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Bhatt P, Padhi A, Agarwal A, Katoch CDS. The impact of climate change on viral transmission: Viral persistence and reactivation. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29813. [PMID: 39007436 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Pritesh Bhatt
- Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
| | - Abhishek Padhi
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
| | - Ashwini Agarwal
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
| | - C D S Katoch
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
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Wright CY, Kapwata T, Naidoo N, Asante KP, Arku RE, Cissé G, Simane B, Atuyambe L, Berhane K. Climate Change and Human Health in Africa in Relation to Opportunities to Strengthen Mitigating Potential and Adaptive Capacity: Strategies to Inform an African "Brains Trust". Ann Glob Health 2024; 90:7. [PMID: 38312714 PMCID: PMC10836170 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Africa faces diverse and complex population/human health challenges due to climate change. Understanding the health impacts of climate change in Africa in all its complexity is essential for implementing effective strategies and policies to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable populations. This study aimed to outline the major climate change-related health impacts in Africa in the context of economic resilience and to seek solutions and provide strategies to prevent or reduce adverse effects of climate change on human health and well-being in Africa. Methods For this narrative review, a literature search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional records as well as reports. We followed a conceptual framework to ensure all aspects of climate change and health impacts in Africa were identified. Results The average temperatures in all six eco-regions of Africa have risen since the early twentieth century, and heat exposure, extreme events, and sea level rise are projected to disproportionately affect Africa, resulting in a larger burden of health impacts than other continents. Given that climate change already poses substantial challenges to African health and well-being, this will necessitate significant effort, financial investment, and dedication to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review offers African leaders and decision-makers data-driven and action-oriented strategies that will ensure a more resilient healthcare system and safe, healthy populations-in ways that contribute to economic resiliency. Conclusions The urgency of climate-health action integrated with sustainable development in Africa cannot be overstated, given the multiple economic gains from reducing current impacts and projected risks of climate change on the continent's population health and well-being. Climate action must be integrated into Africa's development plan to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, protect vulnerable populations from the detrimental effects of climate change, and promote economic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caradee Y. Wright
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Thandi Kapwata
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Natasha Naidoo
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Raphael E. Arku
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
| | - Guéladio Cissé
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Lynn Atuyambe
- Makerere University, School of Public Health, Uganda
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Oh E, Choi SJ, Han S, Lee KH, Choi HJ. Highly Effective Salt-Activated Alcohol-Based Disinfectants with Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity. ACS NANO 2023; 17:17811-17825. [PMID: 37639494 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Surfaces contaminated with pathogens raise concerns about the increased risk of disease transmission and infection. To clean biocontaminated surfaces, alcohol-based disinfectants have been predominantly used for disinfecting high-touch areas in diverse settings. However, due to its limited antimicrobial activities and concern over the emergence of alcohol-tolerant strains, much effort has been made to develop highly efficient disinfectant formulations. In this study, we hypothesize that the addition of a physical pathogen inactivation mechanism by salt recrystallization (besides the existing chemical inactivation mechanism by alcohol in such formulations) can improve inactivation efficiency by preventing the emergence of alcohol tolerance. To this end, we employed the drying-induced salt recrystallization process to implement the concept of highly efficient alcohol-based disinfectant formulations. To identify the individual and combined effects of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and NaCl, time-dependent morphological/structural changes of various IPA solutions containing NaCl have been characterized by optical microscopy/X-ray diffraction analysis. Their antimicrobial activities have been tested on surfaces (glass slide, polystyrene Petri dish, and stainless steel) contaminated with Gram-positive/negative bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium) and viruses (A/PR8/34 H1N1 influenza virus and HCoV-OC43 human coronavirus). We found that additional salt crystallization during the drying of the alcohol solution facilitated stronger biocidal effects than IPA-only formulations, regardless of the types of solid surfaces and pathogens, including alcohol-tolerant strains adapted from wild-type Escherichia coli MG1655. Our findings can be useful in developing highly effective disinfectant formulations by minimizing the use of toxic antimicrobial substances to improve public health and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euna Oh
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Seung Joon Choi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumin Han
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Kyu Hyoung Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jick Choi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
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Paleiron N, Karkowski L, Bronstein AR, Amabile JC, Delarbre D, Mullot JU, Cazoulat A, Entine F, le Floch Brocquevieille H, Dorandeu F. [The role of the pulmonologist in an armed conflict]. Rev Mal Respir 2023; 40:156-168. [PMID: 36690507 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent news points to the eventuality of an armed conflict on the national territory. STATE OF THE ART In this situation, pulmonologists will in all likelihood have a major role to assume in caring for the injured, especially insofar as chest damage is a major cause of patient death. PERSPECTIVES The main injuries that pulmonologists may be called upon to treat stem not only from explosions, but also from chemical, biological and nuclear hazards. In this article, relevant organizational and pedagogical aspects are addressed. Since exhaustiveness on this subject is unattainable, we are proposing training on specific subjects for interested practitioners. CONCLUSION The resilience of the French health system in a situation of armed conflict depends on the active participation of all concerned parties. With this in mind, it is of prime importance that the pneumological community be sensitized to the potential predictable severity of war-related injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Paleiron
- HIA Sainte-Anne, service de pneumologie, Toulon, France.
| | - L Karkowski
- HIA Sainte-Anne, service de médecine interne-maladies infectieuses, Toulon, France
| | - A-R Bronstein
- HIA Sainte-Anne, service de pneumologie, Toulon, France
| | - J-C Amabile
- Service de protection radiologique des armées, Paris, France
| | - D Delarbre
- HIA Sainte-Anne, service de médecine interne-maladies infectieuses, Toulon, France
| | - J-U Mullot
- Service de santé des armées, Paris, France
| | - A Cazoulat
- Service de santé des armées, service médical de la base opérationnelle de l'Île Longue, Lanveoc Poulmic, France
| | - F Entine
- Service de santé des armées, service médical de la base opérationnelle de l'Île Longue, Lanveoc Poulmic, France
| | | | - F Dorandeu
- Service de santé des armées, Institut de recherche biomédicale des armées, Brétigny, France
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Lieber CM, Plemper RK. 4'-Fluorouridine Is a Broad-Spectrum Orally Available First-Line Antiviral That May Improve Pandemic Preparedness. DNA Cell Biol 2022; 41:699-704. [PMID: 35788144 PMCID: PMC9416544 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2022.0312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals to enhance preparedness against future spillover of zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential into the human population. Currently, the direct-acting orally available SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors molnupiravir and paxlovid are approved for human use under emergency use authorization. A promising next-generation therapeutic candidate is the orally available ribonucleoside analog 4'-fluorouridine (4'-FlU) that had potent antiviral efficacy against different viral targets, including SARS-CoV-2 in human organoids and animal models. Although a nucleoside analog inhibitor such as molnupiravir that targets the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complex, 4'-FlU showed a distinct mechanism of activity, delayed chain termination, compared with molnupiravir's induction of viral error catastrophe. This review will focus on some currently approved and emerging medicines developed against SARS-CoV-2, examining their potential to form a pharmacological first-line defense against zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin M Lieber
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Richard K Plemper
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Abstract
In this review, we highlight the risk to livestock and humans from infections with henipaviruses, which belong to the virus family Paramyxoviridae. We provide a comprehensive overview of documented outbreaks of Nipah and Hendra virus infections affecting livestock and humans and assess the burden on the economy and health systems. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, attention must be paid to emerging viruses and infectious diseases, as transmission routes can be rapid and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Kummer
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Denise-Carina Kranz
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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Sialic Acid Receptors: The Key to Solving the Enigma of Zoonotic Virus Spillover. Viruses 2021; 13:v13020262. [PMID: 33567791 PMCID: PMC7915228 DOI: 10.3390/v13020262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging viral diseases are a major threat to global health, and nearly two-thirds of emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic. Most of the human epidemics and pandemics were caused by the spillover of viruses from wild mammals. Viruses that infect humans and a wide range of animals have historically caused devastating epidemics and pandemics. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of viral emergence and zoonotic spillover is still lacking. Receptors are major determinants of host susceptibility to viruses. Animal species sharing host cell receptors that support the binding of multiple viruses can play a key role in virus spillover and the emergence of novel viruses and their variants. Sialic acids (SAs), which are linked to glycoproteins and ganglioside serve as receptors for several human and animal viruses. In particular, influenza and coronaviruses, which represent two of the most important zoonotic threats, use SAs as cellular entry receptors. This is a comprehensive review of our current knowledge of SA receptor distribution among animal species and the range of viruses that use SAs as receptors. SA receptor tropism and the predicted natural susceptibility to viruses can inform targeted surveillance of domestic and wild animals to prevent the future emergence of zoonotic viruses.
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