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Viruses Dec 2022Surveillance programs are essential for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne arboviruses that cause serious human and animal diseases. Viral metatranscriptomic...
Surveillance programs are essential for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne arboviruses that cause serious human and animal diseases. Viral metatranscriptomic sequencing can enhance surveillance by enabling untargeted, high-throughput arbovirus detection. We used metatranscriptomic sequencing to screen field-collected mosquitoes for arboviruses to better understand how metatranscriptomics can be utilised in routine surveillance. Following a significant flood event in 2016, more than 56,000 mosquitoes were collected over seven weeks from field traps set up in Victoria, Australia. The traps were split into samples of 1000 mosquitoes or less and sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq. Five arboviruses relevant to public health (Ross River virus, Sindbis virus, Trubanaman virus, Umatilla virus, and Wongorr virus) were detected a total of 33 times in the metatranscriptomic data, with 94% confirmed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Analysis of metatranscriptomic cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences enabled the detection of 12 mosquito and two biting midge species. Screening of the same traps by an established public health arbovirus surveillance program corroborated the metatranscriptomic arbovirus and mosquito species detections. Assembly of genome sequences from the metatranscriptomic data also led to the detection of 51 insect-specific viruses, both known and previously undescribed, and allowed phylogenetic comparison to past strains. We have demonstrated how metatranscriptomics can enhance surveillance by enabling untargeted arbovirus detection, providing genomic epidemiological data, and simultaneously identifying vector species from large, unsorted mosquito traps.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arboviruses; Culicidae; Phylogeny; Mosquito Vectors; Victoria; Arbovirus Infections
PubMed: 36560765
DOI: 10.3390/v14122759 -
Antiviral Research Oct 2013The emergence of multiple strains of bluetongue virus (BTV) and the recent discovery of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in Europe have highlighted the fact that exotic... (Review)
Review
The emergence of multiple strains of bluetongue virus (BTV) and the recent discovery of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in Europe have highlighted the fact that exotic Culicoides-borne arboviruses from remote geographic areas can enter and spread rapidly in this region. This review considers the potential for this phenomenon to impact on human health in Europe, by examining evidence of the role of Culicoides biting midges in the zoonotic transmission and person-to-person spread of arboviruses worldwide. To date, the only arbovirus identified as being primarily transmitted by Culicoides to and between humans is Oropouche virus (OROV). This member of the genus Orthobunyavirus causes major epidemics of febrile illness in human populations of South and Central America and the Caribbean. We examine factors promoting sustained outbreaks of OROV in Brazil from an entomological perspective and assess aspects of the epidemiology of this arbovirus that are currently poorly understood, but may influence the risk of incursion into Europe. We then review the secondary and rarely reported role of Culicoides in the transmission of high-profile zoonotic infections, while critically reviewing evidence of this phenomenon in endemic transmission and place this in context with the presence of other potential vector groups in Europe. Scenarios for the incursions of Culicoides-borne human-to-human transmitted and zoonotic arboviruses are then discussed, along with control measures that could be employed to reduce their impact. These measures are placed in the context of legislative measures used during current and ongoing outbreaks of Culicoides-borne arboviruses in Europe, involving both veterinary and public health sectors.
Topics: Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Ceratopogonidae; Europe; Humans; Insect Vectors; Public Health; Zoonoses
PubMed: 23933421
DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2013.07.020 -
Journal of Virology Mar 2022The impact of the host microbiota on arbovirus infections is currently not well understood. Arboviruses are viruses transmitted through the bites of infected arthropods,...
The impact of the host microbiota on arbovirus infections is currently not well understood. Arboviruses are viruses transmitted through the bites of infected arthropods, predominantly mosquitoes or ticks. The first site of arbovirus inoculation is the biting site in the host skin, which is colonized by a complex microbial community that could possibly influence arbovirus infection. We demonstrated that preincubation of arboviruses with certain components of the bacterial cell wall, including lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of some Gram-negative bacteria and lipoteichoic acids or peptidoglycan of certain Gram-positive bacteria, significantly reduced arbovirus infectivity . This inhibitory effect was observed for arboviruses of different virus families, including chikungunya virus of the genus and Zika virus of the genus, showing that this is a broad phenomenon. A modest inhibitory effect was observed following incubation with a panel of heat-inactivated bacteria, including bacteria residing on the skin. No viral inhibition was observed after preincubation of cells with LPS. Furthermore, a virucidal effect of LPS on viral particles was noticed by electron microscopy. Therefore, the main inhibitory mechanism seems to be due to a direct effect on the virus particles. Together, these results suggest that bacteria are able to decrease the infectivity of alphaviruses and flaviviruses. During the past decades, the world has experienced a vast increase in epidemics of alphavirus and flavivirus infections. These viruses can cause severe diseases, such as hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and arthritis. Several alpha- and flaviviruses, such as chikungunya virus, Zika virus, and dengue virus, are significant global health threats because of their high disease burden, their widespread (re-)emergence, and the lack of (good) anti-arboviral strategies. Despite the clear health burden, alphavirus and flavivirus infection and disease are not fully understood. A knowledge gap in the interplay between the host and the arbovirus is the potential interaction with host skin bacteria. Therefore, we studied the effect of (skin) bacteria and bacterial cell wall components on alphavirus and flavivirus infectivity in cell culture. Our results show that certain bacterial cell wall components markedly reduced viral infectivity by interacting directly with the virus particle.
Topics: Alphavirus; Animals; Arboviruses; Bacteria; Cell Wall; Chikungunya virus; Flavivirus; Lipopolysaccharides; Microbiota; Zika Virus
PubMed: 35107376
DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00060-22 -
Pathogens and Global Health Jul 2019Mosquito-borne diseases, including arbovirus-related diseases, make up a large proportion of infectious disease cases worldwide, causing a serious global public health... (Review)
Review
Mosquito-borne diseases, including arbovirus-related diseases, make up a large proportion of infectious disease cases worldwide, causing a serious global public health burden with over 700,000 deaths annually. Mosquito-borne arbovirus outbreaks can range from global to regional. In the East African Community (EAC) region, these viruses have caused a series of emerging and reemerging infectious disease outbreaks. Member states in the EAC share a lot in common including regional trade and transport, some of the factors highlighted to be the cause of mosquito-borne arbovirus disease outbreaks worldwide. In this review, characteristics of 24 mosquito-borne arboviruses indigenous to the EAC are reviewed, including lesser or poorly understood viruses, like Batai virus (BATV) and Ndumu virus (NDUV), which may escape their origins under perfect conditions to establish a foothold in new geographical locations. Factors that may influence the future spread of these viruses within the EAC are addressed. With the continued development observed in the EAC, strategies should be developed by the Community in improving mosquito and mosquito-borne arbovirus surveillance to prevent future outbreaks.
Topics: Africa, Eastern; Alphavirus Infections; Animals; Arboviruses; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Humans; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 31664886
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2019.1678939 -
Viruses Oct 2013Viruses within the Bunyaviridae family are tri-segmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses. The family includes several emerging and re-emerging viruses of humans, animals... (Review)
Review
Viruses within the Bunyaviridae family are tri-segmented, negative-stranded RNA viruses. The family includes several emerging and re-emerging viruses of humans, animals and plants, such as Rift Valley fever virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, La Crosse virus, Schmallenberg virus and tomato spotted wilt virus. Many bunyaviruses are arthropod-borne, so-called arboviruses. Depending on the genus, bunyaviruses encode, in addition to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the different structural proteins, one or several non-structural proteins. These non-structural proteins are not always essential for virus growth and replication but can play an important role in viral pathogenesis through their interaction with the host innate immune system. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge and understanding of insect-borne bunyavirus non-structural protein function(s) in vertebrate, plant and arthropod.
Topics: Animals; Arboviruses; Arthropods; Bunyaviridae; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Plants; Viral Nonstructural Proteins; Virus Replication
PubMed: 24100888
DOI: 10.3390/v5102447 -
Future Microbiology Mar 2011Mosquito-borne arboviruses cause serious diseases in humans that are increasingly becoming public health problems, yet arbovirus infections cause minimal pathology in... (Review)
Review
Mosquito-borne arboviruses cause serious diseases in humans that are increasingly becoming public health problems, yet arbovirus infections cause minimal pathology in the mosquito vector, allowing persistent infections and lifelong virus transmission. The principal mosquito innate immune response to virus infections, RNAi, differs substantially from the human immune response and this difference could be the basis for the disparate outcomes of infection in the two hosts. Understanding the mosquito antiviral immune response could lead to strategies for interruption of arbovirus transmission and greatly reduce disease. Research focused on RNAi as the primary mosquito antiviral response has the greatest potential for developing a full understanding of mosquito innate immunity. This article reviews our current knowledge of mosquito antiviral RNAi and charts some of the future directions needed to fill knowledge gaps.
Topics: Animals; Arboviruses; Culicidae; Immunity, Innate; RNA Interference
PubMed: 21449839
DOI: 10.2217/fmb.11.11 -
Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology 2012Control of arboviral disease is dependent on the sensitive and timely detection of elevated virus activity or the identification of emergent or exotic viruses. The... (Review)
Review
Control of arboviral disease is dependent on the sensitive and timely detection of elevated virus activity or the identification of emergent or exotic viruses. The emergence of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in northern Australia revealed numerous problems with performing arbovirus surveillance in remote locations. A sentinel pig programme detected JEV activity, although there were a number of financial, logistical, diagnostic and ethical limitations. A system was developed which detected viral RNA in mosquitoes collected by solar or propane powered CO₂-baited traps. However, this method was hampered by trap-component malfunction, microbial contamination and large mosquito numbers which overwhelmed diagnostic capabilities. A novel approach involves allowing mosquitoes within a box trap to probe a sugar-baited nucleic-acid preservation card that is processed for expectorated arboviruses. In a longitudinal field trial, both Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses were detected numerous times from multiple traps over different weeks. Further refinements, including the development of unpowered traps and use of yeast-generated CO₂, could enhance the applicability of this system to remote locations. New diagnostic technology, such as next generation sequencing and biosensors, will increase the capacity for recognizing emergent or exotic viruses, while cloud computing platforms will facilitate rapid dissemination of data.
Topics: Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Australia; Culicidae; Humans; Sentinel Surveillance
PubMed: 22505808
DOI: 10.1155/2012/325659 -
PloS One 2021The Greater Everglades Region of South Florida is one of the largest natural wetlands and the only subtropical ecosystem found in the continental United States....
The Greater Everglades Region of South Florida is one of the largest natural wetlands and the only subtropical ecosystem found in the continental United States. Mosquitoes are seasonally abundant in the Everglades where several potentially pathogenic mosquito-borne arboviruses are maintained in natural transmission cycles involving vector-competent mosquitoes and reservoir-competent vertebrate hosts. The fragile nature of this ecosystem is vulnerable to many sources of environmental change, including a wetlands restoration project, climate change, invasive species and residential development. In this study, we obtained baseline data on the distribution and abundance of both mosquitos and arboviruses occurring in the southern Everglades region during the summer months of 2013, when water levels were high, and in 2014, when water levels were low. A total of 367,060 mosquitoes were collected with CO2-baited CDC light traps at 105 collection sites stratified among the major landscape features found in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee State Park Preserve and Picayune State Forest, an area already undergoing restoration. A total of 2,010 pools of taxonomically identified mosquitoes were cultured for arbovirus isolation and identification. Seven vertebrate arboviruses were isolated: Everglades virus, Tensaw virus, Shark River virus, Gumbo Limbo virus, Mahogany Hammock virus, Keystone virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus. Except for Tensaw virus, which was absent in 2013, the remaining viruses were found to be most prevalent in hardwood hammocks and in Fakahatchee, less prevalent in mangroves and pinelands, and absent in cypress and sawgrass. In contrast, in the summer of 2014 when water levels were lower, these arboviruses were far less prevalent and only found in hardwood hammocks, but Tensaw virus was present in cypress, sawgrass, pinelands, and a recently burned site. Major environmental changes are anticipated in the Everglades, many of which will result in increased water levels. How these might lead to the emergence of arboviruses potentially pathogenic to both humans and wildlife is discussed.
Topics: Alphavirus; Animals; Arboviruses; Climate Change; Culicidae; Ecosystem; Florida; Introduced Species; Mosquito Vectors; Orthobunyavirus
PubMed: 34807932
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259419 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Aug 2017
Topics: Alphavirus; Alphavirus Infections; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Haiti; Humans
PubMed: 28859086
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005462 -
Viruses Jul 2021Most viruses use several entry sites and modes of transmission to infect their host (parenteral, sexual, respiratory, oro-fecal, transplacental, transcutaneous, etc.).... (Review)
Review
Most viruses use several entry sites and modes of transmission to infect their host (parenteral, sexual, respiratory, oro-fecal, transplacental, transcutaneous, etc.). Some of them are known to be essentially transmitted via arthropod bites (mosquitoes, ticks, phlebotomes, sandflies, etc.), and are thus named arthropod-borne viruses, or arboviruses. During the last decades, several arboviruses have emerged or re-emerged in different countries in the form of notable outbreaks, resulting in a growing interest from scientific and medical communities as well as an increase in epidemiological studies. These studies have highlighted the existence of other modes of transmission. Among them, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) during breastfeeding was highlighted for the vaccine strain of yellow fever virus (YFV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), and suggested for other arboviruses such as Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), dengue virus (DENV), and West Nile virus (WNV). In this review, we summarize all epidemiological and clinical clues that suggest the existence of breastfeeding as a neglected route for MTCT of arboviruses and we decipher some of the mechanisms that chronologically occur during MTCT via breastfeeding by focusing on ZIKV transmission process.
Topics: Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Breast Feeding; Chikungunya Fever; Colostrum; Culicidae; Dengue; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Milk, Human; West Nile Fever; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 34372518
DOI: 10.3390/v13071312