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Viruses May 2024Lumpy skin disease is one of the fast-spreading viral diseases of cattle and buffalo that can potentially cause severe economic impact. Lesotho experienced LSD for the...
Lumpy skin disease is one of the fast-spreading viral diseases of cattle and buffalo that can potentially cause severe economic impact. Lesotho experienced LSD for the first time in 1947 and episodes of outbreaks occurred throughout the decades. In this study, eighteen specimens were collected from LSD-clinically diseased cattle between 2020 and 2022 from Mafeteng, Leribe, Maseru, Berea, and Mohales' Hoek districts of Lesotho. A total of 11 DNA samples were analyzed by PCR and sequencing of the extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) glycoprotein, G-protein-coupled chemokine receptor (GPCR), 30 kDa RNA polymerase subunit (RPO30), and B22R genes. All nucleotide sequences of the above-mentioned genes confirmed that the PCR amplicons of clinical samples are truly LSDV, as they were identical to respective LSDV isolates on the NCBI GenBank. Two of the elevem samples were further characterized by whole-genome sequencing. The analysis, based on both CaPV marker genes and complete genome sequences, revealed that the LSDV isolates from Lesotho cluster with the NW-like LSDVs, which includes the commonly circulating LSDV field isolates from Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, Turkey, and Eastern Europe.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Lumpy Skin Disease; Lesotho; Lumpy skin disease virus; Phylogeny; Whole Genome Sequencing; Genome, Viral
PubMed: 38793643
DOI: 10.3390/v16050762 -
Viruses May 2024In 2022, an unprecedented outbreak of mpox raged in several nations. Sequences from the 2022 outbreak reveal a higher nucleotide substitution if compared with the...
In 2022, an unprecedented outbreak of mpox raged in several nations. Sequences from the 2022 outbreak reveal a higher nucleotide substitution if compared with the estimated rate for orthopoxviruses. Recently, intra-lesion SNVs (single nucleotide variants) have been described, and these have been suggested as possible sources of genetic variation. Until now, it has not been clear if the presence of several SNVs could represents the result of local mutagenesis or a possible co-infection. We investigated the significance of SNVs through whole-genome sequencing analysis of four unrelated mpox cases. In addition to the known mutations harboured by the circulating strains of virus (MPXV), 7 novel mutations were identified, including SNVs located in genes that are involved in immune evasion mechanisms and/or viral fitness, six of these appeared to be APOBEC3-driven. Interestingly, three patients exhibited the coexistence of mutated and wild-type alleles for five non-synonymous variants. In addition, two patients, apparently unrelated, showed an analogous pattern for two novel mutations, albeit with divergent frequencies. The coexistence of mixed viral populations, harbouring non-synonymous mutations in patients, supports the hypothesis of possible co-infection. Additional investigations of larger clinical cohorts are essential to validating intra-patient viral genome heterogeneity and determining the possibility of co-presence events of slightly divergent MPXV strains.
Topics: Humans; Genome, Viral; Italy; Disease Outbreaks; Mutation; Whole Genome Sequencing; Male; Orthopoxvirus; Poxviridae Infections; Female; Coinfection; Phylogeny; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Middle Aged; Genetic Variation
PubMed: 38793608
DOI: 10.3390/v16050726 -
Viruses Apr 2024A natural monkeypox virus infection may not induce sufficient neutralizing antibody responses in a subset of healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate...
A natural monkeypox virus infection may not induce sufficient neutralizing antibody responses in a subset of healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate monkeypox virus-neutralizing antibodies six months after infection and to assess the virological factors predictive of a poor immunological response. Antibodies were assessed using a plaque reduction neutralization test at six months from mpox infection; mpox cutaneous, oropharyngeal, and anal swabs, semen, and plasma samples were tested during infection. Overall, 95 people were included in the study; all developed detectable antibodies. People who were positive for the monkeypox virus for more days had higher levels of antibodies when considering all tested samples ( = 0.029) and all swabs ( = 0.005). Mpox cycle threshold values were not predictive of antibody titers. This study found that the overall days of monkeypox virus detection in the body, irrespective of the viral loads, were directly correlated with monkeypox virus neutralizing antibodies at six months after infection.
Topics: Antibodies, Neutralizing; Humans; Antibodies, Viral; Monkeypox virus; Male; Mpox (monkeypox); Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Neutralization Tests; Viral Load; Young Adult
PubMed: 38793563
DOI: 10.3390/v16050681 -
Journal of Virological Methods Jul 2024Since May 2022, the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) has raised a great concern worldwide. Early detection of mpox virus infection is recognized as an...
Since May 2022, the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) has raised a great concern worldwide. Early detection of mpox virus infection is recognized as an efficient way to prevent mpox transmission. Mpox specific detection methods reported up to now are based on the SNPs among mpox virus and other orthopoxviruses. We have therefore developed a real-time PCR based mpox detection method targeting mpox virus specific sequences (N3R and B18Rplus). We have also optimized an orthopoxvirus detection system which targets the highly conserved E9L and D6R genes. The mpox and orthopoxvirus real-time PCR assays have a high sensitivity (1 copy/reaction) and specificity. Mpox viral DNA and clinical samples from mpox patients are detected with the mpox detection system. Furthermore, we have established a multiplex real-time PCR detection system allowing simultaneous and efficient detection of mpox and orthopoxvirus infections.
Topics: Orthopoxvirus; Sensitivity and Specificity; Humans; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Monkeypox virus; Poxviridae Infections; Mpox (monkeypox); Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
PubMed: 38788978
DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2024.114957 -
Virus Research Aug 2024Parapoxviruses (PPV) of animals are spread worldwide. While the Orf virus (ORFV) species is a molecularly well-characterized prototype pathogen of small ruminants, the...
Parapoxviruses (PPV) of animals are spread worldwide. While the Orf virus (ORFV) species is a molecularly well-characterized prototype pathogen of small ruminants, the genomes of virus species affecting large ruminants, namely Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) and Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV), are less well known. Using Nanopore sequencing we retrospectively show the whole genome sequences (WGS) of six BPSV, three PCPV isolates and an attenuated ORFV strain, originating from different geographic locations. A phylogenetic tree shows that the de novo assembled genomes belong to PPV species including WGS of reference PPV. Remarkably, Nanopore sequencing allowed the molecular resolution of inverted terminal repeats (ITR) and the hairpin loop within the de novo assembled WGS. Additionally, peculiarities regarding map location of two genes and the heterogeneity of a genomic region were noted. Details for the molecular variability of an interferon response modulatory gene (ORF116) and the PCPV specificity of gene 073.5 are reported. In summary, WGS gained by Nanopore sequencing allowed analysis of complete PPV genomes and confident virus species attribution within a phylogenetic tree avoiding uncertainty of limited gene-based diagnostics. Nanopore-based WGS provides robust comparison of PPV genomes and reliable identity determination of new Poxviruses.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Genome, Viral; Cattle; Parapoxvirus; Poxviridae Infections; Whole Genome Sequencing; Retrospective Studies; Cattle Diseases; Nanopore Sequencing; DNA, Viral
PubMed: 38782262
DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199404 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Jun 2024The myxoma virus species jump from European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) to Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) has raised concerns. We assess the decline suffered by...
The myxoma virus species jump from European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) to Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) has raised concerns. We assess the decline suffered by Iberian hare populations on the Iberian Peninsula and discuss the association between the effect of myxomatosis and the average abundance index, which we estimated by using hunting bags.
Topics: Animals; Myxoma virus; Hares; Spain; Rabbits; Myxomatosis, Infectious
PubMed: 38781982
DOI: 10.3201/eid3006.231280 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Jun 2024Understanding changes in the transmission dynamics of mpox requires comparing recent estimates of key epidemiologic parameters with historical data. We derived...
Understanding changes in the transmission dynamics of mpox requires comparing recent estimates of key epidemiologic parameters with historical data. We derived historical estimates for the incubation period and serial interval for mpox and contrasted them with pooled estimates from the 2022 outbreak. Our findings show the pooled mean infection-to-onset incubation period was 8.1 days for the 2022 outbreak and 8.2 days historically, indicating the incubation periods remained relatively consistent over time, despite a shift in the major mode of transmission. However, we estimated the onset-to-onset serial interval at 8.7 days using 2022 data, compared with 14.2 days using historical data. Although the reason for this shortening of the serial interval is unclear, it may be because of increased public health interventions or a shift in the mode of transmission. Recognizing such temporal shifts is essential for informed response strategies, and public health measures remain crucial for controlling mpox and similar future outbreaks.
Topics: Humans; Disease Outbreaks; Infectious Disease Incubation Period; Mpox (monkeypox); History, 21st Century; Global Health
PubMed: 38781950
DOI: 10.3201/eid3006.231095 -
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly... May 2024Two doses of JYNNEOS vaccine are effective in preventing many mpox cases and can reduce the severity of symptoms in infected persons. However, infections among fully...
Two doses of JYNNEOS vaccine are effective in preventing many mpox cases and can reduce the severity of symptoms in infected persons. However, infections among fully vaccinated persons can occur. During May 2022-May 2024, a total of 271 mpox cases among fully vaccinated persons were reported to CDC from 27 U.S. jurisdictions. These reported infections are estimated to have occurred in <1% of fully vaccinated persons. Compared with cases among unvaccinated persons, infections among fully vaccinated persons were more likely to occur among non-Hispanic White men aged 30-39 years, were associated with increased numbers of sexual partners, and resulted in less severe disease (p<0.001). Among infections in fully vaccinated persons with complete data, infections after vaccination were reported more commonly after receipt of heterologous (subcutaneous and intradermal) (46%) or homologous subcutaneous (32%) JYNNEOS vaccination than after homologous intradermal (22%) vaccination. Disparate time intervals from vaccination to infection among fully vaccinated persons suggest that immunity is not waning. The median interval between the second vaccine dose and illness onset was longer for cases among persons who had received 2 intradermal doses (median = 363 days; IQR = 221-444 days) compared with cases in persons who had received 2 subcutaneous doses (median = 263 days; IQR = 47-334 days) (p<0.001). The implications of this finding are not known; however, these data should increase confidence in the effectiveness of vaccine doses that were administered intradermally, the preferred method of administration during the peak of the outbreak when vaccine supply was limited. Persons recommended to receive the JYNNEOS vaccine should receive 2 doses, irrespective of the route of administration, and at this time, additional doses are not recommended for the affected population.
Topics: Humans; Male; United States; Adult; Young Adult; Female; Middle Aged; Mpox (monkeypox); Adolescent; 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273; Immunization, Secondary
PubMed: 38781111
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7320a3 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2024Men who have sex with men and people living with HIV are disproportionately affected in the 2022 multi-country monkeypox epidemic. The smallpox vaccine can induce... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Men who have sex with men and people living with HIV are disproportionately affected in the 2022 multi-country monkeypox epidemic. The smallpox vaccine can induce cross-reactive antibodies against the monkeypox virus (MPXV) and reduce the risk of infection. Data on antibodies against MPXV induced by historic smallpox vaccination in people with HIV are scarce. In this observational study, plasma samples were collected from people living with and without HIV in Shenzhen, China. We measured antibodies binding to two representative proteins of vaccinia virus (VACV; A27L and A33R) and homologous proteins of MPXV (A29L and A35R) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We compared the levels of these antibodies between people living with and without HIV. Stratified analyses were performed based on the year of birth of 1981 when the smallpox vaccination was stopped in China. Plasma samples from 677 people living with HIV and 746 people without HIV were tested. A consistent pattern was identified among the four antibodies, regardless of HIV status. VACV antigen-reactive and MPXV antigen-reactive antibodies induced by historic smallpox vaccination were detectable in the people born before 1981, and antibody levels reached a nadir during or after 1981. The levels of smallpox vaccine-induced antibodies were comparable between people living with HIV and those without HIV. Our findings suggest that the antibody levels against MPXV decreased in both people living with and without HIV due to the cessation of smallpox vaccination.
Topics: Humans; Antibodies, Viral; Male; Smallpox Vaccine; HIV Infections; Adult; Female; China; Middle Aged; Monkeypox virus; Smallpox; Vaccination; Mpox (monkeypox); Cross Reactions; Young Adult; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Vaccinia virus
PubMed: 38767199
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2356153 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2024
Topics: Humans; Female; Mpox (monkeypox); Ulcer; Adult
PubMed: 38766566
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.108.42950