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Viruses
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Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control
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Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 12715

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Laith Yakob

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
Interests: arbovirus epidemiology; disease control; mosquito ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Arboviruses are viruses transmitted through the bite of arthropods. Clinically important arboviruses include those from the Flavivirus, Alphavirus, Banyangvirus and Orbivirus genus. Together, they comprise some of the fastest-spreading pathogens today. There are no specific antivirals for arboviruses (although, see our recent Special Issue "Antivirals for Arboviruses" for current developments), so treatment is usually only carried out to alleviate symptoms. Thus, emphasis is placed on prevention; several arboviruses have vaccines (Yellow fever, Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, Tick-borne Encephalitis), and several more are currently being developed (Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis). We particularly encourage submissions pertaining to arbovirus vaccine development.

At the time of announcement of this Special Issue, there are outbreaks of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Iraq, Dengue in Sao Tome and Principe, and Japanese Encephalitis in Australia. We also encourage submissions describing new insights into contemporary arbovirus outbreaks (e.g., epidemiology, intervention efficacy, unusual clinical presentations). As ever, Viruses remains open to submissions on the basic biology of arboviruses as well. It is our hope that this Special Issue will provide a hub of cutting-edge developments in this broad and growing field.

Dr. Laith Yakob
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dengue
  • Chikungunya
  • Zika
  • yellow fever
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
  • tick-borne encephalitis
  • Banna virus
  • Rift Valley fever
  • La crosse encephalitis

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 2310 KiB  
Article
Predictable Chikungunya Infection Dynamics in Brazil
by Laith Yakob
Viruses 2022, 14(9), 1889; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14091889 - 26 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1535
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first imported into the Caribbean in 2013 and subsequently spread across the Americas. It has infected millions in the region and Brazil has become the hub of ongoing transmission. Using Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models trained and [...] Read more.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first imported into the Caribbean in 2013 and subsequently spread across the Americas. It has infected millions in the region and Brazil has become the hub of ongoing transmission. Using Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models trained and validated on Brazilian data from the Ministry of Health’s notifiable diseases information system, we tested the hypothesis that transmission in Brazil had transitioned from sporadic and explosive to become more predictable. Consistency weighted, population standardized kernel density estimates were used to identify municipalities with the most consistent inter-annual transmission rates. Spatial clustering was assessed per calendar month for 2017–2021 inclusive using Moran’s I. SARIMA models were validated on 2020–2021 data and forecasted 106,162 (95%CI 27,303–200,917) serologically confirmed cases and 339,907 (95%CI 35,780–1035,449) total notifications for 2022–2023 inclusive, with >90% of cases in the Northeast and Southeast regions. Comparing forecasts for the first five months of 2022 to the most up-to-date ECDC report (published 2 June 2022) showed remarkable accuracy: the models predicted 92,739 (95%CI 20,685–195,191) case notifications during which the ECDC reported 92,349 case notifications. Hotspots of consistent transmission were identified in the states of Para and Tocantins (North region); Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba and Pernambuco (Northeast region); and Rio de Janeiro and eastern Minas Gerais (Southeast region). Significant spatial clustering peaked during late summer/early autumn. This analysis highlights how CHIKV transmission in Brazil has transitioned, making it more predictable and thus enabling improved control targeting and site selection for trialing interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control)
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12 pages, 1504 KiB  
Article
Epidemiological Study of Multiple Zoonotic Mosquito-Borne Alphaviruses in Horses in Queensland, Australia (2018–2020)
by Ka Y. Yuen, Joerg Henning, Melodie D. Eng, Althea S. W. Wang, Martin F. Lenz, Karen M. Caldwell, Mitchell P. Coyle and Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
Viruses 2022, 14(9), 1846; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14091846 - 23 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1917
Abstract
The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has complicated the epidemiological pattern of mosquito-borne diseases, as the host and vector dynamics shift to adapt. However, little is known about the seroprevalence of common mosquito-borne virus infections in horses in [...] Read more.
The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has complicated the epidemiological pattern of mosquito-borne diseases, as the host and vector dynamics shift to adapt. However, little is known about the seroprevalence of common mosquito-borne virus infections in horses in Australia. In this study, serological surveys for multiple alphaviruses were performed on samples taken from 622 horses across two horse populations (racehorses and horses residing on The University of Queensland (UQ) campus) in Queensland using the gold standard virus neutralization test. As is the case in humans across Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is the most common arbovirus infection in horses, followed by Barmah Forest virus, with an overall apparent seroprevalence of 48.6% (302/622) and 4.3% (26/607), respectively. Horses aged over 6 years old (OR 1.86, p = 0.01) and residing at UQ (OR 5.8, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with seroconversion to RRV. A significant medium correlation (r = 0.626, p < 0.001) between RRV and Getah virus (GETV) neutralizing antibody titers was identified. Collectively, these results advance the current epidemiological knowledge of arbovirus exposure in a susceptible host in Australia. The potential use of horses as sentinels for arbovirus monitoring should be considered. Furthermore, since GETV is currently exotic to Australia, antibodies cross-reactivity between RRV and GETV should be further investigated for cross-protection, which may also help to inform vaccine developments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control)
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Review

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23 pages, 1876 KiB  
Review
A Perspective on Current Flavivirus Vaccine Development: A Brief Review
by Sudip Kumar Dutta and Thomas Langenburg
Viruses 2023, 15(4), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15040860 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2999
Abstract
The flavivirus genus contains several clinically important pathogens that account for tremendous global suffering. Primarily transmitted by mosquitos or ticks, these viruses can cause severe and potentially fatal diseases ranging from hemorrhagic fevers to encephalitis. The extensive global burden is predominantly caused by [...] Read more.
The flavivirus genus contains several clinically important pathogens that account for tremendous global suffering. Primarily transmitted by mosquitos or ticks, these viruses can cause severe and potentially fatal diseases ranging from hemorrhagic fevers to encephalitis. The extensive global burden is predominantly caused by six flaviviruses: dengue, Zika, West Nile, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis. Several vaccines have been developed, and many more are currently being tested in clinical trials. However, flavivirus vaccine development is still confronted with many shortcomings and challenges. With the use of the existing literature, we have studied these hurdles as well as the signs of progress made in flavivirus vaccinology in the context of future development strategies. Moreover, all current licensed and phase-trial flavivirus vaccines have been gathered and discussed based on their vaccine type. Furthermore, potentially relevant vaccine types without any candidates in clinical testing are explored in this review as well. Over the past decades, several modern vaccine types have expanded the field of vaccinology, potentially providing alternative solutions for flavivirus vaccines. These vaccine types offer different development strategies as opposed to traditional vaccines. The included vaccine types were live-attenuated, inactivated, subunit, VLPs, viral vector-based, epitope-based, DNA and mRNA vaccines. Each vaccine type offers different advantages, some more suitable for flaviviruses than others. Additional studies are needed to overcome the barriers currently faced by flavivirus vaccine development, but many potential solutions are currently being explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control)
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19 pages, 862 KiB  
Review
Biology and Behaviour of Aedes aegypti in the Human Environment: Opportunities for Vector Control of Arbovirus Transmission
by Luca Facchinelli, Athanase Badolo and Philip J. McCall
Viruses 2023, 15(3), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030636 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3223
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is a ubiquitous vector of arboviruses mostly in urbanised areas throughout the tropics and subtropics and a growing threat beyond. Control of Ae. aegypti is difficult and costly, and no vaccines are available for most of the viruses it transmits. With [...] Read more.
Aedes aegypti is a ubiquitous vector of arboviruses mostly in urbanised areas throughout the tropics and subtropics and a growing threat beyond. Control of Ae. aegypti is difficult and costly, and no vaccines are available for most of the viruses it transmits. With practical control solutions our goal, ideally suitable for delivery by householders in affected communities, we reviewed the literature on adult Ae. aegypti biology and behaviour, within and close to the human home, the arena where such interventions must impact. We found that knowledge was vague or important details were missing for multiple events or activities in the mosquito life cycle, such as the duration or location of the many periods when females rest between blood feeding and oviposition. The existing body of literature, though substantial, is not wholly reliable, and evidence for commonly held “facts” range from untraceable to extensive. Source references of some basic information are poor or date back more than 60 years, while other information that today is accepted widely as “fact” is not supported by evidence in the literature. Many topics, e.g., sugar feeding, resting preferences (location and duration), and blood feeding, merit being revisited in new geographical regions and ecological contexts to identify vulnerabilities for exploitation in control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control)
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21 pages, 1486 KiB  
Review
Determinants of Chikungunya and O’nyong-Nyong Virus Specificity for Infection of Aedes and Anopheles Mosquito Vectors
by Solène Cottis, Adrien A. Blisnick, Anna-Bella Failloux and Kenneth D. Vernick
Viruses 2023, 15(3), 589; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030589 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases caused by viruses and parasites are responsible for more than 700 million infections each year. Anopheles and Aedes are the two major vectors for, respectively, malaria and arboviruses. Anopheles mosquitoes are the primary vector of just one known arbovirus, the alphavirus [...] Read more.
Mosquito-borne diseases caused by viruses and parasites are responsible for more than 700 million infections each year. Anopheles and Aedes are the two major vectors for, respectively, malaria and arboviruses. Anopheles mosquitoes are the primary vector of just one known arbovirus, the alphavirus o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), which is closely related to the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), vectored by Aedes mosquitoes. However, Anopheles harbor a complex natural virome of RNA viruses, and a number of pathogenic arboviruses have been isolated from Anopheles mosquitoes in nature. CHIKV and ONNV are in the same antigenic group, the Semliki Forest virus complex, are difficult to distinguish via immunodiagnostic assay, and symptomatically cause essentially the same human disease. The major difference between the arboviruses appears to be their differential use of mosquito vectors. The mechanisms governing this vector specificity are poorly understood. Here, we summarize intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could be associated with vector specificity by these viruses. We highlight the complexity and multifactorial aspect of vectorial specificity of the two alphaviruses, and evaluate the level of risk of vector shift by ONNV or CHIKV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arbovirus Epidemiology & Control)
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