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Viruses
Special Issues
High-Consequence Viral Transmission
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High-Consequence Viral Transmission

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 29856

Special Issue Editors

Dr. James Strong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada
Interests: filoviridae; arenaviridae; bunyaviridae; flaviviridae; viral ecology; medical countermeasures; vaccines
Dr. David Safronetz

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada
Interests: Filoviridae; Arenaviridae; Bunyaviridae; Flaviviridae; Pathogenesis; Viral Ecology; Transmission; Medical countermeasures; Vaccines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-consequence viral pathogens are typically zoonoses that persist in known or unknown animal reservoirs in the endemic countries affected. The transmission within these reservoir populations as well as to potential vectors, or other species can result in spillover events and lead to outbreaks including within human populations. Many of the details of the transmission events are yet to be fully elucidated, especially given that the definitive identity of the animal reservoir(s) is yet to be proven for some pathogens (e.g., Ebola virus). This Special Issue of Viruses will focus on what is known about these transmission events, within reservoir species, between reservoirs and their vectors, and to and amongst the other species involved in their respective outbreaks. This Special Issue will also shed light on some of the information that is yet to be revealed from the study of these high-consequence pathogens.

Dr. James Strong
Dr. David Safronetz
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

  • High-consequence viruses
  • reservoirs
  • vectors
  • prevalence
  • transmission
  • spillover events
  • outbreaks
  • Ebola
  • Marburg
  • Lassa
  • Lujo virus
  • South American Hemorrhagic fever viruses (including Argentine (Junin virus), Bolivian (Machupo virus), Brazilian (Sabiá virus), Chapare hemorrhagic fever (Chapare virus), Venezuelan (Guanarito virus) and Whitewater Arroyo virus)
  • Hantaviruses
  • Nipah/Hendra
  • Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever
  • Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS - or Dabie bandavirus)

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 730 KiB  
Article
Marburg Virus Persistence on Fruit as a Plausible Route of Bat to Primate Filovirus Transmission
by Brian R. Amman, Amy J. Schuh, César G. Albariño and Jonathan S. Towner
Viruses 2021, 13(12), 2394; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13122394 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5579
Abstract
Marburg virus (MARV), the causative agent of Marburg virus disease, emerges sporadically in sub-Saharan Africa and is often fatal in humas. The natural reservoir for this zoonotic virus is the frugivorous Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) that when infected, sheds virus [...] Read more.
Marburg virus (MARV), the causative agent of Marburg virus disease, emerges sporadically in sub-Saharan Africa and is often fatal in humas. The natural reservoir for this zoonotic virus is the frugivorous Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) that when infected, sheds virus in the highest amounts in oral secretions and urine. Being fruit bats, these animals forage nightly for ripened fruit throughout the year, including those types often preferred by humans. During feeding, they continually discard partially eaten fruit on the ground that could then be consumed by other Marburg virus susceptible animals or humans. In this study, using qRT-PCR and virus isolation, we tested fruit discarded by Egyptian rousette bats experimentally infected with a natural bat isolate of Marburg virus. We then separately tested viral persistence on fruit varieties commonly cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa using a recombinant Marburg virus expressing the fluorescent ZsGreen1. Marburg virus RNA was repeatedly detected on fruit in the food bowls of the infected bats and viable MARV was recovered from inoculated fruit for up to 6 h. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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19 pages, 2279 KiB  
Article
Natural History of Aerosol-Induced Ebola Virus Disease in Rhesus Macaques
by Isaac Downs, Joshua C. Johnson, Franco Rossi, David Dyer, David L. Saunders, Nancy A. Twenhafel, Heather L. Esham, William D. Pratt, John Trefry, Elizabeth Zumbrun, Paul R. Facemire, Sara C. Johnston, Erin L. Tompkins, Nathan K. Jansen, Anna Honko and Anthony P. Cardile
Viruses 2021, 13(11), 2297; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112297 - 17 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2712
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a serious global health concern because case fatality rates are approximately 50% due to recent widespread outbreaks in Africa. Well-defined nonhuman primate (NHP) models for different routes of Ebola virus exposure are needed to test the efficacy of [...] Read more.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a serious global health concern because case fatality rates are approximately 50% due to recent widespread outbreaks in Africa. Well-defined nonhuman primate (NHP) models for different routes of Ebola virus exposure are needed to test the efficacy of candidate countermeasures. In this natural history study, four rhesus macaques were challenged via aerosol with a target titer of 1000 plaque-forming units per milliliter of Ebola virus. The course of disease was split into the following stages for descriptive purposes: subclinical, clinical, and decompensated. During the subclinical stage, high levels of venous partial pressure of carbon dioxide led to respiratory acidemia in three of four of the NHPs, and all developed lymphopenia. During the clinical stage, all animals had fever, viremia, and respiratory alkalosis. The decompensatory stage involved coagulopathy, cytokine storm, and liver and renal injury. These events were followed by hypotension, elevated lactate, metabolic acidemia, shock and mortality similar to historic intramuscular challenge studies. Viral loads in the lungs of aerosol-exposed animals were not distinctly different compared to previous intramuscularly challenged studies. Differences in the aerosol model, compared to intramuscular model, include an extended subclinical stage, shortened clinical stage, and general decompensated stage. Therefore, the shortened timeframe for clinical detection of the aerosol-induced disease can impair timely therapeutic administration. In summary, this nonhuman primate model of aerosol-induced EVD characterizes early disease markers and additional details to enable countermeasure development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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10 pages, 1024 KiB  
Article
Serological Evidence of Filovirus Infection in Nonhuman Primates in Zambia
by Katendi Changula, Edgar Simulundu, Boniface Pongombo Lombe, Eri Nakayama, Hiroko Miyamoto, Yuji Takahashi, Hirofumi Sawa, Chuma Simukonda, Bernard M. Hang’ombe and Ayato Takada
Viruses 2021, 13(7), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13071283 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3180
Abstract
Ebolaviruses and marburgviruses are filoviruses that are known to cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). While some bat species are suspected to be natural reservoirs of these filoviruses, wild NHPs often act as intermediate hosts for viral transmission to [...] Read more.
Ebolaviruses and marburgviruses are filoviruses that are known to cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). While some bat species are suspected to be natural reservoirs of these filoviruses, wild NHPs often act as intermediate hosts for viral transmission to humans. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we screened two NHP species, wild baboons and vervet monkeys captured in Zambia, for their serum IgG antibodies specific to the envelope glycoproteins of filoviruses. From 243 samples tested, 39 NHPs (16%) were found to be seropositive either for ebolaviruses or marburgviruses with endpoint antibody titers ranging from 100 to 25,600. Interestingly, antibodies reactive to Reston virus, which is found only in Asia, were detected in both NHP species. There was a significant difference in the seropositivity for the marburgvirus antigen between the two NHP species, with baboons having a higher positive rate. These results suggest that wild NHPs in Zambia might be nonlethally exposed to these filoviruses, and this emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring of filovirus infection in wild animals to better understand the ecology of filoviruses and to assess potential risks of outbreaks in humans in previously nonendemic countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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14 pages, 5014 KiB  
Article
Mastomys natalensis Has a Cellular Immune Response Profile Distinct from Laboratory Mice
by Tsing-Lee Tang-Huau, Kyle Rosenke, Kimberly Meade-White, Aaron Carmody, Brian J. Smith, Catharine M. Bosio, Michael A. Jarvis and Heinz Feldmann
Viruses 2021, 13(5), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13050729 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3146
Abstract
The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis; M. natalensis) has been identified as a major reservoir for multiple human pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), Leishmania spp., Yersinia spp., and Borrelia spp. Although M. natalensis are related to well-characterized mouse and rat species commonly [...] Read more.
The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis; M. natalensis) has been identified as a major reservoir for multiple human pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), Leishmania spp., Yersinia spp., and Borrelia spp. Although M. natalensis are related to well-characterized mouse and rat species commonly used in laboratory models, there is an absence of established assays and reagents to study the host immune responses of M. natalensis. As a result, there are major limitations to our understanding of immunopathology and mechanisms of immunological pathogen control in this increasingly important rodent species. In the current study, a large panel of commercially available rodent reagents were screened to identify their cross-reactivity with M. natalensis. Using these reagents, ex vivo assays were established and optimized to evaluate lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production by M. natalensis lymphocytes. In contrast to C57BL/6J mice, lymphocytes from M. natalensis were relatively non-responsive to common stimuli such as phytohaemagglutinin P and lipopolysaccharide. However, they readily responded to concanavalin A stimulation as indicated by proliferation and cytokine production. In summary, we describe lymphoproliferative and cytokine assays demonstrating that the cellular immune responses in M. natalensis to commonly used mitogens differ from a laboratory-bred mouse strain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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9 pages, 1455 KiB  
Article
Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa
by David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Robert J. Fischer, Rachel A. LaCasse, Dana P. Scott, Greg Saturday, Patrick W. Hanley, Ousmane Maiga, Nafomon Sogoba, Tom G. Schwan and Heinz Feldmann
Viruses 2021, 13(4), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13040590 - 31 Mar 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2642
Abstract
Mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-Saharan Africa. Importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), the etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Lassa-infected rodents have been documented across West Africa and coincide [...] Read more.
Mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-Saharan Africa. Importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), the etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Lassa-infected rodents have been documented across West Africa and coincide with regions where annual outbreaks occur. Zoonotic transmission to humans most often occurs directly from infected rodents. Little is known about LASV infection kinetics and transmissibility in M.natalensis, primarily due to available animals. Here, we describe the establishment of a laboratory breeding colony of genetically confirmed M.natalensis from wild-captured rodents. This colony will provide a convenient source of animals to study LASV and other emerging pathogens that utilize M. natalensis in their enzootic lifecycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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12 pages, 1264 KiB  
Article
Hematology and Clinical Chemistry Reference Ranges for Laboratory-Bred Natal Multimammate Mice (Mastomys natalensis)
by David M. Wozniak, Norman Kirchoff, Katharina Hansen-Kant, Nafomon Sogoba, David Safronetz and Joseph Prescott
Viruses 2021, 13(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13020187 - 27 Jan 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3459
Abstract
Laboratory-controlled physiological data for the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) are scarce, despite this species being a known reservoir and vector for zoonotic viruses, including the highly pathogenic Lassa virus, as well as other arenaviruses and many species of bacteria. For this [...] Read more.
Laboratory-controlled physiological data for the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) are scarce, despite this species being a known reservoir and vector for zoonotic viruses, including the highly pathogenic Lassa virus, as well as other arenaviruses and many species of bacteria. For this reason, M. natalensis is an important rodent for the study of host-virus interactions within laboratory settings. Herein, we provide basic blood parameters for age- and sex-distributed animals in regards to blood counts, cell phenotypes and serum chemistry of a specific-pathogen-monitored M.natalensis breeding colony, to facilitate scientific insight into this important and widespread rodent species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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Review

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26 pages, 803 KiB  
Review
Common Themes in Zoonotic Spillover and Disease Emergence: Lessons Learned from Bat- and Rodent-Borne RNA Viruses
by Evan P. Williams, Briana M. Spruill-Harrell, Mariah K. Taylor, Jasper Lee, Ashley V. Nywening, Zemin Yang, Jacob H. Nichols, Jeremy V. Camp, Robert D. Owen and Colleen B. Jonsson
Viruses 2021, 13(8), 1509; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081509 - 31 Jul 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6571
Abstract
Rodents (order Rodentia), followed by bats (order Chiroptera), comprise the largest percentage of living mammals on earth. Thus, it is not surprising that these two orders account for many of the reservoirs of the zoonotic RNA viruses discovered to date. The spillover of [...] Read more.
Rodents (order Rodentia), followed by bats (order Chiroptera), comprise the largest percentage of living mammals on earth. Thus, it is not surprising that these two orders account for many of the reservoirs of the zoonotic RNA viruses discovered to date. The spillover of these viruses from wildlife to human do not typically result in pandemics but rather geographically confined outbreaks of human infection and disease. While limited geographically, these viruses cause thousands of cases of human disease each year. In this review, we focus on three questions regarding zoonotic viruses that originate in bats and rodents. First, what biological strategies have evolved that allow RNA viruses to reside in bats and rodents? Second, what are the environmental and ecological causes that drive viral spillover? Third, how does virus spillover occur from bats and rodents to humans? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 179 KiB  
Perspective
Pathogen-Reservoir Interactions: What We Do Not Know Likely Will Hurt Us
by Charles H. Calisher
Viruses 2021, 13(2), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13020195 - 28 Jan 2021
Viewed by 1614
Abstract
The establishment of selective colonies of potential vertebrate hosts for viruses would provide experimental models for the understanding of pathogen-host interactions. This paper briefly surveys the reasons to conduct such studies and how the results might provide information that could be applied to [...] Read more.
The establishment of selective colonies of potential vertebrate hosts for viruses would provide experimental models for the understanding of pathogen-host interactions. This paper briefly surveys the reasons to conduct such studies and how the results might provide information that could be applied to disease prevention activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Consequence Viral Transmission)
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