{"title":"Modulation of Ire1-Xbp1 Defense Pathway in Encephalomyocarditis Virus-Infected HeLa Cells.","authors":"Anna Shishova, Yury Ivin, Ekaterina Gladneva, Ksenia Fominykh, Ilya Dyugay, Anatoly Gmyl","doi":"10.3390/v17030360","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030360","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A key contributor to the pathogenicity of viruses is their interaction with cellular defense mechanisms, including UPR (unfolded protein response) that counteracts the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (known as ER stress). One of the UPR branches is mediated by the IRE1 (inositol-requiring enzyme 1) protein, which possesses protein kinase and RNase activities that facilitate the unconventional cytoplasmic splicing of XBP1 mRNA, leading to the upregulation of the XBP1 transcription factor. In this study, we demonstrate that Encephalomyocarditis Virus (<i>Cardiovirus rueckerti</i>) is able to suppress IRE1-dependent XBP1 activation. HeLa cells infection with EMCV resulted in the modulation of phosphorylated IRE1 levels throughout the infection cycle. Viral infection did not result in the accumulation of spliced XBP1 mRNA. Moreover, the addition of a chemical inducer of ER stress (dithiothreitol) to infected cells led to a markedly lower accumulation of spliced XBP1 mRNA as compared to the level of this mRNA in inducer-treated mock-infected cells. Thus, our results demonstrate the ability of picornaviruses to modulate another defensive activity of the host cell.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946305/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Within-Host Fitness and Antigenicity Shift Are Key Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Within-Host Variations in the SARS-CoV-2 <i>S</i> Gene.","authors":"Binbin Xi, Zhihao Hua, Dawei Jiang, Zixi Chen, Jinfen Wei, Yuhuan Meng, Hongli Du","doi":"10.3390/v17030362","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030362","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Within-host evolution plays a critical role in shaping the diversity of SARS-CoV-2. However, understanding the primary factors contributing to the prevalence of intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs) in the viral population remains elusive. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of over 556,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data and prevalence data of different SARS-CoV-2 S protein amino acid mutations to elucidate key factors influencing the prevalence of iSNVs in the SARS-CoV-2 <i>S</i> gene. Within-host diversity analysis revealed the presence of mutational hotspots within the <i>S</i> gene, mainly located in NTD, RBD, TM, and CT domains. Additionally, we generated a single amino acid resolution selection status map of the S protein. We observed a significant variance in within-host fitness among iSNVs in the S protein. The majority of iSNVs exhibited low to no within-host fitness and displayed low alternate allele frequency (AAF), suggesting that they will be eliminated due to the narrow transmission bottleneck of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, iSNVs with moderate AAFs (0.06-0.12) were found to be more prevalent than those with high AAFs. Furthermore, iSNVs with the potential to alter antigenicity were more prevalent. These findings underscore the significance of within-host fitness and antigenicity shift as two key factors influencing the prevalence of iSNVs in the SARS-CoV-2 <i>S</i> gene.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11945823/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030349
Lennart Svensson, Johan Nordgren, Åke Lundkvist, Marie Hagbom
{"title":"Recent Advances in Nose and Lung Organoid Models for Respiratory Viral Research.","authors":"Lennart Svensson, Johan Nordgren, Åke Lundkvist, Marie Hagbom","doi":"10.3390/v17030349","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030349","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studies on human respiratory viral infections and pathogenesis have historically been conducted using immortalized cells and animal models. However, these models are limited in their ability to recapitulate the complex structure of the human airway or the full spectrum of disease symptoms observed in humans. Recently, nose and lung organoids have revolutionized culture complexity in infection biology and have demonstrated potential for research on respiratory virus infections in humans. In this opinion, we review how advances in human nose and lung organoid models, which are able to express all cell types of the respiratory epithelia, i.e., Club, basal, goblet, and ciliated cells, have provided novel insight into the pathogenesis, age-dependent susceptibility, viral attenuation signature, and immune mechanisms of respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza virus. The models have also demonstrated potential for studying hitherto uncultivable human viruses and to be useful for studies of zoonotic risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946240/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030361
Indira S Harahap-Carrillo, Dominic Fok, Frances Wong, Gabriel Malik, Ricky Maung, Xinru Qiu, Daniel Ojeda-Juárez, Victoria E Thaney, Ana B Sanchez, Adam Godzik, Amanda J Roberts, Marcus Kaul
{"title":"Chronic, Low-Dose Methamphetamine Reveals Sexual Dimorphism of Memory Performance, Histopathology, and Gene Expression Affected by HIV-1 Tat Protein in a Transgenic Model of NeuroHIV.","authors":"Indira S Harahap-Carrillo, Dominic Fok, Frances Wong, Gabriel Malik, Ricky Maung, Xinru Qiu, Daniel Ojeda-Juárez, Victoria E Thaney, Ana B Sanchez, Adam Godzik, Amanda J Roberts, Marcus Kaul","doi":"10.3390/v17030361","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030361","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Methamphetamine (METH) use is frequent among people with HIV (PWH) and appears to increase the risk of neuronal injury and neurocognitive impairment (NCI). This study explored in vivo the effects of a 12 week (long-term), low-dose METH regimen in a transgenic animal model of neuroHIV with inducible expression of HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat). Seven months after transient Tat induction and five months after METH exposure ended, we detected behavioral changes in the Barnes maze (BM) spatial memory task in the Tat and METH groups but not the combined Tat + METH group. The novel object recognition (NOR) task revealed that Tat extinguished discrimination in female animals with and without METH, although METH alone slightly improved NOR. In contrast, in males, Tat, METH, and Tat + METH all compromised NOR. Neuropathological examination detected sex-dependent and brain region-specific changes of pre-synaptic terminals, neurites, and activation of astrocytes and microglia. RNA-sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction indicated that METH and Tat significantly altered gene expression, including factors linked to Alzheimer's disease-like NCI. In summary, chronic low-dose METH exerts long-term effects on behavioral function, neuropathology, and mRNA expression, and modulates the effects of Tat, suggesting sex-dependent and -independent mechanisms may converge in HIV brain injury and NCI.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946854/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030359
Anna Maria Fratta Pasini, Chiara Stranieri, Edoardo Giuseppe Di Leo, Lorenzo Bertolone, Antonino Aparo, Fabiana Busti, Annalisa Castagna, Alice Vianello, Fabio Chesini, Simonetta Friso, Domenico Girelli, Luciano Cominacini
{"title":"Identification of Early Biomarkers of Mortality in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients: A LASSO-Based Cox and Logistic Approach.","authors":"Anna Maria Fratta Pasini, Chiara Stranieri, Edoardo Giuseppe Di Leo, Lorenzo Bertolone, Antonino Aparo, Fabiana Busti, Annalisa Castagna, Alice Vianello, Fabio Chesini, Simonetta Friso, Domenico Girelli, Luciano Cominacini","doi":"10.3390/v17030359","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030359","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to identify possible early biomarkers of mortality among clinical and biochemical parameters, iron metabolism parameters, and cytokines detected within 24 h from admission in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We enrolled 80 hospitalized patients (40 survivors and 40 non-survivors) with COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory failure. The median time from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms to hospital admission was lower in non-survivors than survivors (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Respiratory failure, expressed as the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to the fraction of inspired oxygen (P/F), was more severe in non-survivors than survivors (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). Comorbidities were similar in both groups. Among biochemical parameters and cytokines, eGFR and interleukin (IL)-1β were found to be significantly lower (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while LDH, IL-10, and IL-8 were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors (<i>p</i> < 0.0005, <i>p</i> < 0.05 and <i>p</i> < 0.005, respectively). Among other parameters, LDH values distribution showed the most significant difference between study groups (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). LASSO feature selection combined with Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models was applied to identify features distinguishing between survivors and non-survivors. Both approaches highlighted LDH as the strongest predictor, with IL-22 and creatinine emerging in the Cox model, while IL-10, eGFR, and creatinine were influential in the logistic model (AUC = 0.744 for Cox, 0.723 for logistic regression). In a similar manner, we applied linear regression for predicting LDH levels, identifying the P/F ratio as the top predictor, followed by IL-10 and eGFR (NRMSE = 0.128). Collectively, these findings underscore LDH's critical role in mortality prediction, with P/F and IL-10 as key determinants of LDH increases in this Italian COVID-19 cohort.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946718/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030355
Nikolay Popov, Ignat Sonets, Anastasia Evdokimova, Maria Molchanova, Vera Panova, Elena Korneenko, Alexander Manolov, Elena Ilina
{"title":"AliMarko: A Pipeline for Virus Identification Using an Expert-Guided Approach.","authors":"Nikolay Popov, Ignat Sonets, Anastasia Evdokimova, Maria Molchanova, Vera Panova, Elena Korneenko, Alexander Manolov, Elena Ilina","doi":"10.3390/v17030355","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030355","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Viruses are ubiquitous across all kingdoms of cellular life, posing a significant threat to human health, and analyzing viral communities is challenging due to their genetic diversity and lack of a single, universally conserved marker gene. To address this challenge, we developed the AliMarko pipeline, a tool designed to streamline virus identification in metagenomic data. Our pipeline uses a dual approach, combining mapping reads with reference genomes and a de novo assembly-based approach involving an HMM-based homology search and phylogenetic analysis, to enable comprehensive detection of viral sequences, including low-coverage and divergent sequences. We applied our pipeline to total RNA sequencing of bat feces and identified a range of viruses, quickly validating viral sequences and assessing their phylogenetic relationships. We hope that the AliMarko pipeline will be a useful resource for the scientific community, facilitating the interpretation of viral communities and advancing our understanding of viral diversity and its impact on human health.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030345
Anielly Sarana da Silva, Gabriel Montenegro de Campos, Gabriela Marengone Altizani, Enéas de Carvalho, Alice Chagas Barros, Eleonora Cella, Simone Kashima, Sandra Coccuzzo Sampaio, Maria Carolina Elias, Marta Giovanetti, Carlos Alberto Scrideli, Svetoslav Nanev Slavov
{"title":"Utilizing Viral Metagenomics to Characterize Pathogenic and Commensal Viruses in Pediatric Patients with Febrile Neutropenia.","authors":"Anielly Sarana da Silva, Gabriel Montenegro de Campos, Gabriela Marengone Altizani, Enéas de Carvalho, Alice Chagas Barros, Eleonora Cella, Simone Kashima, Sandra Coccuzzo Sampaio, Maria Carolina Elias, Marta Giovanetti, Carlos Alberto Scrideli, Svetoslav Nanev Slavov","doi":"10.3390/v17030345","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030345","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the most common complications in pediatric oncology patients. It has a complex etiologic nature, which in the majority of cases remains unclear. Intervention often follows empirical treatment protocols, mainly using broad-spectrum antibiotics. To evaluate potential viral etiologic agents, this study applied viral metagenomics to paired plasma and oropharyngeal samples obtained from pediatric patients with oncological diseases diagnosed with FN. Metagenomic sequencing was performed on 15 pediatric patients with oncological diseases and FN at the outpatient clinic of Pediatric Oncology at the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. As a control group, we included 15 pediatric patients with oncological diseases in remission or undergoing treatment. Clinically relevant viruses identified by metagenomics in FN patients predominantly included herpesviruses and viruses found in the respiratory tract, like adenoviruses. Direct molecular confirmation was performed on all of them. Anelloviruses, represented by various genera and species in all groups, were also highly prevalent. The data obtained in this study show that viruses might also have possible implications for the etiology of FN. However, due to the complex nature of this disease, more studies are necessary to evaluate their causal relationship. The results obtained in our study may serve to improve patient treatment and ensure adequate management.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030348
Danielle Satie Kassada, Igor de Lima Peixoto Rocha, Leonardo Dresch Eberhardt
{"title":"Hepatitis B Hospitalizations in Brazil: Temporal and Regional Patterns from 2008 to 2023.","authors":"Danielle Satie Kassada, Igor de Lima Peixoto Rocha, Leonardo Dresch Eberhardt","doi":"10.3390/v17030348","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030348","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hepatitis B remains a significant global public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where prevention and control measures often face challenges. In Brazil, substantial efforts have been made over the years to combat the burden caused by hepatitis B through public health interventions, including vaccination programs, antenatal screening, and prevention of vertical transmission. However, despite these advancements, disparities in disease trends persist across regions and vulnerable populations, requiring ongoing analysis and intervention. This study aimed to analyze the trend in hospital admissions for hepatitis B in Brazil from 2008 to 2023. Data were collected from the SUS Hospital Information System. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Joinpoint Regression Program (version 5.0.2), applying a 5% significance level to identify significant trends over the study period. A total of 19,735 hospitalizations for hepatitis B were recorded during the study period. The overall trend showed a significant decline in hospital admissions, reflecting the effectiveness of public health interventions such as expanded vaccination coverage, screening programs, and prevention strategies. Despite this overall decline, notable regional disparities were observed. The midwest region exhibited an increasing trend in hospitalizations, contrasting with the national decline. Furthermore, a concerning rise in hospital admissions among infants under one year of age was identified, indicating potential shortcomings in the prevention of the vertical transmission of the virus. This study highlights both the successes and persistent challenges in controlling hepatitis B hospitalizations in Brazil. Maintaining high vaccination coverage and implementing targeted public health campaigns for vulnerable populations are crucial for sustaining progress. The regional disparities and failures in vertical transmission prevention require continued attention and intervention to advance toward the goal of eliminating hepatitis B as a public health threat in Brazil.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946661/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030357
Patricia Mester, Dennis Keller, Claudia Kunst, Stephan Schmid, Sabrina Krautbauer, Martina Müller, Christa Buechler, Vlad Pavel
{"title":"Elevated Serum Presepsin Identifies Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Reactivation in COVID-19 Patients.","authors":"Patricia Mester, Dennis Keller, Claudia Kunst, Stephan Schmid, Sabrina Krautbauer, Martina Müller, Christa Buechler, Vlad Pavel","doi":"10.3390/v17030357","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030357","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Presepsin, a cleaved peptide of soluble CD14, may become a promising biomarker for assessing disease severity and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients with severe COVID-19 frequently develop bacterial and fungal superinfections, as well as herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) reactivation, which may exacerbate disease progression. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of concomitant infections on serum presepsin levels. Serum presepsin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 63 patients with moderate COVID-19, 60 patients with severe disease, and 49 healthy controls. Correlations with procalcitonin and the presence of superinfections or HSV-1 reactivation were assessed. Consistent with previous studies, serum presepsin levels were the highest in patients with severe COVID-19 (<i>p</i> = 0.002 compared to patients with moderate disease). Within this group, non-survivors exhibited significantly elevated presepsin levels (<i>p</i> = 0.027). A positive correlation between presepsin and procalcitonin was observed in both moderate and severe COVID-19 cases. Patients with bacterial or fungal superinfections showed presepsin levels comparable to those without secondary infections. However, presepsin levels were markedly elevated in patients with HSV-1 reactivation (<i>p</i> = 0.002). After excluding patients with HSV-1 reactivation, presepsin levels no longer differed between moderate and severe COVID-19 cases, though they remained higher than in healthy controls (<i>p</i> < 0.001 for both comparisons). In conclusion, these findings suggest that elevated serum presepsin levels in severe COVID-19 are primarily driven by HSV-1 reactivation rather than bacterial or fungal superinfections.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viruses-BaselPub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.3390/v17030340
Natalie Viljoen, Claude Sabeta, Wanda Markotter, Jacqueline Weyer
{"title":"Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa.","authors":"Natalie Viljoen, Claude Sabeta, Wanda Markotter, Jacqueline Weyer","doi":"10.3390/v17030340","DOIUrl":"10.3390/v17030340","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rabies virus (RABV; species <i>Lyssavirus rabies</i>) causes rabies, a disease of the central nervous system that invariably results in the death of the host. In South Africa, studies have indicated that RABV is maintained by animal species that include four wildlife carnivore species-the black-backed jackal (<i>Canis mesomelas</i>), bat-eared fox (<i>Otocyon megalotis</i>), yellow mongoose (<i>Cynictis penicillata</i>), and aardwolf (<i>Proteles cristatus</i>)-and domestic dogs (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>). The complex natural ecology holds significant implications for the control and elimination of rabies. In this study, confirmed animal rabies case data, including geospatial features, were analyzed for 12,879 laboratory-confirmed animal cases reported on a database managed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Sequence data generated from animal rabies cases in South Africa were also analyzed, which included 1374 cytoplasmic domain of the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic sequences using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference. The analysis provides insights into the transmission dynamics involving several wildlife species and domestic dogs in South Africa. This information is crucial for the strategic planning for rabies control and elimination programs, and particularly in understanding the interlinked nature of some lineages and the importance of the cross-border spread of rabies. This analysis provided an improved understanding of the distribution of the RABV lineages in South Africa and identified areas that can be targeted for rabies control strategies to limit future spread of RABV, which is important due to the limited available resources that must be carefully managed to allow optimal control.</p>","PeriodicalId":49328,"journal":{"name":"Viruses-Basel","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143722148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}