HIV and HCV:from Co-infection to Epidemiology,Transmission,Pathogenesis,and Treatment

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the infectious agent causing acquired immu-nodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),a deadliest scourge of human society. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major causative agent of chronic liver disease and infects an estimated 170 million people worldwide,resulting in a serious public health burden. Due to shared routes of transmission,co-infection with HIV and HCV has become common among individuals who had high risks of blood exposures. Among hemophiliacs the co-infection rate accounts for 85%; while among injection drug users (IDU) the rate can be as high as 90%. HIV can accelerate the progression of HCV-related liver disease,particularly when immunodeficiency has developed. Although the effect of HCV on HIV infection is controversial,most studies showed an increase in mortality due to liver disease. HCV may act as a direct cofactor to fasten the progression of AIDS and decrease the tolerance of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HARRT). Conversely,HAART-related hepatotoxicity may enhance the progression of liver fibrosis. Due to above complications,co-infection with HCV and HIV-1 has imposed a critical challenge in the management of these patients. In this review,we focus on the epidemiology and transmission of HIV and HCV,the impact of the two viruses on each other,and their treatment.

Malaria:elimination tale from Yunnan Province of China and new challenges for reintroduction

Background::Eradication of infectious disease is the sanctified public health and sustainable development goal around the world.Main body::Three antimalarial barriers were developed to control imported malarial cases,and an effective surveillance strategy known as the"1-3-7 approach"was developed to eliminate malaria from the Chinese population.From 2011 to 2019,5254 confirmed malaria cases were reported and treated in Yunnan Province,China.Among them,4566 cases were imported from other countries,and 688 cases were indigenous from 2011 to 2016.Since 2017,no new local malarial case has been reported in China.Thus,malaria has been completely eliminated in Yunnan Province.However,malaria is detected in overseas travellers on a regular basis,such as visitors from neighbouring Myanmar.Conclusion::Hence,the strategies should be further strengthened to maintain a robust public health infrastructure for disease surveillance and vector control programs in border areas.Such programs should be supported technically and financially by the government to avert the possibility of a malarial resurgence in Yunnan Province.

The Susceptibility of Primary Dermis Fibroblasts from the Chinese Tree Shrew to Human Cytomegalovirus Infection

As a universal pathogen leading to neonatal defects and transplant failure,human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)has strict species specificity and this has prevented the development of a suitable animal model for the pathogenesis study.The mechanism of cross-species barrier remains elusive and there are so far no non-human cell culture models that support HCMV replication.The Chinese tree shrew(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)is a small laboratory animal and evolutionary closely related with primates.We investigated the susceptibility of primary tree shrew dermis fibroblasts(TSDF)to HCMV infection.Infection with a GFP-expressing HCMV virus resulted in green fluorescence in infected cells with the expression of IE1,UL44 and pp28.The titers of cell-free viruses reached 10^3 PFU/mL at 96 hpi,compared to titers of 10^4 PFU/mL observed in primary human foreskin fibroblasts.Our results suggested that TSDF was semi-permissive for HCMV infection.The TSDF model could be further used to investigate key factors influencing cross-species multiplication of HCMV.