JCVI statement on the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination programme – GOV.UK

J Gen Viro 2024 Oct;105(9):002027. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.002027 Natasha L Tilston-Lunel

Abstract

On 2 February 2024, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization issued an epidemiological alert on rising Oropouche virus (OROV) infections in South America. By 3 August 2024, this alert level had escalated from medium to high. OROV has been a public health concern in Central and South America since its emergence in Brazil in the 1960s. However, the 2024 outbreak marks a turning point, with the sustained transmission in non-endemic regions of Brazil, local transmission in Cuba, two fatalities and several cases of vertical transmission. As of the end of August 2024, 9852 OROV cases have been confirmed. The 2024 OROV outbreak underscores critical gaps in our understanding of OROV pathogenesis and highlights the urgent need for antivirals and vaccines. This review aims to provide a concise overview of OROV, a neglected orthobunyavirus.

A.R. MacLean, R. Gunson

Journal of Virological Methods 329 (2024) 114981

Background

We previously undertook a prospective clinical study to evaluate PCR.Ai’s (www.pcr.ai) accuracy and impact when automating the manual data-analysis and quality control steps associated with routine clinical pathogen testing using a non-quantitative multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). In this study we demonstrated 100 % concurrence between our manual routine analysis method and PCR.Ai. This paper expands the evaluation of PCR.Ai’s (www.pcr.ai) accuracy and impact using a multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

Objectives

We evaluated the impact of PCR.Ai when used as the final interpretation/verification step for routine in-house multiplex quantitative qPCR tests for CMV, EBV and adenovirus from blood samples for a total of 1350 interpretations.

Study Design

We compared PCR.Ai to our existing manual interpretation, to determine accuracy and hands on time savings.

Results and Conclusions

There was 100 % concurrence between validated CMV, EBV and adenovirus detection and quantitation by our manual routine analysis method and PCR.Ai. Furthermore, there were significant routine savings with PCR.Ai of 63 minutes/ run. Our conclusion is that for quantitative tests PCR.Ai is a highly accurate time-saving tool that reduces complexity of qPCR analysis and hence the need for specialists and hands-on time. It demonstrated capabilities to enable us to get results out more quickly with lower costs and less risk of errors.

Pérez-Rodríguez Francisco-Javier, Cherpillod Pascal, Thomasson Valentine, Vetter Pauline, Schibler Manuel. Identification of a measles variant displaying mutations impacting molecular diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland, 2023. Euro Surveill. 2024;29(5):pii=2400034. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.5.2400034

Plaza PI, Gamarra-Toledo V, Euguí J, Lambertucci SA. Recent Changes in Patterns of Mammal Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Worldwide. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024;30(3):444-452. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3003.231098

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