Article
Microbiology
Lauri Ilmari Aurelius Pulkkinen, Sarah Victoria Barrass, Marie K. Lindgren, Hudson Pace, Anna K. Overby, Maria Anastasina, Marta Bally, Richard M. Lundmark, Sarah Jane M. Butcher
Summary: A study on the assembly and pathogenesis of a virus reveals that tick-borne encephalitis virus forms viral particles by interacting with negatively-charged lipids, which allows for the binding of its RNA genome and multiple copies of the capsid protein.
Article
Microbiology
Jianwei Zhou, Yuexia Wang, Yonghui Qiu, Yongxia Wang, Xiaoyu Yang, Changzhe Liu, Yongyan Shi, Xufei Feng, Lei Hou, Jue Liu
Summary: The study found that PCV4 Cap mediated the translocation of DDX21 from the nucleolus to the cytoplasm and confirmed that the NoLS of PCV4 Cap directly bound to DDX21, demonstrating for the first time that DDX21 binds directly to the NoLS of the PCV4 Cap and contributes to its nucleolar localization.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emilie Giraud, Chloe Otero del Val, Celia Caillet-Saguy, Nada Zehrouni, Cecile Khou, Joel Caillet, Yves Jacob, Nathalie Pardigon, Nicolas Wolff
Summary: The study revealed that the PBM of NS5 from West Nile virus interacts with PDZ-containing proteins in human cells, playing a crucial role in viral replication. Knockdown of specific PDZ-containing proteins resulted in decreased WNV replication, highlighting the significance of these interactions in the virus life cycle.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Folashade Agusto, Daniel Bond, Adira Cohen, Wandi Ding, Rachel Leander, Allis Royer
Summary: We constructed an epidemic model for West Nile virus, considering the interaction between bird hosts, mosquito vectors, and the use of insecticides. We derived the basic reproduction number and formulated optimal control problems to balance the cost and benefit of vector and disease control. Numerical simulations were performed to study the impact of control strategies on the system.
Article
Microbiology
Erica Azevedo Costa, Marta Giovanetti, Lilian Silva Catenacci, Vagner Fonseca, Flavia Figueira Aburjaile, Flavia L. L. Chalhoub, Joilson Xavier, Felipe Campos de Melo Iani, Marcelo Adriano da Cunha e Silva Vieira, Danielle Freitas Henriques, Daniele Barbosa de Almeida Medeiros, Maria Isabel Maldonado Coelho Guedes, Beatriz Senra Alvares da Silva Santos, Aila Solimar Goncalves Silva, Renata de Pino Albuquerque Maranhao, Nieli Rodrigues da Costa Faria, Renata Farinelli de Siqueira, Tulio de Oliveira, Karina Ribeiro Leite Jardim Cavalcante, Noely Fabiana Oliveira de Moura, Alessandro Pecego Martins Romano, Carlos F. Campelo de Albuquerque, Lauro Cesar Soares Feitosa, Jose Joffre Martins Bayeux, Raffaella Bertoni Cavalcanti Teixeira, Osmaikon Lisboa Lobato, Silvokleio da Costa Silva, Ana Maria Bispo de Filippis, Rivaldo Venancio da Cunha, Jose Lourenco, Luiz Carlos Junior Alcantara
Summary: The study found new genetic evidence of WNV circulation in southern and northeastern states of Brazil, with a climate-informed theoretical perspective highlighting the potential transmission pathways. The scarcity of existing data on WNV in Brazil and the need for active surveillance to prepare for future epidemics with human spill-over potential were also emphasized.
Article
Immunology
Robert E. Snyder, Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, Vicki Kramer, Seema Jain, Duc J. Vugia
Summary: WNV-associated hospitalizations in California were substantial and costly, with higher incidence in males, elderly persons, and patients with underlying conditions. WNV remains a costly and severe public health threat in California.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS 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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haley S. Caldwell, Lili Kuo, Janice D. Pata, Alan P. Dupuis Ii, Jamie J. Arnold, Calvin Yeager, Jessica Stout, Cheri A. Koetzner, Anne F. Payne, Sean M. Bialosuknia, Elyse M. Banker, Taylor A. Nolen, Craig E. Cameron, Alexander T. Ciota
Summary: The most common arbovirus in the United States, West Nile virus (WNV), is transmitted between Culex spp. mosquitoes and birds. A specific mutation, NS3 P319L, was found to affect the adaptation of the virus to vertebrate hosts and its transmissibility by mosquitoes. This study highlights the importance of intrahost sequence data in understanding host-specific adaptation mechanisms.
Article
Immunology
Edmilson F. De Oliveira-Filho, Carlo Fischer, Beatrice Sarah Berneck, Ianei O. Carneiro, Arne Kuehne, Angelica C. de Almeida Campos, Jorge R. L. Ribas, Eduardo Martins Netto, Carlos Roberto Franke, Sebastian Ulbert, Jan Felix Drexler
Summary: A study in northeastern Brazil found a West Nile virus seroprevalence of 4.5% among sampled equids from 2013-2018. Mathematical modeling confirmed higher seroprevalence near avian migratory routes and areas with forest loss, indicating increased risk for zoonotic infections in disturbed areas.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Umberto Molini, Giovanni Franzo, Hannah Nel, Siegfried Khaiseb, Charles Ntahonshikira, Bernard Chiwome, Ian Baines, Oscar Madzingira, Federica Monaco, Giovanni Savini, Nicola D'Alterio
Summary: The study revealed the exposure of WNV in Namibian donkeys, indicating its circulation throughout the country with regional differences, and the effectiveness of donkeys as sentinels for infection surveillance.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Orianne Constant, Ghizlane Maarifi, Jonathan Barthelemy, Marie-France Martin, Bachirou Tinto, Giovanni Savini, Philippe Van de Perre, Sebastien Nisole, Yannick Simonin, Sara Salinas
Summary: This study characterizes and compares the infectivity, innate immunity and inflammatory responses, and immune cell recruitment of Usutu and West Nile viruses in the blood-brain barrier. Both viruses can infect the blood-brain barrier, but with different consequences. Usutu virus does not strongly affect the endothelium integrity but induces neuroinflammation and immune cell recruitment. In contrast, West Nile virus infection results in endothelium impairment, potent neuroinflammation, and immune cell recruitment.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Patricia Mingo-Casas, Ana-Belen Blazquez, Marta Gomez de Cedron, Ana San-Felix, Susana Molina, Estela Escribano-Romero, Eva Calvo-Pinilla, Nereida Jimenez de Oya, Ana Ramirez de Molina, Juan-Carlos Saiz, Maria-Jesus Perez-Perez, Miguel A. Martin-Acebes
Summary: This study reveals that West Nile virus (WNV) infection leads to a misbalance of glucose homeostasis in the central nervous system, resulting in the upregulation of aerobic glycolysis and a reduction of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Transcriptomics analyses in infected mice indicate the upregulation of hexokinases 2 and 3 (Hk2 and Hk3), as well as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4), suggesting the importance of glycolysis in WNV infection. Inhibitors targeting glycolysis alleviate WNV-induced neuroinflammation, demonstrating the potential druggability of the glycolytic pathway for developing therapies against WNV pathology.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
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
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
Virology
Rebecca Salgado, Seth A. Hawks, Francesca Frere, Ana Vazquez, Claire Y. -H. Huang, Nisha K. Duggal
Summary: The study showed that exposure to an attenuated form of WNV protects against severe USUV disease in mice, providing critical insight into immune mechanisms and potential vaccine development for both USUV and WNV.