| 1. |
- Aad, G, et al.
(författare)
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- 2015
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 2. |
- Beck-Friis, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Burden of rotavirus infection in hospitalized elderly individuals prior to the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Virology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1386-6532. ; 119, s. 1-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis (GE) in the elderly has been much less studied than in children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the morbidity and mortality for elderly hospitalized patients with rotavirus GE prior to the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Sweden, and to investigate the epidemiology of rotavirus genotypes in these patients. Study design: All patients 60 years or older who were hospitalized at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, and were rotavirus positive in a clinical diagnostic test from 2009 to 2016, were included. Medical records were reviewed and rotavirus genotyping real-time PCR was performed. Results: One hundred and fifty-nine patients were included, corresponding to an annual incidence of hospitalization due to rotavirus GE of 16/100 000 inhabitants aged 60 years or older. G2P[4] was the most common genotype, followed by G1P[8] and G4P[8]. The majority of patients had community-onset of symptoms and no or few pre-existing health disorders. Four patients (2.5%) died within 30 days of sampling. Patients with hospital-onset rotavirus GE had a longer median length of stay following diagnosis compared with patients with community-onset of symptoms (19 vs. 5 days, p = 0.001) and higher 30-day mortality (8.6% (3/35) vs. < 1% (1/124), p = 0.03). Conclusions: Hospitalization due to rotavirus GE among the elderly seems to mainly affect otherwise healthy individuals and is associated with low 30-day mortality.
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| 3. |
- Beck-Friis, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 spike RNA sequences in feces and nasopharynx indicates intestinal replication
- 2022
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Ingår i: Gut Pathogens. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1757-4749. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Little is known of possible selection and replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the intestines and if viral load in feces is associated with severity of disease. Therefore, sequence variations of the spike region in strains collected from feces and nasopharynx (NPH) from the same patients were compared. It was also investigated whether viral load in feces related to severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Results SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in 88 (79%) fecal samples from 112 patients. The complete spike region could be sequenced in 15 fecal and 14 NPH samples. Fourteen Alpha-variants and one Beta-variant of SARS-CoV-2 were identified. The majority of the viral genetic variants (viral populations) in two fecal samples, but none in NPH, had a reversion of the H69/V70 amino acid deletion normally seen in the Alpha variants. Nine fecal samples contained up to nine minority variants, each which may constitute a separate viral population. Five NPH samples had one genetic variant each, and one NPH sample contained nine minority populations of SARS-CoV-2 spike genes. Conclusions The higher genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in feces compared to NPH, and the reversion of the H69/V70 deletion in Alpha variants from feces indicate a selection of viral strains and replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the gastrointestinal tract.
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| 4. |
- Beck-Friis, Thomas
(författare)
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On gastrointestinal viral infections
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Gastrointestinal viral infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Many factors influencing clinical presentation, disease severity, epidemiology, and transmission are not fully understood. The aims of this thesis were (I) to develop a predictive model based on clinical criteria to assess patients with gastroenteritis symptoms in the Emergency Department; (II) to determine the morbidity and mortality in elderly hospitalized individuals with rotavirus infection; (III) to examine how outdoor climate factors impact seasonal variation of gastroenteritis virus detection; and (IV) to study differences in SARS-CoV-2 sequences from feces and nasopharynx. In paper I, we prospectively observed 66 patients presenting with vomiting or diarrhea in the Emergency Department. Thirty-one (47%) tested positive for gastroenteritis. In a model, scoring one point for each of diarrhea, vomiting, and short symptom duration, a score of less than two identified patients without viral gastroenteritis. In paper II, we retrospectively studied 159 elderly patients hospitalized with rotavirus gastroenteritis. Most patients presented with community-onset disease and had few comorbidities. Short-term mortality was low (2.5%). In paper III, weekly detection rates of gastroenteritis viruses were studied in relation to weekly data of outdoor climate factors. Low absolute humidity correlated strongly with detection rates of all viruses. A drop in absolute humidity preceded the beginning of norovirus epidemics. In paper IV, we prospectively observed 112 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was found in 88 (79%) fecal samples and did not correlate with severe disease. More strain variability was found in SARS-CoV-2 sequences from feces compared to nasopharynx. In conclusion, diarrhea and short symptom duration were independently associated with detection of gastroenteritis by PCR. Rotavirus infections in the hospitalized elderly mainly affected relatively healthy individuals. Low absolute humidity correlated with norovirus seasonality and predicted onset of seasonal epidemics. SARS-CoV-2 strain variability was greater in feces compared to the nasopharynx, indicating intestinal SARS-CoV-2 replication.
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| 5. |
- Beck-Friis, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Outdoor Absolute Humidity Predicts the Start of Norovirus GII Epidemics
- 2023
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Ingår i: Microbiology Spectrum. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 2165-0497. ; 11:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seasonal variation of viral gastroenteritis is related to weather conditions, but the relationship with the incidence of viral gastroenteritis (GE) is not fully understood. This study examined the impact of outdoor climate factors on seasonal variation in detection rates of gastroenteritis viruses, with emphasis on norovirus. Weekly detection rates of norovirus genogroup I (GI) and II (GII), rotavirus, adenovirus, astrovirus, and sapovirus were analyzed in relation to average weekly means of meteorological parameters. Associations between rates of PCR detection of the viral GE pathogens and climate factors were investigated with generalized linear models. Low absolute humidity was correlated with increased detection of adenovirus (P = 0.007), astrovirus (P = 0.005), rotavirus (P = 0.004), norovirus GI (P = 0.001), and sapovirus (P = 0.002). In each investigated season, a drop in absolute humidity preceded the increase in norovirus GII detections. We found a correlation between declining absolute humidity and increasing norovirus GII detection rate. Absolute humidity was a better predictor of gastrointestinal virus seasonality compared to relative humidity.IMPORTANCE Viral gastroenteritis causes considerable morbidity, especially in vulnerable groups such as the elderly and chronically ill. Predicting the beginning of seasonal epidemics is important for the health care system to withstand increasing demands. In this paper we studied the association of outdoor climate factors on the detection rates of gastrointestinal viruses and the association between these factors and the onset of annual norovirus epidemics. Declining absolute humidity preceded the increase in diagnosed norovirus GII cases by approximately 1 week. These findings contribute to the understanding of norovirus epidemiology and allow health care services to install timely preventive measures and can help the public avoid transmission. Viral gastroenteritis causes considerable morbidity, especially in vulnerable groups such as the elderly and chronically ill. Predicting the beginning of seasonal epidemics is important for the health care system to withstand increasing demands.
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