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Choudhury B, Lednicky JA, Loeb JC, Portugal S, Roy S. Inactivation of SARS CoV-2 on porous and nonporous surfaces by compact portable plasma reactor. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1325336. [PMID: 38486867 PMCID: PMC10937532 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1325336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
We report the inactivation of SARS CoV-2 and its surrogate-Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), on representative porous (KN95 mask material) and nonporous materials (aluminum and polycarbonate) using a Compact Portable Plasma Reactor (CPPR). The CPPR is a compact (48 cm3), lightweight, portable and scalable device that forms Dielectric Barrier Discharge which generates ozone using surrounding atmosphere as input gas, eliminating the need of source gas tanks. Iterative CPPR exposure time experiments were performed on inoculated material samples in 3 operating volumes. Minimum CPPR exposure times of 5-15 min resulted in 4-5 log reduction of SARS CoV-2 and its surrogate on representative material samples. Ozone concentration and CPPR energy requirements for virus inactivation are documented. Difference in disinfection requirements in porous and non-porous material samples is discussed along with initial scaling studies using the CPPR in 3 operating volumes. The results of this feasibility study, along with existing literature on ozone and CPPR decontamination, show the potential of the CPPR as a powerful technology to reduce fomite transmission of enveloped respiratory virus-induced infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The CPPR can overcome limitations of high temperatures, long exposure times, bulky equipment, and toxic residuals related to conventional decontamination technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaswati Choudhury
- SurfPlasma, Inc., Gainesville, FL, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sherlie Portugal
- SurfPlasma, Inc., Gainesville, FL, United States
- School of Electrical Engineering, Technological University of Panama, Panama City, Panama
| | - Subrata Roy
- SurfPlasma, Inc., Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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2
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Viadanna PHO, Grace SG, Logan TD, DeRuyter E, Loeb JC, Wilson KN, White ZS, Krauer JMC, Lednicky JA, Waltzek TB, Wisely SM, Subramaniam K. Characterization of two novel reassortant bluetongue virus serotype 1 strains isolated from farmed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Florida, USA. Virus Genes 2023; 59:732-740. [PMID: 37439882 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-02019-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Hemorrhagic diseases caused by epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus or by bluetongue virus (BTV) are the most important orbivirus diseases affecting ruminants, including white-tailed deer (WTD). Bluetongue virus is of particular concern for farmed WTD in Florida, given its lethality and its wide distribution throughout the state. This study reports the clinical findings, ancillary diagnostics, and genomic characterization of two BTV serotype 1 strains isolated from two farmed WTD, from two different farms in Florida in 2019 and 2022. Phylogenetic and genetic analyses indicated that these two novel BTV-1 strains were reassortants. In addition, our analyses reveal that most genome segments of these strains were acquired from BTVs previously detected in ruminants in Florida, substantiating their endemism in the Southeastern U.S. Our findings underscore the need for additional research to determine the genetic diversity of BTV strains in Florida, their prevalence, and the potential risk of new BTV strains to WTD and other ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro H O Viadanna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Savannah G Grace
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tracey D Logan
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emily DeRuyter
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kristen N Wilson
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zoe S White
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Juan M C Krauer
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Samantha M Wisely
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kuttichantran Subramaniam
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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3
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Li H, Nannu Shankar S, Witanachchi CT, Lednicky JA, Loeb JC, Alam MM, Fan ZH, Lauzardo M, Mohamed K, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Wu CY. Lack of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected from September 2020-February 2021 in a university that followed CDC reopening guidance. Hyg Environ Health Adv 2023; 7:100061. [PMID: 37305381 PMCID: PMC10198740 DOI: 10.1016/j.heha.2023.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to provide environmental surveillance data for evaluating the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 in public areas with high foot traffic in a university. Air and surface samples were collected at a university that had the second highest number of COVID-19 cases among public higher education institutions in the U.S. during Fall 2020. A total of 60 samples were collected in 16 sampling events performed during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Nearly 9800 students traversed the sites during the study period. SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in any air or surface samples. The university followed CDC guidance, including COVID-19 testing, case investigations, and contact tracing. Students, faculty, and staff were asked to maintain physical distancing and wear face coverings. Although COVID-19 cases were relatively high at the university, the possibility of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infections at the sites tested was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwan Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
| | | | | | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
- Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, USA
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4
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Rainey AL, Buschang K, O’Connor A, Love D, Wormington AM, Messcher RL, Loeb JC, Robinson SE, Ponder H, Waldo S, Williams R, Shapiro J, McAlister EB, Lauzardo M, Lednicky JA, Maurelli AT, Sabo-Attwood T, Bisesi J. Retrospective Analysis of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Residences on a Large College Campus: Relationships between Wastewater Outcomes and COVID-19 Cases across Two Semesters with Different COVID-19 Mitigation Policies. ACS ES T Water 2023; 3:16-29. [PMID: 37552720 PMCID: PMC9762499 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been utilized for outbreak monitoring and response efforts in university settings during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, few studies examined the impact of university policies on the effectiveness of WBE to identify cases and mitigate transmission. The objective of this study was to retrospectively assess relationships between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) wastewater outcomes and COVID-19 cases in residential buildings of a large university campus across two academic semesters (August 2020-May 2021) under different COVID-19 mitigation policies. Clinical case surveillance data of student residents were obtained from the university COVID-19 response program. We collected and processed building-level wastewater for detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-qPCR. The odds of obtaining a positive wastewater sample increased with COVID-19 clinical cases in the fall semester (OR = 1.50, P value = 0.02), with higher odds in the spring semester (OR = 2.63, P value < 0.0001). We observed linear associations between SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations and COVID-19 clinical cases (parameter estimate = 1.2, P value = 0.006). Our study demonstrated the effectiveness of WBE in the university setting, though it may be limited under different COVID-19 mitigation policies. As a complementary surveillance tool, WBE should be accompanied by robust administrative and clinical testing efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L. Rainey
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
| | - Katherine Buschang
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Amber O’Connor
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Deirdre Love
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Alexis M. Wormington
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Rebeccah L. Messcher
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
| | - Sarah E. Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Hunter Ponder
- UF Health Screen, Test, and Protect,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
- Florida Department of
Health, Alachua County, Gainesville, Florida32641, United
States
| | - Sarah Waldo
- UF Health Screen, Test, and Protect,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
- Florida Department of
Health, Alachua County, Gainesville, Florida32641, United
States
| | - Roy Williams
- UF Health Screen, Test, and Protect,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
- Florida Department of
Health, Alachua County, Gainesville, Florida32641, United
States
| | - Jerne Shapiro
- UF Health Screen, Test, and Protect,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
- Florida Department of
Health, Alachua County, Gainesville, Florida32641, United
States
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public
Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, Gainesville,
Florida32611, United States
| | | | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
- UF Health Screen, Test, and Protect,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
| | - Anthony T. Maurelli
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
| | - Joseph
H. Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College
of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32610, United
States
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology,
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida32611,
United States
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5
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Rainey AL, Loeb JC, Robinson SE, Davis P, Liang S, Lednicky JA, Coker ES, Sabo-Attwood T, Bisesi JH, Maurelli AT. Assessment of a mass balance equation for estimating community-level prevalence of COVID-19 using wastewater-based epidemiology in a mid-sized city. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19085. [PMID: 36352013 PMCID: PMC9645338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21354-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable epidemiologic tool to detect the presence of pathogens and track disease trends within a community. WBE overcomes some limitations of traditional clinical disease surveillance as it uses pooled samples from the entire community, irrespective of health-seeking behaviors and symptomatic status of infected individuals. WBE has the potential to estimate the number of infections within a community by using a mass balance equation, however, it has yet to be assessed for accuracy. We hypothesized that the mass balance equation-based approach using measured SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations can generate accurate prevalence estimates of COVID-19 within a community. This study encompassed wastewater sampling over a 53-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic in Gainesville, Florida, to assess the ability of the mass balance equation to generate accurate COVID-19 prevalence estimates. The SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration showed a significant linear association (Parameter estimate = 39.43, P value < 0.0001) with clinically reported COVID-19 cases. Overall, the mass balance equation produced accurate COVID-19 prevalence estimates with a median absolute error of 1.28%, as compared to the clinical reference group. Therefore, the mass balance equation applied to WBE is an effective tool for generating accurate community-level prevalence estimates of COVID-19 to improve community surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L. Rainey
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Sarah E. Robinson
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Paul Davis
- Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gainesville, FL 32614 USA
| | - Song Liang
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Eric S. Coker
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Joseph H. Bisesi
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Anthony T. Maurelli
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
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6
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Alam MM, Mavian C, Okech BA, White SK, Stephenson CJ, Elbadry MA, Blohm GM, Loeb JC, Louis R, Saleem C, Madsen Beau de Rochars VE, Salemi M, Lednicky JA, Morris JG. Analysis of Zika Virus Sequence Data Associated with a School Cohort in Haiti. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:873-880. [PMID: 36096408 PMCID: PMC9651511 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infections occurred in epidemic form in the Americas in 2014-2016, with some of the earliest isolates in the region coming from Haiti. We isolated ZIKV from 20 children with acute undifferentiated febrile illness who were part of a cohort of children seen at a school clinic in the Gressier region of Haiti. The virus was also isolated from three pools of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes collected at the same location. On phylogenetic analysis, three distinct ZIKV clades were identified. Strains from all three clades were present in Haiti in 2014, making them among the earliest isolates identified in the Western Hemisphere. Strains from all three clades were also isolated in 2016, indicative of their persistence across the time period of the epidemic. Mosquito isolates were collected in 2016 and included representatives from two of the three clades; in one instance, ZIKV was isolated from a pool of male mosquitoes, suggestive of vertical transmission of the virus. The identification of multiple ZIKV clades in Haiti at the beginning of the epidemic suggests that Haiti served as a nidus for transmission within the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Mahbubul Alam
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Carla Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Bernard A. Okech
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sarah K. White
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Caroline J. Stephenson
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Maha A. Elbadry
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Gabriela M. Blohm
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Rigan Louis
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- State University of Haiti Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Cyrus Saleem
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Valery E. Madsen Beau de Rochars
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - J. Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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7
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Magalis BR, Mavian C, Tagliamonte M, Rich SN, Cash M, Riva A, Loeb JC, Norris M, Amador DM, Zhang Y, Shapiro J, Starostik P, Marini S, Myers P, Ostrov DA, Lednicky JA, Glenn Morris J, Lauzardo M, Salemi M. Low-frequency variants in mildly symptomatic vaccine breakthrough infections presents a doubled-edged sword. J Med Virol 2022; 94:3192-3202. [PMID: 35307848 PMCID: PMC9325371 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC) has raised questions regarding vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, transmission, and ongoing virus evolution. Twenty-three mildly symptomatic "vaccination breakthrough" infections were identified as early as January 2021 in Alachua County, Florida, among individuals fully vaccinated with either the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or the Ad26 (Janssen/J&J) vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 genomes were successfully generated for 11 of the vaccine breakthroughs, and 878 individuals in the surrounding area and were included for reference-based phylogenetic investigation. These 11 individuals were characterized by infection with VOCs, but also low-frequency variants present within the surrounding population. Low-frequency mutations were observed, which have been more recently identified as mutations of interest owing to their location within targeted immune epitopes (P812L) and association with increased replicative capacity (L18F). We present these results to posit the nature of the efficacy of vaccines in reducing symptoms as both a blessing and a curse-as vaccination becomes more widespread and self-motivated testing reduced owing to the absence of severe symptoms, we face the challenge of early recognition of novel mutations of potential concern. This case study highlights the critical need for continued testing and monitoring of infection and transmission among individuals regardless of vaccination status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany R. Magalis
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Carla Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Massimiliano Tagliamonte
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Shannan N. Rich
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Melanie Cash
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Alberto Riva
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Michael Norris
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - David M. Amador
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Yanping Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Jerne Shapiro
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Petr Starostik
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Simone Marini
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Paul Myers
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - David A. Ostrov
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - J. Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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8
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Rainey AL, Loeb JC, Robinson SE, Lednicky JA, McPherson J, Colson S, Allen M, Coker ES, Sabo-Attwood T, Maurelli AT, Bisesi JH. Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in a small coastal community: Effects of tourism on viral presence and variant identification among low prevalence populations. Environ Res 2022; 208:112496. [PMID: 34902379 PMCID: PMC8820684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used to measure SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in cities worldwide as an indicator of community health, however, few longitudinal studies have followed SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in small communities from the start of the pandemic or evaluated the influence of tourism on viral loads. Therefore the objective of this study was to use measurements of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater to monitor viral trends and variants in a small island community over a twelve-month period beginning May 1, 2020, before the community re-opened to tourists. Wastewater samples were collected weekly and analyzed to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 genome copies. Sanger sequencing was used to determine genome sequences from total RNA extracted from wastewater samples positive for SARS-CoV-2. Visitor data was collected from the local Chamber of Commerce. We performed Poisson and linear regression to determine if visitors to the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce were positively associated with SARS-CoV-2-positive wastewater samples and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Results indicated that weekly wastewater samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 until mid-July when positive samples were recorded in four of five consecutive weeks. Additional positive results were recorded in November and December 2020, as well as January, March, and April 2021. Tourism data revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater increased by 1.06 Log10 genomic copies/L per 100 tourists weekly. Sequencing from six positive wastewater samples yielded two complete sequences of SARS-CoV-2, two overlapping sequences, and two low yield sequences. They show arrival of a new variant SARS-CoV-2 in January 2021. Our results demonstrate the utility of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in a small community. Wastewater surveillance and viral genome sequencing suggest that population mobility likely plays an important role in the introduction and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants among communities experiencing high tourism and who have a small population size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Rainey
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Sarah E Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - John McPherson
- Cedar Key Water and Sewer District, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA
| | - Sue Colson
- Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA
| | - Michael Allen
- Nature Coast Biological Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA
| | - Eric S Coker
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Anthony T Maurelli
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
| | - Joseph H Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Rodrigues TCS, Viadanna PHO, Subramaniam K, Hawkins IK, Jeon AB, Loeb JC, Krauer JMC, Lednicky JA, Wisely SM, Waltzek TB. Characterization of a Novel Reassortant Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 6 Strain Isolated from Diseased White-Tailed Deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) on a Florida Farm. Viruses 2022; 14:1012. [PMID: 35632753 PMCID: PMC9146129 DOI: 10.3390/v14051012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We report an outbreak of a novel reassortant epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 6 (EHDV-6) in white-tailed deer (WTD) on a Florida farm in 2019. At necropsy, most animals exhibited hemorrhagic lesions in the lung and heart, and congestion in the lung, liver, and spleen. Histopathology revealed multi-organ hemorrhage and congestion, and renal tubular necrosis. Tissues were screened by RT-qPCR and all animals tested positive for EHDV. Tissues were processed for virus isolation and next-generation sequencing was performed on cDNA libraries generated from the RNA extracts of cultures displaying cytopathic effects. Six isolates yielded nearly identical complete genome sequences of a novel U.S. EHDV-6 strain. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses revealed the novel strain to be most closely related to a reassortant EHDV-6 strain isolated from cattle in Trinidad and both strains received segment 4 from an Australian EHDV-2 strain. The novel U.S. EHDV-6 strain is unique in that it acquired segment 8 from an Australian EHDV-8 strain. An RNAscope® in situ hybridization assay was developed against the novel U.S. EHDV-6 strain and labeling was detected within lesions of the heart, kidney, liver, and lung. These data support the novel U.S. reassortant EHDV-6 strain as the cause of disease in the farmed WTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís C. S. Rodrigues
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (T.C.S.R.); (P.H.O.V.); (K.S.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
| | - Pedro H. O. Viadanna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (T.C.S.R.); (P.H.O.V.); (K.S.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
| | - Kuttichantran Subramaniam
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (T.C.S.R.); (P.H.O.V.); (K.S.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
| | - Ian K. Hawkins
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (I.K.H.); (A.B.J.)
| | - Albert B. Jeon
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (I.K.H.); (A.B.J.)
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Juan M. C. Krauer
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Thomas B. Waltzek
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (T.C.S.R.); (P.H.O.V.); (K.S.)
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (J.C.L.); (J.A.L.); (S.M.W.)
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10
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Xu H, Akinyemi IA, Chitre SA, Loeb JC, Lednicky JA, McIntosh MT, Bhaduri-McIntosh S. SARS-CoV-2 viroporin encoded by ORF3a triggers the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. Virology 2022; 568:13-22. [PMID: 35066302 PMCID: PMC8762580 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Heightened inflammatory response is a prominent feature of severe COVID-19 disease. We report that the SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a viroporin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome, the most promiscuous of known inflammasomes. Ectopically expressed ORF3a triggers IL-1β expression via NFκB, thus priming the inflammasome. ORF3a also activates the NLRP3 inflammasome but not NLRP1 or NLRC4, resulting in maturation of IL-1β and cleavage/activation of Gasdermin. Notably, ORF3a activates the NLRP3 inflammasome via both ASC-dependent and -independent modes. This inflammasome activation requires efflux of potassium ions and oligomerization between the kinase NEK7 and NLRP3. Importantly, infection of epithelial cells with SARS-CoV-2 similarly activates the NLRP3 inflammasome. With the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 and select FDA-approved oral drugs able to block ORF3a-mediated inflammasome activation, as well as key ORF3a amino acid residues needed for virus release and inflammasome activation conserved in the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 isolates across continents, ORF3a and NLRP3 present prime targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanzhou Xu
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ibukun A. Akinyemi
- Child Health Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Siddhi A. Chitre
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA,Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA,Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael T. McIntosh
- Child Health Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sumita Bhaduri-McIntosh
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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11
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Nannu Shankar S, Witanachchi CT, Morea AF, Lednicky JA, Loeb JC, Alam MM, Fan ZH, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Wu CY. SARS-CoV-2 in residential rooms of two self-isolating persons with COVID-19. J Aerosol Sci 2022; 159:105870. [PMID: 34483358 PMCID: PMC8401278 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2021.105870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with COVID-19 are advised to self-isolate at their residences unless they require hospitalization. Persons sharing a dwelling with someone who has COVID-19 have a substantial risk of being exposed to the virus. However, environmental monitoring for the detection of virus in such settings is limited. We present a pilot study on environmental sampling for SARS-CoV-2 virions in the residential rooms of two volunteers with COVID-19 who self-quarantined. Apart from standard surface swab sampling, based on availability, four air samplers positioned 0.3-2.2 m from the volunteers were used: a VIable Virus Aerosol Sampler (VIVAS), an inline air sampler that traps particles on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filters, a NIOSH 2-stage cyclone sampler (BC-251), and a Sioutas personal cascade impactor sampler (PCIS). The latter two selectively collect particles of specific size ranges. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by real-time Reverse-Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-qPCR) analyses of particles in one air sample from the room of volunteer A and in various air and surface samples from that of volunteer B. The one positive sample collected by the NIOSH sampler from volunteer A's room had a quantitation cycle (Cq) of 38.21 for the N-gene, indicating a low amount of airborne virus [5.69E-02 SARS-CoV-2 genome equivalents (GE)/cm3 of air]. In contrast, air samples and surface samples collected off the mobile phone in volunteer B's room yielded Cq values ranging from 14.58 to 24.73 and 21.01 to 24.74, respectively, on the first day of sampling, indicating that this volunteer was actively shedding relatively high amounts of SARS-CoV-2 at that time. The SARS-CoV-2 GE/cm3 of air for the air samples collected by the PCIS was in the range 6.84E+04 to 3.04E+05 using the LED-N primer system, the highest being from the stage 4 filter, and similarly, ranged from 2.54E+03 to 1.68E+05 GE/cm3 in air collected by the NIOSH sampler. Attempts to isolate the virus in cell culture from the samples from volunteer B's room with the aforementioned Cq values were unsuccessful due to out-competition by a co-infecting Human adenovirus B3 (HAdVB3) that killed the Vero E6 cell cultures within 4 days of their inoculation, although Cq values of 34.56-37.32 were measured upon rRT-qPCR analyses of vRNA purified from the cell culture medium. The size distribution of SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosol particles collected from the air of volunteer B's room was >0.25 μm and >0.1 μm as recorded by the PCIS and the NIOSH sampler, respectively, suggesting a risk of aerosol transmission since these particles can remain suspended in air for an extended time and travel over long distances. The detection of virus in surface samples also underscores the potential for fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Chiran T Witanachchi
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alyssa F Morea
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | | | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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12
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Li H, Shankar SN, Witanachchi CT, Lednicky JA, Loeb JC, Alam MM, Fan ZH, Mohamed K, Boyette JA, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Wu CY. Environmental Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Two Restaurants from a Mid-scale City that Followed U.S. CDC Reopening Guidance. Aerosol Air Qual Res 2022; 22:210304. [PMID: 35024044 PMCID: PMC8752097 DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.210304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Since mask use and physical distancing are difficult to maintain when people dine indoors, restaurants are perceived as high risk for acquiring COVID-19. The air and environmental surfaces in two restaurants in a mid-scale city located in north central Florida that followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reopening guidance were sampled three times from July 2020 to February 2021. Sixteen air samples were collected for 2 hours using air samplers, and 20 surface samples by using moistened swabs. The samples were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA. A total of ~550 patrons dined in the restaurants during our samplings. SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA was not detected in any of the air samples. One of the 20 surface samples (5%) was positive. That sample had been collected from a plastic tablecloth immediately after guests left the restaurant. Virus was not isolated in cell cultures inoculated with aliquots of the RT-PCR-positive sample. The likelihood that patrons and staff acquire SARS-CoV-2 infections may be low in restaurants in a mid-scale city that adopt CDC restaurant reopening guidelines, such as operation at 50% capacity so that tables can be spaced at least 6 feet apart, establishment of adequate mechanical ventilation, use of a face covering except while eating or drinking, and implementation of disinfection measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwan Li
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
| | | | | | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Md. Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z. Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Jessica A. Boyette
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
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13
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Manzanas C, Alam MM, Loeb JC, Lednicky JA, Wu CY, Fan ZH. A Valve-Enabled Sample Preparation Device with Isothermal Amplification for Multiplexed Virus Detection at the Point-of-Care. ACS Sens 2021; 6:4176-4184. [PMID: 34767357 PMCID: PMC8609915 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c01718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Early and accurate detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses at the point-of-care is crucial for reducing disease transmission during the current pandemic and future flu seasons. To prepare for potential cocirculation of these two viruses, we report a valve-enabled, paper-based sample preparation device integrated with isothermal amplification for their simultaneous detection. The device incorporates (1) virus lysis and RNA enrichment, enabled by ball-based valves for sequential delivery of reagents with no pipet requirement, (2) reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification, carried out in a coffee mug, and (3) colorimetric detection. We have used the device for simultaneously detecting inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A H1N1 viruses in 50 min, with limits of detection at 2 and 6 genome equivalents, respectively. The device was further demonstrated to detect both viruses in environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Manzanas
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P. O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P. O. Box 116250, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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14
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Li H, Shankar SN, Witanachchi CT, Lednicky JA, Loeb JC, Alam MM, Fan ZH, Mohamed K, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Wu CY. Environmental Surveillance and Transmission Risk Assessments for SARS-CoV-2 in a Fitness Center. Aerosol Air Qual Res 2021; 21:210106. [PMID: 35047025 PMCID: PMC8765736 DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.210106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Fitness centers are considered high risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to their high human occupancy and the type of activity taking place in them, especially when individuals pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic for COVID-19 exercise in the facilities. In this study, air (N=21) and surface (N=8) samples were collected at a fitness center through five sampling events from August to November 2020 after the reopening restrictions were lifted in Florida. The total attendance was ~2500 patrons during our air and environmental sampling work. Air samples were collected using stationary and personal bioaerosol samplers. Moistened flocked nylon swabs were used to collect samples from high-touch surfaces. We did not detect SARS-CoV-2 by rRT-PCR analyses in any air or surface sample. A simplified infection risk model based on the Wells-Riley equation predicts that the probability of infection in this fitness center was 1.77% following its ventilation system upgrades based on CDC guidelines, and that risk was further reduced to 0.89% when patrons used face masks. Our model also predicts that a combination of high ventilation, minimal air recirculation, air filtration, and UV sterilization of recirculated air reduced the infection risk up to 94% compared to poorly ventilated facilities. Amongst these measures, high ventilation with outdoor air is most critical in reducing the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. For buildings that cannot avoid air recirculation due to energy costs, the use of high filtration and/or air disinfection devices are alternatives to reducing the probability of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 through inhalation exposure. In contrast to the perceived ranking of high risk, the infection risk in fitness centers that follow CDC reopening guidance, including implementation of engineering and administrative controls, and use of personal protective equipment, can be low, and these facilities can offer a relatively safe venue for patrons to exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwan Li
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
| | | | | | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, USA
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15
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Schaller MA, Sharma Y, Dupee Z, Nguyen D, Urueña J, Smolchek R, Loeb JC, Machuca TN, Lednicky JA, Odde DJ, Campbell RF, Sawyer WG, Mehrad B. Ex vivo SARS-CoV-2 infection of human lung reveals heterogeneous host defense and therapeutic responses. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e148003. [PMID: 34357881 PMCID: PMC8492301 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.148003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell lines are the mainstay in understanding the biology of COVID-19 infection but do not recapitulate many of the complexities of human infection. The use of human lung tissue is one solution for the study of such novel respiratory pathogens. We hypothesized that a cryopreserved bank of human lung tissue would allow for the ex vivo study of the interindividual heterogeneity of host response to SARS-CoV-2, thus providing a bridge between studies with cell lines and studies in animal models. We generated a cryobank of tissues from 21 donors, many of whom had clinical risk factors for severe COVID-19. Cryopreserved tissues preserved 90% cell viability and contained heterogenous populations of metabolically active epithelial, endothelial, and immune cell subsets of the human lung. Samples were readily infected with HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated comparable susceptibility to infection. In contrast, we observed a marked donor-dependent heterogeneity in the expression of IL6, CXCL8, and IFNB1 in response to SARS-CoV-2. Treatment of tissues with dexamethasone and the experimental drug N-hydroxycytidine suppressed viral growth in all samples, whereas chloroquine and remdesivir had no detectable effect. Metformin and sirolimus, molecules with predicted but unproven antiviral activity, each suppressed viral replication in tissues from a subset of donors. In summary, we developed a system for the ex vivo study of human SARS-CoV-2 infection using primary human lung tissue from a library of donor tissues. This model may be useful for drug screening and for understanding basic mechanisms of COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Schaller
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
| | - Yamini Sharma
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
| | - Zadia Dupee
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
| | - Duy Nguyen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
| | - Juan Urueña
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
| | - Ryan Smolchek
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Emerging Pathogens Institute; and
| | - Tiago N. Machuca
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Emerging Pathogens Institute; and
| | - David J. Odde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Robert F. Campbell
- Department of Drug Development, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - W. Gregory Sawyer
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
| | - Borna Mehrad
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine
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Elbadry MA, Durães-Carvalho R, Blohm GM, Stephenson CJ, Loeb JC, White SK, Telisma T, Chavannes S, Beau De Rochars VM, Salemi M, Morris JG, Lednicky JA. Orthobunyaviruses in the Caribbean: Melao and Oropouche virus infections in school children in Haiti in 2014. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009494. [PMID: 34133422 PMCID: PMC8238191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the identification of two orthobunyaviruses, Melao virus (MELV) and Oropouche virus (OROV), in plasma specimens from Haitian children with acute febrile illness who presented during outbreaks caused by alpha- and flaviviruses in 2014. Heretofore not described as a human pathogen, MELV was isolated in cell culture from the plasma of five case patients. OROV RNA was detected in the plasma of an additional child, using an unbiased sequencing approach, with phylogenetic inference suggesting a close relationship with strains from Brazil. Abdominal pain was reported by four case patients with MELV infections, with lymphadenopathy noted in two cases. Our findings document the occurrence of these orthobunyaviruses within the Caribbean region and highlight the critical importance of surveillance with viral genome sequence analyses to identify outbreaks caused by these and other emerging viruses. Melao and Oropuche virus infections were detected in Haitian children who developed acute febrile illnesses in year 2014. As these viruses were not previously known to circulate in Haiti, our findings highlight the critical importance of surveillance to identify outbreaks caused by these and other emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha A. Elbadry
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | | | - Gabriela M. Blohm
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Caroline J. Stephenson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sarah K. White
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | | | | | - Valery M. Beau De Rochars
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Health Service Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - J. Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Jiang X, Loeb JC, Pan M, Tilly TB, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Lednicky JA, Wu CY, Fan ZH. Integration of sample preparation with RNA-Amplification in a hand-held device for airborne virus detection. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1165:338542. [PMID: 33975694 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Aerosol transmission is one of the three major transmission routes of respiratory viruses. However, the dynamics and significance of the aerosol transmission route are not well understood, partially due to the lack of rapid and efficient tools for on-the-spot detection of airborne viruses. We report a hand-held device that integrates a 3D-printed sample preparation unit with a laminated paper-based RNA amplification unit. The sample preparation unit features an innovative reagent delivery scheme based on a ball-based valve capable of storing and delivering reagents through the rotation of the unit without manual pipetting, while the paper-based unit enables RNA enrichment and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). We have determined the detection limit of the integrated sample-preparation/amplification device (SPAD) at 1 TCID50 H1N1 influenza viruses in 140 μL aqueous sample. Further, we integrated SPAD with a previously reported viable virus aerosol sampler (VIVAS), a water-vapor-based condensational growth system capable of collecting aerosolized virus particles (Pan et al., 2016) [1]. Using the combined VIVAS-SPAD platform, we have demonstrated the collection/detection of lab-generated, airborne H1N1 influenza viruses in 65 min, suggesting that the platform has a potential for detecting and monitoring airborne virus transmission during outbreaks. The effective sampling and rapid detection of airborne viruses by the sample-to-answer platform will also help us better understand the dynamics and significance of aerosol transmission of infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jiang
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Maohua Pan
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Trevor B Tilly
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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18
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Lednicky JA, Tagliamonte MS, White SK, Elbadry MA, Alam MM, Stephenson CJ, Bonny TS, Loeb JC, Telisma T, Chavannes S, Ostrov DA, Mavian C, De Rochars VMB, Salemi M, Morris JG. Emergence of porcine delta-coronavirus pathogenic infections among children in Haiti through independent zoonoses and convergent evolution. medRxiv 2021. [PMID: 33791709 PMCID: PMC8010738 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.19.21253391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coronaviruses have caused three major epidemics since 2003, including the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In each case, coronavirus emergence in our species has been associated with zoonotic transmissions from animal reservoirs1,2, underscoring how prone such pathogens are to spill over and adapt to new species. Among the four recognized genera of the family Coronaviridae – Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Deltacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus, – human infections reported to date have been limited to alpha- and betacoronaviruses3. We identify, for the first time, porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) strains in plasma samples of three Haitian children with acute undifferentiated febrile illness. Genomic and evolutionary analyses reveal that human infections were the result of at least two independent zoonoses of distinct viral lineages that acquired the same mutational signature in the nsp15 and the spike glycoprotein genes by convergent evolution. In particular, structural analysis predicts that one of the changes in the Spike S1 subunit, which contains the receptor-binding domain, may affect protein’s flexibility and binding to the host cell receptor. Our findings not only underscore the ability of deltacoronaviruses to adapt and potentially lead to human-to-human transmission, but also raise questions about the role of such transmissions in development of pre-existing immunity to other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.
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19
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Lednicky JA, Tagliamonte MS, White SK, Elbadry MA, Alam MM, Stephenson CJ, Bonny TS, Loeb JC, Telisma T, Chavannes S, Ostrov DA, Mavian C, Beau De Rochars VM, Salemi M, Morris JG. Independent infections of porcine deltacoronavirus among Haitian children. Nature 2021; 600:133-137. [PMID: 34789872 PMCID: PMC8636265 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04111-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses have caused three major epidemics since 2003, including the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In each case, the emergence of coronavirus in our species has been associated with zoonotic transmissions from animal reservoirs1,2, underscoring how prone such pathogens are to spill over and adapt to new species. Among the four recognized genera of the family Coronaviridae, human infections reported so far have been limited to alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses3-5. Here we identify porcine deltacoronavirus strains in plasma samples of three Haitian children with acute undifferentiated febrile illness. Genomic and evolutionary analyses reveal that human infections were the result of at least two independent zoonoses of distinct viral lineages that acquired the same mutational signature in the genes encoding Nsp15 and the spike glycoprotein. In particular, structural analysis predicts that one of the changes in the spike S1 subunit, which contains the receptor-binding domain, may affect the flexibility of the protein and its binding to the host cell receptor. Our findings highlight the potential for evolutionary change and adaptation leading to human infections by coronaviruses outside of the previously recognized human-associated coronavirus groups, particularly in settings where there may be close human-animal contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Lednicky
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Massimiliano S. Tagliamonte
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Sarah K. White
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Maha A. Elbadry
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Md. Mahbubul Alam
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Caroline J. Stephenson
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Tania S. Bonny
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | | | | | - David A. Ostrov
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Carla Mavian
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Valery Madsen Beau De Rochars
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - J. Glenn Morris
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
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Gu W, Madrid DMD, Yang G, Artiaga BL, Loeb JC, Castleman WL, Richt JA, Lednicky JA, Driver JP. Unaltered influenza disease outcomes in swine prophylactically treated with α-galactosylceramide. Dev Comp Immunol 2021; 114:103843. [PMID: 32871161 PMCID: PMC8119227 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Influenza A viruses (IAV) are a major cause of respiratory diseases in pigs. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are an innate-like T cell subset that contribute significantly to IAV resistance in mice. In the current work, we explored whether expanding and activating iNKT cells with the iNKT cell superagonist α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) would change the course of an IAV infection in pigs. In one study, α-GalCer was administered to pigs intramuscularly (i.m.) 9 days before infection, which systemically expanded iNKT cells. In another study, α-GalCer was administered intranasally (i.n.) 2 days before virus infection to activate mucosal iNKT cells. Despite a synergistic increase in iNKT cells when α-GalCer i.m. treated pigs were infected with IAV, neither approach reduced disease signs, lung pathology, or virus replication. Our results indicate that prophylactic use of iNKT cell agonists to prevent IAV infection is ineffective in pigs. This is significant because this type of approach has been considered for humans whose iNKT cell levels and IAV infections are more similar to those of pigs than mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Gu
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Guan Yang
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Bianca L Artiaga
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Jürgen A Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - John P Driver
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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21
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Lednicky JA, Lauzard M, Fan ZH, Jutla A, Tilly TB, Gangwar M, Usmani M, Shankar SN, Mohamed K, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Stephenson CJ, Alam MM, Elbadry MA, Loeb JC, Subramaniam K, Waltzek TB, Cherabuddi K, Morris JG, Wu CY. Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients. Int J Infect Dis 2020. [PMID: 32949774 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.025,pubmed:32949774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Because the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols but failure to isolate viable (infectious) virus are commonly reported, there is substantial controversy whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through aerosols. This conundrum occurs because common air samplers can inactivate virions through their harsh collection processes. We sought to resolve the question whether viable SARS-CoV-2 can occur in aerosols using VIVAS air samplers that operate on a gentle water vapor condensation principle. METHODS Air samples collected in the hospital room of two coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients, one ready for discharge and the other newly admitted, were subjected to RT-qPCR and virus culture. The genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 collected from the air and isolated in cell culture were sequenced. RESULTS Viable SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8 m away from the patients. The genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from the material collected by the air samplers was identical to that isolated from the newly admitted patient. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air. CONCLUSIONS Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA.
| | - Michael Lauzard
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Antarpreet Jutla
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Trevor B Tilly
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Mayank Gangwar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Moiz Usmani
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Caroline J Stephenson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Maha A Elbadry
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kuttichantran Subramaniam
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kartikeya Cherabuddi
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
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22
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Chen H, Humes ST, Rose M, Robinson SE, Loeb JC, Sabaraya IV, Smith LC, Saleh NB, Castleman WL, Lednicky JA, Sabo-Attwood T. Hydroxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes modulate immune responses without increasing 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus titers in infected mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 404:115167. [PMID: 32771490 PMCID: PMC10636740 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Growing use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have garnered concerns regarding their association with adverse health effects. Few studies have probed how CNTs affect a host's susceptibility to pathogens, particularly respiratory viruses. We reported that exposure of lung cells and mice to pristine single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) leads to significantly increased influenza virus H1N1 strain A/Mexico/4108/2009 (IAV) titers in concert with repressed antiviral immune responses. In the present study, we investigated if hydroxylated multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs), would result in similar outcomes. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 20 μg MWCNTs on day 0 and IAV on day 3 and samples were collected on day 7. We investigated pathological changes, viral titers, immune-related gene expression in lung tissue, and quantified differential cell counts and cytokine and chemokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. MWCNTs alone caused mild inflammation with no apparent changes in immune markers whereas IAV alone presented typical infection-associated inflammation, pathology, and titers. The co-exposure (MWCNTs + IAV) did not alter titers or immune cell profiles compared to the IAV only but increased concentrations of IL-1β, TNFα, GM-CSF, KC, MIPs, and RANTES and inhibited mRNA expression of Tlr3, Rig-i, Mda5, and Ifit2. Our findings suggest MWCNTs modulate immune responses to IAV with no effect on the viral titer and modest pulmonary injury, a result different from those reported for SWCNT exposures. This is the first study to show that MWCNTs modify cytokine and chemokine responses that control aspects of host defenses which may play a greater role in mitigating IAV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Sara T Humes
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Melanie Rose
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Sarah E Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Indu V Sabaraya
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - L Cody Smith
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - William L Castleman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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23
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Lednicky JA, Lauzardo M, Fan ZH, Jutla A, Tilly TB, Gangwar M, Usmani M, Shankar SN, Mohamed K, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Stephenson CJ, Alam MM, Elbadry MA, Loeb JC, Subramaniam K, Waltzek TB, Cherabuddi K, Morris JG, Wu CY. Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 100:476-482. [PMID: 32949774 PMCID: PMC7493737 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 390] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Because the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols but failure to isolate viable (infectious) virus are commonly reported, there is substantial controversy whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through aerosols. This conundrum occurs because common air samplers can inactivate virions through their harsh collection processes. We sought to resolve the question whether viable SARS-CoV-2 can occur in aerosols using VIVAS air samplers that operate on a gentle water vapor condensation principle. Methods Air samples collected in the hospital room of two coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients, one ready for discharge and the other newly admitted, were subjected to RT-qPCR and virus culture. The genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 collected from the air and isolated in cell culture were sequenced. Results Viable SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8 m away from the patients. The genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from the material collected by the air samplers was identical to that isolated from the newly admitted patient. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air. Conclusions Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA.
| | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Antarpreet Jutla
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Trevor B Tilly
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Mayank Gangwar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Moiz Usmani
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Caroline J Stephenson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Md Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Maha A Elbadry
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kuttichantran Subramaniam
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kartikeya Cherabuddi
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
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24
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Lednicky JA, Lauzardo M, Fan ZH, Jutla A, Tilly TB, Gangwar M, Usmani M, Shankar SN, Mohamed K, Eiguren-Fernandez A, Stephenson CJ, Alam M, Elbadry MA, Loeb JC, Subramaniam K, Waltzek TB, Cherabuddi K, Morris JG, Wu CY. Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients. medRxiv 2020:2020.08.03.20167395. [PMID: 32793914 PMCID: PMC7418726 DOI: 10.1101/2020.08.03.20167395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Background - There currently is substantial controversy about the role played by SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols in disease transmission, due in part to detections of viral RNA but failures to isolate viable virus from clinically generated aerosols. Methods - Air samples were collected in the room of two COVID-19 patients, one of whom had an active respiratory infection with a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR. By using VIVAS air samplers that operate on a gentle water-vapor condensation principle, material was collected from room air and subjected to RT-qPCR and virus culture. The genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 collected from the air and of virus isolated in cell culture from air sampling and from a NP swab from a newly admitted patient in the room were sequenced. Findings - Viable virus was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8m away from the patients. The genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from the material collected by the air samplers was identical to that isolated from the NP swab from the patient with an active infection. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air. Interpretation - Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Antarpreet Jutla
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Trevor B Tilly
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Mayank Gangwar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Moiz Usmani
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Sripriya Nannu Shankar
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | - Karim Mohamed
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, USA
| | | | - Caroline J Stephenson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Mahbubul Alam
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Maha A Elbadry
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kuttinchantran Subramaniam
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Kartikeya Cherabuddi
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, USA
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Florida, USA
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25
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Lednicky JA, White SK, Stephenson CJ, Cherabuddi K, Loeb JC, Moussatche N, Lednicky A, Morris JG. Keystone Virus Isolated From a Florida Teenager With Rash and Subjective Fever: Another Endemic Arbovirus in the Southeastern United States? Clin Infect Dis 2020; 68:143-145. [PMID: 29893806 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Keystone virus, a California-serogroup orthobunyavirus, was first isolated in 1964 from mosquitoes in Keystone, Florida. There were no prior reports of isolation from humans, despite studies suggesting that ~20% of persons living in the region are seropositive. We report virus isolation from a Florida teenager with a rash and fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Sarah K White
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Caroline J Stephenson
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Kartikeya Cherabuddi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Nissin Moussatche
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Andrew Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
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26
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Chen H, Humes ST, Robinson SE, Loeb JC, Sabaraya IV, Saleh NB, Khattri RB, Merritt ME, Martyniuk CJ, Lednicky JA, Sabo-Attwood T. Single-walled carbon nanotubes repress viral-induced defense pathways through oxidative stress. Nanotoxicology 2019; 13:1176-1196. [PMID: 31328592 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2019.1645903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of lung cells in vitro or mice to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) directly to the respiratory tract leads to a reduced host anti-viral immune response to infection with influenza A virus H1N1 (IAV), resulting in significant increases in viral titers. This suggests that unintended exposure to nanotubes via inhalation may increase susceptibility to notorious respiratory viruses that carry a high social and economic burden globally. However, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to viral susceptibility have not been elucidated. In the present study, we identified the retinoic acid-induced gene I (RIG-I) like receptors (RLRs)/mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) pathway as a target of SWCNT-induced oxidative stress in small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) that contribute to significantly enhanced influenza viral titers. Exposure of SAEC to SWCNTs increases viral titers while repressing several aspects of the RLR pathway, including mRNA expression of key genes (e.g. IFITs, RIG-I, MDA5, IFNβ1, CCL5). SWCNTs also reduce mitochondrial membrane potential without altering oxygen consumption rates. Our findings also indicate that SWCNTs can impair formation of MAVS prion-like aggregates, which is known to impede downstream activation of the RLR pathway and hence the transcriptional production of interferon-regulated anti-viral genes and cytokines. Furthermore, application of the antioxidant NAC alleviates inhibition of gene expression levels by SWCNTs, as well as MAVS signalosome formation, and increased viral titers. These data provide evidence of targeted impairment of anti-viral signaling networks that are vital to immune defense mechanisms in lung cells, contributing to increased susceptibility to IAV infections by SWCNTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Sara T Humes
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Sarah E Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Indu V Sabaraya
- Department of Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Ram B Khattri
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Matthew E Merritt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA
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27
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Jiang X, Loeb JC, Manzanas C, Lednicky JA, Fan ZH. Valve-Enabled Sample Preparation and RNA Amplification in a Coffee Mug for Zika Virus Detection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:17211-17214. [PMID: 30358036 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201809993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection represent a public health challenge. Rapid, cost-effective, and reliable diagnostic tools for ZIKV detection at the point of care (POC) are highly desirable, especially for resource-limited nations. To address the need, we have developed an integrated device to achieve sample-to-answer ZIKV detection. The device features innovative ball-based valves enabling the storage and sequential delivery of reagents for virus lysis and a paper-based unit for RNA enrichment and purification. The paper unit is placed in a commercially available coffee mug that provides a constant temperature for reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), followed by colorimetric detection by naked eye or a cellphone camera. Using the device, we demonstrated the reproducible detection of ZIKV in human urine and saliva samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jiang
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Carlos Manzanas
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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28
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Jiang X, Loeb JC, Manzanas C, Lednicky JA, Fan ZH. Valve‐Enabled Sample Preparation and RNA Amplification in a Coffee Mug for Zika Virus Detection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201809993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jiang
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Carlos Manzanas
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering University of Florida P.O. Box 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, and Emerging Pathogens Institute University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
| | - Z. Hugh Fan
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Florida Gainesville FL 32611 USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering University of Florida P.O. Box 116250 Gainesville FL 32611 USA
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29
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Sayler KA, Subramaniam K, Jacob JM, Loeb JC, Craft WF, Farina LL, Stacy NI, Moussatche N, Cook L, Lednicky JA, Wisely SM, Waltzek TB. Characterization of mule deerpox virus in Florida white-tailed deer fawns expands the known host and geographic range of this emerging pathogen. Arch Virol 2018; 164:51-61. [PMID: 30238163 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-3991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Infections caused by mule deerpox virus (MDPV) have been sporadically reported in North American cervids. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns from a farm located in South Central Florida presented with ulcerative and crusting lesions on the coronary band as well as the mucocutaneous tissues of the head. Evaluation of the crusted skin lesions was undertaken using microscopic pathology and molecular techniques. A crusted skin sample was processed for virus isolation in four mammalian cell lines. The resulting isolate was characterized by negative staining electron microscopy and deep sequencing. Histopathologic evaluation of the skin lesions from the fawns revealed a hyperplastic and proliferative epidermis with ballooning degeneration of epidermal and follicular keratinocytes with intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions. Electron microscopy of cell culture supernatant demonstrated numerous large brick-shaped particles typical of most poxviruses. Polymerase chain reaction assays followed by Sanger sequencing revealed a poxvirus gene sequence nearly identical to that of previous strains of MDPV. The full genome was recovered by deep sequencing and genetic analyses supported the Florida white-tailed deer isolate (MDPV-F) as a strain of MDPV. Herein, we report the first genome sequence of MDPV from a farmed white-tailed deer fawn in the South Central Florida, expanding the number of locations and geographic range in which MDPV has been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Sayler
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kuttichantran Subramaniam
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Bldg 1379, Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jessica M Jacob
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Bldg 1379, Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - William F Craft
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lisa L Farina
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicole I Stacy
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nissin Moussatche
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Laurie Cook
- BDRL Whitetail Paradise Farm, Okeechobee, FL, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Samantha M Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas B Waltzek
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Bldg 1379, Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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30
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Blohm GM, Lednicky JA, Márquez M, White SK, Loeb JC, Pacheco CA, Nolan DJ, Paisie T, Salemi M, Rodríguez-Morales AJ, Glenn Morris J, Pulliam JRC, Paniz-Mondolfi AE. Evidence for Mother-to-Child Transmission of Zika Virus Through Breast Milk. Clin Infect Dis 2018; 66:1120-1121. [PMID: 29300859 PMCID: PMC6019007 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zikavirus (ZIKV) is an emerging viral pathogen that continues to spread throughout different regions of the world. Herein we report a case that provides further evidence that ZIKV transmission can occur through breastfeeding by providing a detailed clinical, genomic, and virological case-based description.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Blohm
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Infectious Diseases Research Incubator and the Zoonosis and Emerging Pathogens Regional Collaborative Network, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Lara, Venezuela
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Marilianna Márquez
- Infectious Diseases Research Incubator and the Zoonosis and Emerging Pathogens Regional Collaborative Network, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Lara, Venezuela
- Health Sciences Department, College of Medicine, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Lara, Venezuela
| | - Sarah K White
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | | | - David J Nolan
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Bioinfoexperts LLC, Thibodaux, Louisiana
| | - Taylor Paisie
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Alfonso J Rodríguez-Morales
- Public Health and Infection Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Colombia
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Juliet R C Pulliam
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville
- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi
- Infectious Diseases Research Incubator and the Zoonosis and Emerging Pathogens Regional Collaborative Network, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Lara, Venezuela
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Instituto Diagnóstico Barquisimeto, IDB Biomedical Research Institute, Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
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31
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Chen H, Zheng X, Nicholas J, Humes ST, Loeb JC, Robinson SE, Bisesi JH, Das D, Saleh NB, Castleman WL, Lednicky JA, Sabo-Attwood T. Single-walled carbon nanotubes modulate pulmonary immune responses and increase pandemic influenza a virus titers in mice. Virol J 2017; 14:242. [PMID: 29273069 PMCID: PMC5741862 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-017-0909-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous toxicological studies have focused on injury caused by exposure to single types of nanoparticles, but few have investigated how such exposures impact a host’s immune response to pathogen challenge. Few studies have shown that nanoparticles can alter a host’s response to pathogens (chiefly bacteria) but there is even less knowledge of the impact of such particles on viral infections. In this study, we performed experiments to investigate if exposure of mice to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) alters immune mechanisms and viral titers following subsequent influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 20 μg of SWCNT or control vehicle by intratracheal instillation followed by intranasal exposure to 3.2 × 104 TCID50 IAV or PBS after 3 days. On day 7 mice were euthanized and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging was used to track SWCNT in lung tissues. Viral titers, histopathology, and mRNA expression of antiviral and inflammatory genes were measured in lung tissue. Differential cell counts and cytokine levels were quantified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Results Viral titers showed a 63-fold increase in IAV in SWCNT + IAV exposed lungs compared to the IAV only exposure. Quantitation of immune cells in BALF indicated an increase of neutrophils in the IAV group and a mixed profile of lymphocytes and neutrophils in SWCNT + IAV treated mice. NIRF indicated SWCNT remained in the lung throughout the experiment and localized in the junctions of terminal bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and surrounding alveoli. The dual exposure exacerbated pulmonary inflammation and tissue lesions compared to SWCNT or IAV single exposures. IAV exposure increased several cytokine and chemokine levels in BALF, but greater levels of IL-4, IL-12 (P70), IP-10, MIP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES were evident in the SWCNT + IAV group. The expression of tlr3, ifnβ1, rantes, ifit2, ifit3, and il8 was induced by IAV alone but several anti-viral targets showed a repressed trend (ifits) with pre-exposure to SWCNT. Conclusions These findings reveal a pronounced effect of SWCNT on IAV infection in vivo as evidenced by exacerbated lung injury, increased viral titers and several cytokines/chemokines levels, and reduction of anti-viral gene expression. These results imply that SWCNT can increase susceptibility to respiratory viral infections as a novel mechanism of toxicity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12985-017-0909-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Justine Nicholas
- Department of Physiological Sciences, 1333 Center Drive, Box 100144, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Sara T Humes
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Sarah E Robinson
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Joseph H Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Dipesh Das
- Department of Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - William L Castleman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, PO Box 110880, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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32
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Bonny TS, Driver JP, Paisie T, Salemi M, Morris JG, Shender LA, Smith L, Enloe C, Oxenrider K, Gore JA, Loeb JC, Wu CY, Lednicky JA. Detection of Alphacoronavirus vRNA in the Feces of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) from a Colony in Florida, USA. Diseases 2017; 5:diseases5010007. [PMID: 28933360 PMCID: PMC5456339 DOI: 10.3390/diseases5010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are natural reservoirs of coronaviruses and other viruses with zoonotic potential. Florida has indigenous non-migratory populations of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) that mostly roost in colonies in artificial structures. Unlike their counterparts in Brazil and Mexico, the viruses harbored by the Florida bats have been underexplored. We report the detection of an alphacoronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene sequence in the feces of two of 19 different T. brasiliensis that were capture/release bats that had been evaluated for overall health. The RdRp sequence is similar but not identical to previously detected sequences in the feces of two different species of bats (T. brasiliensis and Molossus molossus) in Brazil. In common with the experience of others doing similar work, attempts to isolate the virus in cell cultures were unsuccessful. We surmise that this and highly related alphacoronavirus are carried by Brazilian free-tailed bats living in a wide eco-spatial region. As various coronaviruses (CoVs) that affect humans emerged from bats, our study raises the question whether CoVs such as the one detected in our work are yet-to-be-detected pathogens of humans and animals other than bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania S Bonny
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - John P Driver
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0910, USA.
| | - Taylor Paisie
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
- Genetics and Genomics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - John Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, USA.
| | - Lisa A Shender
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
| | - Lisa Smith
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
| | - Carolyn Enloe
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
| | - Kevin Oxenrider
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
| | - Jeffery A Gore
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA.
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Artiaga BL, Yang G, Hutchinson TE, Loeb JC, Richt JA, Lednicky JA, Salek-Ardakani S, Driver JP. Rapid control of pandemic H1N1 influenza by targeting NKT-cells. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37999. [PMID: 27897246 PMCID: PMC5126553 DOI: 10.1038/srep37999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Swine influenza A viruses (IAV) are a major cause of respiratory disease in pigs and humans. Currently approved anti-influenza therapies directly target the virus, but these approaches are losing effectiveness as new viral strains quickly develop drug resistance. To over come this challenge, there is an urgent need for more effective antiviral drugs. Here we tested the anti-influenza efficacy of the invariant natural killer T (NKT) cell superagonist, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), which stimulates a wide array of anti-viral immune responses. We show that intranasal but not systemic administration of α-GalCer to piglets infected with pandemic A/California/04/2009 (CA04) H1N1 IAV ameliorated disease symptoms and resulted in the restoration of weight gain to the level of uninfected pigs. Correspondingly, viral titers in the upper-and lower-respiratory tract were reduced only in piglets that had received intranasal α-GalCer. Most significantly, lung inflammation as a consequence of virus persistence was largely prevented when NKT-cells were targeted via the respiratory route. Thus, targeting mucosal NKT-cells may provide a novel and potent platform for improving the course of disease in swine infected with seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses, and leads to the suggestion that this may also be true in humans and therefore deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca L Artiaga
- Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guan Yang
- Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tarun E Hutchinson
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jürgen A Richt
- Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology and Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - John A Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shahram Salek-Ardakani
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - John P Driver
- Department of Animal Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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34
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Iovine NM, Lednicky J, Cherabuddi K, Crooke H, White SK, Loeb JC, Cella E, Ciccozzi M, Salemi M, Morris JG. Coinfection With Zika and Dengue-2 Viruses in a Traveler Returning From Haiti, 2016: Clinical Presentation and Genetic Analysis. Clin Infect Dis 2016; 64:72-75. [PMID: 27694479 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciw667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus and dengue virus serotype 2 were isolated from a patient with travel to Haiti who developed fever, rash, arthralgias, and conjunctivitis. The infecting Zika virus was related to Venezuelan and Brazilian strains but evolved along a lineage originating from strains isolated in 2014 in the same region of Haiti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Iovine
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine.,Emerging Pathogens Institute
| | - John Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens Institute.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions
| | | | - Hannah Crooke
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions
| | - Sarah K White
- Emerging Pathogens Institute.,Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions
| | - Eleonora Cella
- Emerging Pathogens Institute.,Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Infectious Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Reference Centre on Phylogeny, Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Evolution/Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Ciccozzi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute.,Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.,Department of Infectious Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Reference Centre on Phylogeny, Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Evolution/Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute.,Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - J Glenn Morris
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine.,Emerging Pathogens Institute
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35
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Lednicky JA, Iovine NM, Brew J, Loeb JC, Sugimoto JD, Rand KH, Morris JG. Hemagglutinin Gene Clade 3C.2a Influenza A(H3N2) Viruses, Alachua County, Florida, USA, 2014–15. Emerg Infect Dis 2016. [PMID: 26692074 PMCID: PMC4696699 DOI: 10.3201/eid2201.151019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A(H3N2) strains isolated during 2014–15 in Alachua County, Florida, USA, belonged to hemagglutinin gene clade 3C.2a. High rates of influenza-like illness and confirmed influenza cases in children were associated with a decrease in estimated vaccine effectiveness. Illnesses were milder than in 2013–14; severe cases were concentrated in elderly patients with underlying diseases.
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36
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Lednicky JA, Iovine NM, Brew J, Loeb JC, Sugimoto JD, Rand KH, Morris JG. Hemagglutinin Gene Clade 3C.2a Influenza A(H3N2) Viruses, Alachua County, Florida, USA, 2014-15. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:121-3. [PMID: 26692074 PMCID: PMC4696699 DOI: 10.3201/2201.151019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A(H3N2) strains isolated during 2014-15 in Alachua County, Florida, USA, belonged to hemagglutinin gene clade 3C.2a. High rates of influenza-like illness and confirmed influenza cases in children were associated with a decrease in estimated vaccine effectiveness. Illnesses were milder than in 2013-14; severe cases were concentrated in elderly patients with underlying diseases.
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37
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Sayler KA, Barbet AF, Chamberlain C, Clapp WL, Alleman R, Loeb JC, Lednicky JA. Isolation of Tacaribe virus, a Caribbean arenavirus, from host-seeking Amblyomma americanum ticks in Florida. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115769. [PMID: 25536075 PMCID: PMC4275251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Arenaviridae are a family of single stranded RNA viruses of mammals and boid snakes. Twenty-nine distinct mammalian arenaviruses have been identified, many of which cause severe hemorrhagic disease in humans, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and in Central and South America. Humans typically become infected with an arenavirus through contact with excreta from infected rodents. Tacaribe virus (TCRV) is an arenavirus that was first isolated from bats and mosquitoes during a rabies surveillance survey conducted in Trinidad from 1956 to 1958. Tacaribe virus is unusual because it has never been associated with a rodent host and since that one time isolation, the virus has not been isolated from any vertebrate or invertebrate hosts. We report the re-isolation of the virus from a pool of 100 host-seeking Amblyomma americanum (lone star ticks) collected in a Florida state park in 2012. TCRV was isolated in two cell lines and its complete genome was sequenced. The tick-derived isolate is nearly identical to the only remaining isolate from Trinidad (TRVL-11573), with 99.6% nucleotide identity across the genome. A quantitative RT-PCR assay was developed to test for viral RNA in host-seeking ticks collected from 3 Florida state parks. Virus RNA was detected in 56/500 (11.2%) of surveyed ticks. As this virus was isolated from ticks that parasitize humans, the ability of the tick to transmit the virus to people should be evaluated. Furthermore, reservoir hosts for the virus need to be identified in order to develop risk assessment models of human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Sayler
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anthony F. Barbet
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Casey Chamberlain
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - William L. Clapp
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Rick Alleman
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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38
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Sanpui P, Zheng X, Loeb JC, Bisesi JH, Khan IA, Afrooz ARMN, Liu K, Badireddy AR, Wiesner MR, Ferguson PL, Saleh NB, Lednicky JA, Sabo-Attwood T. Single-walled carbon nanotubes increase pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus infectivity of lung epithelial cells. Part Fibre Toxicol 2014; 11:66. [PMID: 25497303 PMCID: PMC4318452 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-014-0066-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Airborne exposure to nanomaterials from unintended occupational or environmental exposures or as a consequence of product use may lead to adverse health effects. Numerous studies have focused on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and their ability to cause pulmonary injury related to fibrosis, and cancer; however few studies have addressed their impact on infectious agents, particularly viruses that are known for causing severe disease. Here we have demonstrated the ability of pristine SWCNTs of diverse electronic structure to increase the susceptibility of small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) to pandemic influenza A H1N1 infection and discerned potential mechanisms of action driving this response. Methods Small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) were exposed to three types of SWCNTs with varying electronic structure (SG65, SG76, CG200) followed by infection with A/Mexico/4108/2009 (pH1N1). Cells were then assayed for viral infectivity by immunofluorescence and viral titers. We quantified mRNA and protein levels of targets involved in inflammation and anti-viral activity (INFβ1, IL-8, RANTES/CCL5, IFIT2, IFIT3, ST3GAL4, ST6GAL1, IL-10), localized sialic acid receptors, and assessed mitochondrial function. Hyperspectral imaging analysis was performed to map the SWCNTs and virus particles in fixed SAEC preparations. We additionally performed characterization analysis to monitor SWCNT aggregate size and structure under biological conditions using dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS). Results Based on data from viral titer and immunofluorescence assays, we report that pre-treatment of SAEC with SWCNTs significantly enhances viral infectivity that is not dependent on SWCNT electronic structure and aggregate size within the range of 106 nm – 243 nm. We further provide evidence to support that this noted effect on infectivity is not likely due to direct interaction of the virus and nanoparticles, but rather a combination of suppression of pro-inflammatory (RANTES) and anti-viral (IFIT2, IFIT3) gene/protein expression, impaired mitochondrial function and modulation of viral receptors by SWCNTs. Conclusions Results of this work reveal the potential for SWCNTs to increase susceptibility to viral infections as a mechanism of adverse effect. These data highlight the importance of investigating the ability of carbon-nanomaterials to modulate the immune system, including impacts on anti-viral mechanisms in lung cells, thereby increasing susceptibility to infectious agents. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12989-014-0066-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallab Sanpui
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Julia C Loeb
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Joseph H Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Iftheker A Khan
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - A R M Nabiul Afrooz
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Keira Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nicholas School of the Environment, and Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Appala Raju Badireddy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nicholas School of the Environment, and Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Mark R Wiesner
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nicholas School of the Environment, and Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - P Lee Ferguson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nicholas School of the Environment, and Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, Box 110885, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Lednicky JA, Butel JS, Luetke MC, Loeb JC. Complete genomic sequence of a new Human polyomavirus 9 strain with an altered noncoding control region. Virus Genes 2014; 49:490-2. [PMID: 25260554 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-014-1119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A complete Human polyomavirus 9 (HPyV9) genome, designated HPyV9 UF-1, was amplified by rolling circle DNA amplification from DNA extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of an AIDS patient. The noncoding control (enhancer/promoter) region (NCCR) of HPyV9 UF-1 has one less AML-1a binding site and three more potential Sp1/GC box binding sites than the NCCRs of two previously described HPyV9 genomes. Nucleotide polymorphisms within the coding regions result in two amino acid differences in the deduced VP2 and VP3 proteins of HPyV9 UF-1 relative to those of the two previously described HPyV9 genomes. Exhaustive attempts to detect HPyV9 in DNA samples extracted from the PBMC of 40 healthy humans and 9 other AIDS patients were unsuccessful, highlighting the need for improved search strategies and optimal specimens for the detection of HPyV9 in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Box 100188, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0188, USA,
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Lednicky JA, Waltzek TB, McGeehan E, Loeb JC, Hamilton SB, Luetke MC. Isolation and genetic characterization of human coronavirus NL63 in primary human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells obtained from a commercial supplier, and confirmation of its replication in two different types of human primary kidney cells. Virol J 2013; 10:213. [PMID: 23805916 PMCID: PMC3716658 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-10-213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cryopreserved primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTEC) were obtained from a commercial supplier for studies of Simian virus 40 (SV40). Within twelve hrs after cell cultures were initiated, cytoplasmic vacuoles appeared in many of the RPTEC. The RPTEC henceforth deteriorated rapidly. Since SV40 induces the formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles, this batch of RPTEC was rejected for the SV40 study. Nevertheless, we sought the likely cause(s) of the deterioration of the RPTEC as part of our technology development efforts. Methods Adventitious viruses in the RPTEC were isolated and/or detected and identified by isolation in various indicator cell lines, observation of cytopathology, an immunoflurorescence assay, electron microscopy, PCR, and sequencing. Results Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was detected in some RPTEC by cytology, an immunofluorescence assay, and PCR. Human Herpesvirus 6B was detected by PCR of DNA extracted from the RPTEC, but was not isolated. Human coronavirus NL63 was isolated and identified by RT-PCR and sequencing, and its replication in a fresh batch of RPTEC and another type of primary human kidney cells was confirmed. Conclusions At least 3 different adventitious viruses were present in the batch of contaminated RPTEC. Whereas we are unable to determine whether the original RPTEC were pre-infected prior to their separation from other kidney cells, or had gotten contaminated with HCoV-NL63 from an ill laboratory worker during their preparation for commercial sale, our findings are a reminder that human-derived biologicals should always be considered as potential sources of infectious agents. Importantly, HCoV-NL63 replicates to high titers in some primary human kidney cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Lednicky
- Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Box 100188, Gainesville, FL 32610-0188, USA.
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