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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Sep 2023Zika virus (ZIKV) poses a serious threat to the entire world. The rapid spread of ZIKV and recent outbreaks since 2007 have caused worldwide concern about the virus.... (Review)
Review
Zika virus (ZIKV) poses a serious threat to the entire world. The rapid spread of ZIKV and recent outbreaks since 2007 have caused worldwide concern about the virus. Diagnosis is complicated because of the cross-reactivity of the virus with other viral antibodies. Currently, the virus is diagnosed by molecular techniques such as RT-PCR and IgM-linked enzyme immunoassays (MAC-ELISA). Recently, outbreaks and epidemics have been caused by ZIKV, and severe clinical symptoms and congenital malformations have also been associated with the virus. Although most ZIKV infections present with a subclinical or moderate flu-like course of illness, severe symptoms such as Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in children of infected mothers have also been reported. Because there is no reliable cure for ZIKV and no vaccine is available, the public health response has focused primarily on preventing infection, particularly in pregnant women. A comprehensive approach is urgently needed to combat this infection and stop its spread and imminent threat. In view of this, this review aims to present the current structural and functional viewpoints, structure, etiology, clinical prognosis, and measures to prevent this transmission based on the literature and current knowledge. Moreover, we provide thorough description of the current understanding about ZIKV interaction with receptors, and a comparative examination of its similarities and differences with other viruses.
Topics: Adult; Child; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection; Microcephaly; Disease Outbreaks; Epidemics
PubMed: 37473686
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115175 -
Viruses Jun 2023Flaviviruses, including Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Yellow Fever (YFV) viruses, represent a significant global health burden. The development of effective antiviral...
Flaviviruses, including Dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV), and Yellow Fever (YFV) viruses, represent a significant global health burden. The development of effective antiviral therapies against these viruses is crucial to mitigate their impact. This study investigated the antiviral potential of the cholesterol-lowering drugs atorvastatin and ezetimibe in monotherapy and combination against DENV, ZIKV, and YFV. In vitro results demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in the percentage of infected cells for both drugs. The combination of atorvastatin and ezetimibe showed a synergistic effect against DENV 2, an additive effect against DENV 4 and ZIKV, and an antagonistic effect against YFV. In AG129 mice infected with DENV 2, monotherapy with atorvastatin or ezetimibe significantly reduced clinical signs and increased survival. However, the combination of both drugs did not significantly affect survival. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of atorvastatin and ezetimibe as antiviral agents against flaviviruses and highlights the need for further investigations into their combined therapeutic effects.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Zika Virus Infection; Zika Virus; Antiviral Agents; Dengue Virus; Atorvastatin; Drug Repositioning; Flavivirus Infections; Flavivirus; Ezetimibe; Cholesterol; Dengue
PubMed: 37515153
DOI: 10.3390/v15071465 -
Annual Review of Entomology Jan 2024Dengue, caused by the dengue virus, is the most widespread arboviral infectious disease of public health significance globally. This review explores the communicative... (Review)
Review
Dengue, caused by the dengue virus, is the most widespread arboviral infectious disease of public health significance globally. This review explores the communicative function of olfactory cues that mediate host-seeking, egg-laying, plant-feeding, and mating behaviors in and , two mosquito vectors that drive dengue virus transmission. has adapted to live in close association with humans, preferentially feeding on them and laying eggs in human-fabricated water containers and natural habitats. In contrast, is considered opportunistic in its feeding habits and tends to inhabit more vegetative areas. Additionally, the ability of both mosquito species to locate suitable host plants for sugars and find mates for reproduction contributes to their survival. Advances in chemical ecology, functional genomics, and behavioral analyses have improved our understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms and reveal novel and specific olfactory semiochemicals that these species use to locate and discriminate among resources in their environment. Physiological status; learning; and host- and habitat-associated factors, including microbial infection and abundance, shape olfactory responses of these vectors. Some of these semiochemicals can be integrated into the toolbox for dengue surveillance and control.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Dengue; Aedes; Ecology; Pheromones
PubMed: 37625116
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-020123-015755 -
Cell Host & Microbe Apr 2024Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes acute, subacute, and chronic human arthritogenic diseases and, in rare instances, can lead to...
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes acute, subacute, and chronic human arthritogenic diseases and, in rare instances, can lead to neurological complications and death. Here, we combined epidemiological, virological, histopathological, cytokine, molecular dynamics, metabolomic, proteomic, and genomic analyses to investigate viral and host factors that contribute to chikungunya-associated (CHIK) death. Our results indicate that CHIK deaths are associated with multi-organ infection, central nervous system damage, and elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines compared with survivors. The histopathologic, metabolite, and proteomic signatures of CHIK deaths reveal hemodynamic disorders and dysregulated immune responses. The CHIKV East-Central-South-African lineage infecting our study population causes both fatal and survival cases. Additionally, CHIKV infection impairs the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, as evidenced by an increase in permeability and altered tight junction protein expression. Overall, our findings improve the understanding of CHIK pathophysiology and the causes of fatal infections.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Chikungunya Fever; Proteomics; Chikungunya virus; Cytokines
PubMed: 38479396
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.02.011 -
Vaccines Jan 2024Among emergent climate-sensitive infectious diseases, some mosquito-vectored arbovirus infections have epidemiological, social, and economic effects. Dengue virus... (Review)
Review
Among emergent climate-sensitive infectious diseases, some mosquito-vectored arbovirus infections have epidemiological, social, and economic effects. Dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease, previously common only in the tropics, currently pose a major risk to global health and are expected to expand dramatically in the near future if adequate containment measures are not implemented. The lack of safe and effective vaccines is critical as it seems likely that emerging mosquito-vectored arbovirus infections will be con-trolled only when effective and safe vaccines against each of these infections become available. This paper discusses the clinical characteristics of DENV, WNV, and CHIKV infections and the state of development of vaccines against these viruses. An ideal vaccine should be able to evoke with a single administration a prompt activation of B and T cells, adequate concentrations of protecting/neutralizing antibodies, and the creation of a strong immune memory capable of triggering an effective secondary antibody response after new infection with a wild-type and/or mutated infectious agent. Moreover, the vaccine should be well tolerated, safe, easily administrated, cost-effective, and widely available throughout the world. However, the development of vaccines against emerging mosquito-vectored arbovirus diseases is far from being satisfactory, and it seems likely that it will take many years before effective and safe vaccines for all these infections are made available worldwide.
PubMed: 38250900
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010087 -
Journal of Clinical Virology : the... Dec 2023The adverse impact of Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) virus infection in pregnancy has been recognized in Latin America and Asia but is not well...
BACKGROUND
The adverse impact of Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) virus infection in pregnancy has been recognized in Latin America and Asia but is not well studied in Africa. Although originally discovered in sub-Saharan Africa the non-specific clinical presentation of arbovirus infection may have hampered our detection of adverse clinical outcomes and outbreak.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study of arbovirus infection in pregnant women in north-central Nigeria sought to characterize the prevalence of acute arbovirus infection and determine the impact on pregnancy and infant outcomes.
METHODS
In Nigeria, we screened 1006 pregnant women for ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV IgM/IgG by rapid test (2019-2022). Women with acute infection were recruited for prospective study and infants were examined for any abnormalities from delivery through six months. A subset of rapid test-reactive samples were confirmed using virus-specific ELISAs and neutralization assays.
RESULTS
The prevalence of acute infection (IgM+) was 3.8 %, 9.9 % and 11.8 % for ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV, respectively; co-infections represented 24.5 % of all infections. The prevalence in asymptomatic women was twice the level of symptomatic infection. We found a significant association between acute maternal ZIKV/DENV/CHIKV infection and any gross abnormal birth outcome (p = 0.014).
CONCLUSIONS
Over three rainy seasons, regular acute infection with ZIKV, DENV, and CHIKV was observed with significantly higher rates in pregnant women without symptoms. The potential association arbovirus infection with abnormal birth outcome warrants further prospective study to ascertain the clinical significance of these endemic arboviruses in Africa.
Topics: Infant; Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Zika Virus Infection; Zika Virus; Arboviruses; Dengue; Pregnant Women; Chikungunya virus; Dengue Virus; Prospective Studies; Nigeria; Chikungunya Fever; Arbovirus Infections; Immunoglobulin M
PubMed: 37944259
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2023.105616 -
Epidemiology and Infection Oct 2023Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are arboviruses that cause 390 million infections annually. Risk factors for hospitalization are poorly understood. Communities affected by...
Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are arboviruses that cause 390 million infections annually. Risk factors for hospitalization are poorly understood. Communities affected by these diseases have an escalating prevalence of allergies and obesity, which are linked to immune dysfunction. We assessed the association of allergies or body mass with hospitalization for an arbovirus infection. From 2014 to 2017, we recruited participants with a clinical diagnosis of arbovirus infection. Arbovirus infections were laboratory-confirmed and allergies were self-reported. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), weight, and height were measured. We used two logistic regression models to assess the relationships between hospitalization and allergies and between hospitalization and body mass (MUAC for participants <20 years old and body mass index (BMI) for adults ≥20 years old). Models were stratified by age group and adjusted for confounders. For allergies, 41 of 265 were hospitalized. There was no association between allergies and hospitalization. For body mass, 34 of 251 were hospitalized. There was a 43% decrease in hospitalization odds for each additional centimetre MUAC among children (aOR 0.566, 95% CI 0.252-1.019) and a 12% decrease in hospitalization odds for each additional BMI unit among adults (aOR 0.877, 95% CI 0.752-0.998). Our work encourages the exploration of the underlying mechanisms.
Topics: Adult; Child; Humans; Young Adult; Prospective Studies; Ecuador; Body Mass Index; Hospitalization; Arbovirus Infections; Zika Virus Infection; Hypersensitivity; Zika Virus
PubMed: 37823310
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268823001656 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Sep 2023Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV) is one of the epidemic-prone diseases prioritized by the World Health Organisation as public health...
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV) is one of the epidemic-prone diseases prioritized by the World Health Organisation as public health emergency with an urgent need for accelerated research. The trajectory of host response against CCHFV is multifarious and remains unknown. Here, we reported the temporal spectrum of pathogenesis following the CCHFV infection using genome-wide blood transcriptomics analysis followed by advanced systems biology analysis, temporal immune-pathogenic alterations, and context-specific progressive and postinfection genome-scale metabolic models (GSMM) on samples collected during the acute (T0), early convalescent (T1), and convalescent-phase (T2). The interplay between the retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-like/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor and tumor necrosis factor signaling governed the trajectory of antiviral immune responses. The rearrangement of intracellular metabolic fluxes toward the amino acid metabolism and metabolic shift toward oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation during acute CCHFV infection determine the pathogenicity. The upregulation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle during CCHFV infection, compared to the noninfected healthy control and between the severity groups, indicated an increased energy demand and cellular stress. The upregulation of glycolysis and pyruvate metabolism potentiated energy generation through alternative pathways associated with the severity of the infection. The downregulation of metabolic processes at the convalescent phase identified by blood cell transcriptomics and single-cell type proteomics of five immune cells (CD4 and CD8 T cells, CD14 monocytes, B cells, and NK cells) potentially leads to metabolic rewiring through the recovery due to hyperactivity during the acute phase leading to post-viral fatigue syndrome.
Topics: Humans; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Up-Regulation; Metabolome
PubMed: 37669378
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304722120 -
Journal of Infection and Public Health Sep 2023Dengue fever (DF) is a mosquito-transmitted arboviral disease caused by 1 of 4 closely related but antigenically distinct serotypes of dengue virus (DENV), DENV-1-4. The... (Review)
Review
Dengue fever (DF) is a mosquito-transmitted arboviral disease caused by 1 of 4 closely related but antigenically distinct serotypes of dengue virus (DENV), DENV-1-4. The primary vector of DENV is Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Humans are the main carrier of the virus and the amplifying host with non-human primates plays a considerable role in sylvatic cycle. On November 8, 2022, an outbreak of dengue fever has killed at least five people in North Kordofan State. On 23 Nov 2022, the Sudanese Ministry of Health reported 3326 cases of dengue fever across 8 Sudanese States; while 23 patients died from the fever. Sudan is witnessing its worst outbreak of dengue fever in over a decade, especially in North and South Kordofan and Red Sea State are hit hard. In this review, we will focus on the recent outbreak of dengue fever in many Sudanese states.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Dengue Virus; Dengue; Mosquito Vectors; Arbovirus Infections; Serogroup; Aedes
PubMed: 37473544
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.07.002 -
Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria Dec 2023Dengue, zika, and chikungunya are arboviruses of great epidemiological relevance worldwide. The emergence and re-emergence of viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes... (Review)
Review
Dengue, zika, and chikungunya are arboviruses of great epidemiological relevance worldwide. The emergence and re-emergence of viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes constitute a serious human public health problem. The neurological manifestations caused by these viruses have a high potential for death or sequelae. The complications that occur in the nervous system associated with arboviruses can be a challenge for diagnosis and treatment. In endemic areas, suspected cases should include acute encephalitis, myelitis, encephalomyelitis, polyradiculoneuritis, and/or other syndromes of the central or peripheral nervous system, in the absence of a known explanation. The confirmation diagnosis is based on viral (isolation or RT-PCR) or antigens detection in tissues, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or other body fluids, increase in IgG antibody titers between paired serum samples, specific IgM antibody in cerebrospinal fluid and serological conversion to IgM between paired serum samples (non-reactive in the acute phase and reactive in the convalescent). The cerebrospinal fluid examination can demonstrate: 1. etiological agent; 2. inflammatory reaction or protein-cytological dissociation depending on the neurological condition; 3. specific IgM, 4. intrathecal synthesis of specific IgG (dengue and chikungunya); 5. exclusion of other infectious agents. The treatment of neurological complications aims to improve the symptoms, while the vaccine represents the great hope for the control and prevention of neuroinvasive arboviruses. This narrative review summarizes the updated epidemiology, general features, neuropathogenesis, and neurological manifestations associated with dengue, zika, and chikungunya infection.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Chikungunya Fever; Dengue; Zika Virus Infection; Zika Virus; Nervous System Diseases; Immunoglobulin M
PubMed: 38157877
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777104