Medical Specialties Commons^™

Online Assessment In Undergraduate Medical Education: Challenges And Solutions From A Lmic University, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Romana Idrees, Kauser Jabeen, Saniya Sabzwari, Sadaf Khan

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background and objectives: The Covid-19 pandemic has caused large-scale disruption in almost all educational programs across the world. Planning and rapid implementation of assessment through an online format presents the next set of novel challenges that must be addressed by academic administrations across the globe.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March to August 2020 at the Aga Khan University Medical College. Two hundred medical students of year 1 and 2 participated in the study. We describe the planning, processes, and outcomes of online assessments using video communication platforms conducted at a private university in Pakistan. Standardized protocols were …

A Cross Sectional Evaluation Of The Corona-Score For Swift Identification Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan, Sibtain Ahmed, Muhammad Umer Naeem Effendi, Zeeshan Ansar Ahmed, Imran Siddiqui, Lena Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: The Corona-Score is one of the first and most widely used predictive model for coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The purpose of this study was to validate the performance of Corona-Score in a cohort of Pakistani patients pursuing care for suspected infection.
Methods: After seeking institution's ethical committee exemption, results of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, absolute lymphocyte and neutrophil counts, chest x-ray findings and demographics of suspected COVID-19 cases with respiratory symptoms were recouped from electronic medical record. The pre-validated score as proposed by Kurstjens S et al., was calculated. The subjects were divided into SARS-CoV-2 …

Clinical Validation Of A Sensitive Test For Saliva Collected In Healthcare And Community Settings With Pooling Utility For Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Mass Surveillance, Panelnikhil S. Sahajpal, Ashis K. Mondal, Sudha Ananth, Allan Njau, Pankaj Ahluwalia, Vamsi Kota, Kevin Caspary, Ted M. Ross, Michael Farrell, Michael P. Shannon

Pathology, East Africa

The clinical performance of saliva compared with nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs) has shown conflicting results in healthcare and community settings. In the present study, a total of 429 matched NPS and saliva sample pairs, collected in either healthcare or community setting, were evaluated. Phase-1 (protocol U) tested 240 matched NPS and saliva sample pairs; phase 2 (SalivaAll protocol) tested 189 matched NPS and saliva sample pairs, with an additional sample homogenization step before RNA extraction. A total of 85 saliva samples were evaluated with both protocols. In phase-1, 28.3% (68/240) samples tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) …

A Prospective Observational Study Of Community Acquired Pneumonia In Kenya: The Role Of Viral Pathogens, Jamila Nambafu, Mary Achakolong, Fridah Mwendwa, Jumaa Bwika, Felix Riunga, Samuel Gitau, Hanika Patel, Rodney Adam

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections continue to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality across all age groups globally. In sub-Saharan Africa, many studies of community acquired pneumonia in adults have focused on HIV-infected patients and little attention has been given to risk factors and etiologic agents in an urban area with a more moderate HIV prevalence.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 77 patients admitted to a 280 bed teaching hospital in Kenya with radiographically confirmed community acquired pneumonia from May 2019 to March 2020. The patients were followed for etiology and clinical outcomes. Viral PCR testing was performed using …

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Of External Auditory Canal: A Rare Disease, Abdul Basit Shah Vardag, Muhammad Hassan Danish, Mohammad Sohail Awan, Muhammad Usman Tariq, Omaima Anis Bhatti, Muhammad Hammad Deewani

Section of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery

External auditory canal, like other epithelialized surfaces is predisposed to malignancies such as Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), melanomas and adenocarcinomas. In this background, malignancies like adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) are a rare occurrence and need to be thoroughly evaluated both locally and for distant extension. The malignancy needs to be addressed with an aggressive approach surgically with adequate marginal clearance. The role of radiation is debatable considering the outcomes in the limited data. Here we present the case of a 35-year-old female who came in with otalgia and otorrhea associated with a mass in the external auditory canal. After biopsy …

Plasma Cell Leukemia: A Review Of 3 Cases Managed In Kenya, Matilda Ong’Ondi, Elizabeth Kagotho

Pathology, East Africa

Plasma Cell Leukemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive form of plasma cell dyscrasia that can arise either de novo (primary plasma cell leukemia) or evolve from previously diagnosed and treated multiple myeloma (secondary PCL). We highlight three clinical cases with very different presentations as a reminder of this diagnosis. (e cases also highlight the diversity and variability that cover a patient’s journey that is highly dependent on accessibility based on financial capability and social support. (e clinical presentation is more aggressive due to the higher tumour burden and more proliferative tumor cells with cytopenias being profound and more organomegaly. …

Publisher Correction To: Development Of The Asia Pacific Consortium On Osteoporosis (Apco) Framework: Clinical Standards Of Care For The Screening, Diagnosis, And Management Of Osteoporosis In The Asia-Pacific Region, M Chandran, P J. Mitchell, T Amphansap, S K. Bhadada, M Chadha, D-C Chan, Y-S Chung, P Ebeling, N Gilchrist, Aysha Habib Khan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Turnaround Times (Tat) In Pathology Laboratories From Developed And Developing Countries, And Its Impact On Treatment, Rishikha Jeyapal, Shajeedth Suresh Naidu, Jeevan K K. Shetty, Venkatesh Ramaswamy Naik

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

The timeliness of histopathology reports is one of the most crucial aspects of patient care. Turnaround Time (TAT) is one such parameter that is often considered when performing tests in pathology labs. Simply put, it is the time interval between the day a specimen is accessed in the lab, to the day the final report is signed out. Aims: This study aimed to compare the turnaround times in histopathology labs of developed and developing countries and to explore the impact of turnaround times on medical treatment. Materials and Methods: Our current review on retrieved articles from databases such as PubMed, …

Comparison Of Clinical Characteristics And Outcomes Between Covid-19 Pneumonia And H1n1 Influenza, Nosheen Nasir, Iffat Khanum, Kiren Habib, Rimsha Ahmed, Mujahid Hussain, Zahra Hasan, Muhammad Irfan

Department of Medicine

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been likened to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. We aim to study the similarities and differences between patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and H1N1 influenza in order to provide better care to patients, particularly during the co-circulation of Influenza A Subtype H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2.
Material and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in order to compare clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes of hospitalized patients with PCR-confirmed H1N1 influenza pneumonia and COVID-19 at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan.
Results: A total of 115 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were compared with 55 patients with H1N1 …

Accumulation Of Succinyl Coenzyme A Perturbs The Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa) Succinylome And Is Associated With Increased Susceptibility To Beta-Lactam Antibiotics, Christopher Campbell, Claire Fingleton, Merve S. Zeden, Emilio Bueno, Laura A Gallagher, Dhananjay Shinde, Jong-Sam Ahn, Heather M. Olson, Thomas L. Fillmore, Joshua N. Adkins, Fareha Razvi, Kenneth W. Bayles, Paul D. Fey, Vinai Chittezham Thomas, Felipe Cava, Geremy C. Clair, James P. O'Gara

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP2a)-dependent resistance to β-lactam antibiotics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is regulated by the activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle via a poorly understood mechanism. We report that mutations in sucC and sucD, but not other TCA cycle enzymes, negatively impact β-lactam resistance without changing PBP2a expression. Increased intracellular levels of succinyl coenzyme A (succinyl-CoA) in the sucC mutant significantly perturbed lysine succinylation in the MRSA proteome. Suppressor mutations in sucA or sucB, responsible for succinyl-CoA biosynthesis, reversed sucC mutant phenotypes. The major autolysin (Atl) was the most succinylated protein in the proteome, …

The Prospect Of Nanoparticle Systems For Modulating Immune Cell Polarization During Central Nervous System Infection, Lee E. Korshoj, Wen Shi, Bin Duan, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) selectively restricts the entry of molecules from peripheral circulation into the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma. Despite this protective barrier, bacteria and other pathogens can still invade the CNS, often as a consequence of immune deficiencies or complications following neurosurgical procedures. These infections are difficult to treat since many bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, encode a repertoire of virulence factors, can acquire antibiotic resistance, and form biofilm. Additionally, pathogens can leverage virulence factor production to polarize host immune cells towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype, leading to chronic infection. The difficulty of pathogen clearance is magnified by …

Variations In Regulations To Control Standards For Training And Licensing Of Physicians: A Multi-Country Comparison, Wafa Aftab, Mishal Khan, Sonia Rego, Nishant Chavan, Afifah Rahman-Shepherd, Isha Sharma, Shishi Wu, Zahra Zeinali, Rumina Hasan, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Background: To strengthen health systems, the shortage of physicians globally needs to be addressed. However, efforts to increase the numbers of physicians must be balanced with controls on medical education imparted and the professionalism of doctors licensed to practise medicine.
Methods: We conducted a multi-country comparison of mandatory regulations and voluntary guidelines to control standards for medical education, clinical training, licensing and re-licensing of doctors. We purposively selected seven case-study countries with differing health systems and income levels: Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, UK and USA. Using an analytical framework to assess regulations at four sequential stages of the medical …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (Mdro) Carriage Among Pediatric Patients At The Time Of Admission In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of A Developing Country. A Cross-Sectional Study, Sonia Qureshi, Noshi Maria, Mohammad Zeeshan, Seema Irfan, Farah Naz Qamar

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The rise of Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) poses a considerable burden on the healthcare systems, particularly in low-middle income countries like Pakistan. There is a scarcity of data on the carriage of MDRO particularly in the pediatrics population therefore, we aimed to determine MDRO carriage in pediatric patients at the time of admission to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, and to identify the risk factors associated with it.
Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at the pediatric department of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) from May to September 2019 on 347 children aged 1-18 years. For identification of MDRO …

Plasmodium In The Bone Marrow: Case Series From A Hospital In Pakistan, 2007-2015, Muhammad Shariq Shaikh, Basim Ali, Mahin Janjua, Ayesha Akbar, Syed Arish Haider, Bushra Moiz, Ahmed Raheem Buksh, John Kevin Baird, Mohammad Asim Beg

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Malaria is a life-threatening, multisystem disease caused by the plasmodial parasite with a global incidence of approximately 229 million annually. The parasites are known to have unique and crucial interactions with various body tissues during its life cycle, notably the liver, spleen, and recent work has shown the bone marrow to be a reservoir of infection.
Methods: This study is a case series of patients in whom examination of bone marrow revealed malarial parasites. A retrospective record review of 35 parasite-positive bone marrow specimens examined at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, Pakistan, over the years 2007 to 2015 …

The Utility Of An Initial Point-Of-Care Lactate In Predicting In-Hospital Mortality Among Adult Patients With Sepsis And Septic Shock At The Emergency Department Of A Tertiary Hospital In Nairobi, Gicheru B. Nyachira

Master of Medicine in Clinical Pathology

Background: Sepsis is a leading cause of death and now a global health priority. Rapid identification, diagnosis and intervention can result in reduced in-hospital mortality. Elevated lactate has been shown to be a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality. However, the optimal cut-off has not been well defined. Identification of the optimal Point-of-Care (POC) lactate cut off that best predicts in-hospital mortality can therefore be used to rapidly risk stratify patients with suspected sepsis and septic shock presenting to the emergency department allowing for immediate intervention. Objective: To determine the lactate cutoff from an initial Point-of-Care lactate result from a GEM …

Immunophenotypic Expression Profile Of Multiple Myeloma Cases At A Tertiary Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya, Isabella Chelagat Mengich

Master of Medicine in Clinical Pathology

Background; Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous disease with variable patient outcomes ranging from indolent to aggressive disease. GLOBOCAN data places Kenya amongst the top five African countries for MM incidence and MM-related mortality. Aberrant expression of CD56, CD117, Cyclin D1 and Ki-67 on neoplastic plasma cells has been demonstrated to be useful in disease prognostication. However, majority of the data on MM comes from western countries. The significance of expression of this markers is uncertain in our population. The aim of this study was to determine the immunophenotypic expression profile of CD56, CD117, Cyclin D1 and Ki-67 in a …

Spermatocytic Tumor Of Testis In A Young Male, Madiha Bilal Qureshi, Nasir Ud Din, Zubair Ahmad, Saira Fatima

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Spermatocytic tumor is a rare germ cell tumor not related to germ cell neoplasia in situ, and derived from postpubertal-type germ cells. It was previously called "Spermatocytic Seminoma" due to false belief of its origin from germ cell neoplasia in situ. The tumor usually occurs in an older age group and orchidectomy is curative. We present a case of spermatocytic tumor in a 25-year male who presented with right-sided testicular swelling and right-sided varicocele. Radiology revealed a 9.8 × 9 cm testicular mass and the patient underwent right-sided orchidectomy. Microscopic examination showed classic morphology with three characteristic cell types and …

Increasing The Rate Of Excisional Lymph Node Biopsies At Easily Accessible Sites When Ruling Out Lymphoma, Catherine M. Tucker, Md, Xiangyun Ye, Christopher Gardner, Austin Redilla, Guldeep K. Uppal, Md, Adam F. Binder, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

The aim of this study is to increase the rate of excisional lymph node biopsies from 78% to 95% in patients presenting to the Center City campus with lymphadenopathy at easily accessible sites by September 2021.

Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma To Pancreas And Gastrointestinal Tract: A Clinicopathological Study Of 3 Cases And Review Of Literature, Jamshid Abdul Ghafar, Nasir Ud Din, Ramin Saadaat, Zubair Ahmad

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) metastasizes in approximately 20-30% cases. The most common sites for metastases are the lungs, bones, liver, and brain. Metastases of RCC in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are very rare. Metastatic RCC has a poor prognosis. We herein present a case series of three patients with metastatic disease in the colon, duodenum, and pancreas following complete resection of RCC.
Methods: Hematoxylin and Eosin and immunohistochemical slides of 3 cases of RCC metastatic to GIT were reviewed. These cases were diagnosed between 2002 and 2019 at French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC), Kabul, Afghanistan, and …

Stability Of Plasma Glucose In Whole Blood Samples Collected In Sodium Fluoride Tube Vs. Sodium Heparin Plasma Separator Tubes, Ryan C. Braunberger, Magen Martinez, David G. Grenache

Quality Improvement/Patient Safety Symposium

Background: The concentration of plasma glucose is influenced by preanalytical variables such as delayed processing of whole blood. Glucose concentrations decrease by 5-7% per hour in whole blood due to glycolysis. This preanalytical loss decreases the diagnostic sensitivity of glucose when used to diagnose diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus. Sodium fluoride (NaF) is commonly used to inhibit glycolysis in samples collected during oral glucose tolerance tests, but is inadequate as it does not stop glycolysis for two or more hours. Guidelines recommend blood samples be immediately immersed in an ice slurry and analyzed within 30 minutes of collection, but …

Transcription Factor Β-Catenin Plays A Key Role In Fluid Flow Shear Stress-Mediated Glomerular Injury In Solitary Kidney., Tarak Srivastava, Daniel P. Heruth, R Scott Duncan, Mohammad H. Rezaiekhaligh, Robert E. Garola, Lakshmi Priya, Jianping Zhou, Varun C. Boinpelly, Jan Novak, Mohammed Farhan Ali, Trupti Joshi, Uri S. Alon, Yuexu Jiang, Ellen T. Mccarthy, Virginia J. Savin, Ram Sharma, Mark L. Johnson, Mukut Sharma

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Increased fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) in solitary kidney alters podocyte function in vivo. FFSS-treated cultured podocytes show upregulated AKT-GSK3β-β-catenin signaling. The present study was undertaken to confirm (i) the activation of β-catenin signaling in podocytes in vivo using unilaterally nephrectomized (UNX) TOPGAL mice with the β-galactosidase reporter gene for β-catenin activation, (ii) β-catenin translocation in FFSS-treated mouse podocytes, and (iii) β-catenin signaling using publicly available data from UNX mice. The UNX of TOPGAL mice resulted in glomerular hypertrophy and increased the mesangial matrix consistent with hemodynamic adaptation. Uninephrectomized TOPGAL mice showed an increased β-galactosidase expression at 4 weeks …

A Multicenter Evaluation Of Viral Bloodstream Detections In Children Presenting To The Emergency Department With Suspected Systemic Infection., Christina A. Rostad, Neena Kanwar, Jumi Yi, Claudia R. Morris, Jennifer Dien Bard, Amy Leber, James Dunn, Kimberle C. Chapin, Anne J. Blaschke, Judy A. Daly, Leslie Hueschen, Matthew Jones, Elizabeth Ott, Jeffrey Bastar, Kevin M. Bourzac, Rangaraj Selvarangan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Fever is a common symptom in children presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). We aimed to describe the epidemiology of systemic viral infections and their predictive values for excluding serious bacterial infections (SBIs), including bacteremia, meningitis and urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children presenting to the ED with suspected systemic infections.

METHODS: We enrolled children who presented to the ED with suspected systemic infections who had blood cultures obtained at seven healthcare facilities. Whole blood specimens were analyzed by an experimental multiplexed PCR test for 7 viruses. Demographic and laboratory results were abstracted.

RESULTS: Of the 1114 subjects enrolled, …

The Immune Microenvironment And Relation To Outcome In Patients With Advanced Breast Cancer Treated With Docetaxel With Or Without Gemcitabine, Elisabeth S. Stovgaard, Karama Asleh, Nazia Riaz, Samuel Leung, Dongxia Gao, Lise B. Nielsen, Anne-Vibeke Lænkholm, Eva Balslev, Maj-Britt Jensen, Dorte Nielsen, Torsten O. Nielsen

Centre for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research

Preclinical studies suggest that some effects of conventional chemotherapy, and in particular, gemcitabine, are mediated through enhanced antitumor immune responses. The objective of this study was to use material from a randomized clinical trial to evaluate whether patients with preexisting immune infiltrates responded better to treatment with gemcitabine + docetaxel (GD) compared to docetaxel alone. Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues from SBG0102 phase 3 trial patients randomly assigned to treatment with GD or docetaxel were used. Immunohistochemical staining for CD8, FOXP3, LAG3, PD-1, PD-L1 and CD163 was performed. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor associated macrophages were evaluated. Prespecified …

Case Report: Post-Partum Headache, Alaleh Ebrahimi

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Cerebral venous sinus thromboses are rare and occur in 5 people/1,000,000, more commonly in women that are pregnant at about 202/100,000 deliveries with an 11.63% mortality rate. It is believed that pregnancy being a hypercoagulable state is one of the main reasons that it is more common in pregnant and post-partum women. Common symptoms include sudden onset headache, blurry vision, focal neuro deficits, seizures and altered mental status.

Comparison Of Ajcc 7th Edition (Anatomic) Vs Ajcc 8th Edition (Prognostic) Staging Systems For Breast Cancer, Issack Mohamed Abdi

Master of Medicine in Anatomic Pathology

Background; Staging is key for the appropriate management of breast cancer. It is based upon the size of tumour, status of lymph nodes and the presence or absence of distant metastasis, to provide an overall estimate of tumour burden. In its latest (8th) edition, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) made a radical change in staging, creating a new prognostic staging system for breast cancer by adding biological factors to the purely anatomical based staging system of the prior editions. Study Objectives; This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the changes in staging between the AJCC 7th (anatomic) and AJCC …

Labrad : Vol 46, Issue 3 - May 2021, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Laboratory Diagnostic Tools for HIV in Neonates and Infants
• Intussusception in Pediatric Patients: Role of Radiology in Diagnosis and Management
• Fecal Calprotectin as an Inflammatory Marker in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Spectrum of Tools for the Detection of Enteric Pathogens in A Clinical Laboratory
• Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Type III with Rhabdomyosarcomatous and Chondrsarcomatous Differentiation in a Five year old Child, A rare case
• Radiology Pathology Correlation: Orthopedic Pathology
• Updates in Reporting Wilms Tumor (nephrectomy) Specimen
• Biotinidase Deficiency- a Rare but Easily Treatable Disorder
• Renal Tubular Disorders and Biochemical Diagnostics
• TSH Receptor Antibodies (TRAb) in Neonatal Hyperthyroidism: What We Need to Know
• The …

Chikungunya Outbreak In Karachi Pakistan 2016-2017: An Analysis Of Viral Isolates, Dhani Prakoso, Kelli Barr, Kehkashan Imtiaz, Joveria Farooqi, Erum Khan, Maureen Long

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

In December 2016 physicians in Karachi, Pakistan,witnessed an increase in patients presenting with febrile illness and severe polyarthralgia. Subsequently, chikungunya virus (CHIKV)) was isolated from three patients. This virus was sequenced and compared with other isolates of CHIKV obtained in India and Pakistan during recent outbreaks. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Karachi isolates were most similar to the East Central South African CHIKV lineage and showed sequence homology to isolates obtained in other parts of Pakistan and India. More importantly, two of the CHIKV isolates had a nucleotide substitution in the E1 gene corresponding to an amino acid change at …

A Deleterious Ephb4 Mutation Suppresses Prox1 Expression And Disrupts Lymphatic Development In Neonatal Non-Immune Hydrops, Gangaram Akangire, Heather Menden, Sheng Xia, Atif Ahmed, Venkatesh Sampath

Posters

Background: Non-immune hydrops fetalis is often a fatal condition and in 20% of cases related to lymphatic anomalies. Maldevelopment of lymphatic valves, atretic or absence of central lymphatic vessels has been described in hydrops fetalis, but the genetic basis of these anomalies remains undefined. Recent reports suggest that Ephrin type B receptor 4 (EPHB4) gene has a significant role in embryonic development of lymphatic system. To test the hypothesis that EPHB4 mutations can cause hydrops fetalis, we combined whole exome sequencing (WES) with functional and pathological analysis of an infant who succumbed to neonatal hydrops.


Objective: To discover the possible …

Global Trends In Norovirus Genotype Distribution Among Children With Acute Gastroenteritis., Jennifer L. Cannon, Joseph Bonifacio, Filemon Bucardo, Javier Buesa, Leesa Bruggink, Martin Chi-Wai Chan, Tulio M. Fumian, Sidhartha Giri, Mark D. Gonzalez, Joanne Hewitt, Jih-Hui Lin, Janet Mans, Christian Muñoz, Chao-Yang Pan, Xiao-Li Pang, Corinna Pietsch, Mustafiz Rahman, Naomi Sakon, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Hannah Browne, Leslie Barclay, Jan Vinjé

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Noroviruses are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among adults and children worldwide. NoroSurv is a global network for norovirus strain surveillance among children(genotype and polymerase type) and uploaded 1,325 dual-typed sequences to the NoroSurv web portal during 2016-2020. More than 50% of submitted sequences were GII.4 Sydney[P16] or GII.4 Sydney[P31] strains. Other common strains included GII.2[P16], GII.3[P12], GII.6[P7], and GI.3[P3] viruses. In total, 22 genotypes and 36 dual types, including GII.3 and GII.20 viruses with rarely reported polymerase types, were detected, reflecting high strain diversity. Surveillance data captured in NoroSurv enables the monitoring of trends in norovirus strains …

Real-Time Gastrointestinal Infection Surveillance Through A Cloud-Based Network Of Clinical Laboratories., Juliana M. Ruzante, Katherine Olin, Breda Munoz, Jeff Nawrocki, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Lindsay Meyers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Acute gastrointestinal infection (AGI) represents a significant public health concern. To control and treat AGI, it is critical to quickly and accurately identify its causes. The use of novel multiplex molecular assays for pathogen detection and identification provides a unique opportunity to improve pathogen detection, and better understand risk factors and burden associated with AGI in the community. In this study, de-identified results from BioFire® FilmArray® Gastrointestinal (GI) Panel were obtained from January 01, 2016 to October 31, 2018 through BioFire® Syndromic Trends (Trend), a cloud database. Data was analyzed to describe the occurrence of pathogens causing AGI across United …