{"title":"Designing out rabies: a conceptual urban planning framework for dog-mediated rabies control in informal settlements.","authors":"Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Francesco Branda, Cecilia Ceccarelli, Krishna Prasad Acharya, Mohamed Mustaf Ahmed, Fabio Scarpa, Luca Bortolani, Mario Falciano, Massimo Ciccozzi, Gabriella d'Ettorre","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2026.2656464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2026.2656464","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The persistence of human rabies transmitted by dogs in informal urban settings poses a significant challenge to global health. Although almost always fatal but completely preventable, the disease disproportionately affects marginalized populations. This suggests that the limitations in rabies elimination are not only biological but also reflect spatial, infrastructural, and governance determinants specific to informal settlements.</p><p><p>To develop a conceptual framework integrating urban planning, the One Health approach, and rabies epidemiology to understand why existing biomedical strategies are less effective in informal settings and to identify spatial factors useful for more sustainable elimination strategies.</p><p><p>An interdisciplinary conceptual research approach was adopted, synthesizing evidence from rabies epidemiology, One Health governance, and urban planning. The analysis focused on how spatial and infrastructural determinants influence the effectiveness of rabies control interventions at the neighborhood level.</p><p><p>Rabies is treated as an urban-structural phenomenon, linking urban spatial configurations to dog ecology, human exposure, and access to prevention. The RABIES-SAFE SETTLEMENT framework integrates these dimensions through a micro-territorial One Health perspective, highlighting the role of urban planning as an upstream factor that can influence the performance of established biomedical interventions.</p><p><p>Progress toward rabies elimination is influenced not only by the availability of effective biomedical tools, but also by the material and spatial characteristics of urban settlements. Integrating urban planning considerations into One Health approaches can promote more equitable and sustainable reductions in human rabies transmitted by dogs, especially in informal communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147628368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Víctor Moreno-Torres, Mario Martín-Portugués, Jorge Esteban-Sampedro, Oscar de Gregorio, Carmen de Mendoza, Ana Royuela, Natalia Vicente-López, Alfonso Ortega-de la Puente, Marina de la Cruz-Echeandía, Octavio Corral, Fernando de Jesús, Vicente Soriano
{"title":"Trends in hospitalizations in adults with HIV infection in Spain over 25 years.","authors":"Víctor Moreno-Torres, Mario Martín-Portugués, Jorge Esteban-Sampedro, Oscar de Gregorio, Carmen de Mendoza, Ana Royuela, Natalia Vicente-López, Alfonso Ortega-de la Puente, Marina de la Cruz-Echeandía, Octavio Corral, Fernando de Jesús, Vicente Soriano","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2026.2650311","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2026.2650311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given the current high efficacy of antiretroviral therapy and the availability of prophylactic medications, the spectrum of illnesses requiring hospitalization in people with HIV (PWH) has evolved over time. All hospitalizations with a diagnosis of HIV and/or AIDS at the National Registry of Hospital Discharges were retrospectively examined in Spain from 1997 to 2022. There were 610,912 admissions in PWH. Male represented 73%. Mean age at admission was 43.2 years-old and increased from 33.5 years in 1997 to 53.2 in 2022 (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). Overall, hospitalizations declined by 36.3%. AIDS was present in 71.1% of admissions, with 31.4% diagnosed during the same admission. Across three periods (1997-2007, 2008-2015, 2016-2022), the proportion of admissions with AIDS decreased (76.1%, 68.6%, and 64%), as did new AIDS diagnoses (36.2%, 28.3%, and 23.3%) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Among those newly diagnosed with AIDS, 78.8% had opportunistic infections (OIs), and 19.5% AIDS-associated cancers. OIs declined (84.7%, 73.1%, and 54.8%), while neoplasms increased (14.1%, 24.4%, and 31.5%) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 5.4% and decreased (6%, 5.2% and 4.5%) (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Hospitalizations and mortality among PWH in Spain have decreased over 25 years. While OIs dropped 23.3%, AIDS-related cancers rose by 20%. Mean age at admission reached 53.2 years in 2022.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147593406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wendy Lizarraga, Veronica Hurtado, Victor Jimenez-Vasquez, Iris S Molina, Nieves Sevilla, Luis Barcena-Flores, Priscila Lope-Pari, Lucia Rojas, Johanna Balbuena, Carlos Padilla-Rojas
{"title":"Evolution of mpox virus in Peru: case B.1.6.1.","authors":"Wendy Lizarraga, Veronica Hurtado, Victor Jimenez-Vasquez, Iris S Molina, Nieves Sevilla, Luis Barcena-Flores, Priscila Lope-Pari, Lucia Rojas, Johanna Balbuena, Carlos Padilla-Rojas","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2026.2638838","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2026.2638838","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Here, we report the emergence of a new mpox lineage, named B.1.6.1. This lineage is native to Peru and has been reported mainly in young and adult men with immunocompromised systems. It is characterized by 5 mutations: <i>OPG019</i> (Q81stop), <i>OPG025</i> (A21T, E34K), <i>OPG121</i> (S65L), <i>OPG064</i> (M424I) and <i>OPG210</i> (S1590F).</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147390724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ferhan Kerget, Buğra Kerget, Nurten Nur Aydın, Esra Laloğlu
{"title":"Prognostic value of sCD163, IL-6, PLR, and SII in predicting disease severity in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: a prospective study.","authors":"Ferhan Kerget, Buğra Kerget, Nurten Nur Aydın, Esra Laloğlu","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2026.2635347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2026.2635347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Crimean - Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne infection with high mortality, where macrophage activation and systemic inflammation drive pathogenesis. Prognostic biomarkers are crucial for early risk stratification. In this prospective study (April - July 2025), 60 confirmed CCHF patients (30 severe, 30 mild - moderate) and 50 healthy controls were enrolled. Soluble CD163 (sCD163) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA, while platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune - inflammation index (SII) were derived from blood counts. Severe cases showed lower platelet counts, PLR, and SII, but higher AST, ALT, LDH, GGT, CK, direct bilirubin, fibrinogen, sCD163, and IL-6 than mild - moderate patients (all <i>p</i> < 0.05). Compared with controls, CCHF patients had elevated sCD163 and IL-6 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). sCD163 correlated negatively with platelet count (<i>r</i>=-0.453, <i>p</i> = 0.001) and positively with AST, ALT, and IL-6 (<i>r</i> = 0.953, <i>p</i> < 0.001), linking macrophage activation to systemic inflammation. ROC analysis showed sCD163 (AUC = 0.853) and IL-6 (AUC = 0.852) as accurate predictors of severe CCHF, with an sCD163 cutoff of 2.7 ng/mL yielding 96% sensitivity and 77% specificity. PLR and SII also distinguished severity but with lower accuracy. These findings highlight sCD163 and IL-6 as strong early prognostic biomarkers that may improve clinical assessment and guide timely therapeutic interventions in CCHF.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147276942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Branda, Chiara Romano, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Fabio Scarpa, Massimo Ciccozzi
{"title":"Beyond alarmism: what Australia's influenza season really tells us about Italy.","authors":"Francesco Branda, Chiara Romano, Giancarlo Ceccarelli, Fabio Scarpa, Massimo Ciccozzi","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2573304","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2573304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The seasonality of influenza still poses a significant challenge to public health today, with different dynamics between the southern and northern hemispheres. In Europe and Italy, the arrival of winter is often accompanied by alarmist media reports about the so-called 'Australian flu', a term that has no scientific basis and is potentially misleading. This study systematically compares the most recent epidemiological and virological data from Australia and Italy, analyzing laboratory-confirmed cases, the distribution of viral subtypes, and vaccination coverage. The results show that, although Australia is a useful sentinel system for identifying circulating strains and validating vaccine composition, the trend of its flu season is not a direct predictor of the subsequent European season. Demographic differences, vaccination coverage, mobility, and co-circulation of other respiratory viruses (RSV, SARS-CoV-2) determine distinct epidemiological scenarios. The implications for public health indicate the need to move beyond alarmist communication approaches in favor of a scientifically based interpretation of data, promoting integrated surveillance systems, targeted vaccination campaigns, and updated clinical strategies for multi-pathogen management. An evidence-based approach and clear, contextualized communication are essential to effectively address the challenges posed by seasonal respiratory diseases in an increasingly complex global context.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13003838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145286686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valentina Totaro, Roberta Novara, Davide Capruzzi, Angelo Dargenio, Stefano Di Gregorio, Sergio Cotugno, Roberta Papagni, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Giuliana Metrangolo, Alessandra D'Abramo, Roberta Iatta, Annalisa Saracino, Emanuele Nicastri, Francesco Di Gennaro
{"title":"Dengue in the Anthropocene: intersections of environmental change, disease epidemic, management and current challenges in global health.","authors":"Valentina Totaro, Roberta Novara, Davide Capruzzi, Angelo Dargenio, Stefano Di Gregorio, Sergio Cotugno, Roberta Papagni, Francesco Vladimiro Segala, Giuliana Metrangolo, Alessandra D'Abramo, Roberta Iatta, Annalisa Saracino, Emanuele Nicastri, Francesco Di Gennaro","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2595384","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2595384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dengue fever, the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease, has experienced a tenfold increase in incidence over the past two decades, posing a significant global public health challenge. In 2023, more than five million cases and over 5000 dengue-related deaths were recorded, with exceeding numbers in 2024. This narrative review provides a comprehensive summary of the current epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic methods, prevention and management strategies for dengue fever, with a particular focus on the influence of climate changes and human activities on the spread of this vector-borne disease. Factors such as climate change, urbanization, and population movements have contributed to the expanding geographic distribution and increased incidence of dengue. Additionally, this review highlights the challenges associated with accurate disease surveillance and underscores the importance of integrated strategies-including climate-adaptive surveillance, vector control, and public health policies-to mitigate the impact of dengue. This information is essential for clinicians and policymakers to implement effective surveillance and prevention measures, ultimately reducing the incidence and burden on public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"47-74"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13004416/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145661635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Confronting neglected tropical vector-borne diseases in a changing world: a review of challenges and opportunities.","authors":"Ahmad Y Alqassim","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2609157","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2609157","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neglected tropical vector-borne diseases (NTVBDs) pose a significant global health challenge, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. This review begins by defining NTVBDs and their classification criteria, providing a comprehensive overview of their geographical distribution, vectors, and causative agents. Climate change, socioeconomic factors, and land-use changes are changing NTVBD transmission dynamics, with temperature increases expanding vector ranges and creating new transmission hotspots in previously unsuitable regions. The review examines both established vector control approaches and emerging technologies, including CRISPR-based gene editing, artificial intelligence, and microbiome manipulation for NTVBD control. Housing improvements have shown particular promise, with studies demonstrating significant reductions in vector presence through structural interventions. Sustainable control programs emphasize community-based and culturally appropriate interventions, with gender-responsive approaches enhancing both intervention coverage and women's economic empowerment. The review explores the integration of NTVBD control with existing health systems through formal coordination mechanisms and sustainable financing frameworks beyond traditional donor-dependent models. Recent field initiatives addressing the psychological dimensions of NTVBDs highlight the importance of comprehensive approaches that extend beyond physical symptoms. To address the complex challenges of NTVBDs in a rapidly changing world, the review concludes that a multidisciplinary approach integrating technological innovation with social and ecological considerations is essential. Future research should examine the long-term effects of climate change on NTVBD dynamics, develop broadly protective vaccines, optimize integrated control strategies, and investigate innovative funding mechanisms for resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"105-118"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137751/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145857312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rima R Sahay, Deepak Y Patil, Anita M Shete, Sreelekshmy Mohandas, Nivedita Gupta, Devendra T Mourya, Pragya D Yadav
{"title":"Rapidly deployable mobile BSL-3 laboratory: a response to the Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, 2023.","authors":"Rima R Sahay, Deepak Y Patil, Anita M Shete, Sreelekshmy Mohandas, Nivedita Gupta, Devendra T Mourya, Pragya D Yadav","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2582036","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2582036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak was declared in Kozhikode district, Kerala state, India, on 12 September 2023. The local, state, and national authorities worked in an integrated way to tackle and control the outbreak. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) deployed a team from the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, India, along with an indigenously developed and validated Mobile BSL-3 (MBSL-3) laboratory for providing onsite NiV diagnosis. The Kozhikode district of Kerala state was the epicenter of three NiV outbreaks on May 2018, August 2021, and most recently in September 2023. The Ernakulam district of Kerala also reported a NiV outbreak in June 2019. In the 2023 outbreak, six confirmed NiV cases were detected, with two deaths. During previous outbreaks in 2019 and 2021, the team from ICMR-NIV, Pune, had successfully established a field laboratory utilizing the BSL-2 facility for NiV onsite diagnosis. BSL-3 personnel protective equipment and standard operative procedures were used to handle clinical specimens. Post COVID-19 pandemic, under the pioneering initiative of the Government of India, ICMR, and Klenzaids Contamination Control Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai developed a rapidly deployable, pragmatic, access control, and containment laboratory on bus chassis. The MBSL-3 laboratory was utilized for the NiV onsite diagnosis for early containment of outbreaks, reducing the turnaround time for diagnosis to just 4 hrs. The MBSL-3 laboratory plays a significant role in NiV outbreak response and could be utilized in the future also reaching the remotest areas of the country.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"18-27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13003839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145431512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rafael Garcia-Carretero, Oscar Vazquez-Gomez, Belen Rodriguez-Maya, Maria Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Oscar Barquero-Perez, Ruth Gil-Prieto, Angel Gil-de-Miguel
{"title":"Epidemiology, recurrence, and mortality in patients with <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>: a nationwide surveillance study (2016-2022).","authors":"Rafael Garcia-Carretero, Oscar Vazquez-Gomez, Belen Rodriguez-Maya, Maria Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Oscar Barquero-Perez, Ruth Gil-Prieto, Angel Gil-de-Miguel","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2580606","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2580606","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a significant contributor to healthcare-associated infections worldwide, with an increasing incidence in Europe. It has significant morbidity in high-risk, hospitalized patients. Despite previous studies in Spain, there have been no updates to nationwide data since 2015.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To provide an updated epidemiological overview of CDI in Spain, focusing on incidence, recurrence, mortality, and regional variability in hospitalized patients between 2016 and 2022.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nationwide, retrospective study was carried out using a Spanish national health system registry including data from hospitalization discharge reports. Data from 66,864 hospitalizations with a CDI diagnosis were analyzed and descriptive analyses and Poisson regression models were performed to assess trends in CDI incidence, recurrence, and mortality over time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CDI incidence increased from 30 to 43 cases per 100,000 hospitalizations between 2016 and 2022. Recurrence was observed in 15-16% of cases from 2020 to 2022. All-cause, in-hospital mortality remained steady at 11-13% over the observation period. There was regional variability, with some regions showing the highest incidences and other regions having the lowest. The median age of patients was 75 years, and women accounted for 53% of cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results highlight a steady increase in CDI incidence in Spain over the last two decades, particularly since 2020, probably influenced by the widespread antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recurrence and mortality rates remain significant challenges. These findings highlight the need for national surveillance programs, improved diagnostic protocols, and targeted interventions to mitigate the impact of CDI.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"10-17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13003890/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145372938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juan Carlos Muñoz-Escalante, Alan Axel Castro-Reséndiz, Mayra Colunga-Saucedo, Pedro Gerardo Hernández-Sánchez, Gabriel Mata-Moreno, Pedro Torres-González, Daniel E Noyola
{"title":"Classification of hepatitis A virus in clades based on VP1/2A region allows higher geographic and temporal resolution than conventional genotyping: a global sequences analysis.","authors":"Juan Carlos Muñoz-Escalante, Alan Axel Castro-Reséndiz, Mayra Colunga-Saucedo, Pedro Gerardo Hernández-Sánchez, Gabriel Mata-Moreno, Pedro Torres-González, Daniel E Noyola","doi":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2608082","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20477724.2025.2608082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infections caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV) occur worldwide. Molecular epidemiology is crucial to understanding the transmission dynamics; however, the current genotype assignment fails to provide useful epidemiologic information. We classified HAV sequences available in GenBank based on 460 bp of the VP1/2A region in clades. Additionally, we associated the site of isolation of the strains with the country's HAV endemicity. We analyzed 1369 sequences available in GenBank up to December 2023 which fulfilled inclusion criteria for our study. The collection date ranged from 1957 to 2023, and genotypes IA (<i>n</i> = 986) and IB (<i>n</i> = 290) comprised the majority of sequences. Sequences were assigned to 70 different clades; sequences from most clades (<i>n</i> = 36) were detected in one country or a few countries within a single continent, while sequences of only 9 clades were detected in more than two continents. Countries with lower HAV endemicity showed higher diversity of clades compared with countries with higher HAV endemicity. In addition, multinational HAV outbreaks were associated with specific clades. In conclusion, characterization of HAV strains below the genotype level should be helpful to analyze transmission patterns within and between countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":19850,"journal":{"name":"Pathogens and Global Health","volume":" ","pages":"119-129"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13137750/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145834540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}