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Pawęska JT, Storm N, Jansen van Vuren P, Markotter W, Kemp A. Attempted Transmission of Marburg Virus by Bat-Associated Fleas Thaumapsylla breviceps breviceps (Ischnopsyllidae: Thaumapsyllinae) to the Egyptian Rousette Bat ( Rousettus aegyptiacus). Viruses 2024; 16:1197. [PMID: 39205171 PMCID: PMC11360628 DOI: 10.3390/v16081197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs) are implicated as reservoir hosts for Marburg virus (MARV), but natural mechanisms involved in maintenance of MARV in ERB populations remain undefined. A number of hematophagous ectoparasites, including fleas, parasitize bats. Subcutaneous (SC) inoculation of ERBs with MARV consistently results in viremia, suggesting that infectious MARV could be ingested by blood-sucking ectoparasites during feeding. In our study, MARV RNA was detected in fleas that took a blood meal during feeding on viremic bats on days 3, 7, and 11 after SC inoculation. Virus concentration in individual ectoparasites was consistent with detectable levels of viremia in the blood of infected host bats. There was neither seroconversion nor viremia in control bats kept in close contact with MARV-infected bats infested with fleas for up to 40 days post-exposure. In fleas inoculated intracoelomically, MARV was detected up to 14 days after intracoelomic (IC) inoculation, but the virus concentration was lower than that delivered in the inoculum. All bats that had been infested with inoculated, viremic fleas remained virologically and serologically negative up to 38 days after infestation. Of 493 fleas collected from a wild ERB colony in Matlapitsi Cave, South Africa, where the enzootic transmission of MARV occurs, all tested negative for MARV RNA. While our findings seem to demonstrate that bat fleas lack vectorial capacity to transmit MARV biologically, their role in mechanical transmission should not be discounted. Regular blood-feeds, intra- and interhost mobility, direct feeding on blood vessels resulting in venous damage, and roosting behaviour of ERBs provide a potential physical bridge for MARV dissemination in densely populated cave-dwelling bats by fleas. The virus transfer might take place through inoculation of skin, mucosal membranes, and wounds when contaminated fleas are squashed during auto- and allogrooming, eating, biting, or fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz T. Pawęska
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (N.S.); (P.J.v.V.); (A.K.)
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Nadia Storm
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (N.S.); (P.J.v.V.); (A.K.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Petrus Jansen van Vuren
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (N.S.); (P.J.v.V.); (A.K.)
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Alan Kemp
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa; (N.S.); (P.J.v.V.); (A.K.)
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2
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Fedurek P, Asiimwe C, Rice GK, Akankwasa WJ, Reynolds V, Hobaiter C, Kityo R, Muhanguzi G, Zuberbühler K, Crockford C, Cer RZ, Bennett AJ, Rothman JM, Bishop-Lilly KA, Goldberg TL. Selective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne viruses. Commun Biol 2024; 7:470. [PMID: 38649441 PMCID: PMC11035629 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06139-z] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Proposed mechanisms of zoonotic virus spillover often posit that wildlife transmission and amplification precede human outbreaks. Between 2006 and 2012, the palm Raphia farinifera, a rich source of dietary minerals for wildlife, was nearly extirpated from Budongo Forest, Uganda. Since then, chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, and red duiker were observed feeding on bat guano, a behavior not previously observed. Here we show that guano consumption may be a response to dietary mineral scarcity and may expose wildlife to bat-borne viruses. Videos from 2017-2019 recorded 839 instances of guano consumption by the aforementioned species. Nutritional analysis of the guano revealed high concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Metagenomic analyses of the guano identified 27 eukaryotic viruses, including a novel betacoronavirus. Our findings illustrate how "upstream" drivers such as socioeconomics and resource extraction can initiate elaborate chains of causation, ultimately increasing virus spillover risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
| | | | - Gregory K Rice
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, USA
- Leidos, 1750 Presidents St, Reston, VA, 20190, USA
| | | | - Vernon Reynolds
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Anthropology, University of Oxford, 51/53 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews; St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Robert Kityo
- Department of Zoology, Entomology & Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, PO Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews; St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives, 67 Bd Pinel, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Regina Z Cer
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Andrew J Bennett
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, USA
- Leidos, 1750 Presidents St, Reston, VA, 20190, USA
| | - Jessica M Rothman
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Kimberly A Bishop-Lilly
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA.
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Grayo S, Camara A, Doukouré B, Ellis I, Troupin C, Fischer K, Vanhomwegen J, White M, Groschup MH, Diederich S, Tordo N. Geographic Disparities in Domestic Pig Population Exposure to Ebola Viruses, Guinea, 2017-2019. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:681-690. [PMID: 38526081 PMCID: PMC10977825 DOI: 10.3201/eid3004.231034] [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] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Although pigs are naturally susceptible to Reston virus and experimentally to Ebola virus (EBOV), their role in Orthoebolavirus ecology remains unknown. We tested 888 serum samples collected from pigs in Guinea during 2017-2019 (between the 2013-16 epidemic and its resurgence in 2021) by indirect ELISA against the EBOV nucleoprotein. We identified 2 hotspots of possible pig exposure by IgG titer levels: the northern coast had 48.7% of positive serum samples (37/76), and Forest Guinea, bordering Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the virus emerged and reemerged, had 50% of positive serum samples (98/196). The multitarget Luminex approach confirms ELISA results against Ebola nucleoprotein and highlights cross-reactivities to glycoprotein of EBOV, Reston virus, and Bundibugyo virus. Those results are consistent with previous observations of the circulation of Orthoebolavirus species in pig farming regions in Sierra Leone and Ghana, suggesting potential risk for Ebola virus disease in humans, especially in Forest Guinea.
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Clancey E, Nuismer S, Seifert S. Using serosurveys to optimize surveillance for zoonotic pathogens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.22.581274. [PMID: 38562792 PMCID: PMC10983876 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.22.581274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Zoonotic pathogens pose a significant risk to human health, with spillover into human populations contributing to chronic disease, sporadic epidemics, and occasional pandemics. Despite the widely recognized burden of zoonotic spillover, our ability to identify which animal populations serve as primary reservoirs for these pathogens remains incomplete. This challenge is compounded when prevalence reaches detectable levels only at specific times of year. In these cases, statistical models designed to predict the timing of peak prevalence could guide field sampling for active infections. Here we develop a general model that leverages routinely collected serosurveillance data to optimize sampling for elusive pathogens. Using simulated data sets we show that our methodology reliably identifies times when pathogen prevalence is expected to peak. We then apply our method to two putative Ebolavirus reservoirs, straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) and hammer-headed bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus) to predict when these species should be sampled to maximize the probability of detecting active infections. In addition to guiding future sampling of these species, our method yields predictions for the times of year that are most likely to produce future spillover events. The generality and simplicity of our methodology make it broadly applicable to a wide range of putative reservoir species where seasonal patterns of birth lead to predictable, but potentially short-lived, pulses of pathogen prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Clancey
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
| | - S.L. Nuismer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844 USA
| | - S.N. Seifert
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
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Schloesing E, Caron A, Chambon R, Courbin N, Labadie M, Nina R, Mouiti Mbadinga F, Ngoubili W, Sandiala D, Bourgarel M, De Nys HM, Cappelle J. Foraging and mating behaviors of Hypsignathus monstrosus at the bat-human interface in a central African rainforest. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10240. [PMID: 37424939 PMCID: PMC10329260 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying wildlife space use in human-modified environments contributes to characterize wildlife-human interactions to assess potential risks of zoonotic-pathogens transmission, and to pinpoint conservation issues. In central African rainforests with human dwelling and activities, we conducted a telemetry study on a group of males of Hypsignathus monstrosus, a lek-mating fruit bat identified as a potential maintenance host for Ebola virus. During a lekking season in 2020, we investigated the foraging-habitat selection and the individual nighttime space use during both mating and foraging activities close to villages and their surrounding agricultural landscape. At night, marked individuals strongly selected agricultural lands and more generally areas near watercourses to forage, where they spent more time compared to forest ones. Furthermore, the probability and duration of the presence of bats in the lek during nighttime decreased with the distance to their roost site but remained relatively high within a 10 km radius. Individuals adjusted foraging behaviors according to mating activity by reducing both the overall time spent in foraging areas and the number of forest areas used to forage when they spent more time in the lek. Finally, the probability of a bat revisiting a foraging area in the following 48 hours increased with the previous time spent in that foraging area. These behaviors occurring close to or in human-modified habitats can trigger direct and indirect bat-human contacts, which could thus facilitate pathogen transmission such as Ebola virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Schloesing
- Faculté des SciencesUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Alexandre Caron
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculdade de VeterinariaUniversidade Eduardo MondlaneMaputoMozambique
| | - Rémi Chambon
- Université de Rennes 1, unité BOREA MNHN, CNRS 8067, SU, IRD 207, UCNUA RennesFrance
| | - Nicolas Courbin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Morgane Labadie
- Faculté des SciencesUniversité de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Roch Nina
- Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Elevage et de la PêcheDirection Générale de l'ElevageBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Frida Mouiti Mbadinga
- Ministère de l'Economie ForestièreDirection de la Faune et des aires ProtégéesBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Wilfrid Ngoubili
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Danficy Sandiala
- Faculté des Sciences et TechniquesUniversité Marien NgouabiBrazzavilleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Mathieu Bourgarel
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREHarareZimbabwe
| | - Hélène M. De Nys
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREMontpellierFrance
- CIRAD, BIOS, UMR ASTREHarareZimbabwe
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6
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Roth E. Researching the Ebola Reservoir with the Heuristic of the Fetish in Guinea. Med Anthropol 2023; 42:369-382. [PMID: 37522962 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2023.2214671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The unprecedented character of the 2013-2016 epidemic of Ebola in West Africa paved the way for a wave of investigations into the reservoir of the disease. A novel economy of health projects arose, which employed Guinean professionals to sample animals and fortify a hypothesis: that the disease spilled over from a bat. Through exploring virology research and its dangers in post-Ebola Guinea, I argue that the hypothesis of a bat reservoir has taken on a heuristic role that can be compared to the way that a fetish polarizes relations between the people who manipulate and fear this idea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Roth
- Rachel Carson Center for the Environment and Society, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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7
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Cross RW, Prasad AN, Woolsey CB, Agans KN, Borisevich V, Dobias NS, Comer JE, Deer DJ, Geisbert JB, Rasmussen AL, Lipkin WI, Fenton KA, Geisbert TW. Natural history of nonhuman primates after conjunctival exposure to Ebola virus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4175. [PMID: 36914721 PMCID: PMC10011569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31027-7] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission of Ebola virus (EBOV) primarily occurs via contact exposure of mucosal surfaces with infected body fluids. Historically, nonhuman primate (NHP) challenge studies have employed intramuscular (i.m.) or small particle aerosol exposure, which are largely lethal routes of infection, but mimic worst-case scenarios such as a needlestick or intentional release, respectively. When exposed by more likely routes of natural infection, limited NHP studies have shown delayed onset of disease and reduced mortality. Here, we performed a series of systematic natural history studies in cynomolgus macaques with a range of conjunctival exposure doses. Challenge with 10,000 plaque forming units (PFU) of EBOV was uniformly lethal, whereas 5/6 subjects survived lower dose challenges (100 or 500 PFU). Conjunctival challenge resulted in a protracted time-to death compared to i.m. Asymptomatic infection was observed in survivors with limited detection of EBOV replication. Inconsistent seropositivity in survivors may suggest physical or natural immunological barriers are sufficient to prevent widespread viral dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Cross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Abhishek N Prasad
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Courtney B Woolsey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Krystle N Agans
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Viktoriya Borisevich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Natalie S Dobias
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Jason E Comer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Daniel J Deer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Joan B Geisbert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Angela L Rasmussen
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Walter Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Karla A Fenton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA
| | - Thomas W Geisbert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA.
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77550, USA.
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Ibe CS, Ogbonnaya O, Ikpegbu E, Ani NV. Anatomical studies on the African grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), a key component of the minilivestock industry in Nigeria. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:226-234. [PMID: 35903849 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chikera Samuel Ibe
- Departments of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
| | - Obioma Ogbonnaya
- Departments of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
| | - Ekele Ikpegbu
- Departments of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
| | - Nneka Victoria Ani
- Theriogenology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
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Sundaram M, Schmidt JP, Han BA, Drake JM, Stephens PR. Traits, phylogeny and host cell receptors predict Ebolavirus host status among African mammals. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010993. [PMID: 36542657 PMCID: PMC9815631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We explore how animal host traits, phylogenetic identity and cell receptor sequences relate to infection status and mortality from ebolaviruses. We gathered exhaustive databases of mortality from Ebolavirus after exposure and infection status based on PCR and antibody tests. We performed ridge regressions predicting mortality and infection as a function of traits, phylogenetic eigenvectors and separately host receptor sequences. We found that mortality from Ebolavirus had a strong association to life history characteristics and phylogeny. In contrast, infection status related not just to life history and phylogeny, but also to fruit consumption which suggests that geographic overlap of frugivorous mammals can lead to spread of virus in the wild. Niemann Pick C1 (NPC1) receptor sequences predicted infection statuses of bats included in our study with very high accuracy, suggesting that characterizing NPC1 in additional species is a promising avenue for future work. We combine the predictions from our mortality and infection status models to differentiate between species that are infected and also die from Ebolavirus versus species that are infected but tolerate the virus (possible reservoirs of Ebolavirus). We therefore present the first comprehensive estimates of Ebolavirus reservoir statuses for all known terrestrial mammals in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mekala Sundaram
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John Paul Schmidt
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Barbara A. Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, Millbrook, New York, United States of America
| | - John M. Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Stephens
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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10
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Stoffolano JG. Synanthropic Flies-A Review Including How They Obtain Nutrients, along with Pathogens, Store Them in the Crop and Mechanisms of Transmission. INSECTS 2022; 13:776. [PMID: 36135477 PMCID: PMC9500719 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
An attempt has been made to provide a broad review of synanthropic flies and, not just a survey of their involvement in human pathogen transmission. It also emphasizes that the crop organ of calliphorids, sarcophagids, and muscids was an evolutionary development and has served and assisted non-blood feeding flies in obtaining food, as well as pathogens, prior to the origin of humans. Insects are believed to be present on earth about 400 million years ago (MYA). Thus, prior to the origin of primates, there was adequate time for these flies to become associated with various animals and to serve as important transmitters of pathogens associated with them prior to the advent of early hominids and modern humans. Through the process of fly crop regurgitation, numerous pathogens are still readily being made available to primates and other animals. Several studies using invertebrate-derived DNA = iDNA meta-techniques have been able to identify, not only the source the fly had fed on, but also if it had fed on their feces or the animal's body fluids. Since these flies are known to feed on both vertebrate fluids (i.e., from wounds, saliva, mucus, or tears), as well as those of other animals, and their feces, identification of the reservoir host, amplification hosts, and associated pathogens is essential in identifying emerging infectious diseases. New molecular tools, along with a focus on the crop, and what is in it, should provide a better understanding and development of whether these flies are involved in emerging infectious diseases. If so, epidemiological models in the future might be better at predicting future epidemics or pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Stoffolano
- Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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11
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Kemenesi G, Tóth GE, Mayora-Neto M, Scott S, Temperton N, Wright E, Mühlberger E, Hume AJ, Suder EL, Zana B, Boldogh SA, Görföl T, Estók P, Szentiványi T, Lanszki Z, Somogyi BA, Nagy Á, Pereszlényi CI, Dudás G, Földes F, Kurucz K, Madai M, Zeghbib S, Maes P, Vanmechelen B, Jakab F. Isolation of infectious Lloviu virus from Schreiber's bats in Hungary. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1706. [PMID: 35361761 PMCID: PMC8971391 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29298-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Some filoviruses can be transmitted to humans by zoonotic spillover events from their natural host and filovirus outbreaks have occured with increasing frequency in the last years. The filovirus Lloviu virus (LLOV), was identified in 2002 in Schreiber's bats (Miniopterus schreibersii) in Spain and was subsequently detected in bats in Hungary. Here we isolate infectious LLOV from the blood of a live sampled Schreiber's bat in Hungary. The isolate is subsequently sequenced and cultured in the Miniopterus sp. kidney cell line SuBK12-08. It is furthermore able to infect monkey and human cells, suggesting that LLOV might have spillover potential. A multi-year surveillance of LLOV in bats in Hungary detects LLOV RNA in both deceased and live animals as well as in coupled ectoparasites from the families Nycteribiidae and Ixodidae. This correlates with LLOV seropositivity in sampled Schreiber's bats. Our data support the role of bats, specifically Miniopterus schreibersii as hosts for LLOV in Europe. We suggest that bat-associated parasites might play a role in the natural ecology of filoviruses in temperate climate regions compared to filoviruses in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Kemenesi
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Gábor E Tóth
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Martin Mayora-Neto
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, Chatham Maritime, Universities of Kent & Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Simon Scott
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, Chatham Maritime, Universities of Kent & Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Nigel Temperton
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, Chatham Maritime, Universities of Kent & Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Edward Wright
- Viral Pseudotype Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Sussex, UK
| | - Elke Mühlberger
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam J Hume
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellen L Suder
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brigitta Zana
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - Tamás Görföl
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Péter Estók
- Department of Zoology, Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, Hungary
| | - Tamara Szentiványi
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, ÖK Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Lanszki
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs A Somogyi
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Nagy
- Medical Centre, Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Gábor Dudás
- Medical Centre, Hungarian Defence Forces, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Fanni Földes
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Kornélia Kurucz
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Mónika Madai
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Safia Zeghbib
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Piet Maes
- Leuven, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bert Vanmechelen
- Leuven, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ferenc Jakab
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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12
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Anis O. The Kivu Ebola Epidemic. WIKIJOURNAL OF MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.15347/wjm/2022.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Kivu Ebola epidemic began on 1 August 2018, when four cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were confirmed in the eastern region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The disease affected the DRC, Uganda, and is suspected to have also affected Tanzania, though the Ministry of Health there never shared information with the WHO. The outbreak was declared ended on 25 June 2020, with a total of 3,470 cases and 2,280 deaths. Other locations in the DRC affected included the Ituri Province, where the first case was confirmed on 13 August 2018. In November 2018, it became the biggest Ebola outbreak in the DRC's history, and by November, it had become the second-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history, behind only the 2013–2016 Western Africa epidemic. On 3 May 2019, 9 months into the outbreak, the DRC death toll surpassed 1,000. In June 2019, the virus reached Uganda, having infected a 5-year-old Congolese boy who entered with his family, but this was contained. Since January 2015, the affected province and general area have been experiencing a military conflict, which hindered treatment and prevention efforts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the combination of military conflict and civilian distress as a potential "perfect storm" that could lead to a rapid worsening of the situation. In May 2019, the WHO reported that, since January of that year, there had been 42 attacks on health facilities and 85 health workers had been wounded or killed. In some areas, aid organizations have had to stop their work due to violence. Health workers also had to deal with misinformation spread by opposing politicians. Due to the deteriorating security situation in North Kivu and surrounding areas, the WHO raised the risk assessment at the national and regional level from "high" to "very high" in September 2018. In October, the United Nations Security Council stressed that all armed hostility in the DRC should come to a stop to address the ongoing outbreak better. A confirmed case in Goma triggered the decision by the WHO to convene an emergency committee for the fourth time, and on 17 July 2019, the WHO announced a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alarm the WHO can sound. On 15 September 2019, some slowdown of cases was noted in the DRC. However, contact tracing continued to be less than 100%; at the time, it was at 89%. In mid-October the transmission of the virus had significantly reduced; by then it was confined to the Mandima region near where the outbreak began, and was only affecting 27 health zones in the DRC (down from a peak of 207). New cases decreased to zero by 17 February 2020, but after 52 days without a case, surveillance and response teams confirmed three new cases in mid-April. As a new and separate outbreak, was reported on 1 June 2020 in Équateur Province in north-western DRC, described as the eleventh Ebola outbreak since records began; after almost two years the tenth outbreak was declared ended on 25 June 2020, with a total of 3,470 cases and 2,280 deaths.
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13
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Gut microbiota of bats: pro-mutagenic properties and possible frontiers in preventing emerging disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21075. [PMID: 34702917 PMCID: PMC8548564 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00604-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are potential natural reservoirs for emerging viruses, causing deadly human diseases, such as COVID-19, MERS, SARS, Nipah, Hendra, and Ebola infections. The fundamental mechanisms by which bats are considered “living bioreactors” for emerging viruses are not fully understood. Some studies suggest that tolerance to viruses is linked to suppressing antiviral immune and inflammatory responses due to DNA damage by energy generated to fly. Our study reveals that bats' gut bacteria could also be involved in the host and its microbiota's DNA damage. We performed screening of lactic acid bacteria and bacilli isolated from bats' feces for mutagenic and oxidative activity by lux-biosensors. The pro-mutagenic activity was determined when expression of recA increased with the appearance of double-strand breaks in the cell DNA, while an increase of katG expression in the presence of hydroxyl radicals indicated antioxidant activity. We identified that most of the isolated bacteria have pro-mutagenic and antioxidant properties at the same time. This study reveals new insights into bat gut microbiota's potential involvement in antiviral response and opens new frontiers in preventing emerging diseases originating from bats.
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14
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Lee-Cruz L, Lenormand M, Cappelle J, Caron A, De Nys H, Peeters M, Bourgarel M, Roger F, Tran A. Mapping of Ebola virus spillover: Suitability and seasonal variability at the landscape scale. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009683. [PMID: 34424896 PMCID: PMC8425568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009683] [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: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The unexpected Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014 involving the Zaire ebolavirus made clear that other regions outside Central Africa, its previously documented niche, were at risk of future epidemics. The complex transmission cycle and a lack of epidemiological data make mapping areas at risk of the disease challenging. We used a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria evaluation (GIS-MCE), a knowledge-based approach, to identify areas suitable for Ebola virus spillover to humans in regions of Guinea, Congo and Gabon where Ebola viruses already emerged. We identified environmental, climatic and anthropogenic risk factors and potential hosts from a literature review. Geographical data layers, representing risk factors, were combined to produce suitability maps of Ebola virus spillover at the landscape scale. Our maps show high spatial and temporal variability in the suitability for Ebola virus spillover at a fine regional scale. Reported spillover events fell in areas of intermediate to high suitability in our maps, and a sensitivity analysis showed that the maps produced were robust. There are still important gaps in our knowledge about what factors are associated with the risk of Ebola virus spillover. As more information becomes available, maps produced using the GIS-MCE approach can be easily updated to improve surveillance and the prevention of future outbreaks. Ebola virus disease is a highly pathogenic disease transmitted from wildlife to humans. It was first described in 1976 and its distribution remained restricted to Central Africa until 2014, when an outbreak in West Africa, causing more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths, took place. Anthropogenic factors, such as bushmeat hunting, trade and consumption, and environmental and climatic factors, may promote the contact between humans and infected animals, such as bats, primates and duikers, increasing the risk of virus transmission to the human population. In this study, we used the spatial multicriteria evaluation framework to gather all available information on risk factors and animal species susceptible to infection, and produce maps of areas suitable for Ebola virus spillover in regions in Guinea, Congo and Gabon. The resulting maps highlighted high spatial and temporal variability in the suitability for Ebola virus spillover. Data from reported cases of Ebola virus transmission from wild animals to humans were used to validate the maps. The approach developed is capable of integrating a wide diversity of risk factors, and provides a flexible and simple tool for surveillance, which can be updated as more data and knowledge on risk factors become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Lee-Cruz
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Montpellier, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Maxime Lenormand
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Cappelle
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Caron
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- Faculdade Veterinaria, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Hélène De Nys
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Martine Peeters
- TransVIHMI, IRD, INSERM, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Bourgarel
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - François Roger
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| | - Annelise Tran
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
- ASTRE, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR TETIS, Montpellier, France
- TETIS, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
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15
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Shapiro JT, Víquez-R L, Leopardi S, Vicente-Santos A, Mendenhall IH, Frick WF, Kading RC, Medellín RA, Racey P, Kingston T. Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy. Viruses 2021; 13:1356. [PMID: 34372562 PMCID: PMC8310020 DOI: 10.3390/v13071356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the world's most pressing issues, such as the emergence of zoonotic diseases, can only be addressed through interdisciplinary research. However, the findings of interdisciplinary research are susceptible to miscommunication among both professional and non-professional audiences due to differences in training, language, experience, and understanding. Such miscommunication contributes to the misunderstanding of key concepts or processes and hinders the development of effective research agendas and public policy. These misunderstandings can also provoke unnecessary fear in the public and have devastating effects for wildlife conservation. For example, inaccurate communication and subsequent misunderstanding of the potential associations between certain bats and zoonoses has led to persecution of diverse bats worldwide and even government calls to cull them. Here, we identify four types of miscommunication driven by the use of terminology regarding bats and the emergence of zoonotic diseases that we have categorized based on their root causes: (1) incorrect or overly broad use of terms; (2) terms that have unstable usage within a discipline, or different usages among disciplines; (3) terms that are used correctly but spark incorrect inferences about biological processes or significance in the audience; (4) incorrect inference drawn from the evidence presented. We illustrate each type of miscommunication with commonly misused or misinterpreted terms, providing a definition, caveats and common misconceptions, and suggest alternatives as appropriate. While we focus on terms specific to bats and disease ecology, we present a more general framework for addressing miscommunication that can be applied to other topics and disciplines to facilitate more effective research, problem-solving, and public policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Teresa Shapiro
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Luis Víquez-R
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany;
| | - Stefania Leopardi
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Zoonoses, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Amanda Vicente-Santos
- Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Ian H. Mendenhall
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore;
| | - Winifred F. Frick
- Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX 78746, USA;
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Rebekah C. Kading
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
| | - Rodrigo A. Medellín
- Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City 04510, Mexico;
| | - Paul Racey
- The Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK;
| | - Tigga Kingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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16
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Dutheil F, Clinchamps M, Bouillon-Minois JB. Bats, Pathogens, and Species Richness. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020098. [PMID: 33494226 PMCID: PMC7909788 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats carry many viruses, but this is not sufficient to threaten humans. Viruses must mutate to generate the ability to transfer to humans. A key factor is the diversity of species. With 1400 species of bats (20% of all species of mammals), the diversity of bats species is highly favorable to the emergence of new viruses. Moreover, several species of bats live within the same location, and share advanced social behavior, favoring the transmission of viruses. Because they fly, bats are also hosts for a wide range of viruses from many environments. They also eat everything (including what humans eat), they share humans’ environment and become closer to domestic species, which can serve as relays between bats and humans. Bats also have a long-life expectancy (up to 40 years for some bats), which is particularly effective for transmission to humans. However, a recent publication came out challenging what we think about bats. Proportionally, bats may not carry a higher number of zoonotic pathogens, normalized by species richness, compared to other mammalian and avian species. Viral zoonotic risk is homogenous among taxonomic orders of mammalian and avian reservoir hosts, without evidence that bats carry more viruses that infect humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dutheil
- CNRS, LaPSCo, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
- Preventive and Occupational Medicine, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Maëlys Clinchamps
- Preventive and Occupational Medicine, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
| | - Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois
- CNRS, LaPSCo, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, Emergency Medicine, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Correspondence:
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17
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Thompson CW, Phelps KL, Allard MW, Cook JA, Dunnum JL, Ferguson AW, Gelang M, Khan FAA, Paul DL, Reeder DM, Simmons NB, Vanhove MPM, Webala PW, Weksler M, Kilpatrick CW. Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies. mBio 2021; 12:e02698-20. [PMID: 33436435 PMCID: PMC7844540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02698-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being nearly 10 months into the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the definitive animal host for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19, remains unknown. Unfortunately, similar problems exist for other betacoronaviruses, and no vouchered specimens exist to corroborate host species identification for most of these pathogens. This most basic information is critical to the full understanding and mitigation of emerging zoonotic diseases. To overcome this hurdle, we recommend that host-pathogen researchers adopt vouchering practices and collaborate with natural history collections to permanently archive microbiological samples and host specimens. Vouchered specimens and associated samples provide both repeatability and extension to host-pathogen studies, and using them mobilizes a large workforce (i.e., biodiversity scientists) to assist in pandemic preparedness. We review several well-known examples that successfully integrate host-pathogen research with natural history collections (e.g., yellow fever, hantaviruses, helminths). However, vouchering remains an underutilized practice in such studies. Using an online survey, we assessed vouchering practices used by microbiologists (e.g., bacteriologists, parasitologists, virologists) in host-pathogen research. A much greater number of respondents permanently archive microbiological samples than archive host specimens, and less than half of respondents voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. To foster collaborations between microbiologists and natural history collections, we provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies. This integrative approach exemplifies the premise underlying One Health initiatives, providing critical infrastructure for addressing related issues ranging from public health to global climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody W Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Marc W Allard
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jonathan L Dunnum
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Adam W Ferguson
- Gantz Family Collections Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Magnus Gelang
- Gothenburg Natural History Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Deborah L Paul
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
- Species File Group, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Marcelo Weksler
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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18
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Adekanmbi O, Ilesanmi O, Lakoh S. Ebola: A review and focus on neurologic manifestations. J Neurol Sci 2021; 421:117311. [PMID: 33493959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Ebolavirus disease (EVD) is a severe, highly contagious, and often fatal systemic disease in human and non-human primates. Zoonotic and human-to-human transmission have been well documented. Ebolaviruses are endemic to Equatorial and West Africa and there have been over 20 outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa since 1976. The largest known outbreak of EVD occurred between 2013 and 2016 across several West African countries. It resulted in 28,646 suspected and confirmed cases and 11,323 deaths. There are 5 species within the genus Ebolavirus with 4 of them being clinically significant. In patients with EVD, neurologic manifestations range from mild symptoms such as confusion to severe neurologic diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis. Altered mental status, from mild confusion to delirium with hallucinations, may also occur. Rare neuropsychiatric manifestations of EVD include psychological or cognitive symptoms, including short-term memory loss, insomnia, and depression or anxiety. Although Ebolavirus RNA has been detected in cerebrospinal fluid, the body of knowledge around the pathogenic mechanisms of neurological disease is not yet fully understood. Studies are needed to understand the acute and chronic neuronal pathologic as well as biochemical cerebrospinal fluid changes in Ebolavirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olukemi Adekanmbi
- Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Olayinka Ilesanmi
- Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Community Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Sulaiman Lakoh
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone; Department of Medicine, University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospitals Complex, Sierra Leone
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19
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Luo W, Roy A, Guo F, Irwin DM, Shen X, Pan J, Shen Y. Host Adaptation and Evolutionary Analysis of Zaire ebolavirus: Insights From Codon Usage Based Investigations. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:570131. [PMID: 33224111 PMCID: PMC7674656 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.570131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) has caused several outbreaks as the consequence of spillover events from zoonotic sources and has resulted in huge death tolls. In spite of considerable progress, a thorough know-how regarding EBOV adaptation in various host species and detailed information about the potential reservoirs of EBOV still remains obscure. The present study was executed to examine the patterns of codon usage and its associated influence in the adaptation of EBOV to potential hosts that dwell in Africa, the origin of the viral outbreaks. Correspondence analysis (CA) revealed that the codon usage signature in EBOV is a complex interplay of factors including compositional bias and natural selection, with the latter having a more pronounced impact. Low codon usage bias in EBOV indicates a flexibility of the viruses in adapting to diverse range of hosts with different codon usage architectures. EBOV adaptation in potential hosts, as estimated by codon adaptation index (CAI) and relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI), revealed that the viruses were relatively better adapted to African primates than other mammals examined, which might account for the high fatality rate of primates owing to EBOV infection. Bats have been speculated as natural reservoirs of EBOV. In the present analysis it was interesting to note that EBOV displayed lower degrees of adaptation, as estimated by CAI and RCDI, with bats in comparison to the primate hosts. Lower degrees of adaptation might contribute to long-term co-existence and circulation of the viral pathogens in bat populations. Codon usage patterns of EBOV isolates associated with different outbreaks varied significantly, with discrete patterns between the West and Central African isolates. Additional evolutionary analyses indicated that the West African Epidemic began with an initial spillover infection and there was more than one population of EBOV circulating in the natural reservoir in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The present study yields valuable information regarding the possible circulation of EBOV in various African mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Luo
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ayan Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Fucheng Guo
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - David M Irwin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xuejuan Shen
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junbin Pan
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyi Shen
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
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20
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Tiwari SK, Dicks LMT, Popov IV, Karaseva A, Ermakov AM, Suvorov A, Tagg JR, Weeks R, Chikindas ML. Probiotics at War Against Viruses: What Is Missing From the Picture? Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1877. [PMID: 32973697 PMCID: PMC7468459 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Our world is now facing a multitude of novel infectious diseases. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, albeit with increasing difficulty as many of the more common causes of infection have now developed broad spectrum antimicrobial resistance. However, there is now an even greater challenge from both old and new viruses capable of causing respiratory, enteric, and urogenital infections. Reports of viruses resistant to frontline therapeutic drugs are steadily increasing and there is an urgent need to develop novel antiviral agents. Although this all makes sense, it seems rather strange that relatively little attention has been given to the antiviral capabilities of probiotics. Over the years, beneficial strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been successfully used to treat gastrointestinal, oral, and vaginal infections, and some can also effect a reduction in serum cholesterol levels. Some probiotics prevent gastrointestinal dysbiosis and, by doing so, reduce the risk of developing secondary infections. Other probiotics exhibit anti-tumor and immunomodulating properties, and in some studies, antiviral activities have been reported for probiotic bacteria and/or their metabolites. Unfortunately, the mechanistic basis of the observed beneficial effects of probiotics in countering viral infections is sometimes unclear. Interestingly, in COVID-19 patients, a clear decrease has been observed in cell numbers of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp., both of which are common sources of intestinal probiotics. The present review, specifically motivated by the need to implement effective new counters to SARS-CoV-2, focusses attention on viruses capable of co-infecting humans and other animals and specifically explores the potential of probiotic bacteria and their metabolites to intervene with the process of virus infection. The goal is to help to provide a more informed background for the planning of future probiotic-based antiviral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India,*Correspondence: Santosh Kumar Tiwari,
| | - Leon M. T. Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Igor V. Popov
- Center for Agro-Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Alena Karaseva
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexey M. Ermakov
- Center for Agro-Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia,Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Richard Weeks
- Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Michael L. Chikindas
- Center for Agro-Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia,Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Brunswick, NJ, United States
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Rugarabamu S, Mboera L, Rweyemamu M, Mwanyika G, Lutwama J, Paweska J, Misinzo G. Forty-two years of responding to Ebola virus outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review. BMJ Glob Health 2020; 5:e001955. [PMID: 32201623 PMCID: PMC7061886 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ebola virus disease (EVD) is one of the deadliest haemorrhagic fevers affecting humans and non-human primates. Thirty-four outbreaks have been reported in Africa since it was first recognised in 1976. This review analysed 42 years of EVD outbreaks and identified various challenges and opportunities for its control and prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A literature search of relevant articles on EVD was done in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases. Articles published from 1976 to 2019 were reviewed to document reports of EVD outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data extraction focused on the year of outbreak, geographical spread, virus strain involved, number of cases and deaths, case fatality, and outbreak management. Analyses of trends in case fatality were performed by calculating ORs between times. Results In the past four decades, a total of 34 EVD outbreaks affecting 34 356 cases and causing 14 823 deaths were reported in 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The overall case fatality rate (95% CI) was 66% (62 to 71) and did not change substantially over time (OR in 2019 vs 1976=1.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 1.8), p<0.001). The results of this review indicate that challenges to control EVD outbreaks are related to epidemiological, sociocultural and health system factors. Conclusions Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face considerable challenges in EVD control, whereby there are no significant changes in case fatality rates observed during the past four decades. Socioeconomic and cultural processes need to be critically considered to shape the community behaviours that lead to exposure to EVD outbreaks. Areas that need to be addressed to prevent future EVD outbreaks include a broad-based, one-health approach, effective communication, social mobilisation, and strengthening of the health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Rugarabamu
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Leonard Mboera
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
| | - Mark Rweyemamu
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
| | - Gaspary Mwanyika
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Julius Lutwama
- Department of Arbovirology, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Uganda Virus research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Janusz Paweska
- National Institute of Communicable Diseases, National Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gerald Misinzo
- SACIDS Foundation for One Health – Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Human and Animals, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Tanzania
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Abbate JL, Becquart P, Leroy E, Ezenwa VO, Roche B. Exposure to Ebola Virus and Risk for Infection with Malaria Parasites, Rural Gabon. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:229-237. [PMID: 31829919 PMCID: PMC6986822 DOI: 10.3201/eid2602.181120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An association between malaria and risk for death among patients with Ebola virus disease has suggested within-host interactions between Plasmodium falciparum parasites and Ebola virus. To determine whether such an interaction might also influence the probability of acquiring either infection, we used a large snapshot surveillance study from rural Gabon to test if past exposure to Ebola virus is associated with current infection with Plasmodium spp. during nonepidemic conditions. We found a strong positive association, on population and individual levels, between seropositivity for antibodies against Ebola virus and the presence of Plasmodium parasites in the blood. According to a multiple regression model accounting for other key variables, antibodies against Ebola virus emerged as the strongest individual-level risk factor for acquiring malaria. Our results suggest that within-host interactions between malaria parasites and Ebola virus may underlie epidemiologic associations.
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Shapiro JT, Sovie AR, Faller CR, Monadjem A, Fletcher RJ, McCleery RA. Ebola spillover correlates with bat diversity. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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24
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Goldstein T, Belaganahalli MN, Syaluha EK, Lukusa JPK, Greig DJ, Anthony SJ, Tremeau-Bravard A, Thakkar R, Caciula A, Mishra N, Lipkin WI, Dhanota JK, Smith BR, Ontiveros VM, Randhawa N, Cranfield M, Johnson CK, Gilardi KV, Mazet JAK. Spillover of ebolaviruses into people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo prior to the 2018 Ebola virus disease outbreak. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2020; 2:21. [PMID: 33169111 PMCID: PMC7609368 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-020-00028-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The second largest Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2018 in North Kivu Province. Data suggest the outbreak is not epidemiologically linked to the 2018 outbreak in Equateur Province, and that independent introduction of Ebola virus (EBOV) into humans occurred. We tested for antibodies to ebolaviruses in febrile patients seeking care in North Kivu Province prior to the EVD outbreak. METHODS Patients were enrolled between May 2017 and April 2018, before the declared start of the outbreak in eastern DRC. Questionnaires were administered to collect demographic and behavioural information to identify risk factors for exposure. Biological samples were evaluated for ebolavirus nucleic acid, and for antibodies to ebolaviruses. Prevalence of exposure was calculated, and demographic factors evaluated for associations with ebolavirus serostatus. RESULTS Samples were collected and tested from 272 people seeking care in the Rutshuru Health Zone in North Kivu Province. All patients were negative for filoviruses by PCR. Intial screening by indirect ELISA found that 30 people were reactive to EBOV-rGP. Results were supported by detection of ebolavirus reactive linear peptides using the Serochip platform. Differential screening of all reactive serum samples against the rGP of all six ebolaviruses and Marburg virus (MARV) showed that 29 people exhibited the strongest reactivity to EBOV and one to Bombali virus (BOMV), and western blotting confirmed results. Titers ranged from 1:100 to 1:12,800. Although both sexes and all ages tested positive for antibodies, women were significantly more likely to be positive and the majority of positives were in February 2018. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first documented evidence of exposure to Ebola virus in people in eastern DRC. We detected antibodies to EBOV in 10% of febrile patients seeking healthcare prior to the declaration of the 2018-2020 outbreak, suggesting early cases may have been missed or exposure ocurred without associated illness. We also report the first known detection of antibodies to BOMV, previously detected in bats in West and East Africa, and show that human exposure to BOMV has occurred. Our data suggest human exposure to ebolaviruses may be more frequent and geographically widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey Goldstein
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Manjunatha N. Belaganahalli
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Eddy K. Syaluha
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Inc, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Paul K. Lukusa
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Inc, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Denise J. Greig
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Simon J. Anthony
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY USA
| | - Alexandre Tremeau-Bravard
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Riddhi Thakkar
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Adrian Caciula
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Nischay Mishra
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - W. Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Jasjeet K. Dhanota
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Brett R. Smith
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Victoria M. Ontiveros
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Nistara Randhawa
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Michael Cranfield
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Inc, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Christine K. Johnson
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - Kirsten V. Gilardi
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
- Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project Inc, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jonna A. K. Mazet
- One Health Institute & Karen C Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, California, USA
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Inungu J, Iheduru-Anderson K, Odio OJ. Recurrent Ebolavirus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo: update and challenges. AIMS Public Health 2019; 6:502-513. [PMID: 31909070 PMCID: PMC6940573 DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.4.502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The current Ebolavirus disease (EVD) outbreak in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri is the tenth outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); the first outbreak occurring in a war context, and the second most deadly Ebolavirus outbreak on record following the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. The DRC government's response consisted of applying a package of interventions including detection and rapid isolation of cases, contact tracing, population mapping, and identification of high-risk areas to inform a coordinated effort. The coordinated effort was to screen, ring vaccinate, and conduct laboratory diagnoses using GeneXpert (Cepheid) polymerase chain reaction. The effort also included ensuring safe and dignified burials and promoting risk communication, community engagement, and social mobilization. Following the adoption of the “Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered Products Protocol,” a randomized controlled trial of four investigational treatments (mAb114, ZMapp, and REGN-EB3 and Remdesivir) was carried out with all consenting patients with laboratory-confirmed EVD. REGN-EB3 and mAb114 showed promise as treatments for EVD. In addition, one investigational vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV-GP) was used first, followed by a second prophylactic vaccine (Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo) to reinforce the prevention. Although the provision of clinical supportive care remains the cornerstone of EVD outbreak management, the DRC response faced daunting challenges including general insecurity, violence and community resistance, appalling poverty, and entrenched distrust of authority. Ebolavirus remains a public health threat. A fully curative treatment is unlikely to be a game-changer given the settings of transmission, zoonotic nature, limits of effectiveness of any therapeutic intervention, and timing of presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Inungu
- Master of Public Health Program, College of Health Professions, Central Michigan University, Michigan, United States
| | | | - Ossam J Odio
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School Hospital, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo
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26
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Fischer K, Camara A, Troupin C, Fehling SK, Strecker T, Groschup MH, Tordo N, Diederich S. Serological evidence of exposure to ebolaviruses in domestic pigs from Guinea. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:724-732. [PMID: 31627257 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The genus Ebolavirus comprises several virus species with zoonotic potential and varying pathogenicity for humans. Ebolaviruses are considered to circulate in wildlife with occasional spillover events into the human population which then often leads to severe disease outbreaks. Several studies indicate a significant role of bats as reservoir hosts in the ebolavirus ecology. However, pigs from the Philippines have been found to be naturally infected with Reston virus (RESTV), an ebolavirus that is thought to only cause asymptomatic infections in humans. The recent report of ebolavirus-specific antibodies in pigs from Sierra Leone further supports natural infection of pigs with ebolaviruses. However, susceptibility of pigs to highly pathogenic Ebola virus (EBOV) was only shown under experimental settings and evidence for natural infection of pigs with EBOV is currently lacking. Between October and December 2017, we collected 308 serum samples from pigs in Guinea, West Africa, and tested for the presence of ebolavirus-specific antibodies with different serological assays. Besides reactivity to EBOV nucleoproteins in ELISA and Western blot for 19 (6.2%) and 13 (4.2%) samples, respectively, four sera recognized Sudan virus (SUDV) NP in Western blot. Furthermore, four samples specifically detected EBOV or SUDV glycoprotein (GP) in an indirect immunofluorescence assay under native conditions. Virus neutralization assay based on EBOV (Mayinga isolate) revealed five weakly neutralizing sera. The finding of (cross-) reactive and weakly neutralizing antibodies suggests the exposure of pigs from Guinea to ebolaviruses or ebola-like viruses with their pathogenicity as well as their zoonotic potential remaining unknown. Future studies should investigate whether pigs can act as an amplifying host for ebolaviruses and whether there is a risk for spillover events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Fischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | | | - Sarah K Fehling
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Strecker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Noel Tordo
- Institut Pasteur de Guineé, Conakry, Guinea
| | - Sandra Diederich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
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Schmidt JP, Maher S, Drake JM, Huang T, Farrell MJ, Han BA. Ecological indicators of mammal exposure to Ebolavirus. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180337. [PMID: 31401967 PMCID: PMC6711296 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of the basic ecology of Ebolavirus remains unresolved despite accumulating disease outbreaks, viral strains and evidence of animal hosts. Because human Ebolavirus epidemics have been linked to contact with wild mammals other than bats, traits shared by species that have been infected by Ebolavirus and their phylogenetic distribution could suggest ecological mechanisms contributing to human Ebolavirus spillovers. We compiled data on Ebolavirus exposure in mammals and corresponding data on life-history traits, movement, and diet, and used boosted regression trees (BRT) to identify predictors of exposure and infection for 119 species (hereafter hosts). Mapping the phylogenetic distribution of presumptive Ebolavirus hosts reveals that they are scattered across several distinct mammal clades, but concentrated among Old World fruit bats, primates and artiodactyls. While sampling effort was the most important predictor, explaining nearly as much of the variation among hosts as traits, BRT models distinguished hosts from all other species with greater than 97% accuracy, and revealed probable Ebolavirus hosts as large-bodied, frugivorous, and with slow life histories. Provisionally, results suggest that some insectivorous bat genera, Old World monkeys and forest antelopes should receive priority in Ebolavirus survey efforts. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Dynamic and integrative approaches to understanding pathogen spillover’.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Paul Schmidt
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sean Maher
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave, Springfield, MO 65897, USA
| | - John M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Tao Huang
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | - Maxwell J Farrell
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Barbara A Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
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Languon S, Quaye O. Filovirus Disease Outbreaks: A Chronological Overview. Virology (Auckl) 2019; 10:1178122X19849927. [PMID: 31258326 PMCID: PMC6589952 DOI: 10.1177/1178122x19849927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Filoviruses cause outbreaks which lead to high fatality in humans and non-human primates, thus tagging them as major threats to public health and species conservation. In this review, we give account of index cases responsible for filovirus disease outbreaks that have occurred over the past 52 years in a chronological fashion, by describing the circumstances that led to the outbreaks, and how each of the outbreaks broke out. Since the discovery of Marburg virus and Ebola virus in 1967 and 1976, respectively, more than 40 filovirus disease outbreaks have been reported; majority of which have occurred in Africa. The chronological presentation of this review is to provide a concise overview of filovirus disease outbreaks since the discovery of the viruses, and highlight the patterns in the occurrence of the outbreaks. This review will help researchers to better appreciate the need for surveillance, especially in areas where there have been no filovirus disease outbreaks. We conclude by summarizing some recommendations that have been proposed by health and policy decision makers over the years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvester Languon
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Osbourne Quaye
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advance Study (STIAS), Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Wassenaar TM, Wanchai V, Buzard GS, Ussery DW. In silico Selection of Amplification Targets for Rapid Polymorphism Screening in Ebola Virus Outbreaks. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:857. [PMID: 31080442 PMCID: PMC6497787 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve maximum transmission chain tracking in the current Ebola outbreak, whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been proposed to provide optimal information. However, WGS remains a costly and time-intensive procedure that is poorly suited for the large numbers of samples being generated, especially under severe time and work-environment constraints as in the present DRC outbreak. To better prepare for future outbreaks, where an apparent single outbreak may actually represent overlapping outbreaks caused by independent variants, and where rapid identification of emerging new transmission chains will be essential, a more practical method would be to amplify and sequence genomic areas that reveal the highest information to differentiate EBOV variants. We have identified four highly informative polymorphism PCR sequencing targets, suitable for rapid tracing of transmission chains and identification of new sources of Ebola outbreaks, an approach which will be far more practical in the field than WGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trudy M Wassenaar
- Molecular Microbiology and Genomics Consultants, Zotzenheim, Germany
| | - Visanu Wanchai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | | | - David W Ussery
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
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30
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Immune System Modulation and Viral Persistence in Bats: Understanding Viral Spillover. Viruses 2019; 11:v11020192. [PMID: 30813403 PMCID: PMC6410205 DOI: 10.3390/v11020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats harbor a myriad of viruses and some of these viruses may have spilled over to other species including humans. Spillover events are rare and several factors must align to create the “perfect storm” that would ultimately lead to a spillover. One of these factors is the increased shedding of virus by bats. Several studies have indicated that bats have unique defense mechanisms that allow them to be persistently or latently infected with viruses. Factors leading to an increase in the viral load of persistently infected bats would facilitate shedding of virus. This article reviews the unique nature of bat immune defenses that regulate virus replication and the various molecular mechanisms that play a role in altering the balanced bat–virus relationship.
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