Since the emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV), reports of microcephaly have increased considerably in Brazil; however, causality between the viral epidemic and malformations in fetal brains needs further confirmation. We examined the effects of ZIKV infection in human neural stem cells growing as neurospheres and brain organoids. Using immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, we showed that ZIKV...

The new coronavirus infection severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the natural epidemic rise of infections can occur in combination with them. This report aimed to answer question that arises regarding features clinical and laboratory diagnostic characteristics mixed infections. A group patients was analyzed combined course SARS-CoV-2 influenza using instrumental data. Attent...

Since January 2012, 20 autochthonous cases of dengue virus (DENV) infection have been identified in Réunion. The first cases were detected on the western coast, but the two co-circulating viruses (DENV-1 and DENV-3) seemed to have spread later to different cities of the island. There is a non-negligible risk of increase in viral transmission over the following weeks, so health professionals and...

BACKGROUND HIV-1 RNA plasma concentration at viral set-point is associated not only with disease outcome but also with the transmission dynamics of HIV-1. We investigated whether plasma HIV-1 RNA concentration and CD4 cell count at viral set-point have changed over time in the HIV epidemic in the Netherlands. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We selected 906 therapy-naïve patients with at least ...

Background and Aims: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is considered as worldwide and economically significant infection. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of persistent bovine viral diarrhea infection (PI) in industrial dairies of Tehran and Alborz province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 102371 blood samples were collected from bovine of industria...

Chlamydiae may exist at the site of infection in an alternative replicative form, called the aberrant body (AB). ABs are produced during a viable but non-infectious developmental state termed "persistence" or "chlamydial stress." As persistent/stressed chlamydiae: (i) may contribute to chronic inflammation observed in diseases like trachoma; and (ii) are more resistant to current anti-chlamydia...

Coronaviruses are considered to be one of the most significant human and animal pathogens. In late 2019, a new species of coronavirus was recognized as the cause of some pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. The disease spread rapidly and made an epidemic in China and subsequently in almost all countries in the world. I...

It is widely believed that epidemics in new hosts diminish in virulence over time, with natural selection favoring pathogens that cause minimal disease. However, a tradeoff frequently exists between high virulence shortening host survival on the one hand but allowing faster transmission on the other. This is the case in HIV infection, where high viral loads increase transmission risk per coital...

BACKGROUND Dengue viruses (DENV) are comprised in four related serotypes (DENV-1 to 4) and are critically important arboviral pathogens affecting human populations in the tropics. South American countries have seen the reemergence of DENV since the 1970's associated with the progressive re-infestation by the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. In French Guiana, DENV is now endemic with the co-circu...