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Objectives: The coxsackievirus A24 variant (CVA24v) has raised a remarkable concern because of its main etiological role in acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to summarize CVA24v isolated from acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreaks and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in Shandong province, China during 1988-2020. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods based on the VP1 coding region were used to determine the CVA24v origin, spatiotemporal dynamics, and evolution. Also, the positive selection sites in the VP1 gene were identified and exhibited in the tertiary structure., Results: The global CVA24vs were classified into eight genotypes (GⅠ-GⅧ). Here, 12 CVA24v isolates were detected, of which five strains were typed as two novel genotypes (GⅦ and GⅧ) and reported first in the world. The time to the most recent common ancestor of the global CVA24v was estimated around March 1965 and evolved with 5.573 × 10 -3 substitutions/site/year. Four residues under positive selection were detected, and residue 146T might be adapted in the CVA24v pandemic. Phylogeographic analysis indicated that China was the main source sink for CVA24v dispersion in a long-lasting global pattern., Conclusion: Our study updated the epidemiological characteristics of CVA24v and enabled a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying different genotypes. The results provided new insights into the CVA24v origin, spatiotemporal dynamics, and possibly, the determinants of viral tropism and pathogenicity., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The hepatitis A vaccine (HepA) has been included in the national expanded program on immunization (EPI) in China since 2008. This study was performed to evaluate the change in dynamics of the seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus (HAV) before and after the introduction of the program., Methods: The trends in seroepidemiology of anti-HAV antibodies were examined in Shandong Province, China, drawing on two population-based samples of persons aged 1-59 years, one obtained in the year 2006 (n = 6682) and the other in 2014 (n = 5095)., Results: A dramatic increase in seroprevalence of anti-HAV antibodies from 30.76% (95% confidence interval (CI) 26.24-35.28%) to 77.46% (95% CI 74.04-80.87%) among children aged 1.5-7 years (born after HepA was recommended for routine childhood immunization), as well as an increase from 35.32% (95% CI 29.31-41.33%) to 66.69% (95% CI 55.59-77.80%) in subjects aged 8-14 years, was observed in 2014 when compared with 2006. By contrast, a decline in seroprevalence among subjects aged 15-29 years, as seen particularly in those 20-29 years of age, from 85.72% (95% CI 80.29-91.14%) to 69.24% (95% CI 62.02-76.45%), was found in this study. There was no statistically significant difference in seroprevalence between 2006 and 2014 among the subjects older than 30 years of age., Conclusions: The national HepA routine immunization program has had a positive effect, leading to an increase in anti-HAV seroprevalence among children in Shandong Province, China. More attention should be paid to young adults in the province., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

An emerging infectious disease, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), was identified to be associated with a novel SFTS virus (SFTSV). Transmission of the disease among humans has been described, but clinical impact factors and transmission mechanisms still need further study. An outbreak of person-to-person transmission of SFTS in a cluster of nine patients that occurred in an SFTS endemic area, Penglai County, Shandong province, China, was investigated. We found that the onset date of all eight secondary SFTS patients ranged from 7 to 13 days after exposure to the corpse of the index patient, and clinical incubation time was mostly focused on 9-10 days (n = 6). The two dead patients, including the index patient and one secondary infected patient, presented unusually high levels of viral load (6 × 10(8-9) copies/mL), low levels of platelets count (<55 × 10(9)/L), and significant increase of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase values in the second week, and died on day 10 or 11 after disease onset. Genetic sequencing revealed 100% homology among virus strains isolated from the index patient and five secondary patients. Risk factors assessment of the person-to-person transmission revealed that the major exposure factor was blood contact without personal protection equipment. Information from this study provided solid references of SFTS incubation time, clinical and laboratory parameters related to SFTS severity and outcome, and biosafety issues for preventing person-to-person transmission or nosocomial infection of SFTSV., (Copyright © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organophosphates and pyrethroids are among the most common pesticides currently in use worldwide. Several pesticides have been reported to possess hormonal activities, and thus are classified as endocrine disruptors. The present study was planned to evaluate potential androgenic and antiandrogenic activities of the pesticides. The selected chemicals are three organophosphate pesticides including dichlorvos, parathion and trichlorphon, and two pyrethroid pesticides including permethrin and cypermethrin. We evaluated the pesticides for androgen receptor (AR)-mediated mechanisms using a human AR reporter gene assay in African monkey kidney cell line CV-1 transiently transfected with the constructed reporter gene plasmid pMMTV-CAT and the hAR expression plasmid AR/pcDNA3.1. We demonstrated that parathion showed significant inhibitory effects on the transcriptional activity induced by 1 nM of DHT with IC(50) value of (2.01+/-0.42) x 10(-7) M, though trichlorphon and dichlorvos lacked this activity. The two pyrethroid pesticides permethrin and cypermethrin exhibited lower activity than parathion with IC(50) value of (5.68+/-2.20) x 10(-5) and (6.80+/-2.30) x 10(-5) M, respectively. On the other hand, we failed to find AR-mediated androgenic activities of the tested chemicals. It is suggested that parathion possesses the highest activity, and permethrin and cypermethrin acted as poor antiandrogens. The present study provides insight into the mechanism of the pesticides.