Simultaneous identification of orthopoxviruses and alphaviruses by oligonucleotide macroarray with special emphasis on detection of variola and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses

Smallpox, Monkeypox and Other Human Orthopoxvirus Infections

Considering that vaccination against smallpox with live vaccinia virus led to serious adverse effects in some cases, the WHO, after declaration of the global eradication of smallpox in 1980, strongly recommended to discontinue the vaccination in all countries. This led to the loss of immunity against not only smallpox but also other zoonotic orthopoxvirus infections in humans over the past years. An increasing number of human infections with zoonotic orthopoxviruses and, first of all, monkeypox, force us to reconsider a possible re-emergence of smallpox or a similar disease as a result of natural evolution of these viruses. The review contains a brief analysis of the results of studies on genomic organization and evolution of human pathogenic orthopoxviruses, development of modern methods for diagnosis, vaccination, and chemotherapy of smallpox, monkeypox, and other zoonotic human orthopoxvirus infections.

[Rapid immunochemical method for the detection of orthopoxviruses (Orthopoxvirus, Chordopoxvirinae, Poxviridae).]

INTRODUCTION

The abolition of smallpox vaccination has led to the disappearance of population immunity to pox viruses. However, the threat of infection by pathogenic orthopoxviruses persists and determines the need to develop sensitive and operational methods for indicating pathogens.

OBJECTIVES

Development of a sensitive, fast and easy-to-use immunochemical test for the detection of orthopoxviruses in the «point of care» format.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We used preparations of cultural vaccinia virus (VV) with varying degrees of purification, polyclonal antibodies from hyperimmune rabbit serum, and equipment from a previously developed autonomous kit for dot-immunoassay on flat protein arrays.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

It has been established that rabbit polyclonal antibodies can be used in a single-stage dotanalysis, both as a capture agent immobilized on a substrate and as a detection reagent bound with colloidal gold particles. It is shown that the effectiveness of the detection of VV is inversely related to the degree of purification of viruses from sub-viral structures. The sensitivity of the rapid detection of viruses in a crude preparation was about 30 times higher than in pure viral material. The increase in sensitivity, presumably, occurs due to binding to the capture antibodies of subviral structures, which form large aggregates of sensitized gold particles. The test does not detect cross-reactions with heterogeneous viruses (measles, rubella and chickenpox) that cause exantematous diseases.

CONCLUSION

The one-stage variant of the dot-immunoassay reduces the analysis time to 40 minutes and improves the detection sensitivity of orthopoxviruses in crude viral preparations to the range of 10⁵-10⁴ PFU / ml. Full makeup, ease of analysis and the ability to visually accounting for results allow the test to be used outside of laboratories.

Are We Prepared in Case of a Possible Smallpox-Like Disease Emergence?

Smallpox was the first human disease to be eradicated, through a concerted vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organization. Since its eradication, routine vaccination against smallpox has ceased, leaving the world population susceptible to disease caused by orthopoxviruses. In recent decades, reports of human disease from zoonotic orthopoxviruses have increased. Furthermore, multiple reports of newly identified poxviruses capable of causing human disease have occurred. These facts raise concerns regarding both the opportunity for these zoonotic orthopoxviruses to evolve and become a more severe public health issue, as well as the risk of Variola virus (the causative agent of smallpox) to be utilized as a bioterrorist weapon. The eradication of smallpox occurred prior to the development of the majority of modern virological and molecular biological techniques. Therefore, there is a considerable amount that is not understood regarding how this solely human pathogen interacts with its host. This paper briefly recounts the history and current status of diagnostic tools, vaccines, and anti-viral therapeutics for treatment of smallpox disease. The authors discuss the importance of further research to prepare the global community should a smallpox-like virus emerge.

Combining reverse-transcription multiplex PCR and microfluidic electrophoresis to simultaneously detect seven mosquito-transmitted zoonotic encephalomyelitis viruses

Several mosquito-transmitted viruses are causative agents for zoonotic encephalomyelitis. Rapid identification of these viruses in mosquito populations is an effective method for surveying these diseases. To detect multiple mosquito-transmitted viral agents, including West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus, Western equine encephalomyelitis virus, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, Highlands J virus and Japanese encephalitis virus, an assay using multiplex reverse-transcription PCR combined with microfluidic electrophoresis was developed and evaluated. Tailed nested primers were used in the assay to amplify specific viral genomic segments, and products with specific length were further analyzed by using a microfluidic electrophoresis chip. The assay exhibited good specificity and analytical sensitivity (10(2) copies/µL). This technology can be helpful in the quarantine and surveillance of exotic encephalomyelitis viruses which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

Solid and Suspension Microarrays for Microbial Diagnostics

Advancements in molecular technologies have provided new platforms that are being increasingly adopted for use in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Among these, microarray methods are particularly well suited for diagnostics as they allow multiplexing, or the ability to test for multiple targets simultaneously from the same specimen. Microarray technologies commonly used for the detection and identification of microbial targets include solid-state microarrays, electronic microarrays and bead suspension microarrays. Microarray methods have been applied to microbial detection, genotyping and antimicrobial resistance gene detection. Microarrays can offer a panel approach to diagnose specific patient presentations, such as respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, and can discriminate isolates by genotype for tracking epidemiology and outbreak investigations. And, as more information has become available on specific genes and pathways involved in antimicrobial resistance, we are beginning to be able to predict susceptibility patterns based on sequence detection for particular organisms. With further advances in automated microarray processing methods and genotype-phenotype prediction algorithms, these tests will become even more useful as an adjunct or replacement for conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing, allowing for more rapid selection of targeted therapy for infectious diseases.

Macroarray Detection of Plant RNA Viruses Using Randomly Primed and Amplified Complementary DNAs from Infected Plants

ABSTRACT Membrane-based macroarrays provide a relatively inexpensive technology with the potential to detect hundreds of pathogens in a single assay. For the simultaneous detection of a large number of pathogens, it is necessary to obtain sufficient nucleic acids for labeling, and any amplification reactions need to be performed using unbiased, pathogen-non-specific primers. A nonradioactive macroarray system is described to test for plant RNA viruses using 70-mer oligonucleotide probes immobilized on nylon membranes. Starting with a total plant RNA extract, complementary DNA (cDNA) and second-strand syntheses were carried out using an anchor primer sequence with random pentamers coupled at the 3' end. Subsequent synthesis by polymerase chain reaction using the anchor primer alone resulted in a relatively unbiased amplification of plant and viral RNAs. These cDNAs were chemically labeled and the product used as a target in hybridization analyses. The system was validated using RNA extracts from plants infected with Cucumber mosaic virus, Potato virus Y, and Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV). Despite the relative excess of host-derived nonviral sequences, viral RNAs were amplified between 100- and 1,000-fold and were detected in single and mixed infections. The macroarray sensitivity was comparable to that of double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with PLRV being detected in sap dilutions of 1:100. The potential for the development of a relatively inexpensive multipathogen detection system is discussed.