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Special Issue "Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2023 | Viewed by 13218

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Kakkola

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Guest Editor

Research Center for Cancer, Infections and Immunity, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland
Interests: virus–cell interactions; innate and adaptive immunity to viral infections; molecular mechanisms of cytokine gene expression; emerging viruses; viral innate and adaptive immunity antagonists
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tarja Sironen

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Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Interests: One Health; microbiology and microbial evolution; zoonoses; emerging infectious diseases
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Dr. Ravi Kant

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Guest Editor

Associate Professor (Docent) of Medical Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Interests: genomics; metagenomics; microbiology; bioinformatics; viromics
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Dr. Maciej Grzybek

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Guest Editor

Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
Interests: parasites; helminths; molecular biology; parasite ecology; rodents; next-generation sequencing; PCR bioinformatics; ecology; animal ecology; data analysis; DNA extraction; ecology and evolution; genetics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging pathogens are a constant threat to mankind, as shown by the Ebola and Zika virus outbreaks and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. These viruses are zoonotic (i.e. they cross-species barriers), alike the majority of emerging pathogens. Internationalization and industrialization have dramatically changed the vulnerability of human and animal populations to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, changing both the scale and pace of disease outbreaks. New infectious diseases are expected as a major threat to global public health in coming years. Most of these are caused by microbes specially viruses that are able to cross the host species barriers as zoonoses or further establish human-to-human transmission. In order to detect these pathogens and develop control measures, studies on the reservoirs and vectors, molecular biology, and diagnostics of these pathogens are needed. This Special Issue seeks all types of manuscripts (e.g., reviews, research articles, and short communications) related to emerging pathogens and viral zoonoses. The topics may include (but are not restricted to) virus discovery, virus-host interaction, pathogenesis, cross-species transmission, virus evolution, reservoirs, cross-species transmission and zoonotic aspects are considered.

Dr. Laura Kakkola
Dr. Tarja Sironen
Dr. Ravi Kant
Dr. Maciej Grzybek
Guest Editors

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

emerging infections
virus spillovers
microbes
cross-species transmission
virus evolution
viral disease
virus reservoirs
virus-host interaction
pathogenesis

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Open AccessArticle

Clinical Epidemiology, Pathology, and Molecular Investigation of Lumpy Skin Disease Outbreaks in Bangladesh during 2020–2021 Indicate the Re-Emergence of an Old African Strain

Rokshana Parvin

Emdadul Haque Chowdhury

and

Viruses 2022, 14(11), 2529; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14112529 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2115

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) emerged in Bangladesh in mid-2019, leading to great economic losses for cattle farmers. This study describes the recent occurrence of the LSDV in Bangladesh and examines the clinical manifestation of the disease in local cattle breeds, characteristic epidemiological features, and pathological findings in affected animals. In addition, a full-genome sequencing of two local LSDV isolates was carried out. A total of 565 animals from 88 households were investigated, and 165 samples (skin lesions, saliva, nasal discharge, feces, and milk) were collected for virus detection. Pathology and immunohistochemistry were performed on nodule biopsies. Fever, nodular skin lesions, and swelling of the joints were the most common clinical manifestations. Skin lesions had a higher concentration of viral DNA compared to other sample types and were therefore selected for virus isolation and characterization. Pathology of the LSD skin nodules comprised a granulomatous reaction in the dermis and hypodermis that extended to the surrounding tissues. Development of the skin lesions started with swelling of keratinocytes with cytoplasmic vacuolation, vasculitis, panniculitis, thrombosis, and infarction. Altogether, the LSDV produced transmural, hemorrhagic, necrotizing, proliferative and ulcerative dermatitis. The LSD viral antigen was detected occasionally in the macrophages, epithelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells. The complete genome sequence analysis revealed that the two Bangladeshi field strains (BD-V392.1 and BD-V395.1) were distinct from the contemporary field strains and were closely related to the ancestral African Neethling strain. The findings of this study will improve the diagnosis, monitoring, and control of LSD in Bangladesh. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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Open AccessArticle

Kiwira Virus, a Newfound Hantavirus Discovered in Free-tailed Bats (Molossidae) in East and Central Africa

Nyanda Elias Ntinginya

and

Viruses 2022, 14(11), 2368; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14112368 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2389

Abstract

A novel hantavirus, named Kiwira virus, was molecularly detected in six Angolan free-tailed bats (Mops condylurus, family Molossidae) captured in Tanzania and in one free-tailed bat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hantavirus RNA was found in different organs, with the highest loads in the spleen. Nucleotide sequences of large parts of the genomic S and L segments were determined by in-solution hybridisation capture and high throughput sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses placed Kiwira virus into the genus Mobatvirus of the family Hantaviridae, with the bat-infecting Quezon virus and Robina virus as closest relatives. The detection of several infected individuals in two African countries, including animals with systemic hantavirus infection, provides evidence of active replication and a stable circulation of Kiwira virus in M. condylurus bats and points to this species as a natural host. Since the M. condylurus home range covers large regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and the species is known to roost inside and around human dwellings, a potential spillover of the Kiwira virus to humans must be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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Open AccessCommunication

Wild Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Do Not Play a Role as Vectors or Reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 in North-Eastern Poland

and

Viruses 2022, 14(10), 2290; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14102290 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Several studies reported a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among white-tailed deer in North America. Monitoring cervids in all regions to better understand SARS-CoV-2 infection and circulation in other deer populations has been urged. To evaluate deer exposure and/or infection to/by SARS-CoV-2 in Poland, we sampled 90 red deer shot by hunters in five hunting districts in north-eastern Poland. Serum and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, and then an immunofluorescent assay (IFA) to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was performed as well as real-time PCR with reverse transcription for direct virus detection. No positive samples were detected. There is no evidence of spillover of SARS-CoV-2 from the human to deer population in Poland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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Open AccessArticle

I226R Protein of African Swine Fever Virus Is a Suppressor of Innate Antiviral Responses

and

Viruses 2022, 14(3), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14030575 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2468

Abstract

African swine fever is one of the most devastating swine diseases caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). Although ASFV encodes more than 160 viral proteins, the implication of a majority of ASFV proteins in regulating host immunity is yet to be explored, and the mechanisms of immune evasion by ASFV proteins are largely unknown. Here, we report that the I226R protein of ASFV significantly suppressed innate immune responses. The ectopic expression of ASFV I226R in 293T cells significantly inhibited the activation of interferon-stimulated response element promoters triggered by Sendai virus (SeV), poly(I:C), or cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/STING. The I226R protein caused a significant decrease in the expression of interferons and interferon-stimulating genes in cells infected with SeV. Similar results were obtained from experiments using I226R-overexpressed PK15 and 3D4/21 cells stimulated with vesicular stomatitis virus. We observed that I226R inhibited the activation of both nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Furthermore, it was shown that overexpression of I226R suppressed IRF3 activation and caused the degradation of NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) protein. The I226R-induced NEMO degradation could be prevented by treatment with MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. Together, these results reveal that the ASFV I226R protein impairs antiviral responses, likely through multiple mechanisms including the suppression of NF-κB and IRF3 activation, to counteract innate immune responses during the viral infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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Open AccessArticle

Common Laboratory Mice Are Susceptible to Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Beta Variant

and

Viruses 2021, 13(11), 2263; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112263 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2268

Abstract

Small animal models are of crucial importance for assessing COVID-19 countermeasures. Common laboratory mice would be well-suited for this purpose but are not susceptible to infection with wild-type SARS-CoV-2. However, the development of mouse-adapted virus strains has revealed key mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that increase infectivity, and interestingly, many of these mutations are also present in naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. This suggests that these variants might have the ability to infect common laboratory mice. Herein we show that the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant attains infectibility to BALB/c mice and causes pulmonary changes within 2–3 days post infection, consistent with results seen in other murine models of COVID-19, at a reasonable virus dose (2 × 10⁵ PFU). The findings suggest that common laboratory mice can serve as the animal model of choice for testing the effectiveness of antiviral drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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Open AccessBrief Report

Prolonged Viability of Senecavirus A in Exposed House Flies (Musca domestica)

Justin Heath Turner

Willian Pinto Paim

Mayara Fernanda Maggioli

Cristina Mendes Peter

Robert Miknis

Justin Talley

and

Fernando Vicosa Bauermann

Viruses 2022, 14(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14010127 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1054

Abstract

House flies (Musca domestica) are often present in swine farms worldwide. These flies utilize animal secretions and waste as a food source. House flies may harbor and transport microbes and pathogens acting as mechanical vectors for diseases. Senecavirus A (SVA) infection in pigs occurs via oronasal route, and animals shed high virus titers to the environment. Additionally, SVA possesses increased environmental resistance. Due to these reasons, we investigated the tenacity of SVA in house flies. Five groups of flies, each composed of ten females and ten males, were exposed to SVA, titer of 10^9.3 tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀/mL). Groups of male and female flies were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h post-exposure. For comparison purposes, groups of flies were exposed to Swinepox virus (SwPV). Infectious SVA was identified in all tested groups. Successful isolation of SVA demonstrated the titers varied between 10^6.8 and 10^2.8 TCID₅₀/mL in female groups and varied from 10^5.85 to 10^3.8 TCID₅₀/mL in male groups. In contrast, infectious SwPV was only detected in the female group at 6 h. The significant SVA infectious titer for prolonged periods of time, up to 48 h, indicates a potential role of flies in SVA transmission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Microbes, Infections and Spillovers)

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