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Blood-Borne Viruses in Clinical and Diagnostic Virology
Published in Attila Lorincz, Nucleic Acid Testing for Human Disease, 2016
Hubert G.M. Niesters, Martin Schutten, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl
The detection of nucleic acids, whether by signal or target amplification technologies, has exerted an enormous positive influence on patient management by allowing the detection of the above-mentioned blood-borne viruses. The benefits for clinical virology include the capability of treating patients with more antiviral therapies, rapid monitoring of the effects of treatment, and the ability to determine which patients may derive benefits from a particular treatment by characterizing the virus or by determining viral load.
Enterovirus 68 and Human Respiratory Infections
Published in Sunit K. Singh, Human Respiratory Viral Infections, 2014
Janette C. Rahamat-Langendoen, Hubert G.M. Niesters
EV68 belongs to the family of Picornaviridae (“pico” meaning small; “rna” for RNA genome), genus Enterovirus, which gained its name because members were known to replicate in the human gastrointestinal tract. Other well-known members of the Picornaviridae family capable of infecting humans are the genus Rhinovirus (with over 100 different serotypes), Kobuvirus (with Aichivirus A, B, and C), Hepatovirus (with hepatitis A virus as single species), and Parechovirus. Enteroviruses are common viruses associated with a variety of clinical syndromes, ranging from mild febrile illness to aseptic meningitis, myocarditis, and neonatal sepsis.1 The initial taxonomic classification within the genus Enterovirus was based on the ability of different serotypes to grow in various cell cultures, followed by further characterization using virus neutralization by type-specific reference antisera.2 However, the advent of molecular techniques in clinical virology has led to a further refinement of the classification of the genus Enterovirus and its species. The current classification is now based more upon genome organization and sequence similarity combined with their biological properties. This divides the genus Enterovirus into four species (A through D) known to cause human disease (Table 31.1, www.picornaviridae.com).
Human immunodeficiency virus
Published in Leroy C Edozien, The Labour Ward Handbook, 2010
Cord blood should be taken for ultrasensitive HIV polymerase chain reaction (PCR), preferably in two EDTA bottles (one EDTA bottle will suffice if a sample sufficient to fill two bottles cannot be obtained). A clinical virology form must be completed, and ‘ultrasensitive HIV PCR’ must be written on the form.
Comparison of two point-of-care respiratory panels for the detection of influenza A/B virus
Published in Infectious Diseases, 2023
Alexandros Zafiropoulos, Aspasia Dermitzaki, Nikos Malliarakis, Marina Stamataki, Maria Ergazaki, Evangelia Xenaki, Maria-Eleni Parakatselaki, George Sourvinos
Diagnostic strategies in clinical virology laboratories of major tertiary health providers, which monitor large population segments, are evolving rapidly, tracing equally rapid advances in molecular biology technologies. During the last decade, we have experienced movement of diagnostic resources from indirect serological detection assays to direct methods, such as virus antigen and genome detection, as well as cell cultures for virus isolation and identification. Molecular diagnostic procedures have prevailed, due to their superior specificity and sensitivity, their reduced turnaround time [1] and the ease of integration in automated systems when compared to previous methodologies. As a result, a multitude of molecular assays approved for human viral diagnosis are currently marketed and included in clinical virology laboratories around the world.
Viral metagenomic sequencing in the diagnosis of meningoencephalitis: a review of technical advances and diagnostic yield
Published in Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 2021
Ellen C. Carbo, Ivar Blankenspoor, Jelle J. Goeman, Aloys C.M. Kroes, Eric C.J. Claas, Jutte J.C. De Vries
A pro-con debate on viral metagenomics as a frontline approach was organized at the last Molecular Virology Workshop by the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology. It was an effective platform to contrast views on the challenges to the integration of viral metagenomics as a frontline diagnostic approach. Approximately half of the participants estimated that within the next 10 years clinical metagenomics would be implemented as frontline diagnostic approach, at least for a significant part of clinical cases. It remains to be seen whether this time-frame is sufficient to gather all the evidence for clinical utility in different patient populations and, importantly, to achieve cost-effectiveness. Although sequence costs are rapidly decreasing, the manual workload and turn-around time are currently the main drawbacks and both have to be reduced to compete with rapid syndromic PCR panel testing with increasing numbers of target pathogens.
Effect of absenteeism on the performance of medical sciences students: gender differences
Published in Medical Education Online, 2021
Preliminary investigations at the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department, King Khalid University, indicated that female medical sciences students earn higher scores than their male counterparts. In the second semester of 2018, the scores from 37 courses showed that 17.52% of female students (n = 793) achieved an A+ while only 5.69% of male students (n = 474) obtained that mark. Therefore, this study was designed to understand this sex-based variation in academic performance using absenteeism as an independent variable. An advanced-level Clinical Virology course taken in the third-year was the focus of this study. The independent variable was the absence rate, and the outcome variable was the final grade. This observational study was conducted at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia from January to December 2019. The sample population included third-year students enrolled in the mandatory Clinical Virology course. The course is taught in two sections every semester, which are separated by sex. The course coordinator taught the theory section for both sexes that constituted two-thirds of the overall grade. To mitigate subjective reporting bias, effects due to differences in scoring in both sections were controlled by using an assessment rubric specifically prepared by the course coordinator. The results from two semesters were included to increase the sample size, ensure reproducibility, and identify semester-based differences. The course is divided into basic science and clinical sections. The curriculum strictly adhered to the national accreditation standards.