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates Is the Key Factor for Dissemination of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases among Children in TanzaniaHorizontal spread of plasmids carrying multiple resistance genes is considered an important mechanism behind the global health problem caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nevertheless, knowledge about spread of plasmids in a community is limited. Our detailed molecular analyses of K. pneumoniae isolated from hospitalized and healthy children in Tanzania disclosed...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMicroRNAs Regulated by the LPS/TLR2 Immune Axis as Bona Fide Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Acute LeptospirosisHere, we used miRNAs that are differentially regulated by the LPS/TLR2 immune axis to devise a miRNA-based diagnosis for leptospirosis. The study established the role of the circulating stable miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-144-3p, and miR-let-7b-5p) as an early diagnostic marker for leptospirosis. These miRNAs can be used to diagnose acute leptospirosis and also to differentiate leptospiral infection from other bacterial and spirochetal...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTransforming Properties of Beta-3 Human Papillomavirus E6 and E7 ProteinsHuman papillomaviruses are currently classified in different genera. Mucosal HPVs belonging to the alpha genus have been clearly associated with carcinogenesis of the mucosal epithelium at different sites. Beta HPV types have been classified as cutaneous. Although findings indicate that some beta HPVs from species 1 and 2 play a role, together with UV irradiation, in skin cancer, very little is known about the transforming properties of...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyClinical Characteristics and Immune Injury Mechanisms in 71 Patients with COVID-19The dysregulation of CD3+ CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD16+ CD56+ NK cells, C1q as well as IL-6, along with bacterial coinfection, were important causes of exacerbation of the patients’ condition and death.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceDryland Cropping Systems, Weed Communities, and Disease Status Modulate the Effect of Climate Conditions on Wheat Soil Bacterial CommunitiesClimate change is affecting global moisture and temperature patterns, and its impacts are predicted to worsen over time, posing progressively larger threats to food production. In the Northern Great Plains of the United States, climate change is forecast to increase temperature and decrease precipitation during the summer, and it is expected to negatively affect cereal crop production and pest management. In this study, temperature,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBacterial Community Structure Dynamics in Meloidogyne incognita-Infected Roots and Its Role in Worm-Microbiome InteractionsThe study of high-resolution successional processes within tightly linked microniches is rare. Using the power and relatively low cost of metabarcoding, we describe the bacterial succession and community structure in roots infected with root-knot nematodes and in the nematodes themselves. We reveal separate successional processes in galls and adjacent non-gall root sections, which are driven by the nematode’s life cycle and the...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyPhylogenetic Characterization Reveals Prevalent Shigella flexneri ST100 Clone in Beijing, China, 2005 to 2018Beijing is the largest transportation hub in China, with a highly mobile population. Shigella flexneri is a major cause of bacillary dysentery in Beijing. However, little is known about the genetic features and population structure of locally circulating S. flexneri clones. Whole-genome sequencing...
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Meeting Highlights | Therapeutics and PreventionNipah@20: Lessons Learned from Another Virus with Pandemic PotentialNipah disease is listed as one of the WHO priority diseases that pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential. More than 200 experts from around the world convened in Singapore last year to mark the 20th anniversary of the first Nipah virus outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore. Most of these experts are now involved in responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, members of the Organizing...