Nosocomial transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to haemodialysed patients, strongly suspected in epidemiological studies, has recently been unequivocally demonstrated by molecular virology reports. Potential transmission mechanisms include staff hands, dialysis monitors, and equipment items shared between patients. The respective involvement of each of these vectors in HCV transmission has n...

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the cause of almost all cases of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B viral hepatitis (NANBH). HCV is an RNA virus, unrelated to the hepatitis viruses A, B, D, or E; it was first identified in 1989. Although most infections become chronic, and it may lead to chronic liver disease, most patients with HCV infection are asymptomatic. The predominant modes of...

Proportion of HIV transmission events according to time from infection, if the seroconverter is assumed to have only 1 subsequent sex partner (white bars) or if all subsequent sexual contacts are with susceptible individuals (black bars). Assumptions include that the time from infection to death is 10 years and that transmission does not occur ,during the 5 months before death. 6 months to 7.9 ...

Despite their antiviral effect, the in vivo effect of interferons on HIV transmission is difficult to predict, because interferons also activate and recruit HIV-susceptible cells to sites of infection. HIV does not normally induce type I interferons in infected cells, but does if TREX1 is knocked down. Here, we investigated the effect of topical TREX1 knockdown and local interferon production o...

The global distribution of bluetongue virus (BTV) has been changing recently, perhaps as a result of climate change. To evaluate the risk of BTV infection and transmission in a BTV-endemic region of California, sentinel dairy cows were evaluated for BTV infection, and populations of Culicoides vectors were collected at different sites using carbon dioxide. A deterministic model was developed to...

BACKGROUND: The plerocercoid stage of Pseudophyllideancestoda infected a wide range of fresh water fish,particularly the members of the Cyprinidae family. The parasitespecies are the most common pathogens that have severe effectson fish. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is todetermine the occurrence and distribution of the plerocercoid ofDiphyllobothriidae in two freshwater fish from no...

Genital herpes is the most prevalent viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide and is mainly caused by HSV type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-2 infection enhances HIV-1 susceptibility, even in the absence of clinical symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effect of HSV-2 on HIV-1 transmission by mucosal Langerhans cells (LCs). LCs are important in heterosexual transmission because they form a barri...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 2 to 3% of the world population and is a leading cause of liver diseases such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Many aspects of HCV study, ranging from molecular virology and antiviral drug development to drug resistance profiling, were supported by straightforward assays of HCV replication and infection. Among these assays, the HCV-dependent ...

The University of Alberta Pediatric HIV Clinic serves an area with an estimated population of 1.2 million, with 25 000 births annually. Records were reviewed from Jan. 1, 1988, to Dec. 31, 1999, for all children born in northern Alberta to women with HIV infection to determine our success rate at preventing perinatal HIV transmission. A child was considered to be HIV infected if he or she had 2...