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Flaxman A, Sebastian S, Appelberg S, Cha KM, Ulaszewska M, Purushotham J, Gilbride C, Sharpe H, Spencer AJ, Bibi S, Wright D, Schmidt I, Dowall S, Easterbrook L, Findlay-Wilson S, Gilbert S, Mirazimi A, Lambe T. Potent immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a multi-pathogen vaccination targeting Ebola, Sudan, Marburg and Lassa viruse. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012262. [PMID: 38924060 PMCID: PMC11233014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) pose a significant threat to human health. In recent years, VHF outbreaks caused by Ebola, Marburg and Lassa viruses have caused substantial morbidity and mortality in West and Central Africa. In 2022, an Ebola disease outbreak in Uganda caused by Sudan virus resulted in 164 cases with 55 deaths. In 2023, a Marburg disease outbreak was confirmed in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania resulting in over 49 confirmed or suspected cases; 41 of which were fatal. There are no clearly defined correlates of protection against these VHF, impeding targeted vaccine development. Any vaccine developed should therefore induce strong and preferably long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against these viruses. Ideally this immunity should also cross-protect against viral variants, which are known to circulate in animal reservoirs and cause human disease. We have utilized two viral vectored vaccine platforms, an adenovirus (ChAdOx1) and Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA), to develop a multi-pathogen vaccine regime against three filoviruses (Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Marburg virus) and an arenavirus (Lassa virus). These platform technologies have consistently demonstrated the capability to induce robust cellular and humoral antigen-specific immunity in humans, most recently in the rollout of the licensed ChAdOx1-nCoV19/AZD1222. Here, we show that our multi-pathogen vaccines elicit strong cellular and humoral immunity, induce a diverse range of chemokines and cytokines, and most importantly, confers protection after lethal Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Marburg virus challenges in a small animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Flaxman
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Sebastian
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kuan M Cha
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Ulaszewska
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jyothi Purushotham
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ciaran Gilbride
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Sharpe
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra J Spencer
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sagida Bibi
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Wright
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Schmidt
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Dowall
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Easterbrook
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sarah Gilbert
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Teresa Lambe
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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2
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Riesle-Sbarbaro SA, Wibbelt G, Düx A, Kouakou V, Bokelmann M, Hansen-Kant K, Kirchoff N, Laue M, Kromarek N, Lander A, Vogel U, Wahlbrink A, Wozniak DM, Scott DP, Prescott JB, Schaade L, Couacy-Hymann E, Kurth A. Selective replication and vertical transmission of Ebola virus in experimentally infected Angolan free-tailed bats. Nat Commun 2024; 15:925. [PMID: 38297087 PMCID: PMC10830451 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45231-0] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The natural reservoir of Ebola virus (EBOV), agent of a zoonosis burdening several African countries, remains unidentified, albeit evidence points towards bats. In contrast, the ecology of the related Marburg virus is much better understood; with experimental infections of bats being instrumental for understanding reservoir-pathogen interactions. Experiments have focused on elucidating reservoir competence, infection kinetics and specifically horizontal transmission, although, vertical transmission plays a key role in many viral enzootic cycles. Herein, we investigate the permissiveness of Angolan free-tailed bats (AFBs), known to harbour Bombali virus, to other filoviruses: Ebola, Marburg, Taï Forest and Reston viruses. We demonstrate that only the bats inoculated with EBOV show high and disseminated viral replication and infectious virus shedding, without clinical disease, while the other filoviruses fail to establish productive infections. Notably, we evidence placental-specific tissue tropism and a unique ability of EBOV to traverse the placenta, infect and persist in foetal tissues of AFBs, which results in distinct genetic signatures of adaptive evolution. These findings not only demonstrate plausible routes of horizontal and vertical transmission in these bats, which are expectant of reservoir hosts, but may also reveal an ancillary transmission mechanism, potentially required for the maintenance of EBOV in small reservoir populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Riesle-Sbarbaro
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - G Wibbelt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Düx
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - V Kouakou
- LANADA, Laboratoire National d'Appui au Développement Agricole, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - M Bokelmann
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Hansen-Kant
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Kirchoff
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Laue
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Kromarek
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Lander
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - U Vogel
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Wahlbrink
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - D M Wozniak
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D P Scott
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - J B Prescott
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - L Schaade
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - E Couacy-Hymann
- LANADA, Laboratoire National d'Appui au Développement Agricole, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
- Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques, LIRED, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - A Kurth
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Dong X, Hiscox JA. Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Population Genetics from Samples Associated with Huanan Market and Early Cases Identifies Substitutions Associated with Future Variants of Concern. Viruses 2023; 15:1728. [PMID: 37632069 PMCID: PMC10459715 DOI: 10.3390/v15081728] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 began spreading through human-to-human transmission first within China and then worldwide, with increasing sequence diversity associated with time and the further spread of the virus. The spillover events in the Huanan market were associated with two lineages of SARS-CoV-2 (lineages A and B). Infecting virus populations and those in infected individuals consist of a dominant genomic sequence and minor genomic variants; these latter populations can indicate sites on the genome that may be subject to mutational changes-either neutral or advantageous sites and those that act as a reservoir for future dominant variants-when placed under selection pressure. The earliest deposited sequences with human infections associated with the Huanan market shared very close homology with each other and were all lineage B. However, there were minor genomic variants present in each sample that encompassed synonymous and non-synonymous changes. Fusion sequences characteristic of defective RNA were identified that could potentially link transmission chains between individuals. Although all the individuals appeared to have lineage B as the dominant sequence, nucleotides associated with lineage A could be found at very low frequencies. Several substitutions (but not deletions) associated with much later variants of concern (VoCs) were already present as minor genomic variants. This suggests that low-frequency substitutions at the start of a pandemic could be a reservoir of future dominant variants and/or provide information on potential sites within the genome associated with future plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dong
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK;
| | - Julian A. Hiscox
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK;
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Laboratories (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore
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Tóth GE, Hume AJ, Suder EL, Zeghbib S, Ábrahám Á, Lanszki Z, Varga Z, Tauber Z, Földes F, Zana B, Scaravelli D, Scicluna MT, Pereswiet-Soltan A, Görföl T, Terregino C, De Benedictis P, Garcia-Dorival I, Alonso C, Jakab F, Mühlberger E, Leopardi S, Kemenesi G. Isolation and genome characterization of Lloviu virus from Italian Schreibers's bats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11310. [PMID: 37443182 PMCID: PMC10344946 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38364-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lloviu cuevavirus (LLOV) was the first identified member of Filoviridae family outside the Ebola and Marburgvirus genera. A massive die-off of Schreibers's bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) in the Iberian Peninsula in 2002 led to its initial discovery. Recent studies with recombinant and wild-type LLOV isolates confirmed the zoonotic nature of the virus in vitro. We examined bat samples from Italy for the presence of LLOV in an area outside of the currently known distribution range of the virus. We detected one positive sample from 2020, sequenced the complete coding region of the viral genome and established an infectious isolate of the virus. In addition, we performed the first comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the virus, using the Spanish, Hungarian and the Italian sequences. The most important achievement of this study is the establishment of an additional infectious LLOV isolate from a bat sample using the SuBK12-08 cells, demonstrating that this cell line is highly susceptible to LLOV infection and confirming the previous observation that these bats are effective hosts of the virus in nature. This result further strengthens the role of bats as the natural hosts for zoonotic filoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor E Tóth
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Adam J Hume
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellen L Suder
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Safia Zeghbib
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ágota Ábrahám
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Lanszki
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsaklin Varga
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Tauber
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Fanni Földes
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Brigitta Zana
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dino Scaravelli
- ST.E.R.N.A., Forlì, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Scicluna
- UOC Virologia, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Pereswiet-Soltan
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tamás Görföl
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Calogero Terregino
- OIE Collaborating Centre and National Reference Centre for Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Paola De Benedictis
- OIE Collaborating Centre and National Reference Centre for Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Isabel Garcia-Dorival
- INIA-CSIC, Centro Nacional Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Covadonga Alonso
- INIA-CSIC, Centro Nacional Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ferenc Jakab
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Elke Mühlberger
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefania Leopardi
- OIE Collaborating Centre and National Reference Centre for Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Gábor Kemenesi
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
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Dong X, Tree J, Banadyga L, He S, Zhu W, Tipton T, Gouriet J, Qiu X, Elmore MJ, Hall Y, Carroll M, Hiscox JA. Linked Mutations in the Ebola Virus Polymerase Are Associated with Organ Specific Phenotypes. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0415422. [PMID: 36946725 PMCID: PMC10101120 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04154-22] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a severe infection called Ebola virus disease (EVD). The pathogenesis of EBOV infection is complex, and outcome has been associated with a variety of immunological and cellular factors. Disease can result from several mechanisms, including direct organ and endothelial cell damage as a result of viral replication. During the2013 to 2016 Western Africa EBOV outbreak, several mutants emerged, with changes in the genes of nucleoprotein (NP), glycoprotein (GP), and the large (L) protein. Reverse genetic analysis has been used to investigate whether these mutations played any role in pathogenesis with mixed results depending on the experimental system used. Previous studies investigated the impact of three single nonsynonymous mutations (GP-A82V, NP-R111C, and L-D759G) on the fatality rate of mouse and ferret models and suggested that the L-D759G mutation decreased the virulence of EBOV. In this study, the effect of these three mutations was further evaluated by deep sequencing to determine viral population genetics and the host response in longitudinal samples of blood, liver, kidney, spleen, and lung tissues taken from the previous ferret model. The data indicated that the mutations were maintained in the different tissues, but the frequency of minor genomic mutations were different. In addition, compared to wild-type virus, the recombinant mutants had different within host effects, where the D759G (and accompanying Q986H) substitution in the L protein resulted in an upregulation of the immune response in the kidney, liver, spleen, and lungs. Together these studies provide insights into the biology of EBOV mutants both between and within hosts. IMPORTANCE Ebola virus infection can have dramatic effects on the human body which manifest in Ebola virus disease. The outcome of infection is either survival or death and in the former group with the potential of longer-term health consequences and persistent infection. Disease severity is undoubtedly associated with the host response, often with overt inflammatory responses correlated with poorer outcomes. The scale of the2013 to 2016 Western African Ebola virus outbreak revealed new aspects of viral biology. This included the emergence of mutants with potentially altered virulence. Biobanked tissue from ferret models of EBOV infected with different mutants that emerged in the Western Africa outbreak was used to investigate the effect of EBOV genomic variation in different tissues. Overall, the work provided insights into the population genetics of EBOV and showed that different organs in an animal model can respond differently to variants of EBOV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dong
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Tree
- UK-Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Logan Banadyga
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Shihua He
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Tom Tipton
- UK-Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Jade Gouriet
- UK-Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Xiangguo Qiu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | | | - Yper Hall
- UK-Health Security Agency, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Miles Carroll
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Julian A. Hiscox
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Horizontal Technology Centre (ID HTC), A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
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6
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The P323L substitution in the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase (NSP12) confers a selective advantage during infection. Genome Biol 2023. [PMID: 36915185 PMCID: PMC10009825 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02881-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mutational landscape of SARS-CoV-2 varies at the dominant viral genome sequence and minor genomic variant population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an early substitution in the genome was the D614G change in the spike protein, associated with an increase in transmissibility. Genomes with D614G are accompanied by a P323L substitution in the viral polymerase (NSP12). However, P323L is not thought to be under strong selective pressure. RESULTS Investigation of P323L/D614G substitutions in the population shows rapid emergence during the containment phase and early surge phase during the first wave. These substitutions emerge from minor genomic variants which become dominant viral genome sequence. This is investigated in vivo and in vitro using SARS-CoV-2 with P323 and D614 in the dominant genome sequence and L323 and G614 in the minor variant population. During infection, there is rapid selection of L323 into the dominant viral genome sequence but not G614. Reverse genetics is used to create two viruses (either P323 or L323) with the same genetic background. L323 shows greater abundance of viral RNA and proteins and a smaller plaque morphology than P323. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that P323L is an important contribution in the emergence of variants with transmission advantages. Sequence analysis of viral populations suggests it may be possible to predict the emergence of a new variant based on tracking the frequency of minor variant genomes. The ability to predict an emerging variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the global landscape may aid in the evaluation of medical countermeasures and non-pharmaceutical interventions.
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Vennis IM, Schaap MM, Hogervorst PAM, de Bruin A, Schulpen S, Boot MA, van Passel MWJ, Rutjes SA, Bleijs DA. Dual-Use Quickscan: A Web-Based Tool to Assess the Dual-Use Potential of Life Science Research. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:797076. [PMID: 34957083 PMCID: PMC8696162 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.797076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on pathogenic organisms is crucial for medical, biological and agricultural developments. However, biological agents as well as associated knowledge and techniques, can also be misused, for example for the development of biological weapons. Potential malicious use of well-intended research, referred to as “dual-use research”, poses a threat to public health and the environment. There are various international resources providing frameworks to assess dual-use potential of the research concerned. However, concrete instructions for researchers on how to perform a dual-use risk assessment is largely lacking. The international need for practical dual-use monitoring and risk assessment instructions, in addition to the need to raise awareness among scientists about potential dual-use aspects of their research has been identified over the last years by the Netherlands Biosecurity Office, through consulting national and international biorisk stakeholders. We identified that Biorisk Management Advisors and researchers need a practical tool to facilitate a dual-use assessment on their specific research. Therefore, the Netherlands Biosecurity Office developed a web-based Dual-Use Quickscan (www.dualusequickscan.com), that can be used periodically by researchers working with microorganisms to assess potential dual-use risks of their research by answering a set of fifteen yes/no questions. The questions for the tool were extracted from existing international open resources, and categorized into three themes: characteristics of the biological agent, knowledge and technology about the biological agent, and consequences of misuse. The results of the Quickscan provide the researcher with an indication of the dual-use potential of the research and can be used as a basis for further discussions with a Biorisk Management Advisor. The Dual-Use Quickscan can be embedded in a broader system of biosafety and biosecurity that includes dual-use monitoring and awareness within organizations. Increased international attention to examine pathogens with pandemic potential has been enhanced by the current COVID-19 pandemic, hence monitoring of dual-use potential urgently needs to be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris M Vennis
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Mirjam M Schaap
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Petra A M Hogervorst
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Arnout de Bruin
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Sjors Schulpen
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Marijke A Boot
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Mark W J van Passel
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Saskia A Rutjes
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Diederik A Bleijs
- Biosecurity Office, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
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8
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Escaffre O, Juelich TL, Neef N, Massey S, Smith J, Brasel T, Smith JK, Kalveram B, Zhang L, Perez D, Ikegami T, Freiberg AN, Comer JE. STAT-1 Knockout Mice as a Model for Wild-Type Sudan Virus (SUDV). Viruses 2021; 13:v13071388. [PMID: 34372594 PMCID: PMC8310124 DOI: 10.3390/v13071388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently there is no FDA-licensed vaccine or therapeutic against Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) infections. The largest ever reported 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, as well as the 2021 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlight the critical need for countermeasures against filovirus infections. A well-characterized small animal model that is susceptible to wild-type filoviruses would greatly add to the screening of antivirals and vaccines. Here, we infected signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 knock out (STAT-1 KO) mice with five different wildtype filoviruses to determine susceptibility. SUDV and Marburg virus (MARV) were the most virulent, and caused 100% or 80% lethality, respectively. Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), and Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV) caused 40%, 20%, and no mortality, respectively. Further characterization of SUDV in STAT-1 KO mice demonstrated lethality down to 3.1 × 101 pfu. Viral genomic material was detectable in serum as early as 1 to 2 days post-challenge. The onset of viremia was closely followed by significant changes in total white blood cells and proportion of neutrophils and lymphocytes, as well as by an influx of neutrophils in the liver and spleen. Concomitant significant fluctuations in blood glucose, albumin, globulin, and alanine aminotransferase were also noted, altogether consistent with other models of filovirus infection. Finally, favipiravir treatment fully protected STAT-1 KO mice from lethal SUDV challenge, suggesting that this may be an appropriate small animal model to screen anti-SUDV countermeasures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Escaffre
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
| | - Terry L. Juelich
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
| | - Natasha Neef
- XTR Toxicologic Pathology Services LLC, Sterling, VA 20165, USA;
| | - Shane Massey
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.M.); (J.S.); (T.B.)
| | - Jeanon Smith
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.M.); (J.S.); (T.B.)
| | - Trevor Brasel
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.M.); (J.S.); (T.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
| | - Birte Kalveram
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
| | - David Perez
- Texas A&M University Division of Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Tetsuro Ikegami
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Alexander N. Freiberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (O.E.); (T.L.J.); (J.K.S.); (B.K.); (L.Z.); (T.I.)
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Correspondence: (A.N.F.); (J.E.C.)
| | - Jason E. Comer
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (S.M.); (J.S.); (T.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Institute of Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Correspondence: (A.N.F.); (J.E.C.)
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9
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Bosworth A, Rickett NY, Dong X, Ng LFP, García-Dorival I, Matthews DA, Fletcher T, Jacobs M, Thomson EC, Carroll MW, Hiscox JA. Analysis of an Ebola virus disease survivor whose host and viral markers were predictive of death indicates the effectiveness of medical countermeasures and supportive care. Genome Med 2021; 13:5. [PMID: 33430949 PMCID: PMC7798020 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-020-00811-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ebola virus disease (EVD) is an often-fatal infection where the effectiveness of medical countermeasures is uncertain. During the West African outbreak (2013-2016), several patients were treated with different types of anti-viral therapies including monoclonal antibody-based cocktails that had the potential to neutralise Ebola virus (EBOV). However, at the time, the efficacy of these therapies was uncertain. Given the scale of the outbreak, several clinical phenotypes came to the forefront including the ability of the same virus to cause recrudescence in the same patient-perhaps through persisting in immune privileged sites. Several key questions remained including establishing if monoclonal antibody therapy was effective in humans with severe EVD, whether virus escape mutants were selected during treatment, and what is the potential mechanism(s) of persistence. This was made possible through longitudinal samples taken from a UK patient with EVD. METHODS Several different sample types, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, were collected and sequenced using Illumina-based RNAseq. Sequence reads were mapped both to EBOV and the human genome and differential gene expression analysis used to identify changes in the abundance of gene transcripts as infection progressed. Digital Cell Quantitation analysis was used to predict the immune phenotype in samples derived from blood. RESULTS The findings were compared to equivalent data from West African patients. The study found that both virus and host markers were predictive of a fatal outcome. This suggested that the extensive supportive care, and most likely the application of the medical countermeasure ZMab (a monoclonal antibody cocktail), contributed to survival of the UK patient. The switch from progression to a 'fatal' outcome to a 'survival' outcome could be seen in both the viral and host markers. The UK patient also suffered a recrudescence infection 10 months after the initial infection. Analysis of the sequencing data indicated that the virus entered a period of reduced or minimal replication, rather than other potential mechanisms of persistence-such as defective interfering genomes. CONCLUSIONS The data showed that comprehensive supportive care and the application of medical countermeasures are worth pursuing despite an initial unfavourable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bosworth
- Public Health England, Manor Farm Road, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
- Clinical Virology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK
| | - Natasha Y Rickett
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Dong
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lisa F P Ng
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Infectious Disease Horizontal Technology Centre (ID HTC), A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Isabel García-Dorival
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - David A Matthews
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tom Fletcher
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michael Jacobs
- Department of Infection, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma C Thomson
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Miles W Carroll
- Public Health England, Manor Farm Road, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK.
- Nufield Department of Medicine, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Julian A Hiscox
- Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, National Institute for Health Research, Liverpool, UK.
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
- Infectious Disease Horizontal Technology Centre (ID HTC), A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
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10
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Dong X, Munoz-Basagoiti J, Rickett NY, Pollakis G, Paxton WA, Günther S, Kerber R, Ng LFP, Elmore MJ, Magassouba N, Carroll MW, Matthews DA, Hiscox JA. Variation around the dominant viral genome sequence contributes to viral load and outcome in patients with Ebola virus disease. Genome Biol 2020; 21:238. [PMID: 32894206 PMCID: PMC7475720 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02148-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viral load is a major contributor to outcome in patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), with high values leading to a fatal outcome. Evidence from the 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak indicated that different genotypes of the virus can have different phenotypes in patients. Additionally, due to the error-prone nature of viral RNA synthesis in an individual patient, the EBOV genome exists around a dominant viral genome sequence. The minor variants within a patient may contribute to the overall phenotype in terms of viral protein function. To investigate the effects of these minor variants, blood samples from patients with acute EVD were deeply sequenced. RESULTS We examine the minor variant frequency between patients with acute EVD who survived infection with those who died. Non-synonymous differences in viral proteins were identified that have implications for viral protein function. The greatest frequency of substitution was identified at three codon sites in the L gene-which encodes the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Recapitulating this in an assay for virus replication, these substitutions result in aberrant viral RNA synthesis and correlate with patient outcome. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings support the notion that in patients who survived EVD, in some cases, the genetic variability of the virus resulted in deleterious mutations that affected viral protein function, leading to reduced viral load. Such mutations may also lead to persistent strains of the virus and be associated with recrudescent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dong
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jordana Munoz-Basagoiti
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
| | - Natasha Y. Rickett
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
| | - William A. Paxton
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephan Günther
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Romy Kerber
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa F. P. Ng
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
- Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - N’faly Magassouba
- Laboratoire des fièvres hémorragiques en Guinée, Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Miles W. Carroll
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
- Public Health England, Salisbury, UK
| | - David A. Matthews
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Julian A. Hiscox
- Institute for Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, UK
- Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
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11
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Rijal P, Elias SC, Machado SR, Xiao J, Schimanski L, O'Dowd V, Baker T, Barry E, Mendelsohn SC, Cherry CJ, Jin J, Labbé GM, Donnellan FR, Rampling T, Dowall S, Rayner E, Findlay-Wilson S, Carroll M, Guo J, Xu XN, Huang KYA, Takada A, Burgess G, McMillan D, Popplewell A, Lightwood DJ, Draper SJ, Townsend AR. Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies for Ebola Virus Infection Derived from Vaccinated Humans. Cell Rep 2020; 27:172-186.e7. [PMID: 30943399 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe therapeutic monoclonal antibodies isolated from human volunteers vaccinated with recombinant adenovirus expressing Ebola virus glycoprotein (EBOV GP) and boosted with modified vaccinia virus Ankara. Among 82 antibodies isolated from peripheral blood B cells, almost half neutralized GP pseudotyped influenza virus. The antibody response was diverse in gene usage and epitope recognition. Although close to germline in sequence, neutralizing antibodies with binding affinities in the nano- to pico-molar range, similar to "affinity matured" antibodies from convalescent donors, were found. They recognized the mucin-like domain, glycan cap, receptor binding region, and the base of the glycoprotein. A cross-reactive cocktail of four antibodies, targeting the latter three non-overlapping epitopes, given on day 3 of EBOV infection, completely protected guinea pigs. This study highlights the value of experimental vaccine trials as a rich source of therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramila Rijal
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
| | - Sean C Elias
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Samara Rosendo Machado
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Julie Xiao
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Lisa Schimanski
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | | | | | | | - Simon C Mendelsohn
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Catherine J Cherry
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Jing Jin
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Geneviève M Labbé
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Francesca R Donnellan
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Tommy Rampling
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | | | - Emma Rayner
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
| | | | | | - Jia Guo
- Centre for Immunology and Vaccinology, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Xiao-Ning Xu
- Centre for Immunology and Vaccinology, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Kuan-Ying A Huang
- Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ayato Takada
- Division of Global Epidemiology, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Simon J Draper
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alain R Townsend
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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12
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Sebastian S, Flaxman A, Cha KM, Ulaszewska M, Gilbride C, Sharpe H, Wright E, Spencer AJ, Dowall S, Hewson R, Gilbert S, Lambe T. A Multi-Filovirus Vaccine Candidate: Co-Expression of Ebola, Sudan, and Marburg Antigens in a Single Vector. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E241. [PMID: 32455764 PMCID: PMC7349952 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the infectious diseases field, protective immunity against individual virus species or strains does not always confer cross-reactive immunity to closely related viruses, leaving individuals susceptible to disease after exposure to related virus species. This is a significant hurdle in the field of vaccine development, in which broadly protective vaccines represent an unmet need. This is particularly evident for filoviruses, as there are multiple family members that can cause lethal haemorrhagic fever, including Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, and Marburg virus. In an attempt to address this need, both pre-clinical and clinical studies previously used mixed or co-administered monovalent vaccines to prevent filovirus mediated disease. However, these multi-vaccine and multi-dose vaccination regimens do not represent a practical immunisation scheme when considering the target endemic areas. We describe here the development of a single multi-pathogen filovirus vaccine candidate based on a replication-deficient simian adenoviral vector. Our vaccine candidate encodes three different filovirus glycoproteins in one vector and induces strong cellular and humoral immunity to all three viral glycoproteins after a single vaccination. Crucially, it was found to be protective in a stringent Zaire ebolavirus challenge in guinea pigs in a one-shot vaccination regimen. This trivalent filovirus vaccine offers a tenable vaccine product that could be rapidly translated to the clinic to prevent filovirus-mediated viral haemorrhagic fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sebastian
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
- Current address: Vaccitech Ltd., Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, UK
| | - Amy Flaxman
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Kuan M. Cha
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Marta Ulaszewska
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Ciaran Gilbride
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Hannah Sharpe
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Edward Wright
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QG, UK;
| | - Alexandra J. Spencer
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Stuart Dowall
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK; (S.D.); (R.H.)
| | - Roger Hewson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK; (S.D.); (R.H.)
| | - Sarah Gilbert
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Teresa Lambe
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (S.S.); (A.F.); (K.M.C.); (M.U.); (C.G.); (H.S.); (A.J.S.); (S.G.)
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13
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Dowall SD, Kempster S, Findlay-Wilson S, Mattiuzzo G, Graham VA, Page M, Hewson R, Almond N. Towards quantification of protective antibody responses by passive transfer of the 1st WHO International Standard for Ebola virus antibody in a guinea pig model. Vaccine 2019; 38:345-349. [PMID: 31668821 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) represents a major concern to global health due to the unpredictable nature of outbreaks. Infection with EBOV can cause a severe viral haemorrhagic fever with no licensed vaccine or treatment, restricting work with live EBOV to Containment/Biosafety Level 4 facilities. Whilst the magnitude of recent outbreaks has provided an impetus for vaccine and antiviral development, establishing the efficacy of candidate vaccine materials relies on EBOV challenge models and advanced human trials should outbreaks occur and where logistics and funding allow. To address these hurdles in vaccine development, we investigated whether a recently established serological reference standard, the 1st WHO International Standard for Ebola virus antibody, could be used to provide a quantifiable correlate of immune protection in vivo. Dilutions of the International Standard were inoculated into naïve guinea pigs 24 h before challenge with a lethal dose of Ebola virus. Only subjects receiving the highest dose of the International Standard exhibited evidence of delayed progression. Due to it being a WHO established reagent and available globally upon request, this standard allows for effective comparisons of data between laboratories and may prove valuable to select the candidate vaccines that are most likely to confer humoral immune protection ensuring the most promising candidates progress into efficacy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart D Dowall
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK.
| | - Sarah Kempster
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Stephen Findlay-Wilson
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Giada Mattiuzzo
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Victoria A Graham
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Mark Page
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Roger Hewson
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Neil Almond
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar EN6 3QG, UK
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14
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Aljabr W, Armstrong S, Rickett NY, Pollakis G, Touzelet O, Cloutman-Green E, Matthews DA, Hiscox JA. High Resolution Analysis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection In Vivo. Viruses 2019; 11:v11100926. [PMID: 31658630 PMCID: PMC6832471 DOI: 10.3390/v11100926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of pediatric infection and also causes disease in the elderly and those with underlying respiratory problems. There is no vaccine for HRSV and anti-viral therapeutics are not broadly applicable. To investigate the effect of HRSV biology in children, nasopharyngeal aspirates were taken from children with different viral loads and a combined high throughput RNAseq and label free quantitative proteomics approach was used to characterize the nucleic acid and proteins in these samples. HRSV proteins were identified in the nasopharyngeal aspirates from infected children, and their abundance correlated with viral load (Ct value), confirming HRSV infection. Analysis of the HRSV genome indicated that the children were infected with sub-group A virus and that minor variants in nucleotide frequency occurred in discrete clusters along the HRSV genome, and within a patient clustered distinctly within the glycoprotein gene. Data from the samples were binned into four groups; no-HRSV infection (control), high viral load (Ct < 20), medium viral load (Ct = 20-25), and low viral load (Ct > 25). Cellular proteins associated with the anti-viral response (e.g., ISG15) were identified in the nasopharyngeal aspirates and their abundance was correlated with viral load. These combined approaches have not been used before to study HRSV biology in vivo and can be readily applied to the study the variation of virus host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed Aljabr
- King Fahad Medical City, Research Center, 59046 Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Stuart Armstrong
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research, Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Natasha Y Rickett
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research, Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Georgios Pollakis
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
| | - Olivier Touzelet
- School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
| | | | - David A Matthews
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
| | - Julian A Hiscox
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research, Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.
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15
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Analysis of Paramyxovirus Transcription and Replication by High-Throughput Sequencing. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00571-19. [PMID: 31189700 PMCID: PMC6694822 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00571-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of virus-infected cells can be used to study in great detail the patterns of virus transcription and replication. For paramyxoviruses, and by analogy for all other negative-strand RNA viruses, we show that directional sequencing must be used to distinguish between genomic RNA and mRNA/antigenomic RNA because significant amounts of genomic RNA copurify with poly(A)-selected mRNA. We found that the best method is directional sequencing of total cell RNA, after the physical removal of rRNA (and mitochondrial RNA), because quantitative information on the abundance of both genomic RNA and mRNA/antigenomes can be simultaneously derived. Using this approach, we revealed new details of the kinetics of virus transcription and replication for parainfluenza virus (PIV) type 2, PIV3, PIV5, and mumps virus, as well as on the relative abundance of the individual viral mRNAs. We have developed a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) workflow for investigating paramyxovirus transcription and replication. We show that sequencing of oligo(dT)-selected polyadenylated mRNAs, without considering the orientation of the RNAs from which they had been generated, cannot accurately be used to analyze the abundance of viral mRNAs because genomic RNA copurifies with the viral mRNAs. The best method is directional sequencing of infected cell RNA that has physically been depleted of ribosomal and mitochondrial RNA followed by bioinformatic steps to differentiate data originating from genomes from viral mRNAs and antigenomes. This approach has the advantage that the abundance of viral mRNA (and antigenomes) and genomes can be analyzed and quantified from the same data. We investigated the kinetics of viral transcription and replication during infection of A549 cells with parainfluenza virus type 2 (PIV2), PIV3, PIV5, or mumps virus and determined the abundances of individual viral mRNAs and readthrough mRNAs. We found that the mRNA abundance gradients differed significantly between all four viruses but that for each virus the pattern remained relatively stable throughout infection. We suggest that rapid degradation of non-poly(A) mRNAs may be primarily responsible for the shape of the mRNA abundance gradient in parainfluenza virus 3, whereas a combination of this factor and disengagement of RNA polymerase at intergenic sequences, particularly those at the NP:P and P:M gene boundaries, may be responsible in the other viruses. IMPORTANCE High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of virus-infected cells can be used to study in great detail the patterns of virus transcription and replication. For paramyxoviruses, and by analogy for all other negative-strand RNA viruses, we show that directional sequencing must be used to distinguish between genomic RNA and mRNA/antigenomic RNA because significant amounts of genomic RNA copurify with poly(A)-selected mRNA. We found that the best method is directional sequencing of total cell RNA, after the physical removal of rRNA (and mitochondrial RNA), because quantitative information on the abundance of both genomic RNA and mRNA/antigenomes can be simultaneously derived. Using this approach, we revealed new details of the kinetics of virus transcription and replication for parainfluenza virus (PIV) type 2, PIV3, PIV5, and mumps virus, as well as on the relative abundance of the individual viral mRNAs.
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Comer JE, Escaffre O, Neef N, Brasel T, Juelich TL, Smith JK, Smith J, Kalveram B, Perez DD, Massey S, Zhang L, Freiberg AN. Filovirus Virulence in Interferon α/β and γ Double Knockout Mice, and Treatment with Favipiravir. Viruses 2019; 11:v11020137. [PMID: 30717492 PMCID: PMC6410141 DOI: 10.3390/v11020137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The 2014 Ebolavirus outbreak in West Africa highlighted the need for vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat filovirus infections. A well-characterized small animal model that is susceptible to wild-type filoviruses would facilitate the screening of anti-filovirus agents. To that end, we characterized knockout mice lacking α/β and γ interferon receptors (IFNAGR KO) as a model for wild-type filovirus infection. Intraperitoneal challenge of IFNAGR KO mice with several known human pathogenic species from the genus Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus, except Bundibugyo ebolavirus and Taï Forest ebolavirus, caused variable mortality rate. Further characterization of the prototype Ebola virus Kikwit isolate infection in this KO mouse model showed 100% lethality down to a dilution equivalent to 1.0 × 10−1 pfu with all deaths occurring between 7 and 9 days post-challenge. Viral RNA was detectable in serum after challenge with 1.0 × 102 pfu as early as one day after infection. Changes in hematology and serum chemistry became pronounced as the disease progressed and mirrored the histological changes in the spleen and liver that were also consistent with those described for patients with Ebola virus disease. In a proof-of-principle study, treatment of Ebola virus infected IFNAGR KO mice with favipiravir resulted in 83% protection. Taken together, the data suggest that IFNAGR KO mice may be a useful model for early screening of anti-filovirus medical countermeasures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Comer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Olivier Escaffre
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Natasha Neef
- Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc., Sterling, VA 20167, USA.
| | - Trevor Brasel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Terry L Juelich
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Jennifer K Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Jeanon Smith
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Birte Kalveram
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - David D Perez
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Shane Massey
- Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - Alexander N Freiberg
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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Millett P, Snyder-Beattie A. Existential Risk and Cost-Effective Biosecurity. Health Secur 2017; 15:373-383. [PMID: 28806130 PMCID: PMC5576214 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2017.0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the decades to come, advanced bioweapons could threaten human existence. Although the probability of human extinction from bioweapons may be low, the expected value of reducing the risk could still be large, since such risks jeopardize the existence of all future generations. We provide an overview of biotechnological extinction risk, make some rough initial estimates for how severe the risks might be, and compare the cost-effectiveness of reducing these extinction-level risks with existing biosecurity work. We find that reducing human extinction risk can be more cost-effective than reducing smaller-scale risks, even when using conservative estimates. This suggests that the risks are not low enough to ignore and that more ought to be done to prevent the worst-case scenarios.
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A comparison of host gene expression signatures associated with infection in vitro by the Makona and Ecran (Mayinga) variants of Ebola virus. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43144. [PMID: 28240256 PMCID: PMC5327407 DOI: 10.1038/srep43144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ebola virus (EBOV) variant Makona (which emerged in 2013) was the causative agent of the largest outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease recorded. Differences in virus-host interactions between viral variants have potential consequences for transmission, disease severity and mortality. A detailed profile of the cellular changes induced by the Makona variant compared with other Ebola virus variants was lacking. In this study, A549 cells, a human cell line with a robust innate response, were infected with the Makona variant or with the Ecran variant originating from the 1976 outbreak in Central Africa. The abundance of viral and cellular mRNA transcripts was profiled using RNASeq and differential gene expression analysis performed. Differences in effects of each virus on the expression of interferon-stimulated genes were also investigated in A549 NPro cells where the type 1 interferon response had been attenuated. Cellular transcriptomic changes were compared with those induced by human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), a virus with a similar genome organisation and replication strategy to EBOV. Pathway and gene ontology analysis revealed differential expression of functionally important genes; including genes involved in the inflammatory response, cell proliferation, leukocyte extravasation and cholesterol biosynthesis. Whilst there was overlap with HRSV, there was unique commonality to the EBOV variants.
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Pappalardo M, Reddin IG, Cantoni D, Rossman JS, Michaelis M, Wass MN. Changes associated with Ebola virus adaptation to novel species. Bioinformatics 2017; 33:1911-1915. [DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btx065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian G Reddin
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Diego Cantoni
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | | | | | - Mark N Wass
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
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Lawrence P, Danet N, Reynard O, Volchkova V, Volchkov V. Human transmission of Ebola virus. Curr Opin Virol 2016; 22:51-58. [PMID: 28012412 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ever since the first recognised outbreak of Ebolavirus in 1976, retrospective epidemiological analyses and extensive studies with animal models have given us insight into the nature of the pathology and transmission mechanisms of this virus. In this review focusing on Ebolavirus, we present an outline of our current understanding of filovirus human-to-human transmission and of our knowledge concerning the molecular basis of viral transmission and potential for adaptation, with particular focus on what we have learnt from the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. We identify knowledge gaps relating to transmission and pathogenicity mechanisms, molecular adaptation and filovirus ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Lawrence
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France; Université de Lyon, UMRS 449, Laboratoire de Biologie Générale, Université Catholique de Lyon - EPHE, Lyon 69288, France
| | - Nicolas Danet
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Olivier Reynard
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Valentina Volchkova
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Viktor Volchkov
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France.
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Miller JL, Spiro SG, Dowall SD, Taylor I, Rule A, Alonzi DS, Sayce AC, Wright E, Bentley EM, Thom R, Hall G, Dwek RA, Hewson R, Zitzmann N. Minimal In Vivo Efficacy of Iminosugars in a Lethal Ebola Virus Guinea Pig Model. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167018. [PMID: 27880800 PMCID: PMC5120828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The antiviral properties of iminosugars have been reported previously in vitro and in small animal models against Ebola virus (EBOV); however, their effects have not been tested in larger animal models such as guinea pigs. We tested the iminosugars N-butyl-deoxynojirimycin (NB-DNJ) and N-(9-methoxynonyl)-1deoxynojirimycin (MON-DNJ) for safety in uninfected animals, and for antiviral efficacy in animals infected with a lethal dose of guinea pig adapted EBOV. 1850 mg/kg/day NB-DNJ and 120 mg/kg/day MON-DNJ administered intravenously, three times daily, caused no adverse effects and were well tolerated. A pilot study treating infected animals three times within an 8 hour period was promising with 1 of 4 infected NB-DNJ treated animals surviving and the remaining three showing improved clinical signs. MON-DNJ showed no protective effects when EBOV-infected guinea pigs were treated. On histopathological examination, animals treated with NB-DNJ had reduced lesion severity in liver and spleen. However, a second study, in which NB-DNJ was administered at equally-spaced 8 hour intervals, could not confirm drug-associated benefits. Neither was any antiviral effect of iminosugars detected in an EBOV glycoprotein pseudotyped virus assay. Overall, this study provides evidence that NB-DNJ and MON-DNJ do not protect guinea pigs from a lethal EBOV-infection at the dose levels and regimens tested. However, the one surviving animal and signs of improvements in three animals of the NB-DNJ treated cohort could indicate that NB-DNJ at these levels may have a marginal beneficial effect. Future work could be focused on the development of more potent iminosugars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna L. Miller
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (NZ); (JLM)
| | - Simon G. Spiro
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- The Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Irene Taylor
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Antony Rule
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic S. Alonzi
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C. Sayce
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Wright
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma M. Bentley
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Thom
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Hall
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond A. Dwek
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Hewson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Zitzmann
- Antiviral Research Unit, Oxford Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (NZ); (JLM)
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Antiviral Screening of Multiple Compounds against Ebola Virus. Viruses 2016; 8:v8110277. [PMID: 27801778 PMCID: PMC5127007 DOI: 10.3390/v8110277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In light of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus (EBOV) disease in West Africa, there have been renewed efforts to search for effective antiviral countermeasures. A range of compounds currently available with broad antimicrobial activity have been tested for activity against EBOV. Using live EBOV, eighteen candidate compounds were screened for antiviral activity in vitro. The compounds were selected on a rational basis because their mechanisms of action suggested that they had the potential to disrupt EBOV entry, replication or exit from cells or because they had displayed some antiviral activity against EBOV in previous tests. Nine compounds caused no reduction in viral replication despite cells remaining healthy, so they were excluded from further analysis (zidovudine; didanosine; stavudine; abacavir sulphate; entecavir; JB1a; Aimspro; celgosivir; and castanospermine). A second screen of the remaining compounds and the feasibility of appropriateness for in vivo testing removed six further compounds (ouabain; omeprazole; esomeprazole; Gleevec; D-LANA-14; and Tasigna). The three most promising compounds (17-DMAG; BGB324; and NCK-8) were further screened for in vivo activity in the guinea pig model of EBOV disease. Two of the compounds, BGB324 and NCK-8, showed some effect against lethal infection in vivo at the concentrations tested, which warrants further investigation. Further, these data add to the body of knowledge on the antiviral activities of multiple compounds against EBOV and indicate that the scientific community should invest more effort into the development of novel and specific antiviral compounds to treat Ebola virus disease.
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Abstract
The purpose of this review is to survey current, emerging and predicted future biotechnologies which are impacting, or are likely to impact in the future on the life sciences, with a projection for the coming 20 years. This review is intended to discuss current and future technical strategies, and to explore areas of potential growth during the foreseeable future. Information technology approaches have been employed to gather and collate data. Twelve broad categories of biotechnology have been identified which are currently impacting the life sciences and will continue to do so. In some cases, technology areas are being pushed forward by the requirement to deal with contemporary questions such as the need to address the emergence of anti-microbial resistance. In other cases, the biotechnology application is made feasible by advances in allied fields in biophysics (e.g. biosensing) and biochemistry (e.g. bio-imaging). In all cases, the biotechnologies are underpinned by the rapidly advancing fields of information systems, electronic communications and the World Wide Web together with developments in computing power and the capacity to handle extensive biological data. A rationale and narrative is given for the identification of each technology as a growth area. These technologies have been categorized by major applications, and are discussed further. This review highlights: Biotechnology has far-reaching applications which impinge on every aspect of human existence. The applications of biotechnology are currently wide ranging and will become even more diverse in the future. Access to supercomputing facilities and the ability to manipulate large, complex biological datasets, will significantly enhance knowledge and biotechnological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Diane Williamson
- a CBR Division , Defence Science & Technology Laboratory , Porton Down , Salisbury , UK
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24
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Dowall SD, Bosworth A, Watson R, Bewley K, Taylor I, Rayner E, Hunter L, Pearson G, Easterbrook L, Pitman J, Hewson R, Carroll MW. Chloroquine inhibited Ebola virus replication in vitro but failed to protect against infection and disease in the in vivo guinea pig model. J Gen Virol 2016; 96:3484-3492. [PMID: 26459826 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) is highly pathogenic, with a predisposition to cause outbreaks in human populations accompanied by significant mortality. Owing to the lack of approved therapies, screening programmes of potentially efficacious drugs have been undertaken. One of these studies has demonstrated the possible utility of chloroquine against EBOV using pseudotyped assays. In mouse models of EBOV disease there are conflicting reports of the therapeutic effects of chloroquine. There are currently no reports of its efficacy using the larger and more stringent guinea pig model of infection. In this study we have shown that replication of live EBOV is impaired by chloroquine in vitro. However, no protective effects were observed in vivo when EBOV-infected guinea pigs were treated with chloroquine. These results advocate that chloroquine should not be considered as a treatment strategy for EBOV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart D Dowall
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Andrew Bosworth
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Robert Watson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Kevin Bewley
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Irene Taylor
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Emma Rayner
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Laura Hunter
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Geoff Pearson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Linda Easterbrook
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - James Pitman
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Roger Hewson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Miles W Carroll
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG, UK
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Investigating the Influence of Ribavirin on Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus RNA Synthesis by Using a High-Resolution Transcriptome Sequencing Approach. J Virol 2016; 90:4876-4888. [PMID: 26656699 PMCID: PMC4859727 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02349-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major cause of serious respiratory tract infection. Treatment options include administration of ribavirin, a purine analog, although the mechanism of its anti-HRSV activity is unknown. We used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the genome mutation frequency and viral mRNA accumulation in HRSV-infected cells that were left untreated or treated with ribavirin. In the absence of ribavirin, HRSV-specific transcripts accounted for up to one-third of total RNA reads from the infected-cell RNA population. Ribavirin treatment resulted in a >90% reduction in abundance of viral mRNA reads, while at the same time no such reduction was detected for the abundance of cellular transcripts. The presented data reveal that ribavirin significantly increases the frequency of HRSV-specific RNA mutations, suggesting a direct influence on the fidelity of the HRSV polymerase. The presented data show that transitions and transversions occur during HRSV replication and that these changes occur in hot spots along the HRSV genome. Examination of nucleotide substitution rates in the viral genome indicated an increase in the frequency of transition but not transversion mutations in the presence of ribavirin. In addition, our data indicate that in the continuous cell types used and at the time points analyzed, the abundances of some HRSV mRNAs do not reflect the order in which the mRNAs are transcribed. IMPORTANCE Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is a major pediatric pathogen. Ribavirin can be used in children who are extremely ill to reduce the amount of virus and to lower the burden of disease. Ribavirin is used as an experimental therapy with other viruses. The mechanism of action of ribavirin against HRSV is not well understood, although it is thought to increase the mutation rate of the viral polymerase during replication. To investigate this hypothesis, we used a high-resolution approach that allowed us to determine the genetic sequence of the virus to a great depth of coverage. We found that ribavirin did not cause a detectable change in the relative amounts of viral mRNA transcripts. However, we found that ribavirin treatment did indeed cause an increase in the number of mutations, which was associated with a decrease in virus production.
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Conserved differences in protein sequence determine the human pathogenicity of Ebolaviruses. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23743. [PMID: 27009368 PMCID: PMC4806318 DOI: 10.1038/srep23743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Reston viruses are the only Ebolaviruses that are not pathogenic in humans. We analyzed 196 Ebolavirus genomes and identified specificity determining positions (SDPs) in all nine Ebolavirus proteins that distinguish Reston viruses from the four human pathogenic Ebolaviruses. A subset of these SDPs will explain the differences in human pathogenicity between Reston and the other four ebolavirus species. Structural analysis was performed to identify those SDPs that are likely to have a functional effect. This analysis revealed novel functional insights in particular for Ebolavirus proteins VP40 and VP24. The VP40 SDP P85T interferes with VP40 function by altering octamer formation. The VP40 SDP Q245P affects the structure and hydrophobic core of the protein and consequently protein function. Three VP24 SDPs (T131S, M136L, Q139R) are likely to impair VP24 binding to human karyopherin alpha5 (KPNA5) and therefore inhibition of interferon signaling. Since VP24 is critical for Ebolavirus adaptation to novel hosts, and only a few SDPs distinguish Reston virus VP24 from VP24 of other Ebolaviruses, human pathogenic Reston viruses may emerge. This is of concern since Reston viruses circulate in domestic pigs and can infect humans, possibly via airborne transmission.
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27
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Determination and Therapeutic Exploitation of Ebola Virus Spontaneous Mutation Frequency. J Virol 2015; 90:2345-55. [PMID: 26676781 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02701-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Ebola virus (EBOV) is an RNA virus that can cause hemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates, and there are no approved vaccines or therapies. Typically, RNA viruses have high spontaneous mutation rates, which permit rapid adaptation to selection pressures and have other important biological consequences. However, it is unknown if filoviruses exhibit high mutation frequencies. Ultradeep sequencing and a recombinant EBOV that carries the gene encoding green fluorescent protein were used to determine the spontaneous mutation frequency of EBOV. The effects of the guanosine analogue ribavirin during EBOV infections were also assessed. Ultradeep sequencing revealed that the mutation frequency for EBOV was high and similar to those of other RNA viruses. Interestingly, significant genetic diversity was not observed in viable viruses, implying that changes were not well tolerated. We hypothesized that this could be exploited therapeutically. In vitro, the presence of ribavirin increased the error rate, and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 27 μM. In a mouse model of ribavirin therapy given pre-EBOV exposure, ribavirin treatment corresponded with a significant delay in time to death and up to 75% survival. In mouse and monkey models of therapy given post-EBOV exposure, ribavirin treatment also delayed the time to death and increased survival. These results demonstrate that EBOV has a spontaneous mutation frequency similar to those of other RNA viruses. These data also suggest a potential for therapeutic use of ribavirin for human EBOV infections. IMPORTANCE Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a severe hemorrhagic disease with high case fatality rates; there are no approved vaccines or therapies. We determined the spontaneous mutation frequency of EBOV, which is relevant to understanding the potential for the virus to adapt. The frequency was similar to those of other RNA viruses. Significant genetic diversity was not observed in viable viruses, implying that changes were not well tolerated. We hypothesized that this could be exploited therapeutically. Ribavirin is a viral mutagen approved for treatment of several virus infections; it is also cheap and readily available. In cell culture, we showed that ribavirin was effective at reducing production of infectious EBOV. In mouse and monkey models of therapy given post-EBOV exposure, ribavirin treatment delayed the time to death and increased survival. These data provide a better understanding of EBOV spontaneous mutation and suggest that ribavirin may have great value in the context of human disease.
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28
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Gale P, Simons RRL, Horigan V, Snary EL, Fooks AR, Drew TW. The challenge of using experimental infectivity data in risk assessment for Ebola virus: why ecology may be important. J Appl Microbiol 2015; 120:17-28. [PMID: 26480954 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of published data shows that experimental passaging of Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) in guinea pigs changes the risk of infection per plaque-forming unit (PFU), increasing infectivity to some species while decreasing infectivity to others. Thus, a PFU of monkey-adapted EBOV is 10(7) -fold more lethal to mice than a PFU adapted to guinea pigs. The first conclusion is that the infectivity of EBOV to humans may depend on the identity of the donor species itself and, on the basis of limited epidemiological data, the question is raised as to whether bat-adapted EBOV is less infectious to humans than nonhuman primate (NHP)-adapted EBOV. Wildlife species such as bats, duikers and NHPs are naturally infected by EBOV through different species giving rise to EBOV with different wildlife species-passage histories (heritages). Based on the ecology of these wildlife species, three broad 'types' of EBOV-infected bushmeat are postulated reflecting differences in the number of passages within a given species, and hence the degree of adaptation of the EBOV present. The second conclusion is that the prior species-transmission chain may affect the infectivity to humans per PFU for EBOV from individuals of the same species. This is supported by the finding that the related Marburg marburgvirus requires ten passages in mice to fully adapt. It is even possible that the evolutionary trajectory of EBOV could vary in individuals of the same species giving rise to variants which are more or less virulent to humans and that the probability of a given trajectory is related to the heritage. Overall the ecology of the donor species (e.g. dog or bushmeat species) at the level of the individual animal itself may determine the risk of infection per PFU to humans reflecting the heritage of the virus and may contribute to the sporadic nature of EBOV outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gale
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK
| | - R R L Simons
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK
| | - V Horigan
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK
| | - E L Snary
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK
| | - A R Fooks
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK.,Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - T W Drew
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge, UK
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29
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Carroll MW, Matthews DA, Hiscox JA, Elmore MJ, Pollakis G, Rambaut A, Hewson R, García-Dorival I, Bore JA, Koundouno R, Abdellati S, Afrough B, Aiyepada J, Akhilomen P, Asogun D, Atkinson B, Badusche M, Bah A, Bate S, Baumann J, Becker D, Becker-Ziaja B, Bocquin A, Borremans B, Bosworth A, Boettcher JP, Cannas A, Carletti F, Castilletti C, Clark S, Colavita F, Diederich S, Donatus A, Duraffour S, Ehichioya D, Ellerbrok H, Fernandez-Garcia MD, Fizet A, Fleischmann E, Gryseels S, Hermelink A, Hinzmann J, Hopf-Guevara U, Ighodalo Y, Jameson L, Kelterbaum A, Kis Z, Kloth S, Kohl C, Korva M, Kraus A, Kuisma E, Kurth A, Liedigk B, Logue CH, Lüdtke A, Maes P, McCowen J, Mély S, Mertens M, Meschi S, Meyer B, Michel J, Molkenthin P, Muñoz-Fontela C, Muth D, Newman ENC, Ngabo D, Oestereich L, Okosun J, Olokor T, Omiunu R, Omomoh E, Pallasch E, Pályi B, Portmann J, Pottage T, Pratt C, Priesnitz S, Quartu S, Rappe J, Repits J, Richter M, Rudolf M, Sachse A, Schmidt KM, Schudt G, Strecker T, Thom R, Thomas S, Tobin E, Tolley H, Trautner J, Vermoesen T, Vitoriano I, Wagner M, Wolff S, Yue C, Capobianchi MR, Kretschmer B, Hall Y, Kenny JG, Rickett NY, Dudas G, Coltart CEM, Kerber R, Steer D, Wright C, Senyah F, Keita S, Drury P, Diallo B, de Clerck H, Van Herp M, Sprecher A, Traore A, Diakite M, Konde MK, Koivogui L, Magassouba N, Avšič-Županc T, Nitsche A, Strasser M, Ippolito G, Becker S, Stoecker K, Gabriel M, Raoul H, Di Caro A, Wölfel R, Formenty P, Günther S. Temporal and spatial analysis of the 2014-2015 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. Nature 2015; 524:97-101. [PMID: 26083749 PMCID: PMC10601607 DOI: 10.1038/nature14594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
West Africa is currently witnessing the most extensive Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak so far recorded. Until now, there have been 27,013 reported cases and 11,134 deaths. The origin of the virus is thought to have been a zoonotic transmission from a bat to a two-year-old boy in December 2013 (ref. 2). From this index case the virus was spread by human-to-human contact throughout Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. However, the origin of the particular virus in each country and time of transmission is not known and currently relies on epidemiological analysis, which may be unreliable owing to the difficulties of obtaining patient information. Here we trace the genetic evolution of EBOV in the current outbreak that has resulted in multiple lineages. Deep sequencing of 179 patient samples processed by the European Mobile Laboratory, the first diagnostics unit to be deployed to the epicentre of the outbreak in Guinea, reveals an epidemiological and evolutionary history of the epidemic from March 2014 to January 2015. Analysis of EBOV genome evolution has also benefited from a similar sequencing effort of patient samples from Sierra Leone. Our results confirm that the EBOV from Guinea moved into Sierra Leone, most likely in April or early May. The viruses of the Guinea/Sierra Leone lineage mixed around June/July 2014. Viral sequences covering August, September and October 2014 indicate that this lineage evolved independently within Guinea. These data can be used in conjunction with epidemiological information to test retrospectively the effectiveness of control measures, and provides an unprecedented window into the evolution of an ongoing viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles W. Carroll
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- University of Southampton, South General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD UK
| | - David A. Matthews
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD UK
| | - Julian A. Hiscox
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE UK
| | | | - Georgios Pollakis
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE UK
| | - Andrew Rambaut
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 2FL UK
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 Maryland USA
- Centre for Immunology, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 2FL UK
| | - Roger Hewson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Isabel García-Dorival
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE UK
| | - Joseph Akoi Bore
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Raymond Koundouno
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Saïd Abdellati
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, B-2000 Belgium
| | - Babak Afrough
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - John Aiyepada
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Patience Akhilomen
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Danny Asogun
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Barry Atkinson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Marlis Badusche
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Amadou Bah
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4002 Switzerland
| | - Simon Bate
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Jan Baumann
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Dirk Becker
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Beate Becker-Ziaja
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Anne Bocquin
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Reference Center for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Lyon, 69365 France
- Laboratoire P4 Inserm-Jean Mérieux, US003 Inserm, Lyon, 69365 France
| | - Benny Borremans
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2020 Belgium
| | - Andrew Bosworth
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE UK
| | - Jan Peter Boettcher
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Angela Cannas
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Fabrizio Carletti
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Concetta Castilletti
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Simon Clark
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Francesca Colavita
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Sandra Diederich
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, 17493 Insel Riems Germany
| | - Adomeh Donatus
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Sophie Duraffour
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- KU Leuven Rega institute, Leuven, B-3000 Belgium
| | - Deborah Ehichioya
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Redeemer’s University, Osun State Nigeria
| | - Heinz Ellerbrok
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Maria Dolores Fernandez-Garcia
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28029 Spain
| | - Alexandra Fizet
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Reference Center for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Lyon, 69365 France
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Lyon, 69365 France
| | - Erna Fleischmann
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, 80937 Germany
| | - Sophie Gryseels
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2020 Belgium
| | - Antje Hermelink
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Julia Hinzmann
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Ute Hopf-Guevara
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Yemisi Ighodalo
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Lisa Jameson
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Anne Kelterbaum
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Zoltan Kis
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Center for Epidemiology, National Biosafety Laboratory, Budapest, H-1097 Hungary
| | - Stefan Kloth
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Claudia Kohl
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Miša Korva
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SI-1000 Slovenia
| | - Annette Kraus
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, 171 82 Sweden
| | - Eeva Kuisma
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Andreas Kurth
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Britta Liedigk
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Christopher H. Logue
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Anja Lüdtke
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Heinrich Pette Institute – Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, 20251 Germany
| | - Piet Maes
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- KU Leuven Rega institute, Leuven, B-3000 Belgium
| | - James McCowen
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Stéphane Mély
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Reference Center for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Lyon, 69365 France
- Laboratoire P4 Inserm-Jean Mérieux, US003 Inserm, Lyon, 69365 France
| | - Marc Mertens
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, 17493 Insel Riems Germany
| | - Silvia Meschi
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Benjamin Meyer
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn, Bonn, 53127 Germany
| | - Janine Michel
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Peter Molkenthin
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, 80937 Germany
| | - César Muñoz-Fontela
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Heinrich Pette Institute – Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, 20251 Germany
| | - Doreen Muth
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn, Bonn, 53127 Germany
| | - Edmund N. C. Newman
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Didier Ngabo
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Lisa Oestereich
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Jennifer Okosun
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Thomas Olokor
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Racheal Omiunu
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Omomoh
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Elisa Pallasch
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Bernadett Pályi
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Center for Epidemiology, National Biosafety Laboratory, Budapest, H-1097 Hungary
| | - Jasmine Portmann
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spiez Laboratory, Spiez, CH-3700 Switzerland
| | - Thomas Pottage
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Catherine Pratt
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Simone Priesnitz
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bundeswehr Hospital, Hamburg, 22049 Germany
| | - Serena Quartu
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Julie Rappe
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Virology and Immunology, Mittelhäusern, CH-3147 Switzerland
| | - Johanna Repits
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Janssen-Cilag, Sollentuna, SE-192 07 Sweden
| | - Martin Richter
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Martin Rudolf
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Andreas Sachse
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Kristina Maria Schmidt
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Gordian Schudt
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Thomas Strecker
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Ruth Thom
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Stephen Thomas
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Ekaete Tobin
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State Nigeria
| | - Howard Tolley
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Jochen Trautner
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Thünen Institute, Hamburg, D-22767 Germany
| | - Tine Vermoesen
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, B-2000 Belgium
| | - Inês Vitoriano
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
| | - Matthias Wagner
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, 80937 Germany
| | - Svenja Wolff
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Constanze Yue
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Maria Rosaria Capobianchi
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Birte Kretschmer
- Eurice - European Research and Project Office GmbH, Berlin, 10115 Germany
| | - Yper Hall
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
| | - John G. Kenny
- Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Natasha Y. Rickett
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 2BE UK
| | - Gytis Dudas
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 2FL UK
| | - Cordelia E. M. Coltart
- Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6JB UK
| | - Romy Kerber
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Damien Steer
- Research IT, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1HH UK
| | - Callum Wright
- Advanced Computing Research Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1HH UK
| | - Francis Senyah
- Public Health England, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Wiltshire UK
| | | | - Patrick Drury
- World Health Organization, Geneva 27, 1211 Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexis Traore
- Section Prévention et Lutte contre la Maladie à la Direction Préfectorale de la Santé de Guéckédou, Guéckédou, Guinea
| | - Mandiou Diakite
- Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, CHU Donka, Conakry, Guinea
| | | | | | - N’Faly Magassouba
- Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Tatjana Avšič-Županc
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SI-1000 Slovenia
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, 13353 Germany
| | - Marc Strasser
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spiez Laboratory, Spiez, CH-3700 Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Ippolito
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Stephan Becker
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, 35043 Germany
| | - Kilian Stoecker
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, 80937 Germany
| | - Martin Gabriel
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
| | - Hervé Raoul
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Laboratoire P4 Inserm-Jean Mérieux, US003 Inserm, Lyon, 69365 France
| | - Antonino Di Caro
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, 00149 Italy
| | - Roman Wölfel
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, 80937 Germany
| | | | - Stephan Günther
- The European Mobile Laboratory Consortium, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, D-20359 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, 38124 Germany
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30
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Development of a reverse genetics system to generate a recombinant Ebola virus Makona expressing a green fluorescent protein. Virology 2015; 484:259-264. [PMID: 26122472 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated the potential application of reverse genetics technology in studying a broad range of aspects of viral biology, including gene regulation, protein function, cell entry, and pathogenesis. Here, we describe a highly efficient reverse genetics system used to generate recombinant Ebola virus (EBOV) based on a recent isolate from a human patient infected during the 2014-2015 outbreak in Western Africa. We also rescued a recombinant EBOV expressing a fluorescent reporter protein from a cleaved VP40 protein fusion. Using this virus and an inexpensive method to quantitate the expression of the foreign gene, we demonstrate its potential usefulness as a tool for screening antiviral compounds and measuring neutralizing antibodies.
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31
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Weyer J, Grobbelaar A, Blumberg L. Ebola virus disease: history, epidemiology and outbreaks. Curr Infect Dis Rep 2015; 17:480. [PMID: 25896751 DOI: 10.1007/s11908-015-0480-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, sporadic Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks have occurred mostly in the central African region. In March 2014, an outbreak of EVD was recognized in Guinea which would become the most significant outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in Africa to date. The outbreak started in Guinea and rapidly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone, claiming thousands of lives. Many questions still remain regarding the ecology of Ebola viruses, but it is believed that contact with infected bushmeat is an important risk factor for initial spill over of the virus into the human population. At present, there is still no registered prophylaxis or curative biologicals against EVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Weyer
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, 1 Modderfontein Road, Sandringham, Gauteng, 2192, South Africa,
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32
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Hoenen T, Safronetz D, Groseth A, Wollenberg KR, Koita OA, Diarra B, Fall IS, Haidara FC, Diallo F, Sanogo M, Sarro YS, Kone A, Togo ACG, Traore A, Kodio M, Dosseh A, Rosenke K, de Wit E, Feldmann F, Ebihara H, Munster VJ, Zoon KC, Feldmann H, Sow S. Virology. Mutation rate and genotype variation of Ebola virus from Mali case sequences. Science 2015; 348:117-9. [PMID: 25814067 PMCID: PMC11045032 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa5646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of Ebola virus (EBOV) in West Africa during 2013-2015 is unprecedented. Early reports suggested that in this outbreak EBOV is mutating twice as fast as previously observed, which indicates the potential for changes in transmissibility and virulence and could render current molecular diagnostics and countermeasures ineffective. We have determined additional full-length sequences from two clusters of imported EBOV infections into Mali, and we show that the nucleotide substitution rate (9.6 × 10(-4) substitutions per site per year) is consistent with rates observed in Central African outbreaks. In addition, overall variation among all genotypes observed remains low. Thus, our data indicate that EBOV is not undergoing rapid evolution in humans during the current outbreak. This finding has important implications for outbreak response and public health decisions and should alleviate several previously raised concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Hoenen
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - D Safronetz
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - A Groseth
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - K R Wollenberg
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - O A Koita
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - B Diarra
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - I S Fall
- World Health Organization Office, Bamako, Mali
| | - F C Haidara
- Centre des Operations d'Urgence, Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins (CVD-Mali), Centre National d'Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Sante et de l'Hygiène Publique, Bamako, Mali
| | - F Diallo
- Centre des Operations d'Urgence, Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins (CVD-Mali), Centre National d'Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Sante et de l'Hygiène Publique, Bamako, Mali
| | - M Sanogo
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - Y S Sarro
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - A Kone
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - A C G Togo
- Center of Research and Training for HIV and Tuberculosis, University of Science, Technique and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
| | - A Traore
- Centre des Operations d'Urgence, Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins (CVD-Mali), Centre National d'Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Sante et de l'Hygiène Publique, Bamako, Mali
| | - M Kodio
- Centre des Operations d'Urgence, Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins (CVD-Mali), Centre National d'Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Sante et de l'Hygiène Publique, Bamako, Mali
| | - A Dosseh
- World Health Organization Inter-Country Support Team, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - K Rosenke
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - E de Wit
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - F Feldmann
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - H Ebihara
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - V J Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - K C Zoon
- Office of the Scientific Director, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20895, USA
| | - H Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
| | - S Sow
- Centre des Operations d'Urgence, Centre pour le Développement des Vaccins (CVD-Mali), Centre National d'Appui à la lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Sante et de l'Hygiène Publique, Bamako, Mali.
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