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Pathogens
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West Nile Virus and Zika Virus: Re-emerging Mosquito-Borne Pathogens
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West Nile Virus and Zika Virus: Re-emerging Mosquito-Borne Pathogens

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 14212

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fengwei Bai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
Interests: flavivirus; mosquito transmitted virus; antiviral; vaccine; viral pathogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pritesh Desai

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Interests: T cells; virus; dendritic cell; immunity; host pathogen; West Nile; SARS; COVID

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

West Nile virus (WNV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are the most common mosquito-borne viruses in America. Both viruses consist of a positive-strand RNA genome and belong to the flavivirus genus in the family of Flaviviridae. WNV was first isolated in a woman in Uganda in 1937, and was isolated in birds in 1953. Although human infections have been reported in many countries in West Asia and Europe for over 50 years, WNV was not considered a major pathogen for humans or birds until it started to cause large and dramatic outbreaks in North America in 1999. WNV can cause human neuroinvasive diseases in individuals of all ages, although the elderly and immunocompromised are particularly at risk. ZIKV was originally isolated in 1947 in Africa, and it had been silently circulating between mosquitoes and non-human primates (NHP) in forests without causing severe human diseases until 2007. In recent years, ZIKV has been shown to cause congenital birth defects in offspring born to infected pregnant women in South America. In human adults, ZIKV infections may cause Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease caused by the immune system attacking the peripheral nerves, leading to a rapid onset of muscle weakness and even paralysis. Both viruses are primarily transmitted to humans by the bites of infected mosquitos and there are no specific antivirals or approved vaccines available for use in humans. In this Special Issue, we welcome research and review articles related to WNV or ZIKV, including, but not limited to, recent advances in the understanding of the viral pathogenesis in humans or animal models, antiviral and vaccine development, and host–pathogen interactions. 

Dr. Fengwei Bai
Dr. Pritesh Desai
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • West Nile virus
  • Zika virus
  • pathogenesis
  • antiviral
  • vaccine
  • host–pathogen interaction
  • CNS infection
  • blood–brain barrier
  • microcephaly
  • Guillain–Barré syndrome
  • mosquito transmission

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
Serological Evidence of Zika Virus Circulation in Burkina Faso
by Bachirou Tinto, Didier Patindé Alexandre Kaboré, Dramane Kania, Thérèse Samdapawindé Kagoné, Alice Kiba-Koumaré, Laura Pinceloup, Guillaume Thaurignac, Philippe Van de Perre, Roch Kounbobr Dabire, Thierry Baldet, Serafin Guitierrez, Patricia Gil, Ahidjo Ayouba, Sara Salinas and Yannick Simonin
Pathogens 2022, 11(7), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11070741 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2599
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) are two closely related members of the Flaviviridae family, both transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, and are among the arboviruses most at risk to human health. Burkina Faso has been facing an upsurge [...] Read more.
Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) are two closely related members of the Flaviviridae family, both transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, and are among the arboviruses most at risk to human health. Burkina Faso has been facing an upsurge in DENV outbreaks since 2013. Unlike DENV, there is no serological evidence of ZIKV circulation in humans in Burkina Faso. The main objective of our study was to determine the seroprevalence of ZIKV and DENV in blood donors in Burkina Faso. A total of 501 donor samples collected in the two major cities of the country in 2020 were first tested by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect flavivirus antibodies. Positive sera were then tested using Luminex to detect ZIKV and DENV antibodies and virus-specific microneutralization tests against ZIKV were performed. The ZIKV seroprevalence was 22.75% in the donor samples and we found seropositivity for all DENV-serotypes ranging from 19.56% for DENV-1 to 48.86% for DENV-2. Molecular analyses performed on samples from febrile patients and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes between 2019 and 2021 were negative. Our study showed the important circulation of ZIKV and DENV detected by serology although molecular evidence of the circulation of ZIKV could not be demonstrated. It is essential to strengthen existing arbovirus surveillance in Burkina Faso and more broadly in West Africa by focusing on fevers of unknown origin and integrating vector surveillance to assess the extent of ZIKV circulation and identify the circulating strain. Further studies are needed to better understand the epidemiology of this virus in order to define appropriate prevention and response methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue West Nile Virus and Zika Virus: Re-emerging Mosquito-Borne Pathogens)

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 3856 KiB  
Review
Mosquito Salivary Proteins and Arbovirus Infection: From Viral Enhancers to Potential Targets for Vaccines
by Alejandro Marín-López, Hamidah Raduwan, Tse-Yu Chen, Sergio Utrilla-Trigo, David P. Wolfhard and Erol Fikrig
Pathogens 2023, 12(3), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12030371 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7363
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses present important public health challenges worldwide. Viruses such as DENV, ZIKV, and WNV are of current concern due to an increasing incidence and an expanding geographic range, generating explosive outbreaks even in non-endemic areas. The clinical signs associated with infection from [...] Read more.
Arthropod-borne viruses present important public health challenges worldwide. Viruses such as DENV, ZIKV, and WNV are of current concern due to an increasing incidence and an expanding geographic range, generating explosive outbreaks even in non-endemic areas. The clinical signs associated with infection from these arboviruses are often inapparent, mild, or nonspecific, but occasionally develop into serious complications marked by rapid onset, tremors, paralysis, hemorrhagic fever, neurological alterations, or death. They are predominately transmitted to humans through mosquito bite, during which saliva is inoculated into the skin to facilitate blood feeding. A new approach to prevent arboviral diseases has been proposed by the observation that arthropod saliva facilitates transmission of pathogens. Viruses released within mosquito saliva may more easily initiate host invasion by taking advantage of the host’s innate and adaptive immune responses to saliva. This provides a rationale for creating vaccines against mosquito salivary proteins, especially because of the lack of licensed vaccines against most of these viruses. This review aims to provide an overview of the effects on the host immune response by the mosquito salivary proteins and how these phenomena alter the infection outcome for different arboviruses, recent attempts to generate mosquito salivary-based vaccines against flavivirus including DENV, ZIKV, and WNV, and the potential benefits and pitfalls that this strategy involves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue West Nile Virus and Zika Virus: Re-emerging Mosquito-Borne Pathogens)
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12 pages, 713 KiB  
Review
Rational Development of Live-Attenuated Zika Virus Vaccines
by Awadalkareem Adam, Christy Lee and Tian Wang
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020194 - 28 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3335
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV), a re-emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus, has caused outbreaks in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and, more recently, in the Americas. ZIKV has been associated with the neurological autoimmune disorder Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults and congenital Zika syndrome in fetuses and infants, [...] Read more.
Zika virus (ZIKV), a re-emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus, has caused outbreaks in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and, more recently, in the Americas. ZIKV has been associated with the neurological autoimmune disorder Guillain–Barre syndrome in adults and congenital Zika syndrome in fetuses and infants, including microcephaly, spontaneous abortion, and intrauterine growth restriction. It is considered to be a major threat to global public health due to its unprecedented clinical impact on humans. Currently, there are no specific prophylactics or therapeutics available to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. The development of a safe and efficacious ZIKV vaccine remains a global health priority. Since the recent outbreak, multiple platforms have been used in the development of candidate ZIKV vaccines. The candidate vaccines have been shown to elicit strong T cell and neutralization antibody responses and protect against ZIKV infection in animal models. Some candidates have progressed successfully to clinical trials. Live-attenuated vaccines, which induce rapid and durable protective immunity, are one of the most important strategies for controlling flavivirus diseases. In this review, we discuss recent progress in the development of candidate live-attenuated ZIKV vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue West Nile Virus and Zika Virus: Re-emerging Mosquito-Borne Pathogens)
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