Search

Highlights • A(H3N2) dominated the early stages of the 2016–2017 influenza season. • 36% of hospitalized infected patients received the influenza vaccine. • Circulating A(H3N2) viruses were different from the vaccine strain., Background Influenza vaccine composition is reevaluated each year due to the frequency and accumulation of genetic changes that influenza viruses undergo. The beginning of the 2016–2017 influenza surveillance period in Israel has been marked by the dominance of influenza A(H3N2). Objectives To evaluate the type, subtype, genetic evolution and amino acid substitutions of influenza A(H3N2) viruses detected among community patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) and hospitalized patients with respiratory illness in the first weeks of the 2016–2017 influenza season. Study design Respiratory samples from community patients with influenza-like illness and from hospitalized patients underwent identification, subtyping and molecular characterization. Hemagglutinin sequences were compared to the vaccine strain, phylogenetic tree was created, and amino acid substitutions were determined. Results Influenza A(H3N2) predominated during the early stages of the 2016–2017 influenza season. Noticeably, approximately 20% of community patients and 36% of hospitalized patients, positive for influenza3), received the 2016–2017 influenza vaccine. The influenza A(H3N2) viruses demonstrated genetic divergence from the vaccine strain into three separate subgroups within the 3C.2a clade. One resembled the new 3C.2a1 subclade, one resembled the recently proposed 3C.2a2 subclade and the other was not previously described. Diversity was observed within each subgroup, in terms of additional amino acid substitutions. Conclusions Characterization of the 2016–2017 A(H3N2) influenza viruses is imperative for determining the future influenza vaccine composition.

Background Influenza A and B viruses co-infections are rare events and mainly occurred in immunocompromised patients. Objectives In this study we report an unusually high occurrence of influenza A (H1N1)pdm 2009 and influenza B virus co-infections during the epidemic year 2015–2016. Study design Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 1919 patients visiting 26 outpatient clinics distributed throughout Israel and presenting with influenza-like illness. In addition, hospitalized patient tested for influenza viruses were also included in the study. Patients samples collected between October 2015 and April 2016 were tested for the presence of influenza viruses by real-time PCR. Results Of the 1919 patient samples tested, 11 (0.6%) were co-infected with both influenza A(H1N1)pdm 2009 and influenza B/Victoria viruses. Similar observation was noted in four hospitalized patients during the same period. Patients at ages 1–72 years, and their clinical symptoms were similar to that of patients infected with either influenza A or B viruses. Of all patients, only one hospitalized patient was immunocompromised. In conclusion : Co-infection of influenza A(H1N1)pdm 2009 and influenza B viruses is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. This co-infection can occur not only in immunocompromised individuals, but also in immunocompetent patients. Although co-infection appears to be a rare event, it may still play a role in the epidemiology, pathogenicity and evolution of influenza viruses.

Background Different types of adenoviruses are associated with diverse diseases and with varied disease severity. Adenovirus 55 could be associated with severe respiratory infections. Objectives Here, we report on an adenovirus 55 outbreak in two psychiatric institutions in Israel. The objective of this study was to investigate the adenovirus 55 outbreak. Study design We studied the clinical parameters of the patients and sequencing analysis of certain parts of the virus gene was performed. Results We identified the first patient who developed symptoms (the index case) and we showed that while both patients and staff members of the institutions were infected, the disease in the psychiatric patients was more severe. We attributed these differences to their mental and underlying health conditions. Conclusions It is important to monitor for adenovirus infection in the community, especially in mental health institutions to allow appropriate medical care.

Humin is an important fraction of soil organic matter that is known to tightly bind many organic compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of humin as a natural sorbent in soils irrigated with freshwater and treated wastewater. To meet this goal, the sorption–desorption behavior of phenanthrene, atrazine and chlorotoluron was studied with humin isolated from Basra and Akko soils sampled from plots irrigated with treated wastewater or freshwater. For the Basra samples, the sorption affinities ( K OC values) of all tested compounds were higher for the humin sample isolated from the freshwater-irrigated soil than for that from the wastewater-irrigated soil. The opposite trend was recorded for the Akko humin samples. Desorption hysteresis was observed with atrazine but not with chlorotoluron or phenanthrene. Lipid extraction significantly decreased phenanthrene sorption affinities ( K OC values) for both Basra humin samples. For the humin isolated from the Akko freshwater-irrigated sample, lipid removal significantly decreased the sorption linearity, but sorption affinity was less affected. For the humin isolated from the Akko wastewater-irrigated sample, lipid extraction did not affect sorption affinity or linearity. Our data suggest that humin lipids constitute a powerful sorption domain and probably block pores or other high-energy adsorption sites within the humin matrix; therefore, their removal promotes desorption hysteresis. Our data show significantly small differences in sorption affinity between the humin and the source soil samples. We therefore suggest that the role of humin as a natural sorbent in soils should be studied on humin samples isolated under mild conditions to avoid the removal of matrix components and alteration of the humin.