Nanoisland SERS-Substrates for Specific Detection and Quantification of Influenza A Virus.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based aptasensors for virus determination have attracted a lot of interest recently. This approach provides both specificity due to an aptamer component and a low limit of detection due to signal enhancement by a SERS substrate. The most successful SERS-based aptasensors have a limit of detection (LoD) of 10-100 viral particles per mL (VP/mL) that is advantageous compared to polymerase chain reactions.

Antigenic Architecture of the H7N2 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Belonging to the North American Lineage.

The North American low pathogenic H7N2 avian influenza A viruses, which lack the 220-loop in the hemagglutinin (HA), possess dual receptor specificity for avian- and human-like receptors. The purpose of this work was to determine which amino acid substitutions in HA affect viral antigenic and phenotypic properties that may be important for virus evolution. By obtaining escape mutants under the immune pressure of treatment with monoclonal antibodies, antigenically important amino acids were determined to be at positions 125, 135, 157, 160, 198, 200, and 275 (H3 numbering).

An Outbreak of Newcastle Disease Virus in the Moscow Region in the Summer of 2022.

In August 2022 on a backyard farm in the Moscow region of Russia, mortality was observed among chickens, and all 45 birds of a particular farm died or were slaughtered after the onset of symptoms within a few days. Paramyxovirus was isolated from the diseased birds. Based on the nucleotide sequences of the F and NP gene fragments, it was determined that the virus belonged to subgenotype VII.

Evolutionary Dynamics of Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Wild Birds in Moscow.

Forty-five strains of AIVs were isolated from wild aquatic birds during their autumn migration through Moscow (Russia). The aim of this work is to study the dynamics of AIV genomes in their natural habitat. Viruses were isolated from fecal sample in embryonated chicken eggs; their complete genomes were sequenced, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed.