Norovirus (NoV) is a major cause of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis worldwide in all age groups, and asymptomatic individuals may contribute to NoV transmission as a reservoir. Nonetheless, little information is available regarding asymptomatic NoV infection in Indonesia. We performed an epidemiological analysis of NoV infection among asymptomatic healthy volunteers in the city of Surabaya, Indonesia (population ~2.75 million). A total of 512 stool samples from 18 individuals (age range 20-42years) collected from July 2015 to June 2016 were examined. The detection of NoV and the genotype classification were carried out by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) direct sequencing method. NoV was detected in 14 of the 512 stool samples (2.7%), with 7 individuals (38.9%) having at least 1 positive stool sample. All 14 of the NoV strains detected belonged to genogroup GII. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that 10 strains (71.4%) were grouped with GII.2, 2 (14.3%) were GII.17, 1 was GII.4 Sydney 2012, and 1 was GII.1. The circulation of GII.Pg/GII.1 and GII.Pe/GII.4 Sydney 2012 recombinant variants was detected among an asymptomatic population in Surabaya, Indonesia. Of the 7 positive individuals, 2 were repeatedly infected with the same strain and heterogenous strains. Taken together, our results suggest that the excretion of NoV from healthy individuals is one of the sources of NoV outbreak.

The current outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a health emergency of international concern since last December 2019. At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic also caused an economic crisis worldwide. All countries worldwide are competing to generate a qualified strategic plan for resolving this problem. Vaccine, treatment, and detection are the keys to control this pandemic. Global attempts to produce a suitable vaccine are ongoing in many laboratories. However, based on the failure of several previous vaccines, such as Ebola and dengue fever, has stimulated researchers to develop an effective and quick treatment. Effective treatment depends on the effectiveness of the detection method. Thus, a real-time, selective, and accurate detection method is urgently needed to detect if a person has been exposed to COVID-19. This paper is designed to discuss the current situation in controlling COVID-19 by several detection methods. The progress of each method is summarized and compared. Other information regarding the virus, such as the origin, transmission, and biomarkers of the virus, is also explained. The case progress of COVID-19 and its future directions also are discussed.

Mutations in the reverse transcriptase (RT) region of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome are an important factor in reduced therapeutic effectiveness. However, the prevalence of these mutations in HBV strains isolated previously from Indonesia has not been systematically examined. Therefore, this study investigated the profile of mutations in the RT region and the associations of these mutations with amino acid changes in the surface protein in treatment-naïve Indonesian HBV carriers. Overall, 96 sequences of the full-length Indonesian HBV genome (genotype B, n=54; genotype C, n=42) were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Naturally occurring primary and/or compensatory drug resistance mutations were found in 6/54 (11.1%) genotype B strains and in 1/42 (2.4%) genotype C strains. The potential resistance against nucleos(t)ide analog and/or pretreatment mutations were more frequent in both genotypes but, the genotype C was much more than genotype B. The A-B interdomain region in the RT gene was more frequently mutated in genotype C than in genotype B (3.51±2.53 vs 1.08±1.52, P<0.001). Knowledge of the mutational profiles in RT gene and the changes in surface protein might help clinicians to select the most appropriate antiviral drug and vaccination/HBV immunoglobulin therapy for preventing HBV infection in Indonesia.

Artono A, et al. Infect Chemother. 2025 Mar;57:e20. https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2024.0062

Background: The Ebola virus, a highly infectious and deadly pathogen, has posed a significant public health threat in West Africa for several decades. Liberia is one of the most severely affected countries. Healthcare personnel, including nurses, are on the front lines of patient care, and their perspectives are invaluable in understanding the challenges that arise during outbreaks, especially in implementing prevention measures. Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential risk components and prevention measures of the Ebola virus disease (EVD). Methods: This study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design. Five stakeholders, ten doctors and five nurses who had suffered from EVD during the outbreak in Liberia participated in semi-structured interviews to provide their experience and comprehensive perspectives on EVD. Data were collected from February 2022-August 2023. NVivo 12 plus was used for inductive thematic analysis. Results: Six themes and several subthemes emerged: 1) transmission modes (body contact, body fluid, sexual intercourse, traditional burial), 2) funeral attendance (traditional practices and crowded gatherings), 3) community-led prevention (promoting good hygiene practices, increasing awareness, contact tracing, and surveillance), 4) Ebola virus vaccine (false sense of security, potential side effects, and limited data), 5) challenges in implementing prevention measures (inadequate health infrastructures, difficulty of tracing infected people, lack of resources, and cultural-social barriers), 6) Liberia's health systems (a weak, underfunded, fragile health infrastructure, lack of health facilities and shortage of health workers). Conclusion: Several potential risk components contributing to the EVD outbreak should be a public concern. Strengthening the current healthcare system supported by local community and international aid providers (multidisciplinary teams) is needed to anticipate behavioral problems and to improve the efficacy of the prevention measures appropriate to the conditions in Liberia. Accordingly, the nurses' compliance with the recommended prevention practices is necessary.