Last data update: May 06, 2024. (Total: 46732 publications since 2009)
Records 1-6 (of 6 Records) |
Query Trace: Atherton L[original query] |
---|
Endemic coronavirus infections are associated with strong homotypic immunity in a US cohort of children from birth to 4 years
Morrow AL , Payne DC , Conrey SC , McMorrow M , McNeal MM , Niu L , Burrell AR , Schlaudecker EP , Mattison C , Burke RM , DeFranco E , Teoh Z , Wrammert J , Atherton LJ , Thornburg NJ , Staat MA . J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2024 BACKGROUND: The endemic coronaviruses OC43, HKU1, NL63 and 229E cause cold-like symptoms and are related to SARS-CoV-2, but their natural histories are poorly understood. In a cohort of children followed from birth to 4 years, we documented all coronavirus infections, including SARS-CoV-2, to understand protection against subsequent infections with the same virus (homotypic immunity) or a different coronavirus (heterotypic immunity). METHODS: Mother-child pairs were enrolled in metropolitan Cincinnati during the third trimester of pregnancy in 2017-18. Mothers reported their child's socio-demographics, risk factors, and weekly symptoms. Mid-turbinate nasal swabs were collected weekly. Blood was collected at 6 weeks, 6, 12, 18, 24 months and annually thereafter. Infections were detected by testing nasal swabs by an RT-PCR multi-pathogen panel and by serum IgG responses. Health care visits were documented from pediatric records. Analysis was limited to 116 children with high sample adherence. Re-consent for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infections from June 2020 through November 2021 was obtained for 74 (64%) children. RESULTS: We detected 345 endemic coronavirus infections (1.1 infections/child-year) and 21 SARS-CoV-2 infections (0.3 infections/child-year). Endemic coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 infections were asymptomatic or mild. Significant protective homotypic immunity occurred after a single infection with OC43 (77%) and HKU1 (84%), and after two infections with NL63 (73%). No heterotypic protection against endemic coronaviruses or SARS-CoV-2 was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Natural coronavirus infections were common and resulted in strong homotypic immunity but not heterotypic immunity against other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Endemic coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 infections in this US cohort were typically asymptomatic or mild. |
SARS-CoV-2 shedding and evolution in patients who were immunocompromised during the omicron period: a multicentre, prospective analysis
Raglow Z , Surie D , Chappell JD , Zhu Y , Martin ET , Kwon JH , Frosch AE , Mohamed A , Gilbert J , Bendall EE , Bahr A , Halasa N , Talbot HK , Grijalva CG , Baughman A , Womack KN , Johnson C , Swan SA , Koumans E , McMorrow ML , Harcourt JL , Atherton LJ , Burroughs A , Thornburg NJ , Self WH , Lauring AS . Lancet Microbe 2024 BACKGROUND: Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infections in people who are immunocompromised might predict or source the emergence of highly mutated variants. The types of immunosuppression placing patients at highest risk for prolonged infection have not been systematically investigated. We aimed to assess risk factors for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated intrahost evolution. METHODS: In this multicentre, prospective analysis, participants were enrolled at five US medical centres. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, were SARS-CoV-2-positive in the previous 14 days, and had a moderately or severely immunocompromising condition or treatment. Nasal specimens were tested by real-time RT-PCR every 2-4 weeks until negative in consecutive specimens. Positive specimens underwent viral culture and whole genome sequencing. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess factors associated with duration of infection. FINDINGS: From April 11, 2022, to Oct 1, 2022, 156 patients began the enrolment process, of whom 150 were enrolled and included in the analyses. Participants had B-cell malignancy or anti-B-cell therapy (n=18), solid organ transplantation or haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT; n=59), AIDS (n=5), non-B-cell malignancy (n=23), and autoimmune or autoinflammatory conditions (n=45). 38 (25%) participants were real-time RT-PCR-positive and 12 (8%) were culture-positive 21 days or longer after initial SARS-CoV-2 detection or illness onset. Compared with the group with autoimmune or autoinflammatory conditions, patients with B-cell dysfunction (adjusted hazard ratio 0·32 [95% CI 0·15-0·64]), solid organ transplantation or HSCT (0·60 [0·38-0·94]), and AIDS (0·28 [0·08-1·00]) had longer duration of infection, defined as time to last positive real-time RT-PCR test. There was no significant difference in the non-B-cell malignancy group (0·58 [0·31-1·09]). Consensus de novo spike mutations were identified in five individuals who were real-time RT-PCR-positive longer than 56 days; 14 (61%) of 23 were in the receptor-binding domain. Mutations shared by multiple individuals were rare (<5%) in global circulation. INTERPRETATION: In this cohort, prolonged replication-competent omicron SARS-CoV-2 infections were uncommon. Within-host evolutionary rates were similar across patients, but individuals with infections lasting longer than 56 days accumulated spike mutations, which were distinct from those seen globally. Populations at high risk should be targeted for repeated testing and treatment and monitored for the emergence of antiviral resistance. FUNDING: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
Notes from the field: Early identification of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 variant by the traveler-based genomic surveillance program - Dulles International Airport, August 2023
Bart SM , Rothstein AP , Philipson CW , Smith TC , Simen BB , Tamin A , Atherton LJ , Harcourt JL , Taylor Walker A , Payne DC , Ernst ET , Morfino RC , Ruskey I , Friedman CR . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023 72 (43) 1168-1169 During August 13–14, 2023, a new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant with a large number of mutations compared with previously circulating BA.2 variants (>30 amino acid differences in its spike protein) was identified by genomic sequencing in Denmark and Israel and subsequently designated BA.2.86 (1,2). Given near-simultaneous detections in multiple countries, including the United States, further information was needed regarding geographic spread of BA.2.86. Since January 2022, submissions to SARS-CoV-2 sequence repositories have declined by 95%,* substantially decreasing global capacity to monitor new variants. To fill gaps in global surveillance, CDC’s Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) program was developed to provide early warning of new variants entering the United States by collecting samples from arriving international travelers (3). |
Evaluation of self-administered antigen testing in a college setting.
Tinker SC , Prince-Guerra JL , Vermandere K , Gettings J , Drenzik C , Voccio G , Parrott T , Drobeniuc J , Hayden T , Briggs S , Heida D , Thornburg N , Barrios LC , Neatherlin JC , Madni S , Rasberry CN , Swanson KD , Tamin A , Harcourt JL , Lester S , Atherton L , Honein MA . Virol J 2022 19 (1) 202 BACKGROUND: The objective of our investigation was to better understand barriers to implementation of self-administered antigen screening testing for SARS-CoV-2 at institutions of higher education (IHE). METHODS: Using the Quidel QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test, 1347 IHE students and staff were asked to test twice weekly for seven weeks. We assessed seroconversion using baseline and endline serum specimens. Online surveys assessed acceptability. RESULTS: Participants reported 9971 self-administered antigen test results. Among participants who were not antibody positive at baseline, the median number of tests reported was eight. Among 324 participants seronegative at baseline, with endline antibody results and ≥ 1 self-administered antigen test results, there were five COVID-19 infections; only one was detected by self-administered antigen test (sensitivity = 20%). Acceptability of self-administered antigen tests was high. CONCLUSIONS: Twice-weekly serial self-administered antigen testing in a low prevalence period had low utility in this investigation. Issues of testing fatigue will be important to address in future testing strategies. |
National Association of Medical Examiners position paper: Recommendations for the investigation and certification of deaths in people with epilepsy
Middleton O , Atherton D , Bundock E , Donner E , Friedman D , Hesdorffer D , Jarrell H , McCrillis A , Mena OJ , Morey M , Thurman D , Tian N , Tomson T , Tseng Z , White S , Wright C , Devinsky O . Epilepsia 2018 59 (3) 530-543 Sudden unexpected death of an individual with epilepsy can pose a challenge to death investigators, as most deaths are unwitnessed, and the individual is commonly found dead in bed. Anatomic findings (eg, tongue/lip bite) are commonly absent and of varying specificity, thereby limiting the evidence to implicate epilepsy as a cause of or contributor to death. Thus it is likely that death certificates significantly underrepresent the true number of deaths in which epilepsy was a factor. To address this, members of the National Association of Medical Examiners, North American SUDEP Registry, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute, American Epilepsy Society, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention constituted an expert panel to generate evidence-based recommendations for the practice of death investigation and autopsy, toxicological analysis, interpretation of autopsy and toxicology findings, and death certification to improve the precision of death certificate data available for public health surveillance of epilepsy-related deaths. The recommendations provided in this paper are intended to assist medical examiners, coroners, and death investigators when a sudden unexpected death in a person with epilepsy is encountered. |
Prevalence of Complete Streets policies in U.S. municipalities
Carlson SA , Paul P , Kumar G , Watson KB , Atherton E , Fulton JE . J Transp Health 2016 5 142-150 Communities can adopt Complete Streets policies to support physical activity through the routine design and operation of streets and communities that are safe for all people, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transport. Our aim was two-fold: (1) to estimate the prevalence of Complete Streets policies in the United States overall and by select municipality characteristics using data from the National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL) and (2) examine the agreement between information about local policies reported in CBS HEAL with those found in the National Complete Streets Coalition's database. Data from a representative sample of incorporated U.S. municipalities with a population of at least 1000 people (n = 2029) were analyzed using survey weights to create national estimates. In 2014, 25.2% of municipalities had a Complete Streets policy reported by a local official. Prevalence of local policies decreased with decreasing population size and was lower among those with a lower median education level and those in the South, with and without adjustment for other municipality characteristics. Agreement between local Complete Streets policies reported in CBS HEAL and the coalition's database was moderate with 72.5% agreement (kappa = 0.21); however, agreement was lower for municipalities with smaller populations, those located in rural areas, and those with a lower median education level. About 16.8% of local officials reported they did not know if their municipality had such a policy. There is room for improvement in the awareness and adoption of Complete Streets policies in the United States, especially among smaller municipalities and those with lower median education levels. Helping communities address issues related to the awareness, adoption, and implementation of Complete Streets policies can be an important step toward creating more walkable communities. |
- Page last reviewed:Feb 1, 2024
- Page last updated:May 06, 2024
- Content source:
- Powered by CDC PHGKB Infrastructure