Objective:To analyze the genetic characteristics of the prevalent strains of Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) in the population of Dali, Yunnan, and to understand its evolutionary status in the population of Dali.Methods:Herpes fluid and 163 sera were collected from 249 patients clinically suspected to have varicella or herpes zoster in the Department of Dermatology of the Second People′s Hospital of Dali city, Yunnan province, China, from 2023 to 2024. The levels of VZV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Viral DNA was extracted from the herpes fluid, and the cycle threshold ( Ct) of the samples was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and some samples with Ct ≦ 22 were selected for sequencing by next-generation sequencing technology (next-generation sequencing). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to obtain 90 whole genome sequences of VZV, and the sequencing result were compared with the sequences of reference strains for multiple sequence comparison and evolutionary analysis. Snapgene was used to translate the nucleotides into amino acids, and the result were compared with the amino acid sequences of the reference strain. Results:Of the 90 VZV whole-genome sequences, one whole-genome sequence was from an adult varicella patient, and the remaining 89 whole-genome sequences were from herpes zoster patients. The serum-specific IgG antibody positivity rate was 99.4%, and the IgM antibody positivity rate was 52.8%. The result of both single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) site typing and genome-wide phylogenetic tree analysis showed that 83 of the 90 VZV whole-genome sequences in this study were on the same branch as Clade 2, and 7 VZV whole-genome sequences were on the branch of Clade 9.Conclusions:The main endemic branch in Dali region in 2023-2024 was Clade 2, with the emergence of Clade 9 branch; there were amino acid mutations in the proteins encoded by ORF22 and ORF68 in 83 VZV whole genome sequences of Clade 2 branch, and the mutations did not cause significant changes to the protein structure.

We report a case of adult-onset Still's disease(AOSD)presenting with fever,myalgia,and pleural effusion.The patient exhibited significantly elevated inflammatory markers and exudative pleural effusion with markedly elevated leukocyte count showing neutrophilic predominance.After comprehensive exclusion of infectious etiologies,the diagnosis of AOSD was established.Clinical symptoms resolved following anti-inflam-matory therapy with glucocorticoids and tocilizumab.This case highlights a critical clinical insight:while infec-tion is a common cause of elevated inflammatory markers,it is not an invariable etiology.In such presentations,meticulous clinical observation,thorough diagnostic screening,and systematic inference are es-sential for accurate diagnosis.

We report a case of adult-onset Still's disease(AOSD)presenting with fever,myalgia,and pleural effusion.The patient exhibited significantly elevated inflammatory markers and exudative pleural effusion with markedly elevated leukocyte count showing neutrophilic predominance.After comprehensive exclusion of infectious etiologies,the diagnosis of AOSD was established.Clinical symptoms resolved following anti-inflam-matory therapy with glucocorticoids and tocilizumab.This case highlights a critical clinical insight:while infec-tion is a common cause of elevated inflammatory markers,it is not an invariable etiology.In such presentations,meticulous clinical observation,thorough diagnostic screening,and systematic inference are es-sential for accurate diagnosis.

[Objective]To develop a classification model based on complete blood count(CBC)parameters combined with clinical factors to predict severe respiratory infections caused by Human adenovirus(HAdV)in pediatric patients.[Methods]From September 2023 to September 2024,the CBC parameters and related clinical data from pediatric patients diagnosed with HAdV infection were collected.Principal component analysis and random forest models were used to identify potential predictors of severe cases.[Results]A total of 668 pediatric patients were included,with 564 cases assigned to the training cohort and 104 cases to the validation cohort.Severe cases were defined as pneumonia and/or fever lasting≥5 days(pneumonia or prolonged fever,PorPF).Principal component analysis and feature importance analysis(Mean Decrease Gini value)identified the monocytosis ratio(PMono),red blood cell count(RBC),and platelet count(PLT)as the most critical CBC parameters.Logistic regression analysis revealed that oxygen therapy(OR=4.367,95%CI:1.568-12.161)and increased work of breathing(OR=3.904,95%CI:2.146-7.101)were relative risk factors for PorPF.Meanwhile,higher PMono(OR=0.696,95%CI:0.640-0.757),RBC(OR=0.201,95%CI:0.124-0.325),and PLT(OR=0.990,95%CI:0.987-0.994)were protective factors.When PMono was used as a predictive marker for PorPF,the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)was 0.648 and 0.705,respectively.A random forest model incorporating four risk factors[PMono,RBC,PLT,and hematocrit(HCT)]was constructed to classify PorPF and general cases,achieving AUCs of 0.688 and 0.768,respectively.[Conclusions]PMono,RBC,and PLT may serve as characteristic CBC indicators for predicting pneumonia or prolonged fever in children with HAdV infection.A risk factor model built using PMono,RBC,PLT,and HCT offers a relatively simple and accurate approach to predicting severe cases in pediatric HAdV infections.

Objective:To analyze the genetic characteristics of the prevalent strains of Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) in the population of Dali, Yunnan, and to understand its evolutionary status in the population of Dali.Methods:Herpes fluid and 163 sera were collected from 249 patients clinically suspected to have varicella or herpes zoster in the Department of Dermatology of the Second People′s Hospital of Dali city, Yunnan province, China, from 2023 to 2024. The levels of VZV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Viral DNA was extracted from the herpes fluid, and the cycle threshold ( Ct) of the samples was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and some samples with Ct ≦ 22 were selected for sequencing by next-generation sequencing technology (next-generation sequencing). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to obtain 90 whole genome sequences of VZV, and the sequencing result were compared with the sequences of reference strains for multiple sequence comparison and evolutionary analysis. Snapgene was used to translate the nucleotides into amino acids, and the result were compared with the amino acid sequences of the reference strain. Results:Of the 90 VZV whole-genome sequences, one whole-genome sequence was from an adult varicella patient, and the remaining 89 whole-genome sequences were from herpes zoster patients. The serum-specific IgG antibody positivity rate was 99.4%, and the IgM antibody positivity rate was 52.8%. The result of both single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) site typing and genome-wide phylogenetic tree analysis showed that 83 of the 90 VZV whole-genome sequences in this study were on the same branch as Clade 2, and 7 VZV whole-genome sequences were on the branch of Clade 9.Conclusions:The main endemic branch in Dali region in 2023-2024 was Clade 2, with the emergence of Clade 9 branch; there were amino acid mutations in the proteins encoded by ORF22 and ORF68 in 83 VZV whole genome sequences of Clade 2 branch, and the mutations did not cause significant changes to the protein structure.

Background::T-cell-mediated immunity is crucial for the effective clearance of viral infection, but the T-cell-mediated immune responses that are induced by booster doses of inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) remain unclear.Methods::Forty-five PLWH who had received antiretroviral therapy (ART) for more than two years and 29 healthy controls (HCs) at Beijing Youan Hospital were enrolled to assess the dynamic changes in T-cell responses between the day before the third vaccine dose (week 0) and 4 or 12 weeks (week 4 or week 12) after receiving the third dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), and multiplex cytokines profiling were used to assess T-cell responses at the three timepoints in this study.Results::The results of the ELISpot and activation-induced marker (AIM) assays showed that SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses were increased in both PLWH and HCs after the third dose of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and a similar magnitude of immune response was induced against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant compared to the wild-type strain. In detail, spike-specific T-cell responses (measured by the ELISpot assay for interferon γ [IFN-γ] release) in both PLWH and HCs significantly increased in week 4, and the spike-specific T-cell responses in HCs were significantly stronger than those in PLWH 4 weeks after the third vaccination. In the AIM assay, spike-specific CD4 + T-cell responses peaked in both PLWH and HCs in week 12. Additionally, significantly higher spike-specific CD8 + T-cell responses were induced in PLWH than in HCs in week 12. In PLWH, the release of the cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and IL-22 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were stimulated with spike peptides increased in week 12. In addition, the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were higher in PLWH than in HCs in week 12. Interestingly, the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses in PLWH was negatively associated with the extent of CD8 + T-cell activation and exhaustion. In addition, positive correlations were observed between the magnitude of spike-specific T-cell responses (determined by measuring IFN-γ release by ELISpot) and the amounts of IL-4, IL-5, IL-2 and IL-17F. Conclusions::Our findings suggested that SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses could be enhanced by the booster dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines and further illustrate the importance of additional vaccination for PLWH.

ObjectiveTo determine the influence of COVID-19 prevention and control on the epidemic characteristics and dynamics of notifiable infectious diseases in the first quarters， Zhejiang Province， and to explore more effective countermeasures against infectious diseases. MethodsDescriptive epidemiology was conducted to determine the change in notifiable infectious diseases during the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province by retrieving the data of notifiable infectious diseases from 2017 to 2022 in the Chinese information system for disease control and prevention. Cumulative reported new cases of notifiable infectious diseases in the first quarters of 2017‒2019 were compared with that of 2020‒2022. ResultsA total of 546 753 cases of notifiable infectious diseases were newly reported in the first quarters of 2017‒2019， with an average incidence of 321.92/10⁵. In contrast， a total of 509 908 cases of notifiable infectious diseases were newly reported in the first quarters of 2020‒2022， during which the COVID-19 epidemic occurred， with an average incidence of 270.39/10⁵. The incidence in 2020‒2022 significantly declined by 51.53/10⁵， compared with that in 2017‒2019 （χ²=8 072.06， P<0.001）. In the first quarters of 2020‒2022， the average incidence of zoonotic diseases and vector-borne diseases decreased by more than 50%. In addition， the incidence of respiratory， enteric， blood-borne， and sexually transmitted diseases declined to certain degree. ConclusionThe decline in the newly reported cases of non-COVID-19 notifiable infectious diseases in the first quarters of 2020‒2022 indicates that the countermeasures against COVID-19 epidemic， such as multi-disease co-prevention， multi-sectoral collaboration， societal mobilization and personal hygiene and protection， may also decrease the incidence of multiple infectious diseases. It suggests the countermeasures are effective， which would provide evidence for routine prevention and control of infectious diseases in future.

Upper respiratory tract is directly connected with the external environment， and its natural immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens. In antiviral infection， interferon （IFN） is the main component of the antiviral natural immune system and IFN-λ is a newly discovered immune effector molecule that is mainly produced in the mucosal barrier. IFN-λ exerts a biological role through Janus kinase （JAK） and signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT） signaling pathway， and plays an important part in regulating innate and acquired immunity of respiratory mucosa. IFN-λ principally expresses on the mucosal barrier with a long-lasting antiviral impact and controls immune-inflammatory damage， which is becoming a new focus of antiviral immunity research in the upper respiratory tract， especially in fighting against 2019 novel coronavirus diseases （COVID-19）. Thus， we summarize the research progress of IFN-λ antiviral immunity in the upper respiratory tract to provide new insight in the prevention and treatment of viral infection in the upper respiratory tract.

Corona virus disease 2019 （COVID-19） has led to more than 500 million cases， including 6.19 million deaths. Mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2 （alpha， beta， gamma， delta and omicron） have successively emerged. Currently the omicron variant is gradually replacing the delta variant， driving a surge of cases in most countries including China， posing a great challenge to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. In the face of the severe pandemic situation， a large number of non-medical volunteers are fighting on the front lines of the war against the pandemic and are vulnerable to exposure due to lack of professional knowledge. This paper introduces the routine skills training of volunteers and emergency response， aiming to provide behavioral guidance for non-medical volunteers in designated isolation facilities.

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is the most common extrahepatic malignant tumor in clinic, accounting for about 50%-60% of bile duct tumors. Currently, radical surgical resection is regarded as the best treatment for early hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma, but, it’s early lesions have no obvious clinical symptoms. Most patients are already in the advanced stage of the disease when they are admitted to hospital. The surgical resection rate is low, and the 5-year survival rate does not exceed 25%. Locally advanced hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma are treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery, it can prolong survival time of the patient. At the same time, the recurrence rate after surgery can reach 50%-70%, and the cancer easily invades microvessels, lymphatic vessels, peripheral nerves and liver, which is one of the most challenging problems in the field of biliary surgery. Therefore, early diagnosis, perioperative management, adequate and accurate preoperative staging assessment, intraoperative standardized resection, postoperative adjuvant therapy of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, it is of great significance to improve the rate of radical surgical resection and prolong the survival time of patients.