Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) of the genotypes B1a and B1b have co-circulated in mainland China in the past decades. From 2013 to 2017, a total of 3,008 specimens from 3,008 patients with mild hand, foot, and mouth disease were collected in the present study. Viral RNA was tested for CV-A16 by a real-time RT-PCR method, and complete VP1 sequences and full-length genome sequences of CV-A16 strains from this study were determined by RT-PCR and sequencing. Sequences were analyzed using a series of bioinformatics programs. The detection rate for CV-A16 was 4.1%, 25.9%, 10.6%, 28.1% and 12.9% in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. Overall, the detection rate for CV-A16 was 16.5% (497/3008) in this 5-year period in Shenzhen, China. One hundred forty-two (142/155, 91.6%) of the 155 genotype B1 strains in the study belonged to subgenotype B1b, and 13 (13/155, 8.4%) strains belonged to subgenotype B1a. Two strains (CVA16/Shenzhen174/CHN/2017 and CVA16/Shenzhen189/CHN/2017) could not be assigned to a known genotype. Phylogenetic analysis of these two strains and other Chinese CV-A16 strains indicated that these two CV-A16 strains clustered independently in a novel clade whose members differed by 8.4%-11.8%, 8.4%-12.1%, and 14.6%-14.8% in their nucleotide sequences from those of Chinese B1a, B1b, and genotype D strains, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of global CV-A16 strains further indicated that the two novel CV-A16 strains from this study grouped in a previously uncharacterized clade, which was designated as the subgenogroup B3 in present study. Meanwhile, phylogenetic reconstruction revealed two other new genotypes, B1d and B4, which included a Malaysian strain and two American strains, respectively. The complete genome sequences of the two novel CV-A16 strains showed the highest nucleotide sequence identity of 92.3% to the Malaysian strain PM-15765-00 from 2000. Comparative analysis of amino acid sequences of the two novel CV-A16 strains and their relatives suggested that variations in the nonstructural proteins may play an important role in the evolution of modern CV-A16.
We identified two novel circoviruses, HK02976 and HK00220, in oral swabs from bats. The size of their full genome was 2,010 nucleotides (nt). The full-genome sequence of our strains shared 96.1% nucleotide sequence identity with each other, and 39.9%-69.5% identity with bat-associated circoviruses (BatACVs)1-9. Based on the species demarcation threshold for viruses of the family Circoviridae, which is 80% genome-wide nucleotide sequence identity, we have tentatively named this group of viruses "bat-associated circovirus 10" (BatACV10).
A large-scale dengue fever (DF) outbreak occurred in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, China 2015. In our study, 528 dengue-positive patient samples were collected for clinical and laboratory data analysis. 491 cases (93.0%) were primary dengue fever (PDF), 22 cases (4.2%) were dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and 15 cases (2.8%) were diagnosed with severe dengue fever (SDF). All cases were infected by dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), and the isolated strains belonged to cosmopolitan genotype, which were grouped closely with Malaysia strains from 2010 to 2014. Moreover, the study showed that laboratory indices have significantly difference in PDF, DHF and SDF patients. A comprehensive analysis of these data could assist and guide the clinical diagnosis for DF, which has an important significance for the control of dengue virus infection.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), one of the most significant causes of liver inflammation, has a high annual mortality rate. The unfavorable hygiene conditions and inadequate health monitoring in many prisons increase the risk of blood-borne infections such as hepatitis C. The growing incidence of this disease among prisoners results in overspill transmission to the general population from undiagnosed prisoners that have been released. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis C among the world's prison population. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the prevalence of hepatitis C was carried out using the keywords "Prevalence", "Hepatitis C", and "Prisoner" in the Iranian and international databases SID, MagIran, Iran Doc, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (WoS) from January 1990 to September 2020. After transferring the articles to the information management software EndNote and eliminating duplicate studies, the remaining studies were reviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, three stages of primary and secondary evaluation, and qualitative evaluation. Comprehensive meta-analysis software and Begg and Mazumdar and I2 tests were used for data analysis and assessment of dissemination bias, and heterogeneity, respectively. Out of 93 studies (22 from Asia, 26 from Europe, seven from Africa, 29 from America, and nine from Australia) with a total sample size of 145,823 subjects, the prevalence of hepatitis C in prisoners worldwide was estimated to be 17.7% (95% confidence interval, 15-20.7%). The highest prevalence of hepatitis C on the continents included in this study was reported in prisoners incarcerated in Australia and Oceania, with 28.4% (95% CI: 21.6-36.4) in nine studies, and Europe, with 25.1% (95% CI: 19.4-31.8) in 26 studies. All studies used an ELISA test for the detection of HCV antibodies. The results showed a prevalence of HCV of 17.7% in prisoners worldwide, ranging between 10 and 30% over five continents (Asia, Europe, America, Africa, and Australia and Oceania). The highest prevalence was reported in Australia and Oceania (28.4%), indicating the need to pay more attention to this issue on the continent. It is necessary to reduce the incidence of the disease in prisons by appropriate policy-making and the development of accurate and practical programs, including the distribution of free syringes and examination, testing, and screening of prisoners.
Flavonoids are widely distributed as secondary metabolites produced by plants and play important roles in plant physiology, having a variety of potential biological benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity. Different flavonoids have been investigated for their potential antiviral activities and several of them exhibited significant antiviral properties in in vitro and even in vivo studies. This review summarizes the evidence for antiviral activity of different flavonoids, highlighting, where investigated, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action on viruses. We also present future perspectives on therapeutic applications of flavonoids against viral infections.
Rotaviruses are major causative agents of acute diarrhea in children under 5 years of age in Malaysia. However, a rotavirus vaccine has not been included in the national vaccination program. To date, only two studies have been carried out in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, although children in this state are at risk of diarrheal diseases. Previous studies showed that 16%-17% of cases of diarrhea were caused by rotaviruses and that equine-like G3 rotavirus strains are predominant. Because the prevalence of rotaviruses and their genotype distribution vary over time, this study was conducted at four government healthcare facilities from September 2019 through February 2020. Our study revealed that the proportion of rotavirus diarrhea increased significantly to 37.2% (51/137) after the emergence of the G9P[8] genotype in replacement of the G12P[8] genotype. Although equine-like G3P[8] strains remain the predominant rotaviruses circulating among children, the Sabahan G9P[8] strain belonged to lineage VI and was phylogenetically related to strains from other countries. A comparison of the Sabahan G9 strains with the G9 vaccine strains used in the RotaSiil and Rotavac vaccines revealed several mismatches in neutralizing epitopes, indicating that these vaccines might not be effective in Sabahan children. However, a vaccine trial may be necessary to understand the precise effects of vaccination.
In late 2017, Malaysia reported repeated outbreaks of low-pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAI) H9N2 infections in commercial poultry flocks. Two H9N2 viruses, A/chicken/Malaysia/Negeri Sembilan/UPM994/2018 and A/chicken/Malaysia/Johore/UPM2033/2019, which were isolated from breeder and layer flocks in Peninsular Malaysia, were characterised in this study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that both viruses were multiple-genotype reassortant strains with genes originating from Y280-like (HA gene), F/98-like (NS, NP and PA), G1-like (M and PB2), and Korean-like (PB1) lineages, indicating that they belong to a novel genotype that is divergent from the G57 lineage of Chinese origin. Both isolates were predicted to have a dibasic cleavage site (333-PSRSSRGLF-341) in the HA gene cleavage locations. Thus, the novel Malaysian H9N2 strain is a Y280-like virus resembling H9N2 isolates from Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, and Cambodia. This virus is of the G57 lineage but has a novel genotype of the PB1 gene originating from a Korean-lineage H9N2 virus, which has not been detected before in the region.
A novel bacteriophage, PA-1, was isolated using Pantoea ananatis, a bacterium that is responsible for rice leaf blight worldwide, as the host. PA-1 has a linear genome of 46,332 bp with a GC content of 50.55%. It contains 83 protein-encoding genes, and no tRNA-encoding genes were detected. The genome is densely organized, with an average CDS size of 516 bp, and 92.38% of the genome consists of protein-coding regions. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic and morphological analysis showed that PA-1 is a novel phage that is phylogenetically distinct, suggesting that it may represent a new genus within the class Caudoviricetes..
The resurgence of monkey pox (mpox) virus clade Ib, which was declared a global health emergency in August 2024, poses a significant threat worldwide. Initially contained through public health measures, the increased transmissibility of clade Ib strains compared with that of previous strains has led to a rapid rise in cases, particularly in Central Africa. The resurgence highlights disparities in diagnostic capabilities and healthcare infrastructure, leading to underreporting in resource-limited regions. New variants could evade immunity, necessitating continued vaccination efforts for high-risk groups. This review discusses the epidemiological situation, recent outbreaks, clinical features, and public health response, emphasizing the urgent need for global coordination in diagnostic, prevention, and treatment strategies.