Virus Diseases Commons^™

Public Health In The Age Of Ebola In West Africa, Michael T. Osterholm, Kristine A. Moore, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Ebola epidemic, with its fast-growing toll and real potential for spreading into much of Africa, including major cities, has the makings of a “Black Swan” event. Such events, using the term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, are: 1) unpredictable, outside the realm of regular expectations; 2) have a major impact, and; 3) are rationalized after the fact as being explainable and predictable.

We have learned from this outbreak the potential for an infectious disease to be politically, economically, and socially destabilizing, and that what kills us may be very different from what frightens us or substantially affects our social …

Ebola: Protecting Healthcare Workers, Martha Mccoy

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Ebola is a hemorrhagic disease that has been seen throughout Liberia, but because of international travel it is spreading. Gilsdorf, Morgan and Leitmeyer (2012) researched air travel and reported that, “In 2010, 5.04 billion passengers arrived and departed from 1318 airports worldwide… and travel to and from Africa almost doubled between 1995 and 2005.” (p.1471). In the last few months there have been cases of Ebola reported in Spain and the United States linked to travel. These are recent developments because as of July, 2014 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported “to date there are no cases …

Ebola Pandemic, Lurajean Cravens

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Ebolavirus, or Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), is of the filovirus family causing hemorrhagic fever first discovered in the African country of Zaire in 1976 (Turner, 2014; Hampton, 2014) and has gained global concern and attention since the recent epidemic outbreak in West Africa. There are five known species of Ebola: Zaire, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Bundibugyo and Reston, based on the region of origination. The Zaire species has been identified as the strain responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa, and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2014; Gostin, Lucey & Phelan, …

Ebola, A Deadly Viral Disease Affecting The West African Country Of Sierra Leone, Unisa Seisay

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Presently, there has been an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea. The outbreak was first discovered in Guinea in March 21, 2014 and has spread to the neighboring countries. This has resulted in a lot of fatalities and is now considered a global public health concern (WHO, 2014).

Enterovirus D68, Kimberly Meyers

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Enterovirus D68 (EVD68) “belongs to the family Picornaviridae, genus Enterovirus, and species Human enterovirus D: (Kaida et al.,2011, para.2). It is a small nonenveloped RNA virus (Xiang et al., 2012). EVD68 “shares characteristics with rhinoviruses, such as infection of the respiratory tract and acid lability” (Lauinger et al., 2012). There is no specific treatment for EVD68. Since the infection is caused by a virus, antibiotics would be ineffective. There are no antiviral medications currently available to treat EVD68 (Herold, 2014). Treatment may include antipyretics, cough medicines, bronchodilators, oxygen, and mechanical ventilation if required.

Understanding Treatment Refusal Among Adults Presenting For Hiv-Testing In Soweto, South Africa: A Qualitative Study, Ingrid T. Katz, Janan Dietrich, Gugu Tshabalala, Thandekile Essien, Kathryn Rough, Alexi A. Wright, David Bangsberg, Glenda E. Gray, Norma C. Ware

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV treatment initiatives have focused on increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is growing evidence, however, that treatment availability alone is insufficient to stop the epidemic. In South Africa, only one third of individuals living with HIV are actually on treatment. Treatment refusal has been identified as a phenomenon among people who are asymptomatic, however, factors driving refusal remain poorly understood. We interviewed 50 purposively sampled participants who presented for voluntary counseling and testing in Soweto to elicit a broad range of detailed perspectives on ART refusal. We then integrated our core findings into an explanatory framework. Participants described …

Intimate Partner Violence After Disclosure Of Hiv Test Results Among Pregnant Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Christina Zarowsky, Tamara Shefer, Marleen Temmerman, Naeemah Abrahams

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: HIV status disclosure is a central strategy in HIV prevention and treatment but in high prevalence settings women test disproportionately and most often during pregnancy. This study reports intimate partner violence (IPV) following disclosure of HIV test results by pregnant women.

Methods: In this cross sectional study we interviewed 1951 postnatal women who tested positive and negative for HIV about IPV experiences following HIV test disclosure, using an adapted WHO questionnaire. Multivariate regression models assessed factors associated with IPV after disclosure and controlled for factors such as previous IPV and other known behavioural factors associated with IPV.

Results: Over …

Prevalence Of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Barbers And Their Knowledge, Attitude And Practices In The District Of Sukkur, Sindh ., Imran Naeem Abbasi, Zafar Fatmi, Muhammad Masood Kadir, Nalini Sathiakumar

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Several occupations in developing countries lag behind in ensuring the safety of their workers in occupational settings. Lack of implementation of safety guidelines at workplaces can expose workers to health risks. In Pakistan, barbers are one of the un-regulated occupational groups. Low literacy, increased frequency of direct skin contact and blade/razors use can expose barbers to body fluids including blood of the customers. We conducted this study in order to determine hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence among barbers and their knowledge, attitude and practices in a peri-urban district of Sindh.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Three hundred eighty-five barbers from …

Mapping Regions Of Rnf168 Required For Its Degradation By Icp0, Andrea Cyr, Matthew Weitzman

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

Viruses establish infection by overtaking host cell processes and developing mechanisms that promote viral replication. Herpes simplex virus undergoes lytic and latent cycles of infection throughout the lifespan of its host. The viral genome is transcriptionally silent during latency, but viral proteins are produced upon reactivation. Herpes simplex virus type 1 encodes the ICP0 protein, an E3 ubiquitin ligase required for reactivation from latency of the infectious virus. The immediate-early protein ICP0 regulates the herpes simplex virus by activating viral gene expression thereby initiating lytic infection. Cellular proteins are degraded by ICP0, promoting the virus to enter the lytic cycle. …

The Ebola Epidemic: A Public Health Emergency Of International Concern, Lawrence O. Gostin, Daniel Lucey, Alexandra Phelan

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

On August 8, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan declared the West Africa Ebola crises a “public health emergency of international concern,” triggering powers under the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR).

The most affected West African states have attempted classic public health measures with varied success, including quarantine and isolation, social distancing, risk communication, and travel restrictions. These have involved a trade off between population health and human rights; sometimes to the disadvantage of both. At the same time, the countries’ health systems and human resources are fragile, impeding an effective response.

Beyond the public health and …

Virus Sharing, Genetic Sequencing, And Global Health Security, Lawrence O. Gostin, Alexandra Phelan, Michael A. Stoto, John D. Kraemer, K. Srinath Reddy

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework was a milestone global agreement designed to promote the international sharing of biological samples to develop vaccines, while that ensuring poorer countries would have access to those vaccines. Since the PIP Framework was negotiated, scientists have developed the capacity to use genetic sequencing data (GSD) to develop synthetic viruses rapidly for product development of life-saving technologies in a time-sensitive global emergency—threatening to unravel the Framework. Access to GSD may also have major implications for biosecurity, biosafety, and intellectual property (IP).

By rendering the physical transfer of viruses antiquated, GSD may also undermine the …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Time To Cure Of Incontinence Present At Nursing Home Admission, Donna Z. Bliss, Olga Gurvich, Kay Savik, Lynn Eberly, Susan Harms, Jean F. Wyman

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Abstract

As many as half of older people that are admitted to nursing homes (NHs) are incontinent of urine and/or feces. Not much is known about the rate of cure of incontinence present at NH admission, but available reports suggest the rate is low. There have been racial and ethnic disparities in incontinence treatment, but the role of disparities in the cure of incontinence is understudied. Using the Peters-Belson method and multilevel predictors, our findings showed that there were disparities in the time to cure of incontinence for Hispanic NH admissions. A significantly smaller proportion of older Hispanic admissions were …

Enhanced Expression Of Codon Optimized Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Antigens In Lactobacillus Salivarius, Christopher D. Johnston, John P. Bannatine, Rodney Govender, Lorraine Endersen, Daniel Pletzer, Helge Weingart, Aidan Coffey, Jim O'Mahony, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

It is well documented that open reading frames containing high GC content show poor expression in A+T rich hosts. Specifically, G+C-rich codon usage is a limiting factor in heterologous expression of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) proteins using Lactobacillus salivarius. However, re-engineering opening reading frames through synonymous substitutions can offset codon bias and greatly enhance MAP protein production in this host. In this report, we demonstrate that codon-usage manipulation of MAP2121c can enhance the heterologous expression of the major membrane protein (MMP), analogous to the form in which it is produced natively by MAP bacilli. When heterologously over-expressed, antigenic determinants …

Persistent Hiv-Related Stigma In Rural Uganda During A Period Of Increasing Hiv Incidence Despite Treatment Expansion, Brian T. Chan, Sheri D. Weiser, Yap Boum Ii, Mark J. Siedner, Rain Mocello, Jessica E. Haberer, Peter Hunt, Jeffrey N. Martin, Kenneth H. Mayer, David Bangsberg, Alexander C. Tsai

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective—Program implementers have argued that the increasing availability of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) will reduce the stigma of HIV. We analyzed data from Uganda to assess how HIV-related stigma has changed during a period of ART expansion.

Design—Serial cross-sectional surveys.

Methods—We analyzed data from the Uganda AIDS Rural Treatment Outcomes (UARTO) study during 2007-2012 to estimate trends in internalized stigma among people living with HIV (PLHIV) at the time of treatment initiation. We analyzed data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 2006 and 2011 to estimate trends in stigmatizing attitudes and anticipated stigma in the general population. We …

Delayed Switch Of Antiretroviral Therapy After Virologic Failure Associated With Elevated Mortality Among Hiv-Infected Adults In Africa, Maya L. Petersen, Linh Tran, Elvin H. Geng, Steven J. Reynolds, Andrew Kambugu, Robin Wood, David Bangsberg, Constantin T. Yiannoutsos, Steven G. Deeks, Jeffrey N. Martin

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective—Routine monitoring of plasma HIV RNA among HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is unavailable in many resource-limited settings. Alternative monitoring approaches correlate poorly with virologic failure and can substantially delay switch to second-line therapy. We evaluated the impact of delayed switch on mortality among patients with virologic failure in Africa.

Design—A cohort.

Methods—We examined patients with confirmed virologic failure on first-line non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimens from four cohorts with serial HIV RNA monitoring in Uganda and South Africa. Marginal structural models aimed to estimate the effect of delayed switch on mortality in a hypothetical trial in which …

High Medication Adherence During Periconception Periods Among Hiv-1–Uninfected Women Participating In A Clinical Trial Of Antiretroviral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, Lynn T. Matthews, Renee Heffron, Nelly R. Mugo, Craig R. Cohen, Craig W. Hendrix, Connie Celum, David Bangsberg, Jared M. Baten

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may be an important safer conception strategy for HIV-1–uninfected women with HIV-1–infected partners. Understanding medication adherence in this population may inform whether PrEP is a feasible safer conception strategy.

Methods: We evaluated predictors of pregnancy and adherence to study medication among HIV-1–uninfected women enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of PrEP among African HIV-1– serodiscordant couples. Participants were counseled on HIV-1 risk reduction, contraception, and adherence and tested for pregnancy at monthly study visits. Pill counts of dispensed drug were performed and, at a subset of visits, plasma was collected to measure active drug concentration.

Results: …

Characterization Of Hcmv-Encoded Chemokine Receptor Us28 Transduced Msu1.1 Human Fibroblast Cells, Danielle R. Vanbeckum

All NMU Master's Theses

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes the G-protein coupled receptor US28. Using a mouse model system, US28 was previously found to be oncomodulatory, increasing proliferation, inducing anchorage independent growth and loss of contact inhibition. Similarly, in the human glioblastoma cell line U373, US28 activated VEGF expression. To determine if US28 is oncomodulatory in normal human cells, we engineered the human fibroblast cell line MSU1.1 to express US28 via lentivirus infection. MSU1.1 cells were transduced with pHAGE-US28-ZsGreen. Fluorescent confocal microscopy was utilized to detect the ZsGreen tag and confirmed the successful transduction of MSU1.1 cells with the US28 vector or empty pHAGE vector. …

Empiric Deworming And Cd4 Count Recovery In Hiv-Infected Ugandans Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy, Alexander J. Lankowski, Alexander C. Tsai, Michael Kanyesigye, Mwebesa B. Bwana, Jessica E. Haberer, Megan Wenger, Jeffrey N. Martin, David Bangsberg, Peter W. Hunt, Mark J. Siedner

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There is conflicting evidence on the immunologic benefit of treating helminth co-infections (‘‘deworming’’) in HIV-infected individuals. Several studies have documented reduced viral load and increased CD4 count in antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive individuals after deworming. However, there are a lack of data on the effect of deworming therapy on CD4 count recovery among HIV-infected persons taking ART.

Methodology/Principal Findings: To estimate the association between empiric deworming therapy and CD4 count after ART initiation, we performed a retrospective observational study among HIV-infected adults on ART at a publicly operated HIV clinic in southwestern Uganda. Subjects were assigned as having received …

South Africans With Recent Pregnancy Rarely Know Partner’S Hiv Serostatus: Implications For Serodiscordant Couples Interventions, Lynn T. Matthews, Lizzie Moore, Tamaryn L. Crankshaw, Cecilia Milford, Fortunate N. Mosery, Ross Greener, Christina Psaros, Steven A, Safren, David Bangsberg, Jennifer A. Smit

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Implementation of safer conception strategies requires knowledge of partner HIV-serostatus. We recruited women and men in a high HIV-prevalence setting for a study to assess periconception risk behavior among individuals reporting HIV-serodiscordant partnerships. We report screening data from that study with the objective of estimating the proportion of individuals who are aware that they are in an HIV-serodiscordant relationship at the time of conception.

Methods: We screened women and men attending antenatal and antiretroviral clinics in Durban, South Africa for enrollment in a study of periconception risk behavior among individuals with serodiscordant partners. Screening questionnaires assessed for study eligibility …

The Mucosal Expression Pattern Of Interferon-Ε In Rhesus Macaques, Andrew Demers, Guobin Kang, Fangrui Ma, Wuxun Lu, Zhe Yuan, Yue Li, Mark Lewis, Edmundo N. Kraiselburd, Luis Montaner, Qingsheng Li

Qingsheng Li Publications

Type I IFNs play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity against viral infections. A novel type I IFN, namely IFN-ε, which can protect against vaginal transmission of HSV2 and Chlamydia muridarum bacterial infection, has been described in mice and humans. Nevertheless, the principle cell type and the expression pattern of IFN-ε in tissues remain uncertain. In addition, the expression of IFN-ε in Indian rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) has not been reported. Here, we analyzed IFN-ε expression in multiple mucosal sites of uninfected or SIV-infected Indian rhesus macaques using IHCS. We report for the first time the …