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Veterinary Research Communications Feb 2022Tick-borne viruses and bacteria that can cause diseases of animals and humans have high impact and are of concern as significant threats to human health worldwide. In...
Tick-borne viruses and bacteria that can cause diseases of animals and humans have high impact and are of concern as significant threats to human health worldwide. In this research, we screened microorganisms related to those pathogens in ticks from dogs, a cat, and a cow. The techniques used were PCR, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to detect and classify the microorganisms [Flavivirus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), Phlebovirus, Coronavirus, Canine Parvovirus, eubacteria, Coxiella and Rickettsia]. A novel virus named Phlebovirus-like-AYUT and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteria were found in one individual tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l.) from a dog. All tick samples were negative for Rickettsia, while 9/21 (42.9 %) were positive for Coxiella bacteria. The novel virus "Phlebovirus-like-AYUT" (the name derives from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province in Thailand) was resolved by phylogenetic analysis of the partial L segment by maximum likelihood (ML) method using MEGA X. The phylogenetic tree also indicated that the virus was related to Phlebovirus in brown dog ticks reported in Trinidad and Tobago. In contrast, Phlebovirus-like-AYUT was in a distinct clade from Lihan tick Phlebovirus-Thailand (LTPV), which was previously found in cow ticks, Rhipicephalus microplus, in Nan Province, Thailand. This study reports the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacterium with a novel Phlebovirus-like-AYUT in a brown dog tick. The roles of this bacterium in a virus-positive tick or in viral transmission from animal host requires further investigation.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Coinfection; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Phlebovirus; Phylogeny; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; Thailand
PubMed: 34725749
DOI: 10.1007/s11259-021-09855-7 -
Viruses Jul 2021In the last two decades, molecular surveys of arboviruses have enabled the identification of several new viruses, contributing to the knowledge of viral diversity and...
In the last two decades, molecular surveys of arboviruses have enabled the identification of several new viruses, contributing to the knowledge of viral diversity and providing important epidemiological data regarding possible new emerging viruses. A combination of diagnostic assays, Illumina sequencing and phylogenetic inference are here used to characterize two new strains isolated from sandflies collected in the Arrábida region, Portugal. Whole genome sequence analysis enabled their identification as reassortants and the recognition of genomic variants co-circulating in Portugal. Much is still unknown about the life cycle, geographic range, evolutionary forces and public health importance of these viruses in Portugal and elsewhere, and more studies are needed.
Topics: Animals; Female; Genome, Viral; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Phlebovirus; Phylogeny; Portugal; Psychodidae; RNA, Viral; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 34372617
DOI: 10.3390/v13071412 -
Science Advances May 2022Endogenous viral elements (EVEs), accounting for 15% of our genome, serve as a genetic reservoir from which new genes can emerge. Nematode EVEs are particularly diverse...
Endogenous viral elements (EVEs), accounting for 15% of our genome, serve as a genetic reservoir from which new genes can emerge. Nematode EVEs are particularly diverse and informative of virus evolution. We identify Atlas virus-an intact retrovirus-like EVE in the human hookworm , with an envelope protein genetically related to G-G glycoproteins from the family Phenuiviridae. A cryo-EM structure of Atlas G reveals a class II viral membrane fusion protein fold not previously seen in retroviruses. Atlas G has the structural hallmarks of an active fusogen. Atlas G trimers insert into membranes with endosomal lipid compositions and low pH. When expressed on the plasma membrane, Atlas G has cell-cell fusion activity. With its preserved biological activities, Atlas G has the potential to acquire a cellular function. Our work reveals structural plasticity in reverse-transcribing RNA viruses.
Topics: Ancylostomatoidea; Animals; Humans; Phlebovirus; RNA Viruses; Viral Envelope Proteins; Viral Fusion Proteins; Virus Internalization
PubMed: 35544562
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj6894 -
Viruses Nov 2023Mudanjiang phlebovirus (MJPV) is a newly discovered phlebovirus, initially detected from ticks in China in 2022. In this study, by next-generation sequencing (NGS) on a...
Mudanjiang phlebovirus (MJPV) is a newly discovered phlebovirus, initially detected from ticks in China in 2022. In this study, by next-generation sequencing (NGS) on a wide variety of ticks and wild small animals in China, we detected MJPV from and . Additionally, we conducted RT-PCR and sequencing on 1815 adult ticks and 805 wild small mammals collected from eight provinces in China between 2017 and 2021. MJPV RNA-positive results were found in 0.22% (4/1815) of tick samples, as well as in 0.12% (1/805) of rodent samples. All positive detections were obtained from Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. Sequencing analysis revealed nucleotide similarities ranging from 98.23% to 99.11%, as well as amino acid similarities ranging from 99.12% to100%, between the current MJPV strain and previously reported strains of MJPV. Phylogenetic tree analysis demonstrated that the previously reported MJPV strain along with our two variants clustered together with other tick-borne phenuiviruses, indicating their close relationship within this viral group. This study represents the first detection of MJPV infection in wild rodents, expanding the known host range for this virus in the endemic regions.
Topics: Animals; Phlebovirus; Phylogeny; Ixodes; Animals, Wild; Viruses; Rodentia; China
PubMed: 38140594
DOI: 10.3390/v15122353 -
Critical Reviews in Microbiology Feb 2021Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus. Since 2007, SFTS disease has been reported in China with high fatality rate up to 30%,... (Review)
Review
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus. Since 2007, SFTS disease has been reported in China with high fatality rate up to 30%, which drew high attention from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and government. SFTSV is endemic in the centra l and eastern China, Korea and Japan. There also have been similar cases reported in Vietnam. The number of SFTSV infection cases has a steady growth in these years. As SFTSV could transmitted from person to person, it will expose the public to infectious risk. In 2018 annual review of the Blueprint list of priority diseases, World Health Organisation has listed SFTSV infection as prioritised diseases for research and development in emergency contexts. However, the pathogenesis of SFTSV remains largely unclear. Currently, there are no specific therapeutics or vaccines to combat infections of SFTSV. This review discusses recent findings of epidemiology, transmission pathway, pathogenesis and treatments of SFTS disease.
Topics: Animals; Asia; Humans; Phlebovirus; Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome; Virulence
PubMed: 33245676
DOI: 10.1080/1040841X.2020.1847037 -
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Jan 2023Phleboviruses are emerging pathogens of public health importance. However, their association with ticks is poorly described, particularly in Africa. Here, adult ticks...
Phleboviruses are emerging pathogens of public health importance. However, their association with ticks is poorly described, particularly in Africa. Here, adult ticks infesting cattle, goats and sheep were collected in two dryland pastoralist ecosystems of Kenya (Baringo and Kajiado counties) and were screened for infection with phleboviruses. Ticks mainly belonged to the species Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Hyalomma impeltatum, and Hyalomma rufipes. A fragment of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene was identified in thirty of 671 tick pools, of which twenty-nine were from livestock sampled in Baringo county. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that twenty-five sequences were falling in three clades within the group of tick-associated phleboviruses. The sequences of the three clades showed nucleotide distances 8%, 19% and 22%, respectively, to previously known viruses suggesting that these sequence fragments may belong to three distinct viruses. Viruses of the group of tick-associated phleboviruses have been found in several countries and continents but so far have not been associated with disease in humans or animals. In addition, five sequences were found to group with the sandfly-associated phleboviruses Bogoria virus, Perkerra virus and Ntepes virus recently detected in the same region. Further studies are needed to investigate the transmission and maintenance cycles of these viruses, as well as to assess their potential to infect vertebrates.
Topics: Humans; Sheep; Animals; Cattle; Phlebovirus; Ticks; Livestock; Kenya; Ecosystem; Phylogeny
PubMed: 36459866
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102087 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Aug 2017Pathogens transmitted to humans by phlebotomine sand flies are neglected, as they cause infectious diseases that are not on the priority list of national and... (Review)
Review
Pathogens transmitted to humans by phlebotomine sand flies are neglected, as they cause infectious diseases that are not on the priority list of national and international public health systems. However, the infections caused by protozoa of the Leishmania genus and viruses belonging to the Phlebovirus genus (family Phenuiviridae)-the most significant group of viruses transmitted by sand flies-have a relevant role for human pathology. These infections are emerging in the Mediterranean region and will likely spread in forthcoming decades, posing a complex threat to human health. Four species and 2 hybrid strains of Leishmania are pathogenic for humans in the Mediterranean Basin, with an estimated annual incidence of 239,500-393,600 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 1,200-2,000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis. Among the phleboviruses, Toscana virus can cause neuroinvasive infections, while other phleboviruses are responsible for a typical "3-day fever"; the actual incidence of Phlebovirus infections in the Mediterranean area is unknown, although at least 250 million people are exposed. Here, we reviewed the current literature on epidemiology of sand fly-borne infections in the Mediterranean Basin, with a focus on humans. Our analysis indicates the need for increased public health activities directed to determine the disease burden of these infections as well as to improve their surveillance. Among the emerging challenges concerning sand fly-borne pathogens, the relationships between sand fly-borne protozoa and viruses should be considered in future studies, including epidemiological links between Leishmania and phleboviruses as well as the conditional capacity for these pathogens to be involved in interactions that may evolve towards increased virulence.
Topics: Animals; Bunyaviridae Infections; Dogs; Humans; Insect Vectors; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Mediterranean Region; Phlebovirus; Psychodidae
PubMed: 28796786
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005660 -
Infection, Genetics and Evolution :... Nov 2020Phlebovirus is an abundant and rather heterogeneous genus within the Phenuiviridae family (order Bunyavirales). The genus Phlebovirus is divided into two antigenic... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Phlebovirus is an abundant and rather heterogeneous genus within the Phenuiviridae family (order Bunyavirales). The genus Phlebovirus is divided into two antigenic complexes, which also correspond to the main vector: sandflies/mosquitoes and ticks. Previously, only sandfly/mosquito-borne phleboviruses were associated with human disease, such as Rift Valley fever virus, Toscana virus, Sicilian and Naples Sandfly fever viruses and others. Until recently, tick-borne phleboviruses were not considered as human pathogens. After the discovery of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, interest to tick-borne phleboviruses has increased dramatically. In the last decade, many novel phleboviruses have been reported in different regions. Despite this, the diversity, ecology and pathogenicity of these viruses still remain obscure. The aim of this work was to study the diversity of phleboviruses in ticks collected in several regions of Russia. We used pan-phlebovirus RT-PCR assays based on multiple degenerate primers targeting the polymerase gene fragment. Arthropod specimens were collected from 2005 to 2018. A total of 5901 Ixodidae ticks combined into 1116 pools were screened. A total of 160 specific amplicons were produced. In three cases RT-PCR assays amplified two distinct viruses from same tick pools. Direct sequencing of amplicons and subsequent phylogenetic analysis revealed twelve representatives of divergent phlebovirus groups. Based on the distribution of pairwise nucleotide sequence identity values, a cut-off (88%) was suggested to distinguish tick-borne phleboviruses. According to this provisional criterion, two viruses found here could be termed novel, while ten viruses have been described in previous studies. Detected phleboviruses demonstrated almost perfect specificity to a tick species or, at least, a genus. The same pattern was observed for tick-borne phleboviruses found in different studies around the world. Viruses that grouped together on a phylogenetic tree and differed less than this sequence identity threshold suggested above were hosted by ticks from the same genus.
Topics: Animals; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Phlebotomus Fever; Phlebovirus; Phylogeny; Russia; Sequence Analysis; Species Specificity; Tick-Borne Diseases; Ticks
PubMed: 32891876
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104524 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2022Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has been acknowledged as an emerging infectious disease that is caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). The main clinical... (Review)
Review
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has been acknowledged as an emerging infectious disease that is caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). The main clinical features of SFTS on presentation include fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia and gastrointestinal symptoms. The mortality rate is estimated to range between 5‑30% in East Asia. However, SFTSV infection is increasing on an annual basis globally and is becoming a public health problem. The transmission cycle of SFTSV remains poorly understood, which is compounded by the pathogenesis of SFTS not being fully elucidated. Since the mechanism underlying the host immune response towards SFTSV is also unclear, there are no effective vaccines or specific therapeutic agents against SFTS, with supportive care being the only realistic option. Therefore, it is now crucial to understand all aspects of the host‑virus interaction following SFTSV infection, including the antiviral states and viral evasion mechanisms. In the present review, recent research progress into the possible host immune responses against SFTSV was summarized, which may be useful in designing novel therapeutics against SFTS.
Topics: Bunyaviridae Infections; Humans; Phlebovirus; Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome; Thrombocytopenia
PubMed: 35856413
DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2022.5174 -
Science Advances Aug 2023Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus causing a high fatality rate of up to 30%. To date, the receptor mediating...
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus causing a high fatality rate of up to 30%. To date, the receptor mediating SFTSV entry remained uncharacterized, hindering the understanding of disease pathogenesis. Here, C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) was identified as a host receptor for SFTSV based on a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen. Knockout of CCR2 substantially reduced viral binding and infection. CCR2 enhanced SFTSV binding through direct binding to SFTSV glycoprotein N (Gn), which is mediated by its N-terminal extracellular domain. Depletion of CCR2 in C57BL/6J mouse model attenuated SFTSV replication and pathogenesis. The peripheral blood primary monocytes from elderly individuals or subjects with underlying diabetes mellitus showed higher CCR2 surface expression and supported stronger binding and replication of SFTSV. Together, these data indicate that CCR2 is a host entry receptor for SFTSV infection and a novel target for developing anti-SFTSV therapeutics.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Phlebovirus; Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome; Receptors, CCR2
PubMed: 37531422
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg6856