Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Italy: The Role of Veterinary Public Health Institutes

Lorusso, Alessio; Calistri, Paolo; Savini, Giovanni; Morelli, Daniela; Ambrosij, Lucio; Migliorati, Giacomo; D’Alterio, Nicola

doi:10.3390/v13040549

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The analysis was limited up to 15 December 2020 in order to avoid the interference with the B.1.1.7 lineage (VOC 202012/01) of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases detected for the first time in Abruzzo in that period [6].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiological Significance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dynamic in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs

et al. 2021

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From 16 March to 15 December 2020, 132,357 naso-pharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs were collected in the province of Teramo, Abruzzo Region, Italy, and tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA by a commercially available molecular assay. A total of 12,880 swabs resulted positive. For 8212 positive patients (4.150 women and 4.062 men) the median age was statistically different between women (median: 49.55 ± 23.9 of SD) and men (median: 48.35 ± 23.5 of SD) while no differences were found in the comparison between the cycle threshold for the N protein-encoding gene (CT N) median values and gender. Differences were observed in the CT N gene median values of swabs collected from March to September as well as in the pairwise comparison between September and October and between November and December. The CT N gene median values observed in specific periods characterizing the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in 2020 were also compared with the incidence of COVID-19 cases; a strong inverse correlation was highlighted (Pearson correlation coefficient = −0.978). Our findings confirm the usefulness of the CT N values as an indirect detection parameter to monitor viral loads in the population.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiological Significance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dynamic in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs

et al. 2021

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“…The considered cases referred to the first wave of COVID 19. They were enrolled in the period March–November 2020 when the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 were not yet widespread throughout our Italian Region (Emilia-Romagna) [ 12 ].…”

Section: Clinical Data For the Pregnant Women And Newbornsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 in pregnancy: placental pathological patterns and effect on perinatal outcome in five cases

et al. 2021

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Introduction COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is a severe systemic thrombotic syndrome that emerged in 2019, with an ensuing pandemic. To evaluate the impact of this disease on placental tissue and perinatal outcome, histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses of placental tissue were performed for five cases of pregnant women with COVID-19. Case reports All five pregnant women in this series developed COVID-19 in late pregnancy. Two patients experienced respiratory distress, and computed tomography revealed signs of pneumonia, with bilateral involvement, multiple lobular and subsegmental areas of consolidation and ground-glass opacities. Histological studies of placental tissue revealed the presence of slight signs of maternal vascular underperfusion (MVUs) or foetal vascular underperfusion (FVUs) lesions and mild inflammatory lesions. CD15 immunoreactivity in the placental tissue was low in all cases, demonstrating that in these cases there was not severe foetal hypoxia/asphyxia risk for newborns or distal vascular immaturity. In all cases examined, ultrastructural analyses showed spherical-like coronavirus particles with an electron intermediate-density core as well as projections from the surface as spike-like structures in the syncytiotrophoblasts. At term, all of the women delivered newborns who were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal testing in their first day of life. All newborns were exclusively breastfed and were discharged on the 3rd day of life. Conclusions In conclusion, placental patterns in pregnancy due to COVID-19 in the late stage of gestation indicate no evidence of vertical trans-placental SARS-CoV-2 transmission or a significant impact on the perinatal outcome of newborns, in both mild and more severe cases.

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“…The cases, of which only five were symptomatic, belonged to two families living in Lanciano (Abruzzo region), linked by means of two teenagers attending the same class. Interestingly, two swab samples collected from scholars of the same school on March 2 and 3, respectively, showed the +/-/+ diagnostic pattern, a feature that, with the adopted molecular assay, is strongly suggestive of the B.1.1.7 lineage, which was widespread in the area [ 23 , 24 ]. Thus, the cluster B cases were not likely linked to those occurring at school.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple detection and spread of novel strains of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.177 (B.1.177.75) lineage that test negative by a commercially available nucleocapsid gene real-time RT-PCR

Amato

Jurisic

Puglia

et al. 2021

Emerging Microbes & Infections

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Several lineages of SARS-CoV-2 are currently circulating worldwide. During SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic activities performed in Abruzzo region (central Italy) several strains belonging to the B.1.177.75 lineage tested negative for the N gene but positive for the ORF1ab and S genes (+/+/- pattern) by the TaqPath COVID-19 CE-IVD RT-PCR Kit manufactured by Thermofisher. By sequencing, a unique mutation, synonymous 28948C > T, was found in the N-negative B.1.177.75 strains. Although we do not have any knowledge upon the nucleotide sequences of the primers and probe adopted by this kit, it is likely that N gene dropout only occurs when 28948C > T is coupled with 28932C > T, this latter present, in turn, in all B.1.177.75 sequences available on public databases. Furthermore, epidemiological analysis was also performed. The majority of the N-negative B.1.177.75 cases belonged to two clusters apparently unrelated to each other and both clusters involved young people. However, the phylogeny for sequences containing the +/+/- pattern strongly supports a genetic connection and one common source for both clusters. Though, genetic comparison suggests a connection rather than indicating the independent emergence of the same mutation in two apparently unrelated clusters. This study highlights once more the importance of sharing genomic data to link apparently unrelated epidemiological clusters and to, remarkably, update molecular tests.

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Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Italy: The Role of Veterinary Public Health Institutes

Cited by 7 publications

References 10 publications

Epidemiological Significance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dynamic in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs

Epidemiological Significance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dynamic in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs

COVID-19 in pregnancy: placental pathological patterns and effect on perinatal outcome in five cases

Multiple detection and spread of novel strains of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.177 (B.1.177.75) lineage that test negative by a commercially available nucleocapsid gene real-time RT-PCR

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