Sandra Smole
A5085243415- Viral Infections and Vectors
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Poxvirus research and outbreaks
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Infection Control and Ventilation
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
2014-2024
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2010-2015
Indiana State Department of Health
2015
Illinois Department of Public Health
2015
Dupage County Health Department
2015
Community Hospital
2015
Boston Children's Hospital
2011-2013
Massachusetts General Hospital
2013
Women's Hospital
2013
University of California, Irvine
2013
Generation of Swine Flu As the newly emerged influenza virus starts its journey to infect world's human population, genetic secrets 2009 outbreak swine A(H1N1) are being revealed. In extensive phylogenetic analyses, Garten et al. (p. 197 , published online 22 May) confirm that eight elements virus, basic components encoded by hemagglutinin, nucleoprotein, and nonstructural genes originated in birds transferred pigs 1918. Subsequently, these formed a triple reassortant with RNA polymerase PB1...
Phylogenetics of superspreading One important characteristic coronavirus epidemiology is the occurrence events. These are marked by a disproportionate number cases originating from often-times asymptomatic individuals. Using rich sequence dataset early stages Boston outbreak, Lemieux et al. identified events in specific settings and analyzed them phylogenetically (see Perspective Alizon). ancestral trait inference, authors several importation events, further investigated context contribution...
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease endemic in Central and West Africa. In May 2022, dozens of non-endemic countries reported hundreds monkeypox cases, most with no epidemiological link to We identified two lineages virus (MPXV) among 2021 seven 2022 US cases: the major outbreak variant called B.1 minor contemporaneously sampled A.2. Analyses mutations these variants revealed an extreme preference for GA-to-AA indicative human APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity Clade IIb MPXV (previously...
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated a clear need for high-throughput, multiplexed and sensitive assays detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) other viruses their emerging variants. Here, we present cost-effective virus variant detection platform, called microfluidic Combinatorial Arrayed Reactions Multiplexed Evaluation of Nucleic acids (mCARMEN), which combines CRISPR-based diagnostics microfluidics with streamlined workflow clinical use. We...
The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant rose to dominance in mid-2021, likely propelled by an estimated 40%–80% increased transmissibility over Alpha. To investigate if this ostensible difference is uniform across populations, we partner with public health programs from all six states New England the United States. We compare logistic growth rates during each variant's respective emergence period, finding that emerged 1.37–2.63 times faster than Alpha (range states). compute variant-specific effective...
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for SARS-CoV-2 antigens (Ag) that can be performed at point of care (POC) supplement molecular testing and help mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Deployment an Ag RDT requires understanding its operational performance characteristics under real-world conditions in relevant subpopulations.
Little is known about clusters of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in care hospitals.
Most bacterial genomes contain tandem duplications of short DNA sequences, termed "variable-number repeats" (VNTR). A subtyping method targeting these repeats, multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA), has emerged as a powerful tool for characterization clonal organisms such Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157). We modified and optimized recently published MLVA scheme 29 polymorphic regions STEC to render it suitable routine use by public health laboratories that participate in...
We describe 3 instances of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission despite medical masks and eye protection, including the source person being masked, exposed both parties masked. Whole genome sequencing confirmed perfect homology between persons' viruses in all cases.
As part of public health preparedness for infectious disease threats, CDC collaborates with other U.S. officials to ensure that the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) has diagnostic tools detect Orthopoxviruses, genus includes Variola virus, causative agent smallpox. LRN is a network state and local health, federal, Department Defense (DOD), veterinary, food, environmental testing laboratories. developed, Food Drug Administration (FDA) granted 510(k) clearance* Non-variola Orthopoxvirus...
The 2022 multicountry mpox outbreak concurrent with the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic further highlighted need for genomic surveillance and rapid pathogen whole-genome sequencing. While metagenomic sequencing approaches have been used to sequence many of early infections, these methods are resource intensive require samples high viral DNA concentrations. Given atypical clinical presentation cases associated uncertainty regarding load across both course infection...
Abstract The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant quickly rose to dominance in mid-2021, displacing other variants, including Alpha. Studies using data from the United Kingdom and India estimated that was 40-80% more transmissible than Alpha, allowing become globally dominant variant. However, it unclear if ostensible difference relative transmissibility due mostly innate properties of Delta’s infectiousness or differences study populations. To...
An outbreak of over 1,000 COVID-19 cases in Provincetown, Massachusetts (MA), July 2021-the first large mostly vaccinated individuals the US-prompted a comprehensive public health response, motivating changes to national masking recommendations and raising questions about infection transmission among individuals. To address these questions, we combined viral genomic epidemiological data from 467 individuals, including 40% outbreak-associated cases. The Delta variant accounted for 99% this...
Abstract Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease endemic in Central and West Africa. In May 2022, dozens of non-endemic countries reported hundreds monkeypox cases, most with no epidemiological link to We identified two lineages virus (MPXV) among nine 2021 2022 U.S. cases. A case was highly similar the MPXV outbreak variant, suggesting common ancestor. Analysis mutations these revealed an extreme preference for GA-to-AA indicative APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity that shared African since...
ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious illness in humans, and subsequent epidemiological investigation requires molecular characterization to allow the identification of specific isolates. L. is usually characterized by serotyping subtyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) or ribotyping. DNA microarrays provide an alternative means resolve genetic differences among isolates, unlike PFGE ribotyping, be used identify genes associated with strains interest. Twenty...
We describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiographic characteristics of 15 cases eastern equine encephalitis in children during 1970-2010. The most common clinical laboratory features were fever, headache, seizures, peripheral leukocytosis, cerebrospinal fluid neutrophilic pleocytosis. Radiographic lesions found basal ganglia, thalami, cerebral cortex. Clinical outcomes included severe neurologic deficits 5 (33%) patients, death 4 (27%), full recovery mild 2 (13%). identify an association...
Abstract Background Transmission of COVID-19 from people without symptoms poses considerable challenges to public health containment measures. The distribution viral loads in individuals with and remains uncertain. Comprehensive cross-sectional screening all a given setting provides an unbiased way assess independent symptoms, which informs transmission risks. cases initially peaked Massachusetts mid-April 2020 before declining through June, congregate living facilities were particularly...
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 has caused a severe, ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 in Massachusetts with 111,070 confirmed cases and 8,433 deaths as August 1, 2020. To investigate the introduction, spread, epidemiology Boston area, we sequenced analyzed 772 complete genomes from region, including nearly all within first week epidemic hundreds major outbreaks at conference, nursing facility, among homeless shelter guests staff. The data reveal over 80 introductions into predominantly elsewhere United...
Unusually large outbreaks of mumps across the United States in 2016 and 2017 raised questions about extent circulation relationship between these prior outbreaks. We paired epidemiological data from public health investigations with analysis virus whole genome sequences 201 infected individuals, focusing on Massachusetts university communities. Our suggests continuous, undetected locally nationally, including multiple independent introductions into individual Despite presence lineages,...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mandatory quarantine upon exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) results in a substantial number of lost days school. We hypothesized that implementation state-wide test-to-stay (TTS) program would allow more students participate in-person learning, and not cause additional clusters COVID-19 cases due in-school transmission. METHODS For the 2020–2021 academic year, Massachusetts implemented an opt-in TTS program, which exposed school are tested each day...