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Islam MR, Ahmed I, Urmi TJ. The pathogenicity and risk evaluation of Rift Valley virus to cause mysterious "Disease X": an update on recent evidences. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024; 86:1243-1246. [PMID: 38463056 PMCID: PMC10923333 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Iftekhar Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Taslima Jamal Urmi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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2
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Yue Z, Zhang X, Gu Y, Liu Y, Lan LM, Liu Y, Li Y, Yang G, Wan P, Chen X. Regulation and functions of the NLRP3 inflammasome in RNA virus infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1309128. [PMID: 38249297 PMCID: PMC10796458 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1309128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Virus infection is one of the greatest threats to human life and health. In response to viral infection, the host's innate immune system triggers an antiviral immune response mostly mediated by inflammatory processes. Among the many pathways involved, the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has received wide attention in the context of viral infection. The NLRP3 inflammasome is an intracellular sensor composed of three components, including the innate immune receptor NLRP3, adaptor apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), and the cysteine protease caspase-1. After being assembled, the NLRP3 inflammasome can trigger caspase-1 to induce gasdermin D (GSDMD)-dependent pyroptosis, promoting the maturation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18). Recent studies have revealed that a variety of viruses activate or inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome via viral particles, proteins, and nucleic acids. In this review, we present a variety of regulatory mechanisms and functions of the NLRP3 inflammasome upon RNA viral infection and demonstrate multiple therapeutic strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome for anti-inflammatory effects in viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Yue
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuelong Zhang
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Gu
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin-Miaoshen Lan
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yilin Liu
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongkui Li
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ge Yang
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan, China
| | - Pin Wan
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
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3
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Scherf J, Vogel D, Gul S, Reinshagen J, Gribbon P, Rosenthal M. Limited high-throughput screening compatibility of the phenuivirus cap-binding domain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22820. [PMID: 38129678 PMCID: PMC10739838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50158-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bunyaviruses constitute a large and diverse group of viruses encompassing many emerging pathogens, such as Rift Valley fever virus (family Phenuiviridae), with public and veterinary health relevance but with very limited medical countermeasures are available. For the development of antiviral strategies, the identification and validation of virus-specific targets would be of high value. The cap-snatching mechanism is an essential process in the life cycle of bunyaviruses to produce capped mRNAs, which are then recognized and translated into viral proteins by the host cell translation machinery. Cap-snatching involves cap-binding as well as endonuclease functions and both activities have been demonstrated to be druggable in related influenza viruses. Here, we explore the suitability of the phenuivirus cap-binding function as a target in medium- and high-throughput drug discovery approaches. We developed a range of in vitro assays aiming to detect the interaction between the cap-binding domain (CBD) and the analogue of its natural cap-ligand m7GTP. However, constricted by its shallow binding pocket and low affinity for m7GTP, we conclude that the CBD has limited small molecule targeting potential using classical in vitro drug discovery approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Scherf
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Vogel
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jeanette Reinshagen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Philip Gribbon
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Maria Rosenthal
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Hamburg, Germany.
- Center for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
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4
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Alkan C, Jurado-Cobena E, Ikegami T. Advancements in Rift Valley fever vaccines: a historical overview and prospects for next generation candidates. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:171. [PMID: 37925544 PMCID: PMC10625542 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00769-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes and causes abortion storms, fetal malformations, and newborn animal deaths in livestock ruminants. In humans, RVF can manifest as hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or retinitis. Outbreaks of RVF have been occurring in Africa since the early 20th century and continue to pose a threat to both humans and animals in various regions such as Africa, Madagascar, the Comoros, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. The development of RVF vaccines is crucial in preventing mortality and morbidity and reducing the spread of the virus. While several veterinary vaccines have been licensed in endemic countries, there are currently no licensed RVF vaccines for human use. This review provides an overview of the existing RVF vaccines, as well as potential candidates for future studies on RVF vaccine development, including next-generation vaccines that show promise in combating the disease in both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cigdem Alkan
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Eduardo Jurado-Cobena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Tetsuro Ikegami
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
- The Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
- The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
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5
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Kim KW, Lee B, Eom S, Shin D, Park C, Kim S, Yi H. Universal primers for rift valley fever virus whole-genome sequencing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18688. [PMID: 37907670 PMCID: PMC10618441 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45848-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease causing acute hemorrhagic fever. Accurate identification of mutations and phylogenetic characterization of RVF virus (RVFV) require whole-genome analysis. Universal primers to amplify the entire RVFV genome from clinical samples with low copy numbers are currently unavailable. Thus, we aimed to develop universal primers applicable for all known RVFV strains. Based on the genome sequences available from public databases, we designed eight pairs of universal PCR primers covering the entire RVFV genome. To evaluate primer universality, four RVFV strains (ZH548, Kenya 56 (IB8), BIME-01, and Lunyo), encompassing viral phylogenetic diversity, were chosen. The nucleic acids of the test strains were chemically synthesized or extracted via cell culture. These RNAs were evaluated using the PCR primers, resulting in successful amplification with expected sizes (0.8-1.7 kb). Sequencing confirmed that the products covered the entire genome of the RVFV strains tested. Primer specificity was confirmed via in silico comparison against all non-redundant nucleotide sequences using the BLASTn alignment tool in the NCBI database. To assess the clinical applicability of the primers, mock clinical specimens containing human and RVFV RNAs were prepared. The entire RVFV genome was successfully amplified and sequenced at a viral concentration of 108 copies/mL. Given the universality, specificity, and clinical applicability of the primers, we anticipate that the RVFV universal primer pairs and the developed method will aid in RVFV phylogenomics and mutation detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Woo Kim
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses, Korea Virus Research Institute, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Banseok Lee
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujeong Eom
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghoon Shin
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changwoo Park
- Microbiological Analysis Team, Group for Biometrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Convergent Research Center for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seil Kim
- Microbiological Analysis Team, Group for Biometrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Convergent Research Center for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Bio-Analysis Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hana Yi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- School of Biosystems and Biomedical Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Xu L, Paine AC, Barbeau DJ, Alencastro F, Duncan AW, McElroy AK. Limiting viral replication in hepatocytes alters Rift Valley fever virus disease manifestations. J Virol 2023; 97:e0085323. [PMID: 37695055 PMCID: PMC10537571 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00853-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes mild to severe disease in humans and livestock. Outbreaks of RVFV have been reported throughout Africa and have spread outside Africa since 2000, calling for urgent worldwide attention to this emerging virus. RVFV directly infects the liver, and elevated transaminases are a hallmark of severe RVFV infection. However, the specific contribution of viral replication in hepatocytes to pathogenesis of RVFV remains undefined. To address this, we generated a recombinant miRNA-targeted virus, RVFVmiR-122, to limit hepatocellular replication. MicroRNAs are evolutionarily conserved non-coding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression by targeting them for degradation. RVFVmiR-122 includes an insertion of four target sequences of the liver-specific miR-122. In contrast to control RVFVmiR-184, which contains four target sequences of mosquito-specific miR-184, RVFVmiR-122 has restricted replication in vitro in primary mouse hepatocytes. RVFVmiR-122-infected C57BL/6 mice survived acute hepatitis and instead developed late-onset encephalitis. This difference in clinical outcome was eliminated in Mir-122 KO mice, confirming the specificity of the finding. Interestingly, C57BL/6 mice infected with higher doses of RVFVmiR-122 had a higher survival rate which was correlated with faster clearance of virus from the liver, suggesting a role for activation of host immunity in the phenotype. Together, our data demonstrate that miR-122 can specifically restrict the replication of RVFVmiR-122 in liver tissue both in vitro and in vivo, and this restriction alters the clinical course of disease following RVFVmiR-122 infection. IMPORTANCE Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a hemorrhagic fever virus that causes outbreaks in humans and livestock throughout Africa and has spread to continents outside Africa since 2000. However, no commercial vaccine or treatment is currently available for human use against RVFV. Although the liver has been demonstrated as a key target of RVFV, the contribution of viral replication in hepatocytes to overall RVFV pathogenesis is less well defined. In this study we addressed this question by using a recombinant miRNA-targeted virus with restricted replication in hepatocytes. We gained a better understanding of how this individual cell type contributes to the development of disease caused by RVFV. Techniques used in this study provide an innovative tool to the RVFV field that could be applied to study the consequences of limited RVFV replication in other target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqing Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alden C. Paine
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dominique J. Barbeau
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Frances Alencastro
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew W. Duncan
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anita K. McElroy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Ali Y, Siddig EE, Mohamed N, Ahmed A. Rift Valley fever and malaria co-infection: A case report. Clin Case Rep 2023; 11:e7926. [PMID: 37731970 PMCID: PMC10507219 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.7926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Key Clinical Message We report a case of febrile illness that was presented with mild symptoms. However, laboratory investigation confirmed a malaria and Rift Valley fever co-infection. Healthcare providers in settings endemic with several infectious diseases should seek rolling out possibilities of other infections prior to starting treatment for achieving effective case management with less resources and better safety of patients. Abstract Here we report a case of febrile illness that confirmed to be a co-infection of malaria and Rift Valley fever. The patient was initially diagnosed with malaria and started on treatment immediately. However, due to the lack of response to the treatment further laboratory investigations were pursued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousif Ali
- Sudan Field Epidemiology Training, Health Emergencies and Epidemics Control General DirectorateSudan Federal Ministry of HealthKhartoumSudan
| | - Emmanuel Edwar Siddig
- Faculty of Medical Laboratory SciencesUniversity of KhartoumKhartoumSudan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious DiseasesErasmus University Medical Center RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Nouh Mohamed
- Molecular Biology UnitSirius Training and Research CentreKhartoumSudan
| | - Ayman Ahmed
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)AllschwilSwitzerland
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Institute of Endemic DiseasesUniversity of KhartoumKhartoumSudan
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Lapa D, Specchiarello E, Francalancia M, Girardi E, Maggi F, Garbuglia AR. Detection of Anti-Rift Valley Fever Virus Antibodies in Serum Samples of Patients with Suspected Arbovirus Infection. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2081. [PMID: 37630641 PMCID: PMC10460000 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The definitive diagnosis of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) requires a form of testing that is available only in reference laboratories. It includes indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), the serum neutralization assay (NA), and real-time PCR. Therefore, often, no attempts are made to detect it, even among travelers from endemic areas. In this study, the presence of anti-RVFV IgG and IgM was retrospectively screened in stored serum samples from people who were admitted with arbovirus symptoms at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy. Overall, 80 residual serum samples were anonymized, and sub-aliquots were prepared and tested for anti-RVFV IgG and IgM. A serum neutralization assay was used as a confirmatory test. There was a positive result in eight out of 80 samples (10%) for anti-RVFV IgG, with titers ranging from 1:40 up to 1:1280. Three of eight (2.6%) samples were confirmed as seropositive through an in-house serum neutralization assay, with antibody titers ranging from 1:10 to 1:160. All samples resulted negative for anti-RVFV IgM and RVFV RNA when tested by IFA and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. Our data highlight that several RVFV infections can possibly escape routine virological diagnosis, which suggests RVFV testing should be set up in order to monitor virus prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Lapa
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy; (E.S.); (M.F.); (F.M.); (A.R.G.)
| | - Eliana Specchiarello
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy; (E.S.); (M.F.); (F.M.); (A.R.G.)
| | - Massimo Francalancia
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy; (E.S.); (M.F.); (F.M.); (A.R.G.)
| | - Enrico Girardi
- Scientific Direction, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy; (E.S.); (M.F.); (F.M.); (A.R.G.)
| | - Anna Rosa Garbuglia
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy; (E.S.); (M.F.); (F.M.); (A.R.G.)
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Balaraman V, Gaudreault NN, Trujillo JD, Indran SV, Wilson WC, Richt JA. RT-qPCR genotyping assays for differentiating Rift Valley fever phlebovirus strains. J Virol Methods 2023; 315:114693. [PMID: 36801236 PMCID: PMC10040438 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2023.114693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne, zoonotic pathogen. Real time RT-qPCR genotyping (GT) assays were developed to differentiate between two RVFV wild-type strains (128B-15 and SA01-1322) and a vaccine strain (MP-12). The GT assay uses a one-step RT-qPCR mix, with two different RVFV strain-specific primers (either forward or reverse) with long or short G/C tags and a common primer (either forward or reverse) for each of the 3 genomic segments. The GT assay produces PCR amplicons with unique melting temperatures that are resolved in a post PCR melt curve analysis for strain identification. Furthermore, a strain specific RT-qPCR (SS-PCR) assay was developed to allow for specific detection of low titer RVFV strains in mixed RVFV samples. Our data shows that the GT assays are capable of differentiating L, M, and S segments of RVFV strains 128B-15 versus MP-12, and 128B-15 versus SA01-1322. The SS-PCR assay results revealed that it can specifically amplify and detect a low titer MP-12 strain in mixed RVFV samples. Overall, these two novel assays are useful as screening tools for determining reassortment of the segmented RVFV genome during co-infections, and could be adapted and applied for other segmented pathogens of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velmurugan Balaraman
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Natasha N Gaudreault
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Jessie D Trujillo
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Sabarish V Indran
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - William C Wilson
- National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Juergen A Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States.
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Zhu X, Guan Z, Fang Y, Zhang Y, Guan Z, Li S, Peng K. Rift Valley Fever Virus Nucleoprotein Triggers Autophagy to Dampen Antiviral Innate Immune Responses. J Virol 2023; 97:e0181422. [PMID: 36939341 PMCID: PMC10134837 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01814-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne bunyavirus that causes severe and potentially fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans. Autophagy is a self-degradative process that can restrict viral replication at multiple infection steps. In this study, we evaluated the effects of RVFV-triggered autophagy on viral replication and immune responses. Our results showed that RVFV infection triggered autophagosome formation and induced complete autophagy. Impairing autophagy flux by depleting autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5), ATG7, or sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) or treatment with autophagy inhibitors markedly reduced viral RNA synthesis and progeny virus production. Mechanistically, our findings demonstrated that the RVFV nucleoprotein (NP) C-terminal domain interacts with the autophagy receptor SQSTM1 and promotes the SQSTM1-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 B (LC3B) interaction and autophagy. Deletion of the NP C-terminal domain impaired the interaction between NP and SQSTM1 and its ability to trigger autophagy. Notably, RVFV-triggered autophagy promoted viral infection in macrophages but not in other tested cell types, including Huh7 hepatocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, suggesting cell type specificity of this mechanism. It was further revealed that RVFV NP-triggered autophagy dampens antiviral innate immune responses in infected macrophages to promote viral replication. These results provide novel insights into the mechanisms of RVFV-triggered autophagy and indicate the potential of targeting the autophagy pathway to develop antivirals against RVFV. IMPORTANCE We showed that RVFV infection induced the complete autophagy process. Depletion of the core autophagy genes ATG5, ATG7, or SQSTM1 or pharmacologic inhibition of autophagy in macrophages strongly suppressed RVFV replication. We further revealed that the RVFV NP C-terminal domain interacted with SQSTM1 and enhanced the SQSTM1/LC3B interaction to promote autophagy. RVFV NP-triggered autophagy strongly inhibited virus-induced expression of interferon-stimulated genes in infected macrophages but not in other tested cell types. Our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of RVFV-triggered autophagy and highlights the potential of targeting autophagy flux to develop antivirals against this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangtao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zihan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenqiong Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shufen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Antiviral Research, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Experimental Infection of Domestic Pigs ( Sus scrofa) with Rift Valley Fever Virus. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020545. [PMID: 36851759 PMCID: PMC9964260 DOI: 10.3390/v15020545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift valley fever (RVF), caused by the RVF virus (RVFV), is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that primarily affects domestic ruminants. Abortion storms and neonatal deaths characterise the disease in animals. Humans develop flu-like symptoms, which can progress to severe disease. The susceptibility of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) to RVFV remains unresolved due to conflicting experimental infection results. To address this, we infected two groups of pregnant sows, neonates and weaners, each with a different RVFV isolate, and a third group of weaners with a mixture of the two viruses. Serum, blood and oral, nasal and rectal swabs were collected periodically, and two neonates and a weaner from group 1 and 2 euthanised from 2 days post infection (DPI), with necropsy and histopathology specimens collected. Sera and organ pools, blood and oronasorectal swabs were tested for RVFV antibodies and RNA. Results confirmed that pigs can be experimentally infected with RVFV, although subclinically, and that pregnant sows can abort following infection. Presence of viral RNA in oronasorectal swab pools on 28 DPI suggest that pigs may shed RVFV for at least one month. It is concluded that precautions should be applied when handling pig body fluids and carcasses during RVF outbreaks.
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12
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Development and Validation of Rapid Colorimetric Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus. Adv Virol 2023; 2023:1863980. [PMID: 36755743 PMCID: PMC9902148 DOI: 10.1155/2023/1863980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a high-priority zoonotic pathogen with the ability to cause massive loss during its outbreak within a very short period of time. Lack of a highly sensitive, instant reading diagnostic method for RVFV, which is more suitable for on-site testing, is a big gap that needs to be addressed. The aim of this study was to develop a novel one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method for the rapid detection of RVFV. To achieve this, the selected RVFV M segment nucleotide sequences were aligned using Multiple Sequence Comparison by Log-Expectation (MUSCLE) software in MEGA11 version 11.0.11 program to identify conserved regions. A 211 pb sequence was identified and six different primers to amplify it were designed using NEB LAMP Primer design tool version 1.1.0. The specificity of the designed primers was tested using primer BLAST, and a primer set, specific to RVFV and able to form a loop, was selected. In this study, we developed a single-tube test based on calorimetric RT-LAMP that enabled the visual detection of RVFV within 30 minutes at 65°C. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed kit were compared with RVFV qRT-PCR, using total RNA samples extracted from 118 blood samples. The colorimetric RT-LAMP assay had a sensitivity of 98.36% and a specificity of 96.49%. The developed RT-LAMP was found to be tenfold more sensitive compared to the RVFV qRT-PCR assay commonly used in the confirmatory diagnosis of RVFV.
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13
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Rift Valley Fever Virus Non-Structural Protein S Is Associated with Nuclear Translocation of Active Caspase-3 and Inclusion Body Formation. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112487. [PMID: 36366585 PMCID: PMC9698985 DOI: 10.3390/v14112487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) causes Rift Valley fever (RVF), an emerging zoonotic disease that causes abortion storms and high mortality rates in young ruminants as well as severe or even lethal complications in a subset of human patients. This study investigates the pathomechanism of intranuclear inclusion body formation in severe RVF in a mouse model. Liver samples from immunocompetent mice infected with virulent RVFV 35/74, and immunodeficient knockout mice that lack interferon type I receptor expression and were infected with attenuated RVFV MP12 were compared to livers from uninfected controls using histopathology and immunohistochemistry for RVFV nucleoprotein, non-structural protein S (NSs) and pro-apoptotic active caspase-3. Histopathology of the livers showed virus-induced, severe hepatic necrosis in both mouse strains. However, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence revealed eosinophilic, comma-shaped, intranuclear inclusions and an intranuclear (co-)localization of RVFV NSs and active caspase-3 only in 35/74-infected immunocompetent mice, but not in MP12-infected immunodeficient mice. These results suggest that intranuclear accumulation of RVFV 35/74 NSs is involved in nuclear translocation of active caspase-3, and that nuclear NSs and active caspase-3 are involved in the formation of the light microscopically visible inclusion bodies.
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14
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Woodson CM, Kehn-Hall K. Examining the role of EGR1 during viral infections. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1020220. [PMID: 36338037 PMCID: PMC9634628 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early growth response 1 (EGR1) is a multifunctional mammalian transcription factor capable of both enhancing and/or inhibiting gene expression. EGR1 can be activated by a wide array of stimuli such as exposure to growth factors, cytokines, apoptosis, and various cellular stress states including viral infections by both DNA and RNA viruses. Following induction, EGR1 functions as a convergence point for numerous specialized signaling cascades and couples short-term extracellular signals to influence transcriptional regulation of genes required to initiate the appropriate biological response. The role of EGR1 has been extensively studied in both physiological and pathological conditions of the adult nervous system where it is readily expressed in various regions of the brain and is critical for neuronal plasticity and the formation of memories. In addition to its involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders, EGR1 has also been widely examined in the field of cancer where it plays paradoxical roles as a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene. EGR1 is also associated with multiple viral infections such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In this review, we examine EGR1 and its role(s) during viral infections. First, we provide an overview of EGR1 in terms of its structure, other family members, and a brief overview of its roles in non-viral disease states. We also review upstream regulators of EGR1 and downstream factors impacted by EGR1. Then, we extensively examine EGR1 and its roles, both direct and indirect, in regulating replication of DNA and RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Woodson
- Department of Biomedical Science and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Kylene Kehn-Hall
- Department of Biomedical Science and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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15
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Peinado RDS, Eberle RJ, Arni RK, Coronado MA. A Review of Omics Studies on Arboviruses: Alphavirus, Orthobunyavirus and Phlebovirus. Viruses 2022; 14:2194. [PMID: 36298749 PMCID: PMC9607206 DOI: 10.3390/v14102194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the intricate and complex steps in pathogenesis and host-viral interactions of arthropod-borne viruses or arboviruses are not completely understood, the multi-omics approaches, which encompass proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics and metabolomics network analysis, are of great importance. We have reviewed the omics studies on mosquito-borne viruses of the Togaviridae, Peribuyaviridae and Phenuiviridae families, specifically for Chikungunya, Mayaro, Oropouche and Rift Valley Fever viruses. Omics studies can potentially provide a new perspective on the pathophysiology of arboviruses, contributing to a better comprehension of these diseases and their effects and, hence, provide novel insights for the development of new antiviral drugs or therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela dos S. Peinado
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation, Department of Physics, Sao Paulo State University, Sao Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Raphael J. Eberle
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Raghuvir K. Arni
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation, Department of Physics, Sao Paulo State University, Sao Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Mônika A. Coronado
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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16
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Juma J, Fonseca V, Konongoi SL, van Heusden P, Roesel K, Sang R, Bett B, Christoffels A, de Oliveira T, Oyola SO. Genomic surveillance of Rift Valley fever virus: from sequencing to lineage assignment. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:520. [PMID: 35850574 PMCID: PMC9295512 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08764-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic evolution of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in Africa has been shaped mainly by environmental changes such as abnormal rainfall patterns and climate change that has occurred over the last few decades. These gradual environmental changes are believed to have effected gene migration from macro (geographical) to micro (reassortment) levels. Presently, 15 lineages of RVFV have been identified to be circulating within the Sub-Saharan Africa. International trade in livestock and movement of mosquitoes are thought to be responsible for the outbreaks occurring outside endemic or enzootic regions. Virus spillover events contribute to outbreaks as was demonstrated by the largest epidemic of 1977 in Egypt. Genomic surveillance of the virus evolution is crucial in developing intervention strategies. Therefore, we have developed a computational tool for rapidly classifying and assigning lineages of the RVFV isolates. The computational method is presented both as a command line tool and a web application hosted at https://www.genomedetective.com/app/typingtool/rvfv/. Validation of the tool has been performed on a large dataset using glycoprotein gene (Gn) and whole genome sequences of the Large (L), Medium (M) and Small (S) segments of the RVFV retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database. Using the Gn nucleotide sequences, the RVFV typing tool was able to correctly classify all 234 RVFV sequences at species level with 100% specificity, sensitivity and accuracy. All the sequences in lineages A (n = 10), B (n = 1), C (n = 88), D (n = 1), E (n = 3), F (n = 2), G (n = 2), H (n = 105), I (n = 2), J (n = 1), K (n = 4), L (n = 8), M (n = 1), N (n = 5) and O (n = 1) were also correctly classified at phylogenetic level. Lineage assignment using whole RVFV genome sequences (L, M and S-segments) did not achieve 100% specificity, sensitivity and accuracy for all the sequences analyzed. We further tested our tool using genomic data that we generated by sequencing 5 samples collected following a recent RVF outbreak in Kenya. All the 5 samples were assigned lineage C by both the partial (Gn) and whole genome sequence classifiers. The tool is useful in tracing the origin of outbreaks and supporting surveillance efforts. Availability: https://github.com/ajodeh-juma/rvfvtyping
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Affiliation(s)
- John Juma
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya.,South African MRC Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Vagner Fonseca
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.,Laboratorio de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde/Organização Mundial da Saúde, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Samson L Konongoi
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya.,Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter van Heusden
- South African MRC Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kristina Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rosemary Sang
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Bernard Bett
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alan Christoffels
- South African MRC Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.,Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.,Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Durban, South Africa.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Samuel O Oyola
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya.
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17
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Stoek F, Barry Y, Ba A, Schulz A, Rissmann M, Wylezich C, Sadeghi B, Beyit AD, Eisenbarth A, N’diaye FB, Haki ML, Doumbia BA, Gueya MB, Bah MY, Eiden M, Groschup MH. Mosquito survey in Mauritania: Detection of Rift Valley fever virus and dengue virus and the determination of feeding patterns. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010203. [PMID: 35427361 PMCID: PMC9113561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In Mauritania, several mosquito-borne viruses have been reported that can cause devastating diseases in animals and humans. However, monitoring data on their occurrence and local distribution are limited. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arthropod-borne virus that causes major outbreaks throughout the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The first Rift Valley fever (RVF) epidemic in Mauritania occurred in 1987 and since then the country has been affected by recurrent outbreaks of the disease. To gain information on the occurrence of RVFV as well as other mosquito-borne viruses and their vectors in Mauritania, we collected and examined 4,950 mosquitoes, belonging to four genera and 14 species. The mosquitoes were captured during 2018 in the capital Nouakchott and in southern parts of Mauritania. Evidence of RVFV was found in a mosquito pool of female Anopheles pharoensis mosquitoes collected in December on a farm near the Senegal River. At that time, 37.5% of 16 tested Montbéliarde cattle on the farm showed RVFV-specific IgM antibodies. Additionally, we detected IgM antibodies in 10.7% of 28 indigenous cattle that had been sampled on the same farm one month earlier. To obtain information on potential RVFV reservoir hosts, blood meals of captured engorged mosquitoes were analyzed. The mosquitoes mainly fed on humans (urban areas) and cattle (rural areas), but also on small ruminants, donkeys, cats, dogs and straw-colored fruit bats. Results of this study demonstrate the circulation of RVFV in Mauritania and thus the need for further research to investigate the distribution of the virus and its vectors. Furthermore, factors that may contribute to its maintenance should be analyzed more closely. In addition, two mosquito pools containing Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes showed evidence of dengue virus (DENV) 2 circulation in the city of Rosso. Further studies are therefore needed to also examine DENV circulation in Mauritania. In Mauritania, various mosquito-borne viruses responsible for devastating diseases in livestock and/or humans occur, threatening both human and animal health. One of these viruses is the Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV), which is widespread throughout the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. The first outbreak in Mauritania occurred in 1987, and epidemics have recurred since then. However, little is known about the maintenance of RVFV during inter-epidemic periods, in the absence of reported outbreaks, and although there is evidence of an active circulation of the virus during these times, only limited data are available on the abundance of RVFV and its vectors in Mauritania. Therefore, this study aimed to collect and examine mosquitoes in different areas where outbreaks have already occurred. Additionally, blood of collected blood-fed mosquitoes was analyzed to identify feeding patterns and thus wildlife potentially acting as RVFV reservoir hosts. Furthermore, the collected mosquitoes were analyzed for the presence of other neglected viruses in order to participate in an elucidation of the circulation of different viruses within the mosquito population in Mauritania and to be able to better prevent disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Stoek
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Yahya Barry
- Office National de Recherche et de Développement de l’Elevage (ONARDEL), Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | - Aliou Ba
- Office National de Recherche et de Développement de l’Elevage (ONARDEL), Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | - Ansgar Schulz
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Melanie Rissmann
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Claudia Wylezich
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Balal Sadeghi
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Abdellahi Diambar Beyit
- Office National de Recherche et de Développement de l’Elevage (ONARDEL), Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | - Albert Eisenbarth
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Mohamed Lemine Haki
- Office National de Recherche et de Développement de l’Elevage (ONARDEL), Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | | | | | | | - Martin Eiden
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- * E-mail:
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18
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Point of care diagnostics and non-invasive sampling strategy: a review on major advances in veterinary diagnostics. ACTA VET BRNO 2022. [DOI: 10.2754/avb202291010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of point of care diagnostics (POCD) in animal diseases has steadily increased over the years since its introduction. Its potential application to diagnose infectious diseases in remote and resource limited settings have made it an ideal diagnostic in animal disease diagnosis and surveillance. The rapid increase in incidence of emerging infectious diseases requires urgent attention where POCD could be indispensable tools for immediate detection and early warning of a potential pathogen. The advantages of being rapid, easily affordable and the ability to diagnose an infectious disease on spot has driven an intense effort to refine and build on the existing technologies to generate advanced POCD with incremental improvements in analytical performance to diagnose a broad spectrum of animal diseases. The rural communities in developing countries are invariably affected by the burden of infectious animal diseases due to limited access to diagnostics and animal health personnel. Besides, the alarming trend of emerging and transboundary diseases with pathogen spill-overs at livestock-wildlife interfaces has been identified as a threat to the domestic population and wildlife conservation. Under such circumstances, POCD coupled with non-invasive sampling techniques could be successfully deployed at field level without the use of sophisticated laboratory infrastructures. This review illustrates the current and prospective POCD for existing and emerging animal diseases, the status of non-invasive sampling strategies for animal diseases, and the tremendous potential of POCD to uplift the status of global animal health care.
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19
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Bracci N, de la Fuente C, Saleem S, Pinkham C, Narayanan A, García-Sastre A, Balaraman V, Richt JA, Wilson W, Kehn-Hall K. Rift Valley fever virus Gn V5-epitope tagged virus enables identification of UBR4 as a Gn interacting protein that facilitates Rift Valley fever virus production. Virology 2022; 567:65-76. [PMID: 35032865 PMCID: PMC8877469 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus that was first reported in the Rift Valley of Kenya which causes significant disease in humans and livestock. RVFV is a tri-segmented, negative-sense RNA virus consisting of a L, M, and S segments with the M segment encoding the glycoproteins Gn and Gc. Host factors that interact with Gn are largely unknown. To this end, two viruses containing an epitope tag (V5) on the Gn protein in position 105 or 229 (V5Gn105 and V5Gn229) were generated using the RVFV MP-12 vaccine strain as a backbone. The V5-tag insertion minimally impacted Gn functionality as measured by replication kinetics, Gn localization, and antibody neutralization assays. A proteomics-based approach was used to identify novel Gn-binding host proteins, including the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, UBR4. Depletion of UBR4 resulted in a significant decrease in RVFV titers and a reduction in viral RNA production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Bracci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
| | - Cynthia de la Fuente
- The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, DEA,National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
| | - Sahar Saleem
- National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
| | - Chelsea Pinkham
- National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
| | - Aarthi Narayanan
- National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University
| | | | - Velmurugan Balaraman
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University
| | - Juergen A. Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University
| | - William Wilson
- National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
| | - Kylene Kehn-Hall
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University,Center for Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,Corresponding Author: Kylene Kehn-Hall, Ph.D., Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Integrated Life Sciences Building, 1981 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060 USA,
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20
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Plant-Derived Recombinant Vaccines against Zoonotic Viruses. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020156. [PMID: 35207444 PMCID: PMC8878793 DOI: 10.3390/life12020156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases cause serious illness with billions of cases, and millions of deaths. The most effective way to restrict the spread of zoonotic viruses among humans and animals and prevent disease is vaccination. Recombinant proteins produced in plants offer an alternative approach for the development of safe, effective, inexpensive candidate vaccines. Current strategies are focused on the production of highly immunogenic structural proteins, which mimic the organizations of the native virion but lack the viral genetic material. These include chimeric viral peptides, subunit virus proteins, and virus-like particles (VLPs). The latter, with their ability to self-assemble and thus resemble the form of virus particles, are gaining traction among plant-based candidate vaccines against many infectious diseases. In this review, we summarized the main zoonotic diseases and followed the progress in using plant expression systems for the production of recombinant proteins and VLPs used in the development of plant-based vaccines against zoonotic viruses.
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21
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Bob NS, Barry MA, Diagne MM, Faye M, Ndione MHD, Diallo A, Diop M, Diop B, Faye O, Loucoubar C, Fall G, Faye O. Detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus Lineage H from South Africa through Syndromic Sentinel Surveillance Network in Senegal. Open Forum Infect Dis 2021; 9:ofab655. [PMID: 35198642 PMCID: PMC8860161 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus that causes epizootics and epidemics among livestock population and humans. Our surveillance system has revealed multiple emergences and re-emergences of RVFV in West Africa over the last decade. Methods The Sentinel Syndromic Surveillance Network in Senegal (4S) has been implemented since 2011. Samples from human suspected arbovirus infection in 4S sentinel sites were sent to Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), where arbovirus diagnosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and virus isolation was performed. Overall, IPD has received a total of 1149 samples from arboviral suspected patients through the 4S network from January to December 2020. These samples were screened for 7 arboviruses including RVFV. Whole-genome sequencing of positive RVFV samples by RT-PCR was performed using the Illumina Miseq platform followed by genome assembly. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using MEGA X. Results Out of the 1149 arbovirus suspected cases, 4 RVFV-positive samples were detected with RT-PCR while 5 RVFV-positive samples were detected by ELISA. Complete genome sequences were obtained for 3 strains among the 4 positive samples by RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analyses indicated an emergence of a virus first described in South Africa during a major outbreak. Conclusions This strong surveillance system allowed the detection of an RVFV outbreak in Senegal in 2020. The obtained genomes clustered with strains from South Africa belonging to lineage H. This calls for implementation of a strong surveillance system for wild animals, humans, and livestock simultaneously in all African countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Martin Faye
- Pole of virology, Institut Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Amadou Diallo
- Epidemiological unit, Institut Pasteur of Dakar,Senegal
| | - Mamadou Diop
- Epidemiological unit, Institut Pasteur of Dakar,Senegal
| | | | - Oumar Faye
- Pole of virology, Institut Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Gamou Fall
- Pole of virology, Institut Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ousmane Faye
- Pole of virology, Institut Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal
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22
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Amaro F, Zé-Zé L, Lourenço J, Giovanetti M, Becker SC, Alves MJ. Phylogenetic Analysis of Massilia phlebovirus in Portugal. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071412. [PMID: 34372617 PMCID: PMC8310352 DOI: 10.3390/v13071412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, molecular surveys of arboviruses have enabled the identification of several new viruses, contributing to the knowledge of viral diversity and providing important epidemiological data regarding possible new emerging viruses. A combination of diagnostic assays, Illumina sequencing and phylogenetic inference are here used to characterize two new Massilia phlebovirus strains isolated from sandflies collected in the Arrábida region, Portugal. Whole genome sequence analysis enabled their identification as reassortants and the recognition of genomic variants co-circulating in Portugal. Much is still unknown about the life cycle, geographic range, evolutionary forces and public health importance of these viruses in Portugal and elsewhere, and more studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Amaro
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade n. 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (M.J.A.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Ed. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Líbia Zé-Zé
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade n. 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (M.J.A.)
- Campus da FCUL, Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Edificio TecLabs, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José Lourenço
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK;
| | - Marta Giovanetti
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos n. 6627, Pampula, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Stefanie Christine Becker
- Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Maria João Alves
- Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida da Liberdade n. 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal; (L.Z.-Z.); (M.J.A.)
- Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Egas Moniz, Ed. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
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Ahmed A, Mahmoud I, Eldigail M, Elhassan RM, Weaver SC. The Emergence of Rift Valley Fever in Gedaref State Urges the Need for a Cross-Border One Health Strategy and Enforcement of the International Health Regulations. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070885. [PMID: 34358035 PMCID: PMC8308630 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the causative agent of a haemorrhagic fever epidemic in Gedaref state, south-east Sudan. Six cases of febrile illness with haemorrhagic manifestations presented at outpatient health-clinics. Blood samples were collected from the patients and shipped to Khartoum where they were tested for dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) using real-time qPCR. Fifty percent (3/6) of them tested positive for RVFV and neither DENV or CHIKV was detected. All patients were males between 20 and 48 years old who had no history of recent travel. This finding describes the first emergence of RVFV in Gedaref state. Considering that the state hosts a major market of livestock, and it has one of the largest-seasonal open pastures in the country that is usually flooded with herds from the neighbouring states and countries during the rainy season, this emergence could represent a major threat to public health in the region and countries importing animals and/or animal products from east Africa. Therefore, we urge the policymakers of the health and animal resources sectors to implement a one health strategy with a well-established early warning surveillance and response system to prevent the establishment of the disease in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Ahmed
- Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum 11111, Sudan
- World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA;
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +249-123997091
| | - Iman Mahmoud
- National Public Health Laboratory, Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum 11111, Sudan; (I.M.); (M.E.); (R.M.E.)
| | - Mawahib Eldigail
- National Public Health Laboratory, Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum 11111, Sudan; (I.M.); (M.E.); (R.M.E.)
| | - Rehab M. Elhassan
- National Public Health Laboratory, Sudan Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum 11111, Sudan; (I.M.); (M.E.); (R.M.E.)
| | - Scott C. Weaver
- World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA;
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA
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24
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Ahmed A, Ali Y, Elduma A, Eldigail MH, Mhmoud RA, Mohamed NS, Ksiazek TG, Dietrich I, Weaver SC. Unique Outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Sudan, 2019. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 26:3030-3033. [PMID: 33219787 PMCID: PMC7706939 DOI: 10.3201/eid2612.201599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a unique outbreak of Rift Valley fever in the Eldamar area, Sudan, May–July 2019, that resulted in 1,129 case-patients and 19 (1.7%) deaths. Patients exhibited clinical signs including fever (100%), headache (79%), and bleeding (4%). Most (98%) patients also reported death and abortions among their livestock.
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25
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Fakour S, Naserabadi S, Ahmadi E. A serological and hematological study on Rift valley fever and associated risk factors in aborted sheep at Kurdistan province in west of Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 75:101620. [PMID: 33609990 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a disease caused by RVF virus (RVFV) which can cause infections in a range of wild and domestic ruminants as well as in humans and characterized by an increased incidence of abortion in ruminants. This study aims to survey the seroprevalence and risk factors of this zoonose among aborted sheep in Kurdistan province, the west of Iran. 182 blood samples were collected from aborted sheep during the past one month under age groups <1, ≥1-3, >3-5 year in four seasons in two groups of border and non-border cities of Kurdistan province. The presence of RVFV-specific Antibodies was investigated by using competitive ELISA. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) was used to confirm positive samples, after separation of serum, as well as blood samples were analyzed for description of hematological parameters. Of a total sheep sampled 1.65 % (n = 3) were positive for RVFV antibodies in both test. The results of IIFA were correlated with the ELISA results. All of the positive samples showed leucopenia and had significant relation with seroprevalence of RVF (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence of RVF in the border cities were significantly higher than other group (P < 0.05) Age of sheep and season had no significant effect on prevalence of RVF (P > 0.05). Results obtained in this study indicated the presence of low-level RVFV circulation among the sheep of Kurdistan Province in Iran, so it is necessary to carry out further studies in other areas of Iran. Doing an epidemiologically study aimed at isolating RVFV in the ruminants of Kurdistan province is recommended. The risk factor of bordering with Iran's western neighbor (Iraq) requires seriously control of the exchange of animals and the relevant products between the two countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Fakour
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sanandaj Branch Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Salahedin Naserabadi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sanandaj Branch Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Elham Ahmadi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sanandaj Branch Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
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26
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Argondizzo APC, Silva D, Missailidis S. Application of Aptamer-Based Assays to the Diagnosis of Arboviruses Important for Public Health in Brazil. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:E159. [PMID: 33375234 PMCID: PMC7796157 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Arbovirus infections represent a global public health problem, and recent epidemics of yellow fever, dengue, and Zika have shown their critical importance in Brazil and worldwide. Whilst a major effort for vaccination programs has been in the spotlight, a number of aptamer approaches have been proposed in a complementary manner, offering the possibility of differential diagnosis between these arboviruses, which often present similar clinical symptoms, as well as the potential for a treatment option when no other alternative is available. In this review, we aim to provide a background on arbovirus, with a basic description of the main viral classes and the disease they cause, using the Brazilian context to build a comprehensive understanding of their role on a global scale. Subsequently, we offer an exhaustive revision of the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches offered by aptamers against arboviruses. We demonstrate how these promising reagents could help in the clinical diagnosis of this group of viruses, their use in a range of diagnostic formats, from biosensors to serological testing, and we give a short review on the potential approaches for novel aptamer-based antiviral treatment options against different arboviral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Corrêa Argondizzo
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365-Rio de Janeiro/RJ CEP 21040-900, Brazil; (A.P.C.A.); (D.S.)
| | - Dilson Silva
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365-Rio de Janeiro/RJ CEP 21040-900, Brazil; (A.P.C.A.); (D.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 255-Rio de Janeiro/RJ-CEP 22783-127, Brazil
| | - Sotiris Missailidis
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365-Rio de Janeiro/RJ CEP 21040-900, Brazil; (A.P.C.A.); (D.S.)
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27
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Kroeker AL, Babiuk S, Pickering BS, Richt JA, Wilson WC. Livestock Challenge Models of Rift Valley Fever for Agricultural Vaccine Testing. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:238. [PMID: 32528981 PMCID: PMC7266933 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) in Kenya in 1930, the virus has become widespread throughout most of Africa and is characterized by sporadic outbreaks. A mosquito-borne pathogen, RVFV is poised to move beyond the African continent and the Middle East and emerge in Europe and Asia. There is a risk that RVFV could also appear in the Americas, similar to the West Nile virus. In light of this potential threat, multiple studies have been undertaken to establish international surveillance programs and diagnostic tools, develop models of transmission dynamics and risk factors for infection, and to develop a variety of vaccines as countermeasures. Furthermore, considerable efforts to establish reliable challenge models of Rift Valley fever virus have been made and platforms for testing potential vaccines and therapeutics in target species have been established. This review emphasizes the progress and insights from a North American perspective to establish challenge models in target livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats in comparisons to other researchers' reports. A brief summary of the potential role of wildlife, such as buffalo and white-tailed deer as reservoir species will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Louise Kroeker
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Shawn Babiuk
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Bradley S Pickering
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Juergen A Richt
- Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - William C Wilson
- USDA, Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (ABADRU), Manhattan, KS, United States
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28
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Monath TP, Kortekaas J, Watts DM, Christofferson RC, Desiree LaBeaud A, Gowen B, Peters CJ, Smith DR, Swanepoel R, Morrill JC, Ksiazek TG, Pittman PR, Bird BH, Bettinger G. Theoretical risk of genetic reassortment should not impede development of live, attenuated Rift Valley fever (RVF) vaccines commentary on the draft WHO RVF Target Product Profile. Vaccine X 2020; 5:100060. [PMID: 32337506 PMCID: PMC7176985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2020.100060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
WHO published draft Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) vaccines. The TPPs contain restrictive requirements aimed at reducing the risk of genetic reassortment. We find no evidence for reassortment despite use of live RVFV vaccines. If genetic reassortment occurred with wild-type RVFV it would be of no consequence. The hypothetical risks of reassortment do not outweigh the benefits of vaccination
In November 2019, The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a draft set of Target Product Profiles (TPPs) describing optimal and minimally acceptable targets for vaccines against Rift Valley fever (RVF), a Phlebovirus with a three segmented genome, in both humans and ruminants. The TPPs contained rigid requirements to protect against genomic reassortment of live, attenuated vaccines (LAVs) with wild-type RVF virus (RVFV), which place undue constraints on development and regulatory approval of LAVs. We review the current LAVs in use and in development, and conclude that there is no evidence that reassortment between LAVs and wild-type RVFV has occurred during field use, that such a reassortment event if it occurred would have no untoward consequence, and that the TPPs should be revised to provide a more balanced assessment of the benefits versus the theoretical risks of reassortment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Monath
- Managing Partner and Chief Scientific Officer, Crozet BioPharma LLC, Devens, MA, USA
| | - Jeroen Kortekaas
- Professor of Veterinary Arbovirology, Department of Virology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - Douglas M Watts
- Executive Director of Vet Services, and Director of Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory and Co-Director of BBRC Infectious Disease and Immunology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Rebecca C Christofferson
- Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Angelle Desiree LaBeaud
- Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), Stanford University School of Medicine, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor of Health Research and Policy (Epidemiology) at the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Clarence J Peters
- Professor (Emeritus) Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Pathology Director (Emeritus) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Darci R Smith
- Immunodiagnostics Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Biological Defense Research Directorate, Fort Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Robert Swanepoel
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - John C Morrill
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Thomas G Ksiazek
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Phillip R Pittman
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Brian H Bird
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.,University of California, Davis, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis 956164, CA, USA
| | - George Bettinger
- USAID Rift Valley Fever Vaccine Project at The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
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29
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Rissmann M, Stoek F, Pickin MJ, Groschup MH. Mechanisms of inter-epidemic maintenance of Rift Valley fever phlebovirus. Antiviral Res 2019; 174:104692. [PMID: 31870761 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) is an arthropod-borne virus that has caused substantial epidemics throughout Africa and in the Arabian Peninsula. The virus can cause severe disease in livestock and humans and therefore the control and prevention of viral outbreaks is of utmost importance. The epidemiology of RVFV has some particular characteristics. Unexpected and significant epidemics have been observed in spatially and temporally divergent patterns across the African continent. Sudden epidemics in previously unaffected areas are followed by periods of long-term apparent absence of virus and sudden, unpredictable reoccurrence in disparate regions. Therefore, the elucidation of underlying mechanisms of viral maintenance is one of the largest gaps in the knowledge of RVFV ecology. It remains unknown whether the virus needs to be reintroduced before RVF outbreaks can occur, or if unperceived viral circulation in local vertebrates or mosquitoes is sufficient for maintenance of the virus. To gain insight into these knowledge gaps, we here review existing data that describe potential mechanisms of RVFV maintenance, as well as molecular and serological studies in endemic and non-endemic areas that provide evidence of an inter- or pre-epidemic virus presence. Basic and country-specific mechanisms of RVFV introduction into non-endemic countries are summarized and an overview of studies using mathematical modeling of RVFV persistence is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Rissmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Suedufer 10, 17489, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Franziska Stoek
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Suedufer 10, 17489, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Matthew J Pickin
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Suedufer 10, 17489, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Suedufer 10, 17489, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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30
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A strand-specific real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay for distinguishing the genomic and antigenomic RNAs of Rift Valley fever phlebovirus. J Virol Methods 2019; 272:113701. [PMID: 31315022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.113701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Rift Valley Fever phlebovirus (RVFV), genus Phlebovirus, family Phenuiviridae, order Bunyavirales, has a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome, consisting of L, M and S segments. Here, we report the establishment of a strand-specific, quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay system that can selectively distinguish between the genomic and antigenomic RNAs of each of the three viral RNA segments produced in RVFV-infected cells. To circumvent the obstacle of primer-independent cDNA synthesis during RT, we used a tagged, strand-specific RT primer, carrying a non-viral 'tag' sequence at the 5' end, which ensured the strand-specificity through the selective amplification of only the tagged cDNA in the real-time PCR assay. We used this assay system to examine the kinetics of intracellular accumulation of genomic and antigenomic viral RNAs in mammalian cells infected with the MP-12 strain of RVFV. The genomic RNA copy numbers, for all three viral RNA segments, were higher than that of their corresponding antigenomic RNAs throughout the time-course of infection, with a notable exception, wherein the M segment genomic and antigenomic RNAs exhibited similar copy numbers at specific times post-infection. Overall, this assay system could be a useful tool to gain an insight into the mechanisms of RNA replication and packaging in RVFV.
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31
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Jérôme H, Rudolf M, Lelke M, Pahlmann M, Busch C, Bockholt S, Wurr S, Günther S, Rosenthal M, Kerber R. Rift Valley fever virus minigenome system for investigating the role of L protein residues in viral transcription and replication. J Gen Virol 2019; 100:1093-1098. [DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Jérôme
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Rudolf
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Lelke
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Meike Pahlmann
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carola Busch
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Bockholt
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Wurr
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- 2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg – Lübeck – Borstel – Riems, Hamburg, Germany
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Rosenthal
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Romy Kerber
- 1 Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- 2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg – Lübeck – Borstel – Riems, Hamburg, Germany
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32
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Gogrefe N, Reindl S, Günther S, Rosenthal M. Structure of a functional cap-binding domain in Rift Valley fever virus L protein. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007829. [PMID: 31136637 PMCID: PMC6555543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) belongs to the family of Phenuiviridae within the order of Bunyavirales. The virus may cause fatal disease both in livestock and humans, and therefore, is of great economical and public health relevance. In analogy to the influenza virus polymerase complex, the bunyavirus L protein is assumed to bind to and cleave off cap structures of cellular mRNAs to prime viral transcription. However, even though the presence of an endonuclease in the N-terminal domain of the L protein has been demonstrated for several bunyaviruses, there is no evidence for a cap-binding site within the L protein. We solved the structure of a C-terminal 117 amino acid-long domain of the RVFV L protein by X-ray crystallography. The overall fold of the domain shows high similarity to influenza virus PB2 cap-binding domain and the putative non-functional cap-binding domain of reptarenaviruses. Upon co-crystallization with m7GTP, we detected the cap-analogue bound between two aromatic side chains as it has been described for other cap-binding proteins. We observed weak but specific interaction with m7GTP rather than GTP in vitro using isothermal titration calorimetry. The importance of m7GTP-binding residues for viral transcription was validated using a RVFV minigenome system. In summary, we provide structural and functional evidence for a cap-binding site located within the L protein of a virus from the Bunyavirales order. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and leads to abortions in and death of ruminants. The virus can also be transmitted to humans causing febrile illness up to hemorrhagic fever with the possibility of fatal outcome. As there is currently no human vaccine or specific treatment available and because of the high epidemic potential, WHO has listed RVFV on its R&D Blueprint for urgent development of medical countermeasures. In order to amplify, the virus needs to transcribe and replicate the viral genome inside the cell cytoplasm. For transcription, the virus uses a process called cap-snatching, which is essentially depending on two functions presumed to reside within the large viral L protein: the ability to bind cap-structures and the activity of cleaving them off from cellular mRNA. Both functions could serve as specific targets for antiviral drug design. We identified and solved the structure of the cap-binding domain of RVFV and provide the first evidence for the presence of a functional cap-binding site in the L protein of bunyaviruses. Comparison with cap-binding proteins of related viruses revealed similarities and important differences critical for the development of potential broad-spectrum antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Gogrefe
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sophia Reindl
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Günther
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany
| | - Maria Rosenthal
- Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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