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Nature Communications Sep 2023Ae. aegypti mosquitoes transmit some of the most important human viral diseases that are responsible for a significant public health burden worldwide. The small...
Ae. aegypti mosquitoes transmit some of the most important human viral diseases that are responsible for a significant public health burden worldwide. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is considered the major antiviral defense system in insects. Here we show that siRNA pathway disruption by CRISPR/Cas9-based Ago2 knockout impaired the mosquitoes' ability to degrade arbovirus RNA leading to hyper-infection accompanied by cell lysis and tissue damage. Ago2 disruption impaired DNA repair mechanisms and the autophagy pathway by altering histone abundance. This compromised DNA repair and removal of damaged cellular organelles and dysfunctional aggregates promoted mosquito death. We also report that hyper-infection of Ago2 knockout mosquitoes stimulated a broad-spectrum antiviral immunity, including apoptosis, which may counteract infection. Taken together, our studies reveal novel roles for Ago2 in protecting mosquitoes from arbovirus infection and associated death.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Aedes; Arbovirus Infections; RNA, Small Interfering; Antiviral Agents; Apoptosis; Craniocerebral Trauma
PubMed: 37723154
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41370-y -
Journal of Neuroinflammation Aug 2020Arthropod-borne viruses or arbovirus, are most commonly associated with acute infections, resulting on various symptoms ranging from mild fever to more severe disorders... (Review)
Review
Arthropod-borne viruses or arbovirus, are most commonly associated with acute infections, resulting on various symptoms ranging from mild fever to more severe disorders such as hemorrhagic fever. Moreover, some arboviral infections can be associated with important neuroinflammation that can trigger neurological disorders including encephalitis, paralysis, ophthalmological impairments, or developmental defects, which in some cases, can lead to long-term defects of the central nervous system (CNS). This is well illustrated in Zika virus-associated congenital brain malformations but also in West Nile virus-induced synaptic dysfunctions that can last well beyond infection and lead to cognitive deficits. Here, we summarize clinical and mechanistic data reporting on cognitive disturbances triggered by arboviral infections, which may highlight growing public health issues spanning the five continents.
Topics: Arbovirus Infections; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Humans
PubMed: 32778106
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01904-3 -
Viruses Feb 2022Mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), also known as moboviruses, are associated mainly with mosquitoes and are able to infect humans and other vertebrates [...].
Mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), also known as moboviruses, are associated mainly with mosquitoes and are able to infect humans and other vertebrates [...].
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Ecology; Humans; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 35215949
DOI: 10.3390/v14020357 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Obesity is a global health problem that affects 650 million people worldwide and leads to diverse changes in host immunity. Individuals with obesity experience an... (Review)
Review
Obesity is a global health problem that affects 650 million people worldwide and leads to diverse changes in host immunity. Individuals with obesity experience an increase in the size and the number of adipocytes, which function as an endocrine organ and release various adipocytokines such as leptin and adiponectin that exert wide ranging effects on other cells. In individuals with obesity, macrophages account for up to 40% of adipose tissue (AT) cells, three times more than in adipose tissue (10%) of healthy weight individuals and secrete several cytokines and chemokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, chemokine C-C ligand (CCL)-2, IL-6, CCL5, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, leading to the development of inflammation. Overall, obesity-derived cytokines strongly affect immune responses and make patients with obesity more prone to severe symptoms than patients with a healthy weight. Several epidemiological studies reported a strong association between obesity and severe arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infections such as dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Sindbis virus (SINV). Recently, experimental investigations found that DENV, WNV, CHIKV and Mayaro virus (MAYV) infections cause worsened disease outcomes in infected diet induced obese (DIO) mice groups compared to infected healthy-weight animals. The mechanisms leading to higher susceptibility to severe infections in individuals with obesity remain unknown, though a better understanding of the causes will help scientists and clinicians develop host directed therapies to treat severe disease. In this review article, we summarize the effects of obesity on the host immune response in the context of arboviral infections. We have outlined that obesity makes the host more susceptible to infectious agents, likely by disrupting the functions of innate and adaptive immune cells. We have also discussed the immune response of DIO mouse models against some important arboviruses such as CHIKV, MAYV, DENV, and WNV. We can speculate that obesity-induced disruption of innate and adaptive immune cell function in arboviral infections ultimately affects the course of arboviral disease. Therefore, further studies are needed to explore the cellular and molecular aspects of immunity that are compromised in obesity during arboviral infections or vaccination, which will be helpful in developing specific therapeutic/prophylactic interventions to prevent immunopathology and disease progression in individuals with obesity.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Arbovirus Infections; Obesity; Mice, Obese; Chikungunya virus; West Nile virus; Immunity
PubMed: 36466818
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.968582 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022
Topics: Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Flavivirus; Humans
PubMed: 35909971
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.973953 -
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine Jan 2016Arboviruses are pathogens that widely affect the health of people in different communities around the world. Recently, a few successful approaches toward production of... (Review)
Review
Arboviruses are pathogens that widely affect the health of people in different communities around the world. Recently, a few successful approaches toward production of effective vaccines against some of these pathogens have been developed, but treatment and prevention of the resulting diseases remain a major health and research concern. The arbovirus infection and replication processes are complex, and many factors are involved in their regulation. Apoptosis, autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR) are three mechanisms that are involved in pathogenesis of many viruses. In this review, we focus on the importance of these pathways in the arbovirus replication and infection processes. We provide a brief introduction on how apoptosis, autophagy and the UPR are initiated and regulated, and then discuss the involvement of these pathways in regulation of arbovirus pathogenesis.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Arachnid Vectors; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Autophagy; Cell Cycle Proteins; Gene Expression Regulation; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Insect Vectors; Mammals; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response; Zoonoses
PubMed: 26781343
DOI: 10.1017/erm.2015.19 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Oct 2022The detection of the first cases of transfusion-transmitted West Nile virus in 2002 posed a new challenge for transfusion safety. Institutions like the World Health...
BACKGROUND
The detection of the first cases of transfusion-transmitted West Nile virus in 2002 posed a new challenge for transfusion safety. Institutions like the World Health Organization have stated that blood transfusion centers need to know the epidemiology of the different emerging infectious agents and their impact on blood transfusion. The aim of the study is to review the published cases of arbovirus transmission through transfusion of blood or blood components and to analyze their main clinical and epidemiological characteristics.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Systematic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus. Pairs of review authors selected a variety of scientific publications reporting cases of transfusion-transmitted arboviruses. Main clinical and epidemiological characteristics were reviewed of the cases described. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO CRD42021270355.
RESULTS
A total of 74 cases of transfusion-transmitted infections were identified from 10 arboviruses: West Nile virus (n = 42), dengue virus (n = 18), Zika virus (n = 3), yellow fever vaccine virus (n = 3), tick-borne encephalitis virus (n = 2), Japanese encephalitis virus (n = 2), Powassan virus (n = 1), St. Louis encephalitis virus (n = 1), Ross River virus (n = 1) and Colorado tick fever virus (n = 1). The blood component most commonly involved was red blood cells (N = 35, 47.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 35.9% to 58.7%). In 54.1% (N = 40; 95% CI: 42.7%-65.47%) of the cases, the recipient was immunosuppressed. Transmission resulted in death in 18.9% (N = 14; 95% CI: 10.0%-27.8%) of the recipients. In addition, 18 additional arboviruses were identified with a potential threat to transfusion safety.
DISCUSSION
In the last 20 years, the number of published cases of transfusion-transmitted arboviruses increased notably, implicating new arboviruses. In addition, a significant number of arboviruses that may pose a threat to transfusion safety were detected. In the coming years, it is expected that transmission of arboviruses will continue to expand globally. It is therefore essential that all responsible agencies prepare for this potential threat to transfusion safety.
Topics: Humans; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Blood Transfusion; West Nile virus; Yellow Fever Vaccine; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 36201547
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010843 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021Arthropod-borne viruses, referred to collectively as arboviruses, infect millions of people worldwide each year and have the potential to cause severe disease. They are... (Review)
Review
Arthropod-borne viruses, referred to collectively as arboviruses, infect millions of people worldwide each year and have the potential to cause severe disease. They are predominately transmitted to humans through blood-feeding behavior of three main groups of biting arthropods: ticks, mosquitoes, and sandflies. The pathogens harbored by these blood-feeding arthropods (BFA) are transferred to animal hosts through deposition of virus-rich saliva into the skin. Sometimes these infections become systemic and can lead to neuro-invasion and life-threatening viral encephalitis. Factors intrinsic to the arboviral vectors can greatly influence the pathogenicity and virulence of infections, with mounting evidence that BFA saliva and salivary proteins can shift the trajectory of viral infection in the host. This review provides an overview of arbovirus infection and ways in which vectors influence viral pathogenesis. In particular, we focus on how saliva and salivary gland extracts from the three dominant arbovirus vectors impact the trajectory of the cellular immune response to arbovirus infection in the skin.
Topics: Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Arthropod Vectors; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Saliva
PubMed: 34502092
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179173 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jan 2021Arbovirus infection in Aedes aegypti has historically been quantified from a sample of the adult population by pooling collected mosquitoes to increase detectability....
Arbovirus infection in Aedes aegypti has historically been quantified from a sample of the adult population by pooling collected mosquitoes to increase detectability. However, there is a significant knowledge gap about the magnitude of natural arbovirus infection within areas of active transmission, as well as the sensitivity of detection of such an approach. We used indoor Ae. aegypti sequential sampling with Prokopack aspirators to collect all mosquitoes inside 200 houses with suspected active ABV transmission from the city of Mérida, Mexico, and tested all collected specimens by RT-PCR to quantify: a) the absolute arbovirus infection rate in individually tested Ae. aegypti females; b) the sensitivity of using Prokopack aspirators in detecting ABV-infected mosquitoes; and c) the sensitivity of entomological inoculation rate (EIR) and vectorial capacity (VC), two measures ABV transmission potential, to different estimates of indoor Ae. aegypti abundance. The total number of Ae. aegypti (total catch, the sum of all Ae. aegypti across all collection intervals) as well as the number on the first 10-min of collection (sample, equivalent to a routine adult aspiration session) were calculated. We individually tested by RT-PCR 2,161 Aedes aegypti females and found that 7.7% of them were positive to any ABV. Most infections were CHIKV (77.7%), followed by DENV (11.4%) and ZIKV (9.0%). The distribution of infected Aedes aegypti was overdispersed; 33% houses contributed 81% of the infected mosquitoes. A significant association between ABV infection and Ae. aegypti total catch indoors was found (binomial GLMM, Odds Ratio > 1). A 10-min indoor Prokopack collection led to a low sensitivity of detecting ABV infection (16.3% for detecting infected mosquitoes and 23.4% for detecting infected houses). When averaged across all infested houses, mean EIR ranged between 0.04 and 0.06 infective bites per person per day, and mean VC was 0.6 infectious vectors generated from a population feeding on a single infected host per house/day. Both measures were significantly and positively associated with Ae. aegypti total catch indoors. Our findings provide evidence that the accurate estimation and quantification of arbovirus infection rate and transmission risk is a function of the sampling effort, the local abundance of Aedes aegypti and the intensity of arbovirus circulation.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Female; Male; Mosquito Vectors; Population Density
PubMed: 33395435
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008972 -
Uirusu 2020"Arbovirus" is a term for a virus transmitted to mammals by hematophagous arthropods; arboviruses; replicate in both mammals and arthropods. Since the life cycle of... (Review)
Review
"Arbovirus" is a term for a virus transmitted to mammals by hematophagous arthropods; arboviruses; replicate in both mammals and arthropods. Since the life cycle of arboviruses is highly dependent on arthropods, control of the arthropods (vectors) is generally considered important for the control of arbovirus infection. Various pathogens that cause diseases in the medical and veterinary fields are grouped into arboviruses with a history of their discoveries since the early 20th century. Furthermore, because of recent advances in sequencing technology, new arboviruses have been discovered one after another. Here we would like to overview the known arboviruses and their infections.
Topics: Animals; Arbovirus Infections; Arboviruses; Arthropods; Life Cycle Stages
PubMed: 33967110
DOI: 10.2222/jsv.70.3