The History of Controlling and Treating Infectious Diseases in Ancient China

Infectious diseases are the common enemies of mankind.In the course of historical development,they persistently threaten human health and safety.Even today,despite the developments in medical science,we cannot escape the fear and suffering caused by infectious diseases.Whether in ancient or modern times,the source of infection,route of transmission,and a susceptible population are the three key conditions for the prevalence and spread of infectious diseases.All factors closely related to these three conditions can affect the prevalence of infectious diseases.China is one of the cradles of world civilization.The ancient people accumulated a great deal of experience and lessons in the long struggle against infectious diseases.In the face of the current threat posed by widespread infectious disease,it is imperative to review and summarize ancient Chinese ideas and health policies on epidemic prevention and control to inspire contemporary efforts in the prevention and control of infectious disease.The combination of prevention-oriented epidemic prevention ideology and traditional medicine provides valuable insights,especially for impoverished and medically underserved regions.

Expert consensus on One Health for establishing an enhanced and integrated surveillance system for key infectious diseases

China has been continuously improving its monitoring methods and strategies to address key infectious diseases(KIDs).After the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003,China established a comprehensive report-ing system for infectious diseases(IDs)and public health emergencies.The relatively lagging warning thresholds,limited warning information,and outdated warning technology are insufficient to meet the needs of comprehensive monitoring for modern KIDs.Strengthening early monitoring and warning capabilities to enhance the public health system has become a top priority,with increasing demand for early warning thresholds,information,and tech-niques,thanks to constant innovation and development in molecular biology,bioinformatics,artificial intelligence,and other identification and analysis technologies.A panel of 31 experts has recommended a fourth-generation comprehensive surveillance system targeting KIDs(41 notifiable diseases and emerging IDs).The aim of this surveil-lance system is to systematically monitor the epidemiology and causal pathogens of KIDs in hosts such as humans,animals,and vectors,along with associated environmental pathogens.By integrating factors influencing epidemic spread and risk assessment,the surveillance system can serve to detect,predict,and provide early warnings for the occurrence,development,variation,and spread of known or novel KIDs.Moreover,we recommend comprehensive ID monitoring based on the fourth-generation surveillance system,along with a data-integrated monitoring and early warning platform and a consortium pathogen detection technology system.This series of considerations is based on systematic and comprehensive monitoring across multiple sectors,dimensions,factors,and pathogens that is sup-ported by data integration and connectivity.This expert consensus will provides an opportunity for collaboration in various fields and relies on interdisciplinary application to enhance comprehensive monitoring,prediction,and early warning capabilities for the next generation of ID surveillance.This expert consensus will serve as a reference for ID prevention and control as well as other related activities.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Notifiable Infectious Diseases among Foreign Cases in China,2004–2017

Objective We aimed to assess the features of notifiable infectious diseases found commonly in foreign nationals in China between 2004 and 2017 to improve public health policy and responses for infectious diseases.Methods We performed a descriptive study of notifiable infectious diseases among foreigners reported from 2004 to 2017 in China using data from the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System(NNIDRIS). Demographic, temporal-spatial distribution were described and analyzed.Results A total of 67,939 cases of 33 different infectious diseases were reported among foreigners.These diseases were seen in 31 provinces of China and originated from 146 countries of the world. The infectious diseases with the highest incidence number were human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) of18,713 cases, hepatitis B(6,461 cases), hand, foot, and mouth disease(6,327 cases). Yunnan province had the highest number of notifiable infectious diseases in foreigners. There were different trends of the major infectious diseases among foreign cases seen in China and varied among provinces.Conclusions This is the first description of the epidemiological characteristic of notifiable infectious diseases among foreigners in China from 2004 to 2017. These data can be used to better inform policymakers about national health priorities for future research and control strategies.

Surveillance for respiratory infectious diseases caused by 6 common viruses in a recruit training site in the Northern region of China

Background: Recruit training sites are places with a high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases. Effective surveillance for acute respiratory infectious diseases in a recruit training site is an important way to prevent disease outbreaks.Methods: Eight hundred recruits(722 males and 78 females) enlisted in autumn 2015 received a background survey within 24 h of settlement at the recruit training site, including their general personal information, vaccination history, mental status and clinical symptoms. Then, nasopharyngeal swabs of these recruits were collected to detect common respiratory pathogens [influenza virus type A, influenza virus type B, adenovirus(Adv), human respiratory syncytial virus, human bocavirus and human metapneumovirus] by PCR. In addition, fasting venous blood was collected in the morning for Adv Ig G antibody detection. During the three months of training, the recruits were monitored for symptoms of respiratory infection, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from those with an axillary temperature ≥38℃ and other respiratory symptoms within 4 h of symptom onset. Samples were further examined by PCR.Results: Among the 795 effective nasopharyngeal swab samples collected during survey, two cases of group C type 1 Adv were identified by PCR. During the 3 months of training, fever and respiratory symptoms occurred in 39 recruits(incidence rate of 4.9%) and 5 cases of Adv were detected(positive rate of 12.8%). Genotyping showed 3 cases of type 4 Adv and 2 of type 3 Adv. No type 7, 14 or 55 Adv was detected. The Adv-Ig G positive rate of recruits was 48.2%. Among the 5 Adv positive cases with fever and respiratory symptoms, 4 were Adv-Ig G positive.Conclusion: The pathogen carrier rate in recruits was low, and only group C Adv, which causes mild infection in humans, was detected. No respiratory outbreak was observed at the recruit training site, and sporadic cases were mainly caused by type 3 and type 4 Adv.

Probabilistic Antibiotic Therapy in the Infectious Diseases Department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital (CHU-YO) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Introduction: In Burkina Faso, as in most developing countries, limited access to biological tests forces practitioners to resort very often to probabilistic antibiotic therapy. The objective of this study is to determine the extent of this prescription. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases department in the period from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2020. The records of patients who received probabilistic antibiotic therapy were included. Results: During the study period, 330 patients had received probabilistic antibiotic therapy. The majority of patients were male (53%), with a sex ratio of 1.12. The mean age of the patients was 33 years ± 14. The age range of 20 to 40 years was the most represented (42%). Fifteen percent (15%) of patients were living with HIV. The majority of patients were from urban areas (56.4%). Forty-nine percent (49%) of the patients worked in the informal sector. Clinically, the reasons for consultation were dominated by fever, alteration of general condition, neurological disorders, digestive disorders, respiratory signs, urinary signs and diffuse pain. The physical examination showed that 48.1% of the patients had meningeal irritation syndrome, 10% had convulsions and 10% had focal signs, trismus was present in 4% of the patients and facial paralysis in 3%. In the digestive system, hepatomegaly was present in 29% of patients and digestive candidiasis in 31%. Respiratory examination showed crepitus and fluid effusion syndrome in 26.83% and 20.62% of patients respectively. The presumptive diagnosis was dominated by bacterial meningitis, salmonellosis and bronchopneumonia with banal germs. In terms of treatment, the beta-lactam family of drugs was the most prescribed. They were followed by aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. The evolution was marked by the death of 50 patients (15%). Conclusion: The most prescribed molecules belong to the family of Beta-lactam. And this prescription improved the outcome of patients. Bacterial susceptibility studies will allow better orientation of probabilistic antibiotic therapy in order to limit the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria.

Microbiological Assessment and Antimicrobials’ Use in an Infectious Diseases Department in Mali

The use of antimicrobials without microbiological proof is frequent and contributes to the emergence of resistance. The aim was to identify the organisms isolated during laboratory examinations and the type of antimicrobials consumed by patients hospitalized to Infectious Diseases’ Clinic. This is a cross-sectional and analytical study, carried out from January 1 to December 31, 2017 in the Infectious Diseases Department of Point “G” Teaching Hospital in Mali. All biological specimens from patients during the study period were analyzed. In total, 322 patients benefited from microbiological test, with a mean age of 40.9 ± 12.2 years (range 15 and 74 years) with a sex ratio of 0.93. Only 5.6% of patients were HIV negative. In all participants, a total of 658 microbiological specimen were taken, 224 (34.0%) identified at least one pathogen including bacteria in more than a half of the cases (58.5%). On the report of bacteriological analysis, the most frequently identified organisms were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (42.2%) mainly in sputum;Escherichia coli (24.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.8%) commonly in urine and Gardnerella vaginalis (7.0%) exclusively in vaginal secretions. Candida albicans (5/8) and Cryptococcus neoformans (3/8) were the most common fungi while Plasmodium falciparum (96.4%) represented the parasite frequently found in blood. From a therapeutic standpoint, 1143 antimicrobials were prescribed to 322 admitted patients, i.e. 3.55 anti-infectives per patient. Antibiotics (excluding tuberculosis drugs), antiparasitics and antifungals represented respectively 46.2%;18.8% and 15.1% of anti-infectives. Antibiotic therapy was effective in 274 (85.1%) patients and among them, only 76 (27.7%) cases were based on microbiological evidence. Antibiotics are the most widely used antimicrobials in an infectious disease department. Empiric treatments are common but must be minimized by the search for microbiological evidence.

Establishment of a Predictive Model Related to Pathogen Invasion for Infectious Diseases and Its Diagnostic Value in Fever of Unknown Origin

The present study aimed to establish a list of parameters indicative of pathogen invasion and develop a predictive model to distinguish the etiologies of fever of unknown origin (FUO) into infectious and non-infectious causes.From January 2014 to September 2017,431 patients with FUO were prospectively enrolled in the study population.This study established a list of 26 variables from the following 4aspects:host factors,epidemiological factors,behavioral factors,and iatrogenic factors.Predefined predicted variables were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis to develop a predictive model.The predictive model and the corresponding scoring system were developed using data from the confirmed diagnoses and 9 variables were eventually identified.These factors were incorporated into the predictive model.This model discriminated between infectious and non-infectious causes of FUO with an AUC of 0.72,sensitivity of 0.71, and specificity of 0.63.The predictive model and corresponding scoring system based on factors concerning pathogen invasion appear to be reliable screening tools to discriminate between infectious and non-infectious causes of FUO.

An overview of travel-associated central nervous system infectious diseases:risk assessment,general considerations and future directions

Nervous system infections are among the most important diseases in travellers.Healthy travellers might be exposed to infectious agents of central nervous system,which may require in-patient care.Progressive course is not uncommon in this family of disorders and requires swift diagnosis.An overview of the available evidence in the field is.therefore,Urgent to pave the way to increase the awareness of travel-medicine practitioners and highlights dark areas for future research.In November 2013,data were collected from PubMed,Scopus,and Web of knowledge(1980 to2013) including books,reviews,and peer-reviewed literature,Works pertained to pre-travel care,interventions,vaccinations related neurological infections were retrieved.Here we provide information on pre-travel care,vaccination,chronic nervous system disorders,and post-travel complications.Recommendations with regard to knowledge gaps,and state-of-the-art research are made.Given an increasing number of international travellers,novel dynamic ways are available for physicians to monitor spread of central nervous system infections.Newer research has made great progresses in developing newer medications,detecting the spread of infections and the public awareness.Despite an ongoing scientific discussion in the field of travel medicine,further research is required for vaccine development,state-of-the-art laboratory tests,and genetic engineering of vectors.

Short Term Prediction of Infectious Diseases Patients from Prescription Surveillance

In Japan, the incidence of almost all common pediatric infectious diseases has been monitored, with 7 - 10 day delays, at medical institutions through the National Official Sentinel Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (NOSSID). On the other hand, based on prescriptions filled at external pharmacies, Prescription Surveillance (PS) collects information and provides estimated numbers of influenza, varicella, and gastroenteritis infectious (GI) patients to the public the following morning. For precise, and real-time estimation of incidences of common pediatric infectious diseases, we evaluated predictive power of PS for diseases other than influenza, varicella, and GI. Results demonstrated that PS information has sufficient predictive power for pharyngoconjunctival fever, group A streptococcal pharyngitis, exanthem subitum, and mumps, some predictive power for RS virus infection, erythema infectiosum and herpangina, but insufficient predictive power for hand, foot and mouth disease.

Application of DDG-3300K Liver Reserve Function Analyzer and Relevant Nursing Procedures at the Department of Infectious Diseases

Objective: To discuss some key points about nursing in the use of DDG-3300K liver reserve function analyzer in patients at the department of infectious diseases. Method: DDG-3300K liver reserve function analyzer was applied to 5464 patients at the department of infectious diseases. The reasons for failed detection and complications related to the detection were analyzed, and the measures for improving the nursing procedures were proposed. Result: Among the 5464 patients, the detections were successful at the first attempt in 5458 patients;2 patients had leakage of liquid;2 patients were poorly prepared, and 1 case failed because of mistaken selection of CO mode, which led to adverse drug reactions;1 case did not finish the detection due to anaphylactic shock;8 patients had nausea and 6 patients had skin rash on the four limbs and torso during the detection. Conclusion: It is necessary to formulate the nursing procedures for the use of DDG-3300K liver reserve function analyzer. Moreover, preparatory work, health education, refined nursing procedures and skillful operations are closely related to the success rate and accuracy of the detection.

Conceptual Comparison of Infectious Diseases of TIBBE-AKBARI and Modern Medicine: Akhlat and Mezaj Theory

Background: Treating infectious diseases (ID) is the priority of health systems. Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) has diagnostic and preventive comments in most diseases. Readout TPM gives opportunity to know the viewpoints of ancient Iranian scholars for using these opinions in treating ID. In this regard returning to TPM options and modalities can be useful at least as complementary method in treating ID. For understanding the concepts of ID in TPM first of all it is needed to trace ID in TPM and translate them into western medicine language which is the goal of this report. Methodology: This research includes 80 ID mentioned in TIBBE-AKBARI (one of Persian Medicine textbook) for rewriting and comparing with conventional medicine findings. Findings: The majority of clinical signs, symptoms and physical examinations of ID are comparable with modern medicine except the viewpoint of TPM about aetiology which is based on Akhlat and Mezaj theory. By considering no option for antibiotic therapy in ancients time so there is a completely different opinion in treating ID with modern medicine. Conclusion: IDs have different names in TPM and conventional medicine. In contrast to modern medicine in which micro-organism are as etiologic agents, Akhlat and Mezaj theory of TPM has main role for description of ID, the subject which must to be decoded. Although they have completely different opinions in treatment, but with regard to the increasing of antibiotic resistance issue, TPM treatment comments may be useful in future in ID as complementary method beside antibiotics.

Fast infectious diseases diagnostics based on microfuidic biochip system

Molecular diagnostics is one of the most important tools currently in use for clinical pathogen detection due to its high sensitivity,specificity,and low consume of sample and reagent is keyword to low cost molecular diagnostics.In this paper,a sensitive DNA isothermal amplifi-cation method for fast clinical infectious diseases diagnostics at aM concentrations of DNA was developed using a polycarbonate(PC)microfuidic chip.A portable confocal optical fuo-rescence detector was specifically developed for the microfuidic chip that was capable of highly sensitive real-time detection of amplified products for sequence-specific molecular identification near the optical diffraction limit with low background.The molecular diagnostics of Listeria monocytogenes with nucleic acid extracted from stool samples was performed at a minimum DNA template concentration of 3.65 aM,and a detection limit of less than five copies of genomic DNA.Contrast to the general polymerase chain reaction(PCR)at eppendorf(EP)tube,the detection time in our developed method was reduced from 1.5h to 45 min for multi-target parallel detection,the consume of sample and reagent was dropped from 25μL to 1.45μL.This novel microfuidic chip system and method can be used to develop a micro total analysis system as a clinically relevant pathogen molecular diagnostics method via the amplification of targets,with potential applications in biotechnology,medicine,and clinical molecular diagnostics.

What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases?

Launching of the World Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases(WJCID)could have been possible due to efforts of the publisher,members of the editorial board,all the authors and definitely our readers.I congratulate everyone for making it possible.Pathogenic organisms of various origin cause infectious diseases often resulting in symptomatic illness.WJCID is an open access peer reviewed journal that will be published bimonthly.WJCID will primarily emphasize on topics relevant to infections affecting human and animal health yet articles from other diseases and relevant issues will also be encouraged.WJCID welcomes articles from either basic or applied research in different disciplines like Epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable infections,Immunology and Genetics.WJCID covers topics like Host-Parasites interactions,Vector biology,development of advanced tools for diagnosis,genetic susceptibility to diseases,and disease prevention and vector control.WJCID will work as an important resource of basic and applied research in the field of infections.It is widely recommended that clinical implementations of basic and applied research be encouraged for the benefit to each stream.So again I welcome everyone and assure that WJCID will be a great platform where you can feel free to share your valuable results,discuss new hypothesis and research problems and update yourself with the most recent advancements made in the field of infections.

Parasitosis Diagnosed in the Infectious Diseases Department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital from 2010 to 2022: Epidemiological, Clinical and Evolutionary Aspects

Introduction: Parasitic diseases remain a public health problem in Burkina Faso, as they are in other developing countries. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and evolutionary characteristics of parasitosis diagnosed in the infectious diseases department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital. Patients and Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection during the period from January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2022. Results: From January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2022, a total of 2829 patients were admitted to the infectious diseases department of the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital in Ouagadougou. Among them, 624 patients suffered from parasitic pathologies, representing a hospital prevalence of 22%. The patients were predominantly male with a sex ratio of 1.1. The average age was 34 years ± 11. Most patients (74.7%) lived in the capital city of Ouagadougou. Ten percent (10%) of the patients with parasitosis were infected with HIV (PLHIV). Out of a total of 624 cases of parasitosis, protozoosis represented 97%, of which 80% were malaria cases. Clinical signs were dominated by neurological signs, digestive signs and dehydration. Comorbidities were dominated by HIV infection, tuberculosis and digestive candidiasis. Under treatment, the evolution was marked by a lethality of 10%. Conclusion: Protozoosis were the most frequently diagnosed. They were dominated by malaria and opportunistic parasitosis during AIDS. These results argue for a revitalization of voluntary HIV testing and careful management of PLHIV.

Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) for the Prevention of HIV Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) at Roosevelt Hospital's Infectious Diseases Clinic in Guatemala: The Role of (LPV/r) Standard Dose

Introduction: The transmission of HIV from mother to child is reported from 30% to 40% without any intervention [1]. When all the measures for prevention are implemented, including treatment with HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment), the rate of infection can be reduced between 1% and 2% [2]. In Guatemala, the statistics demonstrated an estimated of 20,000 women living with HIV virus infection during the period of 2009. In this scenario, mother to child HIV transmission is an important public health fact. In preliminary reports, there is strong evidence of the impact of preventing mother to child transmission with Lopinavir/Ritonavir in Guatemala is showing a small incidence of new HIV infections and good tolerance [3,4]. Objective: To evaluate the effect of HAART with Lopinavir/Ritonavir on the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMCT) in HIV-positive pregnant women at Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala City. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis study. The detection of pregnant HIV positive women and the follow up period was from January 2003 to December 2009, and a total of 219 women completed the follow up time. The HIV diagnosis and follow up for the child was made with molecular testing and antibody testing up to 18 months of age or until testing was negative. Adherence was quantified by pill counts. The interventions where offered to all the women in the cohort. Results: Regarding the pregnancy outcome, the study cohort gave a rate of abortion of 2.3%;10.6% of preterm births and 79.6% normal births. Of the 202/219 children born, there was a 1.4% rate of transmission (n = 3). The three infected children were born from mothers with high basal viral loads (xxx C/mL or higher). There were no serious adverse events related to antiretroviral therapy with Lopinavir/Ritonavir, with a 6.1% of non serious adverse events, most of them of gastrointestinal type, and anemia. Conclusions: The rate of transmission of HIV from mother to child was low in this population (1.4%), comparable to findings from similar studies [4]. Lopinavir/Ritonavir was well tolerated in this cohort and no serious adverse events in this population were reported.

Enterobacterial Infections Diagnosed at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of Fann Hospital (2013-2014) Dakar, Senegal

Introduction: Entero bacteria are mainly found in the gut of man and animals. The frequent acquisition of antibiotic resistance mechanisms explains why they are the bacteria most often implicated in human infectious pathology. It is estimated to be involved in 50% of sepsis, 60% of enteritis, 70% of urinary tract infection case. Objective: To determine the prevalence of enterobacterial infections diagnosed at Fann Infectious Diseases Clinic, and describe their epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective and descriptive study, on patients hospitalized from January 2013 to December 2014, at Fann Infectious Diseases Clinic, with bacteriological confirmation of an enterobacteria infection. Results: A total of 129 cases were collected during the study period. The average age was 41 years, and female were predominant (60%) with a sex ratio of 0.67. Comorbidity was found in 88.4% of the cases, most of which were HIV infection. The most common clinical signs were infectious syndrome (53.49%) and general impairment (40.31%). The main gateway was urinary (55.8%). Samples were monomicrobial in 76.7% of cases. Klebsiella and Escherichia were the most common and 68.7% of the subjects had probabilistic treatment. Most enterobacterial strains were resistant to third generation cephalosporins (C3G), aminoglycosides to ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole. Aside from 4% of them, all were sensitive to imipenem. Conclusion: The advent of antibiotics has brought hope in the treatment of enterobacterial infections. However, an increase in their resistance to the usual antibiotics has been noted in recent years. As a result, the fight against antibiotic resistance must be a priority.

Modulation of monocyte subsets in infectious diseases

Monocytes are effector immune cells but a precise anal-ysis of their role in immune response has been preclud-ed by their heterogeneity. Indeed, human monocytesare composed of at least three different subsets withdifferent phenotypic characteristics and functional prop-erties, the so-called classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes. A review of the literature showsthat these monocyte subsets are differently affectedduring viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections.The expansion of the CD16＋ compartment （intermedi-ate and non-classical monocytes） is typically observedin the majority of infectious diseases and the increasedproportion of CD16＋ monocytes is likely related totheir activation through their direct interaction with thepathogen or the infammatory context. In contrast, thenumber of non-classical and intermediate monocytesis decreased in Q fever endocarditis, suggesting thatcomplex mechanisms govern the equilibrium among monocyte subsets. The measurement of monocyte sub-sets would be useful in better understanding of the role of monocyte activation in the pathophysiology of infec-tious diseases.

A Clinical Analysis of 293 FUO Patients, A Diagnostic Model Discriminating infectious Diseases from Non-infectious Diseases

Objective A diagnostic model was established to discriminate infectious diseases from non-infectious diseases. Methods The clinical data of patients with fever of unknown origin(FUO) hospitalized in Xiangya Hospital Central South University, from January, 2006 to April, 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients enrolled were divided into two groups. The first group was used to develop a diagnostic model: independent variables were recorded and considered in a logistic regression analysis to identify infectious and non-infectious diseases(αin = 0.05, αout = 0.10). The second group was used to evaluate the diagnostic model and make ROC analysis.Results The diagnostic rate of 143 patients in the first group was 87.4%, the diagnosis included infectious disease(52.4%), connective tissue diseases(16.8%), neoplastic disease(16.1%) and miscellaneous(2.1%). The diagnostic rate of 168 patients in the second group was 88.4%, and the diagnosis was similar to the first group. Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased white blood cell count(WBC < 4.0×109/L), higher lactate dehydrogenase level(LDH > 320 U/L) and lymphadenectasis were independent risk factors associated with non-infectious diseases. The odds ratios were 14.74, 5.84 and 5.11(P ≤ 0.01), respectively. In ROC analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of the positive predictive values was 62.1% and 89.1%, respectively, while that of negative predicting values were 75% and 81.7%, respectively(AUC = 0.76, P = 0.00).Conclusions The combination of WBC < 4.0×109/L, LDH > 320 U/L and lymphadenectasis may be useful in discriminating infectious diseases from non-infectious diseases in patients hospitalized as FUO.

Message from Editor-in-Chief:Write a New Chapter of Infectious Diseases&Immunity in Concerted Efforts

Infectious Diseases&Immunity(IDI)is with you to welcome in the New Year.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the experts,editorial board members,and reviewers whose dedicated efforts have contributed to the development of IDI.We also express our appreciation to every reader and author who has shown interest in the progress of IDI.Our best wishes for the New Year to all!IDI was inaugurated in April 2021 and has successfully published 11 consecutive issues.

Diagnosing and reintegrating traceability of infectious diseases via metagenomic next-generation sequencing:Study of a severe case of Rickettsia japonica infection

Background:In this study,we present a case of Japanese spotted fever(JSF)caused by Rickettsia japonica and use this case to investigate the process of diagnosing and reintegrating traceability of infectious diseases via metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS).Methods:From data relating to epidemiological history,clinical and laboratory examinations,and mNGS se-quencing,a diagnosis of severe JSF was concluded.Results:A detailed field epidemiological investigation discovered parasitic Haemaphysalis longicornis from a host animal(dog)in the domicile of the patient,within which R.japonica was detected,along with a diverse array of other potentially pathogenic microorganisms that could cause other infectious diseases.Conclusion:The mNGS provided an efficient method to diagnose JSF infection.This methodology could also be applied to field epidemiological investigations to establish the traceability of infectious diseases.