DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihad079 ISSN:
Heterogenous pathogen profile associated with acute conjunctivitis in Nepal
Meenu Chaudhary, Sanjeeta Sitaula, Kevin Ruder, Cindi Chen, Lina Zhong, Yu Heng Lu, Thomas Abraham, Danny Yu, Armin Hinterwirth, Thomas M Lietman, Thuy Doan, Gerami D Seitzman, Lalitha Prajna, N Venkatesh Prajna, Ramesh Gunasekaran, Sankalp Singh Sharma, Vishnu Teja, Meenu Chaudhary, Sanjeeta Sitaula, Ali Sié, Boubacar Coulibaly, Mamadou Bountogo, Thanapong Somkijrungroj, Vannarut Satitpitakul, Huy Tran, Linh Hoàng Mai, Thảo Hạ Xuân, Yen Tran, Cristhian A Urzua, Fabian Vega, Felipe Salgado, Loreto Cuitino, Fernando Pérez Pérez, Jaime Macías Martínez, Van Charles Lansingh, Sukhumal Thanapaisal, Wipada Laovirojjanakul, George McKie, Kenia Chavez, Travis Redd, Winston Chamberlain, Angel Cheng, Vivien Tham, Wiwan Sansanayudh, Abba Kaka Hajia Yakoura, Abdou Amza, Abdoul Salam Youssoufou Souley, Adam Nouhou Diori, Beido Nassirou, Boubacar Kadri, Boubacar Mariama, Cissé Mamadou Ibrahim, Lamyne Aboubacar Roufaye, Ramatou Boulhassane, Saley Ali, Zakou Abdou, Lee Goren, Ruti Sella, Clare Kelliher, Laura Green, Hon Shing Ong, Jod Mehta, Yu-Chi Liu, Benjamin A Pinsky, De-Kuang Hwang, Nai-Wen Fan, Hong Sheng Chiong, Javier Lacorzana, Maria Cabrera-Aguas, Stephanie Watson, Edmund Tsui, Nina M Cherian, Rachel Feit-Leichman, Reginald E Hughes, Tania Onclinx, Joseph K Privratsky, Carol Yu, Esmeralda McClean, Iliana Molina, Armin Hinterwirth, Cindi Chen, Danny Yu, David Liu, Elodie Lebas, Emily Colby, Gerami Seitzman, Kevin Ruder, Lina Zhong, Michael Deiner, Thomas Abraham, Thomas Lietman, Thuy Doan, Travis Porco, Stephen McLeod, Kuniyoshi Kanai, Meredith Whiteside, Steven Yeh, Tolulope Fashina, James Chodosh, Bridgit Tarkap, Jambi N Garap, Magdalene Mangot, Edwin Amel, Fasihah Taleo, Johnson Kasso, Kalbule Willie, Madopule Nanu, Prudence Rymill, Anthony W Solomon,- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- General Medicine
- Health (social science)
Abstract
Background
Infectious conjunctivitis is common in Nepal.
Materials and Methods
This prospective study recruited 60 patients with presumed acute infectious conjunctivitis from the B.P. Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies in Kathmandu, Nepal. Swabs from the conjunctiva and anterior nares were processed for metagenomic RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq).
Results
Pathogens were identified in 55% of cases. RNA viruses were the most common pathogen class identified. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was the most common RNA virus identified.
Conclusions
Acute infectious conjunctivitis varies by location. Contrary to expectations, RNA viruses predominated. Repeat surveillance may be useful and RNA-seq allows for detection of the unexpected pathogen including RNA viruses.