(2018 – 2021, PNIII P1-1.2-PCCDI Project, 57/2018) – Principal Investigator for IVN Simona Ruta MD, PhD

Aim: The development and validation of working protocols and methods for detection and characterization of Vector-Borne pathogens in various samples (human or animal), in order to create a unique multidisciplinary One health platform for the diagnosis of Vector-Borne infections.

Partners:

Coordinator: USAMV CLUJ-NAPOCA, Prof. Dr Andrei Mihalca

Partner: Institute of Virology Stefan S. Nicolau, Prof Dr Simona Ruta

Working team: Simona Ruta, Camelia Sultana, Laura Polosanu, Aura Temereanca, Iulia Iancu

Project financed by UEFISCDI program PNIII P1-1.2-PCCDI Project, 57/2018

Implementation period: 2018 – 2021

Summary: The team from Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology conducted studies on seroprevalence of arboviral infections (West Nile virus, Tick Born Encephalitis (TBE) in human population, in areas affected by the annual recurrence and epidemic outbreaks of West Nile virus infections or other arboviroses, using samples collected between 2018-2021.

The project made a retrospective analysis of CSF samples for the detection of infections with neurotropic viruses transmitted by arthropods through ddPCR, clinical, serological and virological characterization, and the identification of neurovirulence markers in the viral strains identified in patients with severe infections using a Next generation sequencing (NGS) protocol, optimized during the first stages of the project.

Results:

Articles

1. Popescu CP, Cotar AI, Dinu S, et al. Emergence of Toscana Virus, Romania, 2017-2018. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(5):1482-1485. doi:10.3201/eid2705.204598 FI- 6,25
2. Corneliu Petru Popescu, Mihaela Zaharia, Maria Nica, Delia Stanciu, Ruxandra Moroti, Serban Benea, Violeta Melinte, Teodor Vasile, Emanoil Ceausu, Simona Ruta, Simin Aysel Florescu. Anthrax meningoencephalitis complicated with brain abscess—A case report. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Available online 12 May 2021 FI-3.2
3. West Nile in Central Europe – a Pandora’s box- Travel Med Infect Dis, Sep-Oct 2020;37:101864. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101864. Epub 2020 Aug 27; FI=4.4
4. Popescu CP, Florescu SA, HasbunR, Harxhi A, Evendar R, Kahraman H, NeubergerA, Codreanu D, Zaharia MF, Tosun S, Ceausu E, Ruta SM, Dragovac G, Pshenichnaya N, Gopatsa G, Shmaylenko O, NagyE, Djekic Malbasa J, Strbac M, PandakN Pullukcu H, LokotosB, CagY, CascioA, Coledan , Oncu S, ErdemH. Prediction of unfavorable outcomes in West Nile virus neuroinvasive infection – result of a multinational ID-IRI study. J Clin Virol. 2020 Jan;122:104213. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2019.104213. PMID 31778945 FI=3,02
5. Popescu CP, Florescu SA, Cotar AI, Badescu D, Ceianu CS, Zaharia M, Tardei G, Codreanu D, Ceausu E, Ruță SM. Re-emergence of severe West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease în humans în Romania, 2012 to 2017-implications for travel medicine. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2018 Mar. pii: S1477-8939(18)30044-9. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.03.001. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29544774.FI=4.45

Communications at national/international congresses

1. Camelia Sultana, Iulia Iancu, Corneliu Popescu, Simona Ruță. Implicatii fiziopatologice ale unor factori genetici in infectia cu virus West Nile. A XIII-a Conferinţă Naţională de Microbiologie şi Epidemiologie,  29-31 octombrie 2020, Iasi -online, rezumat publicat în revista Bacteriologia, Virusologia, Parazitologia, Epidemiologia,  65(3-4), 2020, p 52-53, ISSN: 1220-3696
2. Simona Ruta, Corneliu Popescu, Camelia Sultana, Andrei Cimpan, Aura Temereanca, consortiul VectExcel West Nile virus infection in Romania, 1996-2019. Simpozionul Academician Nicolae Cajal al Academiei De Ştiinţe Medicale Din România ediţia a XIV-a , p 4, Bucuresti, Oct 17-19, 2019
3. Corneliu Petru Popescu, Mihaela Zaharia, Delia Stanciu, Melinte Violeta, Cristiana Cristea, Bianca Voinescu, Elena Nedu, Filofteia Cojanu Banicioiu, Olivia Burcos, Adelina Dogaru, Alma Gabriela Kosa, Daniel Codreanu, Gratiela Tardei, Valentina Simion, Petre Calistru, Emanoil Ceausu, Simona Ruta, Simin Florescu . Prognostic factors for evolution of West Nile virus neuro-invasive disease 29 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, ECCMID abstract book, O1110, 13-16 aprilie 2019, Amsterdam, Olanda
4. Corneliu Popescu, Simin Aysel Florescu; Ani Ioana Cotar, Daniela Badescu, Cornelia Ceianu, Mihaela Zaharia, Gratiela Tardei^, Daniel Codreanu, Emanoil Ceausu, Simona Ruta. infecții neuroinvazive severe cu virus West Nile în România 2016-2017/Severe West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease în Romania, 2016-2017. A XI-a Conferinţă Naţională de Microbiologie şi Epidemiologie, Sibiu, 08-10 noiembrie 2018
5. Corneliu Popescu, Cornelia Ceianu, Camelia Sultana, Emanoil Ceausu. Simin Aysel Florescu, Simona Ruță Factori de risc pentru boala West-Nile neuroinvazivă. A XI-a Conferinţă Naţională de Microbiologie şi Epidemiologie, Sibiu, 08-10 noiembrie 2018
6. C. P. Popescu, S. A. Florescu, M. Zaharia, G. Tardei, M. Nica, D. Codreanu, E. Ceausu, S. Ruta. Risk factors for fatal evolution în acute viral infections of the central nervous system – three years prospective study în a tertiary facility –18th International Congress in Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1-4 Martie 2018, publicat în International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 73 , 370 – 371 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2018.04.4252
7. C.P. Popescu, Simin Aysel Florescu, Ani Ioana Cotar, Daniela Badescu, Cornelia Svetlana Ceianu, Mihaela Zaharia, Delia Stanciu, Violeta Melinte, Voinescu Bianca, Olivia Burcos, Cristiana Cristea, Stela Mereuta, Simona Tetradov, Valentina Simion, Sebastian Smadu, Gratiela Tardei, Daniel Codreanu, Petre Calistru, Emanoil Ceausu, Simona Maria Ruta.  Re-emergence of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease în Romania, 2016-2017, changes în evolution and prognosis. Simpozion Academician Nicolae Cajal editia a XIII-a, Bucuresti, 17-19.03.2016