Search

Research about neonatal outcomes among late preterm infants (34 weeks through 36 6/7 weeks of gestation) is limited. Understanding which late preterm infants are at risk for neonatal morbidity or mortality is necessary to improve health outcomes and reduce hospital costs. We conducted a population-based cohort study of 'healthy,' singleton late preterm infants vaginally delivered in Massachusetts hospitals to Massachusetts residents between 1998 and 2002. We compared the incidence of neonatal morbidity (postdelivery inpatient readmissions, observational stays, or mortality) between 'healthy,' late preterm infants with and without infant, obstetric, and sociodemographic factors by calculating risk ratios adjusted for confounding. Of the 9552 late preterm, 'healthy' infants, 4.8% had an inpatient readmission and 1.3% had an observational stay. Infants with neonatal morbidity were more likely to be firstborn, be breastfed at discharge, have labor and delivery complications, be a recipient of a public payer source at delivery, or have an Asian/Pacific Islander mother. Non-Hispanic blacks had a decreased risk for neonatal morbidity compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Knowledge of risk factors for neonatal morbidity among 'healthy' late preterm infants can be used to identify infants needing closer monitoring and earlier follow-up after hospital discharge. Copyright © 2006 by Elsevier Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Half of all postneonatal mortality (PNM; deaths among infants aged 28-364 days) in the United States is caused by potentially preventable causes such as sudden infant death syndrome, infections, and injuries. A detailed analysis of PNM attributable to injury has not been conducted and may provide useful data in prioritizing prevention strategies and targeting high-risk populations. METHODS: The authors used US infant death certificate data to analyze trends in PNM caused by injury during 1988-1998. Attending physicians, medical examiners, or coroners report cause of death on death certificates using a format specified by the World Health Organization and endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The major causes of PNM by type of injury were evaluated, and trends were compared over time. Injury-related deaths per 100 000 live births were examined by race and region of residence. Rate ratios between black and white infants also were calculated. RESULTS: Among major causes of PNM during the study period, injury mortality declined the least (13.0% decline; from 29.6 to 25.7 per 100 000 live births). All types of unintentional injury deaths declined except for mechanical suffocation rates, which increased from 4.8 to 7.1. Homicide rates increased slightly (8.5%) from an 11-year low in 1988 and accounted for a greater proportion of all PNM caused by injury by 1998 (27.5% in 1998, 22.1% in 1988). Overall, PNM rates attributable to injury declined less among blacks (8.7%) than whites (13.6%) during the study period, and rates were on average 2.6 times higher among black infants (range: 2.4-3.0). Unintentional injury declined less among blacks (15.4%) than among whites (24.9%), in part because of an increase in motor vehicle crash-related mortality rates among black infants. Although black infants were more than 3 times as likely to be a victim of homicide than white infants (range: 3.0-4.4), increases in homicide rates were similar among black infants (9.9%) and white infants (10.6%) from 1988 through 1998. Racial disparities in PNM attributable to injury varied by region. PNM rates attributable to injury increased only among black infants residing in the Midwest (10.2%) and West (27.7%) as a result of increases in unintentional injury (ie, motor vehicle crash-related deaths in the West and mechanical suffocation in the Midwest) and homicide rates in these regions. Homicide rates increased among all infants regardless of race, except for infants residing in the Northeast. CONCLUSIONS: Overall PNM rates attributable to injury declined, yet rates of mechanical suffocation increased and large regional and racial disparities persisted. Death certificates have limited information to help explain the observed differences. Because injuries are frequently preventable, prevention strategies should encourage formation of infant and child death review teams to help identify community and system factors that may contribute to injury deaths. Health care providers can assist parents in providing a safe environment for infants by counseling on age-appropriate injury prevention as part of their anticipatory guidance and serving as child advocates. Additional studies should examine regional differences in death investigation practices, case ascertainment, and reporting of deaths attributed to intentional injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We sought to advance understanding of linkage error in U.S. maternally linked datasets and how the error might affect results of studies based on the linked data.Methods: North Carolina birth and fetal death records for 1988-1997 were maternally linked (n=1,030,029). The maternal set probability, defined as the probability that all records assigned to the same maternal set do in fact represent events to the same woman, was used to assess differential maternal linkage error across race/ethnic groups.Results: Maternal set probabilities were lower for records specifying Asian or Hispanic race/ethnicity, suggesting greater maternal linkage error for these sets. The lower probabilities for Hispanics were concentrated in women of Mexican origin who were not born in the United States.Conclusions: Differential linkage error may be a source of bias in studies that use U.S. maternally linked datasets to make comparisons between Hispanics and other groups or among Hispanic subgroups. Methods to quantify and adjust for this potential bias are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filoviruses, including Ebola, Marburg, Sudan, and Taï Forest viruses, are zoonotic pathogens that can cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever and death. Developing vaccines that provide durable, broad immunity against multiple filoviruses is a high global health priority. In this Phase 1 trial, we enrolled 60 healthy U.S. adults and evaluated the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of homologous and heterologous MVA-BN®-Filo and Ad26.ZEBOV prime-boost schedules followed in select arms by MVA-BN®-Filo boost at 1 year (NCT02891980). We found that all vaccine regimens had acceptable safety and reactogenicity. The heterologous prime-boost strategy elicited superior Ebola binding and neutralizing antibody, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and cellular responses compared to homologous prime-boost. The MVA-BN®-Filo boost administered at 1 year resulted in robust humoral and cellular responses that persisted through 6-month follow-up. Overall, our data demonstrated that a heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN®-Filo prime-boost was safe and immunogenic and established immunologic memory primed to respond after re-exposure. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02891980, registered September 1, 2016., Competing Interests: Competing interests: E.J.A has consulted for Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Janssen, Moderna, and Medscape, and his institution receives funds to conduct clinical research unrelated to this manuscript from MedImmune, Regeneron, PaxVax, Pfizer, GSK, Merck, Sanofi-Pasteur, Janssen, and Micron. He also serves on a safety monitoring board for Kentucky BioProcessing, Inc. and Sanofi Pasteur. He serves on a data adjudication board for WCG and ACI Clinical. His institution has also received funding from NIH to conduct clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. He is now employed by Moderna and has stock/stock options. N.R. has consulted for EMMES, Moderna, Sanofi, Seqirus, GSK, and ICON and her institution receives funds to conduct clinical research unrelated to this manuscript from Pfizer, Sanofi, Quidel, Lilly, Merck, and Vaccine Company as well as NIH to conduct translational clinical studies and interventional clinical trials. C.A.R.’s institution has received funds to conduct clinical research unrelated to this manuscript from BioFire Inc, GSK, MedImmune, Micron, Janssen, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, PaxVax, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi-Pasteur. Her institution has received funding from NIH to conduct clinical trials of Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. She is co-inventor on patented RSV vaccine technology, which has been licensed to Meissa Vaccines, Inc. with royalties received. I.Y. reported research funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and Gates Foundation; funding to her institution to conduct clinical research from Merck, Moderna, Pfizer outside the submitted work; honorarium for advisory board from Merck and Sanofi Pasteur. All other authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection leads to microcephaly and adverse neurodevelopment. The effects of postnatal ZIKV infection on the developing brain are unknown. We assessed the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children exposed postnatally during the ZIKV epidemic., Methods: A prospective study enrolled infants 0-3 months of age and their mothers, and children 1.5-3.5 years of age in rural Guatemala from 2017 and were followed for 12 months until 2019. Neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV) infections were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using active surveillance. Serological analyses, stratified by age group flavivirus serostatus at enrollment, were conducted using a focus reduction neutralization test., Results: Of 1371 enrolled participants, 1187 (86.6%) completed the study. No PCR-confirmed ZIKV infections were identified during the study period. One-third of 1.5-3.5-year-old children were ZIKV-seropositive at enrollment (likely postnatal infection). Twenty participants (5.8%) tested positive for DENV by PCR (11 infants, 5 children and 4 mothers); 15 (75%) were DENV-3 infections and 5 were DENV-2. The incidence of DENV infection in infants was 2.6%. No significant differences in MSEL scores were found between infants born seropositive versus seronegative for ZIKV or DENV. DENV seropositivity at enrollment in 1.5-5-year-old children was associated with lower MSEL scores for fine motor, visual reception and language, and microcephaly at 12 months versus seronegative children (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Postnatal ZIKV infection in children from rural Guatemala was not associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes. DENV seropositivity was associated with a higher risk of microcephaly in infants and worse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children., Competing Interests: E.J.A. has served on safety monitoring and advisory boards for Moderna, Hillevax, Inovio, Sanofi and Merck, and his institution receives funds to conduct clinical research unrelated to this manuscript from Pfizer, Biofire, and Roche. F.M.M. has served on safety monitoring and advisory boards for Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi, Aztra Zeneca and Merck and has conducted research funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pfizer, Gilead. D.O. has received research support from Roche. Other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The ACTT risk profile, which was developed from ACTT-1 (Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial-1), demonstrated that hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the high-risk quartile (characterized by low absolute lymphocyte count [ALC], high absolute neutrophil count [ANC], and low platelet count at baseline) benefited most from treatment with the antiviral remdesivir. It is unknown which patient characteristics are associated with benefit from treatment with the immunomodulator baricitinib., Objective: To apply the ACTT risk profile to the ACTT-2 cohort to investigate potential baricitinib-related treatment effects by risk quartile., Design: Post hoc analysis of ACTT-2, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04401579)., Setting: Sixty-seven trial sites in 8 countries., Participants: Adults hospitalized with COVID-19 ( n = 999; 85% U.S. participants)., Intervention: Baricitinib+remdesivir versus placebo+remdesivir., Measurements: Mortality, progression to invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death, and recovery, all within 28 days; ALC, ANC, and platelet count trajectories., Results: In the high-risk quartile, baricitinib+remdesivir was associated with reduced risk for death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.38 [95% CI, 0.16 to 0.86]; P = 0.020), decreased progression to IMV or death (HR, 0.57 [CI, 0.35 to 0.93]; P = 0.024), and improved recovery rate (HR, 1.53 [CI, 1.16 to 2.02]; P = 0.002) compared with placebo+remdesivir. After 5 days, participants receiving baricitinib+remdesivir had significantly larger increases in ALC and significantly larger decreases in ANC compared with control participants, with the largest effects observed in the high-risk quartile., Limitation: Secondary analysis of data collected before circulation of current SARS-CoV-2 variants., Conclusion: The ACTT risk profile identifies a subgroup of hospitalized patients who benefit most from baricitinib treatment and captures a patient phenotype of treatment response to an immunomodulator and an antiviral. Changes in ALC and ANC trajectory suggest a mechanism whereby an immunomodulator limits severe COVID-19., Primary Funding Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases., Competing Interests: Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M23-2593.

Background: Andes virus (ANDV), a rodent-borne hantavirus, causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The safety and immunogenicity of a novel ANDV DNA vaccine was evaluated., Methods: Phase 1, double-blind, dose-escalation trial randomly assigned 48 healthy adults to placebo or ANDV DNA vaccine delivered via needle-free jet injection. Cohorts 1 and 2 received 2 mg of DNA or placebo in a 3-dose (days 1, 29, 169) or 4-dose (days 1, 29, 57, 169) schedule, respectively. Cohorts 3 and 4 received 4 mg of DNA or placebo in the 3-dose and 4-dose schedule, respectively. Subjects were monitored for safety and neutralizing antibodies by pseudovirion neutralization assay (PsVNA50) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50)., Results: While 98% and 65% of subjects had at least 1 local or systemic solicited adverse event (AE), respectively, most AEs were mild or moderate; no related serious AEs were detected. Cohorts 2, 3, and 4 had higher seroconversion rates than cohort 1 and seropositivity of at least 80% by day 197, sustained through day 337. PsVNA50 geometric mean titers were highest for cohort 4 on and after day 197., Conclusions: This first-in-human candidate HPS vaccine trial demonstrated that an ANDV DNA vaccine was safe and induced a robust, durable immune response. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT03682107., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. J. W. H. is listed as an inventor on a patent that includes the ANDV DNA vaccine; the patent is assigned to the United States Government. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus primarily transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes, first discovered in Africa in 1947, that disseminated through Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands in the 2000s. The first ZIKV infections in the Americas were identified in 2014, and infections exploded through populations in Brazil and other countries in 2015/16. ZIKV infection during pregnancy can cause severe brain and eye defects in offspring, and infection in adults has been associated with higher risks of Guillain-Barré syndrome. We initiated a study to describe the natural history of Zika (the disease) and the immune response to infection, for which some results have been reported. In this paper, we identify ZIKV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes that induce responses during infection. Two screening approaches were utilized: an untargeted approach with overlapping peptide arrays spanning the entire viral genome, and a targeted approach utilizing peptides predicted to bind human MHC molecules. Immunoinformatic tools were used to identify conserved MHC class I supertype binders and promiscuous class II binding peptide clusters predicted to bind 9 common class II alleles. T cell responses were evaluated in overnight IFN-γ ELISPOT assays. We found that MHC supertype binding predictions outperformed the bulk overlapping peptide approach. Diverse CD4+ T cell responses were observed in most ZIKV-infected participants, while responses to CD8+ T cell epitopes were more limited. Most individuals developed a robust T cell response against epitopes restricted to a single MHC class I supertype and only a single or few CD8+ T cell epitopes overall, suggesting a strong immunodominance phenomenon. Noteworthy is that many epitopes were commonly immunodominant across persons expressing the same class I supertype. Nearly all of the identified epitopes are unique to ZIKV and are not present in Dengue viruses. Collectively, we identified 31 immunogenic peptides restricted by the 6 major class I supertypes and 27 promiscuous class II epitopes. These sequences are highly relevant for design of T cell-targeted ZIKV vaccines and monitoring T cell responses to Zika virus infection and vaccination., Competing Interests: MM reported laboratory research and clinical trials contract funding with Lilly, Pfizer, and Sanofi; and personal fees for Scientific Advisory Board service from Merck, Meissa Vaccines, Inc. and Pfizer. Authors FT, AG, WM, LM, and ADG are (or were) employed by EpiVax, Inc, and author CF was employed by The Emmes Company, LLC. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Eickhoff, Meza, Terry, Colbert, Blazevic, Gutiérrez, Stone, Brien, Pinto, El Sahly, Mulligan, Rouphael, Alcaide, Tomashek, Focht, Martin, Moise, De Groot and Hoft.)

Background: Clinical trials initiated during emerging infectious disease outbreaks must quickly enroll participants to identify treatments to reduce morbidity and mortality. This may be at odds with enrolling a representative study population, especially when the population affected is undefined., Methods: We evaluated the utility of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), the COVID-19 Case Surveillance System (CCSS), and 2020 United States (US) Census data to determine demographic representation in the 4 stages of the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT). We compared the cumulative proportion of participants by sex, race, ethnicity, and age enrolled at US ACTT sites, with respective 95% confidence intervals, to the reference data in forest plots., Results: US ACTT sites enrolled 3509 adults hospitalized with COVID-19. When compared with COVID-NET, ACTT enrolled a similar or higher proportion of Hispanic/Latino and White participants depending on the stage, and a similar proportion of African American participants in all stages. In contrast, ACTT enrolled a higher proportion of these groups when compared with US Census and CCSS. The proportion of participants aged ≥65 years was either similar or lower than COVID-NET and higher than CCSS and the US Census. The proportion of females enrolled in ACTT was lower than the proportion of females in the reference datasets., Conclusions: Although surveillance data of hospitalized cases may not be available early in an outbreak, they are a better comparator than US Census data and surveillance of all cases, which may not reflect the population affected and at higher risk of severe disease., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. N. J. reports salary support to his institution by Sagent Pharmaceuticals. D. I. has received clinical trial funding paid to her institution from Gilead Sciences. M. K. J. has received grant funding paid to her institution from Gilead Sciences. R. A. M. has received grants and research funding to his institution from Gilead Sciences, Pfizer, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). A. R. B. has received grant funding to her institution from Pfizer, Merck, and Cynavac, and has consulted for Janssen and GSK. A. L. has received research grant support to her institution from Gilead. R. G. has received research funding from Gilead Sciences and GSK. W. R. S. has received clinical trial funding paid to his institution from Gilead Sciences. C. A. B. has received contracts and grants to her institution from Gilead Sciences. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2023.)

We performed a secondary analysis of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT-2) randomized controlled trial and found that baricitinib was associated with a 50% reduction in secondary infections after controlling for baseline and postrandomization patient characteristics. This finding provides a novel mechanism of benefit for baricitinib and supports the safety profile of this immunomodulator for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: The COVID-19 standard of care (SOC) evolved rapidly during 2020 and 2021, but its cumulative effect over time is unclear., Objective: To evaluate whether recovery and mortality improved as SOC evolved, using data from ACTT (Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial)., Design: ACTT is a series of phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated COVID-19 therapeutics from February 2020 through May 2021. ACTT-1 compared remdesivir plus SOC to placebo plus SOC, and in ACTT-2 and ACTT-3, remdesivir plus SOC was the control group. This post hoc analysis compared recovery and mortality between these comparable sequential cohorts of patients who received remdesivir plus SOC, adjusting for baseline characteristics with propensity score weighting. The analysis was repeated for participants in ACTT-3 and ACTT-4 who received remdesivir plus dexamethasone plus SOC. Trends in SOC that could explain outcome improvements were analyzed. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04280705 [ACTT-1], NCT04401579 [ACTT-2], NCT04492475 [ACTT-3], and NCT04640168 [ACTT-4])., Setting: 94 hospitals in 10 countries (86% U.S. participants)., Participants: Adults hospitalized with COVID-19., Intervention: SOC., Measurements: 28-day mortality and recovery., Results: Although outcomes were better in ACTT-2 than in ACTT-1, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were close to 1 (HR for recovery, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.92 to 1.17]; HR for mortality, 0.90 [CI, 0.56 to 1.40]). Comparable patients were less likely to be intubated in ACTT-2 than in ACTT-1 (odds ratio, 0.75 [CI, 0.53 to 0.97]), and hydroxychloroquine use decreased. Outcomes improved from ACTT-2 to ACTT-3 (HR for recovery, 1.43 [CI, 1.24 to 1.64]; HR for mortality, 0.45 [CI, 0.21 to 0.97]). Potential explanatory factors (SOC trends, case surges, and variant trends) were similar between ACTT-2 and ACTT-3, except for increased dexamethasone use (11% to 77%). Outcomes were similar in ACTT-3 and ACTT-4. Antibiotic use decreased gradually across all stages., Limitation: Unmeasured confounding., Conclusion: Changes in patient composition explained improved outcomes from ACTT-1 to ACTT-2 but not from ACTT-2 to ACTT-3, suggesting improved SOC. These results support excluding nonconcurrent controls from analysis of platform trials in rapidly changing therapeutic areas., Primary Funding Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Background: We evaluated clinical and laboratory findings among patients with nonsevere or severe dengue in Puerto Rico to examine whether clinical manifestations vary by age., Methods: During 2012-2014, we enrolled patients who arrived at the emergency department with fever or history of fever within 7 days of presentation. Serum samples were tested for dengue virus (DENV) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Severe dengue was defined as severe plasma leakage or shock, severe bleeding, or organ involvement at presentation, during hospitalization, or follow-up., Results: Of 1089 dengue patients identified, 281 (26%) were severe. Compared to those with nonsevere dengue, patients with severe dengue were more often aged 10-19 years (55% vs 40%, P < .001) and hospitalized (87% vs 30%, P < .001). Severe plasma leakage or shock was more common among children aged 0-9 (59%) or 10-19 years (86%) than adults (49%) (P < .01). Severe bleeding was less common among 10-19 year olds (24%) compared to 0-9 year olds (45%) and adults (52%; P < .01)., Conclusions: Severe plasma leakage was the most common presentation among children, highlighting important differences from adults. Vaccination against dengue could help prevent severe dengue among children in Puerto Rico., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America 2022.)

During the course of the 2015-2017 outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas, the emerging virus was recognized as a congenital infection that could damage the developing brain. As the Latin American ZIKV outbreak advanced, the scientific and public health community questioned if this newly recognized neurotropic flavivirus could affect the developing brain of infants and young children infected after birth. We report here the study design, methods and the challenges and lessons learned from the rapid operationalization of a prospective natural history cohort study aimed at evaluating the potential neurological and neurodevelopmental effects of postnatal ZIKV infection in infants and young children, which had become epidemic in Central America. This study enrolled a cohort of 500 mothers and their infants, along with nearly 400 children 1.5-3.5 years of age who were born during the initial phase of the ZIKV epidemic in a rural area of Guatemala. Our solutions and lessons learned while tackling real-life challenges may serve as a guide to other researchers carrying out studies of emerging infectious diseases of public health priority in resource-constrained settings., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Paniagua-Avila et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Baricitinib and dexamethasone have randomised trials supporting their use for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. We assessed the combination of baricitinib plus remdesivir versus dexamethasone plus remdesivir in preventing progression to mechanical ventilation or death in hospitalised patients with COVID-19., Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, double placebo-controlled trial, patients were enrolled at 67 trial sites in the USA (60 sites), South Korea (two sites), Mexico (two sites), Singapore (two sites), and Japan (one site). Hospitalised adults (≥18 years) with COVID-19 who required supplemental oxygen administered by low-flow (≤15 L/min), high-flow (>15 L/min), or non-invasive mechanical ventilation modalities who met the study eligibility criteria (male or non-pregnant female adults ≥18 years old with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection) were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either baricitinib, remdesivir, and placebo, or dexamethasone, remdesivir, and placebo using a permuted block design. Randomisation was stratified by study site and baseline ordinal score at enrolment. All patients received remdesivir (≤10 days) and either baricitinib (or matching oral placebo) for a maximum of 14 days or dexamethasone (or matching intravenous placebo) for a maximum of 10 days. The primary outcome was the difference in mechanical ventilation-free survival by day 29 between the two treatment groups in the modified intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses were done in the as-treated population, comprising all participants who received one dose of the study drug. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04640168., Findings: Between Dec 1, 2020, and April 13, 2021, 1047 patients were assessed for eligibility. 1010 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned, 516 (51%) to baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo and 494 (49%) to dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo. The mean age of the patients was 58·3 years (SD 14·0) and 590 (58%) of 1010 patients were male. 588 (58%) of 1010 patients were White, 188 (19%) were Black, 70 (7%) were Asian, and 18 (2%) were American Indian or Alaska Native. 347 (34%) of 1010 patients were Hispanic or Latino. Mechanical ventilation-free survival by day 29 was similar between the study groups (Kaplan-Meier estimates of 87·0% [95% CI 83·7 to 89·6] in the baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo group and 87·6% [84·2 to 90·3] in the dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo group; risk difference 0·6 [95% CI -3·6 to 4·8]; p=0·91). The odds ratio for improved status in the dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo group compared with the baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo group was 1·01 (95% CI 0·80 to 1·27). At least one adverse event occurred in 149 (30%) of 503 patients in the baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo group and 179 (37%) of 482 patients in the dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo group (risk difference 7·5% [1·6 to 13·3]; p=0·014). 21 (4%) of 503 patients in the baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo group had at least one treatment-related adverse event versus 49 (10%) of 482 patients in the dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo group (risk difference 6·0% [2·8 to 9·3]; p=0·00041). Severe or life-threatening grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 143 (28%) of 503 patients in the baricitinib plus remdesivir plus placebo group and 174 (36%) of 482 patients in the dexamethasone plus remdesivir plus placebo group (risk difference 7·7% [1·8 to 13·4]; p=0·012)., Interpretation: In hospitalised patients with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen by low-flow, high-flow, or non-invasive ventilation, baricitinib plus remdesivir and dexamethasone plus remdesivir resulted in similar mechanical ventilation-free survival by day 29, but dexamethasone was associated with significantly more adverse events, treatment-related adverse events, and severe or life-threatening adverse events. A more individually tailored choice of immunomodulation now appears possible, where side-effect profile, ease of administration, cost, and patient comorbidities can all be considered., Funding: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Coinfections are more common in patients with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis. Infiltrates on imaging studies are seen more commonly in patients with coinfections, but coinfections did not affect treatment outcomes of pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Functional impairment of interferon, a natural antiviral component of the immune system, is associated with the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19. We aimed to compare the efficacy of interferon beta-1a in combination with remdesivir compared with remdesivir alone in hospitalised patients with COVID-19., Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at 63 hospitals across five countries (Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and the USA). Eligible patients were hospitalised adults (aged ≥18 years) with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as confirmed by a positive RT-PCR test, and who met one of the following criteria suggestive of lower respiratory tract infection: the presence of radiographic infiltrates on imaging, a peripheral oxygen saturation on room air of 94% or less, or requiring supplemental oxygen. Patients were excluded if they had either an alanine aminotransferase or an aspartate aminotransferase concentration more than five times the upper limit of normal; had impaired renal function; were allergic to the study product; were pregnant or breast feeding; were already on mechanical ventilation; or were anticipating discharge from the hospital or transfer to another hospital within 72 h of enrolment. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous remdesivir as a 200 mg loading dose on day 1 followed by a 100 mg maintenance dose administered daily for up to 9 days and up to four doses of either 44 μg interferon beta-1a (interferon beta-1a group plus remdesivir group) or placebo (placebo plus remdesivir group) administered subcutaneously every other day. Randomisation was stratified by study site and disease severity at enrolment. Patients, investigators, and site staff were masked to interferon beta-1a and placebo treatment; remdesivir treatment was given to all patients without masking. The primary outcome was time to recovery, defined as the first day that a patient attained a category 1, 2, or 3 score on the eight-category ordinal scale within 28 days, assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population, defined as all randomised patients who were classified according to actual clinical severity. Safety was assessed in the as-treated population, defined as all patients who received at least one dose of the assigned treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04492475., Findings: Between Aug 5, 2020, and Nov 11, 2020, 969 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group (n=487) or to the placebo plus remdesivir group (n=482). The mean duration of symptoms before enrolment was 8·7 days (SD 4·4) in the interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group and 8·5 days (SD 4·3) days in the placebo plus remdesivir group. Patients in both groups had a time to recovery of 5 days (95% CI not estimable) (rate ratio of interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group vs placebo plus remdesivir 0·99 [95% CI 0·87-1·13]; p=0·88). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of mortality at 28 days was 5% (95% CI 3-7%) in the interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group and 3% (2-6%) in the placebo plus remdesivir group (hazard ratio 1·33 [95% CI 0·69-2·55]; p=0·39). Patients who did not require high-flow oxygen at baseline were more likely to have at least one related adverse event in the interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group (33 [7%] of 442 patients) than in the placebo plus remdesivir group (15 [3%] of 435). In patients who required high-flow oxygen at baseline, 24 (69%) of 35 had an adverse event and 21 (60%) had a serious adverse event in the interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir group compared with 13 (39%) of 33 who had an adverse event and eight (24%) who had a serious adverse event in the placebo plus remdesivir group., Interpretation: Interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir was not superior to remdesivir alone in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients who required high-flow oxygen at baseline had worse outcomes after treatment with interferon beta-1a compared with those given placebo., Funding: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (USA)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Death in patients with chikungunya is rare and has been associated with encephalitis, hemorrhage, and septic shock. We describe clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings in individuals who died following chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection., Methods: We identified individuals who died in Puerto Rico during 2014 following an acute illness and had CHIKV RNA detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in a pre- or postmortem blood or tissue specimen. We performed histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CHIKV antigen on tissue specimens and collected medical data via record review and family interviews., Results: Thirty CHIKV-infected fatal cases were identified (0.8/100 000 population). The median age was 61 years (range: 6 days-86 years), and 19 (63%) were male. Death occurred a median of 4 days (range: 1-29) after illness onset. Nearly all (93%) had at least 1 comorbidity, most frequently hypertension, diabetes, or obesity. Nine had severe comorbidities (eg, chronic heart or kidney disease, sickle cell anemia) or coinfection (eg, leptospirosis). Among 24 fatal cases with tissue specimens, 11 (46%) were positive by IHC. CHIKV antigen was most frequently detected in mesenchymal tissues and mononuclear cells including tissue macrophages, blood mononuclear cells, splenic follicular dendritic cells, and Kupffer cells. Common histopathologic findings were intra-alveolar hemorrhage and edema in the lung, chronic or acute tenosynovitis, and increased immunoblasts in the spleen. CHIKV infection likely caused fatal septic shock in 2 patients., Conclusions: Evaluation of tissue specimens provided insights into the pathogenesis of CHIKV, which may rarely result in septic shock and other severe manifestations., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2020.)

Objectives: To understand the epidemiology of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, including clinical and demographic features, microbiology, treatment approaches, treatment-associated complications, and outcomes., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of 453 children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis from 2009 to 2015., Results: Among the 453 patients, 218 (48%) had acute hematogenous osteomyelitis, 132 (29%) had septic arthritis, and 103 (23%) had concurrent acute hematogenous osteomyelitis/septic arthritis. Treatment failure/recurrent infection occurred in 41 patients (9%). Patients with concurrent acute hematogenous osteomyelitis/septic arthritis had longer hospital stays, longer duration of antibiotic therapy, and were more likely to have prolonged bacteremia and require intensive care. Staphylococcus aureus was identified in 228 (51%) patients, of which 114 (50%) were methicillin-resistant S aureus. Compared with septic arthritis, acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and concurrent acute hematogenous osteomyelitis/septic arthritis were associated with higher odds of treatment failure (OR, 8.19; 95% CI, 2.02-33.21 [P = .003]; and OR, 14.43; 95% CI, 3.39-61.37 [P < .001], respectively). The need for more than 1 surgical procedure was also associated with higher odds of treatment failure (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.18-7.52; P = .021). Early change to oral antibiotic therapy was not associated with treatment failure (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.24-1.74; P = .386). Most (73%) medically attended treatment complications occurred while on parenteral therapy., Conclusions: Musculoskeletal infections are challenging pediatric infections. S aureus remains the most common pathogen, with methicillin-resistant S aureus accounting for 25% of all cases. Concurrent acute hematogenous osteomyelitis/septic arthritis is associated with more severe disease and worse outcomes. Fewer treatment-related complications occurred while on oral therapy. Early transition to oral therapy was not associated with treatment failure., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The increasing global prevalence of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease has called attention to challenges in NTM diagnosis and management. This study was conducted to understand management and outcomes of patients with pulmonary NTM disease at diverse centers across the United States., Methods: We conducted a 10-year (2005-2015) retrospective study at 7 Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units to evaluate pulmonary NTM treatment outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus-negative adults. Demographic and clinical information was abstracted through medical record review. Microbiologic and clinical cure were evaluated using previously defined criteria., Results: Of 297 patients diagnosed with pulmonary NTM, the most frequent NTM species were Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (83.2%), M. kansasii (7.7%), and M. abscessus (3.4%). Two hundred forty-five (82.5%) patients received treatment, while 45 (15.2%) were followed without treatment. Eighty-six patients had available drug susceptibility results; of these, >40% exhibited resistance to rifampin, ethambutol, or amikacin. Of the 138 patients with adequate outcome data, 78 (56.5%) experienced clinical and/or microbiologic cure. Adherence to the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA) treatment guidelines was significantly more common in patients who were cured (odds ratio, 4.5, 95% confidence interval, 2.0-10.4; P < .001). Overall mortality was 15.7%., Conclusions: Despite ATS/IDSA Guidelines, management of pulmonary NTM disease was heterogeneous and cure rates were relatively low. Further work is required to understand which patients are suitable for monitoring without treatment and the impact of antimicrobial therapy on pulmonary NTM morbidity and mortality., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is associated with dysregulated inflammation. The effects of combination treatment with baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, plus remdesivir are not known., Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating baricitinib plus remdesivir in hospitalized adults with Covid-19. All the patients received remdesivir (≤10 days) and either baricitinib (≤14 days) or placebo (control). The primary outcome was the time to recovery. The key secondary outcome was clinical status at day 15., Results: A total of 1033 patients underwent randomization (with 515 assigned to combination treatment and 518 to control). Patients receiving baricitinib had a median time to recovery of 7 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 6 to 8), as compared with 8 days (95% CI, 7 to 9) with control (rate ratio for recovery, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.32; P = 0.03), and a 30% higher odds of improvement in clinical status at day 15 (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.6). Patients receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation at enrollment had a time to recovery of 10 days with combination treatment and 18 days with control (rate ratio for recovery, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.08). The 28-day mortality was 5.1% in the combination group and 7.8% in the control group (hazard ratio for death, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.39 to 1.09). Serious adverse events were less frequent in the combination group than in the control group (16.0% vs. 21.0%; difference, -5.0 percentage points; 95% CI, -9.8 to -0.3; P = 0.03), as were new infections (5.9% vs. 11.2%; difference, -5.3 percentage points; 95% CI, -8.7 to -1.9; P = 0.003)., Conclusions: Baricitinib plus remdesivir was superior to remdesivir alone in reducing recovery time and accelerating improvement in clinical status among patients with Covid-19, notably among those receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation. The combination was associated with fewer serious adverse events. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04401579.)., (Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Background: Although several therapeutic agents have been evaluated for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), no antiviral agents have yet been shown to be efficacious., Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous remdesivir in adults who were hospitalized with Covid-19 and had evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either remdesivir (200 mg loading dose on day 1, followed by 100 mg daily for up to 9 additional days) or placebo for up to 10 days. The primary outcome was the time to recovery, defined by either discharge from the hospital or hospitalization for infection-control purposes only., Results: A total of 1062 patients underwent randomization (with 541 assigned to remdesivir and 521 to placebo). Those who received remdesivir had a median recovery time of 10 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 9 to 11), as compared with 15 days (95% CI, 13 to 18) among those who received placebo (rate ratio for recovery, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.49; P<0.001, by a log-rank test). In an analysis that used a proportional-odds model with an eight-category ordinal scale, the patients who received remdesivir were found to be more likely than those who received placebo to have clinical improvement at day 15 (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.9, after adjustment for actual disease severity). The Kaplan-Meier estimates of mortality were 6.7% with remdesivir and 11.9% with placebo by day 15 and 11.4% with remdesivir and 15.2% with placebo by day 29 (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52 to 1.03). Serious adverse events were reported in 131 of the 532 patients who received remdesivir (24.6%) and in 163 of the 516 patients who received placebo (31.6%)., Conclusions: Our data show that remdesivir was superior to placebo in shortening the time to recovery in adults who were hospitalized with Covid-19 and had evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others; ACTT-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04280705.)., (Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Background: Despite the absence of adequate safety or efficacy data, clindamycin is widely prescribed in the neonatal intensive care unit. We evaluated the association between clindamycin exposure and adverse events, as well as antibiotic effectiveness in infants., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of infants receiving clindamycin before postnatal day 121 who were discharged from a Pediatrix Medical Group neonatal intensive care unit (1997-2015). Using a previously developed pharmacokinetic model, we performed simulations to predict clindamycin exposure based on available dosing data. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between clindamycin exposure and safety outcomes during and after clindamycin therapy. We reported the proportion of infants with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia and clearance of MRSA bacteremia., Results: A total of 4089 infants received clindamycin at a median (25th-75th percentile) dose of 15 mg/kg/d (12-16). Clearance increased with older gestational age. Infants with the highest total clindamycin exposure had marginally increased odds of necrotizing enterocolitis within 7 days (adjusted odds ratio = 1.95 [1.04-3.63]), but exposure was not associated with death, sepsis, seizures, intestinal perforation or intestinal strictures. Of 25 infants who had MRSA bacteremia, 19 (76%) cleared the infection by the end of the clindamycin course., Conclusions: Higher clindamycin exposure was not associated with increased odds of death or nonlaboratory adverse events. The use of pharmacokinetic models combined with available electronic health record data offers a valuable, cost-effective approach to analyzing the safety and effectiveness of drugs in infants when large-scale trials are not feasible.

Background: Dengue is an important arboviral disease with about 100 million dengue cases per year, of which, ~5% result in severe disease. Clinical differentiation of dengue from other acute febrile illnesses (AFI) is difficult, and diagnostic blood tests are costly. We evaluated the utility of anti-DENV IgM in urine to identify dengue cases among AFI patients enrolled in a clinical study., Methods: Between May 2012-March 2013, 1538 study participants with fever for ≤7 days were enrolled, a medical history was obtained, and serum and urine specimens were collected. Serum was tested for DENV RNA and anti-DENV IgM. Urine was tested for anti-DENV IgM, and its sensitivity and specificity to detect sera laboratory-positive dengue cases were calculated. We evaluated if urine anti-DENV IgM positivity early (≤5 days post-illness onset [DPO]) and late (6-14 DPO) in the clinical course was associated with dengue severity., Results: Urine anti-DENV IgM sensitivity and specificity were 47.4% and 98.5%, respectively, when compared with serum anti-DENV IgM ELISA results, and 29.7% and 91.1% when compared with serum rRT-PCR results. There was no correlation between urine anti-DENV IgM positivity and patient sex or pre-existing chronic disease. Early in the clinical course, a significantly higher proportion of those who developed dengue with warning signs had anti-DENV IgM in their urine when compared to those without warning signs (20.4% vs. 4.3%). There was no difference in the proportion with urine anti-DENV IgM positivity between severity groups late in the clinical course., Conclusion: While detection of urine anti-DENV IgM lacked adequate diagnostic sensitivity, it is a highly specific marker for laboratory-positive dengue, and its presence early in the clinical course may distinguish those with more severe disease. Further assessment of urine anti-DENV IgM by DPO is warranted to determine its utility as an early diagnostic (and possibly prognostic) marker for dengue., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Yellow fever is a potentially fatal, mosquito-borne viral disease that appears to be experiencing a resurgence in endemic areas in Africa and South America and spreading to non-endemic areas despite an effective vaccine. This trend has increased the level of concern about the disease and the potential for importation to areas in Asia with ecological conditions that can sustain yellow fever virus transmission. In this article, we provide a broad overview of yellow fever burden of disease, natural history, treatment, vaccine, prevention and control initiatives, and vaccine and therapeutic agent development efforts.

Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral, acute febrile illness (AFI) is associated with polyarthralgia and polyarthritis. Differentiation from other AFI is difficult due to the non-specific presentation and limited availability of diagnostics. This 3-year study identified independent clinical predictors by day post-illness onset (DPO) at presentation and age-group that distinguish chikungunya cases from two groups: other AFI and dengue. Specimens collected from participants with fever ≤7 days were tested for chikungunya, dengue viruses 1-4, and 20 other pathogens. Of 8,996 participants, 18.2% had chikungunya, and 10.8% had dengue. Chikungunya cases were more likely than other groups to be older, report a chronic condition, and present <3 DPO. Regardless of timing of presentation, significant positive predictors for chikungunya versus other AFI were: joint pain, muscle, bone or back pain, skin rash, and red conjunctiva; with dengue as the comparator, red swollen joints (arthritis), joint pain, skin rash, any bleeding, and irritability were predictors. Chikungunya cases were less likely than AFI and dengue to present with thrombocytopenia, signs of poor circulation, diarrhea, headache, and cough. Among participants presenting <3 DPO, predictors for chikungunya versus other AFI included: joint pain, skin rash, and muscle, bone or back pain, and absence of thrombocytopenia, poor circulation and respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms; when the comparator was dengue, joint pain and arthritis, and absence of thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and nausea were early predictors. Among all groups presenting 3-5 DPO, pruritic skin became a predictor for chikungunya, joint, muscle, bone or back pain were no longer predictive, while arthritis became predictive in all age-groups. Absence of thrombocytopenia was a significant predictor regardless of DPO or comparison group. This study identified robust clinical indicators such as joint pain, skin rash and absence of thrombocytopenia that can allow early identification of and accurate differentiation between patients with chikungunya and other common causes of AFI., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: As increasing numbers of dengue vaccines and therapeutics are in clinical development, standardized consensus clinical endpoint definitions are urgently needed to assess the efficacy of different interventions with respect to disease severity. We aimed to convene dengue experts representing various sectors and dengue endemic areas to review the literature and propose clinical endpoint definitions for moderate and severe disease based on the framework provided by the WHO 2009 classification., Methods: The endpoints were first proposed and discussed in a structured expert consultation. After that, the Delphi method was carried out to assess the usefulness, validity and feasibility of the standardized clinical disease endpoints for interventional dengue research., Results: Most respondents (> 80%) agreed there is a need for both standardized clinical endpoints and operationalization of severe endpoints. Most respondents (67%) felt there is utility for moderate severity endpoints, but cited challenges in their development. Hospitalization as a moderate endpoint of disease severity or measure of public health impact was deemed to be useful by only 47% of respondents, but 89% felt it could bring about supplemental information if carefully contextualized according to data collection setting. Over half of the respondents favored alignment of the standard endpoints with the WHO guidelines (58%), but cautioned that the endpoints could have ramifications for public health practice. In terms of data granularity of the endpoints, there was a slight preference for a categorical vs numeric system (e.g. 1-10) (47% vs 34%), and 74% of respondents suggested validating the endpoints using large prospective data sets., Conclusion: The structured consensus-building process was successful taking into account the history of the debate around potential endpoints for severe dengue. There is clear support for the development of standardized endpoints for interventional clinical research and the need for subsequent validation with prospective data sets. Challenges include the complexity of developing moderate disease research endpoints for dengue.

Dengue virus infections are a major cause of febrile illness that significantly affects individual and societal productivity and drives up health care costs principally in the developing world. Two dengue vaccine candidates are in advanced clinical efficacy trials in Latin America and Asia, and another has been licensed in more than fifteen countries but its uptake has been limited. Despite these advances, standardized metrics for comparability of protective efficacy between dengue vaccines remain poorly defined. The Dengue Illness Index (DII) is a tool that we developed thru refinement of previous similar iterations in an attempt to improve and standardize the measurement of vaccine and drug efficacy in reducing moderate dengue illness. The tool is designed to capture an individual's overall disease experience based on how the totality of their symptoms impacts their general wellness and daily functionality. We applied the DII to a diary card, the Dengue Illness Card (DIC), which was examined and further developed by a working group. The card was then refined with feedback garnered from a Delphi methodology-based query that addressed the adequacy and applicability of the tool in clinical dengue research. There was overall agreement that the tool would generate useful data and provide an alternative perspective to the assessment of drug or vaccine candidates, which in the case of vaccines, are assessed by their reduction in any virologically confirmed dengue of any severity with a focus on the more severe. The DIC needs to be evaluated in the field in the context of vaccine or drug trials, prospective cohort studies, or during experimental human infection studies. Here, we present the final DIC resulting from the Delphi process and offer its further development or use to the dengue research community., Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: at the time of the submission, AS was an employee of GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines and holds shares related to this employment status.

Dengue is a major public health problem worldwide. Although several drug candidates have been evaluated in randomized controlled trials, none has been effective and at present, early recognition of severe dengue and timely supportive care are used to reduce mortality. While the first dengue vaccine was recently licensed, and several other candidates are in late stage clinical trials, future decisions regarding widespread deployment of vaccines and/or therapeutics will require evidence of product safety, efficacy and effectiveness. Standard, quantifiable clinical endpoints are needed to ensure reproducibility and comparability of research findings. To address this need, we established a working group of dengue researchers and public health specialists to develop standardized endpoints and work towards consensus opinion on those endpoints. After discussion at two working group meetings and presentations at international conferences, a Delphi methodology-based query was used to finalize and operationalize the clinical endpoints. Participants were asked to select the best endpoints from proposed definitions or offer revised/new definitions, and to indicate whether contributing items should be designated as optional or required. After the third round of inquiry, 70% or greater agreement was reached on moderate and severe plasma leakage, moderate and severe bleeding, acute hepatitis and acute liver failure, and moderate and severe neurologic disease. There was less agreement regarding moderate and severe thrombocytopenia and moderate and severe myocarditis. Notably, 68% of participants agreed that a 50,000 to 20,000 mm3 platelet range be used to define moderate thrombocytopenia; however, they remained divided on whether a rapid decreasing trend or one platelet count should be case defining. While at least 70% agreement was reached on most endpoints, the process identified areas for further evaluation and standardization within the context of ongoing clinical studies. These endpoints can be used to harmonize data collection and improve comparability between dengue clinical trials., Competing Interests: Beth-Ann G. Coller is an employee, shareholder and patent inventor of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America. Robert Edelman is a paid consultant to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company vaccine trials for service as Chairman of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) of Takeda's Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine Program. Alexander C. Schmidt is an employee and shareholder of the GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), Brentford, London, United Kingdom. Stephen J. Thomas has performed both paid and unpaid consultations and safety reviews for GSK Vaccines, Merck, Takeda, Sanofi Pasteur, Chugai Pharma, Themisbio, and Primevax. Derek Wallace is an employee of Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Zurich, Switzerland. Bridget Wills is a paid consultant on the DSMB for the Takeda vaccine trials. No other authors have declared that a competing interest exists.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness that causes a variety of health outcomes, from a mild acute febrile illness to potentially fatal severe dengue. Between 2005 and 2010, the annual number of suspected dengue cases reported to the Passive Dengue Surveillance System (PDSS) in Puerto Rico ranged from 2,346 in 2006 to 22,496 in 2010. Like other passive surveillance systems, PDSS is subject to under-reporting. To estimate the degree of under-reporting in Puerto Rico, we built separate inpatient and outpatient probability-based multiplier models, using data from two different surveillance systems-PDSS and the enhanced dengue surveillance system (EDSS). We adjusted reported cases to account for sensitivity of diagnostic tests, specimens with indeterminate results, and differences between PDSS and EDSS in numbers of reported dengue cases. In addition, for outpatients, we adjusted for the fact that less than 100% of medical providers submit diagnostic specimens from suspected cases. We estimated that a multiplication factor of between 5 (for 2010 data) to 9 (for 2006 data) must be used to correct for the under-reporting of the number of laboratory-positive dengue inpatients. Multiplication factors of between 21 (for 2010 data) to 115 (for 2008 data) must be used to correct for the under-reporting of laboratory-positive dengue outpatients. We also estimated that, after correcting for underreporting, the mean annual rate, for 2005-2010, of medically attended dengue in Puerto Rico to be between 2.1 (for dengue inpatients) to 7.8 (for dengue outpatients) per 1,000 population. These estimated rates compare to the reported rates of 0.4 (dengue outpatients) to 0.1 (dengue inpatients) per 1,000 population. The multipliers, while subject to limitations, will help public health officials correct for underreporting of dengue cases, and thus better evaluate the cost-and-benefits of possible interventions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Identifying etiologies of acute febrile illnesses (AFI) is challenging due to non-specific presentation and limited availability of diagnostics. Prospective AFI studies provide a methodology to describe the syndrome by age and etiology, findings that can be used to develop case definitions and multiplexed diagnostics to optimize management. We conducted a 3-year prospective AFI study in Puerto Rico. Patients with fever ≤7 days were offered enrollment, and clinical data and specimens were collected at enrollment and upon discharge or follow-up. Blood and oro-nasopharyngeal specimens were tested by RT-PCR and immunodiagnostic methods for infection with dengue viruses (DENV) 1-4, chikungunya virus (CHIKV), influenza A and B viruses (FLU A/B), 12 other respiratory viruses (ORV), enterovirus, Leptospira spp., and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Clinical presentation and laboratory findings of participants infected with DENV were compared to those infected with CHIKV, FLU A/B, and ORV. Clinical predictors of laboratory-positive dengue compared to all other AFI etiologies were determined by age and day post-illness onset (DPO) at presentation. Of 8,996 participants enrolled from May 7, 2012 through May 6, 2015, more than half (54.8%, 4,930) had a pathogen detected. Pathogens most frequently detected were CHIKV (1,635, 18.2%), FLU A/B (1,074, 11.9%), DENV 1-4 (970, 10.8%), and ORV (904, 10.3%). Participants with DENV infection presented later and a higher proportion were hospitalized than those with other diagnoses (46.7% versus 27.3% with ORV, 18.8% with FLU A/B, and 11.2% with CHIKV). Predictors of dengue in participants presenting <3 DPO included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, headache, eye pain, nausea, and dizziness, while negative predictors were irritability and rhinorrhea. Predictors of dengue in participants presenting 3-5 DPO were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, facial/neck erythema, nausea, eye pain, signs of poor circulation, and diarrhea; presence of rhinorrhea, cough, and red conjunctiva predicted non-dengue AFI. By enrolling febrile patients at clinical presentation, we identified unbiased predictors of laboratory-positive dengue as compared to other common causes of AFI. These findings can be used to assist in early identification of dengue patients, as well as direct anticipatory guidance and timely initiation of correct clinical management.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is increasingly being identified as a cause of outbreaks in the United States. During July-December 2013, a total of three south Texas counties reported 53 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases; 26 were locally acquired, constituting the largest outbreak in Texas since 2005. Because dengue outbreaks are expected to continue in south Texas and early case identification and timely treatment can reduce mortality, we sought to determine clinicians' knowledge of dengue and its clinical management. A survey was sent to 2,375 south Texas clinicians; 217 (9%) completed the survey. Approximately half of participants demonstrated knowledge needed to identify dengue cases, including symptoms (56%), early indicators of shock (54%), or timing of thrombocytopenia (48%). Fewer than 20% correctly identified all prevention messages, severe dengue warning signs, or circumstances in which a dengue patient should return for care. Knowledge of clinical management was limited; few participants correctly identified scenarios when plasma leakage occurred (10%) or a crystalloid solution was indicated (7%); however, 45% correctly identified when a blood transfusion was indicated. Because of the ongoing threat of dengue, we recommend clinicians in south Texas receive dengue clinical management training.

Purpose of Review: By all measures, the morbidity and mortality due to dengue are continuing to worsen worldwide. Although both early and recent studies have demonstrated regional differences in how dengue affects local populations, these findings were to varying extents related to disparate surveillance approaches., Recent Findings: Recent studies have broadened the recognized spectrum of disease resulting from DENV infection, particularly in adults, and have also demonstrated new mechanisms of DENV spread both within and between populations. New results regarding the frequency and duration of homo- and heterotypic anti-DENV antibodies have provided important insights relevant to vaccine design and implementation., Summary: These observations and findings as well as difficulties in comparing the epidemiology of dengue within and between regions of the world underscore the need for population-based dengue surveillance worldwide. Enhanced surveillance should be implemented to complement passive surveillance in countries in the tropics to establish baseline data in order to define affected populations and evaluate the impact of dengue vaccines and novel vector control interventions.

Background:  Prior to 2010, the clinical management of dengue in Puerto Rico was inconsistent with World Health Organization guidelines. A 4-hour classroom-style course on dengue clinical management was developed in 2009 and mandated for Puerto Rico medical licensure in 2010. Fifty physicians were trained as "master trainers" and gave this course to 7638 physicians. This study evaluated the effect of the course on the clinical management of hospitalized dengue patients., Methods:  Pre- and post-course test responses were compared. Changes in physician practices were assessed by reviewing medical records of 430 adult and 1075 pediatric dengue patients at the 12 hospitals in Puerto Rico that reported the most cases during 2008-2009 (pre-intervention) and 2011 (post-intervention). Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to compare key indicators of dengue management., Results:  Physician test scores increased from 48% to 72% correct. Chart reviews showed that the percentage of adult patients who did not receive corticosteroids increased from 30% to 68% (odds ratio [OR], 5.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-9.5) and from 91% to 96% in pediatric patients (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5-4.9). Usage of isotonic intravenous saline during the critical period increased from 57% to 90% in adult patients (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.9-20.4) and from 25% to 44% in pediatric patients (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.2-5.3)., Conclusions:  Management of dengue inpatients significantly improved following implementation of a classroom-style course taught by master trainers. An online version of the course was launched in 2014 to expand its reach and sustainability., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Background: Dengue is a leading cause of morbidity throughout the tropics; however, accurate population-based estimates of mortality rates are not available., Methods/principal Findings: We established the Enhanced Fatal Acute Febrile Illness Surveillance System (EFASS) to estimate dengue mortality rates in Puerto Rico. Healthcare professionals submitted serum and tissue specimens from patients who died from a dengue-like acute febrile illness, and death certificates were reviewed to identify additional cases. Specimens were tested for markers of dengue virus (DENV) infection by molecular, immunologic, and immunohistochemical methods, and were also tested for West Nile virus, Leptospira spp., and other pathogens based on histopathologic findings. Medical records were reviewed and clinical data abstracted. A total of 311 deaths were identified, of which 58 (19%) were DENV laboratory-positive. Dengue mortality rates were 1.05 per 100,000 population in 2010, 0.16 in 2011 and 0.36 in 2012. Dengue mortality was highest among adults 19-64 years and seniors ≥65 years (1.17 and 1.66 deaths per 100,000, respectively). Other pathogens identified included 34 Leptospira spp. cases and one case of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Neisseria meningitidis., Conclusions/significance: EFASS showed that dengue mortality rates among adults were higher than reported for influenza, and identified a leptospirosis outbreak and index cases of melioidosis and meningitis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, potentially fatal disorder characterized by fever, pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and increased serum ferritin. HLH is being increasingly reported as a complication of dengue, a common tropical acute febrile illness., Methodology/principal Findings: After a cluster of pediatric dengue-associated HLH patients was identified during the 2012-2013 dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico, active surveillance and a case-control investigation was conducted at four referral hospitals to determine the incidence of HLH in children and identify risk factors for HLH following dengue. Patients with dengue-associated HLH (cases) were matched by month of illness onset and admission hospital to dengue patients that did not develop HLH (controls). During 2008-2013, a total of 33 HLH patients were identified, of which 22 (67%) were associated with dengue and 1 died (dengue-associated HLH case-fatality rate: 4.5%). Two patients with dengue-associated HLH had illness onset in 2009, none had illness onset during the 2010 dengue epidemic, and 20 had illness onset during the 2012-2013 epidemic. Frequency of infection with either dengue virus (DENV)-1 or DENV-4 did not differ between cases and controls. Cases were younger than controls (median age: 1 vs. 13 years, p < 0.01), were hospitalized longer (18 vs. 5 days, p < 0.01), and were admitted more frequently to pediatric intensive care units (100% vs. 16%, p < 0.01). Cases had co-infection (18.2% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.04), recent influenza-like illness (54.5% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.01), and longer duration of fever (7 vs. 5 days; p < 0.01). Cases were more likely to have lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, anemia, and elevated liver transaminases (p ≤ 0.02)., Conclusions/significance: During this cluster of dengue-associated HLH cases that was temporally associated with the 2012-2013 epidemic, most patients with dengue-associated HLH were infants and had higher morbidity than dengue inpatients. Physicians throughout the tropics should be aware of HLH as a potential complication of dengue, particularly in patients with anemia and severe liver injury., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Dengue is major public health problem, globally. Timely verification of suspected dengue outbreaks allows for public health response, leading to the initiation of appropriate clinical care. Because the clinical presentation of dengue is nonspecific, dengue diagnosis would benefit from a sensitive rapid diagnostic test (RDT). We evaluated the diagnostic performance of an RDT that detects dengue virus (DENV) nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) and anti-DENV IgM during suspected acute febrile illness (AFI) outbreaks in four countries. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR and anti-DENV IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to verify RDT results. Anti-DENV IgM RDT sensitivity and specificity ranged from 55.3 to 91.7% and 85.3 to 98.5%, respectively, and NS1 sensitivity and specificity ranged from 49.7 to 92.9% and 22.2 to 89.0%, respectively. Sensitivity varied by timing of specimen collection and DENV serotype. Combined test results moderately improved the sensitivity. The use of RDTs identified dengue as the cause of AFI outbreaks where reference diagnostic testing was limited or unavailable., (Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

During a dengue epidemic in northern Mexico, enhanced surveillance identified 53 laboratory-positive cases in southern Texas; 26 (49%) patients acquired the infection locally, and 29 (55%) were hospitalized. Of 83 patient specimens that were initially IgM negative according to ELISA performed at a commercial laboratory, 14 (17%) were dengue virus positive by real-time reverse transcription PCR performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dengue virus types 1 and 3 were identified, and molecular phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close identity with viruses that had recently circulated in Mexico and Central America. Of 51 household members of 22 dengue case-patients who participated in household investigations, 6 (12%) had been recently infected with a dengue virus and reported no recent travel, suggesting intrahousehold transmission. One household member reported having a recent illness consistent with dengue. This outbreak reinforces emergence of dengue in southern Texas, particularly when incidence is high in northern Mexico.

Background: Failure to recognize and appropriately manage dengue early in the clinical course may result in late initiation of supportive treatment for severe disease. In Florida, travel-related and autochthonous dengue occur and are likely under-recognized. The objective of this study was to evaluate physician knowledge of dengue and its management before and after an educational intervention in Florida., Methods: From 2012-13 we conducted 14 grand-rounds style lectures on dengue clinical management attended by 413 physicians, and analyzed data from the pre- and post-tests., Results: Of those attending, 231 and 220 completed the pre-and post-tests, respectively. Overall, the mean pre-test score for knowledge-based questions was 74.3 and average post-test score was 94.2%, indicating a mean increase of 19.9% (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 17.7-22.4). Reported confidence in dengue recognition and management also increased. Non-US trained physicians and those who had treated more than ten dengue cases performed significantly better in the pre-test. Post-test scores did not differ by subgroup., Conclusions: The train-the-trainer approach with grand-rounds style presentations appear to be an effective intervention to improve knowledge of dengue among physicians.

Background: Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal bacterial zoonosis that is endemic throughout the tropics and may be misdiagnosed as dengue. Delayed hospital admission of leptospirosis patients is associated with increased mortality., Methodology/principal Findings: During a concurrent dengue/leptospirosis epidemic in Puerto Rico in 2010, suspected dengue patients that tested dengue-negative were tested for leptospirosis. Fatal and non-fatal hospitalized leptospirosis patients were matched 1:1-3 by age. Records from all medical visits were evaluated for factors associated with fatal outcome. Among 175 leptospirosis patients identified (4.7 per 100,000 residents), 26 (15%) were fatal. Most patients were older males and had illness onset during the rainy season. Fatal case patients first sought medical care earlier than non-fatal control patients (2.5 vs. 5 days post-illness onset [DPO], p < 0.01), but less frequently first sought care at a hospital (52.4% vs. 92.2%, p < 0.01). Although fatal cases were more often diagnosed with leptospirosis at first medical visit (43.9% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.01), they were admitted to the hospital no earlier than non-fatal controls (4.5 vs. 6 DPO, p = 0.31). Cases less often developed fever (p = 0.03), but more often developed jaundice, edema, leg pain, hemoptysis, and had a seizure (p ≤ 0.03). Multivariable analysis of laboratory values from first medical visit associated with fatal outcome included increased white blood cell (WBC) count with increased creatinine (p = 0.001), and decreased bicarbonate with either increased WBC count, increased creatinine, or decreased platelet count (p < 0.001)., Conclusions/significance: Patients with fatal leptospirosis sought care earlier, but were not admitted for care any earlier than non-fatal patients. Combinations of routine laboratory values predictive of fatal outcome should be considered in admission decision-making for patients with suspected leptospirosis.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral illness caused by dengue virus types (DENV)-1 to DENV-4, is endemic in Puerto Rico. Severe dengue usually occurs in individuals previously infected with DENV or among infants born to previously infected mothers. To describe clinical features of dengue in infants, we retrospectively characterized dengue patients aged < 18 months reported to the Passive Dengue Surveillance System (PDSS) during 1999-2011. To determine frequency of signs, symptoms, and disease severity, case report forms and medical records were evaluated for patients who tested positive for dengue by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction or anti-DENV immunoglobulin Menzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 4,178 reported patients aged < 18 months, 813 (19%) were laboratory positive. Of these, most had fever (92%), rash (53%), bleeding manifestations (52%), and thrombocytopenia (52%). Medical records were available for 145 (31%) of 472 hospitalized patients, of which 40% had dengue, 23% had dengue with warning signs, and 33% had severe dengue. Mean age of patients with severe dengue was 8 months. Anti-DENV immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers were not statistically different in patients with (50%) and without (59%) severe dengue. In this study, one-third of DENV-infected infants met the severe dengue case definition. The role of maternal anti-DENV IgG in development of severe disease warrants further study in prospective cohorts of mother-infant pairs., (© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)