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Viruses Aug 2023Midges are widely distributed globally and can transmit various human and animal diseases through blood-sucking. As part of this study, 259,300 midges were collected...
Midges are widely distributed globally and can transmit various human and animal diseases through blood-sucking. As part of this study, 259,300 midges were collected from four districts in Yunnan province, China, to detect the viral richness and diversity using metavirome analysis techniques. As many as 26 virus families were detected, and the partial sequences of bluetongue virus (BTV), dengue virus (DENV), and Getah virus (GETV) were identified by phylogenetic analysis and PCR amplification. Two BTV gene fragments, 866 bps for the VP2 gene of BTV type 16 and 655 bps for the VP5 gene of BTV type 21, were amplified. The nucleotide sequence identities of the two amplified BTV fragments were 94.46% and 98.81%, respectively, with two classical BTV-16 (GenBank: JN671907) and BTV-21 strains (GenBank: MK250961) isolated in Yunnan province. Furthermore, the BTV-16 DH2021 strain was successfully isolated in C6/36 cells, and the peak value of the copy number reached 3.13 × 10 copies/μL after five consecutive BHK-21 cell passages. Moreover, two 2054 bps fragments including the E gene of DENV genotype Asia II were amplified and shared the highest identity with the DENV strain isolated in New Guinea in 1944. A length of 656 bps GETV gene sequence encoded the partial capsid protein, and it shared the highest identity of 99.68% with the GETV isolated from Shandong province, China, in 2017. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of implementing prevention and control strategies for viral diseases transmitted by midges in China.
Topics: Animals; Humans; China; Phylogeny; Alphavirus; Asia; Capsid Proteins; Bluetongue virus
PubMed: 37766224
DOI: 10.3390/v15091817 -
Vaccines Jul 2022Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are widespread arboviruses that cause important economic losses in the livestock and equine industries,... (Review)
Review
Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are widespread arboviruses that cause important economic losses in the livestock and equine industries, respectively. In addition to these, another arthropod-transmitted orbivirus known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) entails a major threat as there is a conducive landscape that nurtures its emergence in non-endemic countries. To date, only vaccinations with live attenuated or inactivated vaccines permit the control of these three viral diseases, although important drawbacks, e.g., low safety profile and effectiveness, and lack of DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals) properties, constrain their usage as prophylactic measures. Moreover, a substantial number of serotypes of BTV, AHSV and EHDV have been described, with poor induction of cross-protective immune responses among serotypes. In the context of next-generation vaccine development, antigen delivery systems based on nano- or microparticles have gathered significant attention during the last few decades. A diversity of technologies, such as virus-like particles or self-assembled protein complexes, have been implemented for vaccine design against these viruses. In this work, we offer a comprehensive review of the nano- and microparticulated vaccine candidates against these three relevant orbiviruses. Additionally, we also review an innovative technology for antigen delivery based on the avian reovirus nonstructural protein muNS and we explore the prospective functionality of the nonstructural protein NS1 nanotubules as a BTV-based delivery platform.
PubMed: 35891288
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071124 -
Veterinary Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2019This review provides an overview of current and potential new diagnostic techniques against bluetongue virus (BTV), an transmitted by arthropods that affects ruminants.... (Review)
Review
This review provides an overview of current and potential new diagnostic techniques against bluetongue virus (BTV), an transmitted by arthropods that affects ruminants. Bluetongue is a disease currently notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), causing great economic losses due to decreased trade associated with bluetongue outbreaks and high mortality and morbidity. BTV cross-reacts with many antigenically related viruses including viruses that causes African Horse sickness and epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer. Therefore, reliable diagnostic approaches to detect BTV among these other antigenically related viruses are used or being developed. The antigenic determinant for differentiation of virus species/serogroups among orbiviruses is the VP7 protein, meanwhile VP2 is serotype specific. Serologically, assays are established in many laboratories, based mainly on competitive ELISA or serum neutralization assay (virus neutralization assay [VNT]) although new techniques are being developed. Virus isolation from blood or semen is, additionally, another means of BTV diagnosis. Nevertheless, most of these techniques for viral isolation are time-consuming and expensive. Currently, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) panels or real-time RT-PCR are widely used methods although next-generation sequencing remains of interest for future virus diagnosis.
PubMed: 30859085
DOI: 10.2147/VMRR.S163804 -
Viruses Nov 2021Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an insect-transmitted viral disease of wild and domestic ruminants. It was first described following a 1955 epizootic in North... (Review)
Review
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an insect-transmitted viral disease of wild and domestic ruminants. It was first described following a 1955 epizootic in North American white-tailed deer (), a species which is highly susceptible to the causative agent of EHD, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). EHDV has been detected globally across tropical and temperate regions, largely corresponding to the presence of spp. biting midges which transmit the virus between ruminant hosts. It regularly causes high morbidity and mortality in wild and captive deer populations in endemic areas during epizootics. Although cattle historically have been less susceptible to EHDV, reports of clinical disease in cattle have increased in the past two decades. There is a pressing need to identify new methods to prevent and mitigate outbreaks and reduce the considerable impacts of EHDV on livestock and wildlife. This review discusses recent research advancements towards the control of EHDV, including the development of new investigative tools and progress in basic and applied research focused on virus detection, disease mitigation, and vector control. The potential impacts and implications of these advancements on EHD management are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Ceratopogonidae; Deer; Disease Outbreaks; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic; Insect Control; Insect Vectors; Reoviridae Infections; Serogroup
PubMed: 34835074
DOI: 10.3390/v13112268 -
Veterinaria Italiana Dec 2021Bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease affect domestic ruminants and cervids. However, other species may act as pathogen carriers in the transition of bluetongue... (Review)
Review
Bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease affect domestic ruminants and cervids. However, other species may act as pathogen carriers in the transition of bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). The wild species affected by these diseases manifest a variable range of clinical signs and lesions, and while some species appear to be extremely susceptible, showing high levels of mortality, some are resistant to these pathogens, acting as potential reservoirs of these orbiviruses. The purpose of the following review is to describe the clinical and pathological manifestations related to these diseases in wild species and to review studies performed on non-domestic species in South America, emphasizing the challenges of studying infectious diseases in free-living animals and the gaps in knowledge about bluetongue and epizootic haemorrhagic disease epidemiology. These gaps should be filled by more studies on the range of species affected and the transmission mechanisms, including in domestic species.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Bluetongue; Bluetongue virus; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic; Reoviridae Infections; Sheep; Sheep Diseases
PubMed: 34971497
DOI: 10.12834/VetIt.1679.8914.5 -
Revue Scientifique Et Technique... Jun 2021The availability of rapid, highly sensitive and specific molecular and serologic diagnostic assays, such as competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), has... (Review)
Review
The availability of rapid, highly sensitive and specific molecular and serologic diagnostic assays, such as competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), has expedited the diagnosis of emerging transboundary animal diseases, including bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS), and facilitated more thorough characterisation of their epidemiology. The development of assays based on real-time, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect and identify the numerous serotypes of BT virus (BTV) and AHS virus (AHSV) has aided in-depth studies of the epidemiology of BTV infection in California and AHSV infection in South Africa. The subsequent evaluation of pan-serotype, real-time, RT-PCR-positive samples through the use of serotype-specific RT-PCR assays allows the rapid identification of virus serotypes, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming conventional methods, such as virus isolation and serotype-specific virus neutralisation assays. These molecular assays and cELISA platforms provide tools that have enhanced epidemiologic surveillance strategies and improved our understanding of potentially altered Culicoides midge behaviour when infected with BTV. They have also supported the detection of subclinical AHSV infection of vaccinated horses in South Africa. Moreover, in conjunction with whole genome sequence analysis, these tests have clarified that the mechanism behind recent outbreaks of AHS in the AHS-controlled area of South Africa was the result of the reversion to virulence and/or genome reassortment of live attenuated vaccine viruses. This review focuses on the use of contemporary molecular diagnostic assays in the context of recent epidemiologic studies and explores their advantages over historic virus isolation and serologic techniques.
Topics: African Horse Sickness; African Horse Sickness Virus; Animals; Animals, Wild; Bluetongue virus; Horse Diseases; Horses; South Africa
PubMed: 34140737
DOI: 10.20506/rst.40.1.3211 -
Viruses Sep 2021Understanding how viruses with multi-segmented genomes incorporate one copy of each segment into their capsids remains an intriguing question. Here, we review our recent... (Review)
Review
Understanding how viruses with multi-segmented genomes incorporate one copy of each segment into their capsids remains an intriguing question. Here, we review our recent progress and describe the advancements made in understanding the genome packaging mechanism of a model nonenveloped virus, Bluetongue virus (BTV), with a 10-segment (S1-S10) double-strand RNA (dsRNA) genome. BTV (multiple serotypes), a member of the genus in the family, is a notable pathogen for livestock and is responsible for significant economic losses worldwide. This has enabled the creation of an extensive set of reagents and assays, including reverse genetics, cell-free RNA packaging, and bespoke bioinformatics approaches, which can be directed to address the packaging question. Our studies have shown that (i) UTRs enable the conformation of each segment necessary for the next level of RNA-RNA interaction; (ii) a specific order of intersegment interactions leads to a complex RNA network containing all the active components in sorting and packaging; (iii) networked segments are recruited into nascent assembling capsids; and (iv) select capsid proteins might be involved in the packaging process. The key features of genome packaging mechanisms for BTV and related dsRNA viruses are novel and open up new avenues of potential intervention.
Topics: Animals; Bluetongue virus; Capsid Proteins; Genome, Viral; Nucleic Acid Conformation; RNA, Double-Stranded; RNA, Viral; Viral Genome Packaging; Viral Nonstructural Proteins; Virus Assembly; Virus Replication
PubMed: 34578422
DOI: 10.3390/v13091841 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arbovirus transmitted by the bite of infected midges that affects domestic and wild ruminants producing great economic losses. The...
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arbovirus transmitted by the bite of infected midges that affects domestic and wild ruminants producing great economic losses. The infection induces an IFN response, followed by an adaptive immune response that is essential in disease clearance. BTV can nonetheless impair IFN and humoral responses. The main goal of this study was to gain a more detailed understanding of BTV pathogenesis and its effects on immune cell populations. To this end, we combined flow cytometry and transcriptomic analyses of several immune cells at different times post-infection (pi). Four sheep were infected with BTV serotype 8 and blood samples collected at days 0, 3, 7 and 15pi to perform transcriptomic analysis of B-cell marker, CD4, CD8, and CD14 sorted peripheral mononuclear cells. The maximum number of differentially expressed genes occurred at day 7pi, which coincided with the peak of infection. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that genes belonging to virus sensing and immune response initiation pathways were enriched at day 3 and 7 pi in all 4 cell population analyzed. Transcriptomic analysis also showed that at day 7pi T cell exhaustion pathway was enriched in CD4 cells, while CD8 cells downregulated immune response initiation pathways. T cell functional studies demonstrated that BTV produced an acute inhibition of CD4 and CD8 T cell activation at the peak of replication. This coincided with PD-L1 upregulation on the surface of CD4 and CD8 T cells as well as monocytes. Taken together, these data indicate that BTV could exploit the PD1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint to impair T cell responses. These findings identify several mechanisms in the interaction between host and BTV, which could help develop better tools to combat the disease.
Topics: Sheep; Animals; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; B7-H1 Antigen; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Bluetongue virus; Immunosuppression Therapy
PubMed: 37920474
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1255803 -
Viruses Jul 2021Statin derivatives can inhibit the replication of a range of viruses, including hepatitis C virus (HCV, ), dengue virus (), African swine fever virus () and poliovirus...
Statin derivatives can inhibit the replication of a range of viruses, including hepatitis C virus (HCV, ), dengue virus (), African swine fever virus () and poliovirus (). We assess the antiviral effect of fluvastatin in cells infected with orbiviruses (bluetongue virus (BTV) and Great Island virus (GIV)). The synthesis of orbivirus outer-capsid protein VP2 (detected by confocal immunofluorescence imaging) was used to assess levels of virus replication, showing a reduction in fluvastatin-treated cells. A reduction in virus titres of ~1.7 log (98%) in fluvastatin-treated cells was detected by a plaque assay. We have previously identified a fourth non-structural protein (NS4) of BTV and GIV, showing that it interacts with lipid droplets in infected cells. Fluvastatin, which inhibits 3-hydroxy 3-methyl glutaryl CoA reductase in the mevalonic acid pathway, disrupts these NS4 interactions. These findings highlight the role of the lipid pathways in orbivirus replication and suggest a greater role for the membrane-enveloped orbivirus particles than previously recognised. Chemical intermediates of the mevalonic acid pathway were used to assess their potential to rescue orbivirus replication. Pre-treatment of IFNAR mice with fluvastatin promoted their survival upon challenge with live BTV, although only limited protection was observed.
Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Bluetongue; Bluetongue virus; Cell Line; Ceratopogonidae; Fluvastatin; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Mevalonic Acid; Mice; Orbivirus; Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; Viral Load; Virus Replication; Yellow fever virus
PubMed: 34452303
DOI: 10.3390/v13081437 -
Viruses May 2022Tick-borne viruses are responsible for various symptoms in humans and animals, ranging from simple fever to neurological disorders or haemorrhagic fevers. The Kemerovo...
Tick-borne viruses are responsible for various symptoms in humans and animals, ranging from simple fever to neurological disorders or haemorrhagic fevers. The Kemerovo virus (KEMV) is a tick-borne orbivirus, and it has been suspected to be responsible for human encephalitis cases in Russia and central Europe. It has been isolated from and ticks. In a previous study, we assessed the vector competence of larvae from Slovakia for KEMV, using an artificial feeding system. In the current study, we used the same system to infect different tick population/species, including larvae from France and nymphs from Slovakia, and larvae from Russia. We successfully confirmed the first two criteria of vector competence, namely, virus acquisition and trans-stadial transmission, for both tick species that we tested. The estimated infection rates of engorged and moulted ticks suggest specificities between viral strains and tick species/developmental stages.
Topics: Animals; Disease Vectors; Europe; Ixodes; Larva; Orbivirus
PubMed: 35632845
DOI: 10.3390/v14051102