Article
Immunology
Herman M. Chambaro, Michihito Sasaki, Walter Muleya, Masahiro Kajihara, Misheck Shawa, Kabemba E. Mwape, Hayato Harima, Yongjin Qiu, William W. Hall, Paul Fandamu, David Squarre, Edgar Simulundu, Hirofumi Sawa, Yasuko Orba
Summary: The study revealed a seroprevalence rate of 47.7% for HEV antibodies in domestic pigs in Zambia, and 16.0% of slaughtered pigs were found to have zoonotic genotype 3 HEV RNA. This is the first report of HEV infection in domestic pigs in Zambia, highlighting a potential risk of contamination in the pork supply chain and zoonotic transmission to abattoir workers, pig farmers, and handlers.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Amir Agabou, Mohamed Hocine Benaissa, Ilyes Bouasla, Luca De Sabato, Sana Hireche, Giovanni Ianiro, Marina Monini, Ilaria Di Bartolo
Summary: Hepatitis E is an acute infection caused by the hepatitis E virus, which can be transmitted to humans through fecal oral route and contaminated meat products. A preliminary survey in Algeria reveals a widespread presence of HEV infection in camelid population.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marina Monini, Ilaria Di Bartolo, Luca De Sabato, Giovanni Ianiro, Francesca Agostinelli, Fabio Ostanello
Summary: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging threat in Europe, primarily transmitted through food. Pigs become susceptible to HEV after losing maternal immunity. This study investigated the presence of HEV in Italian heavy pigs at slaughterhouses and assessed the seroprevalence of antibodies. The results showed widespread exposure of pigs to HEV at both individual and farm levels.
Letter
Immunology
Yannick Stahl, Iyad Kabar, Hauke Heinzow, Benjamin Maasoumy, Birgit Bremer, Heiner Wedemeyer, Hartmut H. -J. Schmidt, Thomas Pietschmann, Bernhard Schlevogt, Patrick Behrendt
Summary: Urine-based antigen testing appears to be superior to measuring antibodies or viral RNA for diagnosing and monitoring HEV infection.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Miriam Fritz-Weltin, Lisa Niedermeier, Estelle Frommherz, Nora Isenmann, Benedikt Csernalabics, Tobias Boettler, Christoph Neumann-Haefelin, Dominique Endres, Marcus Panning, Benjamin Berger
Summary: This retrospective study systematically screened 104 patients with Bell's palsy for acute HEV infection, but found no association between acute HEV infection and Bell's palsy. However, a high prevalence of anti-HEV IgG in Bell's palsy patients was observed, which increased with age.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Emanuele Carella, Francesca Oberto, Angelo Romano, Simone Peletto, Nicoletta Vitale, Annalisa Costa, Claudio Caruso, Laura Chiavacci, Pier Luigi Acutis, Ledi Pite, Loretta Masoero
Summary: Pigs can be infected with HEV and have the potential to transmit the virus to humans. HEV was detected in various biological samples from 156 pigs using real-time RT-PCR. ELISA analysis revealed an overall prevalence of 26.92% for HEV-IgG in pig sera, and 28.95% of the samples that tested negative for HEV-IgG were positive for HEV-IgM. Therefore, consumption of pork may pose a possible risk of HEV infection.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Khwankamon Rattanatumhi, Noppadol Prasertsincharoen, Nattakarn Naimon, Ryusei Kuwata, Hiroshi Shimoda, Keita Ishijima, Kenzo Yonemitsu, Shohei Minami, Supriyono, Ngo Thuy Bao Tran, Yudai Kuroda, Kango Tatemoto, Milagros Virhuez Mendoza, Eiichi Hondo, Worawut Rerkamnuaychoke, Ken Maeda, Thanmaporn Phichitraslip
Summary: GETV infection is prevalent in pig populations in Thailand, with higher positive rates in nursery and older stage pigs. Two different GETV groups are currently spreading among pig populations in Asian countries, as shown through phylogenetic analysis of isolated strains.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Katerina Takova, Tsvetoslav Koynarski, George Minkov, Valentina Toneva, Eugenia Mardanova, Nikolai Ravin, Georgi L. Lukov, Gergana Zahmanova
Summary: Hepatitis E is an emerging global disease transmitted mainly through fecal-oral route in developing countries and zoonotically in developed countries. This study aimed to develop an enzyme immunoassay for detecting anti-hepatitis E virus IgG in pig serum using plant-produced recombinant HEV-3 ORF2, showing high sensitivity and specificity. The plant-based assay demonstrated excellent agreement with a commercially available kit for detecting anti-HEV IgG in pig serum.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Marie Pellerin, Bastien Trabucco, Lisandru Capai, Morgane Laval, Oscar Maestrini, Ferran Jori, Alessandra Falchi, Virginie Doceul, Francois Charrier, Francois Casabianca, Nicole Pavio
Summary: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can range from acute and benign to chronic hepatitis with severe consequences. In areas with high HEV contamination in pig populations, foodborne transmission through consumption of raw or undercooked pork products is common. Early slaughter appears to be a major factor in the presence of HEV in pig livers. A study conducted in Corsica found that the prevalence of HEV in pig livers over 12 months was low, even in farms with high HEV circulation. This observation suggests the preferential use of livers from animals older than 12 months in raw pork liver products.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Tatiana Kuznetsova, Diana Moor, Gulara Khanirzayeva, Julia Geller
Summary: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. This study analyzed 1002 sera samples from blood donors in Estonia to determine the prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies and RNA. The study found that 4.8% of the donor sera had anti-HEV antibodies, with 4% harboring anti-HEV IgG and 1.5% containing anti-HEV IgM. None of the listed risk factors were found to be associated with the presence of anti-HEV antibodies. The study also observed an increasing prevalence of anti-HEV IgG with age. HEV RNA was not detected in any of the blood serum samples. Based on these findings, there is no urgent necessity for total screening of blood plasma for HEV RNA prevalence in Estonia.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Eleonora Chelli, Elisabetta Suffredini, Paola De Santis, Dario De Medici, Santina Di Bella, Stefania D'Amato, Francesca Gucciardi, Annalisa Guercio, Fabio Ostanello, Vitantonio Perrone, Giuseppa Purpari, Gaia Sofia Scavia, Pietro Schembri, Bianca Maria Varcasia, Ilaria Di Bartolo
Summary: Hepatitis E is recognized as an emerging zoonotic disease in Europe, caused by an RNA virus transmitted through foodborne routes. The study investigated the prevalence of HEV-positive pigs during slaughtering, with results showing that the virus mainly resides in the liver rather than muscles, and the age of animals affects the positivity rate.
Article
Virology
Magdalena Baymakova, Krasimira Terzieva, Rumen Popov, Elisaveta Grancharova, Todor Kundurzhiev, Roman Pepovich, Ilia Tsachev
Summary: This study investigated the seroprevalence of HEV infection among blood donors in Bulgaria, revealing a high rate of HEV seropositivity in this population.
Article
Microbiology
Le Chang, Ying Yan, Huimin Ji, Huizhen Sun, Xinyi Jiang, Zhuoqun Lu, Lunan Wang
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of HDV infection among blood donors in China and found a low seroprevalence rate of HDV infection. The risk of HDV transmission through blood transfusion was also found to be low.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Cosme Alvarado-Esquivel, Veronica Dayali Gutierrez-Martinez, Eda Guadalupe Ramirez-Valles, Antonio Sifuentes-Alvarez
Summary: This study revealed waste pickers as a high-risk group for HEV infection, with factors associated with HEV exposure including illness status and reflex impairment.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Qing Sun, Yixuan Xie, Zhixin Guan, Yan Zhang, Yuhao Li, Yang Yang, Junjie Zhang, Zongjie Li, Yafeng Qiu, Beibei Li, Ke Liu, Donghua Shao, Jiaxiang Wang, Zhiyong Ma, Jianchao Wei, Peng Li
Summary: Researchers successfully detected GETV antibodies in pig serum using an optimized rE2 protein-based ELISA method. The study also found a high seroprevalence of GETV in pig populations in China, with a seasonal variation.
Article
Microbiology
Annabelle Stroemer, Ruben Rose, Miriam Schaefer, Frieda Schoen, Anna Vollersen, Thomas Lorentz, Helmut Fickenscher, Andi Krumbholz
Summary: The study compared an antigen-specific point-of-care test (POCT) with a laboratory-developed RT-PCR, finding that POCT can reliably detect high SARS-CoV-2 loads and rapidly identify infectious individuals.
Article
Virology
Olympia E. Anastasiou, Caroline Holtkamp, Miriam Schafer, Frieda Schon, Anna Maria Eis-Huebinger, Andi Krumbholz
Summary: This study examined the reliability of a commercial LAMP assay in directly detecting SARS-CoV-2 genomes in respiratory samples without nucleic acid extraction. The assay exhibited excellent specificity but moderate sensitivity, making it a promising tool for rapid on-site testing or verification of reactive rapid tests.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Barbara Kubickova, Joerg A. Schenk, Franziska Ramm, Kornelija Markuskiene, Jochen Reetz, Paul Dremsek, Paulius Lukas Tamosiunas, Laima Cepulyte, Hoai Anh Trinh, Johannes Scholz, Henry Memczak, Marc Hovestaedt, Rene Ryll, Rasa Petraityte-Burneikiene, Victor M. Corman, Anika Andersson, Dietmar Becher, Martin H. Groschup, Stefan Kubick, Frank Sellrie, Reimar Johne, Rainer G. Ulrich
Summary: A hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) was successfully generated by immunising BALB/c mice with a carboxy-terminal part of its capsid protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The mAb, named G117-AA4, showed strong reactivity with homologous and heterologous HEV-3 capsid proteins, as well as with capsid protein derivatives from other genotypes and related viruses. This novel mAb may prove valuable for further studies on HEV infections and diagnostic purposes.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Terry C. Jones, Guido Biele, Barbara Muhlemann, Talitha Veith, Julia Schneider, Joern Beheim-Schwarzbach, Tobias Bleicker, Julia Tesch, Marie Luisa Schmidt, Leif Erik Sander, Florian Kurth, Peter Menzel, Rolf Schwarzer, Marta Zuchowski, Joerg Hofmann, Andi Krumbholz, Angela Stein, Anke Edelmann, Victor Max Corman, Christian Drosten
Summary: In a study of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Germany, it was found that younger subjects had lower viral loads but higher cell culture replication probabilities compared to older subjects. Additionally, 8% of subjects had viral loads above 10(9) copies per swab, with a third of them being presymptomatic, asymptomatic, or mildly symptomatic individuals with a mean age of 37.6 years. The B.1.1.7 lineage infections had a higher viral load and cell culture replication probability than non-B.1.1.7 subjects.
Article
Immunology
Franziska Neumann, Ruben Rose, Janine Roempke, Olaf Grobe, Thomas Lorentz, Helmut Fickenscher, Andi Krumbholz
Summary: Humoral immunity was examined in individuals after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination, showing that convalescents had broader antibody responses compared to vaccinees who mainly targeted the viral spike protein.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Andrea Streng, Christiane Prifert, Benedikt Weissbrich, Andreas Sauerbrei, Andi Krumbholz, Ruprecht Schmidt-Ott, Johannes G. Liese
Summary: This study compared the frequency and severity of primary and re-infections of influenza virus in pre-school children requiring outpatient treatment. The results showed that primary infections and re-infections of influenza A virus had similar frequency and severity. Most re-infections were defined at the subtype level and were associated with low IgG levels for the specific subtype, suggesting only short-term humoral immunity induced by previous infection by this subtype.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ruben Rose, Franziska Neumann, Olaf Grobe, Thomas Lorentz, Helmut Fickenscher, Andi Krumbholz
Summary: This study compared the humoral immune response after heterologous vaccination with a SARS-CoV-2 vector vaccine and mRNA vaccine, and the antibody response after homologous vaccination schemes. The study found that heterologous vaccination resulted in a strong antibody response comparable to that of a homologous BNT162b2 vaccination scheme, indicating the development of a robust humoral immunity. However, for the delta variant, a reduction in neutralizing efficacy was observed in some participants.
Correction
Infectious Diseases
Maria Reckziegel, Claudia Weber-Osel, Renate Egerer, Bernd Gruhn, Florian Kubek, Mario Walther, Stefanie Wilhelm, Roland Zell, Andi Krumbholz
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Anna Clara Schnause, Katalin Komlosi, Barbara Herr, Juergen Neesen, Paul Dremsek, Thomas Schwarz, Andreas Tzschach, Sabine Jaegle, Ekkehart Lausch, Judith Fischer, Birgitta Glaeser
Summary: This study reports a mother and daughter with marfanoid habitus, both showing a cytogenetically reciprocal balanced translocation between chromosomes 2 and 15 after no pathogenic variant in the FBN1 gene was found. The breakpoints in the FBN1 gene were identified through various methods, highlighting the importance of structural genome variants as an underlying cause of monogenic diseases.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Paul Dremsek, Thomas Schwarz, Beatrix Weil, Alina Malashka, Franco Laccone, Juergen Neesen
Summary: Optical genome mapping has emerged as a promising method for detecting large-scale structural variants in human genomes, but further research is needed to understand its applications and limitations.
Letter
Allergy
Ruben Rose, Franziska Neumann, Sina Mueller, Carina Baeumler, Miriam Schaefer, Frieda Schoen, Janine Roempke, Simone Schulze, Dirk Weyer, Olaf Grobe, Thomas Lorentz, Helmut Fickenscher, Andi Krumbholz
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gibran Horemheb-Rubio, Ralf Eggeling, Norbert Schmeisser, Nico Pfeifer, Thomas Lengauer, Barbara C. Gaertner, Christiane Prifert, Matthias Kochanek, Christoph Scheid, Ortwin Adams, Rolf Kaiser
Summary: This study analyzed the dynamics of respiratory viruses, including mono-infection and co-infection, with a focus on influenza viruses. The results showed that influenza viruses were the major cause of infections and exhibited the strongest seasonality. Co-infections were common, with rhinovirus/bocavirus being the most prevalent co-infection.
Article
Immunology
Djin Ye Oh, Martin Hoelzer, Sofia Paraskevopoulou, Maria Trofimova, Felix Hartkopf, Matthias Budt, Marianne Wedde, Hugues Richard, Berit Haldemann, Teresa Domaszewska, Janine Reiche, Kathrin Keeren, Aleksandar Radonic, Julia Patricia Ramos Calderon, Maureen Rebecca Smith, Annika Brinkmann, Kathrin Trappe, Oliver Drechsel, Kathleen Klaper, Sascha Hein, Eberhardt Hildt, Walter Haas, Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer, Torsten Semmler, Ralf Duerrwald, Andrea Thuermer, Christian Drosten, Stephan Fuchs, Stefan Kroeger, Max von Kleist, Thorsten Wolff
Summary: A comprehensive genomic surveillance network for SARS-CoV-2 was established in Germany, and 3623 viral genomes were collected and sequenced. All variants of concern were identified in the sample set, and the number of variants and mutations of concern increased during the observation period. The study also found that the Beta and Zeta variants are capable of immune evasion. The genome-based incidence estimates revealed that the German vaccination campaign contributed to a deceleration of the Delta variant spread.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Ulf Martin Geisen, Ruben Rose, Franziska Neumann, Maria Ciripoi, Lena Vullriede, Hayley M. Reid, Dennis Kristopher Berner, Federico Bertoglio, Paula Hoff, Michael Hust, Ann Carolin Longardt, Thomas Lorentz, Gabriela Rios Martini, Carina Saggau, Jan Henrik Schirmer, Maren Schubert, Melike Suembuel, Florian Tran, Mathias Voss, Rainald Zeuner, Peter J. Morrison, Petra Bacher, Helmut Fickenscher, Sascha Gerdes, Matthias Peipp, Stefan Schreiber, Andi Krumbholz, Bimba Franziska Hoyer
Summary: The humoral immune response declines more rapidly with TNF-alpha inhibition in patients with chronic inflammatory disease. The efficacy of current vaccines against Omicron variants, including BA.2, is limited. Alterations in immune cell populations, changes in IgG affinity, and the ability to neutralize the virus were investigated in these at-risk patients.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Victor M. Corman, Verena Claudia Haage, Tobias Bleicker, Marie Luisa Schmidt, Barbara Muehlemann, Marta Zuchowski, Wendy K. Jo, Patricia Tscheak, Elisabeth Moencke-Buchner, Marcel A. Mueller, Andi Krumbholz, Jan Felix Drexler, Christian Drosten
Summary: This study compared the analytical sensitivity and specificity of seven commercially available antigen point-of-care test devices, showing that most devices have sensitivity overlapping with SARS-CoV-2 viral loads typically observed during the first week of symptoms, marking the infectious period in most patients. Antigen point-of-care tests with detection limits approximating virus concentrations at which patients are infectious may streamline decision-making in healthcare and public health.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Atif Khurshid Wani, Chirag Chopra, Daljeet Singh Dhanjal, Nahid Akhtar, Himanshu Singh, Poorvi Bhau, Anjuvan Singh, Varun Sharma, Rafael Silvio Bonilha Pinheiro, Juliana Heloisa Pine Americo-Pinheiro, Reena Singh
Summary: Zoonotic viral infections pose significant threats to global public health. Understanding the origins and dynamics of these infections is crucial for prevention and management of future outbreaks. Metagenomics is a powerful tool for studying the diversity of viral populations and potential zoonotic events.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michel V. F. Sucupira, Ana P. C. Argondizzo, Mariana Miguez, Anna E. de Araujo, Leila B. R. Silva, Marcelle B. Mello, Christiane F. S. Marques, Danielle Brito Cunha, Renata C. Bastos, Vanessa S. de Paula, Luciane A. Amado Leon
Summary: This study focuses on improving the purification, solubility, and protein expression levels of recombinant VP1-2A, a hepatitis A virus (HAV) structural protein with immunogenic activity. The results show that the modified approach successfully produces biologically active HAV VP1-2A, which can be used as a diagnostic tool for HAV infection.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Arun K. Dhar, Roberto Cruz-Flores, Hung N. Mai, Janet Warg
Summary: A sensitive and robust TaqMan PCR method for detecting IHHNV in three commercially important shrimp species was developed and compared with other published methods. Multiple primer/probe sets, including qIH-Fw/qIH-Rv and 3144F/3232R, are recommended for the detection of IHHNV. These findings are valuable for large-scale screening of shrimp using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kemal Mehinagic, Matthias Liniger, Maksym Samoilenko, Nick Soltermann, Markus Gerber, Nicolas Ruggli
Summary: A plasmid-based reporter assay has been developed for sensitive detection and titration of infectious African swine fever virus (ASFV). This novel method allows accurate measurement of ASFV titers and is applicable to ASFV of different genotypes, virulence, and sources.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jan Van Slambrouck, Charlotte Schoenaers, Lies Laenen, Xin Jin, Kurt Beuselinck, Ann Verdonck, Joost Wauters, Geert Molenberghs, Bart M. Vanaudenaerde, Robin Vos, Peter Mombaerts, Katrien Lagrou, Laurens J. Ceulemans
Summary: The ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in BAL fluid samples using point-of-care tests (POCTs) can reduce the risk of developing severe COVID-19 after lung transplantation.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
