MERS-CoV Outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015

philstar.com

Objectives: The outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the Republic of Korea started from the index case who developed fever after returning from the Middle East. He infected 26 cases in Hospital C, and consecutive nosocomial transmission proceeded throughout the nation. We provide an epidemiologic description of the outbreak, as of July 2015.
Methods: Epidemiological research was performed by direct interview of the confirmed patients and reviewing medical records. We also analyzed the incubation period, serial interval, the characteristics of superspreaders, and factors associated with mortality. Full genome sequence was obtained from sputum specimens of the index patient.
Results: A total of 186 confirmed patients with MERS-CoV infection across 16 hospitals were identified in the Republic of Korea. Some 44.1% of the cases were patients exposed in hospitals, 32.8% were caregivers, and 13.4% were healthcare personnel. The most common presenting symptom was fever and chills. The estimated incu bation period was 6.83 days and the serial interval was 12.5 days. A total of 83.2% of the transmission events were epidemiologically linked to five superspreaders, all of whom had pneumonia at presentation and contacted hundreds of people. Older age [odds ratio (OR) = 4.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.90e12.45] and underlying respiratory disease (OR = 4.90, 95% CI 1.64 e14.65) were significantly associated with mortality. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the MERS-CoV of the index case clustered closest with a recent virus
from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion: A single imported MERS-CoV infection case imposed a huge threat to public health and safety. This highlights the importance of robust preparedness and optimal infection prevention control. The lessons learned from the current outbreak will contribute to more up-to-date guidelines and global health security.

REFERENCE:
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015.” Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives 6.4 (2015): 269–278. PMC. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

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Accidental Infection of Laboratory Worker with Vaccinia #LAIs

We report the accidental needlestick inoculation of a laboratory worker with vaccinia virus. Although the patient had previously been vaccinated against smallpox, severe lesions appeared on the fingers. Western blot and polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism were used to analyze the virus recovered from the lesions. The vaccinia virus–specific immunoglobulin G levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our study supports the need for vaccination for laboratory workers that routinely handle orthopoxvirus.

REFERENCE:
Moussatché, Nissin et al. “Accidental Infection of Laboratory Worker with Vaccinia.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 9.6 (2003): 724–726. PMC. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
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NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Certification Testing of Biosafety Cabinets

NSF International maintains NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Class II (laminar flow) biosafety cabinetry and also certifies that biosafety cabinets conform to the requirements of the standard. More than 20 tests are required during initial qualification testing; of these, the biological challenge tests are the most critical to ensuring that the model tested will provide personnel, product, and cross contamination protection.

REFERENCE:
Maren H. Roush and Stephen C. Williams. NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Certification Testing of Biosafety Cabinets. JALA 2009;14:171–3

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Freedom and Responsibility in Synthetic Genomics: The Synthetic Yeast Project

First introduced in 2011, the Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) Project is a large international synthetic genomics project that will culminate in the first eukaryotic cell (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with a fully synthetic genome. With collaborators from across the globe and from a range of institutions spanning from do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) to commercial enterprises, it is important that all scientists working on this project are cognizant of the ethical and policy issues associated with this field of research and operate under a common set of principles. In this commentary, we survey the current ethics and regulatory landscape of synthetic biology and present the Sc2.0 Statement of Ethics and Governance to which all members of the project adhere. This statement focuses on four aspects of the Sc2.0 Project: societal benefit, intellectual property, safety, and self-governance. We propose that such project-level agreements are an important, valuable, and flexible model of self-regulation for similar global, large-scale synthetic biology projects in order to maximize the benefits and minimize potential harms.

REFERENCE:
Sliva, Anna et al. “Freedom and Responsibility in Synthetic Genomics: The Synthetic Yeast Project.” Genetics 200.4 (2015): 1021–1028. PMC. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

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Hoy cumplimos 1 millón de visitas. Gracias por visitar nuestro blog

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The Hidden Geometry of Complex, Network-Driven Contagion Phenomena

The global spread of epidemics, rumors, opinions, and innovations are complex, network-driven dynamic processes. The combined multiscale nature and intrinsic heterogeneity of the underlying networks make it difficult to develop an intuitive understanding of these processes, to distinguish relevant from peripheral factors, to predict their time course, and to locate their origin. However, we show that complex spatiotemporal patterns can be reduced to surprisingly simple, homogeneous wave propagation patterns, if conventional geographic distance is replaced by a probabilistically motivated effective distance. In the context of global, air-traffic–mediated epidemics, we show that effective distance reliably predicts disease arrival times. Even if epidemiological parameters are unknown, the method can still deliver relative arrival times. The approach can also identify the spatial origin of spreading processes and successfully be applied to data of the worldwide 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and 2003 SARS epidemic.

REFERENCE:
Brockmann D, Helbing D. The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena. Science. 2013 Dec 13;342(6164):1337-42.
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NOM-018-STPS-2015, Sistema armonizado para la identificación y comunicación de peligros y riesgos por sustancias químicas peligrosas en los centros de trabajo.

1. Objetivo
Establecer los requisitos para disponer en los centros de trabajo del sistema armonizado de identificación y comunicación de peligros y riesgos por sustancias químicas peligrosas, a fin de prevenir daños a los trabajadores y al personal que actúa en caso de emergencia.
2. Campo de aplicación
La presente Norma Oficial Mexicana rige en todo el territorio nacional y aplica a todos los centros de trabajo donde se manejen sustancias químicas peligrosas. No aplica a productos terminados tales como: farmacéuticos, aditivos alimenticios, artículos cosméticos, residuos de plaguicidas en los alimentos y residuos peligrosos.

REFERENCIA:
Diario Oficial de la Federación, Octubre 09, 2015. Tercera Sección. NOM-018-STPS-2015, Sistema armonizado para la identificación y comunicación de peligros y riesgos por sustancias químicas peligrosas en los centros de trabajo.
DESCARGAR

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PODCAST: #Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura
for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the other half to Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria
Diseases caused by parasites have plagued humankind for millennia and constitute a major global health problem. In particular, parasitic diseases affect the world''s poorest populations and represent a huge barrier to improving human health and wellbeing. This year''s Nobel Laureates have developed therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases.
William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura discovered a new drug, Avermectin, the derivatives of which have radically lowered the incidence of River Blindness and Lymphatic Filariasis, as well as showing efficacy against an expanding number of other parasitic diseases. Youyou Tu discovered Artemisinin, a drug that has significantly reduced the mortality rates for patients suffering from Malaria.
These two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually. The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.
Please visite http://www.nobelprize.org/ for more information, and view the complete press release on the following link







REFERENCE:
"The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 5 Oct 2015. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2015/>

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Quaternary Ammonium Biocides: Efficacy in Application

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are among the most commonly used disinfectants. There has been concern that their widespread use will lead to the development of resistant organisms, and it has been suggested that limits should be place on their use. While increases in tolerance to QACs have been observed, there is no clear evidence to support the development of resistance to QACs. Since efflux pumps are believe to account for at least some of the increased tolerance found in bacteria, there has been concern that this will enhance the resistance of bacteria to certain antibiotics. QACs are membrane-active agents interacting with the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria and lipids of viruses. The wide variety of chemical structures possible has seen an evolution in their effectiveness and expansion of applications over the last century, including non-lipid-containing viruses (i.e., noroviruses). Selection of formulations and methods of application have been shown to affect the efficacy of QACs. While numerous laboratory studies on the efficacy of QACs are available, relatively few studies have been conducted to assess their efficacy in practice. Better standardized tests for assessing and defining the differences between increases in tolerance versus resistance are needed. The ecological dynamics of microbial communities where QACs are a main line of defense against exposure to pathogens need to be better understood in terms of sublethal doses and antibiotic resistance.

REFERENCE:
Gerba, Charles P. “Quaternary Ammonium Biocides: Efficacy in Application.” Ed. V. Müller. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81.2 (2015): 464–469. PMC. Web. 9 July 2015.

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Biological Risks and Laboratory-Acquired Infections: A Reality That Cannot be Ignored in Health Biotechnology #LAIs

Advances and research in biotechnology have applications over a wide range of areas, such as microbiology, medicine, the food industry, agriculture, genetically modified organisms, and nanotechnology, among others. However, research with pathogenic agents, such as virus, parasites, fungi, rickettsia, bacterial microorganisms, or genetic modified organisms, has generated concern because of their potential biological risk – not only for people, but also for the environment due to their unpredictable behavior. In addition, concern for biosafety is associated with the emergence of new diseases or re-emergence of diseases that were already under control. Biotechnology laboratories require biosafety measures designed to protect their staff, the population, and the environment, which may be exposed to hazardous organisms and materials. Laboratory staff training and education is essential, not only to acquire a good understanding about the direct handling of hazardous biological agents but also knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and human susceptibility to the biological materials used in research. Biological risk can be reduced and controlled by the correct application of internationally recognized procedures such as proper microbiological techniques, proper containment apparatus, adequate facilities, protective barriers, and special training and education of laboratory workers. To avoid occupational infections, knowledge about standardized microbiological procedures and techniques and the use of containment devices, facilities, and protective barriers is necessary. Training and education about the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and biohazards of the microorganisms involved may prevent or decrease the risk. In this way, the scientific community may benefit from the lessons learned in the past to anticipate future problems. Keywords: biological risks, biosafety, biotechnology, laboratory-acquired infections, health.

REFERENCE:
Coelho, Ana Cláudia, and Juan García Díez. “Biological Risks and Laboratory-Acquired Infections: A Reality That Cannot Be Ignored in Health Biotechnology.” Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 3 (2015): 56. PMC. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
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Política gubernamental para la investigación de preocupación de uso dual #DURC

La investigación de preocupación de uso dual [DURC, Dual Use Research of Concern] es un término que hace referencia a toda investigación científica que es realizada con propósitos legítimos para generar conocimiento, información, tecnologías y/o productos, que pueden ser utilizados con fines benévolos o para causar daño. La mayoría de las investigaciones científicas tienen un potencial para generar información que puede ser mal utilizada. Sin embargo, aquellas que pueden ser utilizadas de forma inmediata y que son una amenaza a la salud pública y la seguridad para la agricultura, la ganadería, el ambiente, los animales, o la seguridad son de gran preocupación. El manejo de los riesgos por las DURC, debe ser compartido por investigadores, editores, editoriales, comités de bioseguridad, ciencia y bioética, instituciones de vigilancia, gobiernos locales, estatales y federales. En EU se ha establecido una política institucional gubernamental para la vigilancia de la investigación de preocupación de uso dual. Pueden ver esta información en la página sobre DURC en  http://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse. También pueden descargar los siguientes documentos:

• United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern
• Implementation of the U.S. Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences DURC: Case Studies
• Slides: TRAINING ON THE US GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR INSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT OF LIFE SCIENCES DUAL USE RESEARCH OF CONCERN

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CDC. Workbook for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program

An effective sharps injury prevention program includes several components that must work in concert to prevent healthcare personnel from suffering needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries. This program plan is designed to be integrated into existing performance improvement, infection control, and safety programs. It is based on a model of continuous quality improvement, an approach that successful healthcare organizations are increasingly adopting. We can describe this model in a variety of terms, but the underlying concept is that of a systematic, organizationwide approach for continually improving all processes (Processes Performance Improvement) involved in the delivery of quality products and services. The program plan also draws on concepts from the industrial hygiene profession, in which prevention interventions are prioritized based on a hierarchy of control strategies.

REFERENCE:

• CDC. Workbook for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program.
•                                                              Download option 2

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Dual-Use Research of Concern (#DURC) Review at American Society for Microbiology Journals

Scheme of the review process used by
ASM journals for manuscripts containing DURC.

The potential use of biological knowledge for nefarious purposes has attracted significant concern. The field of microbiology has come under particular scrutiny because some microbes and toxins are potential agents for bioterrorism and biological warfare. In 2005, the U.S. government established the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to address issues related to biosecurity and dual-use research. Over the past decade, the NSABB has considered several topics, including defining the boundary between research that requires no special oversight and research that could be misapplied, which is known as dual-use research of concern (DURC). One of the major accomplishments of the NSABB was to draft a definition for DURC as “life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security.” In addition to defining the type of research that should elicit heightened concern, the NSABB recommended that research be examined for DURC potential throughout its life span, from experimental conception to final dissemination of the results and developed tools for communicating findings that meet the definition. Furthermore, the NSABB sought to establish a culture of responsibility to mitigate risks associated with DURC that extended through the entire scientific enterprise and included journals and editors. In 2007, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) responded to the NSABB directives by introducing a questionnaire in the manuscript referee review form used by its journals that asked reviewers to provide an assessment about whether the work involved experiments of concern.

REFERENCE:
Casadevall, Arturo et al. “Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC) Review at American Society for Microbiology Journals.” mBio 6.4 (2015): e01236–15. PMC. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

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Novel Human Virus That Shares Genomic Features with Hepaciviruses and Pegiviruses

To investigate the transmission of novel infectious agents by blood transfusion, we studied changes in the virome composition of blood transfusion recipients pre- and posttransfusion. Using this approach, we detected and genetically characterized a novel human virus, human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1), that shares features with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV; formerly called GB virus C or hepatitis G virus). HCV and HPgV belong to the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus of the family Flaviviridae. HHpgV-1 was found in serum samples from two blood transfusion recipients and two hemophilia patients who had received plasma-derived clotting factor concentrates. In the former, the virus was detected only in the posttransfusion samples, indicating blood-borne transmission. Both hemophiliacs were persistently viremic over periods of at least 201 and 1,981 days. The 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of HHpgV-1 contained a type IV internal ribosome entry site (IRES), structurally similar to although highly divergent in sequence from that of HCV and other hepaciviruses. However, phylogenetic analysis of nonstructural genes (NS3 and NS5B) showed that HHpgV-1 forms a branch within the pegivirus clade distinct from HPgV and homologs infecting other mammalian species. In common with some pegivirus variants infecting rodents and bats, the HHpgV-1 genome encodes a short, highly basic protein upstream of E1, potentially possessing a core-like function in packaging RNA during assembly. Identification of this new human virus, HHpgV-1, expands our knowledge of the range of genome configurations of these viruses and may lead to a reevaluation of the original criteria by which the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus are defined.
IMPORTANCE More than 30 million blood components are transfused annually in the United States alone. Surveillance for infectious agents in the blood supply is key to ensuring the safety of this critical resource for medicine and public health. Here, we report the identification of a new and highly diverse HCV/GB virus (GBV)-like virus from human serum samples. This new virus, human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1), was found in serum samples from blood transfusion recipients, indicating its potential for transmission via transfusion products. We also found persistent long-term HHpgV-1 viremia in two hemophilia patients. HHpgV-1 is unique because it shares genetic similarity with both highly pathogenic HCV and the apparently nonpathogenic HPgV (GBV-C). Our results add to the list of human viruses and provide data to develop reagents to study virus transmission and disease association and for interrupting virus transmission and new human infections.

REFERENCE:
Kapoor A, et al. Virome Analysis of Transfusion Recipients Reveals a Novel Human Virus That Shares Genomic Features with Hepaciviruses and Pegiviruses. September 2015 mBio vol. 6 no. 5 e01466-15

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State-of-the-Art in Biosafety and Biosecurity in European Countries

The terms biosafety and biosecurity are widely used in different concepts and refer not only to protection of human beings and their surrounding environment against hazardous biological agent, but also to global disarmament of weapons of mass destruction. As a result, the biosafety and biosecurity issues should be considered interdisciplinary based on multilateral agreements against proliferation of biological weapons, public health and environmental protection. This publication presents information on both, international and national biosafety and biosecurity legislation. Status of national implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, penalization issues and measures to account for and secure production, use, storage of particularly dangerous pathogens or activities involving humans, plants and animals where infection may pose a risk have been analyzed. Safety and security measures in laboratories have been studied. Moreover, dual-use technology and measures of secure transport of biohazard materials have been also taken into account. In addition, genetic engineering regulations, biosecurity activities in laboratories and code of conducts have been investigated, as well. Keywords: Biosafety, Biosecurity, Legislation, BTWC

REFERENCE:
Bielecka, Anna, and Ali Akbar Mohammadi. “State-of-the-Art in Biosafety and Biosecurity in European Countries.” Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis 62.3 (2014): 169–178. PMC. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
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