Contagious Virus Research Articles

Covid-19, Fatwas, and Socio-religious Praxis

Abstract This paper highlights Muhammadiyah’s religious and social engagement and praxis in dealing with the pandemic in Indonesia. As Indonesia’s largest modernist Islamic organisation with approximately 30 million members, Muhammadiyah has been challenged to prove its progressive understanding of Islam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, the organisation has issued religious fatwas and policies to adjust their worship and social activities during the outbreak. However, conservative elements oppose these fatwas and policies by stating that Covid-19 is a global conspiracy to destroy Islam. Through its networks and resources, Muhammadiyah keeps issuing fatwas to boost public awareness of the virus’s dangers and mortality and protect and save lives. Thus, the paper seeks to discover why and how the organisation adopts new practices in their rituals and new sites of worship and, at the same time, fights against religious ignorance and hoaxes around the Covid-19. It also seeks to determine how Muhammadiyah mobilises its networks and resources to deal with the outbreak and opposition. Finally, it examines the organisation’s relationship with state and non-state actors, nationally and internationally, to face the impacts of such a contagious virus. Drawing upon Muhammadiyah’s official fatwas, policies, statements, and socio-religious praxis, this paper finds that Muhammadiyah’s social mission, caring, and engagement during the pandemic are based on its progressive and rational belief system.

Virological and histological evaluation of intestinal samples in COVID-19 patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is a highly contagious virus which primarily affects the respiratory tract, nevertheless, the lungs are not the only target organs of the virus. The intestinal tract could represent an additional tropism site for SARS-CoV-2. Several observations have collectively suggested that enteric infections can occur in COVID-19 patients. However, the detection of viral RNA in gastrointestinal (GI) tissue samples has not been adequately investigated and results are conflicting. To detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in intestinal mucosa samples and to evaluate histological features. The COVID-19 patients hospitalized at an Italian tertiary hospital from April 2020 to March 2021 were evaluated for enrollment in an observational, monocentric trial. The study population was composed of two groups of adult patients. In the first group (biopsy group, 30 patients), patients were eligible for inclusion if they had mild to moderate disease and if they agreed to have a rectal biopsy; in the second group (surgical specimen group, 6 patients), patients were eligible for inclusion if they underwent intestinal resection during index hospitalization. Fifty-nine intestinal mucosal samples were analyzed. Viral RNA was not detectable in any of the rectal biopsies performed (0/53). Histological examination showed no enterocyte damage, but slight edema of the lamina propria with mild inflammatory lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. There was no difference in inflammatory infiltrates in patients with and without GI symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in fecal samples in 6 cases out of 14 cases examined (42.9%). In the surgical specimen group, all patients underwent emergency intestinal resection. Viral RNA was detected in 2 surgical specimens of the 6 examined, both of which were from patients with active neoplastic disease. Histological examination also pointed out abundant macrophages, granulocytes and plasma cells infiltrating the muscular layer and adipose tissue, and focal vasculitis. Mild-moderate COVID-19 may not be associated with rectal infection by the virus. More comprehensive autopsies or surgical specimens are needed to provide histological evidence of intestinal infection.

Association between Global Monkeypox Cases and Meteorological Factors

The emergence of an outbreak of Monkeypox disease (MPXD) is caused by a contagious zoonotic Monkeypox virus (MPXV) that has spread globally. Yet, there is no study investigating the effect of climatic changes on MPXV transmission. Thus, studies on the changing epidemiology, evolving nature of the virus, and ecological niche are highly paramount. Determination of the role of potential meteorological drivers including temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, dew point, wind speed, and surface pressure is beneficial to understand the MPXD outbreak. This study examines the changes in MPXV cases over time while assessing the meteorological characteristics that could impact these disparities from the onset of the global outbreak. To conduct this data-based research, several well-accepted statistical techniques including Simple Exponential Smoothing (SES), Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Automatic forecasting time-series model (Prophet), and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Explanatory Variables (ARIMAX) were applied to delineate the correlation of the meteorological factors on global daily Monkeypox cases. Data on MPXV cases including affected countries spanning from 6 May 2022, to 9 November 2022, from global databases and meteorological data were used to evaluate the developed models. According to the ARIMAX model, the results showed that temperature, relative humidity, and surface pressure have a positive impact [(51.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): -274.55 to 377.68), (17.32, 95% CI: -83.71 to 118.35) and (23.42, 95% CI: -9.90 to 56.75), respectively] on MPXV cases. In addition, dew/frost point, precipitation, and wind speed show a significant negative impact on MPXD cases. The Prophet model showed a significant correlation with rising MPXD cases, although the trend predicts peak values while the overall trend increases. This underscores the importance of immediate and appropriate preventive measures (timely preparedness and proactive control strategies) with utmost priority against MPXD including awareness-raising programs, the discovery, and formulation of effective vaccine candidate(s), prophylaxis and therapeutic regimes, and management strategies.

Biomarker selection strategies based on compound stability in wastewater-based epidemiology.

The specific compositions of human excreta in sewage can be used as biomarkers to indicate the disease prevalence, health status, and lifestyle of the population living in the investigated catchment. It is important for guiding and evaluating public health policies as well as promoting human health development. Among several parameters of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), the decay of biomarkers during transportation in sewer and storage plays a crucial role in the back-calculation of population consumption. In this paper, we summarized the stability data of common biomarkers in storage at different temperatures and in-sewer transportation. Among them, cardiovascular drugs and antidiabetic drugs are very stable which can be used as biomarkers; most of the illicit drugs are stable except for cocaine, heroin, and tetrahydrocannabinol which could be substituted by their metabolites as biomarkers. There are some losses for part of antibiotics and antidepressants even in frozen storage. Rapid detection of contagious viruses is a new challenge for infectious disease control. With the deeper and broader study of biomarkers, it is expected that the reliable application of the WBE will be a useful addition to epidemiological studies.

Evaluation of compressed sodium chloride on the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and surrogates.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the global COVID-19 pandemic. Limited studies have been performed on various types of disinfectants utilized to control the spread of this highly contagious virus. This study aimed to investigate the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 using compressed sodium chloride (CSC) surface. A real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was used to evaluate the effectiveness of CSC on the disintegration of viral RNA in a time dependent manner. The effects of CSC on viral infectivity were determined using a TCID50 assay of a surrogate virus, hCoV-229E, in MRC-5 cell culture. The results demonstrated that CSC achieved a 2 to 3- log10 reduction of viral genomic RNA for a laboratory strain of hCoV-229E, and clinical samples of hCoV-229E and hCoV-OC43. A 3 to 4-log10 reduction was observed for SARS-CoV-2 (RdRp and E gene) suggesting that a CSC surface could effectively disintegrate the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome. CSC was observed to have a 6 log10 inactivation of infectious hCoV-229E using cell culture after 5 minutes of exposure compared to the control, indicating good disinfection efficacy of a CSC surface against virus.

Insights into Antiviral Properties and Molecular Mechanisms of Non-Flavonoid Polyphenols against Human Herpesviruses.

Herpesviruses are one of the most contagious DNA viruses that threaten human health, causing severe diseases, including, but not limited to, certain types of cancer and neurological complications. The overuse and misuse of anti-herpesvirus drugs are key factors leading to drug resistance. Therefore, targeting human herpesviruses with natural products is an attractive form of therapy, as it might improve treatment efficacy in therapy-resistant herpesviruses. Plant polyphenols are major players in the health arena as they possess diverse bioactivities. Hence, in this article, we comprehensively summarize the recent advances that have been attained in employing plant non-flavonoid polyphenols, such as phenolic acids, tannins and their derivatives, stilbenes and their derivatives, lignans, neolignans, xanthones, anthraquinones and their derivatives, curcuminoids, coumarins, furanocoumarins, and other polyphenols (phloroglucinol) as promising anti-herpesvirus drugs against various types of herpesvirus such as alpha-herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 and varicella-zoster virus), beta-herpesviruses (human cytomegalovirus), and gamma-herpesviruses (Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus). The molecular mechanisms of non-flavonoid polyphenols against the reviewed herpesviruses are also documented.

The binding affinity of human pediatric respiratory syncytial virus Phosphoprotein's C-terminal tail to nucleocapsid can be improved by a rationally designed halogen-bonded system

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is a common contagious virus that causes infections of pediatric pneumonia and specifically impacts infants and small children. The hRSV phosphoprotein is a key component of the viral RNA polymerase, which can interact with nucleocapsid and other partners through its C-terminal tail (CTT) to promote the formation of viral transcriptase complex, where the Phe241 is a key anchor residue. Based on the crystal template-modeled complex structure of hRSV nucleocapsid with a peptidic segment derived from the phosphoprotein's CTT, we successfully introduced a rationally designed halogen-bonded system to the complex interface by substituting para (p)-position of the side-chain phenyl moiety of CTT Phe241 residue with a halogen atom X (X = F, Cl, Br or I). The halogen-bonded system consists of a halogen bond (X-bond) between nucleocapsid Ser131 residue and CTT Phe241 residue as well as a hydrogen bond (H-bond) between nucleocapsid Ser131 residue and nucleocapsid Glu128 residue; the X-bond and H-bond share a common hydroxyl group of nucleocapsid Ser131 residue. High-level theoretical calculations suggested that bromine Br is the best choice that can render strong potency for the X-bond and can confer high affinity to the nucleocapsid–CTT binding. Affinity analysis revealed that the p-brominated CTT ([p]bCTT) exhibited 6.3-fold affinity improvement relative to its nonhalogenated counterpart. In contrast, the Br-substitutions at ortho (o)- and meta (m)-positions, which resulted in two negative controls of o-brominated [o]bCTT and m-brominated [m]bCTT, respectively, were unable to form effective X-bond with nucleocapsid according to theoretical investigation and did not improve the binding affinity essentially relative to native CTT.

Global varicella vaccination programs.

Varicella (chickenpox) is an infectious disease caused by the highly contagious varicella zoster virus with a secondary attack rate greater than 90%. From this perspective, we aimed to establish the basis for a national varicella vaccine policy by reviewing vaccination programs and policies of countries that have introduced universal varicella vaccinations. As a result of the spread of varicella, an increasing number of countries are providing 2-dose vaccinations and universally expanding their use. In practice, the efficacy and effectiveness of vaccination differ among vaccines and vaccination programs. Optimized vaccination strategies based on each country's local epidemiology and health resources are required. Accordingly, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of varicella vaccines in different settings. Given the short-term and fragmented vaccine effectiveness evaluation in Korea, it is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness at the national level and determine its schedule based on the evidence generated through these studies.

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS HEPATITIS C AMONG CLINICAL MEDICAL STUDENTS OF CHUKWUEMEKA ODIMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY (COOU), AMAKU, AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE

Presently, there are so many viral diseases flying across the globe, of which hepatitis, a disease of the liver is one of them. This disease is caused by various strains of the hepatitis virus (A, B, C, D and E). Hepatitis C virus is a highly contagious virus that is majorly responsible for chronic liver disease across the globe. HCV infection is a blood-borne infection that is transmitted through contact with infected blood by reuse or insufficient sterilization of needles or sharp objects, transfusion of unscreened blood, sharing injection materials by drug users and perinatal transmission (mother to child). HCV infection prevalence is high in sub-Saharan region, where it is the cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Medical students, a great population of the health workers, are at most risk of the infection because they are mostly the first direct contact of patients in a healthcare facility. And so, there is need for them to be well aware of the viral infection and its mode of transmission. This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the infection as this will help curtail transmission of the virus. 147 clinical medical students were sampled for the purpose of this study using a 31-item self-administered questionnaire to extract the necessary information. SPSS 28.0 was used for data entry and analysis, alongside Chi-square test that evaluated the connection between variables, a p-value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. The result showed that in practice, 20.5% of respondents avoid HCV patients, and 15.6% do not wear gloves when attending to patients. For vaccination, 27.4% of the respondents were not immunized against the virus. The study found a strong correlation between students' ages and their mean Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice scores (p-value=0.014). This study revealed that 46% of respondents believed that people with hepatitis C should be quarantined. This unfavorable attitude may increase stigmatization of people with hepatitis C in society. Sadly, our survey reveals that 63.7% of respondents had no clue about the protocols that should be followed after a needle injury. This is a dangerous finding because each clinical student should be familiar with these protocols in order to reduce the risk of contracting an infection. In conclusion, there is a very important and urgent need to increase sensitization among clinical medical students as a whole lot of them have poor practice and attitude towards the virus. Keyword : Hepatitis C Virus, Clinical Medical Students, Anambra State DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/72-09 Publication date: November 30 th 2022

Health protection among own account and platform workers during COVID19 in Chile. The PWR project

Abstract Background In the last decades, non-standard employment has grown globally. Especially for own account workers (OAW), this implies the self-management of economic, health and other work-related risks. In the context of COVID19, this management was stressed by lockdowns and the novel health risks imposed by an unknown and highly contagious virus, demanding the incorporation of new knowledge and preventive actions. As part of a six-country multiple case qualitative study on non-standard workers (NSW), we explore their experiences and strategies deployed to protect their health while continuing to work. Methods We performed 40 in-depth interviews to NSWs between October 2020 and February 2021, identified through the PWR online-survey and selected through an intentional sampling strategy according to levels of precarity (high-low), gender (male/female) and age (18-39/40-55). Interviews were analysed through abductive thematic analysis. Results We observed a significant transfer to platform, Uber-like jobs in the delivery of goods during lockdown (n = 7). In the absence of institutional prevention programs and provision of protective equipment, OAWs (n = 13) refer the self-provision of COVID19 prevention to protect themselves and their families while continuing to work, deploying a series of strategies amidst limited understanding of both mode of transmission of the virus and actual effective preventive measures. This had serious consequences for them and their families, expressed in anguish, sense of lack of control, fear, and fragility in the face of a major health risk given their constant potential exposure to the virus, leading to both physical and mental health problems, as well as COVID19 infection. Conclusions The substantial growth worldwide of gig delivery work during lockdowns magnified a pressing public health problem, critically requiring social security for gig and OAWs and the development of more equitable and accessible occupational health for all. Key messages • Substantial growth worldwide of gig delivery work during lockdowns magnified a pressing public health problem. • Social security for gig and OAWs are critically required as well as the development of more equitable and accessible occupational health for all.

Synthesis, Optimization, and Structure-Activity Relationships of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines as Inhibitors of Group 2 Influenza A Viruses.

The influenza A virus (IAV) is a highly contagious virus that causes pandemics and seasonal epidemics, which are major public health issues. Current anti-influenza therapeutics are limited partly due to the continuous emergence of drug-resistant IAV strains; thus, there is an unmet need to develop novel anti-influenza therapies. Here, we present a novel imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine scaffold that targets group 2 IAV entry. We have explored three different regions of the lead compound, and we have developed a series of small molecules that have nanomolar activity against oseltamivir-sensitive and -resistant forms of group 2 IAVs. These small molecules target hemagglutinin (HA), which mediates the viral entry process. Mapping a known small-molecule-binding cavity of the HA structure with resistant mutants suggests that these molecules bind to that cavity and block HA-mediated membrane fusion.

In silico design and evaluation of a multi-epitope and multi-antigenic African swine fever vaccine

African Swine Fever (ASF) is caused by a highly contagious and fatal hemorrhagic virus, which in 2019 alone in Asia, has killed 8 million pigs with a devastating estimated economic loss amounting to $130 billion. There were attempts to control ASFV transmission; however, developed vaccines failed to produce lasting immunity. Currently, no vaccine has been approved yet. This study designed a novel multi-epitope and multi-antigenic vaccine using open-access bioinformatics tools. B-cell, helper-T and cytotoxic T-cell epitopes were predicted using consensus sequences from ASFV genotypes of antigens p12, p17, p22, p54, p72, and CD2v, and combined with adjuvants and linkers to form the ASF vaccine. Analyses revealed that the ASF vaccine is stable, antigenic, non-allergenic, and not cross-reactive. Docking of SLA-1 to CTL-HTL regions of the developed vaccine revealed that it effectively binds to SLA-1, a vital process in priming an effective immune response. Immune simulations demonstrated that the designed ASF vaccine can elicit primary and secondary immune responses, and stimulate the production of effector immune cells and cytokines. Overall, these results revealed that the designed multi-epitope and multi-antigenic ASF vaccine is potentially effective and warrants further in vitro and in vivo studies to confirm its protective function against ASFV infection.

A review of the physicochemical properties of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and its effect on coronavirus disease-2019 manifestation

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization due to its spread to more than 90% of nations of the world with significant consequences on their health, social structure, and economy. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a highly contagious virus of the coronaviridae family that is known to survive on many surfaces for days at various temperatures. It is acid stable at a high titer (1.2 × 103 PFU) for up to an hour and inactivated when exposed to temperatures 33°C and above for up to 30 min. Chemical agents such as ethanol, diethyl ether, chlorine, per-acetic acid, and chloroform likewise inactivate it as well as exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays at 254 nm. Emerging evidence indicate that while modes of transmission of the disease are the same across the globe, incidence rates, clinical manifestation, severity, and outcome of COVID-19 in tropical Africa differ from other continent. Patients in Africa have presented with less severe symptoms, higher rates of recovery, and lower case-fatality rates. There are suggestions that higher environmental temperature and humidity in African countries, immune status, dietary pattern, and sociocultural practices of the people may have contributed to this. This review of literature sought to investigate the probable influence of these factors on the impact of COVID-19 in Africa with recommendations to mitigate its spread and impact on morbidity and mortality.

Detection of New H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Viruses in Winter 2021-2022 in the Far East, Which Are Genetically Close to Those in Europe.

Many high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) cases in wild birds due to H5N1 HPAI virus (HPAIV) infection were reported in northern Japan in the winter of 2021–2022. To investigate the epidemiology of HPAIVs brought to Japan from surrounding areas, a genetic analysis of H5 HPAIVs isolated in northern Japan was performed, and the pathogenicity of the HPAIV in chickens was assessed by experimental infection. Based on the genetic analysis of the hemagglutinin gene, pathogenic viruses detected in northern Japan as well as one in Sakhalin, the eastern part of Russia, were classified into the same subgroup as viruses prevalent in Europe in the same season but distinct from those circulating in Asia in winter 2020–2021. High identities of all eight segment sequences of A/crow/Hokkaido/0103B065/2022 (H5N1) (Crow/Hok), the representative isolates in northern Japan in 2022, to European isolates in the same season could also certify the unlikeliness of causing gene reassortment between H5 HPAIVs and viruses locally circulating in Asia. According to intranasal challenge results in six-week-old chickens, 50% of the chicken-lethal dose of Crow/Hok was calculated as 104.5 times of the 50% egg-infectious dose. These results demonstrated that the currently prevalent H5 HPAIVs could spread widely from certain origins throughout the Eurasian continent, including Europe and the Far East, and implied a possibility that contagious viruses are gathered in lakes in the northern territory via bird migration. Active monitoring of wild birds at the global level is essential to estimate the geographical source and spread dynamics of HPAIVs.

A Real-Time AI-Based System for Identifying Individuals and Monitoring Social Distance for Preventing Contagious Viruses

Abstract: The most recent virus outbreaks have caused unexpected changes in people's lives, resulting in a pandemic that primarily affected our entire civilization. We are still not completely recovered from the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic, and a new virus known as Monkeypox, which is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and direct contact, for which there is currently no immunization available for complete cure the only way to prevent is this to follow safety measures such as social distancing in public areas. The proposed system is based on Artificial intelligence, which uses a deep convolutional neural network to track and identify people violating social distancing with the help of YOLOv3 algorithms to measure the distance between them and make them aware in real-time.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) among Blood Donors from Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Background. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a highly contagious virus, is a circular partial double-stranded DNA virus. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus with a major blood-borne infection worldwide. Infection of HBV and HCV among blood donors is an important public health problem. Objective. To assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses and associated factors among blood donors at Bahir Dar Blood Bank, Northwest Ethiopia. Method. Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahir Dar Blood Bank from May 18, 2020 to July 27, 2020. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 426 participants. Variables having a p value of <0.05 with 95% CI and AOR were considered statistically significant. Results. From 426 proposed participants, 418 (98.1%) of them completed the face-to-face interview. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV among study participants was 4.07% and 0.48%, respectively. Having multiple sexual partners (AOR = 10.356: 95% CI: (2.277–47.099)), having a family history of hepatitis (AOR = 8.106: 95% CI: (1.278–51.403)), and having sharp materials sharing experience (AOR = 11.313, 95% CI: (1.144–111.864)) have a significant association with HBV infection. No risk factors were found for HCV infectious markers. Conclusion and Recommendations. This study showed that the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections confirmed with positive tests among voluntary blood donors in Bahir Dar Blood Bank was 4.07% and 0.48%, respectively. HBV seroprevalence among blood donors in this study has remained stable when compared to a study done in 2013 in the same population. Strict donor selection, safe sex practice, using proper safety precautions when offering care to a family member, and immunization of people at risk could constitute an important package of a prevention program.

Ion Channels and Ions as Therapeutic Targets and Strategies for Herpes Simplex Virus Infection

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a highly contagious virus that cannot be completely cured currently. Existing treatment methods are mainly nucleoside antiviral drugs, and the emergence of drug-resistant strains severely limits their use. There is an urgent need to discover antiviral drugs that act on new targets. Ion channels, a class of cellular proteins with a wide range of functions, have become critical host factors for a wide variety of viral infections. Ion channel blockers have been shown to have antiviral activity. In this study, we discuss the role of ion channels and ions in the HSV life cycle, and the potential of targeting ion channels as a novel, pharmacologically safe and wide-range antiviral treatment option.

Construction and characterization of a contagious ecthyma virus double-gene deletion strain and evaluation of its potential as a live-attenuated vaccine in goat.

Contagious ecthyma is a highly contagious viral disease with zoonotic significance caused by orf virus (ORFV) that affects domestic, ruminants and humans. Live attenuated virus and attenuated tissue culture vaccines are widely used in the fight against ORFV, however, the conventional attenuated vaccine strains have many drawbacks. The aim of this project was to construct a promising contagious ecthyma vaccine strain with safety, high protection efficacy and accessibility by genetic manipulation to against the disease. Using a natural ORFV-GS14 strain as the parental virus, recombinant virus, rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF, with double deletions in the genes encoding the chemokine binding protein (CBP) and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor inhibitory factor (GIF) was generated and characterized in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that the growth kinetics curve of rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF and parental virus was consistent, both reaching plateau phase at 48 h post infection, which indicated that the double deletion of cbp and gif genes had little impact on the replication properties of the recombinant virus in primary goat testis (PGT) cell cultures compared with the parental virus. The safety of the double gene-deleted virus was evaluated in lambs. The lambs were monitored for 21 days post infection of the recombinant virus and no ORFV associated symptoms were observed in 21 days post-infection except for slight fever and anorexia in 5 days post-infection, and all lambs inoculated with either recombinant virus or PBS exhibited no clinical signs. To assess the protection efficacy of the rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF, groups of four lambs each were inoculated with rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF, rGS14-ΔCBP, rGS14-ΔGIF or PBS and challenged by a wild type virulent ORFV strain that was isolated from proliferative scabby lesions tissues of infected goat at 21-day post-inoculation. During 14 days post-challenging, lambs inoculated with rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF all remained healthy with unimmunized group all infected, while the single gene-deleted viruses only protected 40% to 50% animals. These results indicated that the double gene-deleted recombinant virus could provide complete protection against virulent ORFV challenging. In conclusion, the double gene-deleted recombinant virus strain, rGS14-ΔCBP-ΔGIF, would be a promising candidate vaccine strains with safety, high protection efficacy and availability.

MDV-induced differential microRNA expression in the primary lymphoid organ of thymus.

Marek's disease virus (MDV), a highly contagious cell associated virus, is the etiological agent of Marek's disease (MD), a lymphoproliferative and neuropathic disease of domestic chickens. Clinical signs of MD include transient paralysis, bursal/thymic atrophy, and T cell lymphomas. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short single-stranded non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by transcriptional suppression or mRNA degradation. Herpesviruses, including MDV, encode for miRNAs that are known to play essential roles in viral pathogenicity, oncogenesis, and evasion of immune responses. In this study, we performed miRNA sequencing in thymuses of control and MDV-infected chickens of MD-resistant (63) and susceptible (72) lines at 21 days post infection (dpi). The thymus is a lymphoid organ that undergoes severe atrophy due to MDV-induced apoptotic mediated destruction of T cells. Sequence analysis identified 658 total chicken miRNAs in the thymuses of control and MDV-infected birds of both lines. Of these, 453 were novel and 205 were known microRNAs. All novel miRNAs mapped to chicken genome with no sequence homology to existing miRNAs in the chicken miRbase. Comparative analysis between the thymuses of control and infected birds of resistant and susceptible lines identified 78 differentially expressed microRNAs that might provide insights into mechanisms of thymus atrophy.

Construction of an easily detectable transgenic Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 against White Spot Syndrome Virus using vp28 and mOrange Gene and its metabolism in shrimp.

White spot syndrome is an epidemic disease caused by the highly contagious and lethal white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), resulting in huge economic losses to the global aquaculture industry. VP28 is the main structural protein in the capsule of WSSV and is important in the early stage of infection. Under an excitation wavelength of 548 nm, the mOrange fluorescent protein releases a 562 nm emission wavelength, which is different from the autofluorescence of cyanobacteria. Therefore, using this characteristic combined with the receptor system of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, we constructed transgenic S. elongatus to express the recombinant protein VP28-mOrange. In addition, PCR and western blotting were used to confirm the stable expression of the target gene in cyanobacteria. Using mOrange tracer features, we explored the recombinant protein VP28-mOrange in the metabolic cycle of young Litopenaeus Vannamei after feeding. After the young shrimp had stopped consuming transgenic cyanobacteria, the 24 to 33 h fluorescence signal in the intestine was very weak, and almost disappeared after 36 h. We explored the protective effect of transgenic vp28-mOrange S. elongatus within 48 h of being ingested by L. vannamei and set WSSV challenges at 2, 12, 24, and 48 h post-immunization. However, the survival rate of L. vannamei decreased as the time of the WSSV challenge increased. The survival rate on the seventh day was 81%, 52%, 45.5%, and 33.3% for shrimps challenged for 2, 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively. Enzyme activity can also support this conjecture, the enzyme activity indexes of the experimental groups were significantly reduced compared to positive and wild-type controls. Therefore, this immune agent functioned as a preventive agent. Compared with the traditional method, this method was easy to detect and can visualize the digestion of transgenic cyanobacteria in the Litopenaeus vannamei intestine.