Article
Virology
Giulia Mencattelli, Federica Iapaolo, Federica Monaco, Giovanna Fusco, Claudio de Martinis, Ottavio Portanti, Annapia Di Gennaro, Valentina Curini, Andrea Polci, Shadia Berjaoui, Elisabetta Di Felice, Roberto Rosa, Annapaola Rizzoli, Giovanni Savini
Summary: West Nile virus (WNV) first appeared in Italy in 1998 and has been causing epidemics in different regions since then. Only WNV Lineage 2 has been reported in Italy since 2018, but in October 2020, WNV Lineage 1 (WNV-L1) re-emerged in the Campania region. The detection of WNV in the internal organs of a goshawk and a kestrel suggests the possibility of new transmission or ongoing circulation of the virus in Italy.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Adam A. Capoferri, Erin M. Sorrell
Summary: By analyzing publicly available data, researchers found that the rate of temperature change leading up to peak caseloads may have predictive value for outbreak timing, and Greece's WNV-2 transmission model may be related to a source-sink inversion pattern.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Talgat Nurmakhanov, Yerlan Sansyzbaev, Boris Atshabar, Vladimir Berlin, Damir Kobzhasarov, Olzhas Yeskhojayev, Anna Vilkova, Timur Ayazbayev, Alexey Andryuchshenko, Fyodor Bidashko, John Hay, Alexandr Shvetsov
Summary: The West Nile virus is prevalent in southern Russia and parts of Western Kazakhstan, with a small percentage of Culex modestus mosquitoes carrying the virus and around 5% of the local human population testing positive for West Nile virus IgG.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sanam Sewgobind, Fiona McCracken, Mirjam Schilling
Summary: West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that infects humans, horses, and other mammals through mosquito bites. It causes a range of clinical symptoms, from mild fever to severe encephalitis and morbidity. Although there are no licensed vaccines for human use, commercially available vaccines are available for horses in certain regions.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Duan Ni, Jian Tan, Paula Niewold, Alanna Gabrielle Spiteri, Gabriela Veronica Pinget, Dragana Stanley, Nicholas Jonathan Cole King, Laurence Macia
Summary: Although dietary fiber can promote healthy gut bacteria, it does not have a significant effect on WNV encephalitis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Felicitas Bergmann, Dominik Fischer, Luisa Fischer, Heike Maisch, Tina Risch, Saskia Dreyer, Balal Sadeghi, Dietmar Geelhaar, Lisa Grund, Sabine Merz, Martin H. Groschup, Ute Ziegler
Summary: A field study on WNV vaccination was conducted in a zoo in Germany, and the results showed that vaccinated birds did not die and developed neutralizing antibodies against WNV. The vaccine with a dose of 1.0 mL showed the best effect.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ozge Erdogan Bamac, Utku Y. Cizmecigil, Asli Mete, Aysun Yilmaz, Ozge Aydin, Hasan E. Tali, Besim H. Tali, Semaha G. Yilmaz, Aydin Gurel, Nuri Turan, Serhat Ozsoy, Ezgi Vatansever Celik, Jean-Remy Sadeyen, Gleyder Roman-Sosa, Munir Iqbal, Juergen A. Richt, Huseyin Yilmaz
Summary: The study identified the presence of WNV belonging to lineage-2 in resident corvids in Istanbul, Turkey, possibly originating from a spillover event from Europe. The emergence of WNV in this densely populated city poses a risk to humans and other susceptible animals and should be addressed by animal and public health authorities.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Suman Bhowmick, Jorn Gethmann, Franz J. Conraths, Igor M. Sokolov, Hartmut H. K. Lentz
Summary: In 2018, West Nile Virus (WNV) was detected for the first time in Germany, with 36 human cases and 175 cases in horses and birds reported since then. The transmission cycle of WNV involves birds and mosquitoes as vectors, while humans and horses serve as dead-end hosts. The disease's spatial dissemination is caused by the movements of birds and mosquitoes.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Haiyan Sun, Dhiraj Acharya, Amber M. Paul, Huafang Lai, Junyun He, Fengwei Bai, Qiang Chen
Summary: Researchers have developed a plant-based vaccine candidate that provides protective immunity against lethal West Nile virus and minimizes the risk of infection by Zika and dengue viruses.
Article
Biology
Meredith E. Kernbach, Lynn B. Martin, Thomas R. Unnasch, Richard J. Hall, Rays H. Y. Jiang, Clinton D. Francis
Summary: The study suggests that anthropogenic changes, such as artificial night light, may have a greater impact on infectious diseases than previously thought, especially in the spread of emerging diseases. Modeling results show a nonlinear relationship between ALAN and WNV exposure risk in chickens, with peak risk occurring at low ALAN levels. Further research on the effects of ALAN on other vector-borne parasites is warranted.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Giulia Mencattelli, Andrea Silverj, Federica Iapaolo, Carla Ippoliti, Liana Teodori, Annapia Di Gennaro, Valentina Curini, Luca Candeloro, Annamaria Conte, Andrea Polci, Daniela Morelli, Maria Gabriella Perrotta, Giovanni Marini, Roberto Rosa, Federica Monaco, Nicola Segata, Annapaola Rizzoli, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Giovanni Savini
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the epidemiological and genetic features of West Nile virus (WNV) Lineage 2 (L2) in Italy. The study reveals a progressive increase in WNV L2 in Italy and predicts a wider spread in the future. The findings emphasize the importance of using quantitative models for early warning detection of WNV outbreaks.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Pianka, Natalia Gruba, Adam Lesner
Summary: West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the flavivirus group, can cause mild or severe forms of infection, with no known medications for prevention. The research aimed to develop specific tools to determine the activity of the WNV serine proteinase.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Chryso Th Pallari, Athina Efstathiou, Michaella Moysi, Nikolas Papanikolas, Vasiliki Christodoulou, Apostolos Mazeris, Maria Koliou, Alexander N. G. Kirschel
Summary: In Cyprus, migratory birds like Sylvia atricapilla were found to have a 1.3% seropositivity rate for WNV antibodies, indicating a high risk of WNV introduction throughout the country and potential exposure to human populations.
COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Karin Bakran-Lebl, Jeremy V. Camp, Jolanta Kolodziejek, Pia Weidinger, Peter Hufnagl, Adriana Cabal Rosel, Andreas Zwickelstorfer, Franz Allerberger, Norbert Nowotny
Summary: Through monitoring at the largest international airport in Austria for two years, it was found that in 2018, West Nile virus and Usutu virus were detected in mosquito pools, primarily caused by Culex mosquitoes. In 2019, no viral nucleic acids were detected in any mosquito pools. The study suggests that airports may serve as focal points for arbovirus activity, especially during epidemic years, and should be taken into consideration when designing mosquito control and arbovirus monitoring programs.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Guendalina Zaccaria, Daniela Malatesta, Lucija Jurisic, Maurilia Marcacci, Giovanni Di Teodoro, Annamaria Conte, Liana Teodori, Federica Monaco, Valeria Marini, Claudia Casaccia, Giovanni Savini, Annapia Di Gennaro, Emanuela Rossi, Vincenzo D'Innocenzo, Nicola D'Alterio, Alessio Lorusso
Summary: Through genome engineering of WNV and USUV, it was found that the 5'UTR of WNV is not a virulence factor, and the E protein of USUV is the major immunodominant protein.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Katelyn Burleigh, Joanna H. Maltbaek, Stephanie Cambier, Richard Green, Michael Gale, Richard C. James, Daniel B. Stetson
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Hayden N. Brochu, Elizabeth Tseng, Elise Smith, Matthew J. Thomas, Aiden M. Jones, Kayleigh R. Diveley, Lynn Law, Scott G. Hansen, Louis J. Picker, Michael Gale, Xinxia Peng
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Elizabeth J. Fay, Stephanie L. Aron, Marissa G. Macchietto, Matthew W. Markman, Katharina Esser-Nobis, Michael Gale, Steven Shen, Ryan A. Langlois
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sooyoung Lee, Ashish Goyal, Alan S. Perelson, Yuji Ishida, Takeshi Saito, Michael Gale
Summary: Activation of the RIG-I pathway and IRF3 can induce innate immune actions towards the elimination of cccDNA, showing therapeutic benefit in suppressing HBV infection.
Article
Immunology
Joseph M. Leal, Jessica Y. Huang, Karan Kohli, Caleb Stoltzfus, Miranda R. Lyons-Cohen, Brandy E. Olin, Michael Gale, Michael Y. Gerner
Summary: During type I inflammation, antigen-presenting dendritic cells in lymph nodes reposition to elicit T cell priming, while inflammatory monocytes infiltrate and cooperate with dendritic cells to optimize T cell effector differentiation.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Matthew A. Burchill, Matthew P. Salomon, Lucy Golden-Mason, Amanda Wieland, Ana C. Maretti-Mira, Michael Gale, Hugo R. Rosen
Summary: Chronic HCV infection leads to dysregulation of innate immune responses and impaired T cell function. DAA therapy can induce significant changes in gene expression in T cells, offering a valuable data source to investigate the effects of DAA treatment on T cell populations.
Article
Immunology
Evan S. Walsh, Tammy S. Tollison, Hayden N. Brochu, Brian Shaw, Kayleigh R. Diveley, Hsuan Chou, Lynn Law, Allan D. Kirk, Michael Gale, Xinxia Peng
Summary: Recent advancements in microfluidics and high-throughput sequencing technologies have made it possible to analyze the immune repertoire of rhesus macaques at the single-cell level. Custom primers and a commercial solution were used to sequence the Ig and TCR repertoires, allowing for the recovery of every antibody isotype and TCR chain. The study also measured clonal expansion in T cells and paired the immune repertoire with gene expression profiles.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Ourania Andrisani, Qian Liu, Patricia Kehn, Wolfgang W. Leitner, Kyung Moon, Nancy Vazquez-Maldonado, Ian Fingerman, Michael Gale
Summary: The workshop aimed to review current advances and identify knowledge gaps in RNA helicases, leveraging them as molecular targets with translational potential.
Article
Immunology
Michael A. Davis, Kathleen Voss, J. Bryan Turnbull, Andrew T. Gustin, Megan Knoll, Antonio Muruato, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Kenneth H. Dinnon, Sarah R. Leist, Katie Nickel, Ralph S. Baric, Warren Ladiges, Shreeram Akilesh, Kelly D. Smith, Michael Gale
Summary: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery in mice and found that it closely resembles the acute human disease. Disease severity and infection kinetics were influenced by age and sex, with older mice and males exhibiting higher mortality rates and slower viral clearance. The pathological features observed in mice, including virus positivity in bronchial epithelial cells and lung damage, parallel those seen in humans. Our findings suggest that C57BL/6 mice can serve as a useful model for studying SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging coronaviruses.
Article
Biology
Hayden Brochu, Ruihan Wang, Tammy Tollison, Chul-Woo Pyo, Alexander Thomas, Elizabeth Tseng, Lynn Law, Louis J. Picker, Michael Gale, Daniel E. Geraghty, Xinxia Peng
Summary: RhCMV-based vaccination against SIV in rhesus macaques can effectively control SIV infection in approximately 55% of vaccinated monkeys by eliciting MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cells. Analysis of the Mamu-E genomic sequences in rhesus macaques reveals gene duplication and different allele groups that are associated with the lack of vaccine protection.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Amy Y. Lu, Andrew Gustin, Daniel Newhouse, Michael Gale
Summary: This study compared the virologic properties and innate immune responses of African and Asian lineage Zika virus strains. The results showed that Asian lineage virus accumulates viral proteins earlier, replicates to higher levels, and strongly blocks interferon signaling during acute infection. The early accumulation of viral proteins promotes viral spread by antagonizing the host's immune response.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Virology
Autumn LaPointe, Michael Gale Jr, Alison M. Kell
Summary: Orthohantaviruses are rodent-borne, negative-sense RNA viruses that cause severe vascular disease in humans. These viruses have evolved mechanisms to avoid or counteract host innate immune responses, resulting in lifelong asymptomatic infections in the rodent reservoir. However, in other hosts, the ability to subdue the innate immune response may be less efficient or absent, leading to disease and viral clearance.
Article
Virology
Linhui Hao, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Ronit R. Dalmat, Renee Ireton, Jennifer F. Morton, Caleb Stokes, Jason Netland, Malika Hale, Chris Thouvenel, Anna Wald, Nicholas M. Franko, Kristen Huden, Helen Y. Chu, Alex Sigal, Alex L. Greninger, Sasha Tilles, Lynn K. Barrett, Wesley C. Van Voorhis, Jennifer Munt, Trevor Scobey, Ralph S. Baric, David J. Rawlings, Marion Pepper, Paul K. Drain, Michael Gale
Summary: New variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge and evade immunity. Convalescence from the ancestral virus provides limited protection against variants. Vaccination enhances immunity against viral variants, but the protection is weaker against Omicron BA.1, and a three-dose vaccine regimen provides significantly better protection against it compared to a two-dose.
Article
Microbiology
Yuan-Po Tu, Christopher Green, Linhui L. Hao, Alexander F. Greninger, Jennifer A. Morton, Heather Sights, Michael K. Gale Jr, Paul Drain
Summary: In this cross-sectional diagnostic study of 626 adults, the sensitivity of the antigen test to identify replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 was 63.6% in asymptomatic and 91.0% in symptomatic participants. Viral culture titers were the highest at the onset of symptoms and rapidly declined by 7 days after symptom onset.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Amanda Laine, Xiaoxing Wang, Kathryn Ni, Sarah E. B. Smith, Rayan Najjar, Leanne S. S. Whitmore, Michael M. Yacoub, Alison Bays, Michael Gale, Tomas Mustelin
Summary: Many patients with autoimmune diseases have autoantibodies against proteins encoded by genomic retroelements, suggesting a lack of immune tolerance. In this study, the researchers found that transmembrane envelope (Env) protein encoded by HERV-K102 is increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, while HERV-K108 expression is higher in other immune cells. Patient autoantibodies recognized endogenously expressed Env in breast cancer cells and RA neutrophils. The findings suggest that HERV-K102 is the main contributor to cell surface Env on neutrophils in RA.
