Although measles can be prevented and eliminated by vaccination, it is a highly contagious viral disease that can lead to serious complications, disability, and death. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the characteristics of measles cases in a single center. All children with clinically suspected measles who attended the Pediatric Clinic at Esenler Maternity and Child Health Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye, between January 1 and June 30, 2019 were included in the analysis. None of the children with measles were fully vaccinated. The incidence and duration of conjunctivitis were significantly higher in the unvaccinated group than in the partially vaccinated group (P = 0.027 and P = 0.019, respectively). Unvaccinated patients had a significantly lower median leukocyte count (P = 0.019) and significantly higher median C-reactive protein level (P = 0.021). The vitamin A level and leukocyte count were moderately positively correlated (r = 0.698; P = 0.008). Children should be fully vaccinated in order to prevent measles.

Adverse events are potentially associated with an IgG response after BNT162b2 vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. In this study, we investigated the side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine using a health questionnaire and examined its relationship with IgG antibody titers. Serum samples were collected from participants 3 months after the second vaccination, immediately before the third vaccination, and 1 and 3 months after the third vaccination. A total of 505 participants who received three doses of vaccine were eligible for inclusion in the analysis. The results showed that post-vaccination body temperature correlated with anti-spike-receptor-binding domain (anti-S-RBD) antibody titers measured 3 months after the second (r = 0.30, P < 0.001) and third (r = 0.14, P < 0.001) vaccinations. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that age and severe swelling were negatively associated, whereas female sex, body temperature, and heat sensation were positively associated with log-transformed anti-S-RBD antibody levels after the second vaccination. After the third vaccination, body temperature and fatigue were positively associated, and female sex was negatively associated, with the log-transformed anti-S-RBD antibody levels. These results suggest that post-vaccination fever may be a marker of a high antibody titer.

In COVID-19 patients who are immunocompromised or have severe COVID-19, the duration of infectious viral shedding may be longer, and a longer isolation duration is recommended. At the National Sagamihara Hospital, a decline in the viral load to end the isolation of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was confirmed using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). However, a subset of patients displayed LAMP positivity for more than 20 days after symptom onset. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective observational study to investigate the factors that affect the persistence of LAMP positivity. This study included a total of 102 participants. The severity of COVID-19 was mild (25.5%), moderate (67.6%), or severe (6.9%). The median number (interquartile range) of days until negative LAMP results from symptom onset were 16 (14–19) days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients ≥55 years and/or those with the delta variant were correlated with persistent LAMP positivity for more than 20 days after symptom onset. This study identified age, the delta variant, and oxygen requirement as factors that contribute to persistently positive LAMP results. Therefore, it is posited that in these patients, the implementation of LAMP for deisolation would result in a prolonged isolation duration.

This study examined the management of occupational bloodborne pathogen exposure at a tertiary hospital in China. This prospective study was conducted at the Zhejiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2016 and December 2019. Data on bloodborne occupational exposure management were collected. In total, 460 exposures were reported. The majority of exposures (40.2 %) were from hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive index patients. Of the 460 cases, 453 (98.5%) exposures were reported timeously, and 371 (80.7%) cases received emergency treatment response and management. Sixty-eight personnel (93.2%) received timely prophylaxis treatment. Only 82/113 (72.6%) personnel completed the recommended follow-up period. Outsourced personnel(P = 0.002) and interns (P = 0.011) were independent follow-up factors. Although adequate compliance was achieved with timely reporting and prophylactic medication, there is room for improvement in terms of emergency treatment response and follow-up compliance. Furthermore, HBV vaccination and improved follow-up with outsourced personnel are recommended.

Most children acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). The risk of MTCT of HIV is generally 15%–40% without prophylaxis. MTCT has been responsible for approximately 370,000 infant HIV infections worldwide, with Nigeria accounting for 30% of cases. The study evaluated the effectiveness of a prevention program for MTCT of HIV infection by determining the rate of MTCT of HIV in infants who underwent the program by reviewing health records of mother–infant pairs at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. This cross-sectional study conducted over 12 years used medical records of 545 mother–infant pairs. The rate of MTCT of HIV infection was 2.9% in this study compared to 7.1% reported by the center earlier. The rate of MTCT of HIV infection was the lowest among mother–infant pairs who received prophylaxis. Ages at recruitment are a strong determinant of the risk of infection. Late usage of the MTCT prevention service is a risk for HIV infection in exposed infants.

Minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) is an alternative to a full autopsy for the collection of tissue samples from patients’ bodies using instruments such as a biopsy needle. MIA has been conducted in many cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has contributed to the elucidation of the disease pathogenesis. However, most cases analyzed are hospital deaths, and there are few reports on the application of MIA in out-of-hospital deaths with varying extents of post-mortem changes. In this study, MIA and autopsies were performed in 15 patients with COVID-19 2–30 days after death, including 11 out-of-hospital deaths. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome detection by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction using MIA samples was mostly consistent with autopsy samples, particularly lung tissue, even in out-of-hospital cases. MIA had high sensitivity and specificity (> 0.80). Histological examination of lung tissue obtained by MIA showed characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia, with 91% agreement with autopsy samples, whereas localization of SARS-CoV-2 protein in lung tissue was indicated by immunohistochemistry, with 75% agreement. In conclusion, these results suggest that MIA is applicable to out-of-hospital deaths due to COVID-19 with various postmortem changes, especially when autopsies are not available.

Human pulmonary dirofilariasis (HPD) is a zoonotic disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis. Most HPD cases are asymptomatic and are either detected during annual health checkups or incidentally identified during the investigation of other diseases, particularly primary or metastatic pulmonary lung cancers. However, the frequency and clinical features of Japanese patients with HPD remain unclear. We analyzed data from the Japanese Medical Abstract Society database and identified 69 cases between 1978 and 2022. The incidence of HPD increased until the 2000s but declined markedly in the 2010s. The incidence is higher in the southwestern region and lower in the northeastern region of Japan. Health checkups are the primary diagnostic opportunities. The Chugoku and Shikoku regions have had high incidence rates per population. The diagnosis of HPD using a noninvasive procedure is typically difficult because of the absence of specific clinical symptoms, and approximately 70% of the cases are detected using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Climate change may increase the incidence of HPD in the northeastern region of Japan, and travel to countries with poor vector control may be a risk factor for HPD transmission. Physicians should consider this parasitic infectious disease when examining patients presenting with solitary lung nodules.

Following an endobronchial examination, a young mine supervisor was treated with antibiotics for a pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infection for approximately one year. However, a review of the radiological findings revealed a different possibility. Accordingly, pulmonary resection was performed, and histopathological analysis revealed numerous yeast-like fungi. Since the patient had stayed in the southwestern United States for two months in 2009, eight years previously, coccidioidomycosis was strongly suspected. The diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was subsequently confirmed by serology and polymerase chain reaction testing of the excised specimen. Here, we report an educational case that emphasizes the importance of meticulous medical history-taking and awareness of endemic mycoses in other countries in the context of globalization.

Breakthrough infection (BI) after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has increased owing to the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological information and possession status of neutralizing antibodies in patients with BI using SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped viruses. Analysis of 44 specimens from patients diagnosed with COVID-19 after two or more vaccinations showed high inhibition of infection by 90% or more against the Wuhan strain and the Alpha and Delta variants of pseudotyped viruses in 40 specimens. In contrast, almost no neutralizing activity was observed against the Omicron BA.1 variant. Many patients without neutralizing activity or BI were immunosuppressed. The results of this study show that contact with an infected person can result in BI, even when there are sufficient neutralizing antibodies in the blood. Thus, sufficient precautions must be taken to prevent infection even after vaccination.