Review
Microbiology
Aranzazu Portillo, Ana M. Palomar, Paula Santibanez, Jose A. Oteo
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a potentially fatal virus transmitted by ticks, widely distributed in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Recent cases in Western Europe and Spain suggest the possibility of virus transmission through ticks and migratory birds.
Review
Virology
Mohammad Fereidouni, Dmitry A. Apanaskevich, David B. Pecor, Natalia Yu. Pshenichnaya, Gulzhan N. Abuova, Farida H. Tishkova, Yekaterina Bumburidi, Xiankun Zeng, Jens H. Kuhn, Maryam Keshtkar-Jahromi
Summary: This study summarizes the status of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Asia. The risk and burden of CCHF were assessed based on case reports, antibody prevalence, and vector ticks isolation. The majority of cases were reported in Central Asia, while only China reported cases in Eastern Asia. No cases were reported in South-eastern Asia. Countries were classified into different levels based on evidence of CCHF, guiding the strengthening or establishment of CCHF surveillance systems.
Article
Virology
Na Li, Guibo Rao, Zhiqiang Li, Jiayi Yin, Tingting Chong, Kexing Tian, Yan Fu, Sheng Cao
Summary: In this study, the structure of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus Gc protein was solved, revealing its critical role in virus-host membrane fusion and providing valuable insights into neutralization mechanisms.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sergio E. Rodriguez, David W. Hawman, Teresa E. Sorvillo, T. Justin O'Neal, Brian H. Bird, Luis L. Rodriguez, Eric Bergeron, Stuart T. Nichol, Joel M. Montgomery, Christina F. Spiropoulou, Jessica R. Spengler
Summary: This article reviews the progress in immunobiology research of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), including the relationship between different outcomes and disease severity, and provides recommendations for future research.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Virology
Boniface Pongombo Lombe, Takeshi Saito, Hiroko Miyamoto, Akina Mori-Kajihara, Masahiro Kajihara, Masayuki Saijo, Justin Masumu, Takanari Hattori, Manabu Igarashi, Ayato Takada
Summary: Studying the antibody epitopes on the nucleoprotein (NP) of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) can improve the accuracy of antibody detection assays and antigen detection tests related to this virus.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Shanna S. Leventhal, Kimberly Meade-White, Deepashri Rao, Elaine Haddock, Jacqueline Leung, Dana Scott, Jacob Archer, Samantha Randall, Jesse H. Erasmus, Heinz Feldmann, David W. Hawman
Summary: This study evaluated an alphavirus-based replicon RNA vaccine expressing either the CCHFV nucleoprotein or glycoprotein precursor in a stringent, heterologous lethal challenge mouse model. It was found that vaccination with the RNA expressing the nucleoprotein alone provided complete protection against clinical disease, while vaccination with a combination of both the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein precursor offered robust protection against disease and viral replication. Unexpectedly, analysis of the immune responses elicited by the vaccine components showed that vaccination resulted in antibodies against the internal viral nucleoprotein and cellular immunity against the virion-exposed glycoproteins.
Review
Virology
Shiyu Dai, Fei Deng, Hualin Wang, Yunjia Ning
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is a tick-borne pathogen that causes severe illness and has limited treatment options without FDA-approved vaccines or specific antiviral medications. The risk of transmission has increased due to climate change and globalization, highlighting the need for greater efforts in finding therapeutic approaches.
Article
Microbiology
Neda Baseri, Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri, Ehsan Mostafavi, Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri, Mina Latifian, John Stenos, Saber Esmaeili
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of Rickettsia conorii among suspected Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients in Iran. The results showed that Rickettsia conorii is indeed present in Iran and can be misdiagnosed with other febrile syndromes.
Article
Microbiology
Alexis C. R. Hoste, Igor Djadjovski, Miguel Angel Jimenez-Clavero, Paloma Rueda, John N. Barr, Patricia Sastre
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a significant tick-borne viral disease that has recently been found in previously unaffected countries like Spain. The disease is asymptomatic in infected animals but can develop into severe illness in humans. The lack of effective treatment or vaccine calls for surveillance programs to control the spread of the virus.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer, Georgina Limon, Emmanuel A. A. Maze, Kayleigh Hannant, Ellen Hughes, Simona R. R. Tchakarova, Tsviatko Alexandrov, Blandina T. T. Mmbaga, Brian Willett, George Booth, Nicholas A. A. Lyons, Natalie Baker, Kelly M. M. Thomas, Daniel Wright, Jack Saunders, Clare Browning, Ginette Wilsden, Miles Carroll, Roger Hewson, Bryan Charleston, Teresa Lambe, Anna B. B. Ludi
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging disease with high fatality caused by the CCHF virus (CCHFV). We developed two in-house ELISAs for specific detection of IgG antibodies against two different CCHFV antigens, providing new insights into the immune response in domestic animals.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Megan C. Mears, Sergio E. Rodriguez, Katharina S. Schmitz, Angel Padilla, Sudipta Biswas, Maria N. B. Cajimat, Chad E. Mire, Stephen R. Welch, Eric Bergeron, Christopher A. Alabi, Matteo Porotto, Dennis A. Bente
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a tick-borne viral disease that currently has no approved treatments. This study designed inhibitory peptides against the virus and demonstrated their neutralizing and fusion inhibitory effects. The research provides a basis for the development of experimental countermeasures for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
David W. Hawman, Kimberly Meade-White, Shanna Leventhal, Aaron Carmody, Elaine Haddock, Kim Hasenkrug, Heinz Feldmann
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne febrile illness caused by the CCHFV, with host immune responses playing a crucial role in controlling the infection. Using a mouse model, it was found that T cells and interferon gamma are critical for survival following CCHFV infection.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Aykut Ozdarendeli
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a highly infectious virus transmitted to humans through tick bites or contact with infected animal blood, causing severe symptoms and a high mortality rate. The lack of effective medical countermeasures and its potential for global spread have made CCHFV a high-priority pathogen. Recent advances in biotechnology and suitable animal models have accelerated the development of CCHFV vaccines.
Article
Immunology
Johan Espunyes, Oscar Cabezon, Lola Pailler-Garcia, Andrea Dias-Alves, Lourdes Lobato-Bailon, Ignasi Marco, Maria P. Ribas, Pedro E. Encinosa-Guzman, Marta Valldeperes, Sebastian Napp
Summary: A serosurvey in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, found high seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus antibodies in southern Catalonia, indicating potential presence of competent virus vectors in the region.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Begona Febrer-Sendra, Pedro Fernandez-Soto, Juan Garcia-Bernalt Diego, Beatriz Crego-Vicente, Anabel Negredo, Juan Luis Munor-Bellido, Moncef Belhassen-Garcia, Maria Paz Sanchez-Seco, Antonio Muro
Summary: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a potentially lethal tick-borne viral disease with a wide distribution. Spain has confirmed 12 human cases of CCHF with four deaths. The current diagnostic methods have limitations, but a novel RT-LAMP test has been developed that allows for the detection of different CCHFV genotypes in clinical samples, including urine samples. This portable and cost-effective method brings molecular diagnostics closer to rural or resource-poor areas where CCHF commonly occurs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Aikaterini Zgouridou, Eirini Tripidaki, Ioannis A. Giantsis, John A. Theodorou, Maria Kalaitzidou, Dionysios E. Raitsos, Athanasios Lattos, Apostolia-Maria Mavropoulou, Sarantis Sofianos, Dimitrios Karagiannis, Ilias Chaligiannis, Andreas Anestis, Nikos Papadakis, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Dionysia Mintza, Alexandra Staikou, Basile Michaelidis
Summary: Global warming accelerates the growth and spread of pathogenic microorganisms and toxic microalgae in marine ecosystems, directly impacting the health of marine organisms and bivalve molluscs. Many cases of poisoning from bivalve consumption worldwide can be traced back to the Mediterranean regions, highlighting the link between oceanic warming and food contamination. With climate change, Greek waters, particularly the Thermaikos Gulf, are observed to have high-risk pathogenic parasites and microalgae during summer months.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lena M. Biehl, Paul G. Higgins, Jannik Stemler, Meyke Gilles, Silke Peter, Daniela Doerfel, Wichard Vogel, Winfried Kern, Hanna Goelz, Hartmut Bertz, Holger Rohde, Eva-Maria Klupp, Philippe Schafhausen, Jon Salmanton-Garcia, Melanie Stecher, Julia Wille, Blasius Liss, Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Janine Zweigner, Harald Seifert, Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild
Summary: A study conducted in German haematological/oncological departments found that implementing single-room contact precautions (SCP) helps reduce the proportion of in-hospital acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (haVRE), although the observed difference was below the expected margin. Factors such as antimicrobial exposure and underlying diseases may have a stronger impact on haVRE infection compared to SCP.
Article
Immunology
Theodoros Karampatakis, Charalampos Zarras, Styliani Pappa, Eleni Vagdatli, Elias Iosifidis, Emmanuel Roilides, Anna Papa
Summary: This study genetically characterized four ST39 CRKP isolates simultaneously producing VIM-1 and KPC-2, obtained in a Greek tertiary hospital. The isolates were pandrug-resistant or extensively drug-resistant, and carried multiple antimicrobial resistance genes and plasmids. The analysis revealed a close clonal relatedness among the isolates.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Katerina Tsioka, Sandra Gewehr, Stella Kalaitzopoulou, Styliani Pappa, Konstantina Stoikou, Spiros Mourelatos, Anna Papa
Summary: Since 2010, seasonal outbreaks of West Nile virus (WNV) infections in humans have been occurring almost every year in Greece. A study conducted between May and October from 2019 to 2021 in seven regional units of Central Macedonia found that 5% of the trapped mosquitoes were infected with WNV. The infection rates varied significantly among the regional units and years. Whole genome sequencing analysis revealed that the detected virus strains belonged to the Central European clade of WNV lineage 2, with evidence of continued circulation and spread from 2019 to 2021. These findings are important for public health and mosquito control programs, as well as for molecular epidemiology and evolutionary studies.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Frieder Fuchs, Federico Becerra-Aparicio, Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Harald Seifert, Paul G. Higgins
Summary: This study investigated the in vitro activity of nitroxoline against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The results showed that nitroxoline exhibited excellent activity against a collection of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. This suggests that nitroxoline could be a promising drug for the treatment of lower urinary tract infections caused by this bacterium.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Can Imirzalioglu, Sarah Walker, Michael Behnke, Ariane G. Dinkelacker, Simone Eisenbeis, Petra Gastmeier, Hanna Goelz, Nadja Kaeding, Winfried Kern, Axel Kola, Evelyn Kramme, Kai Lucassen, Alexander Mischnik, Silke Peter, Anna M. Rohde, Jan Rupp, Evelina Tacconelli, David Tobys, Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild, Julia Wille, Harald Seifert, Paul G. Higgins
Summary: This study analyzed the polyclonal population of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in German hospitals. The study found that these resistant strains were widely present in the rectum and bloodstream of patients, and exhibited diverse genotypes.
Article
Virology
Katerina Tsioka, Sandra Gewehr, Styliani Pappa, Stella Kalaitzopoulou, Konstantina Stoikou, Spiros Mourelatos, Anna Papa
Summary: In 2022, Greece was the second most seriously affected European country by the West Nile virus (WNV), with Central Macedonia being the region with the highest number of reported human cases. A study conducted on female Culex pipiens mosquitoes collected from Central Macedonia revealed a 5.9% WNV detection rate in the samples, with significant differences among regions and months. The virus circulation in the Thessaloniki regional unit started earlier, peaked earlier, and lasted longer compared to other regions.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Antonis Giakountis, Zoe Stylianidou, Anxhela Zaka, Styliani Pappa, Anna Papa, Christos Hadjichristodoulou, Kostas D. Mathiopoulos
Summary: West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging neurotropic RNA virus that primarily circulates between mosquitoes and birds. In humans, most infections are asymptomatic, while a small percentage develop mild febrile infection and an even smaller percentage develop severe neuroinvasive disease. Current diagnostic tools for WNV are either serological methods with cross-reactivity or expensive molecular approaches. However, a low-cost and non-invasive synthetic biology-based method using riboswitches has been developed, which allows for sensitive detection of WNV in humans, birds, and mosquitoes.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Christina Meyer, Kai Lucassen, Stefanie Gerson, Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Thorsten Wille, Harald Seifert, Paul G. Higgins
Summary: This study investigated the impact of differential expression levels of RND-type efflux pumps AdeABC and AdeIJK on the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii to commonly used biocides. The results showed that overexpression of AdeABC correlated with greater survival after exposure to certain biocides. These findings highlight the role of efflux pumps in the survival of A. baumannii when exposed to residual concentrations of biocides.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Georgios Meletis, Areti Tychala, Ioanna Gkeka, Athanasia Gkotzia, Aikaterini Triantafyllou, Styliani Pappa, Maria Exindari, Georgia Gioula, Anna Papa, Lemonia Skoura
Summary: The study evaluated the clinical performance of a new assay for the simultaneous detection of influenza viruses, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2. The assay showed excellent sensitivity and specificity for influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while slightly lower sensitivity for RSV.
Article
Immunology
Anna Tagka, Styliani Geronikolou, Apostolos Evaggelopoulos, Sotiria Grigoropoulou, Dimitra Kavatha, Chryssoula Botsi, Aggeliki Papadopoulou, Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou, Antigoni Katsoulidou, Styliani Pappa, Anna Papa, Vasilios Paparizos, Electra Nicolaidou, Sotirios Tsiodras, Alexandros J. Stratigos
Summary: A 47-year-old Caucasian traveller from an mpox-endemic country presented with a recent onset skin rash in the genital area. The rash consisted of erythematous umbilicated papules, vesicles and pustules with a characteristic white ring. The lesions were observed simultaneously at different stages of progression on the same anatomical site, a rare clinical presentation. The patient also had fever, fatigue, and blood-tinged cough. Initial real-time PCR identified a non-variola orthopox virus, which was confirmed to belong to the West African clade at the National Reference Laboratory.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Charalampos Zarras, Theodoros Karampatakis, Styliani Pappa, Elias Iosifidis, Eleni Vagdatli, Emmanuel Roilides, Anna Papa
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance and accessory genes, clonal relatedness, and evolutionary dynamics of CRKP isolates recovered in the ICUs of a tertiary hospital in Greece. Next-generation sequencing was performed, and various bioinformatics software were used for plasmid content identification, MLST, antimicrobial resistance gene detection, comparison of genome alignments, and identification of core genome SNPs. The results showed that the isolates belonged to eight different sequence types, with various carbapenemases and resistance genes detected. The study also revealed distinct phylogenetic branches for certain sequence types, suggesting clonal dispersion. Overall, this study provides important insights into the genetic characterization of CRKP isolates in ICUs.
Article
Virology
Danai Pervanidou, Chrysovaladou Niki Kefaloudi, Anna Vakali, Ourania Tsakalidou, Myrsini Karatheodorou, Katerina Tsioka, Maria Evangelidou, Kassiani Mellou, Styliani Pappa, Konstantina Stoikou, Vasiliki Bakaloudi, George Koliopoulos, Kostas Stamoulis, Eleni Patsoula, Constantina Politis, Christos Hadjichristodoulou, Anna Papa
Summary: Since 2010, the West Nile virus (WNV) has been established in Greece. In 2022, there were 286 diagnosed cases of WNV infection in Greece, with 184 cases of neuroinvasive disease (WNND) and 33 deaths. The virus strain belonged to the Central European subclade of WNV lineage 2. Prompt diagnosis and investigation of cases are important for a timely response, and whole genome sequences enable studies on the molecular epidemiology of the disease.
Article
Microbiology
Carina Mueller, Sandra Reuter, Julia Wille, Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Danuta Stefanik, Hajo Grundmann, Paul G. Higgins, Harald Seifert
Summary: This study conducted molecular epidemiology and global distribution research on 313 carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from 114 study centers in 47 countries. The results revealed a wide variation in the distribution of carbapenemase encoding genes among different geographical regions.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
V. Kantzoura, I. Hadjigeorgiou, C. Goulas, G. Zabeli, S. Sotiraki, G. Zervas
Summary: This study evaluated feed intake, digestibility, grazing activity, growth rate, and endoparasitic burden of fattening lambs of the Boutsiko sheep breed. The results showed that lamb fattening on pasture can be achieved at reasonable stocking rates without the use of anthelmintics.
JOURNAL OF THE HELLENIC VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
