Exposure of cattle to tick-borne encephalitis virus in the historical endemic zone in north-eastern France

BACKGROUND

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a severe human neuroinfection caused by TBE virus (TBEV). TBEV is transmitted by tick bites and by the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products from infected asymptomatic ruminants. In France, several food-borne transmission events have been reported since 2020, raising the question of the level of exposure of domestic ungulates to TBEV. In this study, our objectives were (i) to estimate TBEV seroprevalence and quantify antibodies titres in cattle in the historical endemic area of TBEV in France using the micro virus neutralisation test (MNT) and (ii) to compare the performance of two veterinary cELISA kits with MNT for detecting anti-TBEV antibodies in cattle in various epidemiological contexts. A total of 344 cattle sera from four grid cells of 100 km² in Alsace-Lorraine (endemic region) and 84 from western France, assumed to be TBEV-free, were investigated.

RESULTS

In Alsace-Lorraine, cattle were exposed to the virus with an overall estimated seroprevalence of 57.6% (95% CI: 52.1-62.8%, n = 344), varying locally from 29.9% (95% CI: 21.0-40.0%) to 92.1% (95% CI: 84.5-96.8%). Seroprevalence did not increase with age, with one- to three-year-old cattle being as highly exposed as older ones, suggesting a short-life duration of antibodies. The proportion of sera with MNT titres lower than 1:40 per grid cell decreased with increased seroprevalence. Both cELISA kits showed high specificity (> 90%) and low sensitivity (less than 78.1%) compared with MNT. Sensitivity was lower for sera with neutralising antibodies titres below 1:40, suggesting that sensitivity of these tests varied with local virus circulation intensity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight that cattle were highly exposed to TBEV. Screening strategy and serological tests should be carefully chosen according to the purpose of the serological study and with regard to the limitations of each method.

Tick-borne flavivirus NS5 antagonizes interferon signaling by inhibiting the catalytic activity of TYK2

The mechanisms utilized by different flaviviruses to evade antiviral functions of interferons are varied and incompletely understood. Using virological approaches, biochemical assays, and mass spectrometry analyses, we report here that the NS5 protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Louping Ill virus (LIV), two related tick-borne flaviviruses, antagonize JAK-STAT signaling through interactions with the tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2). Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments, yeast gap-repair assays, computational protein-protein docking and functional studies identify a stretch of 10 residues of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase domain of tick-borne flavivirus NS5, but not mosquito-borne NS5, that is critical for interactions with the TYK2 kinase domain. Additional co-IP assays performed with several TYK2 orthologs reveal that the interaction is conserved across mammalian species. In vitro kinase assays show that TBEV and LIV NS5 reduce the catalytic activity of TYK2. Our results thus illustrate a novel mechanism by which viruses suppress the interferon response.

First Expert Elicitation of Knowledge on Possible Drivers of Observed Increasing Human Cases of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Europe

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral disease endemic in Eurasia. The virus is mainly transmitted to humans via ticks and occasionally via the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported an increase in TBE incidence over the past years in Europe as well as the emergence of the disease in new areas. To better understand this phenomenon, we investigated the drivers of TBE emergence and increase in incidence in humans through an expert knowledge elicitation. We listed 59 possible drivers grouped in eight domains and elicited forty European experts to: (i) allocate a score per driver, (ii) weight this score within each domain, and (iii) weight the different domains and attribute an uncertainty level per domain. An overall weighted score per driver was calculated, and drivers with comparable scores were grouped into three terminal nodes using a regression tree analysis. The drivers with the highest scores were: (i) changes in human behavior/activities; (ii) changes in eating habits or consumer demand; (iii) changes in the landscape; (iv) influence of humidity on the survival and transmission of the pathogen; (v) difficulty to control reservoir(s) and/or vector(s); (vi) influence of temperature on virus survival and transmission; (vii) number of wildlife compartments/groups acting as reservoirs or amplifying hosts; (viii) increase of autochthonous wild mammals; and (ix) number of tick species vectors and their distribution. Our results support researchers in prioritizing studies targeting the most relevant drivers of emergence and increasing TBE incidence.

A One-Health Approach to Investigating an Outbreak of Alimentary Tick-Borne Encephalitis in a Non-endemic Area in France (Ain, Eastern France): A Longitudinal Serological Study in Livestock, Detection in Ticks, and the First Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Isolation and Molecular Characterisation

Tick-borne encephalitis virus’ (TBEV) geographic range and the human incidence are increasing throughout Europe, putting a number of non-endemic regions and countries at risk of outbreaks. In spring 2020, there was an outbreak of tick-born encephalitis (TBE) in Ain, Eastern France, where the virus had never been detected before. All patients but one had consumed traditional unpasteurised raw goat cheese from a local producer. We conducted an investigation in the suspected farm using an integrative One Health approach. Our methodology included (i) the detection of virus in cheese and milk products, (ii) serological testing of all animals in the suspected farm and surrounding farms, (iii) an analysis of the landscape and localisation of wooded area, (iv) the capture of questing ticks and small mammals for virus detection and estimating enzootic hazard, and (v) virus isolation and genome sequencing. This approach allowed us to confirm the alimentary origin of the TBE outbreak and witness in real-time the seroconversion of recently exposed individuals and excretion of virus in goat milk. In addition, we identified a wooded focus area where and around which there is a risk of TBEV exposure. We provide the first TBEV isolate responsible for the first alimentary-transmitted TBE in France, obtained its full-length genome sequence, and found that it belongs to the European subtype of TBEV. TBEV is now a notifiable human disease in France, which should facilitate surveillance of its incidence and distribution throughout France.

Exploration of binary protein-protein interactions between tick-borne flaviviruses and Ixodes ricinus

Background

Louping ill virus (LIV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are tick-borne flaviviruses that are both transmitted by the major European tick, Ixodes ricinus. Despite the importance of I. ricinus as an arthropod vector, its capacity to acquire and subsequently transmit viruses, known as vector competence, is poorly understood. At the molecular scale, vector competence is governed in part by binary interactions established between viral and cellular proteins within infected tick cells.

Methods

To investigate virus-vector protein–protein interactions (PPIs), the entire set of open reading frames for LIV and TBEV was screened against an I. ricinus cDNA library established from three embryonic tick cell lines using yeast two-hybrid methodology (Y2H). PPIs revealed for each viral bait were retested in yeast by applying a gap repair (GR) strategy, and notably against the cognate protein of both viruses, to determine whether the PPIs were specific for a single virus or common to both. The interacting tick proteins were identified by automatic BLASTX, and in silico analyses were performed to expose the biological processes targeted by LIV and TBEV.

Results

For each virus, we identified 24 different PPIs involving six viral proteins and 22 unique tick proteins, with all PPIs being common to both viruses. According to our data, several viral proteins (pM, M, NS2A, NS4A, 2K and NS5) target multiple tick protein modules implicated in critical biological pathways. Of note, the NS5 and pM viral proteins establish PPI with several tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor (TRAF) proteins, which are essential adaptor proteins at the nexus of multiple signal transduction pathways.

Conclusion

We provide the first description of the TBEV/LIV-I. ricinus PPI network, and indeed of any PPI network involving a tick-borne virus and its tick vector. While further investigation will be needed to elucidate the role of each tick protein in the replication cycle of tick-borne flaviviruses, our study provides a foundation for understanding the vector competence of I. ricinus at the molecular level. Indeed, certain PPIs may represent molecular determinants of vector competence of I. ricinus for TBEV and LIV, and potentially for other tick-borne flaviviruses.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04651-3.

Exposure of Wild Ungulates to the Usutu and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Viruses in France in 2009-2014: Evidence of Undetected Flavivirus Circulation a Decade Ago

Abstract: Flaviviruses have become increasingly important pathogens in Europe over the past few decades. A better understanding of the spatiotemporal distribution of flaviviruses in France is needed to better define risk areas and to gain knowledge of the dynamics of virus transmission cycles. Serum samples from 1014 wild boar and 758 roe deer from 16 departments (administrative units) in France collected from 2009 to 2014 were screened for flavivirus antibodies using a competitive ELISA (cELISA) technique. Serum samples found to be positive or doubtful by cELISA were then tested for antibodies directed against West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), Bagaza virus (BAGV), and tick-borne encephalitis/Louping ill viruses (TBEV/LIV) by microsphere immunoassays (except BAGV) and micro-neutralization tests. USUV antibodies were detected only in southeastern and southwestern areas. TBEV/LIV antibodies were detected in serum samples from eastern, southwestern and northern departments. The results indicate continuous circulation of USUV in southern France from 2009 to 2014, which was unnoticed by the French monitoring system for bird mortality. The findings also confirm wider distribution of TBEV in the eastern part of the country than of human clinical cases. However, further studies are needed to determine the tick-borne flavivirus responsible for the seroconversion in southwestern and northern France.

A canine adenovirus type 2 vaccine vector confers protection against foot-and-mouth disease in guinea pigs

Vaccination is a key element in the control of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The majority of the antigenic sites that induce protective immune responses are localized on the FMD virus (FMDV) capsid that is formed by four virus-encoded structural proteins, VP1 to VP4. In the present study, recombinant canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV2)-based FMD vaccines, Cav-P1/3C R° and Cav-VP1 R°, respectively expressing the structural P1 precursor protein along with the non-structural 3C protein or expressing the structural VP1 protein of the FMDV strain O/FRA/1/2001, were evaluated as novel vaccines against FMD. A strong humoral immune response was elicited in guinea pigs (GP) following immunization with Cav-P1/3C R°, while administration of Cav-VP1 R° did not induce a satisfying antibody response in GP or mice. GP were then used as an experimental model for the determination of the protection afforded by the Cav-P1/3C R° vaccine against challenge with the FMDV strain O₁ Manisa/Turkey/1969. The Cav-P1/3C R° vaccine protected GP from generalized FMD to a similar extent as a high potency double-oil emulsion O₁ Manisa vaccine. The results of the present study show that CAV2-based vector vaccines can express immunogenic FMDV antigens and offer protection against generalized FMD in GP. This suggest that Cav-P1/3C R° FMDV vaccine may protect natural host species from FMD. In combination with an appropriate diagnostic test, the Cav-P1/3C R° FMDV vaccine may also serve as a marker vaccine to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals.

Firewalls Prevent Systemic Dissemination of Vectors Derived from Human Adenovirus Type 5 and Suppress Production of Transgene-Encoded Antigen in a Murine Model of Oral Vaccination

To define the bottlenecks that restrict antigen expression after oral administration of viral-vectored vaccines, we tracked vectors derived from the human adenovirus type 5 at whole body, tissue, and cellular scales throughout the digestive tract in a murine model of oral delivery. After intragastric administration of vectors encoding firefly luciferase or a model antigen, detectable levels of transgene-encoded protein or mRNA were confined to the intestine, and restricted to delimited anatomical zones. Expression of luciferase in the form of multiple small bioluminescent foci in the distal ileum, cecum, and proximal colon suggested multiple crossing points. Many foci were unassociated with visible Peyer's patches, implying that transduced cells lay in proximity to villous rather than follicle-associated epithelium, as supported by detection of transgene-encoded antigen in villous epithelial cells. Transgene-encoded mRNA but not protein was readily detected in Peyer's patches, suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation of viral gene expression might limit expression of transgene-encoded antigen in this tissue. To characterize the pathways by which the vector crossed the intestinal epithelium and encountered sentinel cells, a fluorescent-labeled vector was administered to mice by the intragastric route or inoculated into ligated intestinal loops comprising a Peyer's patch. The vector adhered selectively to microfold cells in the follicle-associated epithelium, and, after translocation to the subepithelial dome region, was captured by phagocytes that expressed CD11c and lysozyme. In conclusion, although a large number of crossing events took place throughout the intestine within and without Peyer's patches, multiple firewalls prevented systemic dissemination of vector and suppressed production of transgene-encoded protein in Peyer's patches.

Molecular characterization of Ancylostoma braziliense larvae in a patient with hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans

We report a case of hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans diagnosed microscopically. Viable hookworm larvae were found by microscopic examination of a skin scraping from follicular lesions. Amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 2 allowed the specific identification of the larvae as Ancylostoma braziliense.

Relationship between ozone and temperature during the 2003 heat wave in France: consequences for health data analysis

Background

PAPRICA is a research program designed to estimate the impact on the health of patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency of a prevention strategy based on notification of ozone pollution. The first year of this study was conducted during the 2003 heat wave, and high temperatures were therefore considered as a confounding factor in the data analysis. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between ozone and temperature in order to propose a methodology to distinguish between the effects of ozone and temperature on the impact of a prevention strategy with regard to ozone pollution.

Methods

Multivariate analyses were used to identify associated climate and ozone pollution profiles. This descriptive method is of great value to highlight the complexity of interactions between these parameters.

Results

Ozone concentration and temperature were strongly correlated, but the health impact of ozone pollution alone will be evaluated by focusing on situations characterized by ozone concentrations above 110 μg/m³/8h (air quality guidelines to protect human health defined by the French legislation) and temperatures lower than 26°C, below the discomfort threshold.

Conclusion

The precise relationship between ambient ozone concentration and temperature identified during the PAPRICA 2003 study period will be used in analysing the PAPRICA health data.

Kinetics of the inhibition of neutrophil proteinases by recombinant elafin and pre-elafin (trappin-2) expressed in Pichia pastoris

Elafin and its precursor, trappin-2 or pre-elafin, are specific endogenous inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3 but not of cathepsin G. Both inhibitors belong, together with secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, to the chelonianin family of canonical protease inhibitors of serine proteases. A cDNA coding either elafin or its precursor, trappin-2, was fused in frame with yeast alpha-factor cDNA and expressed in the Pichia pastoris yeast expression system. Full-length elafin or full-length trappin-2 were secreted into the culture medium with high yield, indicating correct processing of the fusion proteins by the yeast KEX2 signal peptidase. Both recombinant inhibitors were purified to homogeneity from concentrated culture medium by one-step cationic exchange chromatography and characterized by N-terminal amino acid sequencing, Western blot and kinetic studies. Both recombinant elafin and trappin-2 were found to be fast-acting inhibitors of pancreatic elastase, neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3 with k(ass) values of 2-4 x 10(6) m(-1).s(-1), while dissociation rate constants k(diss) were found to be in the 10(-4) s(-1) range, indicating low reversibility of the complexes. The equilibrium dissociation constant K(i) for the interaction of both recombinant inhibitors with their target enzymes was either directly measured for pancreatic elastase or calculated from k(ass) and k(diss) values for neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3. K(i) values were found to be in the 10(-10) molar range and virtually identical for both inhibitors. Based on the kinetic parameters determined here, it may be concluded that both recombinant elafin and trappin-2 may act as potent anti-inflammatory molecules and may be of therapeutic potential in the treatment of various inflammatory lung diseases.