Dengue virus serotype did not contribute to clinical severity or mortality in Taiwan's largest dengue outbreak in 2015.

Background: Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) was the major serotype in the 2015 dengue outbreak in Taiwan, while DENV-1 and DENV-3 were dominant between 2005 and 2014. We aimed to investigate whether DENV-2 contributed to disease severity and mortality in the outbreak in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan.

Methods: We collected serum samples from dengue patients to detect the presence of DENV and determine the serotypes by using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARD) exposure in COVID-19 outcomes.

Methods: Our study retrieved data from the US Collaborative Network in TriNetX between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. We investigated b/tsDMARD use for RA: interleukin 6 inhibitor (IL-6i), Janus-associated kinase inhibitors (JAKi) or tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi, reference group).

The identification and phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 delta variants in Taiwan.

In Taiwan, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) involving the delta variant occurred after that involving the alpha variant in 2021. In this study, we aimed to analyze the Delta variant. A total of 318 patients in Taiwan infected with delta variants were identified.