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Dedavid E Silva LA, Parizi LF, Molossi FA, Driemeier D, da Silva Vaz Junior I. Rhipicephalus microplus thyropin-like protein: Structural and immunologic analyzes. Vet Parasitol 2024; 327:110136. [PMID: 38290194 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Tick saliva has a pivotal function in parasitism. It has pharmacological and immunomodulatory properties, with several proteins reported in its composition. Thyroglobulin type-1 domain protease inhibitor (thyropin)-like proteins are found in tick saliva, but their function, properties and structures are poorly characterized. It has been reported that thyropins are capable of inhibiting cysteine peptidases present in antigen-presenting cells. To elucidate the role of thyropin-like proteins in ticks, we conducted in silico analysis and cloned an open reading frame from a thyropin-like protein found in Rhipicephalus microplus. The recombinant protein was successfully expressed, followed by immunological characterization and a vaccine trial against Rhipicephalus sanguineus in rabbits. Several differences are observed between thyropin-like proteins from hard and soft ticks, especially the number of thyroglobulin domains and predicted glycosylation pattern. Thyropin-like proteins also differ between postriata and metastriata ticks, the latter having a coil-domain at the C-terminal region and high number of predicted glycosylation sites. Overall, the data suggested divergence in thyropin-like proteins functions among ticks. The recombinant thyropin-like protein is immunogenic and the antibodies against it are able to recognize the native protein in tick saliva and tissues. While the recombinant protein does not elicit a protective response against R. sanguineus infestation, its characterization paves the way for further investigations aimed at determining the precise function of this protein in tick physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Andre Dedavid E Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Franciéli Adriane Molossi
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - David Driemeier
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil.
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Parizi LF, Githaka NW, Logullo C, Zhou J, Onuma M, Termignoni C, da Silva Vaz I. Universal Tick Vaccines: Candidates and Remaining Challenges. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2031. [PMID: 37370541 DOI: 10.3390/ani13122031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in molecular biology, particularly regarding massively parallel sequencing technologies, have enabled scientists to gain more insight into the physiology of ticks. While there has been progress in identifying tick proteins and the pathways they are involved in, the specificities of tick-host interaction at the molecular level are not yet fully understood. Indeed, the development of effective commercial tick vaccines has been slower than expected. While omics studies have pointed to some potential vaccine immunogens, selecting suitable antigens for a multi-antigenic vaccine is very complex due to the participation of redundant molecules in biological pathways. The expansion of ticks and their pathogens into new territories and exposure to new hosts makes it necessary to evaluate vaccine efficacy in unusual and non-domestic host species. This situation makes ticks and tick-borne diseases an increasing threat to animal and human health globally, demanding an urgent availability of vaccines against multiple tick species and their pathogens. This review discusses the challenges and advancements in the search for universal tick vaccines, including promising new antigen candidates, and indicates future directions in this crucial research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Logullo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Misao Onuma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90040-060, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-853, Brazil
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91540-000, Brazil
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Scoles GA, Hussein HE, Olds CL, Mason KL, Davis SK. Vaccination of cattle with synthetic peptides corresponding to predicted extracellular domains of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus aquaporin 2 reduced the number of ticks feeding to repletion. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:49. [PMID: 35135602 PMCID: PMC8822678 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There have been ongoing efforts to identify anti-tick vaccine targets to protect cattle from infestation with cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Two commercial vaccines based on the tick gut protein Bm86 have had variable effectiveness, which has led to poor acceptance, and numerous studies have attempted to identify vaccine antigens that will provide more consistently effective protection. Transcriptomic analysis of R. microplus led to identification of three aquaporin genes annotated to code for transmembrane proteins involved in the transport of water across cell membranes. Previous work showed that vaccination with full-length recombinant aquaporin 1 (RmAQP1) reduced tick burdens on cattle. Targeted silencing of aquaporin 2 (RmAQP2) expression suggested it might also be a good anti-tick vaccination target. Methods Three synthetic peptides from the predicted extracellular domains of RmAQP2 were used to vaccinate cattle. Peptides were conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as an antigenic carrier molecule. We monitored the antibody response with ELISA and challenged vaccinated cattle with R. microplus larvae. Results There was a 25% reduction overall in the numbers of ticks feeding to repletion on the vaccinated cattle. Immune sera from vaccinated cattle recognized native tick proteins on a western blot and reacted to the three individual synthetic peptides in an ELISA. The vaccinated calf with the highest total IgG titer was not the most effective at controlling ticks; ratios of IgG isotypes 1 and 2 differed greatly among the three vaccinated cattle; the calf with the highest IgG1/IgG2 ratio had the fewest ticks. Ticks on vaccinated cattle had significantly greater replete weights compared to ticks on controls, mirroring results seen with RNA silencing of RmAQP2. However, protein data could not confirm that vaccination had any impact on the ability of the tick to concentrate its blood meal by removing water. Conclusions A reduced number of ticks feed successfully on cattle vaccinated to produce antibodies against the extracellular domains of RmAQP2. However, our predicted mechanism, that antibody binding blocks the ability of RmAQP2 to move water out of the blood meal, could not be confirmed. Further study will be required to define the mechanism of action and to determine whether these vaccine targets will be useful components of an anti-tick vaccine cocktail. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05166-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen A Scoles
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,USDA-ARS, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Lab, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA.
| | - Hala E Hussein
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Cassandra L Olds
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.,Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kathleen L Mason
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Sara K Davis
- USDA-ARS, Animal Disease Research Unit, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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van Oosterwijk JG, Wikel SK. Resistance to Ticks and the Path to Anti-Tick and Transmission Blocking Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:725. [PMID: 34358142 PMCID: PMC8310300 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The medical and veterinary public health importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens is increasing due to the expansion of the geographic ranges of both ticks and pathogens, increasing tick populations, growing incidence of tick-borne diseases, emerging tick transmitted pathogens, and continued challenges of achieving effective and sustained tick control. The past decades show an increasing interest in the immune-mediated control of tick infestations and pathogen transmission through the use of vaccines. Bovine tick resistance induced by repeated infestations was reported over a century ago. This review addresses the phenomena and immunological underpinning of resistance to tick infestation by livestock and laboratory animals; the scope of tick countermeasures to host immune defenses; and the impact of genomics, functional genomics, and proteomics on dissecting complex tick-host-pathogen interactions. From early studies utilizing tick tissue extracts to salivary gland derived molecules and components of physiologically important pathways in tick gut and other tissues, an increased understanding of these relationships, over time, impacted the evolution of anti-tick vaccine antigen selection. Novel antigens continue to emerge, including increased interest in the tick microbiome. Anti-tick and transmission blocking vaccines targeting pathogen reservoirs have the potential to disrupt enzootic cycles and reduce human, companion, domestic animal, and wildlife exposure to infected ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen K. Wikel
- US Biologic Inc., 20 Dudley Street, Memphis, TN 38103, USA;
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, USA
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van Oosterwijk JG. Anti-tick and pathogen transmission blocking vaccines. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12831. [PMID: 33704804 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a challenge for medical and veterinary public health and often controlled through the use of repellents and acaricides. Research on vaccination strategies to protect humans, companion animals, and livestock from ticks and tick-transmitted pathogens has accelerated through the use of proteomic and transcriptomic analyses. Comparative analyses of unfed versus engorged and uninfected versus infected ticks have provided valuable insights into candidates for anti-tick and pathogen transmission blocking vaccines. An intricate interplay between tick saliva and the host's immune system has revealed potential antigens to be used in vaccination strategies. Immunization of hosts with targeted anti-tick vaccines would ideally lead to a reduction in tick numbers and prevent transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Comprehensive control of tick-borne diseases would come from successful anti-tick vaccination, vaccination preventing transmission of tick-borne diseases or a combination. Due to the close interaction with wildlife and ticks, with wildlife reservoirs enabling propagation of pathogens between ticks, the vaccination of these reservoirs is an attractive target to reduce human contact with ticks and tick-borne diseases through a one-health approach. Wildlife vaccination presents formulation and regulatory challenges which should be considered early in the development of reservoir-targeted vaccines.
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Contreras M, Karlsen M, Villar M, Olsen RH, Leknes LM, Furevik A, Yttredal KL, Tartor H, Grove S, Alberdi P, Brudeseth B, de la Fuente J. Vaccination with Ectoparasite Proteins Involved in Midgut Function and Blood Digestion Reduces Salmon Louse Infestations. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8010032. [PMID: 31963779 PMCID: PMC7157638 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Infestation with the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Copepoda, Caligidae) affects Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) production in European aquaculture. Furthermore, high levels of salmon lice in farms significantly increase challenge pressure against wild salmon populations. Currently, available control methods for salmon louse have limitations, and vaccination appears as an attractive, environmentally sound strategy. In this study, we addressed one of the main limitations for vaccine development, the identification of candidate protective antigens. Based on recent advances in tick vaccine research, herein, we targeted the salmon louse midgut function and blood digestion for the identification of candidate target proteins for the control of ectoparasite infestations. The results of this translational approach resulted in the identification and subsequent evaluation of the new candidate protective antigens, putative Toll-like receptor 6 (P30), and potassium chloride, and amino acid transporter (P33). Vaccination with these antigens provided protection in Atlantic salmon by reducing adult female (P33) or chalimus II (P30) sea lice infestations. These results support the development of vaccines for the control of sea lice infestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinela Contreras
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.C.); (M.V.); (P.A.)
| | - Marius Karlsen
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.C.); (M.V.); (P.A.)
- Biochemistry Section, Faculty of Science and Chemical Technologies, and Regional Centre for Biomedical Research (CRIB), University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rolf Hetlelid Olsen
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Lisa Marie Leknes
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Anette Furevik
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Karine Lindmo Yttredal
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
| | - Haitham Tartor
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 0106 Oslo, Norway; (H.T.); (S.G.)
| | - Soren Grove
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, 0106 Oslo, Norway; (H.T.); (S.G.)
- Institute of Marine Research, 5005 Bergen, Norway
| | - Pilar Alberdi
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.C.); (M.V.); (P.A.)
| | - Bjorn Brudeseth
- Pharmaq AS, P.O. Box 267, Skoyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway; (M.K.); (R.H.O.); (L.M.L.); (A.F.); (K.L.Y.)
- Correspondence: (B.B.); (J.d.l.F.)
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.C.); (M.V.); (P.A.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Correspondence: (B.B.); (J.d.l.F.)
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Ndekezi C, Nkamwesiga J, Ochwo S, Kimuda MP, Mwiine FN, Tweyongyere R, Amanyire W, Muhanguzi D. Identification of Ixodid Tick-Specific Aquaporin-1 Potential Anti-tick Vaccine Epitopes: An in-silico Analysis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:236. [PMID: 31612130 PMCID: PMC6775757 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are arthropod vectors of pathogens of both Veterinary and Public health importance. Acaricide application, which is currently the mainstay of tick control, is hampered by high cost, the need for regular application and a selection of multi-acaricide resistant tick populations. In light of this, future tick control approaches are poised to rely on the integration of rational acaricide application and other methods, such as vaccination. To contribute to systematic research-guided efforts to produce anti-tick vaccines, we carried out an in-silico analysis of tick aquaporin-1 (AQP1) protein in order to identify tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs that can be used in future peptide anti-tick vaccine development. We carried out multiple sequence alignment (MSA), motif analysis, homology modeling, and structural analysis to identify tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs. BepiPred, Chou and Fasman-Turn, Karplus and Schulz Flexibility, and Parker-Hydrophilicity prediction models were used to predict these motifs' potential to induce B cell mediated immune responses. The tick AQP1 (GenBankID: QDO67142.1) protein was largely similar to the bovine AQP1 (PDB:1J4N) (23 % sequence similarity; Structural superimposition of the homology model and 14JN homotetramers gave an RMSD = 3.269 while superimposition of a single chain gave an RMSD = 1.475). Tick and bovine AQP1 transmembrane domains were largely similar while their extracellular and cytoplasmic domain loops showed variation. Two tick-specific AQP1 peptide motifs; M7 (residues 106-125, p = 5.4e-25), and M8 (residues 85-104, p = 3.3e-24) were identified. These two motifs are located on the extra-cellular AQP1 domain. Motifs; M7 and M8 showed the highest Parker-Hydrophilicity prediction immunogenicity scores of 1.784 and 1.536, respectively. These two motifs can be a good starting point for the development of potential tick AQP1 peptide-based anti-tick vaccines. Further analyses such as molecular dynamics, in vitro assays, and in vivo immunization assays are required to validate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ndekezi
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joseph Nkamwesiga
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sylvester Ochwo
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Magambo Phillip Kimuda
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Frank Norbert Mwiine
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Robert Tweyongyere
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Wilson Amanyire
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Dennis Muhanguzi
- School of Biosecurity, Biotechnical and Laboratory Science, College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Makerere University/Uganda Virus Research Institute Centre of Excellence in Infection and Immunity Research and Training, Entebbe, Uganda
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