Infrared spectroscopy (NIRS and ATR-FTIR) together with multivariate classification for non-destructive differentiation between female mosquitoes of Aedes aegypti recently infected with dengue vs. uninfected females.

One of the most important steps in preventing arboviruses is entomological surveillance. The main entomological surveillance action is to detect vector foci in the shortest possible stages. In this work, near and medium infrared spectra collected from female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes recently infected and not infected with dengue were used in order to build chemometric models capable of differentiating the spectra of each class.

Epidemiologic and clinical investigations during a chikungunya outbreak in Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil.

The first autochthonous case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in Brazil was in September 2014 in the State of Amapá, and from there it rapidly spread across the country. The present study was conducted in 2016 in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, and the aims were to describe the epidemiological and the clinical aspects of the CHIKV outbreak. Biological samples from 284 chikungunya suspected cases were screened for CHIKV and Flavivirus (FV) RNA using qRT-PCR.

Molecular fluorescence spectroscopy with multi-way analysis techniques detects spectral variations distinguishing uninfected serum versus dengue or chikungunya viral infected samples.

Significant attempts are being made worldwide in an attempt to develop a tool that, with a simple analysis, is capable of distinguishing between different arboviruses. Herein, we employ molecular fluorescence spectroscopy as a sensitive and specific rapid tool, with simple methodology response, capable of identifying spectral variations between serum samples with or without the dengue or chikungunya viruses. Towards this, excitation emission matrices (EEM) of clinical samples from patients with dengue or chikungunya, in addition to uninfected controls, were separated into a training or test set and analysed using multi-way classification models such as n-PLSDA, PARAFAC-LDA and PARAFAC-QDA.

Innate immune response in patients with acute Zika virus infection.

Innate immunity receptors (Toll-like receptors/TLRs and RIG-like receptors/RLRs) are important for the initial recognition of Zika virus (ZIKV), modulation of protective immune response, and IFN-α and IFN-β production. Immunological mechanisms involved in protection or pathology during ZIKV infection have not yet been determined. In this study, we evaluated the mRNA expression of innate immune receptors (TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5/MDA-5, and retinoic acid inducible gene/RIG-1), its adapter molecules (Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response Gene 88/Myd88, Toll/IL-1 Receptor Domain-Containing Adaptor-Inducing IFN-β/TRIF), and cytokines (IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ) in the acute phase of patients infected by ZIKV using real-time PCR in peripheral blood.

Dengue virus in Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in urban areas in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil: Importance of virological and entomological surveillance.

Background: Vector control remains the sole effective method to prevent dengue virus (DENV) transmission, although a vaccine for dengue has recently become available and testing of its efficacy and coverage is being performed in multiple places. Entomological surveillance is a key factor in alerting authorities to possible outbreaks, but until now natural DENV infection of mosquito populations has been scarcely used as an early warning system to monitor fluctuating prevalence of infected mosquitoes. The purpose of this study was to determine the burden of adult and larval/pupae of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus with DENV in urban areas in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Dengue in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, 2010-2012.

Objective: To present results of virological surveillance and epidemiological aspects of dengue in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Methods: A total of 1581 cases, reported from 2010 to 2012 at various health centres in the state, were analysed by viral isolation and/or RT-PCR for viral detection and typing. To identify whether different genotypes were circulating in the state during this period, sequencing of the complete E gene for DENV (1485 bp in length) was performed directly from patient serum samples.