Publications

sindbis and middelburg old world alphaviruses associated with neurologic disease in horses, south africa.	old world alphaviruses were identified in 52 of 623 horses with febrile or neurologic disease in south africa. five of 8 sindbis virus infections were mild; 2 of 3 fatal cases involved co-infections. of 44 middelburg virus infections, 28 caused neurologic disease; 12 were fatal. middelburg virus likely has zoonotic potential.	26583836
climate change and infectious diseases in north america: the road ahead.	global climate change is inevitable--the combustion of fossil fuels has resulted in a buildup of greenhouse gases within the atmosphere, causing unprecedented changes to the earth's climate. the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change suggests that north america will experience marked changes in weather patterns in coming decades, including warmer temperatures and increased rainfall, summertime droughts and extreme weather events (e.g., tornadoes and hurricanes) ...	18332386
arbovirus infections.	arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus) infections are increasingly important causes of neurologic disease in the united states through both endemic transmission and travel-associated infections. this article reviews the major arbovirus infections that can cause neurologic disease likely to be encountered in the united states.	26633778
chikungunya vaccines in development.	chikungunya virus has become a global health threat, spreading to the industrial world of europe and the americas; no treatment or prophylactic vaccine is available. since the late 1960s much effort has been put into the development of a vaccine, and several heterogeneous strategies have already been explored. only two candidates have recently qualified to enter clinical phase ii trials, a chikungunya virus-like particle-based vaccine and a recombinant live attenuated measles virus-vectored vacc ...	26554522
climate, environmental and socio-economic change: weighing up the balance in vector-borne disease transmission.	arguably one of the most important effects of climate change is the potential impact on human health. while this is likely to take many forms, the implications for future transmission of vector-borne diseases (vbds), given their ongoing contribution to global disease burden, are both extremely important and highly uncertain. in part, this is owing not only to data limitations and methodological challenges when integrating climate-driven vbd models and climate change projections, but also, perhap ...	25688012
eastern equine encephalitis treated with intravenous immunoglobulins.	we report the case of a 68-year-old man from southeastern massachusetts presenting with encephalitis due to eastern equine encephalitis (eee) virus. despite the high morbidity and mortality rate of eee, the patient made a near complete recovery in the setting of receiving early intravenous immunoglobulins.	26740855
neuroepidemiology and the epidemiology of viral infections of the nervous system.	the field of neurovirology will undoubtedly experience evolution and change in the years to come. the epidemiology of viral cns diseases continues to change, and as our understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology associated with viral agents grows, so does our understanding of the behavior of these pathogens among populations. the appearance of viral pathogens in newsettings, new or unrecognized modes of transmission,and the emergence of previously unrecognized pathogens will continue ...	25015481
powassan meningoencephalitis, new york, new york, usa.	disease caused by powassan virus (powv), a tick-borne flavivirus, ranges from asymptomatic to severe neurologic compromise and death. two cases of powv meningoencephalitis in new york, usa, highlight diagnostic techniques, neurologic outcomes, and the effect of powv on communities to which it is endemic.	23969017
development of a multiplexed polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) assay to identify common members of the subgenera culex (culex) and culex (phenacomyia) in guatemala.	morphological differentiation of mosquitoes in the subgenera culex (culex) and culex (phenacomyia) in guatemala is difficult, with reliable identification ensured only through examination of larval skins from individually reared specimens and associated male genitalia. we developed a multiplexed polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) assay to identify common cx. (cux.) and cx. (phc.). culex (cux.) chidesteri, cx. (cux.) coronator, cx. (cux.) interrogator, c ...	20682869
biological transmission of arboviruses: reexamination of and new insights into components, mechanisms, and unique traits as well as their evolutionary trends.	among animal viruses, arboviruses are unique in that they depend on arthropod vectors for transmission. field research and laboratory investigations related to the three components of this unique mode of transmission, virus, vector, and vertebrate host, have produced an enormous amount of valuable information that may be found in numerous publications. however, despite many reviews on specific viruses, diseases, or interests, a systematic approach to organizing the available information on all f ...	16223950
shuni virus as cause of neurologic disease in horses.	to determine which agents cause neurologic disease in horses, we conducted reverse transcription pcr on isolates from of a horse with encephalitis and 111 other horses with acute disease. shuni virus was found in 7 horses, 5 of which had neurologic signs. testing for lesser known viruses should be considered for horses with unexplained illness.	22305525
habitat associations of eastern equine encephalitis transmission in walton county florida.	eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev; family togaviridae, genus alphavirus) a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne virus is endemic to eastern north america. the ecology of eeev in florida differs from that in other parts of the united states; eeev in the northeastern united states is historically associated with freshwater wetlands. no formal test of habitat associations of eeev in florida has been reported. geographical information sciences (gis) was used in conjunction with sentinel chicken ee ...	22679885
viral phylodynamics and the search for an 'effective number of infections'.	information on the dynamics of the effective population size over time can be obtained from the analysis of phylogenies, through the application of time-varying coalescent models. this approach has been used to study the dynamics of many different viruses, and has demonstrated a wide variety of patterns, which have been interpreted in the context of changes over time in the 'effective number of infections', a quantity proportional to the number of infected individuals. however, for infectious di ...	20478883
the effect of multiple vectors on arbovirus transmission.	many mosquito-borne arboviruses have more than one competent vector. these vectors may or may not overlap in space and time, and may interact differently with vertebrate hosts. the presence of multiple vectors for a particular virus at one location over time will influence the epidemiology of the system, and could be important in the design of intervention strategies to protect particular hosts. a simulation model previously developed for west nile and st. louis encephalitis viruses and culex ni ...	23741205
not waiting for godot: proactive efforts to find potential zoonotic agents.		18717005
pricing infectious disease. the economic and health implications of infectious diseases.		18578017
driven to extremes health effects of climate change.		17450206
virulence and evolution of west nile virus, australia, 1960-2012.	worldwide, west nile virus (wnv) causes encephalitis in humans, horses, and birds. the kunjin strain of wnv (wnvkun) is endemic to northern australia, but infections are usually asymptomatic. in 2011, an unprecedented outbreak of equine encephalitis occurred in southeastern australia; most of the ≈900 reported cases were attributed to a newly emerged wnvkun strain. to investigate the origins of this virus, we performed genetic analysis and in vitro and in vivo studies of 13 wnvkun isolates colle ...	27433830
factors shaping the adaptive landscape for arboviruses: implications for the emergence of disease.	many examples of the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases involve the adaptation of zoonotic viruses to new amplification hosts or to humans themselves. these include several instances of simple mutational adaptations, often to hosts closely related to the natural reservoirs. however, based on theoretical grounds, arthropod-borne viruses, or arboviruses, may face several challenges for adaptation to new hosts. here, we review recent findings regarding adaptive evolution of arboviruse ...	23374123
emerging and re-emerging viruses: a global challenge illustrated by chikungunya virus outbreaks.	in recent decades, the issue of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, especially those related to viruses, has become an increasingly important area of concern in public health. it is of significance to anticipate future epidemics by accumulating knowledge through appropriate research and by monitoring their emergence using indicators from different sources. the objective is to alert and respond effectively in order to reduce the adverse impact on the general populations. most of the eme ...	24175207
geosentinel surveillance of illness in returned travelers, 2007-2011.	international travel continues to increase, particularly to asia and africa. clinicians are increasingly likely to be consulted for advice before travel or by ill returned travelers.	23552375
human bocavirus in patients with encephalitis, sri lanka, 2009-2010.	we identified human bocavirus (hbov) dna by pcr in cerebrospinal fluid from adults and children with encephalitis in sri lanka. hbov types 1, 2, and 3 were identified among these cases. phylogenetic analysis of hbov1 strain sequences found no subclustering with strains previously identified among encephalitis cases in bangladesh.	24188380
a development that may evolve into a revolution in medicine: mrna as the basis for novel, nucleotide-based vaccines and drugs.	recent advances strongly suggest that mrna rather than dna will be the nucleotide basis for a new class of vaccines and drugs. therapeutic cancer vaccines against a variety of targets have been developed on this basis and initial clinical experience suggests that preclinical activity can be successfully translated to human application. likewise, prophylactic vaccines against viral pathogens and allergens have demonstrated their activity in animal models. these successes could be extended preclin ...	24757523
dynamic oscillation of translation and stress granule formation mark the cellular response to virus infection.	virus infection-induced global protein synthesis suppression is linked to assembly of stress granules (sgs), cytosolic aggregates of stalled translation preinitiation complexes. to study long-term stress responses, we developed an imaging approach for extended observation and analysis of sg dynamics during persistent hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection. in combination with type 1 interferon, hcv infection induces highly dynamic assembly/disassembly of cytoplasmic sgs, concomitant with phases of ac ...	22817989
seeking membranes: positive-strand rna virus replication complexes.		18959488
interferon-inducible antiviral effectors.	since the discovery of interferons (ifns), considerable progress has been made in describing the nature of the cytokines themselves, the signalling components that direct the cell response and their antiviral activities. gene targeting studies have distinguished four main effector pathways of the ifn-mediated antiviral response: the mx gtpase pathway, the 2',5'-oligoadenylate-synthetase-directed ribonuclease l pathway, the protein kinase r pathway and the isg15 ubiquitin-like pathway. as discuss ...	18575461
seroepidemiology of selected arboviruses in febrile patients visiting selected health facilities in the lake/river basin areas of lake baringo, lake naivasha, and tana river, kenya.	arboviruses cause emerging and re-emerging infections affecting humans and animals. they are spread primarily by blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, midges, and sandflies. changes in climate, ecology, demographic, land-use patterns, and increasing global travel have been linked to an upsurge in arboviral disease. outbreaks occur periodically followed by persistent low-level circulation.	25700043
innate antiviral immunity in drosophila.	the study of drosophila, and other genetically tractable insects, has expanded our understanding of innate immunity and more recently antiviral innate mechanisms. the drosophila antiviral program includes inflammatory signaling cascades as well as antiviral rna silencing and autophagy. this review will highlight the recent discoveries in antiviral immunity in insects and will reveal some of the lessons learned.	20137906
rna interference-mediated antiviral defense in insects.	small interfering rna (sirna)-mediated rna interference (rnai) pathways are critical for the detection and inhibition of rna virus replication in insects. recent work has also implicated rnai pathways in the establishment of persistent virus infections and in the control of dna virus replication. accumulating evidence suggests that diverse double-stranded rnas produced by rna and dna viruses can trigger rnai responses yet many viruses have evolved mechanisms to inhibit rnai defenses. therefore, ...	26034705
mosquito immune responses to arbovirus infections.	the principal mosquito innate immune response to virus infections, rna interference (rnai), differs substantially from the immune response to bacterial and fungal infections. the exo-sirna pathway constitutes the major anti-arboviral rnai response and its essential genetic components have been identified. recent research has also implicated the piwi-interacting rna pathway in mosquito anti-arboviral immunity, but piwi gene-family components involved are not well-defined. arboviruses must evade o ...	25401084
picornavirus morphogenesis.	the picornaviridae represent a large family of small plus-strand rna viruses that cause a bewildering array of important human and animal diseases. morphogenesis is the least-understood step in the life cycle of these viruses, and this process is difficult to study because encapsidation is tightly coupled to genome translation and rna replication. although the basic steps of assembly have been known for some time, very few details are available about the mechanism and factors that regulate this ...	25184560
structures and mechanisms of viral membrane fusion proteins: multiple variations on a common theme.	recent work has identified three distinct classes of viral membrane fusion proteins based on structural criteria. in addition, there are at least four distinct mechanisms by which viral fusion proteins can be triggered to undergo fusion-inducing conformational changes. viral fusion proteins also contain different types of fusion peptides and vary in their reliance on accessory proteins. these differing features combine to yield a rich diversity of fusion proteins. yet despite this staggering div ...	18568847
undiagnosed acute viral febrile illnesses, sierra leone.	sierra leone in west africa is in a lassa fever-hyperendemic region that also includes guinea and liberia. each year, suspected lassa fever cases result in submission of ≈500-700 samples to the kenema government hospital lassa diagnostic laboratory in eastern sierra leone. generally only 30%-40% of samples tested are positive for lassa virus (lasv) antigen and/or lasv-specific igm; thus, 60%-70% of these patients have acute diseases of unknown origin. to investigate what other arthropod-borne an ...	24959946
spherules and ibv.	infectious bronchitis virus (ibv) is an economically important virus infecting chickens, causing large losses to the poultry industry globally. while vaccines are available, there is a requirement for novel vaccine strategies due to high strain variation and poor cross-protection. this requires a more detailed understanding of virus-host cell interactions to identify candidates for targeted virus attenuation. one key area of research in the positive sense rna virus field, due to its central role ...	25482229
stress granules and virus replication.	viruses are dependent on the cellular translation machinery for protein synthesis. part of the innate immune response to infection is activation of the stress kinase pkr which phosphorylates the alpha subunit of the initiation factor eif2. this results in inhibition of translation and is intended to block virus replication. a downstream effect of translational shutoff involves the formation of cytoplasmic granules, termed stress granules (sgs), that contain mrnas, initiation factors, ribosomal s ...	26388931
virus infections in the nervous system.	virus infections usually begin in peripheral tissues and can invade the mammalian nervous system (ns), spreading into the peripheral (pns) and more rarely the central (cns) nervous systems. the cns is protected from most virus infections by effective immune responses and multilayer barriers. however, some viruses enter the ns with high efficiency via the bloodstream or by directly infecting nerves that innervate peripheral tissues, resulting in debilitating direct and immune-mediated pathology. ...	23601101
architecture and biogenesis of plus-strand rna virus replication factories.	plus-strand rna virus replication occurs in tight association with cytoplasmic host cell membranes. both, viral and cellular factors cooperatively generate distinct organelle-like structures, designated viral replication factories. this compartmentalization allows coordination of the different steps of the viral replication cycle, highly efficient genome replication and protection of the viral rna from cellular defense mechanisms. electron tomography studies conducted during the last couple of y ...	24175228
interferon-stimulated genes and their antiviral effector functions.	many viruses trigger the type i interferon (ifn) system, leading to the transcription of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (isgs). the products of these isgs exert numerous antiviral effector functions, many of which are still not fully described. recent efforts have been aimed at identifying which isgs are antiviral and further characterizing their mechanisms of action. ifn effectors vary widely in their magnitude of inhibitory activity and display combinatorial antiviral properties. coll ...	22328912
discovery of host-viral protein complexes during infection.	viruses have co-evolved with their hosts, developing effective approaches for hijacking and manipulating host cellular processes. therefore, for their efficient replication and spread, viruses depend on dynamic and temporally regulated interactions with host proteins. the rapid identification of host proteins targeted by viral proteins during infection provides significant insights into mechanisms of viral protein function. the resulting discoveries often lead to unique and innovative hypotheses ...	23996249
small creatures use small rnas to direct antiviral defenses.	antiviral rna silencing has been recognized as an important defense mechanism in arthropods against rna viruses. however, the role of this pathway in dna virus infection remains largely unexplored. a report in this issue of the european journal of immunology provides new insight into the role of rna silencing in antiviral defense against dna viruses. huang and zhang [eur. j. immunol. 2013. 137-146] found that the dsdna virus white spot syndrome virus, an agriculturally important pathogen of shri ...	23322691
experimental vaccines against potentially pandemic and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.	influenza a viruses continue to emerge and re-emerge, causing outbreaks, epidemics and occasionally pandemics. while the influenza vaccines licensed for public use are generally effective against seasonal influenza, issues arise with production, immunogenicity, and efficacy in the case of vaccines against pandemic and emerging influenza viruses, and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in particular. thus, there is need of improved influenza vaccines and vaccination strategies. this review di ...	23440999
the endoplasmic reticulum protein folding factory and its chaperones: new targets for drug discovery?	cytosolic heat shock proteins have received significant attention as emerging therapeutic targets. much of this excitement has been triggered by the discovery that hsp90 plays a central role in the maintenance and stability of multifarious oncogenic membrane receptors and their resultant tyrosine kinase activity. numerous studies have dealt with the effects of small molecules on chaperone- and stress-related pathways of the endoplasmic reticulum (er). however, unlike cytosolic chaperones, relati ...	20942857
p bodies, stress granules, and viral life cycles.	eukaryotic mrnas are in a dynamic equilibrium between different subcellular locations. translating mrnas can be found in polysomes, mrnas stalled in translation initiation accumulate in stress granules and mrnas targeted for degradation or translation repression can accumulate in p bodies. partitioning of mrnas between polysomes, stress granules, and p bodies affects rates of translation and mrna degradation. host proteins within p bodies and stress granules can enhance or limit viral infection, ...	18407064
relationships between host viremia and vector susceptibility for arboviruses.	using a threshold model where a minimum level of host viremia is necessary to infect vectors affects our assessment of the relative importance of different host species in the transmission and spread of these pathogens. other models may be more accurate descriptions of the relationship between host viremia and vector infection. under the threshold model, the intensity and duration of the viremia above the threshold level is critical in determining the potential numbers of infected mosquitoes. a ...	16739425
risk for emergence of dengue and chikungunya virus in israel.		22305194
viral polymerases.	viral polymerases play a central role in viral genome replication and transcription. based on the genome type and the specific needs of particular virus, rna-dependent rna polymerase, rna-dependent dna polymerase, dna-dependent rna polymerase, and dna-dependent rna polymerases are found in various viruses. viral polymerases are generally active as a single protein capable of carrying out multiple functions related to viral genome synthesis. specifically, viral polymerases use variety of mechanis ...	22297518
genetic dissection of flaviviridae host factors through genome-scale crispr screens.	the flaviviridae are a family of viruses that cause severe human diseases. for example, dengue virus (denv) is a rapidly emerging pathogen causing an estimated 100 million symptomatic infections annually worldwide. no approved antivirals are available to date and clinical trials with a tetravalent dengue vaccine showed disappointingly low protection rates. hepatitis c virus (hcv) also remains a major medical problem, with 160 million chronically infected patients worldwide and only expensive tre ...	27383987
polio, still lurking in the shadows.		23325224
bagaza virus inhibits japanese encephalitis & west nile virus replication in culex tritaeniorhynchus & cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.	studies have shown that certain flaviviruses influence susceptibility of mosquitoes by inhibiting/enhancing replication of important flaviviruses. hence, a study was designed to determine whether bagaza virus (bagv), a flavivirus isolated from culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes in india, alters susceptibility of cx. tritaeniorhynchus and cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes to japanese encephalitis (jev) and west nile viruses (wnv).	26905241
immune surveillance of the cns following infection and injury.	the central nervous system (cns) contains a sophisticated neural network that must be constantly surveyed in order to detect and mitigate a diverse array of challenges. the innate and adaptive immune systems actively participate in this surveillance, which is critical for the maintenance of cns homeostasis and can facilitate the resolution of infections, degeneration, and tissue damage. infections and sterile injuries represent two common challenges imposed on the cns that require a prompt immun ...	26431941
neurons versus herpes simplex virus: the innate immune interactions that contribute to a host-pathogen standoff.	herpes simplex virus (hsv) is a prevalent neurotropic virus, which establishes lifelong latent infections in the neurons of sensory ganglia. despite our long-standing knowledge that hsv predominately infects sensory neurons during its life cycle, little is known about the neuronal antiviral response to hsv infection. recent studies show that while sensory neurons have impaired intrinsic immunity to hsv infection, paracrine ifn signaling can potentiate a potent antiviral response. additionally, a ...	26213562
viral noncoding rnas: more surprises.	eukaryotic cells produce several classes of long and small noncoding rna (ncrna). many dna and rna viruses synthesize their own ncrnas. like their host counterparts, viral ncrnas associate with proteins that are essential for their stability, function, or both. diverse biological roles--including the regulation of viral replication, viral persistence, host immune evasion, and cellular transformation--have been ascribed to viral ncrnas. in this review, we focus on the multitude of functions playe ...	25792595
cytoplasmic rna granules and viral infection.	rna granules are dynamic cellular structures essential for proper gene expression and homeostasis. the two principal types of cytoplasmic rna granules are stress granules, which contain stalled translation initiation complexes, and processing bodies (p bodies), which concentrate factors involved in mrna degradation. rna granules are associated with gene silencing of transcripts; thus, viruses repress rna granule functions to favor replication. this article discusses the breadth of viral interact ...	26958719
ifitm-family proteins: the cell's first line of antiviral defense.	animal cells use a wide variety of mechanisms to slow or prevent replication of viruses. these mechanisms are usually mediated by antiviral proteins whose expression and activities can be constitutive but are frequently amplified by interferon induction. among these interferon-stimulated proteins, members of the ifitm (interferon-induced transmembrane) family are unique because they prevent infection before a virus can traverse the lipid bilayer of the cell. at least three human ifitm proteins-i ...	25599080
new tricks for old dogs: countering antibiotic resistance in tuberculosis with host-directed therapeutics.	despite the availability of mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtb) drugs for over 50 years, tuberculosis (tb) remains at pandemic levels. new drugs are urgently needed for resistant strains, shortening duration of treatment, and targeting different stages of the disease, especially for treatment during human immunodeficiency virus co-infection. one solution to the conundrum that antibiotics kill the bacillus yet select for resistance is to target the host rather than the pathogen. here, we discuss rec ...	25703571
culex torrentium mosquito role as major enzootic vector defined by rate of sindbis virus infection, sweden, 2009.	we isolated sindbis virus (sinv) from the enzootic mosquito vectors culex torrentium, cx. pipiens, and culiseta morsitans collected in an area of sweden where sinv disease is endemic. the infection rate in cx. torrentium mosquitoes was exceptionally high (36 infections/1,000 mosquitoes), defining cx. torrentium as the main enzootic vector of sinv in scandinavia.	25898013
generation of infectious virus particles from inducible transgenic genomes.	arboviruses like dengue virus, yellow fever virus, and west nile virus are enveloped particles spread by mosquitoes, infecting millions of humans per year, with neither effective vaccines, nor specific antiviral therapies [1,2]. previous studies of infection and virus replication utilize either purified virus particles or deficient genomes that do not complete the viral life cycle [1,2]. here we describe transgenic drosophila strains expressing trans-complementing genomes (referred to as 'replic ...	24502780
hepatitis c virus and antiviral innate immunity: who wins at tug-of-war?	hepatitis c virus (hcv) is a major human pathogen of chronic hepatitis and related liver diseases. innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading foreign pathogens, and its activation is dependent on the recognition of these pathogens by several key sensors. the interferon (ifn) system plays an essential role in the restriction of hcv infection via the induction of hundreds of ifn-stimulated genes (isgs) that inhibit viral replication and spread. however, numerous factors that tri ...	25852264
childhood encephalitis in canada in 2015.		26015788
ilheus virus infection in human, bolivia.		22377378
relationships between infection, dissemination, and transmission of west nile virus rna in culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae).	culex pipiens quinquefasciatus say fed blood containing 6.8 +/- 0.3 logs (mean +/- se) plaque-forming units of west nile virus (wnv)/ml were maintained at 28 degrees c for incubation periods (ip) of 7, 14, or 21 d. several attributes of vector competence were determined at each ip using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to estimate plaque forming unit equivalents including: infection rate (wnv-positive abdomens), dissemination rate (wnv-positive legs or thora ...	22308781
urban mosquito fauna in mérida city, méxico: immatures collected from containers and storm-water drains/catch basins.	we examined the species composition and temporal occurrence of immature mosquitoes in containers and storm-water drains/catch basins from november 2011 to june 2013 in mérida city, méxico. a wide range of urban settings were examined, including residential premises, vacant lots, parking lots, and streets or sidewalks with storm-water drains/catch basins. in total, 111,776 specimens of 15 species were recorded. the most commonly collected species were aedes (stegomyia) aegypti (l.) (n = 60,961) a ...	25429168
can horton hear the whos? the importance of scale in mosquito-borne disease.	the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens is determined by mechanisms and interactions at different scales of biological organization, from individual-level cellular processes to community interactions between species and with the environment. most research, however, focuses on one scale or level with little integration between scales or levels within scales. understanding the interactions between levels and how they influence our perception of vector-borne pathogens is critical. here two examp ...	24724278
adaptive immune response to viral infections in the central nervous system.		25015488
development of replication-competent viral vectors for hiv vaccine delivery.	to briefly describe some of the replication-competent vectors being investigated for development of candidate hiv vaccines focusing primarily on technologies that have advanced to testing in macaques or have entered clinical trials.	23925000
nonreplicating vectors in hiv vaccines.	we review the broad spectrum of nonreplicating viral vectors which have been studied extensively, from preclinical studies through clinical efficacy trials, and include some of our most promising hiv vaccine candidates.	23925001
underreporting of viral encephalitis and viral meningitis, ireland, 2005-2008.	viral encephalitis (ve) and viral meningitis (vm) have been notifiable infectious diseases under surveillance in the republic of ireland since 1981. laboratories have reported confirmed cases by detection of viral nucleic acid in cerebrospinal fluid since 2004. to determine the prevalence of these diseases in ireland during 2005-2008, we analyzed 3 data sources: hospital in-patient enquiry data (from hospitalized following patients discharge) accessed through health intelligence ireland, laborat ...	23965781
eastern equine encephalitis in latin america.	the eastern equine encephalitis (eee) and venezuelan equine encephalitis (vee) viruses are pathogens that infect humans and horses in the americas. outbreaks of neurologic disease in humans and horses were reported in panama from may through early august 2010.	23964935
dengue vaccines: recent developments, ongoing challenges and current candidates.	dengue is among the most prevalent and important arbovirus diseases of humans. to effectively control this rapidly spreading disease, control of the vector mosquito and a safe and efficacious vaccine are critical. despite considerable efforts, the development of a successful vaccine has remained elusive. multiple factors have complicated the creation of a successful vaccine, not the least of which are the complex, immune-mediated responses against four antigenically distinct serotypes necessitat ...	23984962
aedes taeniorhynchus vectorial capacity informs a pre-emptive assessment of west nile virus establishment in galápagos.	increased connectivity with the mainland has led to the arrival of many invasive species to the galápagos islands, including novel pathogens, threatening the archipelago's unique fauna. here we consider the potential role of the mosquito aedes taeniorhynchus in maintaining the flavivirus west nile virus [wnv] should it reach the islands. we report on three components of vectorial capacity - vector competency, distributional abundance and host-feeding. in contrast to usa strains, galápagos a. tae ...	23519190
coi barcode versus morphological identification of culex (culex) (diptera: culicidae) species: a case study using samples from argentina and brazil.	sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (coi) mitochondrial gene from adults of 22 culex (culex) species from argentina and brazil were employed to assess species identification and to test the usefulness of coi for barcoding using the best close match (bcm) algorithm. a pairwise kimura two-parameter distance matrix including the mean intra and interspecific distances for 71 coi barcode sequences was constructed. of the 12 coi lineages recovered in the neighbour-joining topology, five co ...	24473810
discovery of dengue virus ns4b inhibitors.	the four serotypes of dengue virus (denv-1 to -4) represent the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral pathogens in humans. no clinically approved vaccine or antiviral is currently available for denv. here we report a spiropyrazolopyridone compound that potently inhibits denv both in vitro and in vivo. the inhibitor was identified through screening of a 1.8-million-compound library by using a denv-2 replicon assay. the compound selectively inhibits denv-2 and -3 (50% effective concentration [ec50], ...	26018165
comparison of enzootic risk measures for predicting west nile disease, los angeles, california, usa, 2004-2010.	in los angeles, california, usa, 2 epidemics of west nile virus (wnv) disease have occurred since wnv was recognized in 2003. to assess which measure of risk was most predictive of human cases, we compared 3 measures: the california mosquito-borne virus surveillance and response plan assessment, the vector index, and the dynamic continuous-area space-time system. a case-crossover study was performed by using symptom onset dates from 384 persons with wnv infection to determine their relative envi ...	22840314
molecular detection and typing of dengue viruses from archived tissues of fatal cases by rt-pcr and sequencing: diagnostic and epidemiologic implications.	diagnosis of dengue virus (denv) infection in fatal cases is challenging because of the frequent unavailability of blood or fresh tissues. for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (ffpe) tissues immunohistochemistry (ihc) can be used; however, it may not be as sensitive and serotyping is not possible. the application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) for the detection of denv in ffpe tissues has been very limited. we evaluated ffpe autopsy tissues of 122 patients with susp ...	22302871
sources of error in the estimation of mosquito infection rates used to assess risk of arbovirus transmission.	infection rate is an estimate of the prevalence of arbovirus infection in a mosquito population. it is assumed that when infection rate increases, the risk of arbovirus transmission to humans and animals also increases. we examined some of the factors that can invalidate this assumption. first, we used a model to illustrate how the proportion of mosquitoes capable of virus transmission, or infectious, is not a constant fraction of the number of infected mosquitoes. thus, infection rate is not al ...	20519620
new approaches for the standardization and validation of a real-time qpcr assay using taqman probes for quantification of yellow fever virus on clinical samples with high quality parameters.	the development and production of viral vaccines, in general, involve several steps that need the monitoring of viral load throughout the entire process. applying a 2-step quantitative reverse transcription real time pcr assay (rt-qpcr), viral load can be measured and monitored in a few hours. in this context, the development, standardization and validation of a rt-qpcr test to quickly and efficiently quantify yellow fever virus (yfv) in all stages of vaccine production are extremely important. ...	26011746
rna methyltransferases involved in 5' cap biosynthesis.	in eukaryotes and viruses that infect them, the 5' end of mrna molecules, and also many other functionally important rnas, are modified to form a so-called cap structure that is important for interactions of these rnas with many nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. the rna cap has multiple roles in gene expression, including enhancement of rna stability, splicing, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and translation initiation. apart from guanosine addition to the 5' end in the most typical cap structure c ...	25626080
encephalitis caused by pathogens transmitted through organ transplants, united states, 2002-2013.	the cause of encephalitis among solid organ transplant recipients may be multifactorial; the disease can result from infectious or noninfectious etiologies. during 2002-2013, the us centers for disease control and prevention investigated several encephalitis clusters among transplant recipients. cases were caused by infections from transplant-transmitted pathogens: west nile virus, rabies virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and balamuthia mandrillaris amebae. in many of the clusters, iden ...	25148201
monitoring of west nile virus in mosquitoes between 2011-2012 in hungary.	west nile virus (wnv) is a widely distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus. wnv strains are classified into several genetic lineages on the basis of phylogenetic differences. whereas lineage 1 viruses are distributed worldwide, lineage 2 wnv was first detected outside of africa in hungary in 2004. since then, wnv-associated disease and mortality in animal and human hosts have been documented periodically in hungary. after the first detection of wnv from a pool of culex pipiens mosquitoes in 2010, s ...	25229703
phylogenetic analysis of west nile virus genome, iran.		25061976
human infection with west nile virus, xinjiang, china, 2011.		25062043
enteroviral encephalitis in children: clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment advances.	enteroviruses (evs) have emerged as one of the important etiological agents as a causative organism for encephalitis, especially in children and adults. after the first report of ev encephalitis cases in 1950s, there have been increasing reports of regular outbreaks of ev encephalitis worldwide. enteroviruses are rna viruses of the family picornaviridae that consists of more than 100 serotypes, which are characterized by a single positive-strand genomic rna. the clinical features are pleomorphic ...	25175874
zika virus: indian perspectives.	the emergence of zika virus (ziv), a mosquito borne flavivirus like dengue (den) and chikungunya (chik), in brazil in 2014 and its spread to various countries have led to a global health emergency. aedes aegypti is the major vector for ziv. fast dissemination of this virus in different geographical areas posses a major threat especially to regions where the population lacks herd immunity against the ziv and there is abundance of aedes mosquitoes. in this review, we focus on current global scenar ...	27487998
from biocompatibility to immune engineering.		27188512
spectrum of viral pathogens in blood of malaria-free ill travelers returning to canada.	malaria is the most common specific cause of fever in returning travelers, but many other vectorborne infections and viral infections are emerging and increasingly encountered by travelers. we documented common and emerging viral pathogens in malaria-negative specimens from ill travelers returning to canada. anonymized, malaria-negative specimens were examined for various viral pathogens by real-time pcr. samples were positive for herpes simplex viruses 1 or 2 (n = 21, 1.6%), cytomegalovirus (n ...	27089008
evaluation of a monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunochromatographic test for direct detection of rabies virus in the brain of humans and animals.	rabies diagnosis uses a direct fluorescent antibody test (fat) that is difficult, costly, and time-consuming, and requires trained personnel. we developed a rapid immunochromatographic test (rict) for the diagnosis of rabies. the efficacy of the rict was compared with that of the fat. brain samples were collected from humans, dogs, cats, and other animals in sri lanka (n = 248), bhutan (n = 27), and thailand (n = 228). the sensitivity (0.74-0.95), specificity (0.98-1.0), positive predictive valu ...	22492163
regulation of immunogen processing: signal sequences and their application for the new generation of dna-vaccines.	immunization with naked genes (dna-immunization) is a perspective modern approach to prophylactic as well as therapeutic vaccination against pathogens, as well as cancer and allergy. a panel of dna immunogens has been developed, some are already in the clinical trials. however, the immunogenicity of dna vaccines, specifically of those applied to humans, needs a considerable improvement. there are several approaches to increase dna vaccine immunogenicity. one approach implies the modifications of ...	22649628
pearls & oy-sters: bilateral thalamic involvement in west nile virus encephalitis.		25002571
saint louis encephalitis virus in mato grosso, central-western brazil.	the dengue virus (denv), which is frequently involved in large epidemics, and the yellow fever virus (yfv), which is responsible for sporadic sylvatic outbreaks, are considered the most important flaviviruses circulating in brazil. because of that, laboratorial diagnosis of acute undifferentiated febrile illness during epidemic periods is frequently directed towards these viruses, which may eventually hinder the detection of other circulating flaviviruses, including the saint louis encephalitis ...	26200961
isolated substantia nigra involvement in brainstem demyelination.		25883502
investigation into an outbreak of dengue-like illness in pernambuco, brazil, revealed a cocirculation of zika, chikungunya, and dengue virus type 1.	in april 2015, an outbreak of dengue-like illness occurred in tuparetama, a small city in the northeast region of brazil; this outbreak was characterized by its fast expansion. an investigation was initiated to identify the viral etiologies and advise the health authorities on implementing control measures to contain the outbreak. this is the first report of this outbreak in the northeast, even though a few cases were documented earlier in a neighboring city.plasma samples were obtained from 77 ...	27015222
complexity of neutralizing antibodies against multiple dengue virus serotypes after heterotypic immunization and secondary infection revealed by in-depth analysis of cross-reactive antibodies.	the four serotypes of dengue virus (denv) cause the most important and rapidly emerging arboviral diseases in humans. the recent phase 2b and 3 studies of a tetravalent dengue vaccine reported a moderate efficacy despite the presence of neutralizing antibodies, highlighting the need for a better understanding of neutralizing antibodies in polyclonal human sera. certain type-specific (ts) antibodies were recently discovered to account for the monotypic neutralizing activity and protection after p ...	25972550
evidence that implicit assumptions of 'no evolution' of disease vectors in changing environments can be violated on a rapid timescale.	projected impacts of climate change on vector-borne disease dynamics must consider many variables relevant to hosts, vectors and pathogens, including how altered environmental characteristics might affect the spatial distributions of vector species. however, many predictive models for vector distributions consider their habitat requirements to be fixed over relevant time-scales, when they may actually be capable of rapid evolutionary change and even adaptation. we examine the genetic signature o ...	25688024
climate change impacts on west nile virus transmission in a global context.	west nile virus (wnv), the most widely distributed virus of the encephalitic flaviviruses, is a vector-borne pathogen of global importance. the transmission cycle exists in rural and urban areas where the virus infects birds, humans, horses and other mammals. multiple factors impact the transmission and distribution of wnv, related to the dynamics and interactions between pathogen, vector, vertebrate hosts and environment. hence, among other drivers, weather conditions have direct and indirect i ...	25688020
emerging causes of viral-associated uveitis.		25730623
reconciling west nile virus with the autophagic pathway.	west nile virus (wnv) is a neurotropic mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for recurrent outbreaks of meningitis and encephalitis. several studies analyzing the interactions of this pathogen with the autophagic pathway have reported opposite results with evidence for and against the upregulation of autophagy in infected cells. in this regard, we have recently reported that minimal genetic changes (single amino acid substitutions) in nonstructural proteins of wnv can modify the ability of the v ...	25946067
potential sexual transmission of zika virus.	in december 2013, during a zika virus (zikv) outbreak in french polynesia, a patient in tahiti sought treatment for hematospermia, and zikv was isolated from his semen. zikv transmission by sexual intercourse has been previously suspected. this observation supports the possibility that zikv could be transmitted sexually.	25625872
close relationship between west nile virus from turkey and lineage 1 strain from central african republic.	we sequenced west nile viruses (wnvs) from turkey and found close relationships to wnv lineage 1 strain arb310/67 from the central african republic, distinct from other wnvs circulating in the mediterranean basin, eastern europe, and the middle east. these findings suggest independent introductions of wnv strains from africa to the middle east.	25625703
of mice and men: protective and pathogenic immune responses to west nile virus infection.	west nile virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, first emerged in the western hemisphere in 1999. although the majority of infections are asymptomatic, wnv causes significant morbidity and mortality in a minority of individuals who develop neuroinvasive disease, in particular the elderly and immunocompromised. research in animal models has demonstrated interactions between wnv and the innate and adaptive immune system, some of which protect the host and others which are deleterious. studies of dise ...	26120511
benzothiazole and pyrrolone flavivirus inhibitors targeting the viral helicase.	the flavivirus nonstructural protein 3 (ns3) is a protease and helicase, and on the basis of its similarity to its homologue encoded by the hepatitis c virus (hcv), the flavivirus ns3 might be a promising drug target. few flavivirus helicase inhibitors have been reported, in part, because few specific inhibitors have been identified when nucleic acid unwinding assays have been used to screen for helicase inhibitors. to explore the possibility that compounds inhibiting ns3-catalyzed atp hydrolysi ...	26029739