Biosafety and Health最新文献

With continuous mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the severe immune escape of Omicron sub-variants urges the development of next-generation broad-spectrum vaccines, especially as booster jabs after high-level vaccination coverage of inactivated vaccines in China and many other countries. Previously, we developed a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) protein subunit vaccine ZF2001® based on the tandem homo-prototype receptor-binding domain (RBD)-dimer of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We upgraded the antigen into a hetero-chimeric prototype (PT)-Beta or Delta-BA.1 RBD-dimer to broaden the cross-protection efficacy and prove its efficiency with protein subunit and mRNA vaccine platforms. Herein, we further explored the hetero-chimeric RBD-dimer mRNA vaccines and evaluated their broad-spectrum activities as booster jabs following two doses of inactivated vaccine (IV) in mice. Our data demonstrated that the chimeric vaccines significantly boosted neutralizing antibody levels and specific T-cell responses against the variants, and PT-Beta was superior to Delta-BA.1 RBD as a booster in mice, shedding light on the antigen design for the next-generation COVID-19 vaccines.

Infections by nonpolio enteroviruses (EVs) are highly prevalent, particularly among children and neonates, where they may cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Laboratory diagnosis of these viral infections is important in patient prognosis and guidance of clinical management. Although the laboratory diagnosis of nonpolio EVs is mainly based on molecular techniques, classical virus-isolation techniques are still used in reference laboratories. Other techniques, such as antigen detection and serology, are becoming obsolete and rarely used in diagnosis. An important part of diagnosis and surveillance of EV infections is viral typing by VP1 gene sequencing using conventional Sanger technique and more recently, full-genome next-generation sequencing. The latter allows the typing of all EVs, better investigation of EV outbreaks, detection of coinfection, and identification of severity markers in the EV genome.

The vulnerability of healthcare and laboratory to potential infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has thus far been analyzed through the lens of the acute phase of the pandemic, including remote-based work, as well as emergency settings that are different from routine healthcare operations. However, as lockdowns ease and activities return to an identifiable pre-pandemic routine, the safety considerations also require to shift accordingly. As laboratory workers are likely to continue being exposed to unidentified SARS-CoV-2 positive samples through routine blood collection and processing operations, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might have to be re-considered as an occupational disease within this context. Additionally, as per many such occupational diseases, a surveillance system is implemented for the medium- and long-term. This manuscript presents the views on the possible surveillance scenarios for laboratory staff, viewed from an immunological and biosafety perspective.

Mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue and chikungunya have become global threats, infecting millions of people worldwide, including developing countries of Southeast Asia and Latin America. Bangladesh, like many other developing countries, is experiencing frequent dengue outbreaks. This article, therefore, critically discussed the current status of dengue disease, vector control approaches, and the need for Wolbachia-mediated intervention in Bangladesh and other dengue-endemic developing countries. In this narrative review study, relevant literature was searched from major databases and search engines such as PubMed, BanglaJol, World Health Organization (WHO)/European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Google Scholar. Considering the selection criteria, our search strategies finally involved 55 related literature for further investigation. Findings showed that current vector control strategies could not render protection for an extended period, and the disease burden of arboviruses is increasing. The impoverished outbreak preparedness, urbanization, climate change, and less efficacy of existing control methods have made people susceptible to vector-borne diseases. Hence, Wolbachia, a naturally occurring endosymbiont of many mosquito species that can potentially limit virus transmission through several host genetic alterations, would be a potential alternative for dengue prevention. We also critically discussed the challenges and prospects of Wolbachia-based dengue control in developing countries. The evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of this intervention and its mechanism have also been elucidated. Empirical evidence suggests that this introgression method could be an eco-friendly and long-lasting dengue control method. This review would help the policymakers and health experts devise a scheme of Wolbachia-based dengue control that can control mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue in Bangladesh and other developing countries.

Human astrovirus (HAstV) is one of the main pathogens that cause sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis, sometimes leading to outbreaks. This study aimed to elucidate the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of HAstV outbreaks worldwide. Literature on HAstV outbreaks published before January 2022 was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, WeiPu, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Date, region, population, settings, transmission modes, clinical symptoms, and etiological characteristics of the outbreaks were collected and analyzed. Thirty-one articles on 32 HAstV outbreaks reported between November 1978 and October 2018 were included. The outbreaks mainly occurred in autumn (14/32, 43.75%), and more of them were reported in 1996, 2004, and 2017. Outbreaks were primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and mainly occurred in nursery centers and kindergartens (9/29, 31.03%), hospitals (5/29, 17.24%), and schools (4/29, 13.79%). Viral genotypes were identified during 19 outbreaks, and HAstV-1 was predominant (8/19, 42.10%). Eleven outbreaks were caused by mixed infection, and norovirus (9/11, 81.82%) and rotavirus (5/11, 45.45%) were the most common mixed pathogens. The transmission routes were reported in 9 outbreaks of mixed infection, and most (7/9) were related to waterborne and foodborne transmission. Although HAstV outbreaks are infrequently reported, it is necessary to consider HAstV in norovirus-negative gastroenteritis outbreaks. In addition, local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should have the capacity to handle HAstV outbreaks and identify pathogens.

Vaccination is crucial in controlling the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that triggered the pandemic, but herd immunity can only work with high vaccination coverage in the population. This study aims to measure the COVID-19 knowledge level and determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intention among university students in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out with 1,274 Malaysian university students in July 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to examine the relationships between the study variables. Results showed that the majority of university students had an acceptable level of knowledge of COVID-19. The knowledge, risk perception of COVID-19, social norms, and perceived benefit of COVID-19 vaccination were positively associated with vaccination intention. However, perceived trust in information sources of COVID-19 vaccination and the government's response to COVID-19 did not affect the university students’ desire to receive the vaccination. These findings are essential for health policymakers and healthcare providers to implement evidence-based interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake among university students.

We conducted environmental surveillance to detect avian influenza viruses circulating at live poultry markets (LPMs) and poultry farms in Guangxi Autonomous Region, China, where near the China-Vietnam border. From November through April 2017–2018 and 2018–2019, we collected environmental samples from 14 LPMs, 4 poultry farms, and 5 households with backyard poultry in two counties of Guangxi and tested for avian influenza A, H5, H7, and H9 by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). In addition, we conducted four cross-sectional questionnaire surveys among stall owners on biosecurity practices in LPMs of two study sites. Among 16,713 environmental specimens collected and tested, the median weekly positive rate for avian influenza A was 53.6% (range = 33.5% − 66.0%), including 25.2% for H9, 4.9% for H5, and 21.2% for other avian influenza viruses A subtypes, whereas a total of two H7 positive samples were detected. Among the 189 LPM stalls investigated, most stall owners (73.0%) sold chickens and ducks. Therefore, continued surveillance of the avian influenza virus is necessary for detecting and responding to emerging trends in avian influenza virus epidemiology.

Albumin solutions derived from human plasma have demonstrated clinical benefits as intravenous fluid therapy in clinical settings such as liver disease, sepsis, intensive care, and surgery. For all plasma-derived medicinal products, there is a potential risk from pathogens, including relevant blood-borne viruses, emerging viruses, and prion proteins. To minimize the risk of transmissible infections, the production of human albumin solutions includes rigorous donor selection and plasma testing, and effective pathogen removal and inactivation methods such as fractionation and pasteurization. Compliance with international pharmacopeial standards for purity and prekallikrein activator and aluminum content is crucial, as is post-marketing pharmacovigilance for the continuous monitoring of adverse events. This review focuses on the effectiveness of manufacturing methods in the production of plasma-derived albumin, to ensure the safety of hyperoncotic solutions for volume expansion. We evaluated evidence identified through online database (PubMed) searches and from unpublished sources, on the manufacturing and pathogen safety of plasma-derived albumin solutions. The results confirmed the already established and evolving pathogen reduction capacity of the reviewed manufacturing methods. Up-to-date post-marketing pharmacovigilance data and log₁₀ reduction factors for known and emerging pathogens during albumin production are included. Towards the goal of ever-increasing clinical safety, potential areas of improvement, such as compliance rates for the completion of donor health questionnaires, are also discussed. Taken together, the current manufacturing and pathogen reduction steps result in albumin products of greater purity than previous-generation products, with a high margin of pathogen safety against known and emerging pathogens, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

In this study, standards of high-biocontainment facilities (including laboratories and large-scale production facilities) formulated by China and other countries were analyzed and compared, and the technical points and requirements for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in different series of standards were discussed. The main focus was on expounding the design and verification of the containment area’s indoor parameters, ventilation system, filter design, integrity test, fan standby, airflow pattern, and system reliability. This study expects suggestions and opinions on the construction and development of biosafety facilities in China and the possible future revision of relevant national standards.