Multicenter Cross-sectional Study on the Epidemiology of Human Metapneumovirus in Italy, 2022-2024, With a Focus on Adults Over 50 Years of Age.

Background: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections have a significant impact on public health. However, the extent of this burden in Italy remains poorly defined due to a lack of comprehensive data. The aim of this cross-sectional multicenter study was to understand the epidemiology of hMPV in Italy, particularly in older adults.

Assessing the vector competence of Italian Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes for the re-emerging Oropouche virus.

Background: In 2024, Italy reported its first five cases of Oropouche fever in travelers returning from Cuba and Brazil. The Oropouche virus (OROV), an emerging Orthobunyavirus of the Peribunyaviridae family, is a zoonotic arbovirus responsible for febrile illnesses in humans, often misdiagnosed owing to its clinical similarity to those caused by dengue and Zika virus infections. Originally endemic to the Amazon region and first detected in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, OROV has since spread throughout South and Central America.

Persistence and Active Replication Status of Oropouche Virus in Different Body Sites: Longitudinal Analysis of a Traveler Infected with a Strain Spreading in Latin America.

An unprecedented outbreak of Oropouche virus (OROV) is occurring in the Americas, characterized by thousands of confirmed cases and a wide geographical spread, including areas outside the Amazon Basin. Little is known about this neglected arbovirus regarding its pathophysiological aspects and potentially different transmission modes. This study describes the clinical course of a man who returned from a trip to Cuba and presented to our hospital 4 days after the onset of febrile symptoms.

Estimation of Incubation Period for Oropouche Virus Disease among Travel-Associated Cases, 2024-2025.

Determining the incubation period of Oropouche virus disease can inform clinical and public health practice. We analyzed data from 97 travel-associated cases identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n = 74) or the GeoSentinel Network (n = 13) and 10 cases from published literature. Using log-normal interval-censored survival analysis, we estimated the median incubation period to be 3.

Extracellular vesicles in arbovirus infections: from basic biology to potential clinical applications.

Arthropod-borne viruses, or arboviruses, are currently considered a global health threat responsible for potentially severe human diseases. The increased population density, changes in land use and climate change are some of the factors that are contributing to the spread of these infections over the last years. The pathogenesis of these diseases and the mechanisms of interaction with the host, especially those leading to the development of severe forms, are yet to be fully understood.

Transmission of autochthonous Aedes-borne arboviruses and related public health challenges in Europe 2007-2023: a systematic review and secondary analysis.

Background: Local transmission of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika infection is an emerging public health threat in Europe. Monitoring the epidemiological trends can help define the intervention strategy. The aim of this work was to analyse epidemiological characteristics of autochthonous transmission of -borne arboviruses in Europe.

Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Community Hospital, Luanda, Angola.

In a longitudinal study in a first-level hospital in Luanda, Angola, we found rifampin-resistant and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in 38 (8%, 95% CI 5.7-10.8) of 474 patients with no previous history of TB.

Unexpected Pediatric Cluster of Enterovirus C105, Verona, Italy.

In an epidemiologic investigation of Enterovirus (EV) infections in a Verona hospital, September 2022-September 2024, we detected EV-C105 in six pediatric patients with upper respiratory symptoms between March and May 2023. The primary objective was to describe the local incidence of EV cases. The secondary objective was to perform Sanger's genomic characterization and the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of EV-C105.

Early Diagnosis and Monitoring of Adaptive Immune Response in a Cohort of Mild Mpox Patients During the 2022 Wave.

Unlabelled: Our study wanted to describe the kinetics of serological and adaptive immune responses in mpox patients.

Methods: Fourteen patients with laboratory-confirmed mpox were tested at different time points after the symptom onset. An immunofluorescence assay was performed to evaluate the seroconversion kinetics of specific IgA, IgM, and IgG.

Impairment of Innate Immunity and Depletion of Vaccine-Induced Memory B and T Cells in the Absence of the Spleen.

Splenectomy or congenital asplenia is associated with severe reduction of memory B cells and increased risk of fulminant sepsis by encapsulated bacteria. Current guidelines recommend vaccinations against these pathogens before or after splenectomy, but the longevity of immunity acquired after splenectomy has not been determined. The impact of splenectomy on innate immune cells is unknown.

Full Genome Characterization of the First Oropouche Virus Isolate Imported in Europe from Cuba.

On 27 May 2024, the Cuban Ministry of Health reported the first outbreak of Oropouche fever on the island. The etiologic agent, Oropouche virus (OROV), is a poorly understood arbovirus that has been known since the 1960s and represents a public health burden in Latin America. We report the whole-genome characterization of the first European OROV isolate from a returning traveler from Cuba with Oropouche fever-like symptoms.

Replication-Competent Oropouche Virus in Semen of Traveler Returning to Italy from Cuba, 2024.

A febrile man in Italy who had traveled to Cuba in July 2024 was diagnosed with Oropouche fever. Reverse transcription PCR detected prolonged shedding of Oropouche virus RNA in whole blood, serum, urine, and semen. Sixteen days after symptom onset, replication-competent virus was detected in semen, suggesting risk for sexual transmission.

ddPCR for the Detection and Absolute Quantification of Oropouche Virus.

Background: Oropouche virus (OROV) is a segmented RNA virus belonging to the genus in the family . Herein, an in-house droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay was used for the detection and quantification of OROV.

Methods: The ddPCR reaction was assessed as duplex assay using the human housekeeping gene .

Potential risks of Oropouche virus importation into Europe.

Imported cases of Oropouche fever were recently detected in Italy. Upcoming mass events, i.e.

Oropouche fever cases diagnosed in Italy in two epidemiologically non-related travellers from Cuba, late May to early June 2024.

Oropouche fever is caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), transmitted primarily through the bite of infected midges, particularly of the genus . The virus is mainly circulating in Central and South America where several countries reported an ongoing outbreak. We report here two imported cases of OROV infection identified in Italy, late May-early June 2024.

Changes in the Adaptive Cellular Repertoire after Infection with Different SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in a Cohort of Vaccinated Healthcare Workers.

Background: Currently approved vaccines are highly effective in protecting against hospitalization and severe COVID-19 infections. How pre-existing immunity responds to new variants with mutated antigens is crucial information for elucidating the functional interplay between antibodies and B and T cell responses during infection with new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Methods: In this study, we monitored the dynamics and persistence of the immune response versus different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern that emerged during the pandemic period (2021-2022) in a cohort of vaccinated healthcare workers, who experienced breakthrough infection in the Pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron waves.

Urine: A Pitfall for Molecular Detection of Toscana Virus? An Analytical Proof-of-Concept Study.

Toscana virus (TOSV), a sandfly-borne virus, is an important etiological agent in human acute meningitis and meningoencephalitis in the Mediterranean area during the summer. However, the actual number of TOSV infections is underestimated. Laboratory confirmation is necessary because TOSV infection has overlapping clinical features with other neuro-invasive viral infections.