Biomedical subjects

Bonita E Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Bonita E Lee.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

A 4-year longitudinal wastewater surveillance of five gastroenteritis viruses and the correlation with clinical cases in Alberta, Canada.

Viruses are common causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. They are detected in large quantities in raw sewage making them amenable to wastewater-based surveillance (WBS). To monitor the prevalence of gastroenteritis viruses in wastewater and assess their correlation with clinical cases, wastewater samples collected between July 2020 and June 2024 from 12 wastewater treatment plants across Alberta, Canada were analyzed for norovirus (NoV) GI & GII, rotavirus (RoV), adenovirus (AdV), sapovirus (SaV) and astrovirus (AsV). Among the 5726 wastewater samples tested, AdV (80.5%) had the highest detection rate followed by NoV GII (75.6%), SaV (63.2%), NoV GI (59.4%), RoV (42.2%) and AsV (20.2%). Winter and spring seasonality was found for NoV and RoV in both wastewater and clinical disease. Public health interventions especially in the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on their burden with marked reduction in wastewater detected viruses and clinical cases. NoV showed a strong correlation between its level in wastewater and the number of clinical cases, while moderate correlation was observed for the other four viruses. Cross-correlation analysis showed that changes of viral RNA concentration in wastewater lagged behind reported gastroenteritis cases by approximately 6 days to 3 weeks. To our knowledge, this is the longest multi-region WBS study monitoring multiple gastroenteritis viruses spanning both COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic periods. The data obtained from this study supported WBS as a complementary tool to track population-based circulation of gastroenteritis viruses, providing actionable public health data.

Clinical cases↗

PubMed2006

Detection of human bocavirus in Canadian children in a 1-year study.

Human bocavirus was detected by PCR in 65 (5.1%) of 1,265 respiratory specimens collected in 2002 and 2003 from the Stollery Children's Hospital from children <17 years of age. The spectrum of illness included upper respiratory infection, croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia with a prominence of cough and fever.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Prevention of congenital rubella syndrome--what makes sense in 2006?

This review summarizes the practical aspects of rubella immunization programs in both developed and developing countries. Routine use of rubella vaccine is gradually resulting in the elimination of endemic rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the developed world, and routine use of vaccine in young children is now being implemented in many developing countries. However, such programs must achieve high immunization rates or be supplemented by the immunization of seronegative women of childbearing age to prevent a paradoxical increase in CRS as the burden of illness is shifted to an older age group. There are many successful prenatal screening programs for rubella immunity in developed countries, but screening prior to pregnancy could theoretically prevent even more cases of CRS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is the most commonly used laboratory test for screening, but the protective titer remains to be established. The need for reimmunization of women who serorevert or who remain seronegative following rubella vaccine has not been established. Surveillance for rubella cases and for CRS is vital in assessment of the ongoing success of rubella immunization programs.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed2006

Paediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC) study of aseptic meningitis.

BACKGROUND: The seasonality, clinical and radiographic features and outcome of aseptic meningitis have been described for regional outbreaks but data from a wider geographic area is necessary to delineate the epidemiology of this condition. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed of children presenting with aseptic meningitis to eight Canadian pediatric hospitals over a two-year period. RESULTS: There were 233 cases of proven enteroviral (EV) meningitis, 495 cases of clinical aseptic meningitis and 74 cases of possible aseptic meningitis with most cases occurring July to October. Headache, vomiting, meningismus and photophobia were more common in children > or = 5 years of age, while rash, diarrhea and cough were more common in children < 5 years of age. Pleocytosis was absent in 22.3% of children < 30 days of age with proven EV meningitis. Enterovirus was isolated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 154 of 389 patients (39.6%) who had viral culture performed, and a nucleic acid amplification test for enterovirus was positive in CSF from 81 of 149 patients (54.3%). Imaging of the head by computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging was completed in 96 cases (19.7%) and 24 had abnormal findings that were possibly related to meningitis while none had changes that were definitely related to meningitis. There was minimal morbidity and there were no deaths. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation of aseptic meningitis varies with the age of the child. Absence of CSF pleocytosis is common in infants < 30 days of age. Enterovirus is the predominant isolate, but no etiologic agent is identified in the majority of cases of aseptic meningitis in Canadian children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Enhanced identification of viral and atypical bacterial pathogens in lower respiratory tract samples with nucleic acid amplification tests.

The advantages of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) over conventional methods for the detection of pathogens in lower respiratory tract samples have not been established. NAT for respiratory pathogens were performed on 439 endotracheal tube (ETT) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. A potential pathogen was detected in 87 samples. Of 22 samples that tested positive by conventional methods, 15 tested positive for the same pathogen by NAT, 1 tested positive for a different pathogen, 2 had co-infections identified only by NAT, and 4 tested negative by NAT. An additional 73 pathogens were detected by NAT in 65 samples including 30 pathogens that were missed by conventional methods (19 adenovirus, 6 respiratory syncytial virus, 3 parainfluenza virus 1-4, 2 influenza A), 41 pathogens not routinely identified by conventional methods in most laboratories (23 rhinovirus, 8 human coronavirus OC43, 5 human metapneumovirus (hMPV), 2 human coronavirus 229E, 2 human coronavirus NL63, 1 Chlamydophila pneumoniae) and 2 pathogens from samples where no respiratory virus testing was requested (1 influenza A, 1 parainfluenza virus). Four of 52 patients who had multiple BAL samples submitted on the same day had negative and positive results by NAT on different samples. NAT improves detection of potential pathogens from ETT and BAL samples.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Seasonality and clinical features of human metapneumovirus infection in children in Northern Alberta.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) causes respiratory tract infections in all age groups. The characteristics of pediatric hMPV infection in Northern Alberta have not been studied. The objectives of this study were to determine the seasonality of pediatric hMPV infections over a 13-month period, the genetic relationship of hMPV isolates to hMPV detected in other parts of Canada, and the burden of illness and possible risk factors for pediatric hMPV hospitalization. Detection of hMPV by polymerase chain reaction was performed on nasopharyngeal specimens collected from outpatients and inpatients at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, November 12, 2002-December 31, 2003. Forty-two of 1,079 specimens were positive for hMPV (3.9%) from 41 patients (14 outpatients and 27 inpatients), with a peak incidence during January-April, but isolates were detected 10 months of the year. Co-infection was not detected in 39 specimens from which RSV had been detected. Two hMPV genetic clusters were detected, and the isolates were homologous to those of previous Canadian isolates. Four of the 14 outpatients had reactive airways disease. Possible risk factors in the 27 inpatients included prematurity (n = 8), congenital heart disease (n = 6), gastroesophageal reflux disease or aspiration (n = 6), global developmental delay (n = 5), and multiple congenital anomalies (n = 4). Risk factors for hospitalization appear to be similar to risk factors for respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Pediatric poststernotomy mediastinitis.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinitis results in significant morbidity in pediatric cardiac patients. It is not clear whether delayed sternal closure is a risk factor for these infections. Management of mediastinitis remains controversial. METHODS: Cases of mediastinitis at the Stollery Children's Hospital from January 1, 1991, to June 30, 2004, were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 29 cases of mediastinitis in 2,675 open cardiac procedures for an overall incidence of 1.1%. Infection was diagnosed 5 to 27 days after the original surgical procedure (median, 10 days). The odds ratio for infection with delayed sternal closure versus primary sternal closure was 1.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.63 to 5.60). Signs at the onset of infection included fever (86%), incisional erythema (69%), purulent drainage from the incision or pacer wire sites (83%), and wound dehiscence (23%). Debridement was followed by primary sternal closure in all but three cases in which the sternum had not been closed before debridement and rotational muscle flaps were not used. Continuous irrigation systems were used only in the first 7 patients. One patient died of mediastinitis complicated by infective endocarditis, and 2 patients died of multiorgan failure. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed sternal closure was not a major risk factor for mediastinitis, especially if primary skin closure was used with delayed sternal closure. Excellent results were attained with debridement and primary closure of these infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Loss of antibodies to measles and varicella following solid organ transplantation in children.

The objective of this study was to determine if loss of antibodies to measles and to varicella occurs in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. Antibodies were measured in eight hepatic, four cardiac, and six renal transplant patients who had antibodies to measles prior to transplantation, and in six hepatic, five cardiac, and seven renal transplant patients who had antibodies to varicella prior to transplantation. Within 6 months of the transplant, loss of antibodies occurred in four of 18 patients who were seropositive for measles prior to transplantation (22.2%) and in two of 18 patients who were seropositive for varicella prior to transplantation (11.1%). In conclusion, serology for measles and varicella should be considered annually following solid organ transplantation so that appropriate advice can be given to patients who have seroreverted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Human coronavirus NL-63 infections in children: a 1-year study.

Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), a newly discovered coronavirus, has been associated with acute respiratory tract infections (ARI). Important questions pertaining to the contribution of HCoV-NL63 to ARI and its impact on public health remain. We reviewed HCoV-NL63 in specimens collected from 13 November 2002 to 31 December 2003 from the Stollery Children's Hospital on patients of <17 years of age to assess the role of this virus in ARI in children. Twenty-six of 1,240 specimens (2.1%) from seven outpatients and 19 inpatients aged 7 days to 9.5 years tested positive for HCoV-NL63 by reverse transcription-PCR. The majority of outpatients (86%) had upper respiratory tract infections, while the majority of inpatients (58%) had bronchiolitis. Peak HCoV-NL63 activity occurred in March. These results provide further evidence of the importance of HCoV-NL63 in ARI in children.

Alberta↗