An RGD motif on SARS-CoV-2 Spike induces TGF-β signaling and downregulates interferon.

Unlabelled: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein mediates canonical cell entry via ACE2 and has also been implicated as an activator of a diverse range of signaling pathways. Here, we present evidence that the RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) motif within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S1 fragment of the S protein induces TGF-β cytokine expression. RGD peptides are well characterized as ligands for a subset of integrin complexes primarily containing α5 and αV subunits.

Progress and challenges in tuberculosis preventive treatment in the Western Pacific Region: a situational analysis of seven high tuberculosis burden countries.

Background: Tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) can avert progression from infection to disease, yet scale-up across the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region is patchy. To guide acceleration, we assessed progress, challenges and responses in seven high-burden countries-Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Viet Nam-drawing on 2015-2023 programme data, structured questionnaires, follow-up interviews and a regional validation workshop.

Main Body: Six of the seven countries have issued national TPT guidelines and five now offer shorter rifapentine- or rifampicin-based regimens.

The anti-biofilm activity of cannabinoids against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Aims: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia with resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics. New, potent antibiotics against MRSA with other mechanisms of action are thus urgently needed. Recently, cannabinoids have been evaluated for antimicrobial activity in the ongoing search for new anti-infective agents, but their anti-biofilm effect has not been extensively studied.

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of levofloxacin therapy for household contacts of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Vietnam.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) threatens global TB control, on account of poor treatment outcomes, high treatment toxicity and costs. Recent trials demonstrated the effectiveness of six-months of levofloxacin (6Lfx) to prevent TB disease among high-risk contacts. However, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy has not previously been evaluated.

HIV-phyloTSI: subtype-independent estimation of time since HIV-1 infection for cross-sectional measures of population incidence using deep sequence data.

Background: Estimating the time since HIV infection (TSI) at population level is essential for tracking changes in the global HIV epidemic. Most methods for determining TSI give a binary classification of infections as recent or non-recent within a window of several months, and cannot assess the cumulative impact of an intervention.

Results: We developed a Random Forest Regression model, HIV-phyloTSI, which combines measures of within-host diversity and divergence to generate continuous TSI estimates directly from viral deep-sequencing data, with no need for additional variables.

Co-spray drying of cannabidiol and vancomycin combination powder formulations for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus respiratory infections.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause life-threatening respiratory infections. Conventional oral and parenteral antibiotic treatments are often inefficient in targeting the lower respiratory tract and could cause systemic adverse effects. In this study, the 24-hour time-kill assay revealed that the co-delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) and vancomycin synergistically eradicated three clinical strains of MRSA.

SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity and within-host evolution in individuals with persistent infection in the UK: an observational, longitudinal, population-based surveillance study.

Background: Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in hospitalised immunocompromised individuals are known to facilitate accelerated within-host viral evolution, potentially contributing to the emergence of highly divergent variants. However, little is known about the evolutionary dynamics and transmission risks of persistent infections in the general population. We aimed to characterise the within-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during persistent infections identified through a large community surveillance study.

Synchronized seasonal excretion of multiple coronaviruses coincides with high rates of coinfection in immature bats.

Bats host a high diversity of coronaviruses, including betacoronaviruses that have caused outbreaks and pandemics in humans and other species. Here, we study the spatiotemporal dynamics of co-circulating coronaviruses in Pteropus spp bats (flying foxes) in eastern Australia over a three-year period across five roost sites (n = 2537 fecal samples). In total, we identify six betacoronavirus clades, all within the nobecovirus subgenus.

Molecular landscape of respiratory infection: A large-scale, multi-centre blood transcriptome dataset.

Respiratory infections pose significant challenges to global health, impacting millions of individuals annually. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of these infections is crucial for developing effective interventions. RNA sequencing provides insights into a patient's global transcriptome changes, facilitating the identification of host gene signatures in response to infection and potential therapeutic targets.

The relationship between a known diagnosis of tuberculosis and symptom reporting: implications for case detection strategies.

https://bit.ly/3HIW8C2

Management and outcomes of children hospitalised with COVID-19 including incidental and nosocomial infections in Australia 2020-2023: A national surveillance study.

Background: Management and outcomes of children hospitalised with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection may differ throughout the pandemic or with admission type (clinical COVID-19, incidental COVID-19 or nosocomial infection).

Objectives: Describe the severity, management and outcomes of hospitalised children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in Australia across the first 4 years of the pandemic and compare between admission types, SARS-CoV-2 variants, age groups and immune status.

Study Design: A multi-centre prospective cohort study of 6009 children aged 0-16 years between January 2020 and June 2023.

Progress and challenges to TB elimination in New South Wales, Australia.

In Australia, TB care and control is delivered by states and territories, with a National TB Advisory Committee to advise on national surveillance and strategy. For more than 30 years, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has maintained TB incidence rates of <10/100,000 population, but progress toward TB elimination and 'zero local TB transmission' remains challenging. Reductions in the TB notification rate have plateaued in recent decades, mainly due to increased migration from high incidence countries.

Suppurative Cervical Infections in Australian Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Pediatric cervical infections, including cervical lymphadenitis and deep neck space infections, are potentially life-threatening. Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic have altered the epidemiology of many infectious diseases in children. This study aimed to assess the impact of NPIs directed against COVID-19 on the epidemiology of cervical infections in an Australian pediatric population.

A systematic scoping review of metrics utilized to measure antibiotic consumption in hospital settings.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs were introduced to promote the judicious use of antimicrobials and to combat antimicrobial resistance. Quantifying antibiotic consumption is an important part of AMS initiatives to achieve these objectives. However, various metrics are available for measuring antibiotic usage, each providing valuable insights but also possessing inherent limitations.

The Batalogue: an overview of betacoronaviruses with future pandemic potential.

The coronavirus disease-19 pandemic has intensified interest in the global diversity of RNA viruses and their ability to jump hosts, with a notable expansion in the number of known betacoronaviruses in wild mammalian species, particularly bats. This has enabled vaccine development research to shift its focus to include a range of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 related viruses from animal species, with the intention of developing broadly protective coronavirus vaccines and therapeutics. However, there is currently a lack of synthesis of this expanding knowledge base of viruses with potential to cause another severe disease outbreak.

An adjuvanted chimeric spike antigen boosts lung-resident memory T-cells and induces pan-sarbecovirus protective immunity.

Next-generation vaccines are essential to address the evolving nature of SARS-CoV-2 and to protect against emerging pandemic threats from other coronaviruses. These vaccines should elicit broad protection, provide long-lasting immunity and ensure equitable access for all populations. In this study, we developed a panel of chimeric, full-length spike antigens incorporating mutations from previous, circulating and predicted SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Factors influencing physicians' antimicrobial prescribing decisions: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials is increasing antimicrobial resistance. Understanding physicians' antimicrobial decision-making is essential for developing interventions to optimize prescribing. The aim of this review was to identify the factors that influence physicians' antimicrobial prescribing decisions.

Tuberculosis workforce policy and development framework in Australia.

This document provides guidelines for tuberculosis (TB) workforce policy and development in Australia, detailing the multidisciplinary nature of the TB workforce, the roles, required skills, and priorities within that workforce, and strategies for its development. Training and development responsibilities and roles of various bodies are also detailed: the National TB Advisory Committee; jurisdictional TB programs and their administrators; the Australian Centre for Disease Control; and sundry other national and international bodies.

The Western Pacific Regional Framework to End TB: overview and critical reflection.

Despite notable progress, TB remains a critical public health challenge in the Western Pacific Region. To address this, the WHO developed the Western Pacific Regional Framework to End TB, which aligns with global health targets, such as the End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. Here, we critically review the Framework, highlighting its strengths and ongoing challenges, with suggestions as to how it might adapt.

An LNP-mRNA vaccine modulates innate cell trafficking and promotes polyfunctional Th1 CD4 T cell responses to enhance BCG-induced protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains the largest infectious cause of mortality worldwide, even with over a century of widespread administration of the only licenced tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). mRNA technology remains an underexplored approach for combating chronic bacterial infections such as TB.

Methods: We have developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mRNA vaccine, termed mRNA, encoding for the M.

Transgression of planetary boundaries and the effects on child health through an infectious diseases lens.

Purpose Of Review: Life on earth, as we know it, is changing. The likelihood of more frequent pandemics and disease outbreaks is something that current global healthcare infrastructure is ill equipped to navigate. Human activity is forcing our planet into a new geologic epoch, the Anthropocene, which is typified by increased uncertainty resulting from human disruption of earth's life-giving ecosystems.

Respiratory virus detections in children presenting to an Australian paediatric referral hospital pre-COVID-19 pandemic, January 2014 to December 2019.

Acute respiratory infections cause significant paediatric morbidity, but for pathogens other than influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, systematic monitoring is not commonly performed. This retrospective analysis of six years of routinely collected respiratory pathogen multiplex PCR testing at a major paediatric hospital in New South Wales Australia, describes the epidemiology, year-round seasonality, and co-detection patterns of 15 viral respiratory pathogens. 32,599 respiratory samples from children aged under 16 years were analysed.

Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics of Daily Optimized Doses of Rifampicin for the Treatment of Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Higher than standard doses of rifampicin could improve the treatment outcome of drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) without compromising the safety of patients.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of prospective clinical studies including adults with pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB receiving rifampicin doses above 10 mg/kg/day. We extracted the data on overall adverse events (AE), hepatic AE, sputum culture conversion (SCC) at week 8, recurrence, mortality, and pharmacokinetics.

Current status of immunisation for herpes zoster.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is increasingly common in the aging and is experienced by approximately one in three people in their lifetime. It is also relatively common in immune-compromised people. Acute HZ causes severe pain, reduced quality of life and severe complications, including prolonged pain, or postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and ocular zoster, which may rarely progress to blindness.

Cause-Specific Secular Trends and Prevention Measures of Post-Neonatally Acquired Cerebral Palsy in Victoria and Western Australia 1975-2014: A Population-Based Observational Study.

Aim: To describe the timing and causes of post-neonatally acquired cerebral palsy (PNN-CP) and map the implementation of relevant preventive strategies against cause-specific temporal trends in prevalence.

Methods: Data for a 1975-2014 birth cohort of children with PNN-CP (brain injury between 28 days and 2 years of age) were drawn from the Victorian and Western Australian CP Registers. Descriptive statistics were used to report causal events and timing.