| development of reverse transcription-pcr assays specific for detection of equine encephalitis viruses. | specific and sensitive reverse transcription-pcr (rt-pcr) assays were developed for the detection of eastern, western, and venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (eee, wee, and vee, respectively). tests for specificity included all known alphavirus species. the eee-specific rt-pcr amplified a 464-bp region of the e2 gene exclusively from 10 different eee strains from south and north america with a sensitivity of about 3,000 rna molecules. in a subsequent nested pcr, the specificity was confirmed ... | 2000 | 10747138 |
| evolutionary relationships and systematics of the alphaviruses. | partial e1 envelope glycoprotein gene sequences and complete structural polyprotein sequences were used to compare divergence and construct phylogenetic trees for the genus alphavirus. tree topologies indicated that the mosquito-borne alphaviruses could have arisen in either the old or the new world, with at least two transoceanic introductions to account for their current distribution. the time frame for alphavirus diversification could not be estimated because maximum-likelihood analyses indic ... | 2001 | 11581380 |
| between-group transmission dynamics of the swallow bug, oeciacus vicarius. | the parasitic cimicid swallow bug, oeciacus vicarius, is the principal invertebrate vector for buggy creek virus (bcrv) and has also been associated with venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. to help understand the spread of this vector, we experimentally measured the transmission of o. vicarius between groups (colonies) of its main host, the cliff swallow (petrochelidonpyrrhonota), in the field. transmission of bugs between colonies varied significantly with year, size of the colony, and week w ... | 2005 | 16007968 |
| phylogenetic analysis of buggy creek virus: evidence for multiple clades in the western great plains, united states of america. | we present the first detailed phylogenetic analysis of buggy creek virus (bcrv), a poorly known alphavirus with transmission cycles involving a cimicid swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) vector and cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrows (passer domesticus) as the principal avian hosts. nucleotide sequences of a 2,075-bp viral envelope glycoprotein-coding region, covering the entire pe2 gene, were determined for 33 bcrv isolates taken from swallow bugs at cliff swallow colonies ... | 2006 | 16936062 |
| ecological correlates of buggy creek virus infection in oeciacus vicarius, southwestern nebraska, 2004. | buggy creek virus (family togaviridae, genus alphavirus, bcrv) is an alphavirus within the western equine encephalitis virus complex whose primary vector is the swallow bug, oeciacus vicarius horvath (hemiptera: cimicidae), an ectoparasite of the colonially nesting cliff swallow, petrochelidon pyrrhonota, that is also a frequent host for the virus. we investigated ecological correlates of bcrv infection in 100-bug pools at 14 different swallow colony sites in southwestern nebraska from summer 20 ... | 2007 | 17294919 |
| bird movement predicts buggy creek virus infection in insect vectors. | predicting the spatial foci of zoonotic diseases is a major challenge for epidemiologists and disease ecologists. migratory birds are often thought to be responsible for introducing some aviozoonotic pathogens such as west nile and avian influenza viruses to a local area, but most information on how bird movement correlates with virus prevalence is anecdotal or indirect. we report that the prevalence of buggy creek virus (bcrv) infection in cimicid swallow bugs (oeciacus vicarius), the principal ... | 2007 | 17760513 |
| experimental inoculation of house sparrows (passer domesticus) with buggy creek virus. | we performed experimental inoculations of house sparrows (passer domesticus) with buggy creek virus (bcrv), a poorly known alphavirus (togaviridae) vectored primarily by the swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius) that is an ectoparasite of the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrow. viremias were detected by plaque assay in two of six birds on days 1-3 postinoculation; viremia was highest on day 2. viral rna was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chai ... | 2008 | 18436665 |
| isolation of buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) from field-collected eggs of oeciacus vicarius (hemiptera: cimicidae). | alphaviruses (togaviridae) rarely have been found to be vertically transmitted from female arthropods to their progeny. we report two isolations of buggy creek virus (bcrv), an ecologically unusual alphavirus related to western equine encephalomyelitis virus, from field-collected eggs of cimicid swallow bugs (oeciacus vicarius horvath), the principal vector for bcrv. ten percent of egg pools were positive for bcrv, and we estimated minimum infection rates to be 1.03 infected eggs per 1,000 teste ... | 2009 | 19351091 |
| replication cycle of chikungunya: a re-emerging arbovirus. | arboviruses (or arthropod-borne viruses), represent a threat for the new century. the 2005-2006 year unprecedented epidemics of chikungunya virus (chikv) in the french reunion island in the indian ocean, followed by several outbreaks in other parts of the world such as india, have attracted the attention of clinicians, scientists, and state authorities about the risks linked to this re-emerging mosquito-borne virus. chikv, which belongs to the alphaviruses genus, was not previously regarded as a ... | 2009 | 19732931 |
| stone lakes virus (family togaviridae, genus alphavirus), a variant of fort morgan virus isolated from swallow bugs (hemiptera: cimicidae) west of the continental divide. | multiple isolates of an alphaviruses within the western equine encephalomyelitis-serocomplex that were related closely to ft. morgan and its variant buggy creek virus were made from swallow bugs, oeciacus vicarius horvath (hemiptera: cimicidae), collected from cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) nests at the stone lakes national wildlife refuge, sacramento county, ca, during the summers of 2005 and 2006. this virus (hereafter stone lakes virus, family togaviridae, genus alphavirus, stlv) wa ... | 2009 | 19769055 |
| prevalence and pathology of west nile virus in naturally infected house sparrows, western nebraska, 2008. | nestling birds are rarely sampled in the field for most arboviruses, yet they may be important in arbovirus amplification cycles. we sampled both nestling and adult house sparrows (passer domesticus) in western nebraska for west nile virus (wnv) or wnv-specific antibodies throughout the summer of 2008 and describe pathology in naturally infected nestlings. across the summer, 4% of nestling house sparrows were wnv-positive; for the month of august alone, 12.3% were positive. two wnv-positive nest ... | 2010 | 20439979 |
| persistence of buggy creek virus (togaviridae, alphavirus) for two years in unfed swallow bugs (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius). | alphaviruses (togaviridae) have rarely been found to persist for long in the adult insects that serve as their vectors. the ectoparasitic swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius horvath), the vector for buggy creek virus (bcrv; togaviridae, alphavirus), lives year-round in the mud nests of its host, the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota vieillot). we measured the prevalence of bcrv in swallow bugs at sites with cliff swallows present and at the same sites after cliff swallows ... | 2010 | 20496591 |
| Genome scale phylogeny of the Alphavirus genus suggests a marine origin. | The genus Alphavirus comprises a diverse group of viruses, including some that cause severe disease. Using full-length sequences of all known alphaviruses, we produced a robust and comprehensive phylogeny of the Alphavirus genus, presenting a more complete evolutionary history of these viruses compared to previous studies based on partial sequences. Our phylogeny suggests the origin of the alphaviruses occurred in the southern oceans and spread equally through the Old and New World. Since lice a ... | 2011 | 22190718 |
| insights into arbovirus evolution and adaptation from experimental studies. | arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are maintained in nature by cycling between vertebrate hosts and haematophagous invertebrate vectors. these viruses are responsible for causing a significant public health burden throughout the world, with over 100 species having the capacity to cause human disease. arbovirus outbreaks in previously naïve environments demonstrate the potential of these pathogens for expansion and emergence, possibly exacerbated more recently by changing climates. these recen ... | 2010 | 21994633 |
| introduced siberian chipmunks (tamias sibiricus barberi) contribute more to lyme borreliosis risk than native reservoir rodents. | the variation of the composition in species of host communities can modify the risk of disease transmission. in particular, the introduction of a new host species can increase health threats by adding a new reservoir and/or by amplifying the circulation of either exotic or native pathogens. lyme borreliosis is a multi-host vector-borne disease caused by bacteria belonging to the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. it is transmitted by the bite of hard ticks, especially ixodes ricinus in eur ... | 2013 | 23383170 |
| alphavirus infection: host cell shut-off and inhibition of antiviral responses. | alphaviruses cause debilitating disease in humans and animals and are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, typically mosquitoes. with a traditional focus on two models, sindbis virus and semliki forest virus, alphavirus research has significantly intensified in the last decade partly due to the re-emergence and dramatic expansion of chikungunya virus in asia, europe, and the americas. as a consequence, alphavirus-host interactions are now understood in much more molecular detail, and importa ... | 2016 | 27294951 |
| evolutionary genetics and vector adaptation of recombinant viruses of the western equine encephalitis antigenic complex provides new insights into alphavirus diversity and host switching. | western equine encephalitis virus (weev), highlands j virus (hjv), and fort morgan virus (fmv) are the sole representatives of the wee antigenic complex of the genus alphavirus, family togaviridae, that are endemic to north america. all three viruses have their ancestry in a recombination event involving eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev) and a sindbis (sin)-like virus that gave rise to a chimeric alphavirus that subsequently diversified into the present-day weev, hjv, and fmv. here, we pr ... | 2014 | 25463613 |
| 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 |
| eilat virus host range restriction is present at multiple levels of the virus life cycle. | most alphaviruses are mosquito-borne and exhibit a broad host range, infecting many different vertebrates, including birds, rodents, equids, humans, and nonhuman primates. this ability of most alphaviruses to infect arthropods and vertebrates is essential for their maintenance in nature. recently, a new alphavirus, eilat virus (eilv), was described, and in contrast to all other mosquito-borne viruses, it is unable to replicate in vertebrate cell lines. investigations into the nature of its host ... | 2014 | 25392227 |
| 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 |
| molecular evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics of genotypes 1g and 2b of rubella virus. | rubella virus (rv), which causes measles-like rashes in children, puts millions of infants at risk of congenital defects across the globe. employing phylogenetic approaches to the whole genome sequence data and e1 glycoprotein sequence data, the present study reports the substitution rates and dates of emergence of all thirteen previously described rubella genotypes, and gains important insights into the epidemiological dynamics of two geographically widely distributed genotypes 1g and 2b. the o ... | 2014 | 25329480 |
| buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) upregulates expression of pattern recognition receptors and interferons in house sparrows (passer domesticus). | birds serve as reservoirs for at least 10 arthropod-borne viruses, yet specific immune responses of birds to arboviral infections are relatively unknown. here, adult house sparrows were inoculated with an arboviral alphavirus, buggy creek virus (bcrv), or saline, and euthanized between 1 and 3 days postinoculation. virological dynamics and gene expression dynamics were investigated. birds did not develop viremia postinoculation, but cytopathic virus was found in the skeletal muscle and spleen of ... | 2014 | 24866749 |
| bed bugs and infectious disease: a case for the arboviruses. | | 2013 | 23966852 |
| immune responses of a native and an invasive bird to buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) and its arthropod vector, the swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius). | invasive species often display different patterns of parasite burden and virulence compared to their native counterparts. these differences may be the result of variability in host-parasite co-evolutionary relationships, the occurrence of novel host-parasite encounters, or possibly innate differences in physiological responses to infection between invasive and native hosts. here we examine the adaptive, humoral immune responses of a resistant, native bird and a susceptible, invasive bird to an a ... | 2013 | 23460922 |
| detection of persistent chikungunya virus rna but not infectious virus in experimental vertical transmission in aedes aegypti from malaysia. | vertical transmission may contribute to the maintenance of arthropod-borne viruses, but its existence in chikungunya virus (chikv) is unclear. experimental vertical transmission of infectious clones of chikv in aedes aegypti mosquitoes from malaysia was investigated. eggs and adult progeny from the second gonotrophic cycles of infected parental mosquitoes were tested. using polymerase chain reaction (pcr), 56.3% of pooled eggs and 10% of adult progeny had detectable chikv rna, but no samples had ... | 2015 | 26598564 |
| dispersing hemipteran vectors have reduced arbovirus prevalence. | a challenge in managing vector-borne zoonotic diseases in human and wildlife populations is predicting where epidemics or epizootics are likely to occur, and this requires knowing in part the likelihood of infected insect vectors dispersing pathogens from existing infection foci to novel areas. we measured prevalence of an arbovirus, buggy creek virus, in dispersing and resident individuals of its exclusive vector, the ectoparasitic swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius), that occupies cliff swallow (p ... | 2014 | 24694692 |
| bed bugs: clinical relevance and control options. | since the late 1990s, bed bugs of the species cimex lectularius and cimex hemipterus have undergone a worldwide resurgence. these bed bugs are blood-sucking insects that readily bite humans. cutaneous reactions may occur and can start out as small macular lesions that can develop into distinctive wheals of around 5 cm in diameter, which are accompanied by intense itching. occasionally, bullous eruptions may result. if bed bugs are numerous, the patient can present with widespread urticaria or ey ... | 0 | 22232375 |
| predation by ants controls swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius) infestations. | the swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) is the only known vector for buggy creek virus (bcrv), an alphavirus that circulates in cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrows (passer domesticus) in north america. we discovered ants (crematogaster lineolata and formica spp.) preying on swallow bugs at cliff swallow colonies in western nebraska, u.s.a. ants reduced the numbers of visible bugs on active swallow nests by 74-90%, relative to nests in the same colony without ants. ant predat ... | 2015 | 26047195 |
| bed bugs and possible transmission of human pathogens: a systematic review. | the global population of bed bugs (cimex lectularius and cimex hemipterus, family cimicidae) has undergone a significant resurgence since the late 1990s. this is likely due to an increase in global travel, trade, and the number of insecticide-resistant bed bugs. the global bed bug population is estimated to be increasing by 100-500 % annually. the worldwide spread of bed bugs is concerning, because they are a significant socioeconomic burden and a major concern to public health. according to the ... | 2016 | 27295087 |
| familiarity with breeding habitat improves daily survival in colonial cliff swallows. | one probable cost of dispersing to a new breeding habitat is unfamiliarity with local conditions such as the whereabouts of food or the habits of local predators, and consequently immigrants may have lower probabilities of survival than more experienced residents. within a breeding season, estimated daily survival probabilities of cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) at colonies in southwestern nebraska were highest for birds that had always nested at the same site, followed by those for bi ... | 0 | 19802326 |
| 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 ... | 0 | 20478883 |
| seasonal variation and age-related correlates of buggy creek virus (togaviridae) infection in nestling house sparrows. | wild birds are rarely found with active arbovirus infections, and relatively little is known about the patterns of viremia they exhibit under field conditions or how infection varies with date, bird age, or other factors that potentially affect transmission dynamics. buggy creek virus (bcrv; togaviridae, alphavirus) is an arbovirus associated with colonially nesting cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and transmitted by its vector, the hematophagous swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius), an ecto ... | 2012 | 22247382 |
| prevalence of buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) in insect vectors increases over time in the presence of an invasive avian host. | abstract invasive species can disrupt natural disease dynamics by altering pathogen transmission among native hosts and vectors. the relatively recent occupancy of cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) nesting colonies in western nebraska by introduced european house sparrows (passer domesticus) has led to yearly increases in the prevalence of an endemic arbovirus, buggy creek virus (bcrv), in its native swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) vector at sites containing both the invasive sparrow ho ... | 2011 | 21923265 |
| Group size and nest spacing affect Buggy Creek virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) infection in nestling house sparrows. | The transmission of parasites and pathogens among vertebrates often depends on host population size, host species diversity, and the extent of crowding among potential hosts, but little is known about how these variables apply to most vector-borne pathogens such as the arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses). Buggy Creek virus (BCRV; Togaviridae: Alphavirus) is an RNA arbovirus transmitted by the swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius) to the cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and the introduced hou ... | 2011 | 21966539 |
| an enzootic vector-borne virus is amplified at epizootic levels by an invasive avian host. | determining the effect of an invasive species on enzootic pathogen dynamics is critical for understanding both human epidemics and wildlife epizootics. theoretical models suggest that when a naive species enters an established host-parasite system, the new host may either reduce ('dilute') or increase ('spillback') pathogen transmission to native hosts. there are few empirical data to evaluate these possibilities, especially for animal pathogens. buggy creek virus (bcrv) is an arthropod-borne al ... | 2011 | 20685711 |
| natural infection of vertebrate hosts by different lineages of buggy creek virus (family togaviridae, genus alphavirus). | buggy creek virus (bcrv; family togaviridae, genus alphavirus) is an arbovirus transmitted by the ectoparasitic swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius) to cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrows (passer domesticus). bcrv occurs in two lineages (a and b) that are sympatric in bird nesting colonies in the central great plains, usa. previous work on lineages isolated exclusively from swallow bugs suggested that lineage a relies on amplification by avian hosts, in ... | 2010 | 20229115 |
| pathology and virus detection in tissues of nestling house sparrows naturally infected with buggy creek virus (togaviridae). | alphaviruses (togaviridae) infect wild birds, but clinical illness and death attributable to virus in naturally infected birds is rarely reported, particularly for small passerine species or nestlings. buggy creek virus is a unique alphavirus in the western equine encephalomyelitis virus (weev) complex that is vectored by the cimicid swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius), an ectoparasite of the colonially nesting cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and the introduced house sparrow (passer domesti ... | 2010 | 20090015 |
| cliff swallows, swallow bugs, and west nile virus: an unlikely transmission mechanism. | the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) could play an important role in the transmission of west nile virus (wnv) because of its breeding ecology, reservoir competence status, and potentially high natural exposure rates. cliff swallows nest within colonies and their nests are occupied year-round by swallow bugs (oeciacus vicarius), hematophagus ectoparasites that feed primarily on cliff swallows. these parasites are likely exposed to wnv while feeding on infectious blood of nesting cliff sw ... | 2010 | 20017719 |
| ecological divergence of two sympatric lineages of buggy creek virus, an arbovirus associated with birds. | most arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) show distinct serological subtypes or evolutionary lineages, with the evolution of different strains often assumed to reflect differences in ecological selection pressures. buggy creek virus (bcrv) is an unusual rna virus (togaviridae, alphavirus) that is associated primarily with a cimicid swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) as its vector and the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and the introduced house sparrow (passer domesticus) as its amplifying ... | 2009 | 19967872 |
| winter ecology of buggy creek virus (togaviridae, alphavirus) in the central great plains. | a largely unanswered question in the study of arboviruses is the extent to which virus can overwinter in adult vectors during the cold winter months and resume the transmission cycle in summer. buggy creek virus (bcrv; togaviridae, alphavirus) is an unusual arbovirus that is vectored primarily by the swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius) and amplified by the ectoparasitic bug's main avian hosts, the migratory cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and resident house sparrow (pa ... | 2010 | 19725760 |
| overwintering of infectious buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) in oeciacus vicarius (hemiptera: cimicidae) in north dakota. | arboviruses have seldom been found overwintering in adult vectors at northern latitudes in north america. buggy creek virus (bcrv; togaviridae, alphavirus) is an ecologically unusual arbovirus vectored principally by the cimicid swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius horvath). the ectoparasitic bugs reside year-round in the mud nests of their host, the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota vieillot). we report successful overwintering of infectious bcrv in bugs at a field site in western north dakota, ... | 2009 | 19351093 |
| phylogeographical structure and evolutionary history of two buggy creek virus lineages in the western great plains of north america. | buggy creek virus (bcrv) is an unusual arbovirus within the western equine encephalitis complex of alphaviruses. associated with cimicid swallow bugs (oeciacus vicarius) as its vector and the cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrow (passer domesticus) as its amplifying hosts, this virus is found primarily in the western great plains of north america at spatially discrete swallow nesting colonies. for 342 isolates collected in oklahoma, nebraska, colorado and north dakota, from ... | 2008 | 18753221 |
| high costs of infection: alphavirus infection reduces digestive function and bone and feather growth in nestling house sparrows (passer domesticus). | increasingly, ecoimmunology studies aim to use relevant pathogen exposure to examine the impacts of infection on physiological processes in wild animals. alphaviruses are arthropod-borne, single-stranded rna (ssrna) viruses ("arboviruses") responsible for millions of cases of human illnesses each year. buggy creek virus (bcrv) is a unique alphavirus that is transmitted by a cimicid insect, the swallow bug, and is amplified in two avian species: the house sparrow (passer domesticus) and the cliff ... | 2018 | 29624598 |
| host and vector movement affects genetic diversity and spatial structure of buggy creek virus (togaviridae). | determining the degree of genetic variability and spatial structure of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) may help in identifying where strains that potentially cause epidemics or epizootics occur. genetic diversity in arboviruses is assumed to reflect relative mobility of their vertebrate hosts (and invertebrate vectors), with highly mobile hosts such as birds leading to genetic similarity of viruses over large areas. there are no empirical studies that have directly related host or vector m ... | 2008 | 18373533 |