Meheadi Hasan Rumi

Bangladesh is a well-known epidemic zone for dengue fever. Several epidemiological and geographical factors influence the transmission and severity of dengue infection. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and geographical factors that contributed to the severity of the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh in 2023. This hospital-based cross-sectional study investigated 1,313 dengue patients admitted to public hospitals in Dhaka, Chattogram and Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, between July and December 2023. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the independent risk factors for severe dengue infection. The average age of respondents was 29.5 years, with individuals aged 20–40 accounting for 59.5%. Of the 1,313 dengue patients, 19.3% (254) were diagnosed with severe dengue infection. Patients with low monthly income and those lacking awareness of dengue’s spread from clogged rooftop water were respectively 2.35 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.35; P P <0.05; 95% CI: 1.20–4.14) times more likely to develop severe dengue. The dengue outbreak has become a serious public health issue in Bangladesh, with factors such as low family income and lack of awareness contributing to the development of severe cases. These findings provide valuable evidence for policymakers to guide and implement preventive measures and raise awareness.

Typhoid fever caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi gained resistance through multidrug-resistant S. typhi strains. One of the reasons behind β-lactam antibiotic resistance is -lactamase. L, D-Transpeptidases is responsible for typhoid fever as it is involved in toxin release that results in typhoid fever in humans. A molecular modeling study of these targeted proteins was carried out by various methods, such as homology modeling, active site prediction, prediction of disease-causing regions, and by analyzing the potential inhibitory activities of curcumin analogs by targeting these proteins to overcome the antibiotic resistance. The five potent drug candidate compounds were identified to be natural ligands that can inhibit those enzymes compared to controls in our research. The binding affinity of both the Go-Y032 and NSC-43319 were found against β-lactamase was −7.8 Kcal/mol in AutoDock, whereas, in SwissDock, the binding energy was −8.15 and −8.04 Kcal/mol, respectively. On the other hand, the Cyclovalone and NSC-43319 had an equal energy of −7.60 Kcal/mol in AutoDock, whereas −7.90 and −8.01 Kcal/mol in SwissDock against L, D-Transpeptidases. After the identification of proteins, the determination of primary and secondary structures, as well as the gene producing area and homology modeling, was accomplished. The screened drug candidates were further evaluated in ADMET, and pharmacological properties along with positive drug-likeness properties were observed for these ligand molecules. However, further in vitro and in vivo experiments are required to validate these in silico data to develop novel therapeutics against antibiotic resistance.

The newly identified SARS-CoV-2 has now been reported from around 183 countries with more than a million confirmed human cases including more than 68000 deaths. The genomes of SARS-COV-2 strains isolated from different parts of the world are now available and the unique features of constituent genes and proteins have gotten substantial attention recently. Spike glycoprotein is widely considered as a possible target to be explored because of its role during the entry of coronaviruses into host cells. We analyzed 320 whole-genome sequences and 320 spike protein sequences of SARS-CoV-2 using multiple sequence alignment tools. In this study, 483 unique variations have been identified among the genomes including 25 non-synonymous mutations and one deletion in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Among the 26 variations detected, 12 variations were located at the N-terminal domain and 6 variations at the receptor-binding domain (RBD) which might alter the interaction with receptor molecules. In addition, 22 amino acid insertions were identified in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with that of SARS-CoV. Phylogenetic analyses of spike protein revealed that Bat coronavirus have a close evolutionary relationship with circulating SARS-CoV-2. The genetic variation analysis data presented in this study can help a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Based on our findings, potential inhibitors can be designed and tested targeting these proposed sites of variation.