Usutu virus: An emerging flavivirus with potential threat to public health in Africa: Nigeria as a case study

A conserved role for AKT in the replication of emerging flaviviruses in vertebrates and vectors

One third of all emerging infectious diseases are vector-borne, with no licensed antiviral therapies available against any vector-borne viruses. Zika virus and Usutu virus are two emerging flaviviruses transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. These viruses modulate different host pathways, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Here, we report the effect on ZIKV and USUV replication of two AKT inhibitors, Miransertib (ARQ-092, allosteric inhibitor) and Capivasertib (AZD5363, competitive inhibitor) in different mammalian and mosquito cell lines. Miransertib showed a stronger inhibitory effect against ZIKV and USUV than Capivasertib in mammalian cells, while Capivasertib showed a stronger effect in mosquito cells. These findings indicate that AKT plays a conserved role in flavivirus infection, in both the vertebrate host and invertebrate vector. Nevertheless, the specific function of AKT may vary depending on the host species. These findings indicate that AKT may be playing a conserved role in flavivirus infection in both, the vertebrate host and the invertebrate vector. However, the specific function of AKT may vary depending on the host species. A better understanding of virus-host interactions is therefore required to develop new treatments to prevent human disease and new approaches to control transmission by insect vectors.

Unexpected arboviruses found in an epidemiological surveillance of acute tropical febrile syndrome in the department of Meta, Eastern Colombia

BACKGROUND

Nonspecific acute tropical febrile illnesses (NEATFI) are common in the Latin American tropics. Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Mayaro, and Usutu, among others, can coexist in the American tropics. This study aimed to surveil the arboviruses that cause| acute febrile syndrome in patients in the Meta department, Colombia.

METHODS

Between June 2021 and February 2023, an epidemiological surveillance study was conducted in the Llanos of the Meta department in Eastern Colombia.

RESULTS

One hundred patients in the acute phase with typical prodromal symptoms of NEATFI infection who attended the emergency department of the Villavicencio Departmental Hospital were included. ELISA tests were performed for Dengue, Usutu, Chikungunya, and Mayaro. RT-qPCR was performed to detect the arboviruses Usutu, Dengue, Zika, Mayaro, and Oropouche. The seroprevalence for the Chikungunya, Mayaro, and Usutu viruses was 41 % (28/68), 40 % (27/67), and 62 % (47/75), respectively. Seroconversion for Chikungunya was observed in one patient; two seroconverted to Mayaro and one to Usutu. The NS5 gene fragment of the Usutu virus was detected in nine febrile patients. RT-qPCR of the remaining arboviruses was negative. The clinical symptoms of the nine Usutu-positive patients were very similar to those of Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, and Mayaro infections.

CONCLUSIONS

The pervasive detection of unexpected viruses such as Usutu and Mayaro demonstrated the importance of searching for other viruses different from Dengue. Because Usutu infection and Mayaro fever have clinical features like Dengue, a new algorithm should be proposed to improve the accuracy of acute tropical fevers.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Jingmen tick virus in Jiangxi Province, China

Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) is a newly identified segmented flavivirus that has been recognized in multiple hosts, such as humans, buffalos, bats, rodents, mosquitos and ticks. Various clinical cases and studies manifested that JMTV is a true arbovirus with wide host spectrum and showed potential threats toward public health. JMTV has been reported in multiple countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and America. Moreover, wild boars serve as an important intermediary between humans and the wild ecological system. In China, it has been reported in nine provinces, while the prevalence and the distribution of JMTV in most regions including Jiangxi Province are still unknown. Thus, to profile the distribution of JMTV in Jiangxi Province, an epidemiological investigation was carried out from 2020 to 2022. In current study, 66 ticks were collected from 17 wild boars in Jiangxi Province. The results showed that 12 out of 66 ticks were JMTV positive, indicating JMTV is prevalent in ticks and boars in Jiangxi Province. The genome sequences of JMTV strain WY01 were sequenced to profile viral evolution of JMTV in China. Phylogenetic analysis divided JMTV strains into two genotypes, Group I and Group II. WY01 belongs to Group II and it shares the closest evolutionary relationship with the Japan strains rather than the strains from neighboring provinces in China suggesting that JMTV might have complex transmission routes. Overall, current study, for the first time, reported that JMTV is prevalent in Jiangxi Province and provided additional information concerning JMTV distribution and evolution in China.

Development of a live-attenuated chimeric vaccine against the emerging Usutu virus

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arthropod-borne flavivirus that has expanded into multiple European countries during the past several decades. USUV infection in human has been linked to severe neurological complications, and no vaccine is now available against USUV. In this work, we develop a live-attenuated chimeric USUV vaccine (termed ChinUSUV) based on the full-length infectious cDNA clone of the licensed Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccine strain SA14-14-2. In vitro studies demonstrate that ChinUSUV replicates efficiently and maintains its genetic stability. Remarkably, ChinUSUV exhibits a significant attenuation phenotype in multiple mouse models even compared with the licensed JEV vaccine. A single immunization with ChinUSUV elicits potent IgG and neutralizing antibody responses as well as T cell response. Passive transfer of sera from ChinUSUV-immunized mice confers significant protection against lethal homologous challenge in suckling mice. Taken together, our results suggest that ChinUSUV represents a potential USUV vaccine candidate that merits further development.

An Assessment of West Nile and Usutu Viruses' Seroprevalence in Hospitalized Patients: A Preliminary Study on Flavivirus Exposure in Eastern Romania

WNV and USUV are closely related epornitic flaviviruses transmitted by Culex mosquitoes which can cause febrile and neurodegenerative disease in humans. The impact of both viruses on public health has increased in the recent decades.

AIM

The aim of the study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of WNV and USUV in hospitalized patients from eastern Romania who did not show symptoms corresponding to the case definition.

METHODS

Human blood samples from the hospitalized patients were collected in 2015 and from April to September 2019 in Iasi County, Romania. The samples were screened by ELISA for anti-WNV IgG, IgM, and anti-USUV IgG antibodies.

RESULTS

A cumulative seroprevalence of 3.4% was recorded for anti-WNV IgG antibodies and 9.1% for anti-WNV IgM. No sample was positive for anti-USUV antibodies.

CONCLUSION

The cumulative seroprevalence observed provides support for the consideration of WNV as being endemic in the east of Romania. The absence of anti-USUV antibodies may be related to cross-reactivity and cohort size, thus, USUV should be considered in clinical practice and become an objective for active surveillance in Romania.

The re-emergence and transmission of Monkeypox virus in Nigeria: the role of one health

The Monkeypox virus, commonly abbreviated as mpox, is a viral zoonosis that is experiencing a resurgence in prevalence. It is endemic to regions of West and Central Africa that are characterized by dense forested areas. Various measures pertaining to animals, humans, and the environment have been recognized as potential factors and catalysts for the spread of the disease throughout the impacted regions of Africa. This study examines the various factors contributing to the transmission of the virus in Nigeria, with a particular focus on the animal-human and inter-human modes of transmission in rural communities and healthcare facilities. The One Health approach was emphasized as crucial in the prevention and management of this issue. Literature suggests that preventing repeated zoonotic introductions could potentially halt the transmission of the mpox virus from animal to human hosts, leading to a potential decrease in human infections.

High Seroprevalence of IgG Antibodies to Multiple Arboviruses in People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Madagascar

To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies against six arboviruses in people living with HIV-1 (PLWHIV) in Madagascar, we tested samples collected between January 2018 and June 2021. We used a Luminex-based serological assay to detect IgG antibodies against antigens from Dengue virus serotypes 1-4 (DENV1-4), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV). Of the 1036 samples tested, IgG antibody prevalence was highest for ONNV (28.4%), CHIKV (26.7%), WNV-NS1 (27.1%), DENV1 (12.4%), USUV (9.9%), and DENV3 (8.9%). ZIKV (4.9%), DENV2 (4.6%), WNV-D3 (5.1%), and DENV4 (1.4%) were lower. These rates varied by province of origin, with the highest rates observed in Toamasina, on the eastern coast (50.5% and 56.8%, for CHIKV and ONNV, respectively). The seroprevalence increased with age for DENV1 and 3 (p = 0.006 and 0.038, respectively) and WNV DIII (p = 0.041). The prevalence of IgG antibodies against any given arborvirus varied over the year and significantly correlated with rainfalls in the different areas (r = 0.61, p = 0.036). Finally, we found a significant correlation between the seroprevalence of antibodies against CHIKV and ONNV and the HIV-1 RNA plasma viral load. Thus, PLWHIV in Madagascar are highly exposed to various arboviruses. Further studies are needed to explain some of our findings.

Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics of Viral Encephalitides in West Africa

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, often caused by an autoimmune reaction, or in most cases because of a direct viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Viral encephalitides (VE) presents a significant public health concern globally, especially in West Africa. There are more than five hundred known arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), with over a hundred of them identified to cause encephalitic diseases in humans and animals, giving rise to a tremendous burden of the diseases and socioeconomic strains in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Despite their importance, few effective preventive and control measures in the form of vaccines and therapies are available, and when they are, their use is limited. These limitations are largely hinged on the paucity of information about the molecular epidemiology and transmission patterns of VE in West Africa. Here, we reviewed the transmission dynamics, molecular epidemiology, and the ecological drivers of VE in West Africa. Collectively, timely and accurate interventions are essential for encephalitic viral disease control. Moreover, the integrated health system approach, combining surveillance, vaccination, vector control, and community engagement, could be effective in preventing viral encephalitis globally.

The increasing complexity of arbovirus serology: An in-depth systematic review on cross-reactivity

Diagnosis of arbovirus infection or exposure by antibody testing is becoming increasingly difficult due to global expansion of arboviruses, which induce antibodies that may (cross-)react in serological assays. We provide a systematic review of the current knowledge and knowledge gaps in differential arbovirus serology. The search included Medline, Embase and Web of Science databases and identified 911 publications which were reduced to 102 after exclusion of studies not providing data on possible cross-reactivity or studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria regarding confirmation of virus exposure of reference population sets. Using a scoring system to further assess quality of studies, we show that the majority of the selected papers (N = 102) provides insufficient detail to support conclusions on specificity of serological outcomes with regards to elucidating antibody cross-reactivity. Along with the lack of standardization of assays, metadata such as time of illness onset, vaccination, infection and travel history, age and specificity of serological methods were most frequently missing. Given the critical role of serology for diagnosis and surveillance of arbovirus infections, better standards for reporting, as well as the development of more (standardized) specific serological assays that allow discrimination between exposures to multiple different arboviruses, are a large global unmet need.