Outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 Infections,Ghana

In September 2019, high mortality in commercial rabbits was reported in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 phylogenetically related to isolates from 2015–2017 outbreaks in the Netherlands was confirmed as the causative agent. The virus has not yet been detected in native rabbits in Ghana.     

Australia's notifiable diseases status, 2002: Annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

There were 57 infectious diseases notifiable at the national level in Australia in 2002. States and territories reported 100,278 cases of infectious diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), a fall of 4 per cent compared to the number of notifications in 2001. In 2002, the most frequently notified diseases were, sexually transmitted infections (31,929 reports, 32% of total notifications), gastrointestinal infections (26,708 reports, 27% of total notifications) and bloodborne infections (23,741, 24%). There were 11,711 (12% of total) cases of vaccine preventable diseases, 3,052 (3% of total) cases of vectorborne diseases, 1,155 (1% of total) cases of zoonotic infections, two cases of quarantinable diseases (Vibrio cholerae O1) and 1,980 cases of other bacterial diseases, notified to NNDSS. Compared to 2001, notifications of sexually transmitted infections increased by 16 per cent and gastrointestinal infections by 2 per cent while bloodborne infections fell by 18 per cent. The number of notifications of chlamydial infection and Q fever were the highest since 1991 and 1995 respectively. By contrast, the number of notification for hepatitis A and measles were the lowest since 1991. For other notifiable diseases, the number of notifications was within the range of the five years between 1997 and 2002 (range = five-year mean plus or minus two standard deviations). This report also includes 2002 summary data on communicable diseases from other surveillance systems including the Laboratory Virology and Serology Reporting Scheme and sentinel general practitioner schemes.     

Metabolic activation of fluoropyrrolidine dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors by rat liver microsomes.

The current study evaluated the potential for two dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor analogs (1S)-1-(trans-4-([(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)sulfonyl]amino)cyclohexyl)-2-[(3S)-3-fluoropyrrolidin-1-yl]-2-oxoethanaminium chloride and (1S)-1-(trans-4-([(2,4-difluorophenyl)sulfonyl]amino)cyclohexyl)-2-[(3S)-3-fluoropyrrolidin-1-yl]-2-oxoethanaminium chloride (MRL-A and MRL-B), containing a fluoropyrrolidine moiety in the structure, to undergo metabolic activation. The irreversible binding of these tritium-labeled compounds to rat liver microsomal protein was time- and NADPH-dependent and was attenuated by the addition of reduced glutathione (GSH) or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to the incubation, indicating that chemically reactive intermediates were formed and trapped by these nucleophiles. Mass spectrometric analyses and further trapping experiments with semicarbazide indicated that the fluoropyrrolidine ring had undergone sequential oxidation and defluorination events resulting in the formation of GSH or NAC conjugates of the pyrrolidine moiety. The bioactivation of MRL-A was catalyzed primarily by rat recombinant CYP3A1 and CYP3A2. Pretreatment of rats with prototypic CYP3A1 and 3A2 inducers (pregnenolone-16alpha-carbonitrile and dexamethasone) enhanced the extent of bioactivation which, in turn, led to a higher degree of in vitro irreversible binding to microsomal proteins (5- and 9-fold increase, respectively). Herein, we describe studies that demonstrate that the fluoropyrrolidine ring is prone to metabolic activation and that GSH or NAC can trap the reactive intermediates to form adducts that provide insight into the mechanisms of bioactivation.     

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Homeless People

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among homeless people and is associated with an increased risk of mortality from suicide, medical causes, and drug-related problems. However, there are no previous systematic review and meta-analysis studies that reported the consolidated magnitude of PTSD among homeless people. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Scopus to discover pertinent studies that determined the prevalence of PTSD among the homeless. Articles were evaluated by titles, abstracts, and full-text. Comprehensive meta-analysis software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were performed and Cochran’s Q- and the I² test were used to assess heterogeneity. The evidence of publication bias was evaluated by using Egger’s test and visual inspection of the symmetry in funnel plots. From the total, 19 studies with 20,364 participants across seven countries were included in the final analysis. Our meta-analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of PTSD among homeless people was 27.38% (95% CI; 21.95–33.57). In our subgroup analysis, we found that the prevalence of PTSD was considerably high as measured by the screening instrument (35.93%) than the diagnostic instrument (23.57% %). The prevalence of PTSD among homeless showed a significant variation by the location of the studies, the instruments used to measure PTSD as well as the quality of the included studies. This review showed that the pooled prevalence estimate of PTSD among homeless peoples was remarkably high (27.38%). Early screening and treatment of PTSD among homeless peoples are warranted to alleviate suffering.

     

IFN‐γ against the 38‐kDa antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis discriminates pulmonary tuberculosis from infection and infection from exposure: evidence from a study of human population in a high endemic setting

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) 38‐kDa antigen is an immunogenic lipoprotein that induces strong T‐cell responses in experimental animals. However, there is limited information on the role of this antigen in human population. In this article, we present the dynamics of pro‐inflammatory (IFN‐γ and TNF‐α) and anti‐inflammatory cytokine (IL‐10) against the 38 kDa in cohorts of pulmonary TB (PTB) patients, household contacts (HHCs), and community controls (CCs) in a high endemic setting. Whole blood assay was used to determine the levels of cytokines in 149 patients, 149 HHCs, and 68 CCs at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. At baseline, the level of IFN‐γ was significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in CCs and HHCs than in untreated patients. CCs had significantly (p < 0.05) higher level of IFN‐γ than HHCs. There was no significant difference between treated and untreated patients, and there was no significant change in HHCs over 12 months. At baseline, the levels of IL‐10 and TNF‐α were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in patients than in HHCs and CCs. No significant change was observed between treated patients and untreated patients and HHCs over time. The study shows that IFN‐γ against the 38 kDa discriminates clinical TB from infection and infection from exposure, suggesting its potential for immune protection and diagnosis.     

Extraction in cholinium-based magnetic ionic liquid aqueous two-phase system for the determination of berberine hydrochloride in Rhizoma coptidis

A magnetic ionic liquids (MILs)-based aqueous two-phase system (MIL-ATPs) obtained by mixing with a series of inorganic salts, which involves five cholinium MILs with the piperidinyloxy radical anion is reported for the first time. Phase diagrams for the new ATPs were experimentally determined at different temperatures (298.15–318.15 K) and the liquid–liquid equilibrium data for two-phase systems were correlated according to the empirical nonlinear expression. The effects of the types of MILs, temperature and inorganic salts on the binodal curve are discussed in detail. The MIL-ATPs coupled with HPLC-UV analysis was developed in the quantitation of berberine hydrochloride in Rhizoma coptidis. Under optimal conditions, the partition coefficient of berberine hydrochloride was 127.68 with the precision values (RSD%) of 1.40% and 2.83% for intra-day (n = 6) and inter-day (n = 3), respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for berberine hydrochloride were 0.023 mg L⁻¹ and 0.077 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The recoveries were obtained in the acceptable range of 97.4–101.2%. Moreover, the content of berberine hydrochloride in the raw material of Rhizoma coptidis was measured as 123.95 mg g⁻¹ with this method. Finally, 99.8% MIL was recovered for cycle application after the removal of berberine hydrochloride by using D101 resin. This study provides a meaningful reference for the application of MIL-ATPs with great prospects.

Five cholinium type organic magnetic ionic liquids have been applied in ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase systems by mixing with a series of inorganic salts, which is reported to extract berberine in quantitative analysis for the first time.