Article
Microbiology
Daniel Lang, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, Malena Bestehorn-Willmann, Alexander Lindau, Marco Drehmann, Gabriele Stroppel, Helga Hengge, Ute Mackenstedt, Klaus Kaier, Gerhard Dobler, Johannes Borde
Summary: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important viral tick-borne infection in Europe and Asia. The emergence of TBE in new areas, such as the Ravensburg district in southern Germany, has been analyzed to identify the natural foci of the causative TBE virus (TBEV). Through genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis, several distinct TBEV lineages were identified, suggesting the continuous spread of these virus strains over a certain distance.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sarah P. Maxwell, Connie L. McNeely, Kevin Thomas, Chris Brooks
Summary: Recent research suggests that tick bite encounters can be used as a proxy for human disease risk, particularly in areas where certain diseases are not considered endemic. A study in Texas found that self-reported tick bite encounters aligned with official CDC data on Lyme disease cases and canine reports of tick-borne diseases. This study highlights the potential for using patient-reported data on tick bites for public health surveillance and response efforts.
Article
Immunology
Ewa Bojkiewicz, Kacper Toczylowski, Sambor Grygorczuk, Beata Zelazowska-Rutkowska, Justyna Dunaj, Agnieszka Zebrowska, Piotr Czupryna, Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska, Artur Sulik
Summary: In Poland, the vaccination rate for tick-borne encephalitis is low, despite a high incidence of severe infections. A study found that many people have asymptomatic infections and have different attitudes towards the vaccine.
Article
Virology
Phebe de Heus, Jolanta Kolodziejek, Zdenek Hubalek, Katharina Dimmel, Victoria Racher, Norbert Nowotny, Jessika-M Cavalleri
Summary: The study found neutralizing antibody prevalence rates for WNV and TBEV in horses in eastern Austria to be 5.3% and 15.5% respectively, with USUV showing 0% prevalence and 1.2% for autochthonous WNV. Furthermore, no significant risk factors for seropositivity were identified.
Article
Microbiology
Nicole Barp, Cinzia Cappi, Marianna Meschiari, Marzia Battistel, Maria Vittoria Libbra, Maria Alice Ferri, Stefano Ballestri, Altea Gallerani, Filippo Ferrari, Marisa Meacci, Mario Sarti, Mariano Capitelli, Cristina Mussini, Erica Franceschini
Summary: The first human case of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection in central Italy has been reported, indicating endemic transmission and a possible hot spot in the Serramazzoni region of the Emilian Apennines.
Article
Virology
Arnoldas Pautienius, Gytis Dudas, Evelina Simkute, Juozas Grigas, Indre Zakiene, Algimantas Paulauskas, Austeja Armonaite, Dainius Zienius, Evaldas Slyzius, Arunas Stankevicius
Summary: Testing milk samples can be a valuable tool for investigating the spatial distribution of TBEV at a higher resolution and lower cost, as shown by this study. The geographical distribution of TBEV in milk samples correlated with the incidence of TBE in humans in 2019, indicating its potential as a reliable surveillance strategy.
Article
Immunology
Isabel Santonja, Karin Stiasny, Astrid Essl, Franz X. Heinz, Michael Kundi, Heidemarie Holzmann
Summary: Based on an analysis of hospitalized TBE patients in Austria, the study found that the effectiveness of TBE vaccination was slightly lower against severe forms of the disease, particularly in children. However, overall, the effectiveness of TBE vaccination was still excellent.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Emily L. Pascoe, Ankje de Vries, Helen J. Esser, Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt, Hein Sprong
Summary: In this study, it was demonstrated that tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA can be detected in non-destructive samples obtained from naturally infected wild rodents, providing a practical alternative for long-term surveillance of the virus.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Dominic Adam Worku
Summary: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral disease prevalent in large parts of Europe and Asia, characterized by neurological symptoms that can range from mild to severe, and it often leads to long-term morbidity. The pathogenesis of TBE is not fully understood, but factors such as ticks, viral strains, host immune response, and age may contribute to the disease phenotype. The incidence of TBE is increasing and its epidemiology is changing due to global warming.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Renata Varnaite, Sara Gredmark-Russ, Jonas Klingstrom
Summary: We assessed the standardized mortality ratio of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Sweden from 2004 to 2017. The standardized mortality ratio for TBE was 3.96 (95% CI 2.55-5.90), and no fatalities were observed in patients under 40 years of age. These findings highlight the importance of further vaccination efforts in populations at risk for TBE.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Teresa M. Nygren, Antonia Pilic, Merle M. Boehmer, Christiane Wagner-Wiening, Ole Wichmann, Wiebke Hellenbrand
Summary: Despite being vaccine-preventable, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) continues to cause considerable morbidity in Germany. Half of adult patients and 5% of pediatric patients reported persisting sequelae after 18 months. Improved prevention could alleviate both individual morbidity and societal TBE burden.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Teresa M. Nygren, Antonia Pilic, Merle M. Boehmer, Christiane Wagner-Wiening, Simone-Beatrice Wen, Ole Wichmann, Wiebke Hellenbrand
Summary: This study aimed to assess the clinical manifestations of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and identify covariates associated with severity. The results showed that severity of TBE was closely associated with factors such as age, hypertension, and monophasic disease course. The study suggests the need to increase awareness of TBE severity and vaccine preventability.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Virology
Phebe de Heus, Zoltan Bago, Pia Weidinger, Dilara Lale, Dagmar S. Trachsel, Sandra Revilla-Fernandez, Kaspar Matiasek, Norbert Nowotny
Summary: Sero-epidemiological studies have shown frequent infections of horses with tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in endemic areas, but clinical cases are rarely reported. This study used various diagnostic tests to analyze serum and brain tissue samples from horses. TBEV nucleic acids were found in the brain tissue samples and sequencing revealed the Western European subtype of TBEV as the causative agent. Early diagnostic procedures are necessary for the definitive diagnosis of acute TBEV infections in horses.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ludek Eyer, Katherine Seley-Radtke, Daniel Ruzek
Summary: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a potentially fatal disease common in much of Europe and Asia. Currently, there is no specific therapy for TBE patients, but there are ongoing efforts to develop small molecules and monoclonal antibodies that can interfere with the TBE virus life cycle and potentially be used for post-exposure prophylaxis or early therapy. This review summarizes the latest directions and experimental approaches for combating TBE in humans.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Benjamin U. Bauer, Laura Koenenkamp, Melanie Stoeter, Annika Wolf, Martin Ganter, Imke Steffen, Martin Runge
Summary: The study in Germany showed a changing pattern of TBEV circulation in 2017, indicating small ruminants can be used as sentinel animals for TBEV, aiding in early warning and control efforts.
Article
Microbiology
Georg Semmler, Stephan Walter Aberle, Hannah Griebler, Lukas Richter, Daniela Schmid, Karin Stiasny, Heidemarie Holzmann, Lukas Weseslindtner
Summary: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of four commercially available IgM tests in cases of measles virus primary infection and reinfection. The results showed higher diagnostic accuracy in primary infection compared to reinfection, with all tests displaying high specificity.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Zahra Malekshahi, Sarah Bernklau, Britta Schiela, Iris Koske, Zoltan Banki, Karin Stiasny, Claire L. Harris, Reinhard Wurzner, Heribert Stoiber
Summary: The study found that ZIKV derived from human cells showed greater stability against human complement compared to viruses derived from insects and monkeys, possibly due to the incorporation of the CD55 protein from human cells into the viral envelope. Blocking CD55 with neutralizing antibodies increased the sensitivity to human complement, indicating that CD55 plays a role in the stability of ZIKV against complement-mediated virolysis.
Article
Virology
Karin Stiasny, Stefan Malafa, Stephan W. Aberle, Iris Medits, Georgios Tsouchnikas, Judith H. Aberle, Heidemarie Holzmann, Franz X. Heinz
Summary: In this study, a new IgM assay format was developed for specific diagnosis of TBE, Zika, and dengue virus infections. The IgM response proved to be highly specific for TBE and Zika infections, while cross-reactive IgM antibodies were detected in cases of primary dengue virus infections. Despite the presence of cross-reactive IgM, the assay allowed for serotype-specific diagnosis of recent dengue virus infections in most cases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lorenz Schubert, Robert Strassl, Heinz Burgmann, Gabriella Dvorak, Matthias Karer, Michael Kundi, Manuel Kussmann, Heimo Lagler, Felix Lotsch, Christopher Milacek, Markus Obermueller, Zoe Oesterreicher, Christoph Steininger, Karin Stiasny, Florian Thalhammer, Ludwig Traby, Zoltan Vass, Matthias Gerhard Vossen, Lukas Weseslindtner, Stefan Winkler, Selma Tobudic
Summary: The study evaluated infection control measures in a low SARS-CoV-2 exposure hospital in Austria and found that prevention strategies were effective in reducing the transmission risk within healthcare workers and from patients. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies among healthcare workers did not significantly differ depending on the working environment. Risk factors for COVID-19 related symptoms included unprotected exposure, positively tested family members, and travel history.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Susanne Rabady, Kathryn Hoffmann, Markus Brose, Oliver Lammel, Stefanie Poggenburg, Monika Redlberger-Fritz, Karin Stiasny, Maria Wendler, Lukas Weseslindtner, Sonja Zehetmayer, Gustav Kamenski
Summary: The study aimed to increase understanding of early symptoms of COVID-19, providing additional criteria for early intervention. Results showed that most patients presented with nonspecific symptoms, and the timing of symptoms may indicate complicated disease. The number of symptoms could be a predictor for hospital care.
WIENER KLINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karin Stiasny, Iris Medits, Lena Rossbacher, Franz X. Heinz
Summary: Flaviviruses, transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, are important human pathogens. Research has shown that these viruses use a "breathing" mechanism to enhance their adaptability and replication through interactions with the immune system and host factors, and a novel mechanism of antibody-mediated infection enhancement has been identified.
Article
Immunology
Justyna Sieber, Margareta Mayer, Klara Schmidthaler, Sonja Kopanja, Jeremy V. Camp, Amelie Popovitsch, Varsha Dwivedi, Jakub Hoz, Anja Schoof, Lukas Weseslindtner, Zsolt Szepfalusi, Karin Stiasny, Judith H. Aberle
Summary: Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 generate long-lasting antibody and T cell responses for over 12 months, but these responses have poor neutralizing activity against the omicron variant. However, vaccination of pre-immune children significantly improves the omicron-neutralizing capacity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Marianne Graninger, Jeremy V. Camp, Stephan W. Aberle, Marianna T. Traugott, Wolfgang Hoepler, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Lukas Weseslindtner, Alexander Zoufaly, Judith H. Aberle, Karin Stiasny
Summary: This study analyzed neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 variants in individuals recovered from infection in 2020 and vaccinees. The results showed that non-hospitalized patients had the lowest neutralization titers, while hospitalized patients had similar or higher titers compared to vaccinated individuals. Neutralizing activity declined significantly after six months and mutations in the infecting strain's spike protein affected neutralization.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marie-Christine Vaney, Mariano Dellarole, Stephane Duquerroy, Iris Medits, Georgios Tsouchnikas, Alexander Rouvinski, Patrick England, Karin Stiasny, Franz X. Heinz, Felix A. Rey
Summary: The flavivirus envelope proteins prM and E are involved in the assembly of immature particles and their maturation into infectious virions. The HSP40 chaperonin is responsible for the generation of the prM moiety. The X-ray structure of the tick-borne encephalitis virus reveals the mechanism of fusion activation involving the pH sensing loop and pr-binding pocket.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Iris Medits, David N. Springer, Marianne Graninger, Jeremy V. Camp, Eva Hoeltl, Stephan W. Aberle, Marianna T. Traugott, Wolfgang Hoepler, Josef Deutsch, Oliver Lammel, Christian Borsodi, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Alexander Zoufaly, Lukas Weseslindtner, Judith H. Aberle, Karin Stiasny
Summary: Our study demonstrates that primary infections with Omicron BA.1 or BA.2 mainly induce variant-specific neutralizing antibodies, although the Omicron variants are able to enhance cross-neutralizing antibody levels in pre-immune individuals. These findings contribute significantly to understanding the antibody responses induced by primary Omicron infections or multiple exposures to different SARS-CoV-2 variants, and are particularly important for developing vaccination strategies in the future.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
David Niklas Springer, Thomas Perkmann, Claudia Maria Jani, Patrick Mucher, Katja Prueger, Rodrig Marculescu, Elisabeth Reuberger, Jeremy Vann Camp, Marianne Graninger, Christian Borsodi, Josef Deutsch, Oliver Lammel, Stephan Walter Aberle, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stockl, Helmuth Haslacher, Eva Hoeltl, Judith Helene Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Lukas Weseslindtner
Summary: This study demonstrates that the antigenic changes of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant affect test results from commercial Spike- and RBD-specific antibody assays, significantly diminishing their sensitivities and diagnostic abilities to assess neutralizing antibodies.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Marianne Graninger, Claudia Maria Jani, Elisabeth Reuberger, Katja Prueger, Philipp Gaspar, David Niklas Springer, Christian Borsodi, Lisa Weidner, Susanne Rabady, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stockl, Christof Jungbauer, Eva Hoeltl, Judith Helene Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Lukas Weseslindtner
Summary: This study provides adapted cutoff values for seven commercial immunoassays that correlate with specific titers of neutralizing antibodies. These immunoassays can be used as substitutes for live-virus neutralization tests in assessing protection against SARS-CoV-2.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
David Niklas Springer, Marianna Traugott, Elisabeth Reuberger, Klaus Benjamin Kothbauer, Christian Borsodi, Michelle Naegeli, Theresa Oelschlaegel, Hasan Kelani, Oliver Lammel, Josef Deutsch, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Eva Hoeltl, Judith Helene Aberle, Karin Stiasny, Lukas Weseslindtner
Summary: A novel surrogate virus neutralization assay (sVNT) can accurately identify individuals with primary Omicron infection by quantifying the binding inhibition levels of ACE2 to the proteins of the WT- and Omicron-specific receptor-binding domains (RBDs).
Letter
Surgery
Karin Stiasny, Lukas Weseslindtner, Andreas Heinzel, Jeremy V. Camp, Rainer Oberbauer, Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
TRANSPLANT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Remote Sensing
Wolfgang Kainz, Xinming Tang, Yucai Xue
Summary: The Austrian node of the Natural Resources Satellite Remote Sensing Cloud Service Platform was established in 2016 through a cooperation agreement with China, and has successfully utilized data from the Chinese ZY-3 satellite for education and research purposes. Through several case studies, the implementation of the agreement was demonstrated, including data uploading and various applications of the satellite data.
GEO-SPATIAL INFORMATION SCIENCE
(2021)