Genomic surveillance reveals dynamic shifts in the connectivity of COVID-19 epidemics.

The maturation of genomic surveillance in the past decade has enabled tracking of the emergence and spread of epidemics at an unprecedented level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, genomic data revealed that local epidemics varied considerably in the frequency of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage importation and persistence, likely due to a combination of COVID-19 restrictions and changing connectivity. Here, we show that local COVID-19 epidemics are driven by regional transmission, including across international boundaries, but can become increasingly connected to distant locations following the relaxation of public health interventions.

Wastewater sequencing uncovers early, cryptic SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission.

As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread and evolve, detecting emerging variants early is critical for public health interventions. Inferring lineage prevalence by clinical testing is infeasible at scale, especially in areas with limited resources, participation, or testing/sequencing capacity, which can also introduce biases. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater successfully tracks regional infection dynamics and provides less biased abundance estimates than clinical testing.

Divergent Mast Cell Responses Modulate Antiviral Immunity During Influenza Virus Infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a respiratory pathogen that infects millions of people each year. Both seasonal and pandemic strains of IAV are capable of causing severe respiratory disease with a high risk of respiratory failure and opportunistic secondary infection. A strong inflammatory cytokine response is a hallmark of severe IAV infection.

The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SIAH1 Targets MyD88 for Proteasomal Degradation During Dengue Virus Infection.

The dengue virus presents a serious threat to human health globally and can cause severe, even life-threatening, illness. Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic on all continents except Antarctica, and it is estimated that more than 100 million people are infected each year. Herein, we further mine the data from a previously described screen for microRNAs (miRNAs) that block flavivirus replication.

AuNP-M2e + sCpG vaccination of juvenile mice generates lifelong protective immunity to influenza A virus infection.

Background: Influenza virus infection causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Humans fail to make a universally protective memory response to influenza A because of high mutation rates in the immune-dominant influenza epitopes. We seek the development of a universal influenza A vaccine.