1. Deep sequencing analysis of clinical samples from patients with acute infectious conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 delta surge in Madurai, India
- Author
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Lalitha, Prajna, Prajna, N Venkatesh, Gunasekaran, Rameshkumar, Teja, Gonugunta Vishnu, Sharma, Sankalp S, Hinterwirth, Armin, Ruder, Kevin, Zhong, Lina, Chen, Cindi, Deiner, Michael, Huang, ChunHong, Pinsky, Benjamin A, Lietman, Thomas M, Doan, Thuy, Seitzman, Gerami D, Prajna, Lalitha, Venkatesh Prajna, N, Gunasekaran, Ramesh, Sharma, Sankalp Singh, Teja, Vishnu, Chaudhary, Meenu, Sitaula, Sanjeeta, Sié, Ali, Coulibaly, Boubacar, Bountogo, Mamadou, Somkijrungroj, Thanapong, Satitpitakul, Vannarut, Tran, Huy, Mai, Linh Hoàng, Xuân, Thảo Hạ, Tran, Yen, Urzua, Cristhian A, Vega, Fabian, Salgado, Felipe, Cuitino, Loreto, Lopez, Emiliano Sebastian, Gimeno, Federico Luengo, Jaeschke, Tomas, Pérez, Fernando Pérez, Martínez, Jaime Macías, Lansingh, Van Charles, Thanapaisal, Sukhumal, Laovirojjanakul, Wipada, McKie, George, Chavez, Kenia, Redd, Travis, Chamberlain, Winston, Cheng, Angel, Tham, Vivien, Sansanayudh, Wiwan, Yakoura, Abba Kaka Hajia, Amza, Abdou, Souley, Abdoul Salam Youssoufou, Diori, Adam Nouhou, Nassirou, Beido, Kadri, Boubacar, Mariama, Boubacar, Ibrahim, Cissé Mamadou, Roufaye, Lamyne Aboubacar, Boulhassane, Ramatou, Ali, Saley, Abdou, Zakou, Goren, Lee, Sella, Ruti, Kelliher, Clare, Green, Laura, Ong, Hon Shing, Mehta, Jod, Liu, Yu-Chi, Hwang, De-Kuang, Fan, Nai-Wen, Chiong, Hong Sheng, Lacorzana, Javier, Cabrera-Aguas, Maria, Watson, Stephanie, Tsui, Edmund, Ramirez, Joana, Cherian, Nina M, Feit-Leichman, Rachel, Hughes, Reginald E, Onclinx, Tania, Yu, Carol, McClean, Esmeralda, Molina, Iliana, Yu, Danny, Liu, David, Lebas, Elodie, Colby, Emily, Seitzman, Gerami, Abraham, Thomas, Lietman, Thomas, Porco, Travis, and McLeod, Stephen
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Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Clinical Sciences ,Clinical Research ,Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities ,Emerging Infectious Diseases ,Infectious Diseases ,Vaccine Related ,Eye Disease and Disorders of Vision ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,Humans ,COVID-19 ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Prospective Studies ,India ,Conjunctivitis ,Adenoviruses ,Human ,Acute Disease ,High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ,SCORPIO (Seasonal Conjunctivitis Outbreak Reporting for Prevention and Improved Outcomes) Study Group ,Microbiology ,Medical Microbiology ,Virology ,Clinical sciences ,Medical microbiology - Abstract
BackgroundSeasonal outbreaks of infectious conjunctivitis remain a public health issue. Determination of outbreak etiologies in the context of a worldwide pandemic may provide useful information to guide public health strategies. The aim of this study was to identify pathogens associated with outpatient infectious conjunctivitis during the COVID-19 Delta surge.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted from April 2021 to September 2021. All outpatients presenting to the Aravind Eye Center (Madurai, India) with signs and symptoms consistent with acute infectious conjunctivitis were eligible. Three swabs were obtained from each participant: one from each conjunctiva and one from the anterior nares. Samples were processed for metagenomic RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq).ResultsSamples from 106 study participants were sequenced. The most common presenting symptoms were tearing (86%) and itching (71%). Preauricular lymphadenopathy was present in 38% of participants. 20% of participants had close contacts with similar symptoms. Systemic symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea were uncommonly reported. 60% of all participants used some medicated eye drops upon enrollment. 75% of study participants demonstrated infection with human adenovirus D (HAdV-D). 11% of conjunctivitis was associated with SARS-CoV-2. 15% had no definitive pathogen detected. 8% of all participants had codetection of more than one pathogen on RNA-seq.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 Delta surge in India, HAdV-D was the most common pathogen associated with infectious conjunctivitis. SARS-CoV-2 was the second most common associated pathogen. Seasonal surveillance may be necessary for the determination of emerging and reemerging pathogens responsible for infectious conjunctivitis.
- Published
- 2022