Bruna Amaral Lapinski

Pregnant women (PW) are at a higher risk of diseases and hospitalization from viral respiratory infections, particularly influenza and SARS-CoV-2, due to cardiopulmonary and immunological changes. This study assessed the impact of viral respiratory infections on PW hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a cross-sectional study with 42 PW and 85 non-pregnant women (NPW) admitted with SARI to two tertiary hospitals between January 2015 and December 2019. The rates of virus prevalence, SARI hospitalization, length of hospital stay, oxygen supplementation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death were comparable between PW and NPW. A multivariate analysis showed that PW had a higher rate of viral SARI hospitalizations (OR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.02–5.48) as compared to NPW, with the influenza virus being the most prevalent (aOR = 7.58; 95% CI = 1.53–37.66). The length of hospital stays (aOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.73–0.95) and admissions to the ICU (aOR = 0.028; 95% CI = 0.004–0.25) were lower in PW as compared to hospitalized NPW. The influenza virus had a greater impact on the frequency of SARI in the group of PW, and these had a better outcome than NPW due to the earlier antiviral treatment they received.

Pregnant women (PW) are at a higher risk of diseases and hospitalization from viral respiratory infections, specially influenza, due to cardiopulmonary and immunological changes. This study assessed the impact of viral respiratory infections on PW hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). It´s a cross-sectional study with 42 PW and 85 non-pregnant women (NPW) admitted with SARI to two tertiary hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. The rate of virus prevalence, SARI hospitalization, length of hospital stay, oxygen supplementation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death were comparable between PW and NPW. Multivariate analysis showed that PW had a higher rate of viral SARI hospitalizations (OR = 2.37; 95% CI =1.02 - 5.48) compared to NPW, with influenza virus being the most prevalent (aOR =7.58; 95% CI =1.53 - 37.66). Length of hospital stay (aOR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.73 – 0.95) and admission to the ICU (aOR=0.028; 95% CI=0.004 - 0.25) were lower in PW compared to hospitalized NPW. Respiratory viruses had a greater impact on the frequency of SARI in the group of PW. Although PW had a higher rate of influenza SARI, they had a better outcome than NPW due to the treatment they received.

Norovirus (NoV) is a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis globally, especially in children below five years. Epidemiological studies on the diversity of NoV in middle- and low-income countries, including Nigeria, are limited. This study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of NoV in children below five years with acute gastroenteritis at three hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 331 fecal samples were collected from February 2015 to April 2017, while 175 were randomly selected and analyzed using RT-PCR, partial sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of both the polymerase (RdRp) and capsid (VP1) genes. NoV was detected in 5.1% (9/175; RdRp) and 2.3% (4/175; VP1) of samples, with 55.6% (5/9) co-infection with other enteric viruses. A diverse genotype distribution was identified, and GII.P4 was the dominant RdRp genotype detected (66.7%), with two genetic clusters, followed by GII.P31 (22.2%). The rare GII.P30 genotype (11.1%) was detected at a low rate for the first time in Nigeria. Based on the VP1 gene, GII.4 was the dominant genotype (75%), with two variants, Sydney 2012 and possibly New Orleans 2009, co-circulating during the study. Interestingly, both intergenotypic, GII.12(P4) and GII.4 New Orleans(P31), and intra-genotypic, GII.4 Sydney(P4) and GII.4 New Orleans(P4), putative recombinant strains were observed. This finding suggests the first likely report of GII.4 New Orleans(P31) in Nigeria. In addition, GII.12(P4) was first described in Africa and globally in this study, to the best of our knowledge. This study provided insights into the genetic diversity of NoV circulating in Nigeria, which would be useful for ongoing and future vaccine design and monitoring of emerging genotypes and recombinant strains.