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Mycobacteriology and Aerobic ActinomycetesEvaluation of the Roche cobas MTB and MTB-RIF/INH Assays in Samples from Germany and Sierra LeoneThe cobas MTB and MTB-RIF/INH assays allow for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) nucleic acid and rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) resistance-associated mutations in an automated, high-throughput workflow. In this study, we evaluated the performance of these assays, employing samples from settings of low and high tuberculosis (TB) burdens....
EpidemiologyEvaluating Specimen Quality and Results from a Community-Wide, Home-Based Respiratory Surveillance StudyWhile influenza and other respiratory pathogens cause significant morbidity and mortality, the community-based burden of these infections remains incompletely understood. The development of novel methods to detect respiratory infections is essential for mitigating epidemics and developing pandemic-preparedness infrastructure.
ImmunoassaysAssessment of S1-, S2-, and NCP-Specific IgM, IgA, and IgG Antibody Kinetics in Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection by a Microarray and Twelve Other ImmunoassaysIn this study, we comprehensively analyzed multispecific antibody kinetics of different immunoglobulins in hospitalized patients with acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Three hundred fifty-four blood samples longitudinally obtained from 81 IgG-seroconverting progressed coronavirus disease 2019 (CoVID-19) patients were quantified for spike 1 (S1), S2, and nucleocapsid protein (NCP)-specific IgM...
MinireviewPerformance of Saliva, Oropharyngeal Swabs, and Nasal Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisNasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are considered the highest-yield sample for diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The need to increase capacity for SARS-CoV-2 testing in a variety of settings, combined with shortages of sample collection supplies, have motivated a search for alternative sample types with high sensitivity.
VirologyRapid High-Throughput Whole-Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 by Using One-Step Reverse Transcription-PCR Amplification with an Integrated Microfluidic System and Next-Generation SequencingThe long-lasting global COVID-19 pandemic demands timely genomic investigation of SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Here, we report a simple and efficient workflow for whole-genome sequencing utilizing one-step reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) amplification on a microfluidic platform, followed by MiSeq amplicon sequencing.
BacteriologyGenomic Surveillance and Improved Molecular Typing of Bordetella pertussis Using wgMLSTMultilocus sequence typing (MLST) provides allele-based characterization of bacterial pathogens in a standardized framework. However, classical MLST schemes for Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, seldom reveal diversity among the small number of gene targets and thereby fail to delineate population structure.
BacteriologyEvaluation of the Accelerate Pheno System for Rapid Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Positive Blood Culture Bottles Inoculated with Primary Sterile Specimens from Patients with Suspected Severe Infections...The Accelerate Pheno system is approved for rapid identification and phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of microorganisms grown from positive blood cultures inoculated with blood from septic patients. We evaluated the performance of the system for identification and AST from positive blood culture bottles inoculated with primary sterile nonblood specimens from patients with suspected severe infections.
VirologyComparison of 16 Serological SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassays in 16 Clinical LaboratoriesSerological assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed to support clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigations. Recently, assays for large-scale detection of total antibodies (Ab), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgM against SARS-CoV-2 antigens have been developed, but there are limited data on the diagnostic accuracy of these assays.
EpidemiologyAntibody Responses to Two Recombinant Treponemal Antigens (rp17 and TmpA) before and after Azithromycin Treatment for Yaws in Ghana and Papua New GuineaWHO and its partners aim to interrupt yaws transmission in countries of endemicity and to certify others as being yaws-free. Transmission can be assessed using rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests, reflecting current or recent infection, but RPR is operationally impractical.
MinireviewImmunologic Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Infection from the Antigen PerspectiveCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread globally as a severe pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infection stimulates antigen-specific antibody responses.