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Underwood EC, Vera IM, Allen D, Alvior J, O’Driscoll M, Silbert S, Kim K, Barr KL. Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus in Tampa Bay Florida Patients Admitted to Hospital during 2020-2021 for Respiratory Symptoms. Viruses 2024; 16:719. [PMID: 38793601 PMCID: PMC11125834 DOI: 10.3390/v16050719] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an arbovirus spread primarily by Culex mosquitoes, with humans being a dead-end host. WNV was introduced to Florida in 2001, with 467 confirmed cases since. It is estimated that 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic, with mild cases presenting as a non-specific flu-like illness. Currently, detection of WNV in humans occurs primarily in healthcare settings via RT-PCR or CSF IgM when patients present with severe manifestations of disease including fever, meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis. Given the short window of detectable viremia and requirement for CSF sampling, most WNV infections never receive an official diagnosis. This study utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect WNV IgG antibodies in 250 patient serum and plasma samples collected at Tampa General Hospital during 2020 and 2021. Plaque reduction neutralization tests were used to confirm ELISA results. Out of the 250 patients included in this study, 18.8% of them were IgG positive, consistent with previous WNV exposure. There was no relationship between WNV exposure and age or sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Underwood
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (E.C.U.)
| | - Iset M. Vera
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Dylan Allen
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Joshua Alvior
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | | | | | - Kami Kim
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (E.C.U.)
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Kelli L. Barr
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (E.C.U.)
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Kim D, DeBriere TJ, Eastmond BH, Alomar AA, Yaren O, McCarter J, Bradley KM, Benner SA, Alto BW, Burkett-Cadena ND. Rapid detection of West Nile and Dengue viruses from mosquito saliva by loop-mediated isothermal amplification and displaced probes. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298805. [PMID: 38394282 PMCID: PMC10889885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses are major causes of human and animal disease, especially in endemic low- and middle-income countries. Mosquito-borne pathogen surveillance is essential for risk assessment and vector control responses. Sentinel chicken serosurveillance (antibody testing) and mosquito pool screening (by RT-qPCR or virus isolation) are currently used to monitor arbovirus transmission, however substantial time lags of seroconversion and/or laborious mosquito identification and RNA extraction steps sacrifice their early warning value. As a consequence, timely vector control responses are compromised. Here, we report on development of a rapid arbovirus detection system whereby adding sucrose to reagents of loop-mediated isothermal amplification with displaced probes (DP-LAMP) elicits infectious mosquitoes to feed directly upon the reagent mix and expectorate viruses into the reagents during feeding. We demonstrate that RNA from pathogenic arboviruses (West Nile and Dengue viruses) transmitted in the infectious mosquito saliva was detectable rapidly (within 45 minutes) without RNA extraction. Sucrose stabilized viral RNA at field temperatures for at least 48 hours, important for transition of this system to practical use. After thermal treatment, the DP-LAMP could be reliably visualized by a simple optical image sensor to distinguish between positive and negative samples based on fluorescence intensity. Field application of this technology could fundamentally change conventional arbovirus surveillance methods by eliminating laborious RNA extraction steps, permitting arbovirus monitoring from additional sites, and substantially reducing time needed to detect circulating pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmin Kim
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | | | - Bradley H. Eastmond
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | - Abdullah A. Alomar
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ozlem Yaren
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jacquelyn McCarter
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kevin M. Bradley
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
| | - Steven A. Benner
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Alachua, Florida, United States of America
| | - Barry W. Alto
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | - Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
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Mueller A, Thomas A, Brown J, Young A, Smith K, Connelly R, Richards SL. Geographic information system protocol for mapping areas targeted for mosquito control in North Carolina. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278253. [PMID: 36961789 PMCID: PMC10038244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278253] [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: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to map mosquito larval and adult habitats and human populations at risk for mosquito exposure and possible arbovirus transmission. Along with traditional methods of surveillance-based targeted mosquito control, GIS can help simplify and target efforts during routine surveillance and post-disaster (e.g., hurricane-related flooding) to protect emergency workers and public health. A practical method for prioritizing areas for emergency mosquito control has been developed and is described here. North Carolina (NC) One Map was used to identify state-level data layers of interest based on human population distribution and mosquito habitat in Brunswick, Columbus, Onslow, and Robeson Counties in eastern NC. Relevant data layers were included to create mosquito control treatment areas for targeted control and an 18-step protocol for map development is discussed. This protocol is expected to help state, territorial, tribal, and/or local public health officials and associated mosquito control programs efficiently create treatment area maps to improve strategic planning in advance of a disaster. This protocol may be applied to any NC county and beyond, thereby increasing local disaster preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Mueller
- Brunswick County Geographic Information Systems, Bolivia, NC, United States of America
| | - Anthony Thomas
- Brunswick County Geographic Information Systems, Bolivia, NC, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Brown
- Brunswick County Mosquito Control, Bolivia, NC, United States of America
| | - Abram Young
- Brunswick County Mosquito Control, Bolivia, NC, United States of America
| | - Kim Smith
- Columbus County Health Department, Whiteville, NC, United States of America
| | - Roxanne Connelly
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Stephanie L. Richards
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
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Spatiotemporal Modeling of Zoonotic Arbovirus Transmission in Northeastern Florida Using Sentinel Chicken Surveillance and Earth Observation Data. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14143388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The irregular timing and spatial variation in the zoonotic arbovirus spillover from vertebrate hosts to humans and livestock present challenges to predicting spillover occurrence over time and across broader geographic areas, compromising effective prevention and control strategies. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of the landscape composition and configuration and dynamic weather events on the 2018 spatiotemporal distribution of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) (Togaviridae, Alphavirus) and West Nile virus (WNV) (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) sentinel chicken seroconversion in northeastern Florida. We used a modeling framework that explicitly accounts for joint spatial and temporal effects and incorporates key EO (Earth Observation) information on the climate and landscape in order to more accurately quantify the environmental effects on the transmission to sentinel chickens. We investigated the environmental effects using Bernoulli generalized linear mixed effects models (GLMMs), including a site-level random effect, and then added spatial random effects and spatiotemporal random effects in subsequent runs. The models were executed using an integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) and a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach in R-INLA. The GLMMs that included a spatiotemporal random effect performed better relative to models that included only spatial random effects and also performed better than non-spatial models. The results indicated a strong spatiotemporal structure in the seroconversion for both viruses, but EEEV exhibited a more punctuated and compact structure at the beginning of the sampling season, while WNV exhibited a more gradual and diffuse structure across the study area toward the end of the sampling season. The percentage of cypress–tupelo wetland land cover within 3500 m of coop sites and the edge density of the forest land cover within 500 m had a strong positive effect on the EEEV seroconversion, while the best fitting model for WNV was the intercept-only model with spatiotemporal random effects. The lagged climatic variables included in our study did not have a strong effect on the seroconversion for either virus when accounting for temporal autocorrelation, demonstrating the utility of capturing this structure to avoid type I errors. The predictive accuracy for out-of-sample data for the EEEV seroconversion demonstrates the potential to develop a framework that incorporates temporal dynamics in order to better predict arbovirus transmission.
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Reemtsma H, Holicki CM, Fast C, Bergmann F, Eiden M, Groschup MH, Ziegler U. Pathogenesis of West Nile Virus Lineage 2 in Domestic Geese after Experimental Infection. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061319. [PMID: 35746790 PMCID: PMC9230372 DOI: 10.3390/v14061319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging infectious pathogen circulating between mosquitoes and birds but also infecting mammals. WNV has become autochthonous in Germany, causing striking mortality rates in avifauna and occasional diseases in humans and horses. We therefore wanted to assess the possible role of free-ranging poultry in the WNV transmission cycle and infected 15 goslings with WNV lineage 2 (German isolate). The geese were monitored daily and sampled regularly to determine viremia, viral shedding, and antibody development by molecular and serological methods. Geese were euthanized at various time points post-infection (pi). All infected geese developed variable degrees of viremia from day 1 to day 10 (maximum) and actively shed virus from days 2 to 7 post-infection. Depending on the time of death, the WN viral genome was detected in all examined tissue samples in at least one individual by RT-qPCR and viable virus was even re-isolated, except for in the liver. Pathomorphological lesions as well as immunohistochemically detectable viral antigens were found mainly in the brain. Furthermore, all of the geese seroconverted 6 days pi at the latest. In conclusion, geese are presumably not functioning as important amplifying hosts but are suitable sentinel animals for WNV surveillance.
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