Article
Infectious Diseases
Mohsen Bashashati, David H. Chung, Mohammad Hossein Fallah Mehrabadi, Dong-Hun Lee
Summary: The evolutionary history of H9N2 avian influenza viruses in Iran shows that only the Iran 4 subgroup has survived and currently circulates in the country; the viruses possess molecular markers associated with mammalian adaption; continued surveillance of H9N2 viruses is needed to monitor their evolution and potential threat to public health.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hong Bo, Ye Zhang, Li-Bo Dong, Jie Dong, Xi-Yan Li, Xiang Zhao, Zi Li, Yue-Long Shu, Da-Yan Wang
Summary: The study revealed significant variations in the geographic and seasonal distributions of avian influenza viruses across the 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China. Multiple subtypes of AlVs were found in different environmental samples related to poultry and wild birds, with higher nucleic acid positivity rates detected in samples collected from live poultry markets and poultry slaughterhouses.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Mohamed Tarek, Mahmoud M. Naguib, Abdel-Sattar Arafa, Laila A. Tantawy, Karim M. Selim, Shaimaa Talaat, Hesham A. Sultan
Summary: The study revealed that H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus spread widely in multiple governorates in Egypt, showing phylogenetic relatedness with viruses recently isolated in Europe, and suggesting a potential back transmission from domestic poultry in Egypt to migratory wild birds.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sungsu Youk, Andrew Y. Cho, Dong-Hun Lee, Sol Jeong, Yu-jin Kim, Sunhak Lee, Tae-Hyeon Kim, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood, Chang-Seon Song
Summary: This study reports the first detection of Y280-lineage H9N2 avian influenza viruses in live bird markets in Korea, indicating the dispersal of newly introduced viruses from China. Genetic analysis showed high homology between these viruses and one of the most prevalent H9N2 genotypes in China, suggesting potential implications for public health due to the increasing human cases of the same genotype H9N2 infection in China.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lina Jiang, Jiaming Li, Huan Cui, Cheng Zhang, Yifei Jin, Yingying Fu, Ningning Ma, Fei Tang, Yidun Zhang, Jing Zheng, Li Li, Bing Lu, Zehui Chen, Zhendong Guo, Zhongyi Wang
Summary: A strain of the H11N3 avian influenza virus was isolated from poultry feces in the live poultry market in the southeast coastal region of China. Genetic analysis revealed its close relationship with duck H7N2 and H4N6. The virus was found to directly infect mice without adaptation and efficiently transmit through the respiratory tract in guinea pig models. These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring rare influenza virus subtypes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Pengxiang Chang, Jean-Remy Sadeyen, Sushant Bhat, Rebecca Daines, Altaf Hussain, Huseyin Yilmaz, Munir Iqbal
Summary: Since 2013, the H7N9 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have caused over 1500 human infections and a mortality rate of approximately 40%. Despite vaccination efforts, the viruses continue to evolve rapidly in poultry and some strains have the ability to escape vaccine-induced immunity. Recent analysis showed that the H7N9 AIVs from the early epidemic waves had dual receptor binding characteristics, but more recent strains lost or retained weak human receptor binding. The viruses also demonstrated increased acid stability but reduced thermal stability compared to earlier strains, and showed poor cross-reactivity with human monoclonal antibodies and ferret antisera.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Alison Simancas-Racines, Santiago Cadena-Ullauri, Patricia Guevara-Ramirez, Ana Karina Zambrano, Daniel Simancas-Racines
Summary: Avian influenza is a contagious disease that causes high avian mortality, leading to economic losses and increased costs for disease control. It is caused by an RNA virus and only Influenzavirus A can infect birds. The pathogenicity of avian influenza is based on the lethality, signs, and molecular characteristics of the virus. Low pathogenic avian influenza has a low mortality rate, while highly pathogenic avian influenza can cross barriers and damage all tissues with a high mortality rate. The zoonotic potential of avian influenza has made it a global public health concern.
Article
Immunology
Zhen Wang, Hongkui Li, Yuhan Li, Zhuanli Wu, Hui Ai, Ming Zhang, Libin Rong, Michael L. Blinov, Qi Tong, Litao Liu, Honglei Sun, Juan Pu, Wenhai Feng, Jinhua Liu, Yipeng Sun
Summary: Live poultry markets (LPMs) serve as important channels for avian influenza virus (AIV) transmission, posing significant risks to human AIV infections. Our surveillance study in Guangdong province revealed that AIV isolation rate was higher in retail LPMs compared to wholesale LPM. The dominant AIV subtype was H9N2, mainly present in chickens and quails. The genetic diversity of H9N2 viruses was greater in retail LPMs, with a complex two-way transmission system between different poultry species. This increased genetic diversity may facilitate the emergence of novel viruses threatening public health.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Virology
Zhibin Hu, Fuhu Peng, Zhenghui Xiong, Wanpo Zhang, Tingting Li, Yuejun Shi, Jun Xie, Xin Jin, Jingjing Huang, Hongde Xiao, Dingren Bi, Nianhua Song, Zili Li
Summary: The study revealed that the H9N2 avian influenza virus in Hubei Province continues to mutate, spread, and adapt, emphasizing the importance of strengthening surveillance in live poultry markets.
Editorial Material
Biology
Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero, Daniel R. Perez, Sara L. Sawyer
Summary: The H3N2 canine influenza virus, originating from birds, is undergoing evolution to increase its transmissibility among dogs.
Article
Virology
Wanhong Xu, Roberto Navarro-Lopez, Mario Solis-Hernandez, Francisco Liljehult-Fuentes, Miguel Molina-Montiel, Maria Lagunas-Ayala, Marisol Rocha-Martinez, Eduardo Ferrara-Tijera, Juan Perez de la Rosa, Yohannes Berhane
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the Mexican lineage H5N2 avian influenza virus, revealing its origin from the North American wild bird gene pool and current circulation in poultry populations of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Taiwan. The highly pathogenic H5N2 virus was eradicated from Mexican poultry in 1995, but the low pathogenic H5N2 virus continued to circulate and evolve into five distinct clades. The study highlights the importance of vaccine updates and continued molecular monitoring of the HA protein for antigenic changes.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Junki Mine, Ryota Tsunekuni, Taichiro Tanikawa, Yuko Uchida, Nikita Dubovitskiy, Anastasiya Derko, Ivan Sobolev, Alexander Shestopalov, Kirill Sharshov, Takehiko Saito
Summary: This study investigated the outbreaks of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in Japan during the winter of 2020-2021 and found that the viruses may have emerged through reassortment events with Siberian avian influenza viruses. The study also revealed that H5N2 and H5N8 viruses isolated from wild birds in Siberia during the previous summer may have spread to both Asia and Europe in the following winter.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Virology
C. Joaquin Caceres, Daniela S. Rajao, Daniel R. Perez
Summary: Influenza A viruses, including H9 subtype, can be transmitted from avian species to mammals, posing a pandemic concern. The ability of H9N2 viruses to transmit via aerosol in mammalian species is associated with minimal amino acid changes in the HA segment and combinations of surface genes with internal genes of human influenza viruses.
Article
Virology
Fan Yang, Yixin Xiao, Fumin Liu, Hangping Yao, Nanping Wu, Haibo Wu
Summary: The study identified multiple H9N2 AIVs in live poultry markets in Eastern China in 2016, demonstrating their capability for extensive genetic reassortment and mutations that enhance infectivity and affinity to mammals. Pathogenicity tests in mice showed these viruses exhibited slight to moderate virulence.
Article
Microbiology
Hongbo Zhang, Yanfeng Yao, Yan Li, Jianjun Chen, Ze Chen
Summary: This study isolated multiple H5N1 strains from water samples in Dongting Lake and lakeside backyard poultry, and genetic analysis revealed a diversified genome constellation. The genetic characteristics of some viruses from water samples were similar to those from lakeside poultry. Pathogenic experiments showed that selected isolates were highly pathogenic in SPF chickens but had varied virulence in mice.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mohamed E. El Zowalaty, Anfal Abdelgadir, Laura K. Borkenhagen, Mariette F. Ducatez, Emily S. Bailey, Gregory C. Gray
Summary: The study found that influenza A viruses are likely highly prevalent in South African swine farms, with male workers aged 23-32, who reported recent exposure to influenza patients and infrequent use of personal protective equipment being at highest risk of molecular detection of influenza A virus. Periodic surveillance for novel influenza viruses in swine farms and education/seasonal influenza vaccine programmes for swine workers would be beneficial in South Africa.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Bobby G. Warren, Alicia Nelson, Aaron Barrett, Bechtler Addison, Amanda Graves, Raquel Binder, Gregory Gray, Sarah Lewis, Becky A. Smith, David J. Weber, Emily E. Sickbert-Bennett, Deverick J. Anderson
Summary: We assessed the environmental contamination of inpatient rooms in a dedicated COVID-19 unit and found that 5.5% of surfaces were contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. RNA presence is not a specific indicator of infectious virus.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucas Rocha-Melogno, Katherine Crank, Michael H. Bergin, Gregory C. Gray, Kyle Bibby, Marc A. Deshusses
Summary: An increasing body of literature suggests that aerosol inhalation plays a primary role in COVID-19 transmission, particularly in indoor settings. In response to this, the authors developed a model and web application to assess and mitigate the risk of aerosol transmission. Their findings showed that the risk of transmission significantly increased when masks were not worn and the room was poorly ventilated, but it could be reduced with proper ventilation and relative humidity.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hemali H. Oza, Eleanor B. Holmes, Emily S. Bailey, Collin K. Coleman, Mark D. Sobsey
Summary: The use of chitosan acetate as a pre-treatment coagulation-flocculation process followed by cloth filtration has been evaluated for microbial reductions. The results showed that chitosan acetate can effectively remove bacteria and viruses, meeting environmental and health standards.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Suwanna Chaorattanakawee, Rachel N. Wofford, Ratree Takhampunya, B. Katherine Poole-Smith, Bazartseren Boldbaatar, Sukhbaatar Lkhagvatseren, Doniddemberel Altantogtokh, Elisha Musih, Pagbajab Nymadawa, Silas Davidson, Jeffrey Hertz, Jodi Fiorenzano, Gregory C. Gray, Michael E. von Fricken
Summary: The study examined the prevalence of tick-borne bacterial infections in livestock from three provinces in Mongolia, with Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia showing prevalence rates of 57.6%, 12.8%, and 0.4% respectively. Anaplasma spp. had a significantly higher prevalence in Selenge and To center dot v provinces compared to Dornogovi. Further research is needed to understand the burden of tick-borne diseases in both livestock and pastoral herder populations in Mongolia.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Anastasia N. Vlasova, Teck-Hock Toh, Jeffrey Soon-Yit Lee, Yong Poovorawan, Phillip Davis, Marli S. P. Azevedo, John A. Lednicky, Linda J. Saif, Gregory C. Gray
Summary: This article reviews the existing evidence of animal alphacoronaviruses detected in human patients with acute respiratory illness. Similar viruses to canine, feline, and porcine alphacoronaviruses have been found in humans in Haiti, Malaysia, Thailand, and the USA. The data suggests that these viruses emerged independently in different geographic locations and have been circulating in humans for at least 20 years. Further studies are needed to investigate their prevalence and disease impact.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ryan D. Kilpatrick, Olga Sanchez-Solino, Negar Niki Alami, Christopher Johnson, Yixin Fang, Lani R. Wegrzyn, Whitney S. Krueger, Yizhou Ye, Nancy Dreyer, Gregory C. Gray
Summary: The Epidemiological Population Study of SARS-CoV-2 in Lake County, Illinois (CONTACT) is an ongoing observational study that follows nonhospitalized individuals aged 18 years or older in Lake County, IL for 9 months. The study found that 5.6% of adults in the county had evidence of acute or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection at the baseline, and nonadherence to social distancing measures and high-risk professions were associated with the infection.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Dieter Mielke, Sherry Stanfield-Oakley, Shalini Jha, Taylor Keyes, Adam Zalaquett, Brooke Dunn, Nicole Rodgers, Thomas Oguin, Greg D. Sempowski, Raquel A. Binder, Gregory C. Gray, Shelly Karuna, Lawrence Corey, John Hural, Georgia D. Tomaras, Justin Pollara, Guido Ferrari
Summary: This study developed four flow cytometry-based assays to evaluate antibody responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity. These assays showed specific and reproducible detection of functional antibody responses, but with limited overlap. Single or fewer sample dilutions were found to accurately determine response rates and magnitudes, allowing for high-throughput use in large clinical studies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucas Rocha-Melogno, Katherine C. Crank, Olivia Ginn, Michael H. Bergin, Joe Brown, Gregory C. Gray, Kerry A. Hamilton, Kyle Bibby, Marc A. Deshusses
Summary: This study assessed the potential public health impact of bioaerosols near open waste canals in places with unsafe sanitation services. The results showed that inhalation followed by ingestion had the highest risk of infection, and bacterial fluxes from the air were the most influential factor on the risk.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Sajid Umar, Benjamin D. Anderson, Kuanfu Chen, Guo-Lin Wang, Mai-Juan Ma, Gregory C. Gray
Summary: The high prevalence of multiple viruses among production pigs in China highlights the need for regular surveillance to protect pig health.
VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleanor B. Holmes, Hemali H. Oza, Emily S. Bailey, Mark D. Sobsey
Summary: The World Health Organization reports that two billion people lack access to safely managed water sources. Household point-of-use (POU) water-treatment options are used in many countries to remove microorganisms, but not all POU technologies meet WHO requirements. This research evaluated the use of chitosan and sand filtration as multiple treatment barriers to improve microbial and turbidity reductions. Results showed that the combination of chitosan pretreatment and sand filtration significantly improved the removal of bacteria and viruses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jessica H. Leibler, Anfal Abdelgadir, James Seidel, Roberta F. White, W. Evan Johnson, Stephen J. Reynolds, Gregory C. Gray, Joshua W. Schaeffer
Summary: This study investigated the exposure to influenza D virus (IDV) and its health effects among United States dairy workers. The results showed that a high percentage of workers were exposed to IDV, but it was not associated with respiratory symptoms.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Collin Knox Coleman, John Kim, Emily S. Bailey, Lydia S. Abebe, Joe Brown, Otto D. D. Simmons III, Mark D. Sobsey
Summary: Conventional water treatment practices using chlorine as disinfectant may not effectively inactivate resistant pathogens such as Cryptosporidium parvum. This study evaluates the efficacy of free bromine as an alternative disinfectant and finds that at a concentration of 5 mg/L, bromine reduces C. parvum infectivity by 0.6 log compared to only 0.4 log by chlorine. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of bromine and chlorine in reducing Bacillus atrophaeus spores and MS2 coliphage by 4 log.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laura K. Borkenhagen, Poe Poe Aung, Thura Htay, Zaw Win Thein, Ommar Swe Tin, Thet Su Mon, Win Myint, Emily S. Bailey, Timothy G. Wanninger, Ahmed M. Kandeil, Richard J. Webby, Gregory C. Gray
Summary: Zoonotic influenza surveillance in Myanmar is lacking, which could lead to introduction of viruses from neighboring countries. The study found influenza A viruses, particularly subtype A/H9N2, in live bird markets in Yangon, Myanmar. These viruses may have been introduced to Myanmar from Southeast Asia.
INFLUENZA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES
(2023)
