Article
Virology
Sasmita Upadhyaya, Mana Mahapatra, Valerie Mioulet, Satya Parida
Summary: Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is highly contagious and endemic in Southeast Asia (SEA) and East Asia (EA) with multiple circulating serotypes, posing a threat to countries like Australia. Current vaccines may not provide sufficient cross-protection, calling for continuous monitoring and potential development of new vaccine strains to address antigenic drift.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Pelin Tuncer-Goktuna, Can Cokcaliskan, Abdullah Arslan, Neslihan Tascene, Eylem Aras Uzun, Ceylan Gunduzalp, Gul Nazik Balci, Osman Kara, Veli Gulyaz
Summary: In Turkey, continuous outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease caused by the G-VII lineage prompted the adaptation of an unconventional vaccination strategy, changing vaccine strains to match antigenic evolution. By replacing the vaccine strain with new variants of G-VII, the country successfully controlled the outbreaks.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Seong Yun Hwang, Sung Ho Shin, Hyun Mi Kim, SeHee Shin, Min Ja Lee, Su-Mi Kim, Jong-Soo Lee, Jong-Hyeon Park
Summary: In this study, a potent vaccine strain was developed to provide complete protection against FMD type O viruses of Southeast Asia, Middle East-South Asia, and Cathay topotypes. Mice immunized with the experimental vaccines were fully protected against these viruses. PA2-VP1 showed higher neutralizing antibody titers than JC-VP1 in early vaccination phase in pigs.
Article
Immunology
Ben Jackson, Yongjie Harvey, Eva Perez-Martin, Ginette Wilsden, Nicholas Juleff, Bryan Charleston, Julian Seago
Summary: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a global burden on the livestock industry, with vaccination being the most effective control strategy in endemic regions. However, challenges such as the instability of FMDV and the emergence of new strains exist in the development of efficient vaccines. Currently, vaccines in East Africa are comprised of relatively historic strains with unknown stabilities.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Yang Wang, Cynthia Y. Tang, Xiu-Feng Wan
Summary: Antigenic characterization of emerging and re-emerging viruses is crucial for vaccine development and disease prevention, but faces challenges such as high virus quantity requirements, antigenic mismatch between vaccine strains and circulating viruses.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sreenivasa Beeragere Parameshwaraiah, Jajati K. Mohapatra, Veena Jumanal, Dhanesh Valia Valappil, Saravanan Subramaniam, Bhimnere Hanumanthagouda Manjunatha Patel, Suresh H. Basagoudanavar, Madhusudan Hosamani, Brahmadev Pattnaik, Raj Kumar Singh, Aniket Sanyal
Summary: Recent field outbreak strains of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype A in India have shown considerable antigenic drift from the vaccine strain, necessitating the selection of a new strain. The new candidate strain, A IND 27/2011, showed variation in key antigenic amino acid positions compared to the vaccine strain A IND 40/2000, but demonstrated suitability as an effective vaccine strain with strong adaptability, immunogenicity, and potency in cattle.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhixun Zhao, Caiyun Huang, Xueliang Zhu, Zheng Qi, Yimei Cao, Pinghua Li, Huifang Bao, Pu Sun, Xingwen Bai, Yuanfang Fu, Kun Li, Jing Zhang, Xueqing Ma, Jian Wang, Hong Yuan, Dong Li, Zaixin Liu, Qiang Zhang, Zengjun Lu
Summary: In this study, a dual live vector vaccine against Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Peste des petits ruminant disease (PPR) was constructed using the MVA-GFP recombinant virus skeleton. The recombinant virus successfully expressed the target proteins and the empty capsid of FMDV. This study laid the foundation for the successful construction of a live vector vaccine against FMD and PPR.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Viviana Malirat, Cecilia Caldevilla, Sabrina Cardillo, Ana Maria Espinoza, Sabrina Galdo Novo, Ana Taffarel, Melanie Barrios Benito, Ingrid E. Bergmann
Summary: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is still prevalent in Asia and Africa, and selecting highly immunogenic and widely cross-reactive vaccine strains is crucial. South American vaccine strains have shown promising results in FMD control, providing protection against various strains from different regions.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ernesto Garay, Diego Fontana, Lautaro Leschiutta, Ricardo Kratje, Claudio Prieto
Summary: Chimeric virus-like particles were generated by identifying suitable regions in rabies glycoprotein to expose a major antigenic site of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), demonstrating a novel heterologous display platform concept. The study successfully identified appropriate insertion sites for heterologous sequences without affecting proper folding of the protein, leading to exposed foreign antigens recognized by antibodies. This work provides a foundation for the development of a heterologous antigen display platform based on rabies VLPs.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jingxuan Qiu, Tianyi Qiu, Qingli Dong, Dongpo Xu, Xiang Wang, Qi Zhang, Jing Pan, Qing Liu
Summary: A computational model was designed to rapidly predict the antigenicity of FMDV, showing high accuracy and AUC value. The model successfully evaluated the annual antigenicity coverage of historical vaccine strains and was extended to select potential broad-spectrum vaccine candidates among historical non-redundant strains.
IEEE-ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Syed M. Jamal, Salman Khan, Nick J. Knowles, Jemma Wadsworth, Hayley M. Hicks, Valerie Mioulet, Abdelghani Bin-Tarif, Anna B. Ludi, Syed Asad Ali Shah, Muhammad Abubakar, Shumaila Manzoor, Muhammad Afzal, Michael Eschbaumer, Donald P. King, Graham J. Belsham
Summary: The presence of the foot-and-mouth disease virus O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e sublineage has spread to multiple districts in Pakistan, closely related to viruses circulating in Bhutan, Nepal, and India. While current vaccine strains are effective in controlling the current outbreaks, further research is needed to monitor the spread and evolution of this virus sublineage in the region.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Anna B. Ludi, Melissa McLaws, Bryony Armson, Jessica Clark, Antonello Di Nardo, Krupali Parekh, Mark Henstock, Petra Muellner, Ulrich J. Muellner, Fabrizio Rosso, Joaquin M. Prada, Daniel L. Horton, David J. Paton, Keith Sumption, Donald P. King
Summary: This paper introduces a semi-quantitative FMD vaccine strain selection tool, PRAGMATIST, which combines multiple strands of evidence to identify the most suitable vaccine strains for inclusion in antigen banks. By estimating the risk of incursion, the relative prevalence of FMD viral lineages, and the effectiveness of vaccines against specific FMDV lineages, this tool can prioritize vaccine strains that address the highest threats. The study highlights the variation in vaccine antigens required for different regions based on risk, with the vaccine coverage score having the most significant impact on the estimated risk covered by each vaccine, especially for those that provide substantial coverage across multiple lineages.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kay Childs, Yongjie Harvey, Ryan Waters, Timothy Woma, Ginette Wilsden, Hualu Sun, Peng Sun, Julian Seago
Summary: Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a severe economic impact on the agriculture industry in many regions. Current vaccines are not effective against the contemporary strains of the disease, particularly in East Africa. Researchers have identified stable strains of the virus and developed a quadrivalent vaccine that generates high neutralizing antibody titers and provides good cross-protection against regional strains.
Article
Immunology
Ntungufhadzeni M. Rathogwa, Katherine A. Scott, Pamela Opperman, Jacques Theron, Francois F. Maree
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of two adjuvant formulations combined with a structurally stabilized SAT2 vaccine antigen and found that the Montanide ISA 206B-adjuvanted vaccine elicited a higher SAT2 neutralizing antibody response and three times higher systemic IFN-gamma responses compared to the Quil-A Saponin-adjuvanted vaccine group at 14- and 28-days post-vaccination. Serum antibodies from the immunized animals reacted similarly to both the parental vaccine virus and mutated viruses simulating antigenic drift in nature.
Article
Virology
Chaowei Luo, Quanhui Yan, Juncong Huang, Jiameng Liu, Yuwan Li, Keke Wu, Bingke Li, Mingqiu Zhao, Shuangqi Fan, Hongxing Ding, Jinding Chen
Summary: This study successfully inserted antigen epitopes of FMDV into ADDomer nanoparticles and demonstrated their immunogenicity through detection and simulation. The results suggest that ADDomer nanoparticles can serve as an effective antigen carrier for preventing and controlling FMDV.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Simone S. Boene, Eva D. Joao, Amy Strydom, Benilde Munlela, Assucenio Chissaque, Adilson Fernando Loforte Bauhofer, Elvino Nabetse, Dalilo Latifo, Aida Cala, Lourenco Mapaco, Jorfelia Chilaule, Hester G. O'Neill, Nilsa de Deus
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and characterization of RVA in pigs from smallholdings and commercial farms in southern Mozambique. The results showed that G9P[13] and G4P[6] were the main genotypes, possibly emerged through multiple reassortment events.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kevin Schneider, Tom J. White, Sonia Mitchell, Colin E. Adams, Richard Reeve, Kathryn R. Elmer
Summary: This study used simulations of large genomic regions to investigate the effects of secondary contact and sympatric speciation scenarios on the footprints of hard and soft selective sweeps, and identified several population genetic summary statistics that are effective in detecting these sweeps, such as B over bar GD and F-ST.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Virology
Willem J. Sander, Corinne Fourie, Saheed Sabiu, Frans H. O'Neill, Carolina H. Pohl, Hester G. O'Neill
Summary: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of cellular metabolism that can either benefit or harm the cell. Viral infections can increase oxidative stress by disrupting the antioxidant defence mechanisms in cells. Treatment with ROS inhibitors has shown potential in reducing both pathogenesis and viral replication in infections such as hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and influenza virus.
REVIEWS IN MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tilman Schirmer, Tjaart A. P. de Beer, Stefanie Tamegger, Alexander Harms, Nikolaus Dietz, David M. Dranow, Thomas E. Edwards, Peter J. Myler, Isabelle Phan, Christoph Dehio
Summary: This study elucidates the expansion and diversification of FIC domains in the Bartonella Bep repertoire using X-ray crystallography, structural modeling, and phylogenetic analysis. The findings reveal remarkable functional plasticity of Beps primarily due to structural changes in the substrate pocket and the target dock. These insights may guide future structure-function analyses of these highly versatile FIC domains.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Luis E. Hernandez-Castro, Anita G. Villacis, Arne Jacobs, Bachar Cheaib, Casey C. Day, Sofia Ocana-Mayorga, Cesar A. Yumiseva, Antonella Bacigalupo, Bjorn Andersson, Louise Matthews, Erin L. Landguth, Jaime A. Costales, Martin S. Llewellyn, Mario J. Grijalva
Summary: This study used a landscape genomics approach to investigate gene flow and adaptations in Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, a vector of Chagas disease. The results revealed that elevation is a key barrier to the dispersal of this vector and provided insights for predicting and controlling its spread.
Article
Microbiology
Amy Strydom, Celeste M. Donato, Martin M. Nyaga, Simone S. Boene, Ina Peenze, Milton T. Mogotsi, Eva D. Joao, Benilde Munlela, A. Christiaan Potgieter, Mapaseka L. Seheri, Nilsa de Deus, Hester G. O'Neill
Summary: This study presents the whole genomes of seven bovine rotavirus strains from South Africa and Mozambique, revealing a specific bovine rotavirus population endemic to Southern Africa derived through multiple reassortment events. The data showed relatively homogenous strains mostly related to other South African animal strains or to each other. Additionally, the study found one Mozambican strain similar to the South African strains, while another strain exhibited evidence of interspecies transmission.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dory Kovacs, Vitus Silago, Delfina R. Msanga, Stephen E. Mshana, Jeremiah Seni, Katarina Oravcova, Louise Matthews
Summary: Neonatal bloodstream infections caused by third-generation cephalosporin-resistant organisms (3GC-RO) are frequent. However, the link between BSI and carriage or acquisition from the hospital environment remains unclear, especially in low-income settings. This study in Tanzania found a high prevalence of 3GC-RO carriage and BSI, but no strong association between the two. Comparison with environmental samples suggested that neonates acquire multidrug-resistant isolates directly from the hospital environment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
M. Sondag, C. Turkay, K. Xu, L. Matthews, S. Mohr, D. Archambault
Summary: This paper presents a novel visual analytics approach for inspecting infection maps and their associated metadata, and demonstrates its advantages through case studies and qualitative evaluation.
COMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Claire Harris, Neil Brummitt, Christina A. Cobbold, Richard Reeve
Summary: This study tested the phylogenetic conservatism of plant climatic traits using global climate reconstructions and plant occurrence records, and found strong phylogenetic signals in climate variables. The study also successfully imputed missing bioclimatic envelopes for removed species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Melissa Joubert, Noelani van den Berg, Jacques Theron, Velushka Swart
Summary: Viroids are small plant pathogens that can cause disease symptoms in economically important plant hosts. Recent transcriptomic studies have shown that viroid infection affects the expression of genes in various pathways and processes in plants, including defense responses, phytohormone signaling, and photosynthesis. This review consolidates the findings of viroid-host transcriptome studies and discusses the correlation between host gene expression and plant defense or disease development during viroid infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sonia Natalie Mitchell, Andrew Lahiff, Nathan Cummings, Jonathan Hollocombe, Bram Boskamp, Ryan Field, Dennis Reddyhoff, Kristian Zarebski, Antony Wilson, Bruno Viola, Martin Burke, Blair Archibald, Paul Bessell, Richard Blackwell, Lisa A. A. Boden, Alys Brett, Sam Brett, Ruth Dundas, Jessica Enright, Alejandra N. N. Gonzalez-Beltran, Claire Harris, Ian Hinder, Christopher David Hughes, Martin Knight, Vino Mano, Ciaran McMonagle, Dominic Mellor, Sibylle Mohr, Glenn Marion, Louise Matthews, Iain J. J. McKendrick, Christopher Mark Pooley, Thibaud Porphyre, Aaron Reeves, Edward Townsend, Robert Turner, Jeremy Walton, Richard Reeve
Summary: Modern epidemiological analyses rely on access to and use of data, but the rapidly evolving nature of data and the imprecise identification of data use present challenges. This article introduces a data pipeline tool that allows for the annotation of data during analysis and the tracing of scientific outputs back to primary data, enhancing transparency and trust in decision-making.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jason Dykes, Alfie Abdul-Rahman, Daniel Archambault, Benjamin Bach, Rita Borgo, Min Chen, Jessica Enright, Hui Fang, Elif E. Firat, Euan Freeman, Tuna Gonen, Claire Harris, Radu Jianu, Nigel W. John, Saiful Khan, Andrew Lahiff, Robert S. Laramee, Louise Matthews, Sibylle Mohr, Phong H. Nguyen, Alma A. M. Rahat, Richard Reeve, Panagiotis D. Ritsos, Jonathan C. Roberts, Aidan Slingsby, Ben Swallow, Thomas Torsney-Weir, Cagatay Turkay, Robert Turner, Franck P. Vidal, Qiru Wang, Jo Wood, Kai Xu
Summary: This article reports on the collaboration between epidemiological modellers and visualization researchers to support the modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides evidence of the effectiveness and value of visualization in this context, and offers guidance and recommendations for future activity.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY A-MATHEMATICAL PHYSICAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Shani Bekker, Christiaan A. Potgieter, Vida van Staden, Jacques Theron
Summary: African horse sickness is a deadly and highly contagious disease caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV). Research has shown that the crystalline particles formed by AHSV VP7 play a crucial role in virus replication, release, and yield, while soluble VP7 interacts with viral proteins VP2 and NS2 similarly to wild-type VP7.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
William T. Harvey, Vinny Davies, Rodney S. Daniels, Lynne Whittaker, Victoria Gregory, Alan J. Hay, Dirk Husmeier, John W. McCauley, Richard Reeve
Summary: The author develops a model to accurately map genotype-to-phenotype relationships in order to control seasonal influenza viruses. By incorporating protein structural data, the model improves the reliability of genotype-to-phenotype mapping and can accurately predict antigenic assay values for unknown viruses.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)