Bunyavirus

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 5999

Special Issue Editor

Institute for Parasitology and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Interests: arboviruses; vector and host immunity; arbovirus evolution; arbovirus genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The order of Bunyavirales is a fast growing order of negative stranded-segmented RNA viruses with an enormous host range, including nearly all kinds of vertebrates, as well as invertebrate animals and plants. Most Bunyaviruses are transmitted by either rodents or arthropods, to other vertebrate animals. Because of this, it is generally agreed to separate Bunyaviruses into arthropod-borne and rodent-borne. Arthropod-borne Bunyaviruses include, for example, the mosquito-transmitted Orthobunyaviruses, the sandfly-transmitted Phleboviruses, or the tick-transmitted Nairoviruses. On the other side, Hantaviruses represent the rodent-transmitted Bunyaviruses. Except for Hantaviruses, most Bunyaviruses have amplification cycles in invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, and are associated with disease in humans or livestock. Symptoms might range from mild flu-like disease, to severe symptoms including renal failure, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fevers [1].

In vertebrates, the interferon system plays a crucial role controlling Bunyavirus infections, whereas in arthropod’s, si- and pi-RNA pathways seem to be important. However, detailed analyses of innate and adaptive immune pathways in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts are still scare. In addition, Bunyaviruses are able to extend their genetic diversity by the re-assortment of genome segments during a mixed infection [2]. The clinical relevance of novel Orthobunyaviruses derived by re-assortment was demonstrated by a large outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in East Africa in late 1997 and early 1998, which was related to the Ngari virus (NRIV), a novel re-assortment between the Batai and Bunyamwera Orthobunyavirus [3]. In contrast to the parental viruses, which are associated with mild febrile illness in humans and animals, NRIV was found to be associated with severe symptoms, such as hemorrhagic fever in humans. Besides changes in the pathology, the newly formed viruses might extend their vector- or host-range.

In this exciting context, Pathogens will launch a Special Issue devoted to Bunyaviruses. In this Special Issue, we aim to target the diversity of Bunyaviruses in nature, their interaction with vectors and hosts, and genetic variability of Bunyaviruses, including re-assortment. Both original research and review articles are welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Transmission barriers for vector-borne Bunyavirus transmission
  • Pathogenic mechanisms in vectors and hosts
  • Virus reassortment and genetic diversity
  • Discovery of novel Bunyaviruses

References:

[1] Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Chapter 56Bunyaviruses. Robert E. Shope. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996.

[2] Yanase, T., et al., Genetic characterization of Batai virus indicates a genomic reassortment between orthobunyaviruses in nature. Arch Virol, 2006. 151(11): p. 2253-60.

[3] Bowen, M.D., et al., A reassortant bunyavirus isolated from acute hemorrhagic fever cases in Kenya and Somalia. Virology, 2001. 291(2): p. 185-90.

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Christine Becker
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2833 KiB  
Article
Distribution and Molecular Identification of Culex pipiens and Culex tritaeniorhynchus as Potential Vectors of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Jazan, Saudi Arabia
by Saleh Eifan, Atif Hanif, Islam Nour, Sultan Alqahtani, Zaki M. Eisa, Ommer Dafalla and Alain Kohl
Pathogens 2021, 10(10), 1334; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens10101334 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2119
Abstract
Entomologic investigations were conducted in the Al-Darb, Al-Reath, Al-Aridah, Abuareesh, Al-Ahad, Samttah, Sabyah, Damad and Beash areas by CO2-baited CDC miniature light traps in the Jazan region. Vectors were identified morphologically, as well as COI gene segment amplification and sequencing. The [...] Read more.
Entomologic investigations were conducted in the Al-Darb, Al-Reath, Al-Aridah, Abuareesh, Al-Ahad, Samttah, Sabyah, Damad and Beash areas by CO2-baited CDC miniature light traps in the Jazan region. Vectors were identified morphologically, as well as COI gene segment amplification and sequencing. The relative abundance (RA%) and pattern of occurrence (C%) were recorded. The presence of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in pooled mosquito samples was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Culex pipiens (C. pipiens) and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (C. tritaeniorhynchus) were found with RA% values of 96% and 4%, respectively, in the region. Significant variations in vector population densities were observed in different districts. The C. pipiens was found highly abundant in all districts and RA% value (100%) was recorded in the Al-Darb, Al-Reath, Al-Aridah, Samttah and Damad areas, whereas RA% values (93.75%, 93.33%, 92.30% and 91.66%) were noted in Al-Ahad, Sabyah, Abuareesh and Beash districts, respectively. RA% values for C. tritaeniorhynchus were recorded as 8.33%, 7.70%, 6.66% and 6.25% in Beash, Abuareesh, Sabyah and Al-Ahad areas, respectively. The pattern of occurrence for C. pipiens and C. tritaeniorhynchus was recorded as 100% and 44.4% in the region. Phylogenetic analysis of C. pipiens and C. tritaeniorhynchus exhibited a close relationship with mosquitoes from Kenya and Turkey, respectively. All mosquito samples tested by RT-PCR were found negative for RVFV. In summary, the current study assessed the composition, abundance, distribution of different mosquito vectors and presence of RVFV in different areas of the Jazan region. Our data will help risk assessments of RVFV future re-emergence in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bunyavirus)
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28 pages, 5506 KiB  
Article
Variation Profile of the Orthotospovirus Genome
by Deepti Nigam and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz
Pathogens 2020, 9(7), 521; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens9070521 - 29 Jun 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3280
Abstract
Orthotospoviruses are plant-infecting members of the family Tospoviridae (order Bunyavirales), have a broad host range and are vectored by polyphagous thrips in a circulative-propagative manner. Because diverse hosts and vectors impose heterogeneous selection constraints on viral genomes, the evolutionary arms races between [...] Read more.
Orthotospoviruses are plant-infecting members of the family Tospoviridae (order Bunyavirales), have a broad host range and are vectored by polyphagous thrips in a circulative-propagative manner. Because diverse hosts and vectors impose heterogeneous selection constraints on viral genomes, the evolutionary arms races between hosts and their pathogens might be manifested as selection for rapid changes in key genes. These observations suggest that orthotospoviruses contain key genetic components that rapidly mutate to mediate host adaptation and vector transmission. Using complete genome sequences, we profiled genomic variation in orthotospoviruses. Results show that the three genomic segments contain hypervariable areas at homologous locations across species. Remarkably, the highest nucleotide variation mapped to the intergenic region of RNA segments S and M, which fold into a hairpin. Secondary structure analyses showed that the hairpin is a dynamic structure with multiple functional shapes formed by stems and loops, contains sites under positive selection and covariable sites. Accumulation and tolerance of mutations in the intergenic region is a general feature of orthotospoviruses and might mediate adaptation to host plants and insect vectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bunyavirus)
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