Publications by authors named "Aaron C Brault"

The tools available to vector control districts (VCDs) to collect mosquito surveillance data are constantly evolving. As more VCDs obtain real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instruments and the costs associated with computing power and next-generation sequencing continue to decrease, the option of generating useful molecular data in-house becomes more viable. Measures such as arbovirus testing and genotyping for insecticide resistance mutations using RT-qPCR, and identifying species used for mosquito bloodmeals with next-generation sequencing or Sanger sequencing are examples.

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The 2014 chikungunya outbreak in the Dominican Republic resulted in intense local transmission, with high postoutbreak seroprevalence. The resulting population immunity will likely minimize risk for another large outbreak through 2035, but changes in population behavior or environmental conditions or emergence of different virus strains could lead to increased transmission.

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Article Synopsis
  • Oropouche virus is spreading to new regions in South America and the Caribbean, raising concerns due to its vertical transmission and reported deaths.
  • A review highlights factors affecting its spread and assesses the risk of local transmission in the U.S., which is currently considered low due to ecological differences.
  • Emphasis is put on the need for better understanding and timely public health responses to control potential further outbreaks.
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  • West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of arboviral disease in the U.S., previously dominated by lineage 1 (L1) strains.
  • In 2023, a patient in Nebraska exhibited severe symptoms of West Nile neuroinvasive disease and high viral loads, leading to the discovery of both lineage 1 and a rare lineage 3 (L3) WNV.
  • The detection of L3 WNV, typically found in Central Europe, has raised concerns about its potential impact on the spread and severity of WNV infections in the U.S., highlighting the need for further research and monitoring.
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Beginning in late 2023, Oropouche virus was identified as the cause of large outbreaks in Amazon regions with known endemic transmission and in new areas in South America and the Caribbean. The virus is spread to humans by infected biting midges and some mosquito species. Although infection typically causes a self-limited febrile illness, reports of two deaths in patients with Oropouche virus infection and vertical transmission associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes have raised concerns about the threat of this virus to human health.

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  • In 2021, four organ transplant recipients in the USA developed encephalitis linked to a common donor, prompting an investigation into the cause.
  • Researchers used various testing methods, including metagenomic next-generation sequencing, and discovered yellow fever virus in one recipient's cerebrospinal fluid, confirming recent infections in all recipients.
  • The investigation highlighted the importance of waiting at least 2 weeks after receiving a yellow fever vaccine before donating blood to prevent transfusion-related infections.
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In May 2021, an agricultural worker originally from Trementinal, Argentina, sought treatment for febrile illness in Tarija, Bolivia, where he resided at the time of illness onset. The patient tested negative for hantavirus RNA, but next-generation sequencing of a serum sample yielded a complete genome for Rio Negro virus.

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Arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) populations exist as mutant swarms that are maintained between arthropods and vertebrates. West Nile virus (WNV) population dynamics are host-dependent. In American crows, purifying selection is weak and population diversity is high compared to American robins, which have 100- to 1000-fold lower viremia.

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In 2020, Montana, USA, reported a large increase in Colorado tick fever (CTF) cases. To investigate potential causes of the increase, we conducted a case-control study of Montana residents who tested positive or negative for CTF during 2020, assessed healthcare providers' CTF awareness and testing practices, and reviewed CTF testing methods. Case-patients reported more time recreating outdoors on weekends, and all reported finding a tick on themselves before illness.

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  • The text indicates that a correction has been made to the article identified by the DOI 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010487.
  • This suggests that there were inaccuracies or errors in the original publication that needed addressing.
  • The correction ensures that readers have access to the most accurate and updated information from the article.
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Background: Early detection of human yellow fever (YF) infection in YF-endemic regions is critical to timely outbreak mitigation. African National Laboratories chiefly rely on serological assays that require confirmation at Regional Reference Laboratories, thus delaying results, which themselves are not always definitive often due to antibody cross-reactivity. A positive molecular test result is confirmatory for YF; therefore, a standardized YF molecular assay would facilitate immediate confirmation at National Laboratories.

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Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes congenital defects. Sexual transmission of ZIKV was confirmed in a recent epidemic; however, mechanisms behind ZIKV infection and persistence in the male reproductive tract (MRT) are unknown. Previously, we found that approximately 33% of men with symptomatic ZIKV infections shed ZIKV RNA in semen, and some men shed ZIKV RNA for >3 months.

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Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a flavivirus that frequently causes outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in Africa and South America and is considered a reemerging public health threat. Accurate diagnosis of yellow fever (YF) disease is critical as one confirmed case constitutes an outbreak and may trigger a mass vaccination campaign. Highly sensitive and specific molecular diagnostics have been developed; however, these assays require maintenance of cold-chain during transport of specimens to prevent the degradation of viral RNA prior to testing.

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Article Synopsis
  • Colorado tick fever virus (CTFV), discovered in 1943, is the most common tick-borne viral infection in the Western US, yet there's limited understanding of its molecular diversity.
  • A study presents full-length genomic sequences of five CTFV strains, revealing that the Salmon River virus is closely related to the CTFV prototype, while California hare coltivirus (CTFV-Ca) is genetically distinct and possibly a separate species.
  • This research highlights the need for more genetic data on CTFV strains to enhance surveillance and classification of this under-researched virus.
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Most flaviviruses are transmitted horizontally between vertebrate hosts by haematophagous arthropods. Others exhibit host ranges restricted to vertebrates or arthropods. Vertebrate-specific flaviviruses are commonly referred to as no-known-vector (NKV) flaviviruses and can be separated into bat- and rodent-associated NKV flaviviruses.

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Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is an arbovirus in the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, found in North America and associated with freshwater/hardwood swamps in the Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and Great Lakes regions. EEEV disease in humans is rare but causes substantial illness and death. To investigate the molecular epidemiology and microevolution of EEEV from a fatal case in Alabama, USA, in 2019, we used next-generation sequencing of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

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Long Pine Key virus (LPKV) and Lammi virus are insect-specific flaviviruses that phylogenetically affiliate with dual-host flaviviruses. The goal of this study was to provide insight into the genetic determinants that condition this host range restriction. Chimeras were initially created by replacing select regions of the Zika virus genome, including the premembrane and envelope protein (prM-E) genes, with the corresponding regions of the LPKV genome.

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Prenatal exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) is associated with congenital anomalies of the brain and the eye and neurodevelopmental sequelae. The spectrum of disease outcomes may relate to timing of infection as well as genetic and environmental factors. Congenital infections occurring in twin pregnancies can inform the clinical spectrum of these conditions and provide unique information regarding timing of infection and in utero environment with disease pathophysiology.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Heartland virus (HRTV) was first identified in 2009 in a farmer with specific blood abnormalities and has since had more reported cases, highlighting the need for effective diagnostic tests.
  • Researchers aimed to create quick and reliable antibody tests (IgM and IgG microsphere immunoassays) to help diagnose current and past HRTV infections.
  • The developed tests showed over 95% accuracy and precision, with no cross-reactivity to other viruses, making them effective tools for identifying HRTV in patients.
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Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vaccine-preventable, mosquito-borne disease. Substantial progress with JE control in Asia has been made during the past decade, with most endemic countries now having JE vaccination programs, commonly using live attenuated SA14-14-2 JE vaccine (trade name CD-JEV). If a child develops encephalitis during the weeks to months following CD-JEV vaccination and anti-JE virus IgM (JE IgM) antibody is detected in serum, the question arises if this is JE virus infection indicating vaccine failure, or persistent JE IgM antibody postvaccination.

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Zika virus (ZIKV) can establish infection in immune privileged sites such as the testes, eye, and placenta. Whether ZIKV infection of white blood cells is required for dissemination of the virus to immune privileged sites has not been definitively shown. To assess whether initial ZIKV replication in myeloid cell populations is critical for dissemination during acute infection, recombinant ZIKVs were generated that could not replicate in these specific cells.

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St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a flavivirus that circulates in an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes and can also infect humans to cause febrile disease and sometimes encephalitis. Although SLEV is endemic to the United States, no activity was detected in California during the years 2004 through 2014, despite continuous surveillance in mosquitoes and sentinel chickens.

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Understanding the circumstances under which arboviruses emerge is critical for the development of targeted control and prevention strategies. This is highlighted by the emergence of chikungunya and Zika viruses in the New World. However, to comprehensively understand the ways in which viruses emerge and persist, factors influencing reductions in virus activity must also be understood.

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