Background:Streptococcus parasuis is a bacterial species recently reclassified from Streptococcus suis. It has been isolated from pigs and cattle, where it may cause various infections. Human infections caused by S. parasuis are rare, with fewer than five publications reported human clinical case to date, and current knowledge regarding its pathogenic potential, antibiotic resistance, and evolutionary context in humans is limited. Results:In this study, the S. parasuis strain S62 was isolated from the blood of a febrile patient. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a genome of 1.93 Mb with a G+C content of 39.5%. Phylogenetic and ANI analyses confirmed that S62 belongs to S. parasuis and is closely related to strains 7500, 221006, NN1, and BS26. The genome harbors virulence-associated genes, including hasC, and putative antibiotic resistance determinants such as a vanY-like glycopeptide resistance gene and the patA-patB efflux system. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that S62 was sensitive to most tested antibiotics, with intermediate susceptibility observed only for tetracycline and clindamycin. Functional annotation highlighted the strain's metabolic versatility and potential for environmental adaptation. Conclusion:This study provides a detailed genomic characterization of a human clinical S. parasuis isolate, shedding light on its virulence potential, resistance determinants, and evolutionary relationships. These findings provide a baseline for further investigation and monitoring of S. parasuis in human infections.

Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) is a significant etiologic agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina (HA), with the capacity to progress to severe complications, including encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, acute flaccid paralysis, myocarditis, and other critical conditions. Beijing's epidemiological surveillance system, established in 2008, encompasses 29 hospitals and 16 district disease control centers. From 2019 to 2021, the circulation of CV-A16 was characterized by the co-circulation of B1a and B1b clades. Multiple cases of HFMD linked to clade B1c has not been reported in Beijing until 2022. This study enrolled 400 HFMD and 493 HA cases. Employing real-time RT-PCR, 368 enterovirus-positive cases were identified, with 180 selected for sequencing. CV-A16 was detected in 18.89% (34/180) of the cases, second only to CV-A6, identified in 63.33% (114/180). Full-length VP1 gene sequences were successfully amplified and sequenced in 22 cases, revealing the presence of clades B1a, B1b, and B1c in 14, 3, and 5 cases, respectively. A cluster of five B1c clade cases occurred between June 29 and July 17, 2022, within a 7-km diameter region in Shunyi District. Phylogenetic analysis of five complete VP1 gene sequences and two full-genome sequences revealed close clustering with the 2018 Indian strain (GenBank accession: MH780757.1) within the B1c India branch, with NCBI BLAST results showing over 98% similarity. Comparative sequence analysis identified three unique amino acid variations (P3S, V25A, and I235V). The 2022 Shunyi District HFMD cases represent the first instances of spatiotemporally correlated CV-A16 B1c clade infections in Beijing, underscoring the necessity for heightened surveillance of B1c clade CV-A16 in HFMD and HA in this region.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease with an increasing annual incidence rate. In this case report, we presented two patients infected with the SFTS virus, suggesting a potential direct transmission route from camels to humans through blood contact. Both patients developed symptoms after engaging in the slaughtering of one sick camel, while their family members living in the same environment or co-diners remained unaffected. Subsequent detection revealed a high viral load of SFTS virus, reaching 1010 viral RNA copies/ml, in the sample obtained from the sick camel. Metagenomic sequencing did not identify any other pathogens. The SFTS virus was successfully isolated from both patient and camel samples. The complete nucleotide sequences obtained from the infected patients demonstrated a remarkable 100% similarity to those found in the camel, and genetic evolution analysis classified the virus as genotype A. Additionally, partial sequences of the SFTS virus were identified in ticks captured from the camel rearing environment, however, these sequences showed only 95.9% similarity to those found in camel and humans. Furthermore, immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G antibodies were detected in serum samples collected from the patient. Our findings provide evidence that camel may serve as a competent reservoir for transmitting the SFTS virus to humans. Further in vitro investigations into SFTS virus infections in large animals are warranted to understand their role in viral maintenance and transmission.

Objective:To perform epidemiological investigation for the first confirmed locally acquired case of mpox in Chinese mainland, so as to analyze the source of infection.Methods:Epidemiological investigation and big data tracking technology were used to trace close contacts and key persons. Samples were collected from patients and were tested for mpox virus nucleic acid by fluorescent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). High-throughput sequencing were used in the whole genome sequencing and alignment analysis to verify the route of transmission.Results:Oropharyngeal swabs, herpes fluid and serum specimens were all positive for mpox virus. The sequencing results indicated that the virus belonged to the B.1.3 branch of the West African lineage of mpox virus.Conclusions:The first confirmed locally acquired mpox case in Beijing may be the secondary case of the imported case who returned from Thailand. The case was detected timely and managed with standardized measures. This will lay a solid foundation for the prevention and control of mpox in China.

Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV) that has been primarily limited to Central and West African nations since its discovery. The recent spread of the West African lineage of MPXV in historically unaffected countries has raised concerns for global public health. Despite a significant decrease in global mpox cases, there is still a risk of a global resurgence. This study reports the first local case of mpox caused by an imported case in the Chinese mainland. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosed the two cases, and the viral genomes were obtained by next-generation sequencing. Genomic analysis revealed that the two strains shared an identical genome sequence and belonged to the B.1.3 branch of the West African lineage, which is the first local case of mpox caused by an imported case in the Chinese mainland, highlighting the potential threat of mpox in China and the immediate need for adequate surveillance measures.

What is already known about this topic? China has repeatedly contained multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks through a comprehensive set of targeted non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). However, the effectiveness of such NPIs has not been systematically assessed. What is added by this report? A multilayer deployment of case isolation, contact tracing, targeted community lockdowns, and mobility restrictions could potentially contain outbreaks caused by the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain, without the requirement of city-wide lockdowns. Mass testing could further aid in the efficacy and speed of containment. What are the implications for public health practice? Pursuing containment in a timely fashion at the beginning of the pandemic, before the virus had the opportunity to spread and undergo extensive adaptive evolution, could help in averting an overall pandemic disease burden and be socioeconomically cost-effective.

Objective:To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of mpox cases reported in Beijing, so as to provide reference for the prevention and control of mpox epidemics.Methods:A total of 203 confirmed mpox cases were selected from the cases reported by active reporting by medical institutions and screening of close contacts in Beijing from May 31 to September 6, 2023. Epidemiological investigation was carried out to analyze the disease distribution, disease onset and hospital visits as well as the clinical characteristics of the cases.Results:For the 203 confirmed mpox cases, the age ranged from 17 to 56 years old while male patients accounted 99.51% (202/203). The patients were mainly unemployees/job-waiting persons (50, 24.63%). Fourteen cases were self-employees (6.90%) and 6 were school students (2.96%). There were 183 cases (90.15%) in men who have sex with men (MSM). There were 86 cases with definite exposure time, and the average incubation period was 8.85 d. The main detection method of the cases was voluntary treatment, accounting for 95.07% (193/203). Two hundred and one cases had symptoms, mainly rash (97.54%), fever (67.98%) and lymph node enlargement (33.00%). The skin lesion involved multiple sites of whole body, and there was no obvious order of rash occurrence. There were 198 patients with definite medical records, and the interval from onset to first visit to hospital was 0-38 d, with median value of 4 d and an average of 4.71 d. The detection rate in the first visit was 52.53% (104/198) and HIV infected patients accounted for 44.33%.Conclusions:The mpox cases occurred mainly in MSM and transmitted by man-man sexual contact with an average incubation period of 8.85 d. The main symptoms were fever and rash and most patients were mild case. The rate of diagnosis at the first visit was low. Frequently change of sexual partners and several partners at the same time lead to difficulties in defining risk population and in the prevention and control of epidemics.

Objective: To investigate the infection sources and the transmission chains of three outbreaks caused by 2019-nCoV Omicron variant possibly spread through cross-border logistics in Beijing. Methods: Epidemiological investigation and big data were used to identify the exposure points of the cases. Close contacts were traced from the exposure points, and the cases' and environmental samples were collected for nucleic acid tests. Positive samples were analyzed by gene sequencing. Results: The Omicron variant causing 3 outbreaks in Beijing from January to April, 2022 belonged to BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2. The outbreaks lasted for 8, 12 and 8 days respectively, and 6, 42 and 32 cases infected with 2019-nCoV were reported respectively. International mail might be the infection source for 1 outbreak, and imported clothes might be the infection sources for another 2 outbreaks. The interval between the shipment start time of the imported goods and the infection time of the index case was 3-4 days. The mean incubation period (Q1, Q3) was 3 (2,4) days and the mean serial interval (Q1, Q3) was 3 (2,4)days. Conclusions: The 3 outbreaks highlighted the risk of infection by Omicron variant from international logistics-related imported goods at normal temperature. Omicron variant has stronger transmissibility, indicating that rapid epidemiological investigation and strict management are needed.

目的 分析猴痘的流行特点及北京市援非医疗队的现状和挑战,为医疗队的猴痘防控提供参考.方法 收集全球猴痘疫情的数据和北京市援非医疗队数据,对全球猴痘疫情、非洲猴痘疫情以及援非医疗队的现状进行描述性分析.结果 2022年5月以来,全球猴痘发病呈先上升后下降的趋势.截至2023年1月5日,病例已遍布110个国家,以北美洲、欧洲和南美洲为主.非洲的疫情以西部和中部最严重,病例数占99.5％,尼日利亚病例数最多且最早出现.北京市卫生健康委员会于2020-2022年和2022-2023年各派出一支包含公共卫生专业人员的援几内亚医疗队,共计43名队员,以男性、30～50岁、中高级职称人员为主.结论 几内亚面临猴痘疫情风险,北京市援非医疗队需关注几内亚及周边国家的疫情进展,及时采取针对性措施,提高猴痘防控能力.

目的 了解2019-2021年北京市人间布鲁氏菌病流行特征及感染来源,为制定预防控制措施提供依据.方法 对2019-2021年北京市布鲁氏菌病病例资料采用描述性流行病学方法进行统计分析.结果 2019-2021年北京市共报告布鲁氏菌病219例,其中2019年86例、2020年50例、2021年83例,病例主要分布在郊区.30～75岁年龄段201例,占全部病例数的91.78％,发病率亦较高;男性病例多于女性;职业以农民、家务及待业人员为主.饲养羊是病例的主要感染途径,其次为非职业人员通过食源性等途径感染.结论 北京市2019-2021年期间持续有布鲁氏菌病病例发生,未呈现下降趋势,染疫羊是北京市人间布鲁氏菌病的主要传染源.

Objective:To explore the the detection patterns of mpox virus in different types of clinical specimen, so as to provide evidence for the diagnosis of mpox cases and the formulation of public health policies.Methods:The throat swabs, skin lesion swabs, blood and anal swabs from the cases were collected. Real-time quantitative PCR method was used to detect monkeypox virus DNA in the samples. The differences in the positive detection rate of different sample types were analyzed the Prism software was used to analyze the differences in the viral loads (Ct values) in different types of samples and in different sampling time of the same sample type.Results:The positive detection rates of throat swabs, skin lesion swabs, blood, and anal swabs in the 210 confirmed cases were 70.95%, 98.97%, 75.26% and 88.89%, respectively. The median Ct values for the throat swab group, skin lesion swab group, blood group, and anal swab group were 31, 17, 34, and 26, respectively. The difference in viral loads (Ct values) among patient groups with different sampling intervals for skin lesion swab group and anal swab group were statistically significant.Conclusions:Skin lesions should be the optimal specimen type for detecting mpox virus, while other types of specimens can be used as alternatives or supplements.

The first locally acquired case in the Chinese mainland was reported on May 31, 2023, lagging behind other countries. In this study, we aimed to examine the early clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the earliest cases of Mpox in Beijing, China. Additionally, we investigated the sequence and transmission patterns of the Mpox virus (MPXV). We analyzed 37 reported cases of Mpox in Beijing from May 31, 2023 to June 21, 2023. The age range of the subjects was 24-51 years. Thirty-six cases (97.3%) were identified in men who have sex with men (MSM), and 19 cases (51.4%) tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus. Thirty-three cases were symptomatic, while four were asymptomatic. Skin lesions were observed in 32 cases (97.0%), fever in 26 (78.8%), and swollen lymph nodes in 17 (51.5%). Rash typically appeared in the genital or perianal area 1-3 days before fever onset, with a minimum incubation period of 2 days. For individuals with skin rashes, the skin lesion samples showed 100% positivity and low Ct values. There were high oropharyngeal swab (75.8%) and blood (84.6%) positivity rates. All MPXV strains belonged to the B.1.3 branch of the West African lineage. These strains carried 76-86 nucleotide substitutions compared with the reference human MPXV genome, and genetic diversity was observed. Our findings provide the first insights into the landscape of early transmission of Mpox in Beijing and help inform policy formulation in the Chinese mainland.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of clustered outbreaks in the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in Haidian district, Beijing, so as to provide reference for future epidemic prevention and control.Methods:The data of patients in the COVID-19 clustered outbreaks in Haidian district from January 20 to February 28, 2020 were collected, and the characteristics of the epidemic were analyzed by descriptive epidemiological methods.Results:In the early stage of the epidemic, a total of 13 clustered outbreaks occurred in Haidian District, involving 45 infected patients, including 5 deaths. The outbreaks were mainly family clusters (11/13) and imported cases from other provinces (9/13). Four outbreaks caused by transmission during the incubation period were observed. The incubation period, M ( P25, P75) was 5 (3.5, 7.5) d and the serial intervals, M ( P25, P75) was 5 (3.5, 11.5) d. For patients proactively seeking medical attention, 50% (13/26) had multiple visits at hospitals. The nucleic acid of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detected in 84.1% (37/44) of the cases between 2 days before and 7 days after disease onset. The overall secondary attack rate was 11.6% (29/249) while the rate in family was 32.1% (27/84). Conclusions:In the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic in Haidian district, the outbreaks were mainly family clusters. Improving the ability in early identification of the cases, quarantine of close contacts and timely sample collection will assist controlling the epidemic from expanding.

目的 描述现住址为北京市的肾综合征出血热(HFRS)病例的流行病学特征.方法 使用WPS表格录入流行病学调查数据,进行病例个案信息数据整理后,使用SPSS 20.0软件进行统计学描述.结果 2015年至2020年北京市共报告HFRS病例46例.2015年至2020年HFRS病例数(年平均发病率)分别为11例(0.06/10万人)、9例(0.04/10万人)、7例(0.03/10万人)、8例(0.04/10万人)、9例(0.04/10万人)和2例(0.01/10万人).男女性别比为4.7:1.年龄介于23～69岁,中位数为42岁,职业人数最多的为干部职员(11人).发病—就诊、就诊—住院、就诊—诊断时间间隔中位数分别为为3 d、1d和3d.22例(47.8％)在发病前2个月内有外出(或旅游)史.结论 2015年至2020年北京市HFRS散发,男性青壮年为主,全年均有发病,无明显地域聚集性.病例存在就诊及诊断不及时现象,曾有外出或旅游史者占比较高.

Prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant, many cities in China had been able to maintain a "Zero-COVID" policy. They were able to achieve this without blanket city-wide lockdown and through widespread testing and an extensive set of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as mask wearing, contact tracing, and social distancing. We wanted to examine the effectiveness of such a policy in containing SARS-CoV-2 in the early stage of the pandemic. Therefore, we developed a fully stochastic, spatially structured, agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain and reconstructed the Beijing Xinfadi outbreak through computational simulations. We found that screening for symptoms and among high-risk populations served as methods to discover cryptic community transmission in the early stage of the outbreak. Effective contact tracing could greatly reduce transmission. Targeted community lockdown and temporal mobility restriction could slow down the spatial spread of the virus, with much less of the population being affected. Population-wide mass testing could further improve the speed at which the outbreak is contained. Our analysis suggests that the containment of SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strains was certainly possible. Outbreak suppression and containment at the beginning of the pandemic, before the virus had the opportunity to undergo extensive adaptive evolution with increasing fitness in the human population, could be much more cost-effective in averting the overall pandemic disease burden and socioeconomic cost.

Objective: To investigate the source and the transmission chain of a cold-chain product associated COVID-19 epidemic caused by 2019-nCoV Delta variant in Beijing. Methods: Epidemiological investigation were used to verify the exposure points of the cases. Close contacts were traced from the exposure points, and human and environmental samples were collected for nucleic acid tests. Positive samples were analyzed by gene sequencing. Results: A total of 112 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the epidemic from January 18 to February 6, 2022 in Beijing. Except for 1 case was uncertain, there were epidemiological links among 111 cases. The source of infection was the packages of imported cold-chain products from Southeast Asia, which were harvested and stored in a local cold-storage in January 2021, and packaged and sent to the cold-storage A in A district in June 2021, and then sold in batches in cold-storage B in B district from January 2022. The first case was infected in the handling of positive frozen products, and then 77 cases occurred due to working, eating and living together with the index case in the cold-storage B, cold-storage C and restaurant D. Besides the cold-storage B, C and the restaurant D, there were 16 sub-transmission chains, resulting in additional 35 cases. Conclusion: The epidemic indicated that the risk of 2019-nCoV infection from imported cold-chain products contaminated by package and highlighted the importance to strengthen the management of cold-chain industry in future.

目的 分析输入肺炭疽感染来源,描述流行病学特征,探讨肺炭疽疫情预防控制措施,为类似事件处置积累经验.方法 收集患者一般社会学、流行病学、临床表现和病原学检测等信息,按照原卫生部《炭疽病诊断治疗与处置方案(2005年版)》采取预防控制措施.结果 该起事件共涉及病例2例,1例肺炭疽,1例皮肤炭疽.实验室检测显示肺炭疽患者胸水荧光实时PCR炭疽芽孢杆菌(以下简称炭疽杆菌)核酸阳性,血清抗体胶体金检测阳性;皮肤炭疽患者血清抗体胶体金检测阳性;3份病死牛牛肉炭疽PCR核酸检测标本阳性,其中1份牛肉分离培养出炭疽杆菌.结论 该事件为一起跨省炭疽聚集性疫情,肺炭疽疑似感染来自吸入高压水枪冲刷病死牛剥皮后地面污物过程中产生的含有炭疽杆菌的飞沫、尘埃或气溶胶.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatial clustering of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Beijing from 2017 to 2019.Methods:The data of HFMD cases in Beijing from 2017 to 2019 were obtained from the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System of the Chinese Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. The population, temporal and spatial distributions of HFMD cases in Beijing from 2017 to 2019 was described based on SAS 9.4 software, and the spatial-temporal clustering of HFMD was assessed using SaTScan 9.5 software.Results:A total of 80 586 HFMD cases were reported in Beijing from 2017 to 2019, including 137 (0.17%) severe cases. The average annual incidence was 107.67/100 000. The male to female ratio was 1.48:1 (48 035/32 551). Districts with higher incidence were clustered in newly developed urban areas. Seven clustering areas were detected in the city and all occurred in 2018. The most possible clustering area occurred from June to August 2018 with Yongledian Town of Tongzhou district as the center, surrounded by 22 streets in 4 districts (Tongzhou District, Fangshan District, Daxing District and Chaoyang District).Conclusions:The incidence of HFMD in Beijing from 2017 to 2019 showed obvious temporal and spatial clustering. The cases were observed mainly in summer and autumn, and in suburbs and urban rural junction areas. Health education on HFMD should be strengthened in the new urban development area, to improve the awareness of HFMD prevention among the mobile population.

What is already known about this topic? Inhalational anthrax, also known as pulmonary anthrax, is an infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. The patients are usually infected by inhaling aerosolized B. anthracis spores from dead animals or animal products. Compared to cutaneous anthrax, inhalational anthrax is rare and deadly and few cases in China were reported. What is added by this report? This report covers all information of clinical features, laboratory testing, and epidemiological characteristics as well as exposure history of a recent primary inhalational anthrax patient who was seeking medical treatment in Beijing Municipality in August 2021. New laboratory techniques, including second-generation sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, and rapid test for serum antibody, played an important role in the process. What are the implications for public health practice? The information provided in this report, including the correct sample type, epidemiological investigation details, and application of the new diagnostic criteria of anthrax, could assist public health professionals in dealing with anthrax epidemics.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and transmission chain of an epidemic of COVID-19 in Haidian district, Beijing.Methods:Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the epidemic, and field investigation and big data technology were used to analyze the transmission chain of the epidemic.Results:From April 27 to May 13, 2022, an epidemic of COVID-19 occurred in Haidian district. The strains isolated from the cases were identified by whole genome sequencing as Omicron variant (BA.2.2 evolutionary branch). A total of 38 infection cases were detected, including 34 confirmed cases and 4 asymptomatic cases. Most cases were mild ones (88.2%), no severe, critical or death cases occurred. The early clinical symptoms were mainly sore throat (50.0%) and cough (29.4%). The epidemic lasted for 17 days, resulting in 7 generations of the cases and involving 3 community transmissions, 2 working place transmissions and 8 family transmissions; the main infection routes were co-residence (47.6%) and co-space exposure (31.6%). The intergenerational interval M( Q1, Q3)was 3 (1, 6) days. The overall secondary attack rate was 1.5% (37/2 482), and the family secondary attack rate was 36.7% (18/49). Conclusions:The cases in this COVID-19 epidemic caused by Omicron variant had mild clinical symptoms, but the case clustering in families and communities was obvious, the transmission was rapid, and the risk for co-space exposure was high. It is necessary to use information technology to identify close contacts in the local population for the rapid and effective blocking of the epidemic spread.