Publications

targeting transmission pathways for emerging zoonotic disease surveillance and control.	we used literature searches and a database of all reported emerging infectious diseases (eids) to analyze the most important transmission pathways (e.g., vector-borne, aerosol droplet transmitted) for emerging zoonoses. our results suggest that at the broad scale, the likelihood of transmission occurring through any one pathway is approximately equal. however, the major transmission pathways for zoonoses differ widely according to the specific underlying drivers of eid events (e.g., land-use cha ...	26186515
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
mayaro virus in child with acute febrile illness, haiti, 2015.	mayaro virus has been associated with small outbreaks in northern south america. we isolated this virus from a child with acute febrile illness in rural haiti, confirming its role as a cause of mosquitoborne illness in the caribbean region. the clinical presentation can mimic that of chikungunya, dengue, and zika virus infections.	27767924
assessing the epidemic potential of rna and dna viruses.	many new and emerging rna and dna viruses are zoonotic or have zoonotic origins in an animal reservoir that is usually mammalian and sometimes avian. not all zoonotic viruses are transmissible (directly or by an arthropod vector) between human hosts. virus genome sequence data provide the best evidence of transmission. of human transmissible virus, 37 species have so far been restricted to self-limiting outbreaks. these viruses are priorities for surveillance because relatively minor changes in ...	27869592
larval food quantity affects the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit human malaria.	adult traits of holometabolous insects are shaped by conditions experienced during larval development, which might impact interactions between adult insect hosts and parasites. however, the ecology of larval insects that vector disease remains poorly understood. here, we used anopheles stephensi mosquitoes and the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum, to investigate whether larval conditions affect the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit malaria. we reared larvae in two groups; one ...	27412284
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
zika virus infection after travel to tahiti, december 2013.		25062427
the crystal structure of zika virus helicase: basis for antiviral drug design.		27172988
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
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
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
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
zika virus infection, philippines, 2012.		25811410
isolation of zika virus from febrile patient, indonesia.		27088970
rapid evolutionary dynamics of structural disorder as a potential driving force for biological divergence in flaviviruses.	protein structure is commonly regarded to be conserved and to dictate function. most proteins rely on conformational flexibility to some degree. are regions that convey conformational flexibility conserved over evolutionary time? can changes in conformational flexibility alter protein function? here, the evolutionary dynamics of structurally ordered and disordered (flexible) regions are investigated genome-wide in flaviviruses, revealing that the amount and location of structural disorder fluctu ...	23418179
zika virus infection, cambodia, 2010.		22305269
the emergence of zika virus as a global health security threat: a review and a consensus statement of the indusem joint working group (jwg).	the zika virus (zikv), first discovered in 1947, has emerged as a global public health threat over the last decade, with the accelerated geographic spread of the virus noted during the last 5 years. the world health organization (who) predicts that millions of cases of zikv are likely to occur in the americas during the next 12 months. these projections, in conjunction with suspected zika-associated increase in newborn microcephaly cases, prompted who to declare public health emergency of intern ...	27013839
zika in america: the year in review.	short on funds and with no therapeutics or vaccines in sight, u.s. health officials are scrambling to prepare for a protracted fight with zika virus and the mosquitoes that carry it. in this article, the author focuses on the arrival of zika in the u.s.	27990081
flavidb: a data mining system for knowledge discovery in flaviviruses with direct applications in immunology and vaccinology.	the flavivirus genus is unusually large, comprising more than 70 species, of which more than half are known human pathogens. it includes a set of clinically relevant infectious agents such as dengue, west nile, yellow fever, and japanese encephalitis viruses. although these pathogens have been studied extensively, safe and efficient vaccines lack for the majority of the flaviviruses.	25544857
first case of laboratory-confirmed zika virus infection imported into china.		27503033
available evidence of association between zika virus and microcephaly.	to clarify the possible association between the zika virus (zikv) and microcephaly and understand where we are in terms of research and the debate on the causation between mild maternal clinical features and severe fetal microcephaly.	27647195
zika virus as an emerging global pathogen: neurological complications of zika virus.	zika virus (zikv) is an emerging arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the genus flavivirus that has caused a widespread outbreak of febrile illness, is associated with neurological disease, and has spread across the pacific to the americas in a short period.	27183312
zika virus: epidemiology, current phobia and preparedness for upcoming mass gatherings, with examples from world olympics and pilgrimage.	to describe zika virus (zikv) epidemiology, current phobia, and the required preparedness for its prevention during the upcoming mass gathering (mg) events.	27648063
arboviruses: molecular biology, evolution and control. nikos vasilakis and duane j. gubler.		27489330
mayaro virus and dengue virus 1 and 4 natural infection in culicids from cuiabá, state of mato grosso, brazil.	this study aimed to verify the diversity of culicidae species and their frequency of infection with flaviviruses and alphaviruses in cuiabá, state of mato grosso, brazil. mosquitoes were captured with nasci aspirators and hand net in 200 census tracts, identified alive at species level and pooled in one-20 (11,090 mosquitoes, 14 species). female pools (n = 610) were subjected to multiplex seminested-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) for 11 flavivirus and five alphavirus. p ...	26784852
background review for diagnostic test development for zika virus infection.	to review the state of knowledge about diagnostic testing for zika virus infection and identify areas of research needed to address the current gaps in knowledge.	27516635
zika virus: a roar after years of whispering.		27168917
neurological manifestations of zika virus infection.	zika virus (zikv) is a flavivirus (flaviviridae family) transmitted mainly by aedes mosquitoes. the virus was restricted to the african continent until its spread to south-east asia in the 1980's, the micronesia in 2007, the french polynesia in 2013 and, more recently in the americas in 2015, where, up to date, the world health organization (who) has estimated about 3-4 million total cases of zikv infection. during outbreaks in the french polynesia and brazil in 2013 and 2015, respectively, nati ...	27878100
thoughts around the zika virus crisis.	as a lot of reviews are available on zika virus (zikv), in this short commentary, we will focus on the recent advances and gaps in knowledge regarding our understanding of zikv infections and on the reaction to the "zikv crisis."	27832453
west nile virus transmission: results from the integrated surveillance system in italy, 2008 to 2015.	in italy a national plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, zika virus disease and west nile virus (wnv) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. here we describe results of the wnv integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in italy from 2008 to 2015. a real time data exchange protocol is in place ...	27684046
the mysterious zika virus: adding to the tropical flavivirus mayhem.	until now, known as the demure cousin of dengue virus (denv) inhabiting africa, zika virus (zikv) has reinvented itself to cause explosive epidemics captivating the western hemisphere. the outbreak causing potential for zikv was realized when it made its way from africa to yap island micronesia in 2007, and in french polynesia in 2013. from there, it moved on to brazil in 2015. now zikv has infected people in more than 33 countries in central and south america and the caribbean. moreover the epi ...	27763483
long-term health risks in childhood cancer survivors.		27757006
zika virus, french polynesia, south pacific, 2013.		24856001
zika virus outbreak, bahia, brazil.		26401719
assay optimization for molecular detection of zika virus.	to examine the diagnostic performance of real-time reverse transcription (rt)-polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays for zika virus detection.	27994281
risk assessment for yellow fever in western and north-western provinces of zambia.	north-western and western provinces of zambia were reclassified as low-risk areas for yellow fever (yf). however, the current potential for yf transmission in these areas is unclear.	25722614
history, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations of zika: a systematic review.	to describe salient epidemiological characteristics of zika virus outbreaks across the world and to examine the clinical presentations, complications, and atypical manifestations related to their occurrence in recent history.	26959260
zika virus: a global threat to humanity: a comprehensive review and current developments.	at present, one of greatest concerns of medical personnel is zika virus (zikv). though it has been reported for quite a long time, its rapid emergence, new modes of transmission, and more importantly, the congenital anomalies associated with it have made the situation worse. it was first detected in 1947. after that, this infection was found in the countries of africa as well as asia. at present, interestingly it has been reported from brazil. microcephaly and intracranial calcification have bee ...	27114968
zika virus: anatomy of a global health crisis.	zika virus infection has emerged as the world's newest health threat, linked to microcephaly in infants and guillain-barré syndrome in adults. we address the rapid global spread of this disease, and the prospects for successful prevention and treatment.	27069344
miscarriage following dengue virus 3 infection in the first six weeks of pregnancy of a dengue virus-naive traveller returning from bali to italy, april 2016.	we report miscarriage following dengue virus (denv)-3 infection in a pregnant woman returning from bali to italy in april 2016. on her arrival, the woman had fever, rash, asthenia and headache. denv rna was detected in plasma and urine samples collected the following day. six days after symptom onset, she had a miscarriage. denv rna was detected in fetal material, but in utero fetal infection cannot be demonstrated due to possible contamination by maternal blood.	27526349
detection of zika virus in urine.	we describe the kinetics of zika virus (zikv) detection in serum and urine samples of 6 patients. urine samples were positive for zikv >10 days after onset of disease, which was a notably longer period than for serum samples. this finding supports the conclusion that urine samples are useful for diagnosis of zikv infections.	25530324
culex mosquitoes are experimentally unable to transmit zika virus.	we report that two laboratory colonies of culex quinquefasciatus and culex pipiens mosquitoes were experimentally unable to transmit zikv either up to 21 days post an infectious blood meal or up to 14 days post intrathoracic inoculation. infectious viral particles were detected in bodies, heads or saliva by a plaque forming unit assay on vero cells. we therefore consider it unlikely that culex mosquitoes are involved in the rapid spread of zikv.	27605159
experimental investigation of the susceptibility of italian culex pipiens mosquitoes to zika virus infection.	we investigated the susceptibility of an italian population of culex pipiens mosquitoes to zika virus (zikv) infection, tested in parallel with aedes aegypti, as a positive control. we analysed mosquitoes at 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 20 and 24 days after an infectious blood meal. viral rna was detected in the body of cx. pipiens up to three days post-infection, but not at later time points. our results indicate that cx. pipiens is not susceptible to zikv infection.	27605056
zika in the united states: how are we preparing?		27581255
zika--how fast does this virus mutate?	the world health organization has declared the present zika virus epidemic to be a 'public health emergency of international concern'. the virus appears to have spread from thailand to french polynesia in 2013, and has since infected over a million people in the countries of south and central america. in most cases the infection is mild and transient, but the virus does appear to be strongly neurotropic and the presumptive cause of both birth defects in fetuses and guillain-barré syndrome in som ...	27029869
roots, not parachutes: research collaborations combat outbreaks.	recent infectious disease epidemics illustrate how health systems failures anywhere can create disease vulnerabilities everywhere. we must therefore prioritize investments in health care infrastructure in outbreak-prone regions of the world. we describe how "rooted" research collaborations can establish capacity for pathogen surveillance and facilitate rapid outbreak responses.	27368093
emerging arboviruses and public health challenges in brazil.	environmental modification by anthropogenic actions, disordered urban growth, globalization of international exchange and climate change are some factors that help the emergence and dissemination of human infectious diseases transmitted by vectors. this review discusses the recent entry of three arboviruses in brazil: chikungunya, west nile, and zika virus, focusing on the challenges for the country's public health. the brazilian population is exposed to infections caused by these three arboviru ...	27355468
chikungunya virus imported into french polynesia, 2014.		25271852
studies on the species composition and relative abundance of mosquitoes of mpigi district, central uganda.	prediction of arboviral disease outbreaks and planning for appropriate control interventions require knowledge of the mosquito vectors involved. although mosquito surveys have been conducted in different regions of uganda since the mid 30's such studies have not been carried out in mpigi district. in october 2011, we conducted mosquito collections in mpigi district to determine species composition and relative abundance of the different species. the survey was conducted in four villages, njeru, ...	26346305
zika. an emerging teratogenic virus.	[no abstract available].	27464857
infection dynamics in a traveller with persistent shedding of zika virus rna in semen for six months after returning from haiti to italy, january 2016.	we describe the dynamics of zika virus (zikv) infection in a man in his early 40s who developed fever and rash after returning from haiti to italy, in january 2016. follow-up laboratory testing demonstrated detectable zikv rna in plasma up to day 9 after symptom onset and in urine and saliva up to days 15 and 47, respectively. notably, persistent shedding of zikv rna was demonstrated in semen, still detectable at 181 days after onset.	27542178
persistent detection of zika virus rna in semen for six months after symptom onset in a traveller returning from haiti to italy, february 2016.	a man in his early 30s reported in january 2016 a history of fever, asthenia and erythematous rash during a stay in haiti. on his return to italy, zikv rna was detected in his urine and saliva 91 days after symptom onset, and in his semen on day 188, six months after symptom onset. our findings support the possibility of sexual transmission of zikv and highlight the importance of continuing to investigate non-vector-borne zikv infection.	27541989
acute zika virus infection after travel to malaysian borneo, september 2014.		25898277
the brazilian zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models.	zika virus (zikv) is an arbovirus belonging to the genus flavivirus (family flaviviridae) and was first described in 1947 in uganda following blood analyses of sentinel rhesus monkeys. until the twentieth century, the african and asian lineages of the virus did not cause meaningful infections in humans. however, in 2007, vectored by aedes aegypti mosquitoes, zikv caused the first noteworthy epidemic on the yap island in micronesia. patients experienced fever, skin rash, arthralgia and conjunctiv ...	27279226
co-infections with chikungunya and dengue viruses, guatemala, 2015.	we screened serum samples referred to the national reference laboratory in guatemala that were positive for chikungunya or dengue viruses in june 2015. co-infection with both viruses was detected by reverse transcription pcr in 46 (32%) of 144 samples. specimens should be tested for both arboviruses to detect co-infections.	27767914
insights in public health: leveraging pacific laboratories to boost global health security.		27980884
chikungunya outbreak, french polynesia, 2014.		25811534
distinguishing between zika and spondweni viruses.		27843157
detection of autochthonous zika virus transmission in sincelejo, colombia.		27089253
congenital chikungunya virus infection after an outbreak in salvador, bahia, brazil.	there is little information about the congenital chikungunya virus (chikv) transmission. we describe two cases of well-documented congenital chikv infection in salvador-brazil, where chikv has been identified since 2014. the outbreak in the city led to the clinical chikv diagnoses of both pregnant women 2 days before delivery. urine and blood samples from the mothers and newborns were collected and tested for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (pcr) analysis for zika, dengue, and ch ...	27555980
highly diversified zika viruses imported to china, 2016.		27209301
bloodfeeding patterns of sylvatic arbovirus vectors in southeastern senegal.	dengue (denv), yellow fever (yfv) and chikungunya (chikv) viruses circulate in sylvatic, enzootic transmission cycles in southeastern senegal, but understanding of the vector-host interactions involved is limited.	23423342
palliative care and traditional practices of death and dying in wa'ab (yap proper) and in the outer islands of yap.	death remains one of the most important and significant activities in yap, an event that involves the entire island. a death of a yapese not only unites the family, it initiates a complex series of reaffirmed kinship ties, rituals and exchanges that refocus the entire community and create new social identities for the participants. how these ties, exchanges, and identities are changing due to new economic challenges and new social pressures were the focus of this preliminary study, which sought ...	22235155
wood responds.		27049417
emerging infectious disease and fast-track publication: when public health gets priority over the formality of scholarly publishing.		27223865
inspiration and insecticide from the flower garden.		27551713
projecting month of birth for at-risk infants after zika virus disease outbreaks.	the marked increase in infants born with microcephaly in brazil after a 2015 outbreak of zika virus (zika virus) disease suggests an association between maternal zika virus infection and congenital microcephaly. to project the timing of delivery of infants born to mothers infected during early pregnancy in 1 city in bahia state, brazil, we incorporated data on reported zika virus disease cases and microcephaly cases into a graphical schematic of weekly birth cohorts. we projected that these birt ...	27088494
threat from emerging vectorborne viruses.		27551712
asian genotype zika virus detected in traveler returning to mexico from colombia, october 2015.		27088574
detection of zika virus in semen.		27088817
phylogeny of zika virus in western hemisphere, 2015.		27088323
fatal sickle cell disease and zika virus infection in girl from colombia.		27089120
tropical islands as new hubs for emerging arboviruses.		27088243
bioethical considerations at times of zika virus.		27462882
who and experts prioritize vaccines, diagnostics and innovative vector control tools for zika r&d.		27508289
who supports cabo verde in managing zika virus.		27508290
knowledge sharing during public health emergencies: from global call to effective implementation.		27034513
public health round-up.		27034514
facts and ideas from anywhere.		27034577
data sharing in public health emergencies: a call to researchers.		26966322
brazil's scientists scramble to solve the zika puzzle.	the world health organization has declared the recent leap in the number of microcephaly cases and their suspected association with zika virus a public health emergency of international concern. ana bispo tells andréia azevedo soares why brazil should have some scientific answers in coming months.	26966326
pandemics, ebola, and the family doctor.		26975910
zika - a pandemic in progress?	the emerging threat of zika virus outbreak with associated neurological abnormalities needs to be assessed in perspective in terms of its ability to cause a pandemic. this article attempts to throw some light on the issue.	27547117
in response.		25513658
zika virus, french polynesia, south pacific, 2013.		25341051
zika virus.		24983096
crossing borders: one world, global health.		24627562
co-infection with zika and dengue viruses in 2 patients, new caledonia, 2014.		25625687
zika virus infection and microcephaly.	a task force established by the brazil ministry of health investigated the possible association of microcephaly with zika virus infection during pregnancy and a registry for microcephaly cases among women suspected to have had zika virus infection during pregnancy.	27004142
autochthonous chikungunya fever in traveler returning to japan from cuba.		27533717
in this month's bulletin.		27708463
mapping the global geographic potential of zika virus spread.	the americas are presently experiencing the most serious known outbreak of zika virus (zikv). here, we present a novel set of analyses using environmental characteristics, vector mosquito distributions, and socioeconomic risk factors to develop the first map to detail global zikv transmission risk in multiple dimensions based on ecological niche models. our model predictions were tested against independent evaluation data sets, and all models had predictive ability significantly better than rand ...	27653360
infectious diseases. beyond ebola.		26912880
outbreak of exanthematous illness associated with zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses, salvador, brazil.		26584464
climate change and health in pacific island states.		26668431
zika virus transmission from french polynesia to brazil.		26403318
travel-associated and autochthonous zika virus infection in mainland france, 1 january to 15 july 2016.	during summer 2016, all the conditions for local mosquito-borne transmission of zika virus (zikv) are met in mainland france: a competent vector, aedes albopictus, a large number of travellers returning from zikv-affected areas, and an immunologically naive population. from 1 january to 15 july 2016, 625 persons with evidence of recent zikv infection were reported in mainland france. we describe the surveillance system in place and control measures implemented to reduce the risk of infection.	27542120
on the ground in western africa: from the outbreak to the elapse of ebola.		27502186
zika virus productively infects primary human placenta-specific macrophages.	the strong association of zika virus infection with congenital defects has led to questions of how a flavivirus is capable of crossing the placental barrier to reach the fetal brain. here, we demonstrate permissive zika virus infection of primary human placental macrophages, commonly referred to as hofbauer cells, and placental villous fibroblasts. we also demonstrate zika virus infection of hofbauer cells within the context of the tissue ex vivo using term placental villous explants. in additio ...	27595140
the emerging battlefront: infectious diseases.		27688273