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Khan S, Simons A, Campbell LM, Claar NA, Abel MG, Chaves LF. Mosquito Species Diversity and Abundance Patterns in Plots with Contrasting Land Use and Land Cover in Bloomington, Indiana. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2024; 40:81-91. [PMID: 38811013 DOI: 10.2987/24-7174] [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: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Land use and land cover (LULC) gradients are associated with differences in mosquito species composition and the entomological risk of mosquito-borne disease. Here, we present results from a season-long study of mosquito species richness and abundance with samples collected at 9 locations from 2 plots with contrasting LULC, an urban farm and a forest preserve, in Bloomington, IN, a city in the midwestern USA. With a total sampling effort of 234 trap-nights, we collected 703 mosquitoes from 9 genera and 21 species. On the farm, we collected 15 species (285 mosquitoes). In the preserve, we collected 19 species (418 mosquitoes). Thirteen species were common in both study plots, 2 were exclusive to the farm, and 6 were exclusive to the forest preserve. In both plots, we collected Aedes albopictus and Ae. japonicus. In the farm, the most common mosquito species were Culex restuans/Cx. pipiens and Coquillettidia perturbans. In the preserve, Ae. japonicus and Ae. triseriatus were the 2 most common mosquito species. Time series analysis suggests that weather factors differentially affected mosquito species richness and mosquito abundance in the plots. Temperature, relative humidity (RH), and precipitation were positively associated with richness and abundance at the farm, while increases in the SD of RH decreased both richness and abundance at the preserve. Our results highlight the importance that LULC has for mosquito species diversity and abundance and confirm the presence of Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus in southwestern Indiana.
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Shorkey SA, Zhang Y, Sharp J, Clingman S, Nguyen L, Chen J, Chen M. Tuning single-molecule ClyA nanopore tweezers for real-time tracking of the conformational dynamics of West Nile viral NS2B/NS3 protease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.14.594247. [PMID: 38798384 PMCID: PMC11118314 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.594247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The flaviviral NS2B/NS3 protease is a conserved enzyme required for flavivirus replication. Its highly dynamic conformation poses major challenges but also offers opportunities for antiviral inhibition. Here, we established a nanopore tweezers-based platform to monitor NS2B/NS3 conformational dynamics in real-time. Molecular simulations coupled with electrophysiology revealed that the protease could be captured in the middle of the ClyA nanopore lumen, stabilized mainly by dynamic electrostatic interactions. We designed a new Salmonella typhi ClyA nanopore with enhanced nanopore/protease interaction that can resolve the open and closed states at the single-molecule level for the first time. We demonstrated that the tailored ClyA could track the conformational transitions of the West Nile NS2B/NS3 protease and unravel the conformational energy landscape of various protease constructs through population and kinetic analysis. The new ClyA-protease platform paves a way to high-throughput screening strategies for discovering new allosteric inhibitors that target the NS2B and NS3 interface.
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Quek ZBR, Ng SH. Hybrid-Capture Target Enrichment in Human Pathogens: Identification, Evolution, Biosurveillance, and Genomic Epidemiology. Pathogens 2024; 13:275. [PMID: 38668230 PMCID: PMC11054155 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has revolutionised the field of pathogen genomics, enabling the direct recovery of pathogen genomes from clinical and environmental samples. However, pathogen nucleic acids are often overwhelmed by those of the host, requiring deep metagenomic sequencing to recover sufficient sequences for downstream analyses (e.g., identification and genome characterisation). To circumvent this, hybrid-capture target enrichment (HC) is able to enrich pathogen nucleic acids across multiple scales of divergences and taxa, depending on the panel used. In this review, we outline the applications of HC in human pathogens-bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses-including identification, genomic epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance genotyping, and evolution. Importantly, we explored the applicability of HC to clinical metagenomics, which ultimately requires more work before it is a reliable and accurate tool for clinical diagnosis. Relatedly, the utility of HC was exemplified by COVID-19, which was used as a case study to illustrate the maturity of HC for recovering pathogen sequences. As we unravel the origins of COVID-19, zoonoses remain more relevant than ever. Therefore, the role of HC in biosurveillance studies is also highlighted in this review, which is critical in preparing us for the next pandemic. We also found that while HC is a popular tool to study viruses, it remains underutilised in parasites and fungi and, to a lesser extent, bacteria. Finally, weevaluated the future of HC with respect to bait design in the eukaryotic groups and the prospect of combining HC with long-read HTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z. B. Randolph Quek
- Defence Medical & Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore 117510, Singapore
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Correa-Morales F, González-Acosta C, Ibarra-Ojeda D, Moreno-García M. West Nile virus in Mexico: Why vectors matter for explaining the current absence of epidemics. Acta Trop 2024; 249:107065. [PMID: 37926384 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107065] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Since 2002, West Nile Virus (WNV) has been reported in 18 states in Mexico, either by PCR or serological testing. However, it is believed that the virus is present in more states. Only four states (out of 32) have reported confirmed human cases, and one state has serological evidence. In the country, WNV is present in mainly horses and birds, but its presence extends to crocodiles, felines, canines, swines, donkeys, caprines, antilopes, cattle, bats, and camelids. Positive mosquito species include Aedes and Culex spp. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the absence of WNV epidemics in Latin America. Since some regions of Mexico and the United States share ecological and climatic conditions, these hypotheses may not be sufficient to account for the absence of WNV outbreaks or epidemics. This paper discusses the proposed ideas and attempts to contextualize them for Mexico, particularly for the U.S.-Mexico border, where WNV infections have been reported in humans, horses, and mosquitoes. We propose that integration of urban ecology and entomology knowledge is needed to better understand the absence of WN cases in Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabián Correa-Morales
- Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades. Benjamín Franklin 132, Escandón, Ciudad de México C.P. 11800, Mexico
| | - Cassandra González-Acosta
- Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades. Benjamín Franklin 132, Escandón, Ciudad de México C.P. 11800, Mexico
| | - David Ibarra-Ojeda
- Instituto de Servicios de Salud Pública del Estado de Baja California. Palacio Federal, 3er piso. Av. De los Pioneros #1005. Centro Cívico, Mexicali, Baja California 21000, Mexico
| | - Miguel Moreno-García
- Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades. Benjamín Franklin 132, Escandón, Ciudad de México C.P. 11800, Mexico.
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Lee HJ, Zhao Y, Fleming I, Mehta S, Wang X, Wyk BV, Ronca SE, Kang H, Chou CH, Fatou B, Smolen KK, Levy O, Clish CB, Xavier RJ, Steen H, Hafler DA, Love JC, Shalek AK, Guan L, Murray KO, Kleinstein SH, Montgomery RR. Early cellular and molecular signatures correlate with severity of West Nile virus infection. iScience 2023; 26:108387. [PMID: 38047068 PMCID: PMC10692672 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with West Nile virus (WNV) drives a wide range of responses, from asymptomatic to flu-like symptoms/fever or severe cases of encephalitis and death. To identify cellular and molecular signatures distinguishing WNV severity, we employed systems profiling of peripheral blood from asymptomatic and severely ill individuals infected with WNV. We interrogated immune responses longitudinally from acute infection through convalescence employing single-cell protein and transcriptional profiling complemented with matched serum proteomics and metabolomics as well as multi-omics analysis. At the acute time point, we detected both elevation of pro-inflammatory markers in innate immune cell types and reduction of regulatory T cell activity in participants with severe infection, whereas asymptomatic donors had higher expression of genes associated with anti-inflammatory CD16+ monocytes. Therefore, we demonstrated the potential of systems immunology using multiple cell-type and cell-state-specific analyses to identify correlates of infection severity and host cellular activity contributing to an effective anti-viral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Joon Lee
- Department of Genetics and Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yujiao Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ira Fleming
- The Institute of Medical Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sameet Mehta
- Department of Genetics and Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Brent Vander Wyk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Shannon E. Ronca
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Heather Kang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chih-Hung Chou
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Benoit Fatou
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kinga K. Smolen
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ofer Levy
- Department of Infectious Disease, Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Clary B. Clish
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ramnik J. Xavier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Hanno Steen
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David A. Hafler
- Departments of Neurology and Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - J. Christopher Love
- The Institute of Medical Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alex K. Shalek
- The Institute of Medical Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Leying Guan
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kristy O. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Steven H. Kleinstein
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ruth R. Montgomery
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Sheth RT, Ibrahim DY, Gohara AF, Ekwenna O, Rees MA, Malhotra D, Gunning WT. Concomitant Polyoma BK Virus and West Nile Virus in Renal Allografts. Pathogens 2023; 12:1456. [PMID: 38133339 PMCID: PMC10748228 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Surveillance of the renal allograft recipient is essential when monitoring renal function to detect the early onset of rejection and alter therapeutic treatments to treat acute rejection or other causes and improve long-term graft function. If renal function begins to deteriorate, a renal biopsy is often indicated to assess the Banff grade of potential rejection or other causes, especially in the setting of polyoma BK viral load elevation. Although BK infection in the allograft is asymptomatic, reactivation of the virus is known to be associated with the acceleration of pathologic change and a poor outcome in the allograft. BK reactivation in a transplant kidney is not uncommon, and determining inflammation related to the virus versus acute rejection is paramount for appropriate immunosuppressive therapy management. We identified a concomitant polyoma BK virus and West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in two renal transplant patients which, to our knowledge, has not previously been reported. However, other concomitant infections have been reported in renal allografts including BK virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV), CMV and hepatitis C (HCV), and HCV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As WNV has become endemic in many regions of the United States, and since the transmission of the virus via transplanted organs is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, it may be prudent to consider serologic screening for WNV in living donors prior to organ procurement. Regardless, the observation we made and report here should underscore the potential for concomitant viral infections that may be masked when a renal allograft has a significant inflammatory response to BK virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhish T. Sheth
- Department of Pathology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (R.T.S.); (D.Y.I.); (A.F.G.)
| | - Dalia Y. Ibrahim
- Department of Pathology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (R.T.S.); (D.Y.I.); (A.F.G.)
| | - Amira F. Gohara
- Department of Pathology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (R.T.S.); (D.Y.I.); (A.F.G.)
| | - Obi Ekwenna
- Department of Urology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (O.E.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Michael A. Rees
- Department of Urology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (O.E.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Deepak Malhotra
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA;
| | - William T. Gunning
- Department of Pathology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; (R.T.S.); (D.Y.I.); (A.F.G.)
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Cardoso M, Ragan I, Hartson L, Goodrich RP. Emerging Pathogen Threats in Transfusion Medicine: Improving Safety and Confidence with Pathogen Reduction Technologies. Pathogens 2023; 12:911. [PMID: 37513758 PMCID: PMC10383627 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious disease threats are becoming more frequent due to various social, political, and geographical pressures, including increased human-animal contact, global trade, transportation, and changing climate conditions. Since blood products for transfusion are derived from donated blood from the general population, emerging agents spread by blood contact or the transfusion of blood products are also a potential risk. Blood transfusions are essential in treating patients with anemia, blood loss, and other medical conditions. However, these lifesaving procedures can contribute to infectious disease transmission, particularly to vulnerable populations. New methods have been implemented on a global basis for the prevention of transfusion transmissions via plasma, platelets, and whole blood products. Implementing proactive pathogen reduction methods may reduce the likelihood of disease transmission via blood transfusions, even for newly emerging agents whose transmissibility and susceptibility are still being evaluated as they emerge. In this review, we consider the Mirasol PRT system for blood safety, which is based on a photochemical method involving riboflavin and UV light. We provide examples of how emerging threats, such as Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis E, mpox and other agents, have been evaluated in real time regarding effectiveness of this method in reducing the likelihood of disease transmission via transfusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Cardoso
- Terumo BCT, Inc., TERUMO Böood and Cell Technologies, Zaventem, 41 1930 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Izabela Ragan
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Biomedical Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Lindsay Hartson
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Raymond P Goodrich
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Field EN, Smith RC. Seasonality influences key physiological components contributing to Culex pipiens vector competence. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:1144072. [PMID: 38469495 PMCID: PMC10926469 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2023.1144072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Mosquitoes are the most important animal vector of disease on the planet, transmitting a variety of pathogens of both medical and veterinary importance. Mosquito-borne diseases display distinct seasonal patterns driven by both environmental and biological variables. However, an important, yet unexplored component of these patterns is the potential for seasonal influences on mosquito physiology that may ultimately influence vector competence. To address this question, we selected Culex pipiens, a primary vector of the West Nile virus (WNV) in the temperate United States, to examine the seasonal impacts on mosquito physiology by examining known immune and bacterial components implicated in mosquito arbovirus infection. Semi-field experiments were performed under spring, summer, and late-summer conditions, corresponding to historically low-, medium-, and high-intensity periods of WNV transmission, respectively. Through these experiments, we observed differences in the expression of immune genes and RNA interference (RNAi) pathway components, as well as changes in the distribution and abundance of Wolbachia in the mosquitoes across seasonal cohorts. Together, these findings support the conclusion that seasonal changes significantly influence mosquito physiology and components of the mosquito microbiome, suggesting that seasonality may impact mosquito susceptibility to pathogen infection, which could account for the temporal patterns in mosquito-borne disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor N Field
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ryan C Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Hort HM, Ibaraki M, Schwartz FW. Temporal and Spatial Synchronicity in West Nile Virus Cases Along the Central Flyway, USA. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000708. [PMID: 37181010 PMCID: PMC10171186 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This study of West Nile virus (WNV) examined the possibility of avian transmission to explain synchronicity in the year-to-year variability of WNV case numbers from Texas northward to the Dakotas, and reasons for the large case numbers on the northern Great Plains. We determined correlation coefficients between annual disease incidence per 100,000 people among states within the Great Plains Region, as well as the Central Flyway. There was spatial and temporal synchronicity, as evidenced by Pearson "r," with values along the core of the Central Flyway (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota) varying between 0.69 and 0.79. Correlations for North Dakota (r = 0.6), however, were affected by local conditions. The concept of relative amplification is helpful in explaining why northerly states along the Central Flyway have larger annual case numbers per 100,000 than Texas but preserve the temporal signal. States differed in their capacity for amplifying the temporal signal in case numbers. For example, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota case numbers were commonly amplified relative to Texas, with Oklahoma and Kansas deamplified. Relative amplification factors for all states increased as a function of increasing case numbers in Texas. Thus, increased numbers of initially infected birds in Texas likely led to the rapid intensification of the zoonotic cycle as compared to more typical years. The study also confirmed the importance of winter weather in locally modulating disease cases. North Dakota appeared most impacted by these factors to the extent of reducing WNV case numbers in colder years and years with deep snow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Ibaraki
- School of Earth SciencesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - F. W. Schwartz
- School of Earth SciencesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
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Fiacre L, Lowenski S, Bahuon C, Dumarest M, Lambrecht B, Dridi M, Albina E, Richardson J, Zientara S, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Pardigon N, Gonzalez G, Lecollinet S. Evaluation of NS4A, NS4B, NS5 and 3'UTR Genetic Determinants of WNV Lineage 1 Virulence in Birds and Mammals. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051094. [PMID: 37243180 DOI: 10.3390/v15051094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is amplified in an enzootic cycle involving birds as amplifying hosts. Because they do not develop high levels of viremia, humans and horses are considered to be dead-end hosts. Mosquitoes, especially from the Culex genus, are vectors responsible for transmission between hosts. Consequently, understanding WNV epidemiology and infection requires comparative and integrated analyses in bird, mammalian, and insect hosts. So far, markers of WNV virulence have mainly been determined in mammalian model organisms (essentially mice), while data in avian models are still missing. WNV Israel 1998 (IS98) is a highly virulent strain that is closely genetically related to the strain introduced into North America in 1999, NY99 (genomic sequence homology > 99%). The latter probably entered the continent at New York City, generating the most impactful WNV outbreak ever documented in wild birds, horses, and humans. In contrast, the WNV Italy 2008 strain (IT08) induced only limited mortality in birds and mammals in Europe during the summer of 2008. To test whether genetic polymorphism between IS98 and IT08 could account for differences in disease spread and burden, we generated chimeric viruses between IS98 and IT08, focusing on the 3' end of the genome (NS4A, NS4B, NS5, and 3'UTR regions) where most of the non-synonymous mutations were detected. In vitro and in vivo comparative analyses of parental and chimeric viruses demonstrated a role for NS4A/NS4B/5'NS5 in the decreased virulence of IT08 in SPF chickens, possibly due to the NS4B-E249D mutation. Additionally, significant differences between the highly virulent strain IS98 and the other three viruses were observed in mice, implying the existence of additional molecular determinants of virulence in mammals, such as the amino acid changes NS5-V258A, NS5-N280K, NS5-A372V, and NS5-R422K. As previously shown, our work also suggests that genetic determinants of WNV virulence can be host-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Fiacre
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR ASTRE, 97170 Petit-Bourg, France
- ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAe, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Steeve Lowenski
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Céline Bahuon
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marine Dumarest
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Maha Dridi
- SCIENSANO, Avian Virology and Immunology, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel Albina
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR ASTRE, 97170 Petit-Bourg, France
- ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAe, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Jennifer Richardson
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Stéphan Zientara
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Miguel-Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), CSIC, Carretera Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28001 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gaëlle Gonzalez
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- Animal Health Laboratory, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, École Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation, de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Nasraoui N, Moussa MLB, Ayedi Y, Mastouri M, Trabelsi A, Raies A, Wölfel R, Moussa MB. A sero-epidemiological investigation of West Nile virus among patients without any records of their symptoms from three different hospitals from Tunisia. Acta Trop 2023; 242:106905. [PMID: 36948235 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
West Nile virus is one of the most known arboviruses around the world, along with Dengue virus, Toscana virus, Chikungunya (CHIK). In Tunisia, many epidemics of WNV had occurred in the past. The last one dated from 2018. The aim of our work was to perform a sero-epidemiological investigation on WNV without any records of their symptoms from three different hospitals from Tunisia. Patients without any records of their symptoms of the infection of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection were included in the period from October 2017 to January 2020 from three different Virology departments in the country (the Military Hospital in Tunis, Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital in Monastir and Sahloul Hospital in Sousse). A venous blood sample was taken from all patients at the bend of the elbow using a sterile syringe under aseptic conditions. Serological investigation for WNV was conducted through ELISA and IFI assays. RT-PCR was used to confirm the infection. The study included 353 patients. Twenty-eighty percent (28.8%) of the population were tested positive for IgM antibodies, males were having less positive antibodies than women (24.6% vs. 36.3%, p<0.05). In the city of Sousse, positive IgM were found more than in the other cities. As for IgG, 19.2% of the patients were having positive antibodies. No significant association was found between genders (p>0.05). One quarter of the IgM antibodies were tested positive using IFI technique, with no difference between genders (p>0.05). Only 9.2% of the samples were positive by PCR. Our results highlight the importance of establishing sustainable entomological systems and effective clinical ones and of promoting appropriate biological control strategies to optimize the limitation of the circulation of WNV as well as other arboviruses to inhibit their harmful effects on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadya Nasraoui
- Department of Medical Virology, Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Yosr Ayedi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Ariana, Tunisia.
| | - Maha Mastouri
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Fatouma Bourguiba Hospital, Monastir, Tunisia
| | | | - Ali Raies
- Laboratory of Active Microorganisms and Biomolecules, Faculty of Sciences, Tunis
| | - Roman Wölfel
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
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12
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Bergmann F, Fischer D, Fischer L, Maisch H, Risch T, Dreyer S, Sadeghi B, Geelhaar D, Grund L, Merz S, Groschup MH, Ziegler U. Vaccination of Zoo Birds against West Nile Virus—A Field Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030652. [PMID: 36992236 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is known to cause disease and death in humans and various animals worldwide. WNV has circulated in Germany since 2018. In 2020, four birds tested positive for the WNV genome at Zoopark Erfurt (Thuringia). Moreover, virus neutralization assays detected neutralizing antibodies (nAb) against WNV in 28 birds. In addition, nAb against WNV and Usutu virus (USUV) were found in 14 birds. To protect valuable animals and to reduce the risk of viral transmission from birds to humans, we performed a field study on WNV vaccination at the zoo. To conduct the study, 61 birds from the zoo were categorized into three groups and subjected to a vaccination regimen, where each bird received either 1.0 mL, 0.5 mL, or 0.3 mL of a commercial inactivated WNV vaccine three times. The vaccinations were administered at three-week intervals, or as per modified vaccination schedules. Furthermore, 52 birds served as non-vaccinated controls. Adverse vaccination reactions were absent. The greatest increase in nAb titres was observed in birds that received 1.0 mL of vaccine. However, pre-existing antibodies to WNV and USUV appeared to have a major effect on antibody development in all groups and in all bird species, whereas sex and age had no effect. After vaccination, no death was detected in vaccinated birds for more than 1 year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Bergmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Dominik Fischer
- Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Luisa Fischer
- Wildlife Research Institute, State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, Puetzchens Chaussee 228, 53229 Bonn, Germany
| | - Heike Maisch
- Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
| | - Tina Risch
- Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
| | - Saskia Dreyer
- Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Balal Sadeghi
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Grund
- Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Sabine Merz
- Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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13
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Arthropod-Borne Flaviviruses in Pregnancy. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020433. [PMID: 36838398 PMCID: PMC9959669 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses are a diverse group of enveloped RNA viruses that cause significant clinical manifestations in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. This review highlights the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and prevention of the key arthropod-borne flaviviruses of concern in pregnancy and the neonatal period-Zika, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and Yellow fever viruses. Increased disease severity during pregnancy, risk of congenital malformations, and manifestations of postnatal infection vary widely amongst this virus family and may be quite marked. Laboratory confirmation of infection is complex, especially due to the reliance on serology for which flavivirus cross-reactivity challenges diagnostic specificity. As such, a thorough clinical history including relevant geographic exposures and prior vaccinations is paramount for accurate diagnosis. Novel vaccines are eagerly anticipated to ameliorate the impact of these flaviviruses, particularly neuroinvasive disease manifestations and congenital infection, with consideration of vaccine safety in pregnant women and children pivotal. Moving forward, the geographical spread of flaviviruses, as for other zoonoses, will be heavily influenced by climate change due to the potential expansion of vector and reservoir host habitats. Ongoing 'One Health' engagement across the human-animal-environment interface is critical to detect and responding to emergent flavivirus epidemics.
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14
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Cioni G, Fedeli A, Bellandi G, Squillante R, Zuccotti M, Buffini G. Atypical presentation of West Nile encephalitis. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 2023. [DOI: 10.4081/itjm.2022.1535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) causes both sporadic infection and outbreaks that may be associated with severe neurologic involvement. The infection is transmitted to humans mainly by mosquito bites, and the virus is preserved in a cycle in which birds are the main host. The typical involvement of the central nervous system is completely indistinguishable from meningitis and encephalitis related to other pathogens.
In this report we described the atypical presentation of a WNV meningoencephalitis in a 81-y.o. female patient, showing psychiatric manifestations at the onset. Anamnestic information was essential to progress to the correct diagnosis. Targeted search for the causative agent of meningoencephalitis was perfected after learning that the patient lived in an area adjacent to a nature reserve.
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15
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Maher L, Aziz R. Always consider the travel history: West Nile virus infection presenting in rural Ireland. Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2023; 84:1-2. [PMID: 36708336 DOI: 10.12968/hmed.2022.0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Liam Maher
- Department of Internal Medicine, Bantry General Hospital, Cork, Ireland.,Department of General Medicine, Bantry General Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Rizwan Aziz
- Department of General Medicine, Bantry General Hospital, Cork, Ireland
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16
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Muacevic A, Adler JR, Klingensmith J. A Rare Case of Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus in Florida Presenting As Guillain Barré Syndrome. Cureus 2022; 14:e33138. [PMID: 36721565 PMCID: PMC9884495 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental United States. There are no vaccines to prevent or treat WNV, the mainstay of treatment is supportive care with rehydration, pain control, and possible antiemetic therapy. WNV is often asymptomatic but can rarely progress to a neuroinvasive disease, depicted by meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis. This case report depicts a 64-year-old male who developed a rare neuroinvasive WNV in Florida. The patient was hospitalized for bilateral upper and lower extremity weakness, numbness, and tingling. CSF findings on admission were remarkable for albuminocytologic dissociation, suggesting that the patient was possibly suffering from isolated Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). The patient was treated with IVIG and plasmapheresis with no improvement in symptoms and later tested positive for WNV on day 22 of admission. This case highlights the variability in WNV presentation and CSF findings, highlighting the need for increased suspicion when patients present with findings consistent with GBS in the late summer months.
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17
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Kiely P, Seed CR, Gambhir M, Cheng AC, McQuilten ZK, Wood EM. West Nile virus transfusion-transmission risk in Australia associated with a seasonal outbreak in the United States. Transfusion 2022; 62:2291-2296. [PMID: 36120961 DOI: 10.1111/trf.17094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially transfusion-transmissible virus endemic in the US. The aim of this study was to estimate the monthly WNV transfusion transmission (TT) risk in Australia associated with donors returning from the US in 2018 and consider the implications for mitigation strategies. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We used a probabilistic risk model to estimate the monthly WNV TT risks for each outbreak state/district in the US for the 2018 transmission season and the cumulative monthly risk for all US states/districts. RESULTS The highest monthly cumulative transfusion risk in Australia occurred in August 2018 when 746 West Nile neuroinvasive disease cases were reported in the US and the estimated mean WNV TT risk in Australia was 1 in 1.0 × 108 donations (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6 × 108 -7.0 × 107 ). The highest risk during August was associated with California, with a mean risk of 1 in 4.1 × 108 donations (95% CI: 2.9 × 108 -6.6 × 108 ), representing 24% of the total risk in Australia. The cumulative TT risk in Australia for the other 11 months varied from 1 in 1.5 × 108 donations (95% CI: 2.3 × 108 -1.0 × 108 ) in September to 1 in 3.9 × 1010 donations (95% CI: 6.1 × 1010 -2.7 × 1010 ) in February. DISCUSSION Our modeling indicates that the WNV TT risk in Australia associated with seasonal outbreaks in the US is extremely small and may not warrant donation restrictions for donors returning from the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Kiely
- Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Transfusion Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clive R Seed
- Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Manoj Gambhir
- Center for Observational and Real World Evidence, MSD Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allen C Cheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Prahan, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zoe K McQuilten
- Transfusion Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erica M Wood
- Transfusion Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
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18
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Torres TZB, Prince BC, Robison A, Rückert C. Optimized In Vitro CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Tool in the West Nile Virus Mosquito Vector, Culex quinquefasciatus. INSECTS 2022; 13:856. [PMID: 36135557 PMCID: PMC9502113 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are a globally widespread vector of multiple human and animal pathogens, including West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and lymphatic filariasis. Since the introduction of West Nile virus to the United States in 1999, a cumulative 52,532 cases have been reported to the CDC, including 25,849 (49.2%) neuroinvasive cases and 2456 (5%) deaths. Viral infections elicit immune responses in their mosquito vectors, including the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway considered to be the cornerstone antiviral response in insects. To investigate mosquito host genes involved in pathogen interactions, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-editing can be used for functional studies of mosquito-derived cell lines. Yet, the tools available for the study of Cx. quinquefasciatus-derived (Hsu) cell lines remain largely underdeveloped compared to other mosquito species. In this study, we constructed and characterized a Culex-optimized CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for use in Hsu cell cultures. By comparing it to the original Drosophila melanogaster CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid, we showed that the Culex-optimized plasmid demonstrated highly efficient editing of the genomic loci of the RNAi proteins Dicer-2 and PIWI4 in Hsu cells. These new tools support our ability to investigate gene targets involved in mosquito antiviral response, and thus the future development of gene-based vector control strategies.
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19
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Assessment of the Costs Related to West Nile Virus Monitoring in Lombardy Region (Italy) between 2014 and 2018. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095541. [PMID: 35564939 PMCID: PMC9101130 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In Italy, the West Nile Virus surveillance plan considers a multidisciplinary approach to identify the presence of the virus in the environment (entomological, ornithological, and equine surveillance) and to determine the risk of infections through potentially infected donors (blood and organ donors). The costs associated with the surveillance program for the Lombardy Region between 2014 and 2018 were estimated. The costs of the program were compared with a scenario in which the program was not implemented, requiring individual blood donation nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) to detect the presence of WNV in human samples throughout the seasonal period of vector presence. Considering the five-year period, the application of the environmental/veterinary surveillance program allowed a reduction in costs incurred in the Lombardy Region of 7.7 million EUR. An integrated surveillance system, including birds, mosquito vectors, and dead-end hosts such as horses and humans, can prevent viral transmission to the human population, as well as anticipate the detection of WNV using NAT in blood and organ donors. The surveillance program within a One Health context has given the possibility to both document the expansion of the endemic area of WNV in northern Italy and avoid most of the NAT-related costs.
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20
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Konstantinidis K, Bampali M, de Courcy Williams M, Dovrolis N, Gatzidou E, Papazilakis P, Nearchou A, Veletza S, Karakasiliotis I. Dissecting the Species-Specific Virome in Culicoides of Thrace. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:802577. [PMID: 35330767 PMCID: PMC8940260 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.802577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biting midges (Culicoides) are vectors of arboviruses of both veterinary and medical importance. The surge of emerging and reemerging vector-borne diseases and their expansion in geographical areas affected by climate change has increased the importance of understanding their capacity to contribute to novel and emerging infectious diseases. The study of Culicoides virome is the first step in the assessment of this potential. In this study, we analyzed the RNA virome of 10 Culicoides species within the geographical area of Thrace in the southeastern part of Europe, a crossing point between Asia and Europe and important path of various arboviruses, utilizing the Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform and a custom bioinformatics pipeline based on TRINITY assembler and alignment algorithms. The analysis of the RNA virome of 10 Culicoides species resulted in the identification of the genomic signatures of 14 novel RNA viruses, including three fully assembled viruses and four segmented viruses with at least one segment fully assembled, most of which were significantly divergent from previously identified related viruses from the Solemoviridae, Phasmaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Reoviridae, Chuviridae, Partitiviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Flaviviridae families. Each Culicoides species carried a species-specific set of viruses, some of which are related to viruses from other insect vectors in the same area, contributing to the idea of a virus-carrier web within the ecosystem. The identified viruses not only expand our current knowledge on the virome of Culicoides but also set the basis of the genetic diversity of such viruses in the area of southeastern Europe. Furthermore, our study highlights that such metagenomic approaches should include as many species as possible of the local virus-carrier web that interact and share the virome of a geographical area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Bampali
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | | | - Nikolas Dovrolis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Elisavet Gatzidou
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | | | | | - Stavroula Veletza
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioannis Karakasiliotis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Biology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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21
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Du Pont KE, McCullagh M, Geiss BJ. Conserved motifs in the flavivirus NS3 RNA helicase enzyme. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1688. [PMID: 34472205 PMCID: PMC8888775 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses are a major health concern because over half of the world population is at risk of infection and there are very few antiviral therapeutics to treat diseases resulting from infection. Replication is an essential part of the flavivirus survival. One of the viral proteins, NS3 helicase, is critical for unwinding the double stranded RNA intermediate during flaviviral replication. The helicase performs the unwinding of the viral RNA intermediate structure in an ATP-dependent manner. NS3 helicase is a member of the Viral/DEAH-like subfamily of the superfamily 2 helicase containing eight highly conserved structural motifs (I, Ia, II, III, IV, IVa, V, and VI) localized between the ATP-binding and RNA-binding pockets. Of these structural motifs only three are well characterized for function in flaviviruses (I, II, and VI). The roles of the other structural motifs are not well understood for NS3 helicase function, but comparison of NS3 with other superfamily 2 helicases within the viral/DEAH-like, DEAH/RHA, and DEAD-box subfamilies can be used to elucidate the roles of these structural motifs in the flavivirus NS3 helicase. This review aims to summarize the role of each conserved structural motif within flavivirus NS3 in RNA helicase function. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Du Pont
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Martin McCullagh
- Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Brian J. Geiss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA,School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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22
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Burkhalter KL, O'Keefe M, Holbert-Watson Z, Green T, Savage HM, Markowski DM. Laboratory and Field Evaluations of a Commercially Available Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of West Nile Virus in Mosquito Pools. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2021; 37:256-262. [PMID: 34817603 DOI: 10.2987/21-7033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although the specific cDNA amplification mechanisms of reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RT loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) are very different, both molecular assays serve as options to detect arboviral RNA in mosquito pools. Like RT-PCR, RT-LAMP uses a reverse transcription step to synthesize complementary DNA (cDNA) from an RNA template and then uses target-specific primers to amplify cDNA to detectable levels in a single-tube reaction. Using laboratory-generated West Nile virus (WNV) samples and field-collected mosquito pools, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a commercially available WNV real-time RT-LAMP assay (Pro-AmpRT™ WNV; Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Inc., Round Rock, Texas) and compared the results to a validated real-time RT-PCR assay. Laboratory generated virus stock samples containing ≥ 2.3 log10 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml and intrathoracically inoculated mosquitoes containing ≥ 2.4 log10 PFU/ml produced positive results in the Pro-AmpRT WNV assay. Of field-collected pools that were WNV positive by real-time RT-PCR, 74.5% (70 of 94) were also positive by the Pro-AmpRT WNV assay, resulting in an overall Cohen's kappa agreement of 79.4% between the 2 tests. The Pro-AmpRT WNV assay shows promise as a suitable virus screening tool for vector surveillance programs provided agencies are aware of its characteristics and limitations.
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23
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Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Garza-Hernandez JA, Rodríguez-Alarcón CA, Adame-Gallegos JR, Beristain-Ruiz DM, Barajas-López IN, González-Peña R, Baylon-Jaquez D, Camacho-Perea A, Vega-Durán A, Rubio-Tabares E, Rivera-Barreno R, Montelongo-Ponce C, Tangudu CS, Blitvich BJ. Detection of Antibodies to Lokern, Main Drain, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile Viruses in Vertebrate Animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Michoacán, Mexico. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:884-891. [PMID: 34652234 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted serologic surveillance for flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses in vertebrate animals in Mexico in 2018-2019. Sera were collected from 856 vertebrate animals, including 323 dogs, 223 horses, and 121 cows, from 16 species. The animals were from 3 states: Chihuahua in northwest Mexico (704 animals) and Guerrero and Michoacán on the Pacific Coast (27 and 125 animals, respectively). Sera were assayed by plaque reduction neutralization test using four flaviviruses (dengue type 2, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, and Zika viruses) and six orthobunyaviruses from the Bunyamwera (BUN) serogroup (Cache Valley, Lokern, Main Drain, Northway, Potosi, and Tensaw viruses). Antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) were detected in 154 animals of 9 species, including 89 (39.9%) horses, 3 (21.4%) Indian peafowl, and 41 (12.7%) dogs. Antibodies to St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) were detected in seven animals, including three (0.9%) dogs. Antibodies to Lokern virus (LOKV) were detected in 22 animals: 19 (8.5%) horses, 2 (1.7%) cows, and a dog (0.3%). Antibodies to Main Drain virus (MDV) were detected in three (1.3%) horses. WNV and LOKV activity was detected in all three states, SLEV activity was detected in Chihuahua and Michoacán, and MDV activity was detected in Chihuahua. None of the animals was seropositive for Cache Valley virus, the most common and widely distributed BUN serogroup virus in North America. In conclusion, we provide serologic evidence that select flaviviruses and BUN serogroup viruses infect vertebrate animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Michoacán. We also provide the first evidence of LOKV and MDV activity in Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Javier A Garza-Hernandez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Carlos A Rodríguez-Alarcón
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | | | - Diana M Beristain-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | | | | | - David Baylon-Jaquez
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Adriana Camacho-Perea
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, México
| | - Alfonso Vega-Durán
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Ezequiel Rubio-Tabares
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Ramón Rivera-Barreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Carolina Montelongo-Ponce
- Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Chandra S Tangudu
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Bradley J Blitvich
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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Fynmore N, Lühken R, Maisch H, Risch T, Merz S, Kliemke K, Ziegler U, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Becker N. Rapid assessment of West Nile virus circulation in a German zoo based on honey-baited FTA cards in combination with box gravid traps. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:449. [PMID: 34488835 PMCID: PMC8419893 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04951-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For over a decade, monitoring of West Nile virus (WNV) in Germany has consisted of a bird monitoring programme as well as a mosquito-based surveillance programme employing CO2-baited encephalitis vector surveillance (EVS) traps for mass trapping and screening of mosquitoes. In contrast to the EVS traps, the Reiter/Cummings type box gravid trap collects gravid female mosquitoes, which have already taken a blood meal, increasing the likelihood of being infected with pathogens. The traps can be equipped with a honey-baited Flinders Technology Associates® (FTA) card to encourage sugar feeding by the trapped mosquitoes. FTA cards contain nucleic acid preserving substances, which prevent the degradation of viral RNA in the expectorated mosquito saliva and allows for testing the card for flavivirus RNA. This study aimed to assess the suitability of the method for WNV surveillance in Germany as an alternative to previous methods, which are expensive, time-consuming, and predominantly target host-seeking populations less likely to be infected with WNV. Methods In the Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt, snowy owls (Nyctea scandiaca) and greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) died of WNV infections in July and August 2020. In response, five Reiter/Cummings type box gravid traps were positioned during the daytime on the 10th, 13th, and 16th of September in five different locations. The FTA cards and mosquitoes in the chamber were collected, kept in a cool chain, and further processed for virus detection using a modified generic flavivirus reverse transcription PCR. Results A total of 15 trappings during September collected a total of 259 female mosquitoes, 97% of which were Culex pipiens sensu lato, as well as 14 honey-baited FTA cards. Eight mosquitoes tested PCR-positive for WNV. Four FTA cards tested PCR-positive for mosquito-borne flaviviruses, two of which were confirmed as WNV, and the remaining two confirmed as Usutu virus. Conclusion The suitability of the FTA cards in preserving viral RNA in the field and rapid turnaround time from collection to result is combined with a simple, cost-effective, and highly specific trapping method to create an arbovirus surveillance system, which circumvents many of the difficulties of previous surveillance programmes that required the analysis of mosquitoes in the laboratory. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle Fynmore
- Institute of Dipterology (IfD), Georg-Peter-Süß-Str. 3, 67346, Speyer, Germany.,The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Renke Lühken
- Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Heike Maisch
- Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Tina Risch
- Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Merz
- Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Konstantin Kliemke
- Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich-Loeffler Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.,Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Norbert Becker
- Institute of Dipterology (IfD), Georg-Peter-Süß-Str. 3, 67346, Speyer, Germany. .,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Danforth ME, Fischer M, Snyder RE, Lindsey NP, Martin SW, Kramer VL. Characterizing Areas with Increased Burden of West Nile Virus Disease in California, 2009-2018. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:620-627. [PMID: 34077676 PMCID: PMC8380797 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that can cause severe neurological disease in humans, for which there is no treatment or vaccine. From 2009 to 2018, California has reported more human disease cases than any other state in the United States. We sought to identify smaller geographic areas within the 10 California counties with the highest number of WNV cases that accounted for disproportionately large numbers of human cases from 2009 to 2018. Eleven areas, consisting of groups of high-burden ZIP codes, were identified in nine counties within southern California and California's Central Valley. Despite containing only 2% of California's area and 17% of the state's population, these high-burden ZIP codes accounted for 44% of WNV cases reported and had a mean annual incidence that was 2.4 times the annual state incidence. Focusing mosquito control and public education efforts in these areas would lower WNV disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Danforth
- California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Marc Fischer
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Robert E. Snyder
- California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Nicole P. Lindsey
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Stacey W. Martin
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Vicki L. Kramer
- California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California, USA
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Brown HE, Sedda L, Sumner C, Stefanakos E, Ruberto I, Roach M. Understanding Mosquito Surveillance Data for Analytic Efforts: A Case Study. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1619-1625. [PMID: 33615382 PMCID: PMC8285009 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito surveillance data can be used for predicting mosquito distribution and dynamics as they relate to human disease. Often these data are collected by independent agencies and aggregated to state and national level portals to characterize broad spatial and temporal dynamics. These larger repositories may also share the data for use in mosquito and/or disease prediction and forecasting models. Assumed, but not always confirmed, is consistency of data across agencies. Subtle differences in reporting may be important for development and the eventual interpretation of predictive models. Using mosquito vector surveillance data from Arizona as a case study, we found differences among agencies in how trapping practices were reported. Inconsistencies in reporting may interfere with quantitative comparisons if the user has only cursory familiarity with mosquito surveillance data. Some inconsistencies can be overcome if they are explicit in the metadata while others may yield biased estimates if they are not changed in how data are recorded. Sharing of metadata and collaboration between modelers and vector control agencies is necessary for improving the quality of the estimations. Efforts to improve sharing, displaying, and comparing vector data from multiple agencies are underway, but existing data must be used with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi E Brown
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Luigi Sedda
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Bailrigg Campus, Lancaster, UK
| | - Chris Sumner
- Yuma County Pest Abatement District, Somerton, AZ, USA
| | | | - Irene Ruberto
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Infectious Disease Services, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Matthew Roach
- Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The COVID-19 pandemic has cast increased attention on emerging infections. Clinicians and public health experts should be aware of emerging infectious causes of encephalitis, mechanisms by which they are transmitted, and clinical manifestations of disease. RECENT FINDINGS A number of arthropod-borne viral infections -- transmitted chiefly by mosquitoes and ticks -- have emerged in recent years to cause outbreaks of encephalitis. Examples include Powassan virus in North America, Chikungunya virus in Central and South America, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in Europe. Many of these viruses exhibit complex life cycles and can infect multiple host animals in addition to humans. Factors thought to influence emergence of these diseases, including changes in climate and land use, are also believed to underlie the emergence of the rickettsial bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, now recognized as a major causative agent of acute encephalitis syndrome in South Asia. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of bats as carriers of viruses. Recent studies have begun to uncover mechanisms by which the immune systems of bats are poised to allow for viral tolerance. Several bat-borne infections, including Nipah virus and Ebola virus, have resulted in recent outbreaks of encephalitis. SUMMARY Infectious causes of encephalitis continue to emerge worldwide, in part because of climate change and human impacts on the environment. Expansion of surveillance measures will be critical in rapid diagnosis and limiting of outbreaks in the future.
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Humphreys JM, Young KI, Cohnstaedt LW, Hanley KA, Peters DPC. Vector Surveillance, Host Species Richness, and Demographic Factors as West Nile Disease Risk Indicators. Viruses 2021; 13:934. [PMID: 34070039 PMCID: PMC8267946 DOI: 10.3390/v13050934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most common arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the United States (US) and is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the country. The virus has affected tens of thousands of US persons total since its 1999 North America introduction, with thousands of new infections reported annually. Approximately 1% of humans infected with WNV acquire neuroinvasive West Nile Disease (WND) with severe encephalitis and risk of death. Research describing WNV ecology is needed to improve public health surveillance, monitoring, and risk assessment. We applied Bayesian joint-spatiotemporal modeling to assess the association of vector surveillance data, host species richness, and a variety of other environmental and socioeconomic disease risk factors with neuroinvasive WND throughout the conterminous US. Our research revealed that an aging human population was the strongest disease indicator, but climatic and vector-host biotic interactions were also significant in determining risk of neuroinvasive WND. Our analysis also identified a geographic region of disproportionately high neuroinvasive WND disease risk that parallels the Continental Divide, and extends southward from the US-Canada border in the states of Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin to the US-Mexico border in western Texas. Our results aid in unraveling complex WNV ecology and can be applied to prioritize disease surveillance locations and risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Humphreys
- Pest Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Sidney, MT 59270, USA
| | - Katherine I. Young
- Jornada Experimental Range Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA; (K.I.Y.); (D.P.C.P.)
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA;
| | - Lee W. Cohnstaedt
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA;
| | - Kathryn A. Hanley
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA;
| | - Debra P. C. Peters
- Jornada Experimental Range Unit, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA; (K.I.Y.); (D.P.C.P.)
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Bravo-Barriga D, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Guerrero-Carvajal F, Llorente F, Reina D, Pérez-Martín JE, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Frontera E. West Nile and Usutu virus infections in wild birds admitted to rehabilitation centres in Extremadura, western Spain, 2017-2019. Vet Microbiol 2021; 255:109020. [PMID: 33677369 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2021.109020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging flavivirus transmitted generally by mosquitoes of Culex genus. It is maintained in an enzootic life cycle where birds act as reservoir hosts. Humans and horses are also susceptible to infection, and occasionally, they suffer from neurological complications. However, they do not transmit the virus to other vectors, behaving as dead-end hosts. Sporadic WNV outbreaks observed in horses and wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain) during 2016 and 2017 seasons prompted to carry out this survey in wild birds, focused on specimens coming from two wildlife rehabilitation centres. Between October 2017 and December 2019, samples from 391 wild birds, belonging to 56 different species were collected and analysed in search of evidence of WNV infection. The analysis of serum samples for WNV-specific antibodies by ELISA, whose specificity was subsequently confirmed by virus-neutralisation test (VNT) showed positive results in 18.23 % birds belonging to 18 different species. Pelecaniformes (33.33 %), Accipitriformes (25.77 %) and Strigiformes (22.92 %) orders had the higher seroprevalences. Remarkably, WNV-specific antibodies were found in a black stork for the first time in Europe. Analysis by real time RT-PCR in symptomatic birds confirmed the presence of WNV lineage 1 RNA in griffon vulture and little owls. Specificity analysis of ELISA positive and doubtful sera was performed by differential VNT titration against WNV and two other cross-reacting avian flaviviruses found in Spain: Usutu virus (USUV) and Bagaza virus (BAGV). Only four samples showed USUV-specific antibodies (1.04 %) corresponding to three species: Eurasian eagle-owl, griffon vulture and great bustard (first detection in Europe) whereas no samples were found reactive to BAGV. Differential VNT yielded undetermined flavivirus result in 16 samples (4.17 %). This is the first study carried out on wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain). It highlights the widespread circulation of WNV in the region and its co-circulation with USUV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bravo-Barriga
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Francisco Llorente
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - David Reina
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - J Enrique Pérez-Martín
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Eva Frontera
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
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Garg H, Yeh R, Watts DM, Mehmetoglu-Gurbuz T, Resendes R, Parsons B, Gonzales F, Joshi A. Enhancement of Zika virus infection by antibodies from West Nile virus seropositive individuals with no history of clinical infection. BMC Immunol 2021; 22:5. [PMID: 33421988 PMCID: PMC7796652 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-020-00389-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent outbreaks of Zika Virus (ZIKV) infection and associated microcephaly has raised multiple scientific questions. The close antigenic relatedness between flaviviruses makes diagnosis of specific infection difficult. This relatedness also raises the potential of Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) via cross reactive antibodies to flaviviruses like West Nile Virus (WNV) and Dengue Virus (DENV). Asymptomatic WNV infections are endemic throughout the US creating a large proportion of the population that is seropositive for WNV antibodies. Whether these sero-positive individuals potentially carry ZIKV enhancing antibodies remains unknown. Results Serum samples obtained from human subjects with symptomatic or asymptomatic WNV infection from a WNV endemic region in Texas were tested for their ability to enhance or neutralize ZIKV infection. Sero-surveillance data demonstrated a ~ 7% prevalence for WNV antibodies in the population. Sera from both symptomatic and asymptomatic WNV seropositive donors effectively neutralized WNV and to some extent DENV infection. Interestingly, WNV+ sera failed to inhibit ZIKV while significantly enhancing infection. Conversely, ZIKV specific sera effectively neutralized ZIKV, with ADE only evident at lower concentrations. The enhancement of ZIKV via WNV antibody positive sera was likely due to non-neutralizing Envelope (E) antibodies as seen with monoclonal ZIKV E antibodies. Conclusions Overall, our findings suggest that WNV antibodies in the sera significantly enhance ZIKV infection in Fc receptor positive cells with limited neutralization activity. Further studies in more relevant models of ADE will be needed to confirm the relevance of these findings in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-020-00389-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Garg
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 5001 El Paso Dr, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA.
| | - Rose Yeh
- Paul L Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Douglas M Watts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Tugba Mehmetoglu-Gurbuz
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 5001 El Paso Dr, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Robert Resendes
- Department of Public Health, City of El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Bruce Parsons
- Department of Public Health, City of El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | | | - Anjali Joshi
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 5001 El Paso Dr, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA.
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Stanley J, Chongkolwatana V, Duong PT, Kitpoka P, Stramer SL, Dung NTT, Grimm KE, Pojanasingchod A, Suksomboonvong P, Galel SA. Detection of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika RNA in blood donors from Southeast Asia. Transfusion 2021; 61:134-143. [PMID: 33026130 PMCID: PMC7821136 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chikungunya (CHIKV), dengue (DENV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses are of concern due to the potential of transfusion transmission in blood, especially in regions such as Southeast Asia where the viruses are endemic. The recent availability of nucleic acid testing (NAT) to screen blood donations on an automated platform provides the opportunity to detect potentially infectious units in asymptomatic donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Three thousand blood donations from Vietnam and 6000 from Thailand were screened with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (cobas CHIKV/DENV, Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN) and equal numbers on cobas Zika (Roche Diagnostics). Reactive samples were tested by alternative NAT with resolution of discordant results by heminested PCR. Throughput of simultaneous testing of the two assays on the cobas 8800 system (Roche Diagnostics) was evaluated. RESULTS In Vietnam, 9 of 3045 samples were reactive for DENV and all were confirmed, for a prevalence (with 95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.296% (0.135-0.560). In Thailand, 2 of 6000 samples were reactive for CHIKV, 4 of 6000 for DENV, and 1 of 6005 for ZIKV, and all confirmed. The prevalence of CHIKV is 0.033% (0.004-0.120), DENV 0.067% (0.018-0.171), and ZIKV 0.017% (0.000-0.093). The overall specificity for the cobas CHIKV/DENV and cobas Zika tests was 100% (99.959-100). For the simultaneous assay testing, 960 test results were available in 7 hours and 53 minutes. CONCLUSION Detection of CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV RNA in donor samples in Vietnam and Thailand indicate the presence of the virus in asymptomatic blood donors. The cobas 6800/8800 systems (Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA) enable screening blood donations in endemic areas for these viruses together or separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Stanley
- Medical and Scientific AffairsRoche Molecular DiagnosticsPleasantonCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Pham Tuan Duong
- Blood ScreeningNational Institute of Hematology and Blood TransfusionHanoiVietnam
| | - Pimpun Kitpoka
- Faculty of MedicineRamathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityBangkokThailand
| | | | | | - Kacie E. Grimm
- Scientific AffairsAmerican Red CrossGaithersburgMarylandUSA
| | | | | | - Susan A. Galel
- Medical and Scientific AffairsRoche Molecular DiagnosticsPleasantonCaliforniaUSA
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Wilcox DR, Collens SI, Solomon IH, Mateen FJ, Mukerji SS. Eastern equine encephalitis and use of IV immunoglobulin therapy and high-dose steroids. NEUROLOGY(R) NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2021; 8:e917. [PMID: 33172962 PMCID: PMC7713729 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the clinical presentation and patient outcomes after treatment with IV immunoglobulin (IVIG), high-dose steroids, or standard of care alone in Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne viral infection with significant neurologic morbidity and mortality. METHODS A retrospective observational study of patients admitted to 2 tertiary academic medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts, with EEE from 2005 to 2019. RESULTS Of 17 patients (median [IQR] age, 63 [36-70] years; 10 (59%) male, and 16 (94%) White race), 17 patients had fever (100%), 15 had encephalopathy (88%), and 12 had headache (71%). Eleven of 14 patients with CSF cell count differential had a neutrophil predominance (mean = 60.6% of white blood cells) with an elevated protein level (median [IQR], 100 mg/dL [75-145]). Affected neuroanatomic regions included the basal ganglia (n = 9/17), thalamus (n = 7/17), and mesial temporal lobe (n = 7/17). A total of 11 patients (65%) received IVIG; 8 (47%) received steroids. Of the patients who received IVIG, increased time from hospital admission to IVIG administration correlated with worse long-term disability as assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) (r = 0.72, p = 0.02); steroid use was not associated with the mRS score. The mortality was 12%. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians should suspect EEE in immunocompetent patients with early subcortical neuroimaging abnormalities and CSF neutrophilic predominance. This study suggests a lower mortality than previously reported, but a high morbidity rate in EEE. IVIG as an adjunctive to standard of care may be considered early during hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Wilcox
- From the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases (D.R.W., S.I.C., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (D.R.W.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Pathology (I.H.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Department of Neurology (D.R.W., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
| | - Sarah I Collens
- From the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases (D.R.W., S.I.C., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (D.R.W.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Pathology (I.H.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Department of Neurology (D.R.W., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Isaac H Solomon
- From the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases (D.R.W., S.I.C., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (D.R.W.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Pathology (I.H.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Department of Neurology (D.R.W., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Farrah J Mateen
- From the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases (D.R.W., S.I.C., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (D.R.W.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Pathology (I.H.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Department of Neurology (D.R.W., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Shibani S Mukerji
- From the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neuro-Infectious Diseases (D.R.W., S.I.C., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (D.R.W.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; Department of Pathology (I.H.S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Department of Neurology (D.R.W., F.J.M., S.S.M.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Snyder RE, Feiszli T, Foss L, Messenger S, Fang Y, Barker CM, Reisen WK, Vugia DJ, Padgett KA, Kramer VL. West Nile virus in California, 2003-2018: A persistent threat. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008841. [PMID: 33206634 PMCID: PMC7710070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The California Arbovirus Surveillance Program was initiated over 50 years ago to track endemic encephalitides and was enhanced in 2000 to include West Nile virus (WNV) infections in humans, mosquitoes, sentinel chickens, dead birds and horses. This comprehensive statewide program is a function of strong partnerships among the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the University of California, and local vector control and public health agencies. This manuscript summarizes WNV surveillance data in California since WNV was first detected in 2003 in southern California. From 2003 through 2018, 6,909 human cases of WNV disease, inclusive of 326 deaths, were reported to CDPH, as well as 730 asymptomatic WNV infections identified during screening of blood and organ donors. Of these, 4,073 (59.0%) were reported as West Nile neuroinvasive disease. California's WNV disease burden comprised 15% of all cases that were reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during this time, more than any other state. Additionally, 1,299 equine WNV cases were identified, along with detections of WNV in 23,322 dead birds, 31,695 mosquito pools, and 7,340 sentinel chickens. Annual enzootic detection of WNV typically preceded detection in humans and prompted enhanced intervention to reduce the risk of WNV transmission. Peak WNV activity occurred from July through October in the Central Valley and southern California. Less than five percent of WNV activity occurred in other regions of the state or outside of this time. WNV continues to be a major threat to public and wild avian health in California, particularly in southern California and the Central Valley during summer and early fall months. Local and state public health partners must continue statewide human and mosquito surveillance and facilitate effective mosquito control and bite prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E. Snyder
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Richmond and Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Tina Feiszli
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Richmond and Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Leslie Foss
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Richmond and Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon Messenger
- California Department of Public Health, Division of Communicable Disease Control, Richmond, California, United States of America
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Barker
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - William K. Reisen
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Duc J. Vugia
- California Department of Public Health, Division of Communicable Disease Control, Richmond, California, United States of America
| | - Kerry A. Padgett
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Richmond and Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Vicki L. Kramer
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Richmond and Sacramento, California, United States of America
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Smith RC. Highlights in Medical Entomology, 2019: Familiar Foes and New Frontiers. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1349-1353. [PMID: 32667035 PMCID: PMC7716807 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The 2019 Entomological Society of America annual meeting was held in St. Louis, Missouri, just blocks away from the iconic Gateway Arch. Representing a 'gateway to the West', this inspired the theme of the Highlights in Medical Entomology to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year as we move into a 'new frontier' of vector biology research. Papers were selected broadly across arthropods that influence public health, focusing on topics ranging from West Nile virus transmission, ticks and tick-borne disease, to advances in genetics and 'big data' studies. This included current perspectives on West Nile virus ecology and epidemiology, which has now been endemic in the United States for 20 yr. Additional topics such as the advantages of citizen science and the importance of scientific communication were also discussed. Together, these papers demonstrate the achievements of the vector community while emphasizing the challenges that we collectively face to reduce the burden of vector-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Smith
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
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Campbell O, Krause PJ. The emergence of human Powassan virus infection in North America. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101540. [PMID: 32993949 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Powassan virus (POWV) is a tickborne flavivirus discovered in Ontario, Canada in 1958 that causes long-term neurological sequelae in about half the reported cases and death in a little more than 10 % of cases. The incidence of POWV disease is rising in the United States but there is limited understanding of the scope and causes of recent changes in POWV epidemiology. We focus on quantifying the increase in human POWV disease incidence and infection prevalence in the United States. We also examine differences in the frequency of symptomatic cases and asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases, as well as limitations in national and state surveillance for POWV infection. We searched SCOPUS for all articles containing original POWV prevalence research, case studies, or literature reviews published in English. Case studies were supplemented by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report POWV data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and surveillance information from state health department websites. An increase in the number of POWV cases has been reported in the United States over the past 50 yr, and the geographic range of human POWV cases has expanded. The age distribution of symptomatic POWV cases has shifted, with significantly more individuals over 40 yr old being diagnosed after 1998. The emergence of POWV is due in large part to: (i) a change in transmission of POWV from a vector that rarely bites people (Ixodes cookei) to a new vector that often bites people (Ixodes scapularis) and has expanded its geographic range, (ii) enhanced surveillance efforts for arboviruses, and (iii) a greater awareness of POWV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Campbell
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
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West Nile Virus Epidemic in Germany Triggered by Epizootic Emergence, 2019. Viruses 2020; 12:v12040448. [PMID: 32326472 PMCID: PMC7232143 DOI: 10.3390/v12040448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
One year after the first autochthonous transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) to birds and horses in Germany, an epizootic emergence of WNV was again observed in 2019. The number of infected birds and horses was considerably higher compared to 2018 (12 birds, two horses), resulting in the observation of the first WNV epidemy in Germany: 76 cases in birds, 36 in horses and five confirmed mosquito-borne, autochthonous human cases. We demonstrated that Germany experienced several WNV introduction events and that strains of a distinct group (Eastern German WNV clade), which was introduced to Germany as a single introduction event, dominated mosquito, birds, horse and human-related virus variants in 2018 and 2019. Virus strains in this clade are characterized by a specific-Lys2114Arg mutation, which might lead to an increase in viral fitness. Extraordinary high temperatures in 2018/2019 allowed a low extrinsic incubation period (EIP), which drove the epizootic emergence and, in the end, most likely triggered the 2019 epidemic. Spatiotemporal EIP values correlated with the geographical WNV incidence. This study highlights the risk of a further spread in Germany in the next years with additional human WNV infections. Thus, surveillance of birds is essential to provide an early epidemic warning and thus, initiate targeted control measures.
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