Viral Infections

Sexually transmitted infections in Ghana: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kungu F, Awere-Duodu A, Donkor ES · BMC infectious diseases · 2026

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant public health challenge in Ghana, with varying prevalence across regions and populations. A nationwide synthesis of STI burden and risk factors is lacking, hindering targeted interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined STI prevalence, risk factors, and distribution patterns across the country, providing data to support SDG 3 and inform effective public health interventions. We conducted literature searches using the PubMed repository and three databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Eligible studies were observational studies that reported STI prevalence based on clinical diagnosis across Ghana. The quality of the included studies was assessed using standardized JBI checklists for prevalence studies. Random-effects meta-analysis with a 95% confidence interval was performed to estimate pooled prevalence and conduct subgroup analyses. The pooled STI prevalence was 7.5%. Urban areas exhibited

Viral infections and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases: a comprehensive meta-analysis and systematic review.

Liu RY, Yin KF, He SY, Su WM, Duan QQ, Wen XJ · Translational psychiatry · 2025

Viral infections have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs); however, evidence linking specific viruses to Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains inconclusive. This study conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to investigate these associations. Thorough searches were conducted across Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus until May 18, 2025, to identify observational studies investigating the relationship between viral infections and the risk of NDs, including AD, PD, and ALS. Meta-analyses were executed using a random-effects model with Stata MP18.0. A total of 34,417 articles were identified, of which 73 met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, and 48 were included in the systematic review. The analysis demonstrated that infections with cytomegalovirus (CMV) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.9

Systematic review and meta-analysis of respiratory viral triggers for acute myocardial infarction and stroke.

Nguyen TQ, Vlasenko D, Shetty AN, Zhao E, Reid CM, Clothier HJ · Cardiovascular research · 2025

Respiratory viral infections may trigger acute cardiovascular events. However, relative pathogen-specific associations are poorly understood, limiting optimal preventive recommendations. The aim of this study was to systematically review the association between respiratory viruses with two primary outcomes, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science, from database inception to 26 August 2024. Analytical epidemiological studies of respiratory viruses identified by laboratory-confirmatory testing, involving human participants of any age in any country, were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration approach. Data from studies of sufficient quality and homogeneity were pooled using a random-effects model. Certainty of the evidence was assessed for each identified viral trigger. Of 11 017 articles identified, we included a total of 48 studies published between 1978 and 2024. All we

Clinical, Immunological, and Genetic Features in Patients with NFKB1 and NFKB2 Mutations: a Systematic Review.

Fathi N, Nirouei M, Salimian Rizi Z, Fekrvand S, Abolhassani H, Salami F · Journal of clinical immunology · 2024 · n=397

Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) encompass various diseases with diverse clinical and immunological symptoms. Determining the genotype-phenotype of different variants in IEI entity precisely is challenging, as manifestations can be heterogeneous even in patients with the same mutated gene. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review of patients recorded with NFKB1 and NFKB2 mutations, two of the most frequent monogenic IEIs. The search for relevant literature was conducted in databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Information encompassing demographic, clinical, immunological, and genetic data was extracted from cases reported with mutations in NFKB1 and NFKB2. The comprehensive features of manifestations in patients were described, and a comparative analysis of primary characteristics was conducted between individuals with NFKB1 loss of function (LOF) and NFKB2 (p52-LOF/IκBδ-gain of function (GOF)) variants. A total of 397 patients were includ

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19: A Systematic Review.

SeyedAlinaghi S, Karimi A, Pashaei Z, Shobeiri P, Janfaza N, Behnezhad F · Infectious disorders drug targets · 2023

SARS-CoV-2 cause pneumonia can spread across the lung and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe cases. Post-exposure prophylaxis has shown great potential to prevent the transmission of some viral infections; however, such results for COVID-19 are still inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically review the resources that utilized postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for COVID-19 and the possible clinical benefits of such drugs. An organized search of relevant literature was done using the keywords and search queries on public databases of Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus from December 2019 to August 23, 2021. Original resources that had the inclusion criteria were included after two-phase title/abstract and full-text screenings. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Out of 841 retrieved records 17 resources were appropriate to include in the systematic re

Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Post-Viral Syndromes, Including Long COVID: A Systematic Review.

Chandan JS, Brown KR, Simms-Williams N, Bashir NZ, Camaradou J, Heining D · International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023

Post-viral syndromes (PVS), including Long COVID, are symptoms sustained from weeks to years following an acute viral infection. Non-pharmacological treatments for these symptoms are poorly understood. This review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for PVS. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for PVS, as compared to either standard care, alternative non-pharmacological therapy, or placebo. The outcomes of interest were changes in symptoms, exercise capacity, quality of life (including mental health and wellbeing), and work capability. We searched five databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MedRxiv) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2001 to 29 October 2021. The relevant outcome data were extracted, the study quality was appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and the findings were synthesised narratively. Overall, five studies of

FIGO good practice recommendations: Assisted vaginal birth and the second stage of labor.

Ubom AE, Barnea ER, DiSimone N, Mueller M, Beyeza-Kashesya J, Nunes I · International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025

Cesarean birth (CB) rates are increasing globally, with a current prevalence of 21.1% and a projected prevalence of 28.5% by 2030. Conversely, assisted vaginal birth (AVB) rates are declining, with reported rates of less than 10% in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and 10%-15% in high-income countries (HICs). In some African countries, AVB rates are as low as <1%. Declining AVB rates are attributable to lack of appropriate skills, equipment, and trained personnel, especially in LMICs, fear of litigation, and misconceptions that CB is safer, paucity of local guidelines and policies encouraging AVB, and increasingly accessible, acceptable, and safer CB techniques, amongst others. Optimizing appropriate care and decision making around CB and mode of birth is now a public health priority, especially given the significantly higher morbidity and mortality associated with CB compared to vaginal birth. Increasing AVB rates can potentially reduce CB rates, therefore improving materni

Management of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Intensive Care Units: Guidelines From the Fungal Infection Network of Switzerland (FUNGINOS).

Lamoth F, Albrich WC, Ragozzino S, Bosetti D, Delaloye J, El Khoury C · Mycoses · 2025

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is increasingly recognised in intensive care units (ICU) affecting not only patients with classical immunosuppressive conditions but also other severely ill patients, including those with respiratory viral infections (influenza, COVID-19), advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or acute and chronic liver diseases. Several expert panels have proposed definitions of IPA in different ICU settings. However, practical recommendations for its diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are scarce. Moreover, these approaches can be influenced by different parameters that may vary across countries including the case mix of ICU patients, the incidence of IPA, the prevalence of azole resistance and the availability of diagnostic tests and antifungal drugs. For these reasons, the Fungal Infection Network of Switzerland (FUNGINOS) has appointed a panel of different specialists to develop a practical guideline for the management of IPA in ICU. This article p

Clinical practice guidelines for management of disseminated intravascular coagulation in Japan 2024: part 4-trauma, burn, obstetrics, acute pancreatitis/liver failure, and others.

Hayakawa M, Seki Y, Ikezoe T, Yamakawa K, Okamoto K, Kushimoto S · International journal of hematology · 2025

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a complex condition with diverse etiologies. While its association with sepsis has been widely studied, less focus has been given to DIC arising from other critical conditions, such as trauma, burns, acute pancreatitis, and obstetric complications. The 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines, developed by the Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (JSTH), aim to fill this gap and offer comprehensive recommendations for managing DIC across various conditions. This study, Part 4 of the guideline series, addresses DIC management in trauma, burns, obstetric complications, acute pancreatitis/liver failure, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases. For trauma-associated DIC, early administration of fresh-frozen plasma (FFP), coagulation factor concentrates such as fibrinogen and prothrombin complex concentrates, and tranexamic acid is recommended. The guidelines also highlight DIC in obstetrics, which is associated with massive bleeding, and

Rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil combination in patients with interstitial lung disease (EVER-ILD): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Mankikian J, Caille A, Reynaud-Gaubert M, Agier MS, Bermudez J, Bonniaud P · The European respiratory journal · 2023 · n=63

Standard of care for interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) pattern proposes mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as one of the first-step therapies while rituximab is used as rescue therapy. In a randomised, double-blind, two-parallel group, placebo-controlled trial (NCT02990286), patients with connective tissue disease-associated ILD or idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (with or without autoimmune features) and a NSIP pattern (defined on NSIP pathological pattern or on integration of clinicobiological data and a NSIP-like high-resolution computed tomography pattern) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive rituximab (1000 mg) or placebo on day 1 and day 15 in addition to MMF (2 g daily) for 6 months. The primary end-point was the change in percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) from baseline to 6 months analysed by a linear mixed model for repeated measures analysis. Secondary end-points included progression

BCG Vaccination Protects against Experimental Viral Infection in Humans through the Induction of Cytokines Associated with Trained Immunity.

Arts RJW, Moorlag SJCFM, Novakovic B, Li Y, Wang SY, Oosting M · Cell host & microbe · 2018

The tuberculosis vaccine bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has heterologous beneficial effects against non-related infections. The basis of these effects has been poorly explored in humans. In a randomized placebo-controlled human challenge study, we found that BCG vaccination induced genome-wide epigenetic reprograming of monocytes and protected against experimental infection with an attenuated yellow fever virus vaccine strain. Epigenetic reprogramming was accompanied by functional changes indicative of trained immunity. Reduction of viremia was highly correlated with the upregulation of IL-1β, a heterologous cytokine associated with the induction of trained immunity, but not with the specific IFNγ response. The importance of IL-1β for the induction of trained immunity was validated through genetic, epigenetic, and immunological studies. In conclusion, BCG induces epigenetic reprogramming in human monocytes in vivo, followed by functional reprogramming a

Prevention and treatment of viral respiratory infections by traditional Chinese herbs.

Wang X, Liu Z · Chinese medical journal · 2014

This review focuses on current knowledge of traditional Chinese herbs on prevention and treatment of viral respiratory infections, especially caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SARS) virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza viruses. The data used in this review were obtained from PubMed and CNKI up to May 2013. Terms of Chinese herbs and infections of respiratory tract were used in the search. Articles related that Chinese herbs preventing and treating infections in respiratory tract were retrieved and reviewed. The risk of bias of included studies was assessed by the method in the "Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reveiws of Interventionsand studies" with high risk of bias were excluded. Four criteria for selections were set as following: randomized controlled trial, particular effective compound or derivative, reproducible result and animal test. Infectious respiratory tract diseases cause most mortality among infectious illnesses around the world. As tradi

HLA-B*15:01-positive severe COVID-19 patients lack CD8(+) T cell pools with highly expanded public clonotypes.

Rowntree LC, Allen LF, Hagen RR, McQuilten HA, Quadeer AA, Chaurasia P · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025 · n=19

Understanding host factors driving asymptomatic versus severe disease outcomes is of key importance if we are to control emerging and re-emerging viral infections. HLA-B*15:01 has been associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in nonhospitalized individuals of European ancestry, with protective immunity attributed to preexisting cross-reactive CD8+ T-cells directed against HLA-B*15:01-restricted Spike-derived S919-927 peptide (B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells). However, fundamental questions remained on the abundance and clonotypic nature of CD8+ T-cell responses in HLA-B*15:01-positive patients who succumbed to life-threatening COVID-19. Here, we analyzed B15/S919+CD8+ T-cell responses in COVID-19 patients from independent HLA-typed COVID-19 patient cohorts across three continents, Australia, Asia and Europe. We assessed B15/S919+CD8+ T-cells in COVID-19 patients across disease outcomes ranging from asymptomatic to hospitalized critical illness. We found that severe/critical COVID-19 pat

CAR+ T-Cell Lymphoma after Cilta-cel Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory Myeloma.

Harrison SJ, Touzeau C, Kint N, Li K, Nguyen T, Mayeur-Rousse C · The New England journal of medicine · 2025

We describe two patients in whom malignant monoclonal T-cell lymphoproliferation developed after administration of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy with ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) in the phase 3 CARTITUDE-4 trial. Monoclonal T cells from both patients had detectable CAR transgene expression and integration. The clinicogenomic features of these CAR transgenic T-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasms suggest that multiple potential intrinsic or extrinsic factors (or both) contributed to their pathogenesis, such as transduction of preexisting TET2-mutated T cells, followed by acquisition of further oncogenic genomic variants. Other potential contributors include germline genomic variation, viral infections, and previous treatment for myeloma. In the absence of direct evidence, the contribution of insertional mutagenesis to the development of T-cell lymphoma is currently unclear. (Funded by Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech USA; CARTITUDE-4 ClinicalTrials.gov nu

Traditional, alternative, and emerging therapeutics for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Di Carlo S, Longhitano E, Spinella C, Maressa V, Casuscelli C, Peritore L · Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2025

Segmental focal glomerulosclerosis is a histological lesion characterized by podocyte damage. It may be a primary disease linked to an unknown circulating factor, secondary to viral infections, drug toxicity, or a disadaptive response to the loss of nephrons, or it may depend on gene mutations or have an indeterminate cause. The treatment of the primary form involves immunosuppressors. Additional pharmacotherapies for residual proteinuria are used, and emerging therapies are being studied to target other pathological pathways. This paper covers the treatment of FSGS, focusing on traditional and emerging therapeutic strategies. It is based on the KDIGO 2021 guidelines and supplemented by a literature search conducted on PubMed. Treating FSGS is challenging due to its heterogeneity. Immunosuppression is adequate for primary FSGS but harmful in genetic or secondary forms. Key strategies include targeting the underlying cause and using agents that affect renal hemodynamics. Antifibrotic

Viral Hepatitis

CDC

The CDC's Viral Hepatitis section offers comprehensive information on different types of viral hepatitis, including statistics, prevention, and treatment options.

Infectious diseases

WHO

The WHO's infectious diseases section covers a wide range of diseases, including many viral infections, providing global health information, statistics, and public health guidance.

Elderberry

NCCIH

This NCCIH page provides a broad overview of elderberry, discussing its traditional uses, what the science says about its effectiveness for various conditions including colds and flu, and potential safety concerns. It emphasizes that research on elderberry's health effects is limited.

A Comparative Randomized Clinical Study on Covid-19 Positive Hospitalized Patients Supplemented With NASAFYTOL

n=51 · NCT04844658 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect and safety of NASAFYTOL® on COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients as a supportive supplementation to standard-of-care in improving clinical parameters safely during hospital admission (maximum 14 days). The study is a standard-of-care comparative, open, parallel two-arms and randomized trial in 50 adult patients positive to COVID-19 infection and hospitalized. It will be monocentric but may be extended to several investigation sites (multicentric) depending on the evolution of the epidemic within the hospitals.

Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Single Dose, Parallel Group Study Evaluating Efficacy and Safety of 1000 mg Acetylsalicylic Acid and 1000 mg Paracetamol in Adult Patients With Sore Throat Associated With a Common Cold

n=508 · NCT01465009 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of 1000 mg Aspirin (study medication) by comparing 1000 mg Paracetamol (study medication) in treating the symptoms of sore throat associated with a common cold. The study is designed to develop a treatment method against sore throat associated with a common cold which will have more advantages for patients than the methods that are currently available.

A Phase 1, Single Center, Open-label Study of PF-07321332 Administrated as Multiple Oral Doses in Healthy Chinese Participants.

n=14 · NCT05339334 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

The purpose of this Phase 1 clinical trial is to help us understand how the drug is changed and eliminated from your body after you take it, the safety, and the the extent to which dise effects can be tolerated of PF-07321332 when PF-07321332 and ritonavir are given to healthy adult Chinese participants.

Viral Infections

TRIP Database

TRIP Database is a clinical search engine that allows users to find high-quality evidence for clinical practice, including resources on viral infections.

Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold

Cochrane

This Cochrane systematic review assesses the effects of vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold based on randomized controlled trials. It provides a synthesis of the available evidence.

TRIP Database Viral Infections

TRIP Database

TRIP Database is a clinical search engine that allows users to find high-quality evidence, including guidelines, systematic reviews, and synopses, related to viral infections. It aggregates evidence from various sources.