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Liu X, Stahelin RV, Pienaar E. Impact of Ebola virus nucleoprotein on VP40 virus-like particle production: a computational approach. Commun Biol 2024; 7:634. [PMID: 38796621 PMCID: PMC11128010 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06300-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) matrix protein VP40 can assemble and bud as virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed alone in mammalian cells. Nucleoprotein (NP) could be recruited to VLPs as inclusion body (IB) when co-expressed, and increase VLP production. However, the mechanism behind it remains unclear. Here, we use a computational approach to study NP-VP40 interactions. Our simulations indicate that NP may enhance VLP production through stabilizing VP40 filaments and accelerating the VLP budding step. Further, both the relative timing and amount of NP expression compared to VP40 are important for the effective production of IB-containing VLPs. We predict that relative NP/VP40 expression ratio and time are important for efficient production of IB-containing VLPs. We conclude that disrupting the expression timing and amount of NP and VP40 could provide new avenues to treat EBOV infection. This work provides quantitative insights into EBOV proteins interactions and how virion generation and drug efficacy could be influenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Robert V Stahelin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Elsje Pienaar
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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2
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Chandarana C, Tiwari A. A Review of Clinical Trials of Cancer and Its Treatment as a Vaccine. Rev Recent Clin Trials 2024; 19:7-33. [PMID: 37953617 DOI: 10.2174/0115748871260733231031081921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer and infectious diseases are one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. An unhealthy lifestyle, poor drug use, or drug misuse contribute to the rise in morbidity and mortality brought on by these illnesses. The inadequacies of the medications now being used to treat these disorders, along with the growing issue of drug resistance, have compelled researchers to look for novel compounds with therapeutic promise. The number of infections and diseases has significantly abated due to vaccine development and use over time, which is described in detail. Several novel vaccines can now be produced by manipulating Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), Ribonucleic acid (RNA), Messenger Ribonucleic acid (mRNA), proteins, viral vector Recombinant, and other molecules due to advances in genetic engineering and our understanding of the immune defense. OBJECTIVE The main topic of discussion is cancer-based vaccinations, which were developed less than a decade ago but have already been used to treat a wide range of both life-threatening and deadly diseases. It contains clinical studies for cancer vaccines against kidney, liver, prostate, cervix, and certain RNA-based cancer vaccines against breast and bladder cancer. RESULTS Numerous studies using various DNA and RNA-based methods have been conducted on the basis of cancer, with 9-10 diseases related to DNA and 8-9 diseases associated with RNA. Some of these studies have been completed, while others have been eliminated due to a lack of research; further studies are ongoing regarding the same. CONCLUSION This brief discussion of vaccines and their varieties with examples also discusses vaccine clinical trials in relation to cancer diseases in this DNA and RNA-based cancer vaccine that has had successful clinical trials like the cervical cancer drug VGX-3100, the kidney cancer drug Pembrolizumab, MGN-1601, the prostate cancer drug pTVG-HP with rhGM-CSF, the melanoma cancer drug proteasome siRNA, and the lung cancer drug FRAME-001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandani Chandarana
- Department of Quality Assurance, SSR College of Pharmacy, Sayli Road, Silvassa, U.T of Dadra Nagar and Haveli- 396230, India
| | - Anuradha Tiwari
- Department of Quality Assurance, SSR College of Pharmacy, Sayli Road, Silvassa, U.T of Dadra Nagar and Haveli- 396230, India
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3
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Vucetic A, Lafleur A, Côté M, Kobasa D, Chan M, Alvarez F, Piccirillo C, Dong G, Olivier M. Extracellular vesicle storm during the course of Ebola virus infection in primates. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1275277. [PMID: 38035334 PMCID: PMC10684970 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1275277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ebola virus (EBOV) is an RNA virus of the Filoviridae family that is responsible for outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers in primates with a lethality rate as high as 90%. EBOV primarily targets host macrophages leading to cell activation and systemic cytokine storm, and fatal infection is associated with an inhibited interferon response, and lymphopenia. The EBOV surface glycoprotein (GP) has been shown to directly induce T cell depletion and can be secreted outside the virion via extracellular vesicles (EVs), though most studies are limited to epithelial cells and underlying mechanisms remain poorly elucidated. Methods To assess the role of GP on EBOV-induced dysregulation of host immunity, we first utilized EBOV virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing VP40 and NP either alone (Bald-VLP) or in conjunction with GP (VLP-GP) to investigate early inflammatory responses in THP-1 macrophages and in a murine model. We then sought to decipher the role of non-classical inflammatory mediators such as EVs over the course of EBOV infection in two EBOV-infected rhesus macaques by isolating and characterizing circulatory EVs throughout disease progression using size exclusion chromatography, nanoparticle tracking-analysis, and LC-MS/MS. Results While all VLPs could induce inflammatory mediators and recruit small peritoneal macrophages, pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine gene expression was exacerbated by the presence of GP. Further, quantification of EVs isolated from infected rhesus macaques revealed that the concentration of vesicles peaked in circulation at the terminal stage, at which time EBOV GP could be detected in host-derived exosomes. Moreover, comparative proteomics conducted across EV populations isolated from serum at various time points before and after infection revealed differences in host-derived protein content that were most significantly pronounced at the endpoint of infection, including significant expression of mediators of TLR4 signaling. Discussion These results suggest a dynamic role for EVs in the modification of disease states in the context of EBOV. Overall, our work highlights the importance of viral factors, such as the GP, and host derived EVs in the inflammatory cascade and pathogenesis of EBOV, which can be collectively further exploited for novel antiviral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Vucetic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea Lafleur
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marceline Côté
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology and Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Darwyn Kobasa
- Special Pathogen Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Mable Chan
- Special Pathogen Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Fernando Alvarez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Federation of Clinical Immunology (FOCiS) Centres of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ciriaco Piccirillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Federation of Clinical Immunology (FOCiS) Centres of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - George Dong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Olivier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Federation of Clinical Immunology (FOCiS) Centres of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Lin M, Chen H, Jia L, Yang M, Qiu S, Song H, Wang L, Zheng T. Using a grey relational analysis in an improved Grunow-Finke assessment tool to detect unnatural epidemics. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2023; 43:1508-1517. [PMID: 36100578 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Grunow-Finke epidemiological assessment tool (GFT) has several limitations in its ability to differentiate between natural and man-made epidemics. Our study aimed to improve the GFT and analyze historical epidemics to validate the model. Using a gray relational analysis (GRA), we improved the GFT by revising the existing standards and adding five new standards. We then removed the artificial weights and final decision threshold. Finally, by using typically unnatural epidemic events as references, we used the GRA to calculate the unnatural probability and obtain assessment results. Using the advanced tool, we conducted retrospective and case analyses to test its performance. In the validation set of 13 historical epidemics, unnatural and natural epidemics were divided into two categories near the unnatural probability of 45%, showing evident differences (p < 0.01) and an assessment accuracy close to 100%. The unnatural probabilities of the Ebola virus disease of 2013 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome of 2012 were 30.6% and 36.1%, respectively. Our advanced epidemic assessment tool improved the accuracy of the original GFT from approximately 55% to approximately 100% and reduced the impact of human factors on these outcomes effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxuan Lin
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Science of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Leili Jia
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjuan Yang
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Shaofu Qiu
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbin Song
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Ligui Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Zheng
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Science of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
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5
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Jain S, Khaiboullina S, Martynova E, Morzunov S, Baranwal M. Epidemiology of Ebolaviruses from an Etiological Perspective. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020248. [PMID: 36839520 PMCID: PMC9963726 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the inception of the ebolavirus in 1976, 32 outbreaks have resulted in nearly 15,350 deaths in more than ten countries of the African continent. In the last decade, the largest (2013-2016) and second largest (2018-2020) ebolavirus outbreaks have occurred in West Africa (mainly Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively. The 2013-2016 outbreak indicated an alarming geographical spread of the virus and was the first to qualify as an epidemic. Hence, it is imperative to halt ebolavirus progression and develop effective countermeasures. Despite several research efforts, ebolaviruses' natural hosts and secondary reservoirs still elude the scientific world. The primary source responsible for infecting the index case is also unknown for most outbreaks. In this review, we summarize the history of ebolavirus outbreaks with a focus on etiology, natural hosts, zoonotic reservoirs, and transmission mechanisms. We also discuss the reasons why the African continent is the most affected region and identify steps to contain this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Svetlana Khaiboullina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Martynova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia
| | - Sergey Morzunov
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
- Correspondence: (S.M.); or (M.B.); Tel.: +1-775-682-6230 (S.M.); +91-175-2393118 (M.B.); Fax: +91-175-2364498 (M.B.)
| | - Manoj Baranwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147004, Punjab, India
- Correspondence: (S.M.); or (M.B.); Tel.: +1-775-682-6230 (S.M.); +91-175-2393118 (M.B.); Fax: +91-175-2364498 (M.B.)
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Malik S, Kishore S, Nag S, Dhasmana A, Preetam S, Mitra O, León-Figueroa DA, Mohanty A, Chattu VK, Assefi M, Padhi BK, Sah R. Ebola Virus Disease Vaccines: Development, Current Perspectives & Challenges. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020268. [PMID: 36851146 PMCID: PMC9963029 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The global outgoing outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in different regions of Sudan, Uganda, and Western Africa have brought into focus the inadequacies and restrictions of pre-designed vaccines for use in the battle against EVD, which has affirmed the urgent need for the development of a systematic protocol to produce Ebola vaccines prior to an outbreak. There are several vaccines available being developed by preclinical trials and human-based clinical trials. The group of vaccines includes virus-like particle-based vaccines, DNA-based vaccines, whole virus recombinant vaccines, incompetent replication originated vaccines, and competent replication vaccines. The limitations and challenges faced in the development of Ebola vaccines are the selection of immunogenic, rapid-responsive, cross-protective immunity-based vaccinations with assurances of prolonged protection. Another issue for the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines involves post authorization, licensing, and surveillance to ensure a vaccine's efficacy towards combating the Ebola outbreak. The current review focuses on the development process, the current perspective on the development of an Ebola vaccine, and future challenges for combatting future emerging Ebola infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumira Malik
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Jharkhand, Ranchi 834001, Jharkhand, India
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (R.S.); Tel.: +977-980-309-8857 (R.S.)
| | - Shristi Kishore
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Jharkhand, Ranchi 834001, Jharkhand, India
| | - Sagnik Nag
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Tiruvalam Road, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Archna Dhasmana
- Himalayan School of Biosciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jolly Grant, Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Subham Preetam
- Institute of Advanced Materials, IAAM, Gammalkilsvägen 18, 59053 Ulrika, Sweden
| | - Oishi Mitra
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Tiruvalam Road, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Aroop Mohanty
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur 273008, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Chattu
- Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada
- Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha 442107, Maharashtra, India
| | - Marjan Assefi
- Joint School of NanoScience and Nano Engineering, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA
| | - Bijaya K. Padhi
- Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, Punjab, India
| | - Ranjit Sah
- Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
- Dr. D.Y Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Dr. D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune 411018, Maharashtra, India
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (R.S.); Tel.: +977-980-309-8857 (R.S.)
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7
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Bouba A, Helle KB, Schneider KA. Predicting the combined effects of case isolation, safe funeral practices, and contact tracing during Ebola virus disease outbreaks. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0276351. [PMID: 36649296 PMCID: PMC9844901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Uganda and the Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Ghana reflect a persisting threat of Filoviridae to the global health community. Characteristic of Filoviridae are not just their high case fatality rates, but also that corpses are highly contagious and prone to cause infections in the absence of appropriate precautions. Vaccines against the most virulent Ebolavirus species, the Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) are approved. However, there exists no approved vaccine or treatment against the Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) which causes the current outbreak of EVD. Hence, the control of the outbreak relies on case isolation, safe funeral practices, and contact tracing. So far, the effectiveness of these control measures was studied only separately by epidemiological models, while the impact of their interaction is unclear. METHODS AND FINDINGS To sustain decision making in public health-emergency management, we introduce a predictive model to study the interaction of case isolation, safe funeral practices, and contact tracing. The model is a complex extension of an SEIR-type model, and serves as an epidemic preparedness tool. The model considers different phases of the EVD infections, the possibility of infections being treated in isolation (if appropriately diagnosed), in hospital (if not properly diagnosed), or at home (if the infected do not present to hospital for whatever reason). It is assumed that the corpses of those who died in isolation are buried with proper safety measures, while those who die outside isolation might be buried unsafely, such that transmission can occur during the funeral. Furthermore, the contacts of individuals in isolation will be traced. Based on parameter estimates from the scientific literature, the model suggests that proper diagnosis and hence isolation of cases has the highest impact in reducing the size of the outbreak. However, the combination of case isolation and safe funeral practices alone are insufficient to fully contain the epidemic under plausible parameters. This changes if these measures are combined with contact tracing. In addition, shortening the time to successfully trace back contacts contribute substantially to contain the outbreak. CONCLUSIONS In the absence of an approved vaccine and treatment, EVD management by proper and fast diagnostics in combination with epidemic awareness are fundamental. Awareness will particularly facilitate contact tracing and safe funeral practices. Moreover, proper and fast diagnostics are a major determinant of case isolation. The model introduced here is not just applicable to EVD, but also to other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as the MVD or the Lassa fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliou Bouba
- Hochschule Mittweida, University of Applied Sciences Mittweida, Mittweida, Germany
- African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Limbe, Cameroon
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8
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Tsiligianni C, Tsiligiannis A, Tsiliyannis C. A stochastic inventory model of COVID-19 and robust, real-time identification of carriers at large and infection rate via asymptotic laws. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH 2023; 304:42-56. [PMID: 35035055 PMCID: PMC8741332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2021.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A critical operations management problem in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is cognizance of (a) the number of all carriers at large (CaL) conveying the SARS-CoV-2, including asymptomatic ones and (b) the infection rate (IR). Both are random and unobservable, affecting the spread of the disease, patient arrivals to health care units (HCUs) and the number of deaths. A novel, inventory perspective of COVID-19 is proposed, with random inflow, random losses and retrials (recurrent cases) and delayed/distributed exit, with randomly varying fractions of the exit distribution. A minimal construal, it enables representation of COVID-19 evolution with close fit of national incidence profiles, including single and multiple pattern outbreaks, oscillatory, periodic or non-periodic evolution, followed by retraction, leveling off, or strong resurgence. Furthermore, based on asymptotic laws, the minimum number of variables that must be monitored for identifying CaL and IR is determined and a real-time identification method is presented. The method is data-driven, utilizing the entry rate to HCUs and scaled, or dimensionless variables, including the mean residence time of symptomatic carriers in CaL and the mean residence time in CaL of patients entering HCUs. As manifested by several robust case studies of national COVID-19 incidence profiles, it provides efficient identification in real-time under unbiased monitoring error, without relying on any model. The propagation factor, a stochastic process, is reconstructed from the identified trajectories of CaL and IR, enabling evaluation of control measures. The results are useful towards the design of policies restricting COVID-19 and encumbrance to HCUs and mitigating economic contraction.
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9
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Sundaram M, Schmidt JP, Han BA, Drake JM, Stephens PR. Traits, phylogeny and host cell receptors predict Ebolavirus host status among African mammals. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010993. [PMID: 36542657 PMCID: PMC9815631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We explore how animal host traits, phylogenetic identity and cell receptor sequences relate to infection status and mortality from ebolaviruses. We gathered exhaustive databases of mortality from Ebolavirus after exposure and infection status based on PCR and antibody tests. We performed ridge regressions predicting mortality and infection as a function of traits, phylogenetic eigenvectors and separately host receptor sequences. We found that mortality from Ebolavirus had a strong association to life history characteristics and phylogeny. In contrast, infection status related not just to life history and phylogeny, but also to fruit consumption which suggests that geographic overlap of frugivorous mammals can lead to spread of virus in the wild. Niemann Pick C1 (NPC1) receptor sequences predicted infection statuses of bats included in our study with very high accuracy, suggesting that characterizing NPC1 in additional species is a promising avenue for future work. We combine the predictions from our mortality and infection status models to differentiate between species that are infected and also die from Ebolavirus versus species that are infected but tolerate the virus (possible reservoirs of Ebolavirus). We therefore present the first comprehensive estimates of Ebolavirus reservoir statuses for all known terrestrial mammals in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mekala Sundaram
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John Paul Schmidt
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Barbara A. Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, Millbrook, New York, United States of America
| | - John M. Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Stephens
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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10
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Liu X, Pappas EJ, Husby ML, Motsa BB, Stahelin RV, Pienaar E. Mechanisms of phosphatidylserine influence on viral production: A computational model of Ebola virus matrix protein assembly. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102025. [PMID: 35568195 PMCID: PMC9218153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) infections continue to pose a global public health threat, with high mortality rates and sporadic outbreaks in Central and Western Africa. A quantitative understanding of the key processes driving EBOV assembly and budding could provide valuable insights to inform drug development. Here, we use a computational model to evaluate EBOV matrix assembly. Our model focuses on the assembly kinetics of VP40, the matrix protein in EBOV, and its interaction with phosphatidylserine (PS) in the host cell membrane. It has been shown that mammalian cells transfected with VP40-expressing plasmids are capable of producing virus-like particles (VLPs) that closely resemble EBOV virions. Previous studies have also shown that PS levels in the host cell membrane affects VP40 association with the plasma membrane inner leaflet and that lower membrane PS levels result in lower VLP production. Our computational findings indicate that PS may also have a direct influence on VP40 VLP assembly and budding, where a higher PS level will result in a higher VLP budding rate and filament dissociation rate. Our results further suggest that the assembly of VP40 filaments follow the nucleation-elongation theory, where initialization and oligomerization of VP40 are two distinct steps in the assembly process. Our findings advance the current understanding of VP40 VLP formation by identifying new possible mechanisms of PS influence on VP40 assembly. We propose that these mechanisms could inform treatment strategies targeting PS alone or in combination with other VP40 assembly steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Ethan J Pappas
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Monica L Husby
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Balindile B Motsa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Robert V Stahelin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Elsje Pienaar
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
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11
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Caetano-Anollés K, Hernandez N, Mughal F, Tomaszewski T, Caetano-Anollés G. The seasonal behaviour of COVID-19 and its galectin-like culprit of the viral spike. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2021; 50:27-81. [PMID: 38620818 PMCID: PMC8590929 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mim.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal behaviour is an attribute of many viral diseases. Like other 'winter' RNA viruses, infections caused by the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, appear to exhibit significant seasonal changes. Here we discuss the seasonal behaviour of COVID-19, emerging viral phenotypes, viral evolution, and how the mutational landscape of the virus affects the seasonal attributes of the disease. We propose that the multiple seasonal drivers behind infectious disease spread (and the spread of COVID-19 specifically) are in 'trade-off' relationships and can be better described within a framework of a 'triangle of viral persistence' modulated by the environment, physiology, and behaviour. This 'trade-off' exists as one trait cannot increase without a decrease in another. We also propose that molecular components of the virus can act as sensors of environment and physiology, and could represent molecular culprits of seasonality. We searched for flexible protein structures capable of being modulated by the environment and identified a galectin-like fold within the N-terminal domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as a potential candidate. Tracking the prevalence of mutations in this structure resulted in the identification of a hemisphere-dependent seasonal pattern driven by mutational bursts. We propose that the galectin-like structure is a frequent target of mutations because it helps the virus evade or modulate the physiological responses of the host to further its spread and survival. The flexible regions of the N-terminal domain should now become a focus for mitigation through vaccines and therapeutics and for prediction and informed public health decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolas Hernandez
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Fizza Mughal
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Tre Tomaszewski
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
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12
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Saxenhofer M, Labutin A, White TA, Heckel G. Host genetic factors associated with the range limit of a European hantavirus. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:252-265. [PMID: 34614264 PMCID: PMC9298007 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The natural host ranges of many viruses are restricted to very specific taxa. Little is known about the molecular barriers between species that lead to the establishment of this restriction or generally prevent virus emergence in new hosts. Here, we identify genomic polymorphisms in a natural rodent host associated with a strong genetic barrier to the transmission of European Tula orthohantavirus (TULV). We analysed the very abrupt spatial transition between two major phylogenetic clades in TULV across the comparatively much wider natural hybrid zone between evolutionary lineages of their reservoir host, the common vole (Microtus arvalis). Genomic scans of 79,225 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 323 TULV‐infected host individuals detected 30 SNPs that were consistently associated with the TULV clades CEN.S or EST.S in two replicate sampling transects. Focusing the analysis on 199 voles with evidence of genomic admixture at the individual level (0.1–0.9) supported statistical significance for all 30 loci. Host genomic variation at these SNPs explained up to 37.6% of clade‐specific TULV infections. Genes in the vicinity of associated SNPs include SAHH, ITCH and two members of the Syngr gene family, which are involved in functions related to immune response or membrane transport. This study demonstrates the relevance of natural hybrid zones as systems not only for studying processes of evolutionary divergence and speciation, but also for the detection of evolving genetic barriers for specialized parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Saxenhofer
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge - Bâtiment Génopode, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anton Labutin
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas A White
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge - Bâtiment Génopode, Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Lee-Cruz L, Lenormand M, Cappelle J, Caron A, De Nys H, Peeters M, Bourgarel M, Roger F, Tran A. Mapping of Ebola virus spillover: Suitability and seasonal variability at the landscape scale. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009683. [PMID: 34424896 PMCID: PMC8425568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The unexpected Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014 involving the Zaire ebolavirus made clear that other regions outside Central Africa, its previously documented niche, were at risk of future epidemics. The complex transmission cycle and a lack of epidemiological data make mapping areas at risk of the disease challenging. We used a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria evaluation (GIS-MCE), a knowledge-based approach, to identify areas suitable for Ebola virus spillover to humans in regions of Guinea, Congo and Gabon where Ebola viruses already emerged. We identified environmental, climatic and anthropogenic risk factors and potential hosts from a literature review. Geographical data layers, representing risk factors, were combined to produce suitability maps of Ebola virus spillover at the landscape scale. Our maps show high spatial and temporal variability in the suitability for Ebola virus spillover at a fine regional scale. Reported spillover events fell in areas of intermediate to high suitability in our maps, and a sensitivity analysis showed that the maps produced were robust. There are still important gaps in our knowledge about what factors are associated with the risk of Ebola virus spillover. As more information becomes available, maps produced using the GIS-MCE approach can be easily updated to improve surveillance and the prevention of future outbreaks. Ebola virus disease is a highly pathogenic disease transmitted from wildlife to humans. It was first described in 1976 and its distribution remained restricted to Central Africa until 2014, when an outbreak in West Africa, causing more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths, took place. Anthropogenic factors, such as bushmeat hunting, trade and consumption, and environmental and climatic factors, may promote the contact between humans and infected animals, such as bats, primates and duikers, increasing the risk of virus transmission to the human population. In this study, we used the spatial multicriteria evaluation framework to gather all available information on risk factors and animal species susceptible to infection, and produce maps of areas suitable for Ebola virus spillover in regions in Guinea, Congo and Gabon. The resulting maps highlighted high spatial and temporal variability in the suitability for Ebola virus spillover. Data from reported cases of Ebola virus transmission from wild animals to humans were used to validate the maps. The approach developed is capable of integrating a wide diversity of risk factors, and provides a flexible and simple tool for surveillance, which can be updated as more data and knowledge on risk factors become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Lee-Cruz
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Montpellier, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Maxime Lenormand
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Cappelle
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Caron
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- Faculdade Veterinaria, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Hélène De Nys
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Martine Peeters
- TransVIHMI, IRD, INSERM, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Bourgarel
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - François Roger
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Montpellier, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
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14
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Ghosh S, Saha A, Samanta S, Saha RP. Genome structure and genetic diversity in the Ebola virus. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 60:83-90. [PMID: 34364102 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ebola is a deadly pathogen responsible for Ebola virus disease, first came to prominence in the year 1976. This rapidly evolving virus imposed a serious threat to the human population in the last few decades and also continues to be a probable threat to our race. A better understanding of the virus in terms of its genomic structure is very much needed to develop an effective antiviral therapy against this deadly pathogen. Complete knowledge of its genomic structure and variations will help us and the entire scientific community to design effective therapy in terms of either vaccine development or the development of proper antiviral medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanmitra Ghosh
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, 700126, India
| | - Abinit Saha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, 700126, India
| | - Saikat Samanta
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, 700126, India
| | - Rudra P Saha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, 700126, India.
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15
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Bratcher A, Hoff NA, Doshi RH, Gadoth A, Halbrook M, Mukadi P, Musene K, Ilunga-Kebela B, Spencer D, Bramble MS, McIlwan D, Kelly JD, Mukadi D, Kingebeni PM, Ahuka S, Okitolonda-Wemakoy E, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Rimoin AW. Zoonotic risk factors associated with seroprevalence of Ebola virus GP antibodies in the absence of diagnosed Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009566. [PMID: 34383755 PMCID: PMC8384205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ebola virus (EBOV) is a zoonotic filovirus spread through exposure to infected bodily fluids of a human or animal. Though EBOV is capable of causing severe disease, referred to as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), individuals who have never been diagnosed with confirmed, probable or suspected EVD can have detectable EBOV antigen-specific antibodies in their blood. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with detectable antibody levels in the absence of an EVD diagnosis. METHODOLOGY Data was collected from September 2015 to August 2017 from 1,366 consenting individuals across four study sites in the DRC (Boende, Kabondo-Dianda, Kikwit, and Yambuku). Seroreactivity was determined to EBOV GP IgG using Zaire Ebola Virus Glycoprotein (EBOV GP antigen) ELISA kits (Alpha Diagnostic International, Inc.) in Kinshasa, DRC; any result above 4.7 units/mL was considered seroreactive. Among the respondents, 113 (8.3%) were considered seroreactive. Several zoonotic exposures were associated with EBOV seroreactivity after controlling for age, sex, healthcare worker status, location, and history of contact with an EVD case, namely: ever having contact with bats, ever having contact with rodents, and ever eating non-human primate meat. Contact with monkeys or non-human primates was not associated with seroreactivity. CONCLUSIONS This analysis suggests that some zoonotic exposures that have been linked to EVD outbreaks can also be associated with EBOV GP seroreactivity in the absence of diagnosed EVD. Future investigations should seek to clarify the relationships between zoonotic exposures, seroreactivity, asymptomatic infection, and EVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bratcher
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole A. Hoff
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Reena H. Doshi
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Adva Gadoth
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Megan Halbrook
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick Mukadi
- Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - Kamy Musene
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - Benoit Ilunga-Kebela
- Direction de lutte contre la maladie-Ministère de la santé Publique, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - D’Andre Spencer
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew S. Bramble
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - David McIlwan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - J. Daniel Kelly
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel Mukadi
- Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa, DRC
| | | | - Steve Ahuka
- Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale, Kinshasa, DRC
| | | | | | - Anne W. Rimoin
- UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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16
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Iyer HS, DeVille NV, Stoddard O, Cole J, Myers SS, Li H, Elliott EG, Jimenez MP, James P, Golden CD. Sustaining planetary health through systems thinking: Public health's critical role. SSM Popul Health 2021; 15:100844. [PMID: 34179331 PMCID: PMC8213960 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding and responding to adverse human health impacts of global environmental change will be a major priority of 21st century public health professionals. The emerging field of planetary health aims to face this challenge by studying and promoting policies that protect the health of humans and of the Earth's natural systems that support them. Public health, drawing on its experience of guiding policies to improve population health, has contributed to planetary health's development. Yet, few public health practitioners are familiar with planetary health's systems-oriented approaches for understanding relationships between economic development, environmental degradation, and human health. In this narrative review, we present key planetary health concepts and show how systems thinking has guided its development. We discuss historical approaches to studying impacts of economic development on human health and the environment. We then review novel conceptual frameworks adopted by planetary health scientists to study and forecast impacts of policies that influence human health and Earth's natural systems at varying spatiotemporal scales. We conclude by presenting examples of how applying the "Doughnut" model (an economic framework where the needs of people are met without overshooting the world's ecological limits) could guide policies for promoting health co-benefits to humans and natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari S. Iyer
- Division of Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA,Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA,Corresponding author. Division of Population Sciences Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, USA.
| | - Nicole V. DeVille
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA
| | - Olivia Stoddard
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Jennifer Cole
- Geography Department, Royal Holloway University of London and Royal United Services Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel S. Myers
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Huichu Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Elise G. Elliott
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, USA,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Marcia P. Jimenez
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA,Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, USA
| | - Peter James
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA,Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, USA
| | - Christopher D. Golden
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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17
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Hansen F, Feldmann H, Jarvis MA. Targeting Ebola virus replication through pharmaceutical intervention. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:201-226. [PMID: 33593215 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1881061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Introduction. The consistent emergence/reemergence of filoviruses into a world that previously lacked an approved pharmaceutical intervention parallels an experience repeatedly played-out for most other emerging pathogenic zoonotic viruses. Investment to preemptively develop effective and low-cost prophylactic and therapeutic interventions against viruses that have high potential for emergence and societal impact should be a priority.Areas covered. Candidate drugs can be characterized into those that interfere with cellular processes required for Ebola virus (EBOV) replication (host-directed), and those that directly target virally encoded functions (direct-acting). We discuss strategies to identify pharmaceutical interventions for EBOV infections. PubMed/Web of Science databases were searched to establish a detailed catalog of these interventions.Expert opinion. Many drug candidates show promising in vitro inhibitory activity, but experience with EBOV shows the general lack of translation to in vivo efficacy for host-directed repurposed drugs. Better translation is seen for direct-acting antivirals, in particular monoclonal antibodies. The FDA-approved monoclonal antibody treatment, Inmazeb™ is a success story that could be improved in terms of impact on EBOV-associated disease and mortality, possibly by combination with other direct-acting agents targeting distinct aspects of the viral replication cycle. Costs need to be addressed given EBOV emergence primarily in under-resourced countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Hansen
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Michael A Jarvis
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK.,The Vaccine Group, Ltd, Plymouth, Devon, UK
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18
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Douno M, Asampong E, Magassouba N, Fichet-Calvet E, Almudena MS. Hunting and consumption of rodents by children in the Lassa fever endemic area of Faranah, Guinea. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009212. [PMID: 33730025 PMCID: PMC7968712 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a consequence of the Ebola outbreak, human-animal contact has gained importance for zoonotic transmission surveillance. In Faranah (Upper Guinea), daily life is intertwined with rodents, such as the Natal multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis; a reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). However, this contact is rarely perceived as a health risk by residents, although Lassa fever (LF) is known to be endemic to this region. Conversely, these observations remain a great concern for global health agendas. Drawing on ethnographic research involving interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and informal discussions over four months, we first identified factors that motivated children to hunt and consume rodents in Faranah villages, and thereafter, explored the knowledge of LF infection in children and their parents. Furthermore, we studied two dimensions of human-rodent encounters: 1) space-time of interaction and 2) factors that allowed the interaction to occur and their materiality. This approach allowed us to contextualize child-rodent contacts beyond domestic limits in the fallow fields, swamps, and at other times for this practice. A close look at these encounters provided information on rodent trapping, killing, and manipulation of cooking techniques and the risk these activities posed for the primary transmission of LASV. This research facilitated the understanding of children's exposure to M. natalensis during hunting sessions and the importance of rodent hunting, which is a part of their boyish identity in rural areas. Determination of when, where, why, and how children, rodents, and environments interacted allowed us to understand the exposures and risks important for human and animal surveillance programs in the Lassa-endemic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moussa Douno
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Université de Conakry, Guinée
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- * E-mail:
| | - Emmanuel Asampong
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - N’Faly Magassouba
- Projet des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Université de Conakry, Guinée
| | | | - Marí Sáez Almudena
- Center for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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19
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[The latest research findings on Ebola virus]. Uirusu 2021; 71:137-150. [PMID: 37245976 DOI: 10.2222/jsv.71.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
013-2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak was the largest EVD outbreak ever documented that started earlier in Guinea and later widely spread throughout West Africa, ending up a total of > 28,000 human infections. In this review, we outline research findings on Ebola virus (EBOV) variant Makona, a new EBOV variant isolated from the 2013-2016 EVD outbreak, and introduce the unique biological and pathogenic characteristics of Makona variant. We also discuss about the relevance of persistent infection of EBOV in EVD survivors with resurgence of EVD outbreak in Guinea in 2021. Moreover, this review covers a recent case report of EVD relapse and deliberates new interpretations of EBOV biology and EVD outbreak.
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20
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Atherstone C, Diederich S, Pickering B, Smith G, Casey G, Fischer K, Ward MP, Ndoboli D, Weingartl H, Alonso S, Dhand N, Roesel K, Grace D, Mor SM. Investigation of Ebolavirus exposure in pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:1521-1530. [PMID: 32915496 PMCID: PMC8247040 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In 2008, an outbreak of Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) in pigs in the Philippines expanded our understanding of the host range of ebolaviruses. Subsequent experimental infections with the human‐pathogenic species Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) confirmed that pigs are susceptible to African species of ebolaviruses. Pig keeping has become an increasingly important livelihood strategy throughout parts of sub‐Saharan Africa, driven by increasing demand for pork. The growth in pig keeping is particularly rapid in Uganda, which has the highest per capita pork consumption in East Africa and a history of sporadic human outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD). Using a systematic sampling protocol, we collected sera from 658 pigs presented for slaughter in Uganda between December 2015 and October 2016. Forty‐six pigs (7%) were seropositive based on ELISA tests at two different institutions. Seropositive pigs had antibodies that bound to Sudan NP (n = 27), Zaire NP (Kikwit; n = 8) or both NPs (n = 11). Sera from 4 of the ELISA‐positive pigs reacted in Western blot (EBOV NP = 1; RESTV NP = 2; both NPs = 2), and one sample had full neutralizing antibody against Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) in virus neutralization tests. Pigs sampled in June 2016 were significantly more likely to be seropositive than pigs sampled in October 2016 (p = .03). Seropositive pigs were sourced from all regions except Western region. These observed temporal and spatial variations are suggestive of multiple introductions of ebolaviruses into the pig population in Uganda. This is the first report of exposure of pigs in Uganda to ebolaviruses and the first to employ systematic abattoir sampling for ebolavirus surveillance during a non‐outbreak period. Future studies will be necessary to further define the role pigs play (if any) in ebolavirus maintenance and transmission so that potential risks can be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Atherstone
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald -Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Bradley Pickering
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Greg Smith
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Graham Casey
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald -Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Michael P Ward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dickson Ndoboli
- Central Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Hana Weingartl
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Silvia Alonso
- International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Navneet Dhand
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristina Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda.,Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Delia Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Siobhan M Mor
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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21
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Rugarabamu S, Mboera L, Rweyemamu M, Mwanyika G, Lutwama J, Paweska J, Misinzo G. Forty-two years of responding to Ebola virus outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review. BMJ Glob Health 2020; 5:e001955. [PMID: 32201623 PMCID: PMC7061886 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ebola virus disease (EVD) is one of the deadliest haemorrhagic fevers affecting humans and non-human primates. Thirty-four outbreaks have been reported in Africa since it was first recognised in 1976. This review analysed 42 years of EVD outbreaks and identified various challenges and opportunities for its control and prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A literature search of relevant articles on EVD was done in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases. Articles published from 1976 to 2019 were reviewed to document reports of EVD outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data extraction focused on the year of outbreak, geographical spread, virus strain involved, number of cases and deaths, case fatality, and outbreak management. Analyses of trends in case fatality were performed by calculating ORs between times. Results In the past four decades, a total of 34 EVD outbreaks affecting 34 356 cases and causing 14 823 deaths were reported in 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The overall case fatality rate (95% CI) was 66% (62 to 71) and did not change substantially over time (OR in 2019 vs 1976=1.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 1.8), p<0.001). The results of this review indicate that challenges to control EVD outbreaks are related to epidemiological, sociocultural and health system factors. Conclusions Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face considerable challenges in EVD control, whereby there are no significant changes in case fatality rates observed during the past four decades. Socioeconomic and cultural processes need to be critically considered to shape the community behaviours that lead to exposure to EVD outbreaks. Areas that need to be addressed to prevent future EVD outbreaks include a broad-based, one-health approach, effective communication, social mobilisation, and strengthening of the health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Rugarabamu
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Leonard Mboera
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
| | - Mark Rweyemamu
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
| | - Gaspary Mwanyika
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Julius Lutwama
- Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Uganda Virus research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Janusz Paweska
- National Institute of Communicable Diseases, National Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gerald Misinzo
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
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22
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Liu Y, Wen Z, Carrion R, Nunneley J, Staples H, Ticer A, Patterson JL, Compans RW, Ye L, Yang C. Intradermal Immunization of EBOV VLPs in Guinea Pigs Induces Broader Antibody Responses Against GP Than Intramuscular Injection. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:304. [PMID: 32174901 PMCID: PMC7056717 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebolavirus (EBOV) infection in humans causes severe hemorrhagic fevers with high mortality rates that range from 30 to 80% as shown in different outbreaks. Thus the development of safe and efficacious EBOV vaccines remains an important goal for biomedical research. We have shown in early studies that immunization with insect cell-produced EBOV virus-like particles (VLPs) is able to induce protect vaccinated mice against lethal EBOV challenge. In the present study, we investigated immune responses induced by Ebola VLPs via two different routes, intramuscular and intradermal immunizations, in guinea pigs. Analyses of antibody responses revealed that similar levels of total IgG antibodies against the EBOV glycoprotein (GP) were induced by the two different immunization methods. However, further characterization showed that the EBOV GP-specific antibodies induced by intramuscular immunization were mainly of the IgG2 subtype whereas both IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies against EBOV GP were induced by intradermal immunization. In contrast, antibody responses against the EBOV matrix protein VP40 induced by intramuscular or intradermal immunizations exhibited similar IgG1 and IgG2 profiles. More interestingly, we found that the sites that the IgG1 antibodies induced by intradermal immunizations bind to in GP are different from those that bind to the IgG2 antibodies induced by intramuscular immunization. Further analyses revealed that sera from all vaccinated guinea pigs exhibited neutralizing activity against Ebola GP-mediated HIV pseudovirion infection at high levels. Moreover, all EBOV VLP-vaccinated guinea pigs survived the challenge by a high dose (1000 pfu) of guinea pig-adapted EBOV, while all control guinea pigs immunized with irrelevant VLPs succumbed to the challenge. The induction of both IgG1 and IgG2 antibody responses that recognized broader sites in GP by intradermal immunization of EBOV VLPs indicates that this approach may represent a more advantageous route of vaccination against virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Institute of Health Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Zhiyuan Wen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Harbin, China
| | - Ricardo Carrion
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Jerritt Nunneley
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Hilary Staples
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Anysha Ticer
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | - Richard W. Compans
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ling Ye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Chinglai Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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23
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Matson MJ, Chertow DS, Munster VJ. Delayed recognition of Ebola virus disease is associated with longer and larger outbreaks. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:291-301. [PMID: 32013784 PMCID: PMC7034085 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1722036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The average time required to detect an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak following spillover of Ebola virus (EBOV) to a primary human case has remained essentially unchanged for over 40 years, with some of the longest delays in detection occurring in recent decades. In this review, our aim was to examine the relationship between delays in detection of EVD and the duration and size of outbreaks, and we report that longer delays are associated with longer and larger EVD outbreaks. Historically, EVD outbreaks have typically been comprised of less than 100 cases (median = 60) and have lasted less than 4 months (median = 118 days). The ongoing outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the 2013–2016 west Africa outbreak, are stark outliers amidst these trends and had two of the longest delays in detection on record. While significant progress has been made in the development of EVD countermeasures, implementation during EVD outbreaks is problematic. Thus, EVD surveillance must be improved by the broad deployment of modern diagnostic tools, as prompt recognition of EVD has the potential to stem early transmission and ultimately limit the duration and size of outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jeremiah Matson
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA.,Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Huntington, WV, USA
| | - Daniel S Chertow
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vincent J Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
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24
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Shapiro JT, Sovie AR, Faller CR, Monadjem A, Fletcher RJ, McCleery RA. Ebola spillover correlates with bat diversity. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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25
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Ebola virus disease: An emerging and re-emerging viral threat. J Autoimmun 2019; 106:102375. [PMID: 31806422 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.102375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The genus Ebolavirus from the family Filoviridae is composed of five species including Sudan ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Taï Forest ebolavirus, and Ebola virus (previously known as Zaire ebolavirus). These viruses have a large non-segmented, negative-strand RNA of approximately 19 kb that encodes for glycoproteins (i.e., GP, sGP, ssGP), nucleoproteins, virion proteins (i.e., VP 24, 30,40) and an RNA dependent RNA polymerase. These viruses have become a global health concern because of mortality, their rapid dissemination, new outbreaks in West-Africa, and the emergence of a new condition known as "Post-Ebola virus disease syndrome" that resembles inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and spondyloarthritis with uveitis. However, there are many gaps in the understanding of the mechanisms that may induce the development of such autoimmune-like syndromes. Some of these mechanisms may include a high formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, an uncontrolled "cytokine storm", and the possible formation of auto-antibodies. The likely appearance of autoimmune phenomena in Ebola survivors suppose a new challenge in the management and control of this disease and opens a new field of research in a special subgroup of patients. Herein, the molecular biology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment of Ebola virus disease are reviewed and some strategies for control of disease are discussed.
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26
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Tian X, Chen D, Wang H, Xu S, Zhu L, Wu X, Wu Z. The induction and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific to GP of Ebola virus. J Med Virol 2019; 92:996-1006. [PMID: 31663613 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The Ebola virus is highly infectious and characterized by hemorrhagic fever, headache, and so on with a high mortality rate. Currently, there are neither therapeutic drugs or vaccines against the Ebola virus nor fast diagnostic methods for the detection of Ebola virus infection. This study reported the induction and isolation of two monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognized the glycoprotein (GP) and secreted glycoprotein (sGP) of the Ebola virus. Plasmids encoding either GP or sGP were constructed and immunized BALB/c mice, accordingly purified sGP was boosted. The antisera were analyzed for binding activity against sGP protein in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and neutralization activity in a pseudotyped virus neutralization assay. A number of reactive clones were isolated and two monoclonal antibodies T231 and T242 were identified to react with both GP and sGP. Western blot and ELISA assays showed that the monoclonal antibodies could react with GP and sGP, respectively. Moreover, they could recognize Ebola pseudovirus by cellular immunochemistry assay. We labeled the monoclonal antibody T231 with biotin and analyzed the competitiveness of the two antibodies by the ELISA test. The results showed that the binding epitopes of the two monoclonal antibodies to sGP were partially overlapped. In summary, two GP-specific mAbs were identified, which will be used to detect the Ebola virus or investigate GP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Tian
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China.,Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Deyan Chen
- Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huanru Wang
- Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shijie Xu
- Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Linjing Zhu
- Y-Clone Medical Science Co Ltd, Nanjing, China
| | - Xilin Wu
- Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Y-Clone Medical Science Co Ltd, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiwei Wu
- Center for Public Health Research, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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27
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Fa JE, Nasi R, van Vliet N. [Bushmeat, human impacts and human health in tropical rainforests: The Ebola virus case]. SANTE PUBLIQUE (VANDOEUVRE-LES-NANCY, FRANCE) 2019; S1:107-114. [PMID: 31210471 DOI: 10.3917/spub.190.0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
At a time when more than 5 million tonnes of bushmeat are harvested annually from tropical forests, and which account for a significant, but unrecorded, share of the gross domestic product of many forest countries, decision makers are encouraged, within conservation and food security policies, to understand the role that wildlife can play in the conservation of ecosystem services. In this article, we present an analysis of the problem, describing the role played by bushmeat in human diets, and the health risks linked to the consumption of bushmeat, in particular with regard to Ebola disease, to provide insights on the direction of possible strategies to manage the use of wildlife for meeting the needs of local populations and reducing risks to human health.
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28
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Rahim MN, Wee EG, He S, Audet J, Tierney K, Moyo N, Hannoun Z, Crook A, Baines A, Korber B, Qiu X, Hanke T. Complete protection of the BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice against Ebola and Marburg virus lethal challenges by pan-filovirus T-cell epigraph vaccine. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007564. [PMID: 30817809 PMCID: PMC6394903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
There are a number of vaccine candidates under development against a small number of the most common outbreak filoviruses all employing the virus glycoprotein (GP) as the vaccine immunogen. However, antibodies induced by such GP vaccines are typically autologous and limited to the other members of the same species. In contrast, T-cell vaccines offer a possibility to design a single pan-filovirus vaccine protecting against all known and even likely existing, but as yet unencountered members of the family. Here, we used a cross-filovirus immunogen based on conserved regions of the filovirus nucleoprotein, matrix and polymerase to construct simian adenovirus- and poxvirus MVA-vectored vaccines, and in a proof-of-concept study demonstrated a protection of the BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice against high, lethal challenges with Ebola and Marburg viruses, two distant members of the family, by vaccine-elicited T cells in the absence of GP antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Niaz Rahim
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Edmund G. Wee
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shihua He
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Jonathan Audet
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kevin Tierney
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nathifa Moyo
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Zara Hannoun
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Crook
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Baines
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Bette Korber
- Los Alamo National Laboratory, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
- The New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Xiangguo Qiu
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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29
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Abstract
The 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been the largest ever of a known disease in a new context that produced an unprecedented impact and is changing the international approach to responding to public health emergencies. The unprecedented scale of the outbreak, the use of advanced technology for detecting and characterizing the infectious agent, along with the opportunity to treat patients in modern facilities have greatly increased our knowledge of the disease and its transmission. Also, for the first time, an important international effort has been deployed to control the spread of the epidemic by providing care to patients and by adopting basic measures of public health control. Apart from supportive treatment and intensive therapy with fluids and electrolytes, no new compounds have been proved to be clinically effective to treat Ebola virus disease; however, a specific vaccine has shown significant protection in clinical trials in Guinea, opening an expectation for controlling future outbreaks.
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Elvira Martinez
- Climate & Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
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31
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Edwards SJL, Norell CH, Illari P, Clarke B, Neuhaus CP. A Radical Approach to Ebola: Saving Humans and Other Animals. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2018; 18:35-42. [PMID: 30339070 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1513584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
As the usual regulatory framework did not fit well during the last Ebola outbreak, innovative thinking still needed. In the absence of an outbreak, randomised controlled trials of clinical efficacy in humans cannot be done, while during an outbreak such trials will continue to face significant practical, philosophical, and ethical challenges. This article argues that researchers should also test the safety and effectiveness of novel vaccines in wild apes by employing a pluralistic approach to evidence. There are three reasons to test vaccines in wild populations of apes: i) protect apes; ii) reduce Ebola transmission from wild animals to humans; and iii) accelerate vaccine development and licensing for humans. Data obtained from studies of vaccines among wild apes and chimpanzees may even be considered sufficient for licensing new vaccines for humans. This strategy will serve to benefit both wild apes and humans.
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32
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Murray KA, Olivero J, Roche B, Tiedt S, Guégan J. Pathogeography: leveraging the biogeography of human infectious diseases for global health management. ECOGRAPHY 2018; 41:1411-1427. [PMID: 32313369 PMCID: PMC7163494 DOI: 10.1111/ecog.03625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Biogeography is an implicit and fundamental component of almost every dimension of modern biology, from natural selection and speciation to invasive species and biodiversity management. However, biogeography has rarely been integrated into human or veterinary medicine nor routinely leveraged for global health management. Here we review the theory and application of biogeography to the research and management of human infectious diseases, an integration we refer to as 'pathogeography'. Pathogeography represents a promising framework for understanding and decomposing the spatial distributions, diversity patterns and emergence risks of human infectious diseases into interpretable components of dynamic socio-ecological systems. Analytical tools from biogeography are already helping to improve our understanding of individual infectious disease distributions and the processes that shape them in space and time. At higher levels of organization, biogeographical studies of diseases are rarer but increasing, improving our ability to describe and explain patterns that emerge at the level of disease communities (e.g. co-occurrence, diversity patterns, biogeographic regionalisation). Even in a highly globalized world most human infectious diseases remain constrained in their geographic distributions by ecological barriers to the dispersal or establishment of their causal pathogens, reservoir hosts and/or vectors. These same processes underpin the spatial arrangement of other taxa, such as mammalian biodiversity, providing a strong empirical 'prior' with which to assess the potential distributions of infectious diseases when data on their occurrence is unavailable or limited. In the absence of quality data, generalized biogeographic patterns could provide the earliest (and in some cases the only) insights into the potential distributions of many poorly known or emerging, or as-yet-unknown, infectious disease risks. Encouraging more community ecologists and biogeographers to collaborate with health professionals (and vice versa) has the potential to improve our understanding of infectious disease systems and identify novel management strategies to improve local, global and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris A. Murray
- Grantham Inst. – Climate Change and the Environment and Dept of Infectious Disease EpidemiologyImperial College LondonUK
| | | | - Benjamin Roche
- Inst. de Recherche pour le DéveloppementUMI IRD/UPMC 209 UMMISCOBondyFrance
- Depto de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y ZootecniaUniv. Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMéxico
- Inst. de Recherche pour le DéveloppementHealth and Societies Dept, UMR MIVEGEC IRD‐CNRS‐Montpellier Univ.France
| | - Sonia Tiedt
- School of Public HealthImperial College LondonUK
| | - Jean‐Francois Guégan
- Inst. de Recherche pour le DéveloppementHealth and Societies Dept, UMR MIVEGEC IRD‐CNRS‐Montpellier Univ.France
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33
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Wollenberg Valero KC, Isokpehi RD, Douglas NE, Sivasundaram S, Johnson B, Wootson K, McGill A. Plant Phenology Supports the Multi-emergence Hypothesis for Ebola Spillover Events. ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:497-508. [PMID: 29134435 PMCID: PMC6245028 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-017-1288-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ebola virus disease outbreaks in animals (including humans and great apes) start with sporadic host switches from unknown reservoir species. The factors leading to such spillover events are little explored. Filoviridae viruses have a wide range of natural hosts and are unstable once outside hosts. Spillover events, which involve the physical transfer of viral particles across species, could therefore be directly promoted by conditions of host ecology and environment. In this report, we outline a proof of concept that temporal fluctuations of a set of ecological and environmental variables describing the dynamics of the host ecosystem are able to predict such events of Ebola virus spillover to humans and animals. We compiled a data set of climate and plant phenology variables and Ebola virus disease spillovers in humans and animals. We identified critical biotic and abiotic conditions for spillovers via multiple regression and neural network-based time series regression. Phenology variables proved to be overall better predictors than climate variables. African phenology variables are not yet available as a comprehensive online resource. Given the likely importance of phenology for forecasting the likelihood of future Ebola spillover events, our results highlight the need for cost-effective transect surveys to supply phenology data for predictive modelling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raphael D Isokpehi
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Noah E Douglas
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Seenith Sivasundaram
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Brianna Johnson
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Kiara Wootson
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Ayana McGill
- Department of Natural Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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34
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Martin S, Chiramel AI, Schmidt ML, Chen YC, Whitt N, Watt A, Dunham EC, Shifflett K, Traeger S, Leske A, Buehler E, Martellaro C, Brandt J, Wendt L, Müller A, Peitsch S, Best SM, Stech J, Finke S, Römer-Oberdörfer A, Groseth A, Feldmann H, Hoenen T. A genome-wide siRNA screen identifies a druggable host pathway essential for the Ebola virus life cycle. Genome Med 2018; 10:58. [PMID: 30081931 PMCID: PMC6090742 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-018-0570-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The 2014–2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa highlighted the need for improved therapeutic options against this virus. Approaches targeting host factors/pathways essential for the virus are advantageous because they can potentially target a wide range of viruses, including newly emerging ones and because the development of resistance is less likely than when targeting the virus directly. However, systematic approaches for screening host factors important for EBOV have been hampered by the necessity to work with this virus at biosafety level 4 (BSL4). Methods In order to identify host factors involved in the EBOV life cycle, we performed a genome-wide siRNA screen comprising 64,755 individual siRNAs against 21,566 human genes to assess their activity in EBOV genome replication and transcription. As a screening platform, we used reverse genetics-based life cycle modelling systems that recapitulate these processes without the need for a BSL4 laboratory. Results Among others, we identified the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway as an essential host pathway for EBOV genome replication and transcription, and confirmed this using infectious EBOV under BSL4 conditions. An FDA-approved drug targeting this pathway showed antiviral activity against infectious EBOV, as well as other non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses. Conclusions This study provides a minable data set for every human gene regarding its role in EBOV genome replication and transcription, shows that an FDA-approved drug targeting one of the identified pathways is highly efficacious in vitro, and demonstrates the power of life cycle modelling systems for conducting genome-wide host factor screens for BSL4 viruses. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13073-018-0570-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Martin
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.,Present address: Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Abhilash I Chiramel
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Marie Luisa Schmidt
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Yu-Chi Chen
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nadia Whitt
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ari Watt
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Eric C Dunham
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Kyle Shifflett
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Shelby Traeger
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Anne Leske
- Junior Research Group Arenavirus Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Eugen Buehler
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Cynthia Martellaro
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Janine Brandt
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Lisa Wendt
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andreas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Stephanie Peitsch
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Sonja M Best
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Jürgen Stech
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Stefan Finke
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Angela Römer-Oberdörfer
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Allison Groseth
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA.,Junior Research Group Arenavirus Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA
| | - Thomas Hoenen
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th St., Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA. .,Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
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Schmidt JP, Park AW, Kramer AM, Han BA, Alexander LW, Drake JM. Spatiotemporal Fluctuations and Triggers of Ebola Virus Spillover. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 23:415-422. [PMID: 28221131 PMCID: PMC5382727 DOI: 10.3201/eid2303.160101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Because the natural reservoir of Ebola virus remains unclear and disease
outbreaks in humans have occurred only sporadically over a large region,
forecasting when and where Ebola spillovers are most likely to occur constitutes
a continuing and urgent public health challenge. We developed a statistical
modeling approach that associates 37 human or great ape Ebola spillovers since
1982 with spatiotemporally dynamic covariates including vegetative cover, human
population size, and absolute and relative rainfall over 3 decades across
sub-Saharan Africa. Our model (area under the curve 0.80 on test data) shows
that spillover intensity is highest during transitions between wet and dry
seasons; overall, high seasonal intensity occurs over much of tropical Africa;
and spillover intensity is greatest at high (>1,000/km2) and very
low (<100/km2) human population densities compared with
intermediate levels. These results suggest strong seasonality in Ebola spillover
from wild reservoirs and indicate particular times and regions for targeted
surveillance.
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Berge T, Bowong S, Lubuma J, Manyombe MLM. Modeling ebola virus disease transmissions with reservoir in a complex virus life ecology. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2018; 15:21-56. [PMID: 29161826 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2018002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new deterministic mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in a complex Ebola virus life ecology. Our model captures as much as possible the features and patterns of the disease evolution as a three cycle transmission process in the two ways below. Firstly it involves the synergy between the epizootic phase (during which the disease circulates periodically amongst non-human primates populations and decimates them), the enzootic phase (during which the disease always remains in fruit bats population) and the epidemic phase (during which the EVD threatens and decimates human populations). Secondly it takes into account the well-known, the probable/suspected and the hypothetical transmission mechanisms (including direct and indirect routes of contamination) between and within the three different types of populations consisting of humans, animals and fruit bats. The reproduction number R0 for the full model with the environmental contamination is derived and the global asymptotic stability of the disease free equilibrium is established when R0andlt;1. It is conjectured that there exists a unique globally asymptotically stable endemic equilibrium for the full model when R0andgt;1. The role of a contaminated environment is assessed by comparing the human infected component for the sub-model without the environment with that of the full model. Similarly, the sub-model without animals on the one hand and the sub-model without bats on the other hand are studied. It is shown that bats influence more the dynamics of EVD than the animals. Global sensitivity analysis shows that the effective contact rate between humans and fruit bats and the mortality rate for bats are the most influential parameters on the latent and infected human individuals. Numerical simulations, apart from supporting the theoretical results and the existence of a unique globally asymptotically stable endemic equilibrium for the full model, suggest further that: (1) fruit bats are more important in the transmission processes and the endemicity level of EVD than animals. This is in line with biological findings which identified bats as reservoir of Ebola viruses; (2) the indirect environmental contamination is detrimental to human beings, while it is almost insignificant for the transmission in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsanou Berge
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67 Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Samuel Bowong
- Laboratory of Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24157 Douala, Cameroon
| | - Jean Lubuma
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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Khan FN, Qazi S, Tanveer K, Raza K. A review on the antagonist Ebola: A prophylactic approach. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 96:1513-1526. [PMID: 29208326 PMCID: PMC7126370 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.11.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV), a member of Filoviridae virus family under the genus Ebolavirus, has emerged as a dangerous and potential threat to human health globally. It causes a severe and deadly hemorrhagic fever in humans and other mammals, called Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). In recent outbreaks of EVD, there has been loss of large numbers of individual’s life. Therefore, EBOV has attracted researchers and increased interests in developing new models for virus evolution, and therapies. The EBOV interacts with the immune system of the host which led to understand how the virus functions and effects immune system behaviour. This article presents an exhaustive review on Ebola research which includes EVD illness, symptoms, transmission patterns, patho-physiology conditions, development of antiviral agents and vaccines, resilient health system, dynamics and mathematical model of EBOV, challenges and prospects for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Nazish Khan
- Computational Intelligence and Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Sahar Qazi
- Computational Intelligence and Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Khushnuma Tanveer
- Computational Intelligence and Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Khalid Raza
- Computational Intelligence and Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India.
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Hidalgo J, Richards GA, Jiménez JIS, Baker T, Amin P. Viral hemorrhagic fever in the tropics: Report from the task force on tropical diseases by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. J Crit Care 2017; 42:366-372. [PMID: 29128377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses namely Arenaviruses, Filoviruses, Bunyaviruses, and Flaviviruses. Humans are not the natural reservoir for any of these organisms and acquire the disease through vectors from animal reservoirs. In some conditions human to human transmission is possible increasing the risk to healthy individuals in the vicinity, more so to Health Care Workers (HCW). The pathogenesis of VHF, though poorly understood, varies according to the viruses involved. The resultant microvascular damage leads to increased vascular permeability, organ dysfunction and even death. The management is generally supportive but antiviral agents are of benefit in certain circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Hidalgo
- Division of Critical Care, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Belize Healthcare Partners Belize, Central America
| | - Guy A Richards
- Division of Critical Care, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Tim Baker
- Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Global Health - Health Systems & Policy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pravin Amin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai, India.
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Richards GA, Baker T, Amin P. Ebola virus disease: Report from the task force on tropical diseases by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. J Crit Care 2017; 43:352-355. [PMID: 29128378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Ebola virus is a filovirus that can cause fatal hemorrhagic fever (HF) and five distinct species exist that vary in terms of geographical distribution and virulence. Once the more virulent forms enter the human population, transmission occurs primarily through direct contact with infected body fluids and may result in significant outbreaks. The devastating has been the recent West African outbreak. Clinically, signs and symptoms are similar to those of the other VHFs [4]. The incubation period is 2-21days, followed by fever, headache, myalgia, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration; thereafter, there may be recovery or deterioration with collapse, neurological manifestations and bleeding, that can lead to a fatal outcome. Elevated hepatic transaminases is common and severe hepatitis is more common in fatal cases and frequently there is associated fluid depletion. Real time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) techniques on blood specimens are the gold standard for diagnosis [6]. Management is discussed and is essentially supportive with strict attention to infection control and prevention. None of the pharmacological interventions have shown conclusive benefit and future management of epidemics should centre around prevention and containment, specifically isolation, hygiene, and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy A Richards
- Division of Critical Care, Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Tim Baker
- Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi; Global Health - Health Systems & Policy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pravin Amin
- Head of Department of Critical Care Medicine, Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai, India.
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40
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Participation of women and children in hunting activities in Sierra Leone and implications for control of zoonotic infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005699. [PMID: 28749933 PMCID: PMC5531371 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of infectious diseases of zoonotic origin highlights the need to understand social practices at the animal-human interface. This study provides a qualitative account of interactions between humans and wild animals in predominantly Mende villages of southern Sierra Leone. We conducted fieldwork over 4 months including participant and direct observations, semi-structured interviews (n = 47), spontaneously occurring focus group discussions (n = 12), school essays and informal interviews to describe behaviours that may serve as pathways for zoonotic infection. In this region, hunting is the primary form of contact with wild animals. We describe how these interactions are shaped by socio-cultural contexts, including opportunities to access economic resources and by social obligations and constraints. Our research suggests that the potential for exposure to zoonotic pathogens is more widely distributed across different age, gender and social groups than previously appreciated. We highlight the role of children in hunting, an age group that has previously not been discussed in the context of hunting. The breadth of the "at risk" population forces reconsideration of how we conceptualize, trace and monitor pathogen exposure. Studying how and why humans interact with animals is important to understand the transmission of zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans) and how to prevent and control them. We conducted a qualitative study to understand how and why people come into contact with wild animals in the Southern province of Sierra Leone, a region with numerous wildlife species known to carry zoonotic diseases. Previous studies on hunting in sub-Saharan Africa principally describe adult men as hunters and adult women as retailers of meat from wild animals. Based on our results, we seek to broaden the category of people deemed “at risk” of zoonotic diseases through hunting by including women and children. In particular, because of their limited physical abilities and social position, children hunt under different circumstances than those of adults. Our results have implications for zoonotic disease research and prevention, for example by ensuring children are integrated in health interventions and that their unique reasons to hunt are taken into account during such processes.
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Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Generating Ebola Virus-Like Particles. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00343-17. [PMID: 28331098 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00343-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There are currently no approved therapeutics or vaccines to treat or protect against the severe hemorrhagic fever and death caused by Ebola virus (EBOV). Ebola virus-like particles (EBOV VLPs) consisting of the matrix protein VP40, the glycoprotein (GP), and the nucleoprotein (NP) are highly immunogenic and protective in nonhuman primates against Ebola virus disease (EVD). We have constructed a modified vaccinia virus Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) recombinant coexpressing VP40 and GP of EBOV Mayinga and the NP of Taï Forest virus (TAFV) (MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP) to launch noninfectious EBOV VLPs as a second vaccine modality in the MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP-vaccinated organism. Human cells infected with either MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP or MVA-BN-EBOV-GP showed comparable GP expression levels and transport of complex N-glycosylated GP to the cell surface. Human cells infected with MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP produced large amounts of EBOV VLPs that were decorated with GP spikes but excluded the poxviral membrane protein B5, thus resembling authentic EBOV particles. The heterologous TAFV NP enhanced EBOV VP40-driven VLP formation with efficiency similar to that of the homologous EBOV NP in a transient-expression assay, and both NPs were incorporated into EBOV VLPs. EBOV GP-specific CD8 T cell responses were comparable between MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP- and MVA-BN-EBOV-GP-immunized mice. The levels of EBOV GP-specific neutralizing and binding antibodies, as well as GP-specific IgG1/IgG2a ratios induced by the two constructs, in mice were also similar, raising the question whether the quality rather than the quantity of the GP-specific antibody response might be altered by an EBOV VLP-generating MVA recombinant.IMPORTANCE The recent outbreak of Ebola virus (EBOV), claiming more than 11,000 lives, has underscored the need to advance the development of safe and effective filovirus vaccines. Virus-like particles (VLPs), as well as recombinant viral vectors, have proved to be promising vaccine candidates. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) is a safe and immunogenic vaccine vector with a large capacity to accommodate multiple foreign genes. In this study, we combined the advantages of VLPs and the MVA platform by generating a recombinant MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP that would produce noninfectious EBOV VLPs in the vaccinated individual. Our results show that human cells infected with MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP indeed formed and released EBOV VLPs, thus producing a highly authentic immunogen. MVA-BN-EBOV-VLP efficiently induced EBOV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated mice. These results are the basis for future advancements, e.g., by including antigens from various filoviral species to develop multivalent VLP-producing MVA-based filovirus vaccines.
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Illescas BM, Rojo J, Delgado R, Martín N. Multivalent Glycosylated Nanostructures To Inhibit Ebola Virus Infection. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:6018-6025. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b01683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz M. Illescas
- Departamento
de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Rojo
- Glycosystems
Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC—Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Rafael Delgado
- Laboratorio
de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nazario Martín
- Departamento
de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The recent 2014-2016 outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has led to many discoveries regarding Ebola. Although neurological symptoms during EVD had been previously described, many reports since this outbreak have made clear that EVD can lead to neurological issues. This article will review the various neurological manifestations of EVD. RECENT FINDINGS Recently, many neurological symptoms have been described during acute EVD, including altered mental status, seizures, and meningoencephalitis, among others; survivors of EVD also may develop neurological sequelae, such as persistent headache and memory loss and can exhibit abnormalities on neurological exam. Additionally, it is now evident that in rare cases, survivors may experience relapses of EVD months after recovery, including the central nervous system (CNS). EVD can result in many clinical neurological manifestations, both acutely and after recovery. Research is ongoing to further clarify the nature of Ebola in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgette Jeanne Billioux
- National Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room 5C-103, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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45
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Schmidt JP, Park AW, Kramer AM, Han BA, Alexander LW, Drake JM. Spatiotemporal Fluctuations and Triggers of Ebola Virus Spillover. Emerg Infect Dis 2017. [DOI: 10.3201/eid2302.160101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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46
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Baseler L, Chertow DS, Johnson KM, Feldmann H, Morens DM. The Pathogenesis of Ebola Virus Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2017; 12:387-418. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-052016-100506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Baseler
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Daniel S. Chertow
- Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Karl M. Johnson
- Founder, Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Placitas, New Mexico 87043
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840
| | - David M. Morens
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892;
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47
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Amman BR, Swanepoel R, Nichol ST, Towner JS. Ecology of Filoviruses. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2017; 411:23-61. [PMID: 28710694 DOI: 10.1007/82_2017_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Filoviruses can cause severe and often fatal disease in humans. To date, there have been 47 outbreaks resulting in more than 31,500 cases of human illness and over 13,200 reported deaths. Since their discovery, researchers from many scientific disciplines have worked to better understand the natural history of these deadly viruses. Citing original research wherever possible, this chapter reviews laboratory and field-based studies on filovirus ecology and summarizes efforts to identify where filoviruses persist in nature, how virus is transmitted to other animals and ultimately, what drivers cause spillover to human beings. Furthermore, this chapter discusses concepts on what constitutes a reservoir host and highlights challenges encountered while conducting research on filovirus ecology, particularly field-based investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Amman
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. Ne, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Robert Swanepoel
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, PO Box X323, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0007, RSA
| | - Stuart T Nichol
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. Ne, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Towner
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. Ne, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D.W. Brooks, Athens, GA, USA.
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Real-time forecasting of infectious disease dynamics with a stochastic semi-mechanistic model. Epidemics 2016; 22:56-61. [PMID: 28038870 PMCID: PMC5871642 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A Bayesian semi-mechanistic model was applied to the Ebola Forecasting Challenge. Model fits to simulated data were obtained from particle Markov-chain Monte Carlo. Posterior samples of model parameters were used to generate forecast trajectories. The forecasts were assessed using subsequently released simulation points.
Real-time forecasts of infectious diseases can help public health planning, especially during outbreaks. If forecasts are generated from mechanistic models, they can be further used to target resources or to compare the impact of possible interventions. However, paremeterising such models is often difficult in real time, when information on behavioural changes, interventions and routes of transmission are not readily available. Here, we present a semi-mechanistic model of infectious disease dynamics that was used in real time during the 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic, and show fits to a Ebola Forecasting Challenge conducted in late 2015 with simulated data mimicking the true epidemic. We assess the performance of the model in different situations and identify strengths and shortcomings of our approach. Models such as the one presented here which combine the power of mechanistic models with the flexibility to include uncertainty about the precise outbreak dynamics may be an important tool in combating future outbreaks.
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49
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Persistence of Ebola Virus in Convalescence. CURRENT TREATMENT OPTIONS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40506-016-0100-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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50
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El Sayed SM, Abdelrahman AA, Ozbak HA, Hemeg HA, Kheyami AM, Rezk N, El-Ghoul MB, Nabo MMH, Fathy YM. Updates in diagnosis and management of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES 2016; 21:84. [PMID: 28163730 PMCID: PMC5244689 DOI: 10.4103/1735-1995.192500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a lethal viral disease transmitted by contact with infected people and animals. Ebola infection represents a worldwide health threat causing enormous mortality rates and fatal epidemics. Major concern is pilgrimage seasons with possible transmission to Middle East populations. In this review, we aim to shed light on Ebola hemorrhagic fever as regard: virology, transmission, biology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, and complications to get the best results for prevention and management. We also aim to guide future research to new therapeutic perspectives to precise targets. Our methodology was to review the literature extensively to make an overall view of the biology of Ebola virus infection, its serious health effects and possible therapeutic benefits using currently available remedies and future perspectives. Key findings in Ebola patients are fever, hepatic impairment, hepatocellular necrosis, lymphopenia (for T-lymphocyte and natural killer cells) with lymphocyte apoptosis, hemorrhagic manifestations, and complications. Pathogenesis in Ebola infection includes oxidative stress, immune suppression of both cell-mediated and humoral immunities, hepatic and adrenal impairment and failure, hemorrhagic fever, activation of deleterious inflammatory pathways, for example, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, and factor of apoptotic signal death receptor pathways causing lymphocyte depletion. Several inflammatory mediators and cytokines are involved in pathogenesis, for example, interleukin-2, 6, 8, and 10 and others. In conclusion, Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a serious fatal viral infection that can be prevented using strict health measures and can be treated to some extent using some currently available remedies. Newer treatment lines, for example, prophetic medicine remedies as nigella sativa may be promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah Mohamed El Sayed
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Taibah College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Ali A Abdelrahman
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hani Adnan Ozbak
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan Abdullah Hemeg
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Mohammed Kheyami
- Molecular Virology Unit, Central Laboratories and Blood Bank, Directorate of Health, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasser Rezk
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Baioumy El-Ghoul
- Department of Medicine, Uhud General Hospital, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Manal Mohamed Helmy Nabo
- Department of Pediatrics, Sohag Teaching Hospital, Sohag, Egypt; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Maternity and Children Hospital, King Abdullah Medical City, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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