12^th International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases October 22-23, 2021 Rome, Italy

Ausraful Islam is a veterinarian by training. He has completed his DVM and MS from Bangladesh Agricultural University and MPH from American International University-Bangladesh. He joined icddr,b during 2009. He is involved in different research projects focused on various emerging diseases like Nipah and avian influenza. He has several years of working experience with wild animals. He is leading a project funded by DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) to look for the Nipah virus among bats of Bangladesh. He has published his work in different national and international journals.

Introduction: Pigs in Bangladesh are mainly reared by non-Muslim minorities such as tribal communities, Christians and lower caste Hindus. Pigs can harbor and spread zoonotic parasites more efficiently compared to other domestic species. Our objective was to identify the zoonotic organisms of the domestic pigs of Bangladesh.
 

Methodology: We reviewed the published literatures to identify different zoonotic pathogens like virus, bacteria and parasites in Bangladesh. We found 12 published manuscripts from Bangladesh which has described different zoonotic diseases of pigs. Among those seven were on parasitic diseases, five on viral diseases and one on bacterial diseases.
 

Results: By fecal sample examination ova of seven zoonotic helminths were identified: Fasciolopsis sp. (1%-66%), Taenia sp. (8%-24%), Diphyllobothrium sp. (3%-24%), Ascaris sp. (38%-62%), Gnathostoma sp. (19%), Trichuris sp. (5%-24%) and Necator sp. (2.6%). By post-mortem examination three zoonotic helminthes were reported: Fasciolopsis buski (37%-55%), Ascaris suum (60%-66%) and Trichuris suis (57%-60%). Ova of Fasciolopsis sp., and Ascaris sp. were reported in six and Trichuris sp. in five manuscripts. Seroprevalence of avian influenza (2.3-12%), hepatitis E (82%) and Japanese encephalitis virus (30%) has been detected among the pigs of Bangladesh. Antibodies against Nipah virus glycoprotein was found among pigs (82%) using luminex assay. Seroprevalence of brucella has also been reported from pigs.
 

Conclusion: Domestic pigs of Bangladesh can carry and shed zoonotic diseases. We do not know many pigborne zoonotic diseases reported from other tropical countries. Further investigation needs to be carried out to determine the prevalence of different zoonotic diseases carried by pigs which will be helpful for understanding the disease epidemiology and developing strategic control measures.

Fentahun Wondmnew is researching for his MSc in veterinary Epidemiology at Haramaya University currently. He has been training veterinary technicians in the national vocational college in Ethiopia since November 2016. He has been working as a consultant in regional animal health surveillance from April 15 to November 2016.

Nipah Virus (NiV) is a bat-borne newly emerging first identified in Malaysia in 1998. It has an alarming mortality rate ranging from 40% to 75% in humans. The ubiquitous nature of the reservoir host, increasing deforestation, multiple modes of transmission, high case fatality rate, and lack of effective therapy or vaccines make NiV’s pandemic potential increasingly significant. The virus causes encephalitis in humans and pigs in which it spreads horizontally from bat to pig, pig to pig, pig to human, bat to human, and human to human. The mode of transmission from pig-to-pig, pig-to-human, and human-to-human is facilitated by direct contact with Nipah Virus containing nasal and oropharyngeal secretions. The Indo-Bangladesh outbreaks were associated with the consumption of raw date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats. Fever, vomiting, dizziness, brain stem abnormalities are the main clinical features. The virus can be diagnosed by RT-PCR from bodily fluids as well as antibody detection via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and virus isolation by cell culture as well. Destruction of bats' habitat and making them stressed and hungry enforce bats to come to the people residents and pig farms so that spillover can occur. Therefore preventing the spill over of the virus has irreplaceable significance to interrupt the epidemic potential of NiV. The understanding and prevention of spillover require multiple scientific skills with expertise ranging from viral protein structure and adaptation to immunology, behavior, and physiology of the reservoir hosts.

Chateen I. Ali Pambuk born in December 6th-1968 in Kirkuk city Iraq. Married with 3 daughters. He has gained his MSc. and PhD degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from college of medicine Univ. of Tikrit. He is one of the first founders of the College of Dentistry in Tikrit Univ. He served first as a lecturer in college of medicine dept. of Pharmacology Univ. of Tikrit. Then a lecturer in Dept. of Medical Microbiology at the same college. He also served as a Head of Oral Microbiology Dept.College of Dentistry since 1 July 2007 till 2012. Now he is an Ass. Prof. Lecturer in college of Dentistry since 2005. He laid the groundwork for the Immunological research in his University by graduating post graduate students in clinical immunology and interleukin studies in correlation with different diseases. He is an Editorial and Reviewer member in more than 22 scientific international journals (7 are top journals in Scopus and Clarivate web of science database). He has a remarkable record of successful and productive research projects in the area of clinical immunology in Tikrit Univ.

The study was conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes in Sulaymaniyah Governorate for the period from September 2018 to May 2019. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of irisin hormone and triglycerides in both males and females with type 2 diabetes and compare them with healthy people. As (50) blood samples were collected from people in Sulaymaniyah governorate, which included two groups and by (30) samples from people with diabetes (males and females) and (20) samples from healthy people (males and females), which were considered as a control group, their ages ranged between 30 and 60 years old. The estimation of the concentrations of both irisin hormone, and triglycerides was studied, where the patients were divided into two groups, the first group whose ages ranged from (30-45), the second (45-60). The results showed a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in the concentrations of irisin hormone in Blood serum in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to its concentrations in healthy subjects. Also, there was no significant difference in the concentrations of irisin hormone, triglycerides between male and female patients with type 2 diabetes. The results also indicated that there was a significant difference at the level (P ≤ 0.05) in the concentrations of triglycerides in the blood serum of patients with type 2 diabetes compared to its concentrations in healthy people. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the concentrations of irisin hormone, triglycerides, between the two age groups of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Dina Nadeem Abd-Elshafy has her expertise in relation between viral pathogenicity and human health especially in high risk group people. Antiviral effect and it’s applications in environment. Waste water treatment for viral removal for safe reuse. Change in viral behavior due to mutations. Recording changes in viral prevalence of different waterborne and airborne viruses in environment. She was awarded two fellowships one in 2012: Post doc fellowship in Helmholtz Center for infectious diseases in Braunischweig, Germany and one in 2014: Post doc fellowship in Twin core institute in Hannover, Germany. She supervised 1 mater and 2 PhD thesis; she shared in number of research projects, 3 as PI, 2 a CoPI and 12 as member.

Respiratory infectious diseases are one of the most important diseases nowadays due to COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of this pandemic and new precautions become part of our daily life as wearing masks and keeping distance and others, On top one has to disinfect all products bought from markets as plastic or cartoon bottles, cans and even fruits or vegetables before using them at home which is very tiring. We aimed to test virucidal effect of natural plant extracts that can be easily and safely added to water and this water can be used to macerate all bought products and so disinfect them with less effort. Different extraction methods were applied to Camellia sinensis plant, extracts were analyzed to know chemical composition and concentration of each compound then tested for their virucidal effect against number of respiratory viruses (enveloped and non-enveloped). Highest effective concentrations of extracts were applied to water inoculated with the tested viruses to identify best extract concentration and optimum contact time. Finally viruses were inoculated over the surfaces of cans, plastic or cartoon bottles, vegetables of smooth or rough surfaces for 30 minutes then macerated in water supplemented with plant extract and % reduction in viral count was detected.

Bene A. Ekine-Afolabi is a graduate of River State University of Science & Technology in Applied Biology (Medical Microbiology option); with an MRes degree at University of East London, United Kingdom. She had her PhD study & worked at the Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University, UK. Trained in practical approach to toxicology in drug development (American College of Toxicology/British Toxicology Society). Bene does research in Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Cancer: Her current focus of research (which has yielded eight designed models), is on the Investigation of molecular mechanism of colorectal cancer and due to the current pandemic, has been involved in drug development for COVID-19. Bene had Harvard University part-sponsored training in therapeutic research in Cancer Biology & Therapeutic.

The pandemic of COVID-19 disease, a respiratory condition caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, has been evidently effectively controlled by vaccines. As of 31st May 2021, there are 170,189,835 confirmed cases in over 240 countries with over 3,538,196 deaths. It is characterized by a myriad of both respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms. Most individuals with the infection will have mild symptoms that are naturally resolved by an active immune system. However, a subset of people with a higher risk of infection is the elderly and those with comorbidities such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and cancer. The human immune response against viral infection is mainly dependent on active T cell function. Glutathione (GSH), a ubiquitous tri-peptide antioxidant known for homeostasis regulation and important in oxidative stress response, is essential for T cell effector functions through its regulation of metabolic activity.

Glutamyl cysteine ligase (GCL) catalyses the rate-limiting step of glutathione synthesis. Polymorphisms in this enzyme impede glutathione synthesis. Glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) catalyse the conjugation of glutathione to xenobiotic, reactive oxygen species (ROS), toxins, and other cellular by products. Alterations in the structure, function, or level of expression of GST genes could alter the ability of the cell to inactivate toxins, thereby aggravating the progression of infection. GST polymorphisms have been clearly associated with such comorbidities including various cancers and respiratory diseases. It is well known that oxidative stress is a major factor in the pathogenesis of viral respiratory infections. Evidently, full dosed individual is still susceptible to infection and severe illness from the virus with possible hospitalization. Recovery from infection is associated with traumatic pain and fatigue, breathlessness, and negatively impacted morbidity. It is therefore possible that GST polymorphisms may impair immune response against the coronavirus. To the best of our knowledge, the potential implications of GCLC & GST gene polymorphisms on SARS-CoV-2 infection have not been elucidated.

Arturo Armone Caruso is an otolaryngologist specialist and is the Health Director of the AIAS (Italian Association of Disadvantaged Assistance) of Afragola. He has also obtained a PhD in "Cytosmetabolism of drugs and applied morphology" For many years he has been interested in the study of nasal mucosa. His research ranges from allergies to some oncological aspects of the upper airways and digestive tract. On the occasion of the COVID pandemic, he carried out a series of studies aimed at both the prevention and implementation of a therapy of this disease. In particular, the study, together with other colleagues, addressed the possibility of using hydrogen peroxide, obtaining encouraging results and still being developed. He is also interested in rehabilitation paths as well as methodological research to improve the quality of life and consequently behavioral emotional health.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic. Fever, cough, muscle aches, dyspnea, and fatigue can be presenting symptoms, as well as smell and taste dysfunction, usually in presence of a patent nasopharyngeal airway. The virus, as it is known, first of all attacks the nasal mucosa by activating the local immune system. Recent studies report that the cytological effects on the nasal mucosa are characterized by its disorder. The observation under the optical microscope, documents a cell infiltration characterized by neutrophils, lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which have "Ciliocytophthoria" (fig. 1), the main sign of cell damage from viruses. However , there are other aspects that in the future could be an additional element of in-depth diagnostics, as well as prevention and monitoring.

This is the study of atypical lymphocytes that can be observed on the nasal mucosa. To study this aspect, at the AIAS of Afragola, with the favourable opinion of the Scientific Committee, were performed, by scraping, samples of nasal mucosa to patients (30 males and 30 females minimum age 30 maximum age 60 average 45,5) Two weeks in rehab, recovering from COVID. A control group was used. The nasal mucosa was stained with MGG and observed with the 100x optical microscope. The observation of lymphocytes in all POST-COVID patients documented the presence of atypical lymphocytes. These were grouped, according to the literature, in two groups (fig 2) 1. Plasmacytoid features; 2 Downey II-like cells. Of these two groups, those belonging to the former are more relevant. This aspect agrees with the literature that detects a greater amount of lymphocytes belonging to the first group. In the light of these results, the cytological methodology could encourage further developments not only for the monitoring of the disease but set a precise therapeutic path.

Sherry Layton received her PhD from the University of Arkansas where she studied poultry science. Her early career research in poultry immunology and molecular engineering set the foundation for her pioneering scientific successes in animal and public health. Over the last decade Dr. Layton developed and patented an innovative orally administered sub-unit vaccine platform, Biotech Vac. This research and development led to the recent introduction of Biotech Vac – Salmonella in Latin America, which provides poultry with immunological protection from all mobile Salmonella species, a first in the poultry industry, and will help reduce the risk of food-borne Salmonellosis in humans. Currently, she serves as CEO for Vetanco USA and Chief Scientific Officer for Vetanco International/BV Science, a global animal health and nutrition company where her research focuses on maintaining public and animal health; as well as ensuring food safety globally. Dr. Layton currently leads a research team of veterinarians and scientists in the U.S. and South America and has developed a pipeline of pioneering and effective vaccines. She is currently focused on supporting the introduction of Biotech Vac – Salmonella and Biotech Vac Coccidia in Latin America as well as establishing biologicals in the U.S. market with the newly formed Vetanco USA.

Development of vaccines for effective control of bacterial, viral and protozoal pathogens represents an important development in reducing host morbidity and mortality worldwide. Advancements in the area of biotechnology have increased our innovative potential and allow us to use these technologies to design advanced pathogen control strategies. My laboratory has been working to develop a novel vaccine platform that can provide distinct advantages over traditional classical vaccines. Notably, traditional vaccines tend to be strain or serotype specific and show little or no cross protection to even genetically related strains, our new vaccine technology focuses on creating a single vaccine to protect against multiple serotypes or strains from the same pathogen family by incorporating a single common subunit, produced by bacillus subtilis, into an inactivated orally administered vaccine platform, providing protection against infection and disease by inducing mucosal immunity.
 

This immunity has proved to be protective against families of pathogens regardless of host species; therefore, our platform not only protects against families of pathogens with a single subunit it furthermore protects multiple host species with the same vaccine. Additionally, the platform integrates additional molecules that can train the immune system or reprogram the pathogen favored immune responses that have previously been pre-trained by host-pathogen interactions, driving the immune response toward host favored protection. An additional distinct advantage of this novel platform is the allowance for immunological differentiation of infected from vaccinated host. Which should prove even more important in the face of emerging diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2? Numerous experimental vaccine challenge trials have been conducted to date in multiple host species utilizing this vaccine platform. The platform has shown efficacy and protection (short term and long term) against bacterial, viral and protozoal pathogens alike. Our ultimate goal of creating a single vaccine for multiple hosts against families of pathogens is advancing the “one health” concept towards a tangible reality today.

Maria Augusta Dario has a degree in Pharmacy, a master’s degree in infectious diseases and a PhD in Parasitic Biology. She has experience in the field of parasitology, with an emphasis on research on trypanosomatids (Trypanosoma cruzi) in small mammals and vectors. His main experiences are in the identification of trypanosomatids using molecular techniques (Sanger and next-generation sequencing). She is currently doing her postdoctoral research in spatial analysis to understand the transmission cycle of T. cruzi in the sylvatic environment.

Statement of the Problem: Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, presents a complex life cycle and its transmission occurs in different enzootic scenarios, where each region has a peculiar transmission network. One example of this is the Atlantic Forest biome, located in Espírito Santo state (ES), Southeast Brazil. Triatoma vitticeps adult triatomines present high T. cruzi infection rates and are constantly found invading dwellings in rural areas. There is no colonization of T. vitticeps inside households and animals in the surroundings were not infected. This is a peculiar scenario and so far, little is known about the biotic and abiotic variables involved and capable to modulate the transmission. The aim was to understand the variables that modulate the T. cruzi infection in T. vitticeps triatomines in this region.

 

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Triatoma vitticeps and T. cruzi infection occurrence data from different ES state municipality were obtained from 2010 to 2012. The data were georeferenced for distribution analysis. To assess infection modulation, statistical (generalized linear models, discriminant analysis and multiple linear regression) and map algebra modeling were used for the response variables of T. vitticeps and T. cruzi with the explanatory variables: climate (minimum, maximum and average temperature; air relative humidity and precipitation), altitude elevation, mammal species richness, vegetation and soil types. The global and local Moran index were calculated to determine the spatial correlation and hotspot areas.

Findings: Data georeferencing and the distribution analysis showed that Central and Southern Es state mesoregions presented T. vitticeps and T. cruzi greatest distribution. Air relative humidity, soil type and mammal species richness were the variables that were most correlated with T. vitticeps occurrence. For the infected specimens, average temperature, air relative humidity, altitude and soil type were the most correlated variables. The Moran index and map algebra showed that the municipalities located on the border between the central and Southern mesoregions are hotspot areas and present favorable environmental conditions for T. vitticeps and T. cruzi.
 

Conclusion & Significance: We can conclude that triatomines acquired the infection in distant areas from residences, where it presents higher temperatures and altitudes (~700 meters), possibly in areas of more conserved forest. In addition, multidisciplinary studies, especially involving environment variables, are essential and should be used more often when it comes to vector-borne parasites.

Elsa Zacco research focus is the investigation of the effect of RNA in protein phase separation. My interest sparkled during my post-doc at King’s College London, when I specialized in the investigation of protein aggregation and the  role that RNA may play in it. My research supports the thesis that RNA plays a central role at post-transcriptional regulation and often determines the fate of  ribonucleoprotein complexes. My expertise is to investigate the structural-functional interplay between proteins and RNA and unveiling the molecular mechanisms of their interactions. I am currently a senior Marie Curie research fellow at the Italian Institute of Technology, where I am addressing my expertise towards dysfunction of protein-RNA interactions in neurological disorders.

Aptamers are short, single-stranded oligonucleotide sequences capable of binding specific protein targets with high affinity and selectivity, representing a promising tool for both diagnostics and therapeutics. This work illustrates the rational design of de-novo RNA aptamers able to recognize efficiently their protein target at all stages of its maturation to full aggregate species. TDP-43, an essential RNA-binding protein whose aberrant aggregation are associated with up to 97% of sporadic cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was selected as target. In vitro validation of the binding strength of the RNA aptamers towards TDP-43 identified binding constants in the nM scale. In association with super-resolution microscopy, the RNA aptamers were employed to successfully visualize all oligomeric state of TDP-43 in vitro, from the smallest oligomeric species to largest aggregates. Transfection of the aptamers in mammalian cellular models recapitulating ALS phenotype demonstrated that they co-localize with both soluble and aggregated TDP-43 in a precise and selective manner. The employment of the RNA aptamers to stain TDP-43 inclusions in ALS patients’ cortical sections allowed for the identification of aggregates as small as 10 nm and for the definition their size and shape. The high specificity of targeting renders the RNA aptamers designed in such fashion a tool with extremely high potential in the diagnostic of proteinopatic diseases at the earliest stages of the development. Compared to an anti-TDP-43 antibody (green), the RNA aptamer (red) can identify more precisely and specifically TDP-43 aggregates. The RNA aptamers can also be employed to count the number and define the size of such aggregates in ALS patients compared to agematched controls.

Lauren leads Med Learning Group departments focused on educational outcomes analysis and accreditation policies and implementation. She is responsible for developing and reporting on the outcomes of our educational activities, analyzing impact on knowledge, practice, and collaboration with patients and their care teams. Reviewing outcomes across the life of MLG's programs, Lauren provides input to the program management team to ensure content and learning formats are meeting learning objectives, addressing system-based needs, and ultimately helping physicians improve patient care. Lauren also maintains Med Learning Group accreditation department, ensuring all activities are compliant with ACCME requirements and are conducted within the spirit of the guidelines with a focus on improving patient care. Before joining Med Learning Group, Lauren worked with the Department of State for eight years. Lauren contributed to the development of the annual U.S foreign assistance budget, with a particular focus on programs in health and education. While in South Asia, Lauren helped implement healthcare support in countries across the region, and justified budget requests for international health programs to the U.S. Congress. Lauren holds a MA in International Development Studies.

In 2020, Med Learning Group (MLG) launched an interactive, multi-faceted educational initiative focused on COVID-19. FRONTLINE education & tools have expanded knowledge for the healthcare community & patient populations. Learners range from infectious disease & pulmonary medicine specialists, emergency room practitioners, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants & other healthcare professionals. Our activities also target COVID-19 treatment in patients with existing conditions. MLG partnered with several associations, the VHA & academic centers to create a community of care. The initiatives were supported by independent educational grants from AbbVie, Astellas, Genentech, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, & Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. FRONTLINE educational programs & tools enhance the learning experience, facilitate continuous learning, support the translation of education into practice, & encourage HCP-patient dialogue.

Programs & tools include a Bilingual Community of Care Website/Application, a podcast series for providers & patients, live virtual teleECHO Series with 2D & 3D animations, virtual Grand Rounds with whiteboard animations, interactive patient education e-booklets & Augmented Reality tools, immersive Virtual Reality Digital Learning Labs, personalized posters & more! FRONTLINE also includes a variety of patient tools, including a podcast series and augmented reality tool, to support vaccine treatment and awareness. Results from pre/posttests, intra-activity Q&A, evaluations & 60- to 90-day follow-on assessments indicate significant changes in knowledge, competence, & practice changes. Feedback collected via online surveys & interviews on the various point-of-care tools indicates that FRONTLINE tools are valuable & promote continuous learning post-activity. FRONTLINE’s advanced tools prove to be an asset to the continuing education of HCPs treating patients with COVID-19. These innovative tools are also valuable to patients who partake in our patient-focused activities/tools. These outcomes highlight the importance of engaging education surrounding COVID-19, ever-changing treatment guidelines, & patient-specific methods.

Arshi Khanam has her expertise in viral infections, especially in chronic hepatitis B. Her current area of research is to identify the immunological mechanisms of viral persistence and target immunological molecules for therapeutic purpose to eradicate the infection.

Classical CD8 T cells are implicated for protective and pathogenic roles in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Recently, a new subset of CD8 T cells expressing CXCR5 and exhibiting features of follicular T cells has been identified during chronic viral infections. However, in CHB, their roles have not yet been well defined. Here, we characterized circulating CD8+CXCR5+ and CD8+CXCR5- T cells and their association with clinical and viral factors in CHB. We found that CHB infection did not influence the overall frequencies

of CD8+CXCR5+ cells but CD8+CXCR5- cells were increased. However, among CHB, CD8+CXCR5+ cells were higher in patients with low HBsAg and HBV DNA level, patients who were HBeAg negative and had high fibrosis scores. Importantly, these cells showed significant association with HBsAg and HBV DNA reduction. Contrarily, CD8+CXCR5- T cells were expanded and positively associated with patients having high HBsAg, HBV DNA and ALT levels.

CD8+CXCR5+ T cells constituted higher frequencies of Tc1, Tc2, Tc17 and Tc22 subsets and overexpressed PD-1. Interestingly, PD-1+CD8+CXCR5+ cells exhibited higher CD69 and secreted more IFN-γ, IL-21 and IL-22 than PD-1- population, which illustrate effector phenotype of these cells; whereas, CD8+CXCR5- population displayed lower CD69 and secreted less cytokines irrespective of PD-1 expression, suggesting a phenotype of overall exhaustion. Importantly, blockade of PD1/PD-L1 pathway significantly impair the development of both CD8+CXCR5+/- cells and reduced effector cytokine production. In addition, HBcAg- specific cytolytic function measured by CD107a, perforin and granzyme B expression was higher in CD8+CXCR5+ than CD8+CXCR5- cells; however, HBsAg-specific cytolytic activity was impaired in both cell types. In conclusion, CD8+CXCR5+ cells are enriched in effector phenotypes with HBV-specific cytokine producing abilities and lytic function, despite increased PD-1 and associate with HBsAg and HBV DNA reduction, which may serve them as potential therapeutic target for CHB.