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Goldman T, Hamer DH. Current Status of La Crosse Virus in North America and Potential for Future Spread. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:850-855. [PMID: 38531108 PMCID: PMC11066351 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
La Crosse virus (LACV) is an arthropod-borne RNA virus with substantial potential for future spread in North America. La Crosse virus is responsible for La Crosse encephalitis, a leading cause of arboviral encephalitis in children in the United States. Primarily transmitted by Aedes triseriatus (Eastern treehole) mosquitos and amplified by small mammal hosts, LACV has caused infections throughout the upper Midwest and, more recently, the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. Notably, in recent years, infections have also been identified increasingly in the Appalachian region. Anthropogenic and environmental factors have likely contributed to recent LACV spread, including the introduction of invasive vector species (especially Ae. albopictus), biotic interactions between and among vector and host species, land-use change, habitat disturbance, increased human travel and transport, and rising global temperatures. Prevention and control strategies, such as increased surveillance of vector and host populations, increased awareness among populations at risk for infection, and increased awareness among physicians are needed to limit future spread. Continued climate change with increases in global temperatures and erratic weather patterns may result in the expansion of competent mosquito vector species and thus could facilitate the geographic spread of LACV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Goldman
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Davidson H. Hamer
- Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
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Feracci M, Hernandez S, Garlatti L, Mondielli C, Vincentelli R, Canard B, Reguera J, Ferron F, Alvarez K. Biophysical and structural study of La Crosse virus endonuclease inhibition for the development of new antiviral options. IUCRJ 2024; 11:374-383. [PMID: 38656310 PMCID: PMC11067750 DOI: 10.1107/s205225252400304x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The large Bunyavirales order includes several families of viruses with a segmented ambisense (-) RNA genome and a cytoplasmic life cycle that starts by synthesizing viral mRNA. The initiation of transcription, which is common to all members, relies on an endonuclease activity that is responsible for cap-snatching. In La Crosse virus, an orthobunyavirus, it has previously been shown that the cap-snatching endonuclease resides in the N-terminal domain of the L protein. Orthobunyaviruses are transmitted by arthropods and cause diseases in cattle. However, California encephalitis virus, La Crosse virus and Jamestown Canyon virus are North American species that can cause encephalitis in humans. No vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. In this study, three known Influenza virus endonuclease inhibitors (DPBA, L-742,001 and baloxavir) were repurposed on the La Crosse virus endonuclease. Their inhibition was evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and their mode of binding was then assessed by differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, two crystallographic structures were obtained in complex with L-742,001 and baloxavir, providing access to the structural determinants of inhibition and offering key information for the further development of Bunyavirales endonuclease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Feracci
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
| | - Sergio Hernandez
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
- Université Lille; INSERM, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Centre, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Laura Garlatti
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
- OmegaChem, Lévis, 480 Rue Perreault, Québec G6W 7V6, Canada
| | - Clemence Mondielli
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
- Evotec (France) SAS, Campus Curie, 195 Route d’Espagne, 31036 Toulouse, France
| | - Renaud Vincentelli
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
| | - Bruno Canard
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Juan Reguera
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
| | - François Ferron
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Karine Alvarez
- Université Aix-Marseille, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB)–UMR7257 CNRS–Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille CEDEX 09, France
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Alatrash R, Herrera BB. The Adaptive Immune Response against Bunyavirales. Viruses 2024; 16:483. [PMID: 38543848 PMCID: PMC10974645 DOI: 10.3390/v16030483] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The Bunyavirales order includes at least fourteen families with diverse but related viruses, which are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by arthropod or rodent vectors. These viruses are responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks worldwide and represent a threat to public health. Infection in humans can be asymptomatic, or it may present with a range of conditions from a mild, febrile illness to severe hemorrhagic syndromes and/or neurological complications. There is a need to develop safe and effective vaccines, a process requiring better understanding of the adaptive immune responses involved during infection. This review highlights the most recent findings regarding T cell and antibody responses to the five Bunyavirales families with known human pathogens (Peribunyaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Hantaviridae, Nairoviridae, and Arenaviridae). Future studies that define and characterize mechanistic correlates of protection against Bunyavirales infections or disease will help inform the development of effective vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Alatrash
- Rutgers Global Health Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases and Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Bobby Brooke Herrera
- Rutgers Global Health Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases and Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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Faw LR, Riley J, Eastwood G. La Crosse Virus Circulation in Virginia, Assessed via Serosurveillance in Wildlife Species. Infect Dis Rep 2023; 15:360-369. [PMID: 37489390 PMCID: PMC10366734 DOI: 10.3390/idr15040036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne La Crosse virus (LACV; family: Peribunyaviridae) is the leading cause of pediatric arboviral encephalitis in the United States, with clinical cases generally centered in the Midwest and Appalachian regions. Incidence of LACV cases in Appalachian states has increased, such that the region currently represents the majority of reported LACV cases in the USA. The amount of reported LACV cases from Virginia, however, is minimal compared to neighboring states such as North Carolina, West Virginia, and Tennessee, and non-Appalachian regions of Virginia are understudied. Here we examine the hypothesis that LACV is circulating widely in Virginia, despite a low clinical case report rate, and that the virus is circulating in areas not associated with LACV disease. In this study, we screened local mammalian wildlife in northwestern counties of Virginia using passive surveillance via patients submitted to wildlife rehabilitation centers. Blood sera (527 samples; 9 species, 8 genera) collected between October 2019 and December 2022 were screened for neutralizing antibodies against LACV, indicating prior exposure to the virus. We found an overall LACV seroprevalence of 1.90% among all wild mammals examined and reveal evidence of LACV exposure in several wild species not generally associated with LACV, including eastern cottontails and red foxes, along with established reservoirs, eastern gray squirrels, although there was no serological evidence in chipmunks. These data indicate the circulation of LACV in Virginia outside of Appalachian counties, however, at a lower rate than reported for endemic areas within the state and in other states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey R Faw
- Department Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | | | - Gillian Eastwood
- Department Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
- The Global Change Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Detection of Tahyna Orthobunyavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies in Patients with Neuroinvasive Disease in Croatia. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071443. [PMID: 35889162 PMCID: PMC9316594 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Tahyna orthobunyavirus (TAHV) is widely distributed in continental Europe. Very few studies have analyzed TAHV seroprevalence in Croatia. We analyzed the prevalence of TAHV RNA and antibodies in Croatian patients with neuroinvasive disease (NID). Methods: A total of 218 patients with unsolved NID detected during five consecutive arbovirus transmission seasons (April 2017–October 2021) were tested. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine samples were tested for TAHV RNA using RT-PCR. In addition, CSF and serum samples were tested for TAHV antibodies using a virus neutralization test (VNT). Results: Clinical presentations in patients with NID were meningitis (141/64.7%), meningoencephalitis (56/25.7%), myelitis (8/3.7%), and ‘febrile headache’ (13/5.9%). TAHV RNA was not detected in any of the tested CSF or urine samples; however, TAHV-neutralizing (NT) antibodies were detected in 22/10.1% of patients. Detection of NT antibodies in the CSF of two patients presenting with meningitis suggested recent TAHV infection. TAHV seropositivity increased significantly with age, from 1.8% to 24.4%. There was no difference in seroprevalence between genders or areas of residence (urban, suburban/rural). The majority of seropositive patients (90.9%) resided in floodplains along the rivers in continental Croatia. Conclusions: The presented results confirm that TAHV is present in Croatia. The prevalence and clinical significance of TAHV infection in the Croatian population have yet to be determined.
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Hollidge BS, Salzano MV, Ibrahim JM, Fraser JW, Wagner V, Leitner NE, Weiss SR, Weber F, González-Scarano F, Soldan SS. Targeted Mutations in the Fusion Peptide Region of La Crosse Virus Attenuate Neuroinvasion and Confer Protection against Encephalitis. Viruses 2022; 14:1464. [PMID: 35891445 PMCID: PMC9317099 DOI: 10.3390/v14071464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
La Crosse virus (LACV) is a major cause of pediatric encephalitis and aseptic meningitis in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern United States, where it is an emerging pathogen. The LACV Gc glycoprotein plays a critical role in the neuropathogenesis of LACV encephalitis as the putative virus attachment protein. Previously, we identified and experimentally confirmed the location of the LACV fusion peptide within Gc and generated a panel of recombinant LACVs (rLACVs) containing mutations in the fusion peptide as well as the wild-type sequence. These rLACVs retained their ability to cause neuronal death in a primary embryonic rat neuronal culture system, despite decreased replication and fusion phenotypes. To test the role of the fusion peptide in vivo, we tested rLACVs in an age-dependent murine model of LACV encephalitis. When inoculated directly into the CNS of young adult mice (P28), the rLACV fusion peptide mutants were as neurovirulent as the rLACV engineered with a wild-type sequence, confirming the results obtained in tissue culture. In contrast, the fusion peptide mutant rLACVs were less neuroinvasive when suckling (P3) or weanling (P21) mice were inoculated peripherally, demonstrating that the LACV fusion peptide is a determinant of neuroinvasion, but not of neurovirulence. In a challenge experiment, we found that peripheral challenge of weanling (P21) mice with fusion peptide mutant rLACVs protected from a subsequent WT-LACV challenge, suggesting that mutations in the fusion peptide are an attractive target for generating live-attenuated virus vaccines. Importantly, the high degree of conservation of the fusion peptide amongst the Bunyavirales and, structurally, other arboviruses suggests that these findings are broadly applicable to viruses that use a class II fusion mechanism and cause neurologic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S. Hollidge
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mary-Virginia Salzano
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - John M. Ibrahim
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - Jonathan W. Fraser
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - Valentina Wagner
- Abteilung Virologie, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Freiburg, 79008 Freiburg, Germany; (V.W.); (F.W.)
| | - Nicole E. Leitner
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - Susan R. Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - Friedemann Weber
- Abteilung Virologie, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Freiburg, 79008 Freiburg, Germany; (V.W.); (F.W.)
- Institute for Virology, FB10-Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig University, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Francisco González-Scarano
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
| | - Samantha S. Soldan
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (B.S.H.); (M.-V.S.); (J.M.I.); (J.W.F.); (N.E.L.); (S.R.W.); (F.G.-S.)
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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