Publications by authors named "Benedikt Litz"
While the viromes and immune systems of bats and rodents have been extensively studied, comprehensive data are lacking for insectivores (order Eulipotyphla) despite their wide geographic distribution. Anthropogenic land use and outdoor recreational activities, as well as changes in the range of shrews, may lead to an expansion of the human-shrew interface with the risk of spillover infections, as reported for Borna disease virus 1. We investigated the virome of 45 individuals of 4 white-toothed shrew species present in Europe, using metagenomic RNA sequencing of tissue and intestine pools.
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- The foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) Leader proteinase L prevents host cell mRNA translation and interferon responses, aiding the virus's survival.
- A variant of FMDV lacking most of the L coding region (ΔLb) was created to study its effect on cattle after infection.
- The study found that this leaderless variant could replicate in lab conditions but failed to cause acute infection or persistently infect the upper respiratory tract of cattle.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers have identified the Rustrela virus (RusV) as the likely cause of 'staggering disease,' a neurological condition affecting domestic cats in Europe for nearly 50 years.
- Metagenomic sequencing and various detection methods confirmed the presence of RusV in the brain tissues of 27 out of 29 affected cats, while control cats showed no evidence of the virus.
- The study also found RusV infections in wood mice in Sweden, suggesting a potential animal reservoir for the virus and raising concerns about its impact on other mammals, possibly including humans.
Safe sample transport is of great importance for infectious diseases diagnostics. Various treatments and buffers are used to inactivate pathogens in diagnostic samples. At the same time, adequate sample preservation, particularly of nucleic acids, is essential to allow an accurate laboratory diagnosis.
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