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Sehgal A, Sharma D, Kaushal N, Gupta Y, Martynova E, Kabwe E, Chandy S, Rizvanov A, Khaiboullina S, Baranwal M. Designing a Conserved Immunogenic Peptide Construct from the Nucleocapsid Protein of Puumala orthohantavirus. Viruses 2024; 16:1030. [PMID: 39066193 PMCID: PMC11281540 DOI: 10.3390/v16071030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) is an emerging zoonotic virus endemic to Europe and Russia that causes nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). There are limited options for treatment and diagnosis of orthohantavirus infection, making the search for potential immunogenic candidates crucial. In the present work, various bioinformatics tools were employed to design conserved immunogenic peptides containing multiple epitopes of PUUV nucleocapsid protein. Eleven conserved peptides (90% conservancy) of the PUUV nucleocapsid protein were identified. Three conserved peptides containing multiple T and B cell epitopes were selected using a consensus epitope prediction algorithm. Molecular docking using the HPEP dock server demonstrated strong binding interactions between the epitopes and HLA molecules (ten alleles for each class I and II HLA). Moreover, an analysis of population coverage using the IEDB database revealed that the identified peptides have over 90% average population coverage across six continents. Molecular docking and simulation analysis reveal a stable interaction with peptide constructs of chosen immunogenic peptides and Toll-like receptor-4. These computational analyses demonstrate selected peptides' immunogenic potential, which needs to be validated in different experimental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayushi Sehgal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147001, India; (A.S.); (D.S.); (N.K.); (Y.G.)
| | - Diksha Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147001, India; (A.S.); (D.S.); (N.K.); (Y.G.)
| | - Neha Kaushal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147001, India; (A.S.); (D.S.); (N.K.); (Y.G.)
| | - Yogita Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147001, India; (A.S.); (D.S.); (N.K.); (Y.G.)
| | - Ekaterina Martynova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (E.M.); (E.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Emmanuel Kabwe
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (E.M.); (E.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Sara Chandy
- Childs Trust Medical Research Foundation (CTMRF) Kanchi, Chennai 600034, India;
| | - Albert Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (E.M.); (E.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Svetlana Khaiboullina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (E.M.); (E.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Manoj Baranwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala 147001, India; (A.S.); (D.S.); (N.K.); (Y.G.)
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2
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Kazasidis O, Jacob J. Machine learning identifies straightforward early warning rules for human Puumala hantavirus outbreaks. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3585. [PMID: 36869118 PMCID: PMC9984366 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30596-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human Puumala virus (PUUV) infections in Germany fluctuate multi-annually, following fluctuations of the bank vole population size. We applied a transformation to the annual incidence values and established a heuristic method to develop a straightforward robust model for the binary human infection risk at the district level. The classification model was powered by a machine-learning algorithm and achieved 85% sensitivity and 71% precision, despite using only three weather parameters from the previous years as inputs, namely the soil temperature in April of two years before and in September of the previous year, and the sunshine duration in September of two years before. Moreover, we introduced the PUUV Outbreak Index that quantifies the spatial synchrony of local PUUV-outbreaks, and applied it to the seven reported outbreaks in the period 2006-2021. Finally, we used the classification model to estimate the PUUV Outbreak Index, achieving 20% maximum uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orestis Kazasidis
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests / Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Rodent Research, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Münster, Germany.
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests / Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Rodent Research, Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Münster, Germany
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3
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Krupińska M, Antolová D, Tołkacz K, Szczepaniak K, Strachecka A, Goll A, Nowicka J, Baranowicz K, Bajer A, Behnke JM, Grzybek M. Grassland versus forest dwelling rodents as indicators of environmental contamination with the zoonotic nematode Toxocara spp. Sci Rep 2023; 13:483. [PMID: 36627309 PMCID: PMC9832041 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23891-6] [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] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Small mammals are suspected of contributing to the dissemination of Toxocara canis and helping with the parasite survival during periods when there is a temporary absence of suitable definitive hosts. While the primary aim of the current study was the assessment of seroprevalence of Toxocara spp. infections in wild rodents in Poland, we also explored the role of intrinsic (sex, age) and extrinsic factors (study site) influencing dynamics of this infection to ascertain whether grassland versus forest rodents play a greater role as indicators of environmental contamination with T. canis. We trapped 577 rodents belonging to four species (Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus agrestis, Alexandromys oeconomus) in north-eastern Poland. Blood was collected during the parasitological examination, and serum was frozen at - 80 °C until further analyses. A bespoke enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibodies against Toxocara spp. We found Toxocara spp. antibodies in the sera of all four rodent species with an overall seroprevalence of 2.8% [1.9-4.1%]. There was a significant difference in seroprevalence between vole species, with the grassland species (M. arvalis, M. agrestis and A. oeconomus) showing a 16-fold higher seroprevalence (15.7% [8.7-25.9%]) than the forest-dwelling M. glareolus (0.98% [0.5-1.8%]). We hypothesise that the seroprevalence of Toxocara spp. differs between forest and grassland rodents because of the higher contamination of grasslands by domestic dogs and wild canids. Our results underline the need for wide biomonitoring of both types of ecosystems to assess the role of rodents as indicators of environmental contamination with zoonotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Krupińska
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Aleksander Goll
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Karolina Baranowicz
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | | | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland.
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Princk C, Drewes S, Meyer‐Schlinkmann KM, Saathoff M, Binder F, Freise J, Tenner B, Weiss S, Hofmann J, Esser J, Runge M, Jacob J, Ulrich RG, Dreesman J. Cluster of human Puumala orthohantavirus infections due to indoor exposure?-An interdisciplinary outbreak investigation. Zoonoses Public Health 2022; 69:579-586. [PMID: 35312223 PMCID: PMC9539979 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) is the most important hantavirus species in Europe, causing the majority of human hantavirus disease cases. In central and western Europe, the occurrence of human infections is mainly driven by bank vole population dynamics influenced by beech mast. In Germany, hantavirus epidemic years are observed in 2- to 5-year intervals. Many of the human infections are recorded in summer and early autumn, coinciding with peaks in bank vole populations. Here, we describe a molecular epidemiological investigation in a small company with eight employees of whom five contracted hantavirus infections in late 2017. Standardized interviews with employees were conducted to assess the circumstances under which the disease cluster occurred, how the employees were exposed and which counteractive measures were taken. Initially, two employees were admitted to hospital and serologically diagnosed with hantavirus infection. Subsequently, further investigations were conducted. By means of a self-administered questionnaire, three additional symptomatic cases could be identified. The hospital patients' sera were investigated and revealed in one patient a partial PUUV L segment sequence, which was identical to PUUV sequences from several bank voles collected in close proximity to company buildings. This investigation highlights the importance of a One Health approach that combines efforts from human and veterinary medicine, ecology and public health to reveal the origin of hantavirus disease clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Princk
- Public Health Agency of Lower SaxonyHannoverGermany
- Present address:
Department of Clinical EpidemiologyLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology—BIPSBremenGermany
| | - Stephan Drewes
- Friedrich‐Loeffler‐InstitutFederal Research Institute for Animal HealthInstitute of Novel and Emerging Infectious DiseasesGreifswald‐Insel RiemsGermany
| | | | - Marion Saathoff
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food SafetyOldenburg/HannoverGermany
| | - Florian Binder
- Friedrich‐Loeffler‐InstitutFederal Research Institute for Animal HealthInstitute of Novel and Emerging Infectious DiseasesGreifswald‐Insel RiemsGermany
| | - Jona Freise
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food SafetyOldenburg/HannoverGermany
| | - Beate Tenner
- Institute of VirologyCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Sabrina Weiss
- Institute of VirologyCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Present address:
Centre for International Health Protection – Public Health Laboratory SupportRobert Koch‐InstituteBerlinGermany
| | - Jörg Hofmann
- Institute of VirologyCharité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jutta Esser
- Practice of Laboratory MedicineDepartment of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine, Health TheoryUniversity OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
| | - Martin Runge
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food SafetyOldenburg/HannoverGermany
| | - Jens Jacob
- Julius Kühn‐Institute (JKI),Federal Research Centre for Cultivated PlantsInstitute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate ResearchMünsterGermany
| | - Rainer G. Ulrich
- Friedrich‐Loeffler‐InstitutFederal Research Institute for Animal HealthInstitute of Novel and Emerging Infectious DiseasesGreifswald‐Insel RiemsGermany
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5
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Mittler E, Wec AZ, Tynell J, Guardado-Calvo P, Wigren-Byström J, Polanco LC, O’Brien CM, Slough MM, Abelson DM, Serris A, Sakharkar M, Pehau-Arnaudet G, Bakken RR, Geoghegan JC, Jangra RK, Keller M, Zeitlin L, Vapalahti O, Ulrich RG, Bornholdt ZA, Ahlm C, Rey FA, Dye JM, Bradfute SB, Strandin T, Herbert AS, Forsell MN, Walker LM, Chandran K. Human antibody recognizing a quaternary epitope in the Puumala virus glycoprotein provides broad protection against orthohantaviruses. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabl5399. [PMID: 35294259 PMCID: PMC9805701 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abl5399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The rodent-borne hantavirus Puumala virus (PUUV) and related agents cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in humans. Other hantaviruses, including Andes virus (ANDV) and Sin Nombre virus, cause a distinct zoonotic disease, hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). Although these infections are severe and have substantial case fatality rates, no FDA-approved hantavirus countermeasures are available. Recent work suggests that monoclonal antibodies may have therapeutic utility. We describe here the isolation of human neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against tetrameric Gn/Gc glycoprotein spikes from PUUV-experienced donors. We define a dominant class of nAbs recognizing the "capping loop" of Gn that masks the hydrophobic fusion loops in Gc. A subset of nAbs in this class, including ADI-42898, bound Gn/Gc complexes but not Gn alone, strongly suggesting that they recognize a quaternary epitope encompassing both Gn and Gc. ADI-42898 blocked the cell entry of seven HCPS- and HFRS-associated hantaviruses, and single doses of this nAb could protect Syrian hamsters and bank voles challenged with the highly virulent HCPS-causing ANDV and HFRS-causing PUUV, respectively. ADI-42898 is a promising candidate for clinical development as a countermeasure for both HCPS and HFRS, and its mode of Gn/Gc recognition informs the development of broadly protective hantavirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Mittler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | - Janne Tynell
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University; Umeå, Sweden.,Zoonosis Unit, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki; Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pablo Guardado-Calvo
- Structural Virology Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur; Paris 75724, France
| | | | - Laura C. Polanco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cecilia M. O’Brien
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA.,The Geneva Foundation; Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Megan M. Slough
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | - Alexandra Serris
- Structural Virology Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur; Paris 75724, France
| | | | - Gerard Pehau-Arnaudet
- Structural Virology Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur; Paris 75724, France
| | - Russell R. Bakken
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | | | - Rohit K. Jangra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Markus Keller
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health; 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Larry Zeitlin
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc.; San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Zoonosis Unit, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki; Helsinki, Finland.,Veterinary Biosciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Helsinki; Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rainer G. Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health; 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems; Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Clas Ahlm
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University; Umeå, Sweden
| | - Felix A. Rey
- Structural Virology Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur; Paris 75724, France
| | - John M. Dye
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Steven B. Bradfute
- University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Center for Global Health, Department of Internal Medicine; Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Tomas Strandin
- Zoonosis Unit, Department of Virology, University of Helsinki; Helsinki, Finland.,Correspondence: (T.S.), (A.S.H.), (M.N.E.F.), (L.M.W.), (K.C.)
| | - Andrew S. Herbert
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases; Fort Detrick, MD 21702, USA.,The Geneva Foundation; Tacoma, WA 98402, USA.,Correspondence: (T.S.), (A.S.H.), (M.N.E.F.), (L.M.W.), (K.C.)
| | - Mattias N.E. Forsell
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University; Umeå, Sweden.,Correspondence: (T.S.), (A.S.H.), (M.N.E.F.), (L.M.W.), (K.C.)
| | - Laura M. Walker
- Adimab, LLC; Lebanon, NH 03766, USA.,Adagio Therapeutics, Inc.; Waltham, MA 02451, USA.,Correspondence: (T.S.), (A.S.H.), (M.N.E.F.), (L.M.W.), (K.C.)
| | - Kartik Chandran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Correspondence: (T.S.), (A.S.H.), (M.N.E.F.), (L.M.W.), (K.C.)
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Occupational Hantavirus Infections in Agricultural and Forestry Workers: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112150. [PMID: 34834957 PMCID: PMC8621010 DOI: 10.3390/v13112150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens that can cause serious human disorders, including hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. As the main risk factor for human infections is the interaction with rodents, occupational groups such as farmers and forestry workers are reportedly at high risk, but no summary evidence has been collected to date. Therefore, we searched two different databases (PubMed and EMBASE), focusing on studies reporting the prevalence of hantaviruses in farmers and forestry workers. Data were extracted using a standardized assessment form, and results of such analyses were systematically reported, summarized and compared. We identified a total of 42 articles, including a total of 28 estimates on farmers, and 22 on forestry workers, with a total workforce of 15,043 cases (821 positive cases, 5.5%). A pooled seroprevalence of 3.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.2–6.2) was identified in farmers, compared to 3.8% (95% CI 2.6–5.7) in forestry workers. Compared to the reference population, an increased occurrence was reported for both occupational groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.875, 95% CI 1.438–2.445 and OR 2.892, 95% CI 2.079–4.023 for farmers and forestry workers, respectively). In summary, our analyses stress the actual occurrence of hantaviruses in selected occupational groups. Improved understanding of appropriate preventive measures, as well as further studies on hantavirus infection rates in reservoir host species (rodents, shrews, and bats) and virus transmission to humans, is needed to prevent future outbreaks.
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Influence of Season, Population and Individual Characteristics on the Prevalence of Leptospira spp. in Bank Voles in North-West Germany. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090933. [PMID: 34571810 PMCID: PMC8466531 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Leptospirosis is a worldwide emerging zoonotic disease. Clinical symptoms in humans range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe clinical disease with kidney failure and multiple organ dysfunction. Infections occur after contact with infected animals or through water and soil contaminated by urine of infected animals. Cases are mostly linked to occupational risk groups such as field workers or farmers, but contact with pets and recreational activities like fresh water sports also lead to a higher exposure risk. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and species distribution of Leptospira in bank voles in Germany. We analyzed the DNA of 1817 kidney samples and detected a mean prevalence of 7.5% with the following pathogenic Leptospira species: L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and L. borgpetersenii. The individual infection risk in bank voles depended on season, body weight and abundance of bank voles. Even if leptospirosis case numbers in Germany are low, our study shows that pathogenic Leptospira spp. are present and a potential source for human infection, which should be recognized by clinicians and veterinarians. Abstract Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease with more than 1 million human cases annually. Infections are associated with direct contact to infected animals or indirect contact to contaminated water or soil. As not much is known about the prevalence and host specificity of Leptospira spp. in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), our study aimed to evaluate Leptospira spp. prevalence and genomospecies distribution as well as the influence of season, host abundance and individual characteristics on the Leptospira prevalence. Bank voles, which are abundant and widely distributed in forest habitats, were collected in the years 2018 to 2020 in North-West Germany, covering parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The DNA of 1817 kidney samples was analyzed by real-time PCR targeting the lipl32 gene. Positive samples were further analyzed by targeting the secY gene to determine Leptospira genomospecies and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to determine the sequence type (ST). The overall prevalence was 7.5% (95% confidence interval: 6.4–8.9). Leptospira interrogans (83.3%), L. kirschneri (11.5%) and L. borgpetersenii (5.2%) were detected in bank voles. Increasing body weight as a proxy for age increased the individual infection probability. Only in years with high bank vole abundance was this probability significantly higher in males than in females. Even if case numbers of human leptospirosis in Germany are low, our study shows that pathogenic Leptospira spp. are present and thus a persisting potential source for human infection.
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Riccò M, Peruzzi S, Ranzieri S, Balzarini F, Valente M, Marchesi F, Bragazzi NL. Hantavirus infections in Italy: not reported doesn't mean inexistent. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2021; 92:e2021324. [PMID: 34487097 PMCID: PMC8477108 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v92i4.10661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hantaviruses can cause serious human diseases including hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS). European Hantavirus are usually associated with HFRS, and their geographical distribution mirrors the ecology of reservoir host species. Epidemiology of HFRS is well-studied in Western Europe, but data from Italy are fragmentary. METHODS We searched into two different databases (PubMed and EMBASE), focusing on studies reporting the prevalence of Hantaviruses in Italy. Data were extracted using a standardized assessment form, and results of the analyses were systematically reported, summarized and compared. RESULTS We identified a total of 18 articles, including 12 reports (total population: 5,336 subjects, 1981-2019) and 6 case reports (1984-2019). In total, 200 subjects exhibited some degree of seropositivity, with a pooled seroprevalence of 1.7% (95% confidence interval 0.7%-4.0%) in the general population. Higher occurrence was reported in selected subgroups, i.e. acute (28.7%, 95%CI 22.1-36.2) and chronic (6.6%, 95%CI 4.7-9.1) renal failure, forestry workers (3.0%, 95%CI 1.4-6.5, actual range 0.0 to 10.8%). CONCLUSIONS In the last decade, no human cases of hantavirus infection have been officially reported in Italy. However, our analysis stresses the actual occurrence of Hantavirus among general population and in selected population groups. Further studies on hantavirus infection rates in reservoir host species (rodents, shrews, and bats) and virus transmission to humans are needed to prevent outbreaks in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Riccò
- AUSL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Servizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza negli ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL), Via Amendola n.2, I-42122 Reggio Emilia (RE), Italy .
| | - Simona Peruzzi
- AUSL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Laboratorio Analisi Chimico Cliniche e Microbiologiche, Ospedale Civile di Guastalla, Via Donatori di Sangue n.1, I-42016 Guastalla (RE), Italy;.
| | - Silvia Ranzieri
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Occupational Medicine; Via Gramsci n.14, 43126; Parma (PR), Italy.
| | - Federica Balzarini
- University "Vita e Salute", San Raffaele Hospital; Via Olgettina n. 58, 20132; Milan (MI), Italy.
| | - Marina Valente
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of General Surgery; Via Gramsci n.14, 43126; Parma (PR), Italy .
| | - Federico Marchesi
- University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of General Surgery; Via Gramsci n.14, 43126; Parma (PR), Italy .
| | - Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
- Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of York, Toronto (ON), Canada.
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9
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Razzauti M, Castel G, Cosson JF. Impact of Landscape on Host-Parasite Genetic Diversity and Distribution Using the Puumala orthohantavirus-Bank Vole System. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071516. [PMID: 34361952 PMCID: PMC8306195 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, host specificity has a strong impact on the parasite's distribution, prevalence, and genetic diversity. The host's population dynamics is expected to shape the distribution of host-specific parasites. In turn, the parasite's genetic structure is predicted to mirror that of the host. Here, we study the tandem Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV)-bank vole system. The genetic diversity of 310 bank voles and 33 PUUV isolates from 10 characterized localities of Northeast France was assessed. Our findings show that the genetic diversity of both PUUV and voles, was positively correlated with forest coverage and contiguity of habitats. While the genetic diversity of voles was weakly structured in space, that of PUUV was found to be strongly structured, suggesting that the dispersion of voles was not sufficient to ensure a broad PUUV dissemination. Genetic diversity of PUUV was mainly shaped by purifying selection. Genetic drift and extinction events were better reflected than local adaptation of PUUV. These contrasting patterns of microevolution have important consequences for the understanding of PUUV distribution and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Razzauti
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Guillaume Castel
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
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Isolation and characterization of new Puumala orthohantavirus strains from Germany. Virus Genes 2020; 56:448-460. [PMID: 32328924 PMCID: PMC7329759 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-020-01755-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Orthohantaviruses are re-emerging rodent-borne pathogens distributed all over the world. Here, we report the isolation of a Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) strain from bank voles caught in a highly endemic region around the city Osnabrück, north-west Germany. Coding and non-coding sequences of all three segments (S, M, and L) were determined from original lung tissue, after isolation and after additional passaging in VeroE6 cells and a bank vole-derived kidney cell line. Different single amino acid substitutions were observed in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of the two stable PUUV isolates. The PUUV strain from VeroE6 cells showed a lower titer when propagated on bank vole cells compared to VeroE6 cells. Additionally, glycoprotein precursor (GPC)-derived virus-like particles of a German PUUV sequence allowed the generation of monoclonal antibodies that allowed the reliable detection of the isolated PUUV strain in the immunofluorescence assay. In conclusion, this is the first isolation of a PUUV strain from Central Europe and the generation of glycoprotein-specific monoclonal antibodies for this PUUV isolate. The obtained virus isolate and GPC-specific antibodies are instrumental tools for future reservoir host studies.
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