Myocarditis is a rare cardiomyocyte inflammatory process, typically caused by viruses, with potentially devastating cardiac sequalae in both competitive athletes and in the general population. Investigation into myocarditis prevalence in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era suggests that infection with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is an independent risk factor for myocarditis, which is confirmed mainly through cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Recent studies indicated that athletes have a decreased risk of myocarditis after recent COVID-19 infection compared to the general population. However, given the unique nature of competitive athletics with their frequent participation in high-intensity exercise, athletes possess distinct factors of susceptibility for the development of myocarditis and its subsequent severe cardiac complications (e.g., sudden cardiac death, fulminant heart failure, etc.). Under this context, this review focuses on comparing myocarditis in athletes versus non-athletes, owing special attention to the distinct clinical presentations and outcomes of myocarditis caused by different viral pathogens such as cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-6, human immunodeficiency virus, and Parvovirus B19, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared with SARS-CoV-2. By illustrating distinct clinical presentations and outcomes of myocarditis in athletes versus non-athletes, we also highlight the critical importance of early detection, vigilant monitoring, and effective management of viral and non-viral myocarditis in athletes and the necessity for further optimization of the return-to-play guidelines for athletes in the COVID-19 era, in order to minimize the risks for the rare but devastating cardiac fatality.

Akahoya is a volcanic soil rich in alumina, primarily deposited in Kyushu, Japan. We have found that Akahoya adsorbs bacteria in the water surrounding cattle grazing areas, suggesting a potential for environmental purification. This study investigated the spectrum of microorganisms adsorbed by Akahoya using a column filled with Akahoya through which a suspension of microorganisms was passed. Shirasu soil, another volcanic soil with a different chemical composition, was used as a control. Akahoya effectively adsorbed a diverse range of microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, spores of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), murine norovirus, and avian influenza virus (H3N2), whereas Shirasu soil did not adsorb any of the organisms examined. Moreover, bacteria naturally present in river water, such as aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, and Enterobacteriaceae as indicators of river contamination, as well as E. coli added artificially to sterilized river water, were reduced to below the detection limit (<1 CFU/mL) after being passed through Akahoya. Additionally, the number of viable E. coli continued to decrease after contact with Akahoya for 1 month, suggesting bactericidal effects. Notably, the adsorption of E. coli to Akahoya was influenced by the concentration of phosphate and the pH of the suspension due to the interaction between the surface phosphorylation of organisms and Al2O3, the major chemical component of Akahoya. The present results demonstrate the remarkable ability of Akahoya to remove phosphate and microbes, suggesting that Akahoya could be used for water purification processes.IMPORTANCEAlthough a safe and sufficient water supply is essential for the maintenance of hygienic conditions, a major challenge is to develop a comprehensive effective, sustainable, and cost-effective technological approach for the treatment and purification of contaminated water. In this study, we demonstrated that a novel volcanic soil, Akahoya, which has unlimited availability, is a highly effective adsorbent for a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens, suggesting its potential as a sustainable resource for this purpose. It was suggested that the adsorption of microorganisms on Akahoya was mediated by phosphate groups present on the surface structures of microorganisms, which bind to the alumina component of Akahoya according to the phosphate concentration and pH of the liquid phase. The present findings highlight the exceptional ability of Akahoya to eliminate or reduce phosphate and microorganisms effectively in water purification processes, thus contributing to the development of efficient and sustainable solutions for addressing water pollution challenges.

Verifying the inclusivity of molecular detection methods gives indications about the reliability of viral infection diagnosis because of the tendency of viral pathogens to undergo sequence variation. This study was aimed at selecting inclusive probes based on reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assays for the diagnosis of the most widespread and detrimental viruses infecting honeybees, namely the acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), the black queen cell virus (BQCV), the chronic paralysis bee virus (CBPV), the deformed wing virus variants A (DWVA) and B (DWVB), and the sacbrood virus (SBV). Therefore, previously described detection methods were re-evaluated in silico for their specificity and inclusivity. Based on this evaluation, selected methods were modified, or new ones were designed and tested in duplex RT-qPCR reactions. The limits of detection (LODs), effect of multiplexing on sensitivity and the viral RNA quantification potential in bees and hive debris were assessed. This study made available diagnostic assays able to detect an increased number of virus variants compared with previously described tests and two viral pathogens in a single PCR reaction.

Rabbit haemorrhage disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a highly pathogenic lagovirus that causes lethal disease in rabbits and hares (lagomorphs). Since its first detection in Europe in 2010, RHDV2 has spread worldwide and has been detected in over 35 countries so far. Here, we provide the first detailed report of the detection and subsequent circulation of RHDV2 in New Zealand. RHDV2 was first detected in New Zealand in 2018, with positive samples retrospectively identified in December 2017. Subsequent time-resolved phylogenetic analysis suggested a single introduction into the North Island between March and November 2016. Genetic analysis identified a GI.3P-GI.2 variant supporting a non-Australian origin for the incursion; however, more accurate identification of the source of the incursion remains challenging due to the wide global distribution of the GI.3P-GI.2 variant. Furthermore, our analysis suggests the spread of the virus between the North and South Islands of New Zealand at least twice, dated to mid-2017 and around 2018. Further phylogenetic analysis also revealed a strong phylogeographic pattern. So far, no recombination events with endemic benign New Zealand rabbit caliciviruses have been identified. This study highlights the need for further research and surveillance to monitor the distribution and diversity of lagoviruses in New Zealand and to detect incursions of novel variants.

Respiratory diseases due to viral or bacterial agents, either alone or in combination, cause substantial economic burdens to the swine industry worldwide. Rapid and reliable detection of causal pathogens is crucial for effective epidemiological surveillance and disease management. This research aimed to employ the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay for simultaneous detection of seven distinct pathogens causing respiratory problems in swine, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), swine influenza virus (SIV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Pasteurella multocida, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Glässerella parasuis. The results indicated no probe cross-reactivity among the seven target agents with other swine pathogens. The detection limits ranged from 5 to 34 copies per assay for the target organisms. The MLPA assay was evaluated with 88 samples and compared to real-time or multiplex PCR for the target pathogens. The MLPA assay demonstrated high relative test sensitivities (100 %) and reasonable to good relative specificities at 62.5 %, 95.1 %, 86.8 %, and 97.6 % for PRRSV, P. multocida, G. parasuis, and PCV2, respectively, relative to comparator PCR assays. In 71 samples where MLPA and comparator PCR assays matched exactly, infections were detected in 64 samples (90.1 %), with PRRSV being the most commonly found virus and 50.7 % of the samples showing co-infection with two to five of the pathogens. This approach serves as a valuable tool for conducting differential diagnoses and epidemiological investigations of pathogen prevalence within swine populations.

Pathogenic lagoviruses (Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV) are widely spread across the world and are used in Australia and New Zealand to control populations of feral European rabbits. The spread of the non-pathogenic lagoviruses, e.g., rabbit calicivirus (RCV), is less well studied as the infection results in no clinical signs. Nonetheless, RCV has important implications for the spread of RHDV and rabbit biocontrol as it can provide varying levels of cross-protection against fatal infection with pathogenic lagoviruses. In Chile, where European rabbits are also an introduced species, myxoma virus was used for localised biocontrol of rabbits in the 1950s. To date, there have been no studies investigating the presence of lagoviruses in the Chilean feral rabbit population. In this study, liver and duodenum rabbit samples from central Chile were tested for the presence of lagoviruses and positive samples were subject to whole RNA sequencing and subsequent data analysis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel RCV variant in duodenal samples that likely originated from European RCVs. Sequencing analysis also detected the presence of a rabbit astrovirus in one of the lagovirus-positive samples.

The nature in which the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started and spread all over the world has surprised and shocked experts and the general population alike. This has brought out a worldwide desire and serious efforts to prevent, or at least reduce, the severity of another airborne viral infection and protect individuals gathering for various reasons. Toward this main purpose, a novel method to disinfect the air, using graded, predictable, safe, and reliable dosage of ultraviolet C (UVC), with specially designed devices, is described here. Individuals exclusively breathing this disinfected air can prevent infection, thus destroying the airborne virus or any other pathogens outside the human body to prevent acute and chronic damage to the organs and provide a sense of security to congregate, use public transport, and be protected in acute and long-term healthcare facilities. The study involved designing and testing a unit with one UVC chamber and another unit with six UVC chambers both enclosed in UVC-opaque housings that could be used to destroy airborne pathogens. Wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was used as a representative pathogen. The virus was fed into these units and in both units, the virus was destroyed to undetectable levels. Such disinfected air can be made available for individuals to breathe at an individual and a community level. The two units that were studied were able to destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus completely in UVC-opaque housings, making them safe for human use. By employing the air to bring the virus to the UVC, the problem of the virus getting protected behind structures was avoided. The individuals get to breathe totally disinfected air through a mask or a ventilator. To protect individuals who are unable or unwilling to use these units meant for individual use, the same principle can be expanded for use with air conditioners to provide community protection. It is envisaged that this method can prevent airborne infections from turning into pandemics and is a clear example of advocating prevention, rather than treatment. These units are expandable and the UVC dosage to the pathogen can be adjusted and predictable, thereby making it a standard technique to study the dosage needed to inactivate different pathogens.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the annual, seasonal and monthly trends in children with simple and complex appendicitis and their correlation to common viral pathogens in the Netherlands. A consecutive multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed between 2010 and 2019 including children (<18 years) surgically treated for appendicitis. The primary outcome was the distribution of children with simple and complex appendicitis per year, season and month. Relevant seasonal variation was defined as ≥5%. The secondary outcome was a positive correlation of the number of patients with simple and complex appendicitis to common viral pathogens (data anonymously provided by the Dutch Working Group on Clinical Virology from the Dutch Society for Clinical Microbiology (NVMM)). In total, 896 patients were included: N = 524 (58%) patients with simple and N = 372 (42%) with complex appendicitis. Of the children aged 0-5 years, 81% had complex appendicitis, versus 38% in 6-18 years (p < 0.001). An overall decline was demonstrated for both simple and complex appendicitis between 2010 and 2019. No seasonal variation was found for simple appendicitis. For complex appendicitis, the highest number of patients was found in spring, and lowest in summer (N = 372, spring 28.2 ± 5.1% versus summer 21.0 ± 5.8%, p = 0.011), but the variance was regarded as not relevant (<5% from baseline). A positive correlation was found between complex appendicitis with Adenovirus 40.41 (R = 0.356, 95%CI 0.045-0.604, p = 0.026) and simple appendicitis with Adenovirus NON 40.41 (R = 0.332, 95%CI 0.019-0.586, p = 0.039), but these correlations did not remain significant after a Bonferroni correction (p < 0.003). In conclusion, we found no relevant seasonal variation for simple or complex appendicitis, nor positive correlation with common viral pathogens.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) cause various malignancies in the anogenital and oropharyngeal regions. About 70% of cervical and oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18. Notably, some viruses including herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human immunodeficiency virus along with various bacteria often interact with HPV, potentially impacting its replication, persistence, and cancer progression. Thus, HPV infection can be significantly influenced by co-infecting agents that influence infection dynamics and disease progression. Bacterial co-infections (e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis) along with bacterial vaginosis-related species also interact with HPV in genital tract leading to viral persistence and disease outcomes. Co-infections involving HPV and diverse infectious agents have significant implications for disease transmission and clinical progression. This review explores multiple facets of HPV infection encompassing the co-infection dynamics with other pathogens, interaction with the human microbiome, and its role in disease development.

The frequent interactions of rodents with humans make them a common source of zoonotic infections. Brandt\'s vole is the dominant rodent species of the typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, and it is also an important pest in grassland.
To obtain an initial unbiased measure of the microbial diversity and abundance in the blood and intestinal tracts and to detect the pathogens carried by wild Brandt\'s voles in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia.
Twenty wild adult Brandt\'s voles were trapped using live cages, and 12 intestinal samples were collected for metagenomic analysis and 8 blood samples were collected for meta-transcriptomic analysis. We compared the sequencing data with pathogenic microbiota databases to analyse the phylogenetic characteristics of zoonotic pathogens carried by wild voles.
A total of 122 phyla, 79 classes, 168 orders, 382 families and 1693 genera of bacteria and a total of 32 families of DNA and RNA viruses in Brandt\'s voles were characterized. We found that each sample carried more than 10 pathogens, whereas some pathogens that were low in abundance were still at risk of transmission to humans.
This study improves our understanding of the viral and bacterial diversity in wild Brandt\'s voles and highlights the multiple viral and bacterial pathogens carried by this rodent. These findings may serve as a basis for developing strategies targeting rodent population control in Hulun Buir and provide a better approach to the surveillance of pathogenic microorganisms in wildlife.