| surveillance for western equine encephalitis, st. louis encephalitis, and west nile viruses using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification. | collection of mosquitoes and testing for vector-borne viruses is a key surveillance activity that directly influences the vector control efforts of public health agencies, including determining when and where to apply insecticides. vector control districts in california routinely monitor for three human pathogenic viruses including west nile virus (wnv), western equine encephalitis virus (weev), and st. louis encephalitis virus (slev). reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction ... | 2016 | 26807734 |
| preparing for the next epidemic with basic virology. | | 2015 | 26492495 |
| zoonotic encephalitides caused by arboviruses: transmission and epidemiology of alphaviruses and flaviviruses. | in this review, we mainly focus on zoonotic encephalitides caused by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) of the families flaviviridae (genus flavivirus) and togaviridae (genus alphavirus) that are important in both humans and domestic animals. specifically, we will focus on alphaviruses (eastern equine encephalitis virus, western equine encephalitis virus, venezuelan equine encephalitis virus) and flaviviruses (japanese encephalitis virus and west nile virus). most of these viruses were origin ... | 2013 | 24427764 |
| a genome-wide analysis of rna pseudoknots that stimulate efficient -1 ribosomal frameshifting or readthrough in animal viruses. | programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting (prf) and stop codon readthrough are two translational recoding mechanisms utilized by some rna viruses to express their structural and enzymatic proteins at a defined ratio. efficient recoding usually requires an rna pseudoknot located several nucleotides downstream from the recoding site. to assess the strategic importance of the recoding pseudoknots, we have carried out a large scale genome-wide analysis in which we used an in-house developed program to d ... | 2013 | 24298557 |
| evolution of mosquito-based arbovirus surveillance systems in australia. | control of arboviral disease is dependent on the sensitive and timely detection of elevated virus activity or the identification of emergent or exotic viruses. the emergence of japanese encephalitis virus (jev) in northern australia revealed numerous problems with performing arbovirus surveillance in remote locations. a sentinel pig programme detected jev activity, although there were a number of financial, logistical, diagnostic and ethical limitations. a system was developed which detected vir ... | 2012 | 22505808 |
| the microbial detection array for detection of emerging viruses in clinical samples--a useful panmicrobial diagnostic tool. | emerging viruses are usually endemic to tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, but increased global travel, climate change and changes in lifestyle are believed to contribute to the spread of these viruses into new regions. many of these viruses cause similar disease symptoms as other emerging viruses or common infections, making these unexpected pathogens difficult to diagnose. broad-spectrum pathogen detection microarrays containing probes for all sequenced viruses and bacteria can pr ... | 2014 | 24963710 |
| identification of hotspots in the european union for the introduction of four zoonotic arboviroses by live animal trade. | live animal trade is considered a major mode of introduction of viruses from enzootic foci into disease-free areas. due to societal and behavioural changes, some wild animal species may nowadays be considered as pet species. the species diversity of animals involved in international trade is thus increasing. this could benefit pathogens that have a broad host range such as arboviruses. the objective of this study was to analyze the risk posed by live animal imports for the introduction, in the e ... | 2013 | 23894573 |
| 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 ... | 0 | 16223950 |
| an updated checklist of mosquito species (diptera: culicidae) from madagascar. | an updated checklist of 235 mosquito species from madagascar is presented. the number of species has increased considerably compared to previous checklists, particularly the last published in 2003 (178 species). this annotated checklist provides concise information on endemism, taxonomic position, developmental stages, larval habitats, distribution, behavior, and vector-borne diseases potentially transmitted. the 235 species belong to 14 genera: aedeomyia (3 species), aedes (35 species), anophel ... | 2016 | 27101839 |
| 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 ... | 0 | 24175207 |
| not waiting for godot: proactive efforts to find potential zoonotic agents. | | 0 | 18717005 |
| assessment of productivity of culex spp. larvae (diptera: culicidae) in urban storm water catch basin system in wrocław (sw poland). | in urban environments, catch basins serve as major developmental and resting sites for anthropophilic and zoophilic mosquitoes. however, the use of this habitat is inconsistent, with abundance of larvae varying significantly across catch basins at a fine spatial scale. during seasonal summer investigations on mosquito species composition, their spatial and temporal distribution and the environmental characteristic of the breeding sites in the underground storm drain systems of the wrocław urban ... | 2016 | 26809340 |
| vector-virus interactions and transmission dynamics of west nile virus. | west nile virus (wnv; flavivirus; flaviviridae) is the cause of the most widespread arthropod-borne viral disease in the world and the largest outbreak of neuroinvasive disease ever observed. mosquito-borne outbreaks are influenced by intrinsic (e.g., vector and viral genetics, vector and host competence, vector life-history traits) and extrinsic (e.g., temperature, rainfall, human land use) factors that affect virus activity and mosquito biology in complex ways. the concept of vectorial capacit ... | 2013 | 24351794 |
| unfolded protein response in hepatitis c virus infection. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) is a single-stranded, positive-sense rna virus of clinical importance. the virus establishes a chronic infection and can progress from chronic hepatitis, steatosis to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). the mechanisms of viral persistence and pathogenesis are poorly understood. recently the unfolded protein response (upr), a cellular homeostatic response to endoplasmic reticulum (er) stress, has emerged to be a major contributing factor in many human ... | 2014 | 24904547 |
| the composition of west nile virus lipid envelope unveils a role of sphingolipid metabolism in flavivirus biogenesis. | west nile virus (wnv) is an emerging zoonotic mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for outbreaks of febrile illness and meningoencephalitis. the replication of wnv takes place on virus-modified membranes from the endoplasmic reticulum of the host cell, and virions acquire their envelope by budding into this organelle. consistent with this view, the cellular biology of this pathogen is intimately linked to modifications of the intracellular membranes, and the requirement for specific lipids, suc ... | 2014 | 25122799 |
| mosquito-borne arbovirus surveillance at selected sites in diverse ecological zones of kenya; 2007 - 2012. | increased frequency of arbovirus outbreaks in east africa necessitated the determination of distribution of risk by entomologic arbovirus surveillance. a systematic vector surveillance programme spanning 5 years and covering 11 sites representing seven of the eight provinces in kenya and located in diverse ecological zones was carried out. | 2013 | 23663381 |
| development of one-step quantitative reverse transcription pcr for the rapid detection of flaviviruses. | the genus flavivirus includes several pathogenic agents that cause severe illness in humans. re-emergence of west nile virus in europe and continuous spread of certain flaviviruses such as dengue, yellow fever and japanese encephalitis viruses represent a global danger to public health. therefore, a rapid and accurate molecular method is required for diagnostics and epidemiological surveillance of flaviviruses. | 2013 | 23410000 |
| the contribution of rodent models to the pathological assessment of flaviviral infections of the central nervous system. | members of the genus flavivirus are responsible for a spectrum of important neurological syndromes in humans and animals. rodent models have been used extensively to model flavivirus neurological disease, to discover host-pathogen interactions that influence disease outcome, and as surrogates to determine the efficacy and safety of vaccines and therapeutics. in this review, we discuss the current understanding of flavivirus neuroinvasive disease and outline the host, viral and experimental facto ... | 2012 | 22592957 |
| first report on human-biting culex pipiens in sweden. | culex mosquitoes are vectors of several bird-hosted arboviruses that cause outbreaks in europe, such as sindbis virus and west nile virus. recently, the human-biting form of culex pipiens, cx. pipiens biotype molestus, was found causing big nuisance in a housing cooperative in gothenburg in southern sweden, confirmed by molecular identification. this is the first report of human-biting culex in scandinavia, signalling increased risk of arbovirus infection in northern europe. | 2016 | 27927233 |
| working with zika and usutu viruses in vitro. | usutu (usuv) and zika (zikv) viruses are emerging arboviruses of significant medical and veterinary importance. these viruses have not been studied as well as other medically important arboviruses such as west nile (wnv), dengue (denv), or chikungunya (chikv) viruses. as such, information regarding the behavior of zikv and usuv viruses in the laboratory is dated. usutu virus re-emerged in austria in 2001 and has since spread throughout the european and asian continents causing significant mortal ... | 2016 | 27541001 |
| the role of climatic and density dependent factors in shaping mosquito population dynamics: the case of culex pipiens in northwestern italy. | culex pipiens mosquito is a species widely spread across europe and represents a competent vector for many arboviruses such as west nile virus (wnv), which has been recently circulating in many european countries, causing hundreds of human cases. in order to identify the main determinants of the high heterogeneity in cx. pipiens abundance observed in piedmont region (northwestern italy) among different seasons, we developed a density-dependent stochastic model that takes explicitly into account ... | 2016 | 27105065 |
| pilot longitudinal mosquito surveillance study in the danube delta biosphere reserve and the first reports of anopheles algeriensis theobald, 1903 and aedes hungaricus mihályi, 1955 for romania. | mosquito-borne viruses (moboviruses) are of growing importance in many countries of europe. in romania and especially in the danube delta biosphere reserve (ddbr), mosquito and mobovirus surveillance are not performed on a regular basis. however, this type of study is crucially needed to evaluate the risk of pathogen transmission, to understand the ecology of emerging moboviruses, or to plan vector control programmes. | 2016 | 27066827 |
| ecological characterization and molecular differentiation of culex pipiens complex taxa and culex torrentium in eastern austria. | culex pipiens complex taxa differ in behaviour, ecophysiology and epidemiologic importance. despite their epidemiologic significance, information on genetic diversity, occurrence and seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of the cx. pipiens complex is still insufficient. assessment of seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of culex pipiens forms and their congener cx. torrentium is crucial for the understanding of their vector-pathogen dynamics. | 2016 | 27067139 |
| direct pcr of indigenous and invasive mosquito species: a time- and cost-effective technique of mosquito barcoding. | millions of people die each year as a result of pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes. however, the morphological identification of mosquito species can be difficult even for experts. the identification of morphologically indistinguishable species, such as members of the anopheles maculipennis complex (diptera: culicidae), and possible hybrids, such as culex pipiens pipiens/culex pipiens molestus (diptera: culicidae), presents a major problem. in addition, the detection and discrimination of newly ... | 2015 | 26663040 |
| 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. | 0 | 25898013 |
| understanding west nile virus ecology in europe: culex pipiens host feeding preference in a hotspot of virus emergence. | understanding wildlife disease ecology is becoming an urgent need due to the continuous emergence and spread of several wildlife zoonotic diseases. west nile virus (wnv) is the most widespread arthropod-borne virus in the world, and in recent decades there has been an increase both in geographic range, and in the frequency of symptomatic infections in humans and wildlife. the principal vector for wnv in europe is the common house culex pipiens mosquito, which feeds on a wide variety of vertebrat ... | 2015 | 25888754 |
| impacts of the creation, expansion and management of english wetlands on mosquito presence and abundance - developing strategies for future disease mitigation. | the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases is increasing in europe, partly due to the incursion of a number of invasive species known to be vectors of dengue and chikungunya viruses, but also due to the involvement of native species in the transmission of west nile virus and malaria. for some of these pathogens, there is a risk of the re-emergence of vector-borne diseases that were once widespread in europe, but declined partly due to large-scale land-drainage projects. some mosquito species explo ... | 2015 | 25889666 |
| mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) and their relevance as disease vectors in the city of vienna, austria. | mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are important vectors for a wide range of pathogenic organisms. as large parts of the human population in developed countries live in cities, the occurrence of vector-borne diseases in urban areas is of particular interest for epidemiologists and public health authorities. in this study, we investigated the mosquito occurrence in the city of vienna, austria, in order to estimate the risk of transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. mosquitoes were captured using di ... | 2014 | 25468380 |
| putative novel lineage of west nile virus in uranotaenia unguiculata mosquito, hungary. | west nile virus (wnv) is an increasing public health concern in europe with numerous human cases. a total of 23,029 female mosquitoes were tested for a variety of mosquito-borne flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses supposedly endemic in southern transdanubia, hungary, in the frames of a large-scale surveillance between 2011 and 2013. wnv nucleic acid was detected in a single pool containing uranotaenia unguiculata mosquitoes. sequence- and phylogenetic analyses for two different regions (ns5 and e ... | 2014 | 25674630 |
| population structure and distribution patterns of the sibling mosquito species culex pipiens and culex torrentium (diptera: culicidae) reveal different evolutionary paths. | nowadays a number of endemic mosquito species are known to possess vector abilities for various diseases, as e.g. the sibling species culex pipiens and culex torrentium. due to their morphological similarity, ecology, distribution and vector abilities, knowledge about these species' population structure is essential. culicidae from 25 different sampling sites were collected from march till october 2012. all analyses were performed with aligned cox1 sequences with a total length of 658 bp. popula ... | 2014 | 25048456 |
| more novel hantaviruses and diversifying reservoir hosts--time for development of reservoir-derived cell culture models? | due to novel, improved and high-throughput detection methods, there is a plethora of newly identified viruses within the genus hantavirus. furthermore, reservoir host species are increasingly recognized besides representatives of the order rodentia, now including members of the mammalian orders soricomorpha/eulipotyphla and chiroptera. despite the great interest created by emerging zoonotic viruses, there is still a gross lack of in vitro models, which reflect the exclusive host adaptation of mo ... | 2014 | 24576845 |
| european surveillance for west nile virus in mosquito populations. | a wide range of arthropod-borne viruses threaten both human and animal health either through their presence in europe or through risk of introduction. prominent among these is west nile virus (wnv), primarily an avian virus, which has caused multiple outbreaks associated with human and equine mortality. endemic outbreaks of west nile fever have been reported in italy, greece, france, romania, hungary, russia and spain, with further spread expected. most outbreaks in western europe have been due ... | 2013 | 24157510 |
| ecological approaches to informing public health policy and risk assessments on emerging vector-borne zoonoses. | pathogens associated with vector-borne zoonoses occur in enzootic cycles within nature. they are driven by a combination of vertebrate host and invertebrate vector population dynamics, which in turn respond to changes in environmental stimuli. human involvement in these cycles, and hence the occurrence of human disease, is often to act as incidental host. from a public health perspective our ability to better predict human outbreaks of these diseases and prepare intervention and mitigation strat ... | 2010 | 22460391 |
| ecuador paraiso escondido virus, a new flavivirus isolated from new world sand flies in ecuador, is the first representative of a novel clade in the genus flavivirus. | a new flavivirus, ecuador paraiso escondido virus (epev), named after the village where it was discovered, was isolated from sand flies (psathyromyia abonnenci, formerly lutzomyia abonnenci) that are unique to the new world. this represents the first sand fly-borne flavivirus identified in the new world. epev exhibited a typical flavivirus genome organization. nevertheless, the maximum pairwise amino acid sequence identity with currently recognized flaviviruses was 52.8%. phylogenetic analysis o ... | 2015 | 26355096 |
| new insights into flavivirus evolution, taxonomy and biogeographic history, extended by analysis of canonical and alternative coding sequences. | to generate the most diverse phylogenetic dataset for the flaviviruses to date, we determined the genomic sequences and phylogenetic relationships of 14 flaviviruses, of which 10 are primarily associated with culex spp. mosquitoes. we analyze these data, in conjunction with a comprehensive collection of flavivirus genomes, to characterize flavivirus evolutionary and biogeographic history in unprecedented detail and breadth. based on the presumed introduction of yellow fever virus into the americ ... | 2015 | 25719412 |
| molecular characterization of flaviviruses from field-collected mosquitoes in northwestern italy, 2011-2012. | the genus flavivirus comprises several mosquito-borne species, including the zoonotic pathogens west nile and usutu virus, circulating in animals and humans in italy since 1998. due to its ecological and geographical features, piedmont is considered a risk area for flavivirus transmission. here we report the results of a flavivirus survey (detection and genetic characterization) of mosquitoes collected in piedmont in 2012 and the genetic characterization of three strains detected in 2011. | 2014 | 25160565 |
| molecular diagnosis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by puumala virus. | rodent-borne hantaviruses cause two severe acute diseases: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs) in eurasia, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (hps; also called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome [hcps]) in the americas. puumala virus (puuv) is the most common causative agent of hfrs in europe. current routine diagnostic methods are based on serological analyses and can yield inconclusive results. hantavirus-infected patients are viremic during the early phase of disease; therefore, dete ... | 2016 | 26962084 |
| spot the difference-development of a syndrome based protein microarray for specific serological detection of multiple flavivirus infections in travelers. | the family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, holds many of the world's most prevalent arboviral diseases that are also considered the most important travel related arboviral infections. in most cases, flavivirus diagnosis in travelers is primarily based on serology as viremia is often low and typically has already been reduced to undetectable levels when symptoms set in and patients seek medical attention. serological differentiation between flaviviruses and the false-positive results caused by va ... | 2015 | 25767876 |
| usutu virus: an emerging flavivirus in europe. | usutu virus (usuv) is an african mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging to the japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. usuv is closely related to murray valley encephalitis virus, japanese encephalitis virus, and west nile virus. usuv was discovered in south africa in 1959. in europe, the first true demonstration of circulation of usuv was reported in austria in 2001 with a significant die-off of eurasian blackbirds. in the subsequent years, usuv expanded to neighboring countries, including italy, ... | 2015 | 25606971 |
| characterization of a novel insect-specific flavivirus from brazil: potential for inhibition of infection of arthropod cells with medically important flaviviruses. | in the past decade, there has been an upsurge in the number of newly described insect-specific flaviviruses isolated pan-globally. we recently described the isolation of a novel flavivirus (tentatively designated 'nhumirim virus'; nhuv) that represents an example of a unique subset of apparently insect-specific viruses that phylogenetically affiliate with dual-host mosquito-borne flaviviruses despite appearing to be limited to replication in mosquito cells. we characterized the in vitro growth p ... | 2014 | 25146007 |
| epidemiology of west nile disease in europe and in the mediterranean basin from 2009 to 2013. | west nile virus (wnv) transmission has been confirmed in the last four years in europe and in the mediterranean basin. an increasing concern towards west nile disease (wnd) has been observed due to the high number of human and animal cases reported in these areas confirming the importance of this zoonosis. a new epidemiological scenario is currently emerging: although new introductions of the virus from abroad are always possible, confirming the epidemiological role played by migratory birds, th ... | 2014 | 25302311 |
| zika virus: the latest newcomer. | since the beginning of this century, humanity has been facing a new emerging, or re-emerging, virus threat almost every year: west nile, influenza a, avian flu, dengue, chikungunya, sars, mers, ebola, and now zika, the latest newcomer. zika virus (zikv), a flavivirus transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, was identified in 1947 in a sentinel monkey in uganda, and later on in humans in nigeria. the virus was mainly confined to the african continent until it was detected in south-east asia the 1980's, t ... | 2016 | 27148186 |
| first tbev serological screening in flemish wild boar. | in the frame of a flemish wildlife surveillance in 2013, a serological screening was performed on sera from wild boar (sus scrofa; n=238) in order to detect tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev)-specific antibodies. neutralising antibodies were titrated with a seroneutralisation test (snt), using two cut-off titres (1/10-1/15). seven wild boars were found tbev-seropositive and showed moderate (>1/15) to high (>1/125) snt-titres; three individuals had borderline results (1/10-1/15). this study dem ... | 2016 | 27087689 |
| neglected tropical diseases among the association of southeast asian nations (asean): overview and update. | the ten member states of the association of southeast asian nations (asean) constitute an economic powerhouse, yet these countries also harbor a mostly hidden burden of poverty and neglected tropical diseases (ntds). almost 200 million people live in extreme poverty in asean countries, mostly in the low or lower middle-income countries of indonesia, the philippines, myanmar, viet nam, and cambodia, and many of them are affected by at least one ntd. however, ntds are prevalent even among upper mi ... | 2015 | 25880767 |
| vector borne infections in italy: results of the integrated surveillance system for west nile disease in 2013. | the epidemiology of west nile disease (wnd) is influenced by multiple ecological factors and, therefore, integrated surveillance systems are needed for early detecting the infection and activating consequent control actions. as different animal species have different importance in the maintenance and in the spread of the infection, a multispecies surveillance approach is required. an integrated and comprehensive surveillance system is in place in italy aiming at early detecting the virus introdu ... | 2015 | 25874224 |
| occurrence of west nile virus antibodies in wild birds, horses, and humans in poland. | serum samples of 474 wild birds, 378 horses, and 42 humans with meningitis and lymphocytic meningitis were collected between 2010 and 2014 from different areas of poland. west nile virus (wnv) antibodies were detected using competition enzyme linked immunosorbent assays: elisa-1 id screen west nile competition, idvet, elisa-2 id screen west nile igm capture, and elisa-3 ingezim west nile compac. the antibodies were found in 63 (13.29%) out of 474 wild bird serum samples and in one (0.26%) out of ... | 2015 | 25866767 |
| amino acid substitutions in the non-structural proteins 4a or 4b modulate the induction of autophagy in west nile virus infected cells independently of the activation of the unfolded protein response. | west nile virus (wnv) is a neurotropic mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for outbreaks of meningitis and encephalitis. whereas the activation of autophagy in cells infected with other flaviviruses is well known, the interaction of wnv with the autophagic pathway still remains unclear and there are reports describing opposite findings obtained even analyzing the same viral strain. to clarify this controversy, we first analyzed the induction of autophagic features in cells infected with a pane ... | 2015 | 25642225 |
| universal single-probe rt-pcr assay for diagnosis of dengue virus infections. | dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has become more prevalent in the last few decades. most patients are viremic when they present with symptoms, and early diagnosis of dengue is important in preventing severe clinical complications associated with this disease and also represents a key factor in differential diagnosis. here, we designed and validated a hydrolysis-probe-based one-step real-time rt-pcr assay that targets the genomes of dengue virus serotypes 1-4. | 2014 | 25522325 |
| seroprevalence screening for the west nile virus in malaysia's orang asli population. | west nile virus (wnv) infection is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by an rna virus of the genus flavivirus. wnv is preserved in the environment through cyclic transmission, with mosquitoes, particularly culex species, serving as a vector, birds as an amplifying host and humans and other mammals as dead-end hosts. to date, no studies have been carried out to determine the prevalence of the wnv antibody in malaysia. the aim of this study was to screen for the seroprevalence of the wnv in malay ... | 2014 | 25515627 |
| hybridization and population structure of the culex pipiens complex in the islands of macaronesia. | the culex pipiens complex includes two widespread mosquito vector species, cx. pipiens and cx. quinquefasciatus. the distribution of these species varies in latitude, with the former being present in temperate regions and the latter in tropical and subtropical regions. however, their distribution range overlaps in certain areas and interspecific hybridization has been documented. genetic introgression between these species may have epidemiological repercussions for west nile virus (wnv) transmis ... | 2012 | 22957190 |
| vector competence of culex neavei (diptera: culicidae) for usutu virus. | usutu virus (usuv), a flavivirus belonging to the japanese encephalitis serocomplex, was isolated for the first time from a culex neavei mosquito in 1959 in south africa. despite multiple isolations of usuv from cx. neavei in africa, its vector competence remains unproven. therefore, we infected cx. neavei orally with the usuv reference strain and used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and an indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect virus in bodies, legs, wings, and saliva of mo ... | 0 | 22665607 |
| mosquito, bird and human surveillance of west nile and usutu viruses in emilia-romagna region (italy) in 2010. | in 2008, after the first west nile virus (wnv) detection in the emilia-romagna region, a surveillance system, including mosquito- and bird-based surveillance, was established to evaluate the virus presence. surveillance was improved in following years by extending the monitoring to larger areas and increasing the numbers of mosquitoes and birds tested. | 2012 | 22666446 |
| evidence of mosquito-transmitted flavivirus circulation in piedmont, north-western italy. | flavivirus is a highly heterogeneous viral genus that includes important human pathogens and several viral strains with unknown zoonotic potential. mosquito-borne flaviviruses have been isolated and characterized in northern italy: west nile virus and usutu virus were detected in mosquitoes and in different host species and recent studies provided evidence about the circulation of "insect flavivirus" strains. | 2012 | 22616748 |
| emergence of west nile virus lineage 2 in europe: a review on the introduction and spread of a mosquito-borne disease. | west nile virus (wnv) is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes fever and encephalitis in humans, equines, and occasionally wild birds. the virus was first isolated in sub-saharan africa where it is endemic. wnv lineage 1 has been responsible for repeated disease outbreaks in the countries of the mediterranean basin over the past 50 years. this lineage was also introduced into north america in 1999 causing widespread human, equine, and avian mortality. wnv lineage 2, the first wnv lineage to be is ... | 2014 | 25538937 |
| serum neutralization assay can efficiently replace plaque reduction neutralization test for detection and quantitation of west nile virus antibodies in human and animal serum samples. | a serum neutralization assay (sn) was compared with the official plaque reduction neutralization test for the quantitation of west nile virus antibodies. a total of 1,348 samples from equid sera and 38 from human sera were tested by these two methods. statistically significant differences were not observed, thus supporting the use of sn for routine purposes. | 2014 | 25100824 |
| usutu virus in bats, germany, 2013. | | 0 | 25271769 |
| comparative full length genome sequence analysis of usutu virus isolates from africa. | usutu virus (usuv), a flavivirus belonging to the japanese encephalitis serocomplex, was identified in south africa in 1959 and reported for the first time in europe in 2001. to date, full length genome sequences have been available only for the reference strain from south africa and a single isolate from each of austria, hungary, and italy. | 2013 | 23816256 |
| usutu virus in migratory song thrushes, spain. | | 0 | 23764143 |
| novel cis-acting element within the capsid-coding region enhances flavivirus viral-rna replication by regulating genome cyclization. | cis-acting elements in the viral genome rna (vrna) are essential for the translation, replication, and/or encapsidation of rna viruses. in this study, a novel conserved cis-acting element was identified in the capsid-coding region of mosquito-borne flavivirus. the downstream of 5' cyclization sequence (5'cs) pseudoknot (dcs-pk) element has a three-stem pseudoknot structure, as demonstrated by structure prediction and biochemical analysis. using dengue virus as a model, we show that dcs-pk enhanc ... | 2013 | 23576500 |
| comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis of the first usutu virus isolate from a human patient presenting with neurological symptoms. | usutu virus (usuv) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, belonging to the japanese encephalitis antigenic complex, that circulates among mosquitoes and birds. we describe and analyze the complete genome sequence of the first usuv strain isolated from an immunocompromised patient with neuroinvasive disease. this usuv isolate showed an overall nucleotide identity of 99% and 96%, respectively, with the genomes of isolates from europe and africa. comparison of the human usuv complete polyprotein sequence ... | 2013 | 23741387 |
| real time classification of viruses in 12 dimensions. | the international committee on taxonomy of viruses authorizes and organizes the taxonomic classification of viruses. thus far, the detailed classifications for all viruses are neither complete nor free from dispute. for example, the current missing label rates in genbank are 12.1% for family label and 30.0% for genus label. using the proposed natural vector representation, all 2,044 single-segment referenced viral genomes in genbank can be embedded in [formula: see text]. unlike other approaches ... | 2013 | 23717598 |
| usutu virus persistence and west nile virus inactivity in the emilia-romagna region (italy) in 2011. | the circulation of west nile virus and usutu virus was detected in the emilia-romagna region in 2008 and 2009. to evaluate the extent of circulation of both viruses, environmental surveillance, based on bird and mosquito testing, was conducted in 2008 and gradually improved over the years. | 2013 | 23667694 |
| second international diagnostic accuracy study for the serological detection of west nile virus infection. | in recent decades, sporadic cases and outbreaks in humans of west nile virus (wnv) infection have increased. serological diagnosis of wnv infection can be performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), immunofluorescence assay (ifa) neutralization test (nt) and by hemagglutination-inhibition assay. the aim of this study is to collect updated information regarding the performance accuracy of wnv serological diagnostics. | 2013 | 23638205 |
| feeding patterns of molestus and pipiens forms of culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) in a region of high hybridization. | two biological forms of the mosquito culex pipiens s.s., denoted pipiens and molestus, display behavioural differences that may affect their role as vectors of arboviruses. in this study, the feeding patterns of molestus and pipiens forms were investigated in comporta (portugal), where high levels of inter-form admixture have been recorded. | 2013 | 23578139 |
| 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 ... | 0 | 23418179 |
| could drought conditions trigger schmallenberg virus and other arboviruses circulation? | in 2011, a new orthobunyavirus, named the schmallenberg virus (sbv), was discovered in europe. like the related shamonda virus, sbv is an arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus). after its discovery, the virus was detected in a wide area in north-western europe, an unexpected finding in a territory where climatic conditions would not seem ideal for arbovirus transmission. this sudden expansion suggests the effect of 2011 drought as a key factor that may have triggered sbv circulation. the possible inf ... | 2013 | 23409725 |
| intertwined arbovirus transmission activity: reassessing the transmission cycle paradigm. | arboviruses are emerging/reemerging infectious agents worldwide. the factors within this scenario include vector and host population fluctuations, climatic changes, anthropogenic activities that disturb ecosystems, an increase in international flights, human mobility, and genetic mutations that allow spill-over phenomenon. arboviruses are maintained by biologic transmission among vectors and hosts. sometimes this biological transmission is specific and includes one vector and host species such a ... | 2013 | 23335900 |
| west nile virus equine serosurvey in the czech and slovak republics. | a serological survey for west nile virus (wnv) infection involved 395 horses from 43 administrative districts of the czech republic (163 animals) and 29 districts of slovakia (232 animals), sampled between 2008 and 2011. using a plaque-reduction neutralization microtest, antibodies to wnv were not detected in any horse from the czech republic, whereas 19 nonvaccinated horses from slovakia had specific antibodies to wnv (no cross-reactions were observed with tick-borne encephalitis and usutu flav ... | 2013 | 23919605 |
| southernmost asia is the source of japanese encephalitis virus (genotype 1) diversity from which the viruses disperse and evolve throughout asia. | although a previous study predicted that japanese encephalitis virus (jev) originated in the malaysia/indonesia region, the virus is known to circulate mainly on the asian continent. however, there are no reported systematic studies that adequately define how jev then dispersed throughout asia. | 2013 | 24069502 |
| phylogeography of japanese encephalitis virus: genotype is associated with climate. | the circulation of vector-borne zoonotic viruses is largely determined by the overlap in the geographical distributions of virus-competent vectors and reservoir hosts. what is less clear are the factors influencing the distribution of virus-specific lineages. japanese encephalitis virus (jev) is the most important etiologic agent of epidemic encephalitis worldwide, and is primarily maintained between vertebrate reservoir hosts (avian and swine) and culicine mosquitoes. there are five genotypes o ... | 2013 | 24009790 |
| low usutu virus seroprevalence in four zoological gardens in central europe. | usutu virus (usuv), a mosquito-borne flavivirus of the japanese encephalitis virus antigenic group, caused bird die-offs in austria, hungary and switzerland between 2001 and 2009. while the zoological gardens of vienna and zurich recorded usuv-associated mortality in different species of birds during this period, incidences in budapest were limited to areas outside the zoo, and in the greater basel area avian mortality due to usuv infection was not observed at all. the objectives of this investi ... | 2013 | 23919825 |
| use of competition elisa for monitoring of west nile virus infections in horses in germany. | west nile virus (wnv) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen of global importance and is considered to be the most widespread flavivirus in the world. horses, as dead-end hosts, can be infected by bridge mosquito vectors and undergo either subclinical infections or develop severe neurological diseases. the aim of this study was to detect wnv specific antibodies in horses in germany as an indicator for an endemic circulation of wnv. sera from more than 5,000 horses (primarily fallen stock animals) we ... | 2013 | 23887620 |
| a single amino acid substitution in the core protein of west nile virus increases resistance to acidotropic compounds. | west nile virus (wnv) is a worldwide distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus that naturally cycles between birds and mosquitoes, although it can infect multiple vertebrate hosts including horses and humans. this virus is responsible for recurrent epidemics of febrile illness and encephalitis, and has recently become a global concern. wnv requires to transit through intracellular acidic compartments at two different steps to complete its infectious cycle. these include fusion between the viral enve ... | 2013 | 23874963 |
| ilheus virus isolation in the pantanal, west-central brazil. | the wetlands of the brazilian pantanal host large concentrations of diverse wildlife species and hematophagous arthropods, conditions that favor the circulation of zoonotic arboviruses. a recent study from the nhecolândia sub-region of pantanal reported serological evidence of various flaviviruses, including west nile virus and ilheus virus (ilhv). according to the age of seropositive horses, at least three flaviviruses, including ilhv, circulated in the brazilian pantanal between 2005 and 2009. ... | 2013 | 23875051 |
| west nile virus. | | 2013 | 24179475 |
| co-circulation of usutu virus and west nile virus in a reed bed ecosystem. | mosquito-borne flaviviruses are a major public health threat in many countries worldwide. in central europe, west nile virus (wnv) and usutu virus (usuv), both belonging to the japanese encephalitis virus group (flaviviridae) have emerged in the last decennium. surveillance of mosquito vectors for arboviruses is a sensitive tool to evaluate virus circulation and consequently to estimate the public health risk. | 2015 | 26459018 |
| differential replicative ability of clinical dengue virus isolates in an immunocompetent c57bl/6 mouse model. | several experimental animal models have been used to study the pathogenesis of dengue disease; however, most of the studies used laboratory-adapted viruses, which lack the virulence of viruses circulating in humans. the aim of this study was to analyze the ability of clinical dengue virus (denv) isolates (d2/br/rp/rmb/09 and d3/br/sl3/02) to infect immunocompetent c57bl/6 mice. | 2015 | 26415508 |
| a high-performance multiplex immunoassay for serodiagnosis of flavivirus-associated neurological diseases in horses. | west nile virus (wnv), japanese encephalitis virus (jev), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) are flaviviruses responsible for severe neuroinvasive infections in humans and horses. the confirmation of flavivirus infections is mostly based on rapid serological tests such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (elisas). these tests suffer from poor specificity, mainly due to antigenic cross-reactivity among flavivirus members. robust diagnosis therefore needs to be validated through virus neut ... | 2015 | 26457301 |
| flaviviruses in europe: complex circulation patterns and their consequences for the diagnosis and control of west nile disease. | in europe, many flaviviruses are endemic (west nile, usutu, tick-borne encephalitis viruses) or occasionally imported (dengue, yellow fever viruses). due to the temporal and geographical co-circulation of flaviviruses in europe, flavivirus differentiation by diagnostic tests is crucial in the adaptation of surveillance and control efforts. serological diagnosis of flavivirus infections is complicated by the antigenic similarities among the flavivirus genus. indeed, most flavivirus antibodies are ... | 2013 | 24225644 |
| infection with usutu virus induces an autophagic response in mammalian cells. | usutu virus (usuv) is an african mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to west nile virus and japanese encephalitis virus, which host range includes mainly mosquitoes and birds, although infections in humans have been also documented, thus warning about usuv as a potential health threat. circulation of usuv in africa was documented more than 50 years ago, but it was not until the last decade that it emerged in europe causing episodes of avian mortality and some human severe cases. since auto ... | 2013 | 24205422 |
| dna vaccines encoding the envelope protein of west nile virus lineages 1 or 2 administered intramuscularly, via electroporation and with recombinant virus protein induce partial protection in large falcons (falco spp.). | as west nile virus (wnv) can cause lethal diseases in raptors, a vaccination prophylaxis of free-living and captive populations is desirable. in the absence of vaccines approved for birds, equine vaccines have been used in falcons, but full protection against wnv infection was not achieved. therefore, two dna vaccines encoding the ectodomain of the envelope protein of wnv lineages 1 and 2, respectively, were evaluated in 28 large falcons. four different vaccination protocols were used, including ... | 2015 | 26282836 |
| development of monoclonal antibodies to west nile virus and their application in immunohistochemistry. | west nile virus (wnv) is endemic throughout africa, eurasia, america, and australia and has important implications for avian, horse, and human health. in these regions, dead birds are monitored for the presence of wnv through immunohistochemistry (ihc) and pcr. however, a number of the tools for ihc are inadequate owing to their cross-reactivity to other japanese encephalitis serogroup viruses. here we have established eight monoclonal antibodies (mabs) to wnv. four of them bound to the envelope ... | 2012 | 22993408 |
| detection of west nile virus rna (lineages 1 and 2) in an external quality assessment programme for laboratories screening blood and blood components for west nile virus by nucleic acid amplification testing. | a second italian external quality assessment programme was run in 2011 to assess the performance of blood transfusion centres in detecting west nile virus rna in plasma. | 0 | 23117401 |
| structure based drug designing of a novel antiflaviviral inhibitor for nonstructural 3 protein. | literature shows that flaviviruses cause a variety of diseases, including fevers, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fevers. ns3 is a multifunctional protein with an nterminal protease domain (ns3pro) that is responsible for proteolytic processing of the viral polyprotein, and a c-terminal region that contains an rna triphosphatase, rna helicase and rna-stimulated ntpase domain that are essential for rna replication. therefore, ns3 protein is the preferential choice for inhibition to stop the proteol ... | 2011 | 21544165 |
| stress responses in flavivirus-infected cells: activation of unfolded protein response and autophagy. | the flavivirus is a genus of rna viruses that includes multiple long known human, animal, and zoonotic pathogens such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, west nile virus, or japanese encephalitis virus, as well as other less known viruses that represent potential threats for human and animal health such as usutu or zika viruses. flavivirus replication is based on endoplasmic reticulum-derived structures. membrane remodeling and accumulation of viral factors induce endoplasmic reticulum stress t ... | 2014 | 24917859 |
| tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) - findings on cross reactivity and longevity of tbev antibodies in animal sera. | by using animal sera as sentinels, natural tbev foci could be identified and further analyses including investigations of ticks could be initiated. however, antibody response against tbev-related flaviviruses might adversely affect the readout of such a monitoring. therefore, the cross-reactivity of the applied tbev serology test systems - enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and virus neutralization test (vnt) - as well as the longevity of tbev antibody titres in sheep and goats were inves ... | 2014 | 24690234 |
| circulation of a meaban-like virus in yellow-legged gulls and seabird ticks in the western mediterranean basin. | in recent years, a number of zoonotic flaviviruses have emerged worldwide, and wild birds serve as their major reservoirs. epidemiological surveys of bird populations at various geographical scales can clarify key aspects of the eco-epidemiology of these viruses. in this study, we aimed at exploring the presence of flaviviruses in the western mediterranean by sampling breeding populations of the yellow-legged gull (larus michahellis), a widely distributed, anthropophilic, and abundant seabird sp ... | 2014 | 24625959 |
| rapid molecular assays for the detection of yellow fever virus in low-resource settings. | yellow fever (yf) is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by aedes mosquitoes. the causative agent, the yellow fever virus (yfv), is found in tropical and subtropical areas of south america and africa. although a vaccine is available since the 1930s, yf still causes thousands of deaths and several outbreaks have recently occurred in africa. therefore, rapid and reliable diagnostic methods easy to perform in low-resources settings could have a major impact on early detection of outbreak ... | 2014 | 24603874 |
| experimental infections of wild birds with west nile virus. | avian models of west nile virus (wnv) disease have become pivotal in the study of infection pathogenesis and transmission, despite the intrinsic constraints that represents this type of experimental research that needs to be conducted in biosecurity level 3 (bsl3) facilities. this review summarizes the main achievements of wnv experimental research carried out in wild birds, highlighting advantages and limitations of this model. viral and host factors that determine the infection outcome are ana ... | 2014 | 24531334 |
| first outbreak of west nile virus neuroinvasive disease in humans, croatia, 2012. | between september 6 and 21, 2012, seven human cases of west nile virus (wnv) neuroinvasive infection were laboratory confirmed in croatia. the median patient age was 62 years (range 48-77). five patients presented with meningoencephalitis and two patients with meningoencephalitis followed by acute flaccid paralysis. four of them had an underlying disease (hypertension). using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), wnv-specific immunoglobulin m (igm) and igg antibodies of low avidity were det ... | 2013 | 24283515 |
| usutu virus. | | 2013 | 24659950 |
| climate change and public health policy: translating the science. | public health authorities are required to prepare for future threats and need predictions of the likely impact of climate change on public health risks. they may get overwhelmed by the volume of heterogeneous information in scientific articles and risk relying purely on the public opinion articles which focus mainly on global warming trends, and leave out many other relevant factors. in the current paper, we discuss various scientific approaches investigating climate change and its possible impa ... | 2013 | 24452252 |
| approaches for the development of rapid serological assays for surveillance and diagnosis of infections caused by zoonotic flaviviruses of the japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. | flaviviruses are responsible for a number of important mosquito-borne diseases of man and animals globally. the short vireamic period in infected hosts means that serological assays are often the diagnostic method of choice. this paper will focus on the traditional methods to diagnose flaviviral infections as well as describing the modern rapid platforms and approaches for diagnostic antigen preparation. | 2012 | 22570528 |
| west nile virus: characterization and diagnostic applications of monoclonal antibodies. | diagnosis of west nile virus (wnv) infections is often difficult due to the extensive antigenic cross-reactivity among flaviviruses, especially in geographic regions where two or more of these viruses are present causing sequential infections. the purpose of this study was to characterize a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mabs) produced against wnv to verify their applicability in wnv diagnosis and in mapping epitope targets of neutralizing mabs. | 2012 | 22500562 |
| west nile virus: a re-emerging pathogen revisited. | west nile virus (wnv), a flavivirus of the flaviviridae family, is maintained in nature in an enzootic transmission cycle between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors, although the virus occasionally infects other vertebrates. wnv causes sporadic disease outbreaks in horses and humans, which may result in febrile illness, meningitis, encephalitis and flaccid paralysis. until recently, its medical and veterinary health concern was relatively low; however, the number, frequency and sever ... | 0 | 24175211 |
| epizootic emergence of usutu virus in wild and captive birds in germany. | this study aimed to identify the causative agent of mass mortality in wild and captive birds in southwest germany and to gather insights into the phylogenetic relationship and spatial distribution of the pathogen. since june 2011, 223 dead birds were collected and tested for the presence of viral pathogens. usutu virus (usuv) rna was detected by real-time rt-pcr in 86 birds representing 6 species. the virus was isolated in cell culture from the heart of 18 blackbirds (turdus merula). usuv-specif ... | 2012 | 22389712 |
| feasibility of cross-protective vaccination against flaviviruses of the japanese encephalitis serocomplex. | serological cross-reactivity providing cross-protective immunity between antigenically related viruses is a cornerstone of vaccination. it was the immunological basis for the first human vaccine against smallpox introduced more than 200 years ago, and continues to underpin modern vaccine development as has recently been shown for human papillomavirus vaccines, which confer cross-protection against other oncogenic papillomavirus types not present in the vaccine. here, we review the feasibility of ... | 0 | 22309667 |
| japanese encephalitis virus tropism in experimentally infected pigs. | pigs are considered to be the main amplifying host for japanese encephalitis virus (jev), and their infection can correlate with human cases of disease. despite their importance in the ecology of the virus as it relates to human cases of encephalitis, the pathogenesis of jev in pigs remains obscure. in the present study, the localization and kinetics of virus replication were investigated in various tissues after experimental intravenous infection of pigs. the data demonstrate a rapid and broad ... | 2016 | 26911997 |
| reconstruction of the evolutionary history and dispersal of usutu virus, a neglected emerging arbovirus in europe and africa. | usutu virus (usuv), one of the most neglected old world encephalitic flaviviruses, causes epizootics among wild and captive birds and sporadic infection in humans. the dynamics of usuv spread and evolution in its natural hosts are unknown. here, we present the phylogeny and evolutionary history of all available usuv strains, including 77 newly sequenced complete genomes from a variety of host species at a temporal and spatial scaled resolution. the results showed that usuv can be classified into ... | 2016 | 26838717 |
| discovery of flavivirus-derived endogenous viral elements in anopheles mosquito genomes supports the existence of anopheles-associated insect-specific flaviviruses. | the flavivirus genus encompasses several arboviruses of public health significance such as dengue, yellow fever, and zika viruses. it also includes insect-specific flaviviruses (isfs) that are only capable of infecting insect hosts. the vast majority of mosquito-infecting flaviviruses have been associated with mosquito species of the aedes and culex genera in the culicinae subfamily, which also includes most arbovirus vectors. mosquitoes of the anophelinae subfamily are not considered significan ... | 2017 | 28078104 |