Trans-Amplifying RNA: A Journey from Alphavirus Research to Future Vaccines.

Replicating RNA, including self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and trans-amplifying RNA (taRNA), holds great potential for advancing the next generation of RNA-based vaccines. Unlike transcribed mRNA found in most current RNA vaccines, saRNA or taRNA can be massively replicated within cells in the presence of RNA-amplifying enzymes known as replicases. We recently demonstrated that this property could enhance immune responses with minimal injected RNA amounts.

Excretion Dynamics of Arboviruses in Mosquitoes and the Potential Use in Vector Competence Studies and Arbovirus Surveillance.

The increasing threat of arboviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) requires the fast and efficient surveillance of these viruses. The examination of mosquitoes takes up an important part; however, these investigations are usually very time-consuming. An alternative sample type for arbovirus surveillance might be mosquito excreta.

Host-pathogen associations revealed by genotyping of European strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum to describe natural endemic cycles.

Background: The zoonotic intracellular alpha-proteobacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-transmitted pathogen. The associations between vertebrate reservoirs and vectors are described as wide-ranging, and it was previously shown that the pathogenicity of A. phagocytophilum differs depending on the combination of pathogen variant and infected host species.

First Detection of Hepatitis E Virus ( Genotype C1) in Synanthropic Norway Rats () in Romania.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with different viral genera and species reported in a wide range of animals. Rodents, particularly rats, carry the specific genus rat HEV ( genotype C1) and are exposed occasionally to HEV-3 (, genotype 3), a zoonotic genotype identified in humans and widely distributed in domestic and feral pigs. In this study, the presence of HEV was investigated in synanthropic Norway rats from Eastern Romania, in areas where the presence of HEV-3 was previously reported in pigs, wild boars and humans.

AIMSurv: First pan-European harmonized surveillance of invasive mosquito species of relevance for human vector-borne diseases.

Human and animal vector-borne diseases, particularly mosquito-borne diseases, are emerging or re-emerging worldwide. Six invasive mosquito (AIM) species were introduced to Europe since the 1970s: , , , , and . Here, we report the results of AIMSurv2020, the first pan-European surveillance effort for AIMs.

A Search for Tick-Associated, Bronnoya-like Virus Spillover into Sheep.

Tick-borne diseases are responsible for many vector-borne diseases within Europe. Recently, novel viruses belonging to a new viral family of the order were discovered in numerous tick species. In this study, we used metatranscriptomics to detect the virome, including novel viruses, associated with collected from Romania and France.

First data on bacteria associated with bat ectoparasites collected in Kharkiv oblast, Northeastern Ukraine.

Background: Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) serve as natural reservoirs for many zoonotic pathogens worldwide, including vector-borne pathogens. However, bat-associated parasitic arthropods and their microbiota are thus far not thoroughly described in many regions across the globe, nor is their role in the spillover of pathogens to other vertebrate species well understood. Basic epidemiological research is needed to disentangle the complex ecological interactions among bats, their specific ectoparasites and microorganisms they harbor.

West Nile virus in the Republic of Serbia-Diagnostic performance of five serological tests in dog and horse sera.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus classified as family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus. The first WNV outbreak in humans in the Republic of Serbia was recorded in 2012. Equids and dogs can show clinical symptoms after WNV infection and are often used as sentinels.

Sympatric occurrence of Ixodes ricinus with Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis concinna and the associated tick-borne pathogens near the German Baltic coast.

Background: Ixodid ticks from the Northern Hemisphere have registered a northward expansion in recent years, and Dermacentor reticulatus is such an example in Europe, its expansion being considered a result of climate change alongside other factors. The aim of this study was to identify the composition of questing tick species and the associated pathogens at different sites near the German Baltic coast.

Methods: Questing ticks were collected monthly at four sites (May-November, 2020), mainly grasslands, and in October and November 2020 at a fifth site.

and -Emerging Pathogens in the German Sheep Population.

Knowledge on the occurrence of pathogenic tick-borne bacteria and is scarce in sheep from Germany. In 2020, owners from five flocks reported ill thrift lambs and ewes with tick infestation. Out of 67 affected sheep, 55 animals were clinically examined and hematological values, blood chemistry and fecal examinations were performed to investigate the underlying disease causes.

Global Distribution of Species in Questing Ticks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Published Literature.

Babesiosis caused by the species is a parasitic tick-borne disease. It threatens many mammalian species and is transmitted through infected ixodid ticks. To date, the global occurrence and distribution are poorly understood in questing ticks.

Tick species identification and molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens in blood and ticks collected from cattle in Egypt.

To address the lack of information on ticks infesting cattle in Egypt and the pathogens that they transmit, the current study aimed to (i) provide insight into tick species found on cattle in Egypt, (ii) identify the pathogens in ticks and their cattle hosts and (iii) detect pathogen associations in ticks and cattle. Tick samples and blood from their bovine hosts were collected from three different areas in Egypt (EL-Faiyum Oasis, Assiut Governorate and EL-Kharga Oasis). Tick species were identified by morphology and by sequence analysis of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene.

Zoonotic pathogen screening of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius) from Austria.

The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) is known to carry several zoonotic pathogens, including Leptospira spp. and Dobrava-Belgrade orthohantavirus (DOBV). Since its first detection in 1996 in south-east Austria, the striped field mouse has further expanded its range in Austria.

Common European Origin of Hepatitis E Virus in Human Population From Eastern Romania.

The purpose of this research was to improve the epidemiological data on HEV infection in the human population in Romania. The analysis targeted hospitalized subjects with acute hepatitis ( = 94) of unknown etiology from the Infectious Diseases Regional Hospital in Iasi. Moreover, patients without liver disease ( = 40) from a different county hospital located in Eastern Romania were included.

Epidemiology and genotyping of Anaplasma marginale and co-infection with piroplasms and other Anaplasmataceae in cattle and buffaloes from Egypt.

Background: Anaplasma marginale is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the main cause of bovine anaplasmosis in tropical and subtropical regions. In Egypt, data regarding the prevalence of A. marginale in ruminant hosts and of the circulating genotypes is lacking.

Transstadial Transmission and Replication Kinetics of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 in Laboratory Reared Ticks.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne agent that has also been isolated from several tick species. Vector competence of , one of the most common tick species in Europe, has been poorly investigated for WNV to date. As such, to evaluate the vector competence, laboratory reared nymphs were in vitro fed with WNV lineage 1 infectious blood, allowed to molt, and the resulting females artificially fed to study the virus transmission.

Pathogenicity of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 to German Poultry.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that originates from Africa and at present causes neurological disease in birds, horses, and humans all around the globe. As West Nile fever is an important zoonosis, the role of free-ranging domestic poultry as a source of infection for humans should be evaluated. This study examined the pathogenicity of an Italian WNV lineage 1 strain for domestic poultry (chickens, ducks, and geese) held in Germany.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of ticks and tick-borne pathogens of one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Nigeria.

Background: Ticks are hematophagous arthropods responsible for maintenance and transmission of several pathogens of veterinary and medical importance. Current knowledge on species diversity and pathogens transmitted by ticks infesting camels in Nigeria is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to unravel the status of ticks and tick-borne pathogens of camels in Nigeria.

West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Vector Competence of Indigenous and Mosquitoes from Germany at Temperate Climate Conditions.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a widespread zoonotic arbovirus and a threat to public health in Germany since its first emergence in 2018. It has become of particular relevance in Germany in 2019 due to its rapid geographical spread and the detection of the first human clinical cases. The susceptibility of indigenous (biotypes and ) for a German WNV lineage 2 strain was experimentally compared to that of Serbian biotype and invasive German .

Comparison of vector competence of Aedes vexans Green River and Culex pipiens biotype pipiens for West Nile virus lineages 1 and 2.

West Nile virus (WNV), a zoonotic arbovirus, has recently established an autochthonous transmission cycle in Germany. In dead-end hosts like humans and horses the WNV infection may cause severe symptoms in the central nervous system. In nature, WNV is maintained in an enzootic transmission cycle between birds and ornithophilic mosquitoes.

Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) identification and survey of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks from north-eastern Germany.

Background: Ixodes ricinus is the most common tick species in Europe and the main vector for Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). It is involved also in the transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever spirochete that causes health disorders in humans. Little is known regarding the circulation of Borrelia species and the natural foci of TBEV in north-eastern Germany.

Evidence of West Nile Virus (WNV) Circulation in Wild Birds and WNV RNA Negativity in Mosquitoes of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Romania, 2016.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic flavivirus whose transmission cycle in nature includes wild birds as amplifying hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors. Bridge vectors can transmit WNV to mammal species potentially causing West Nile Fever. Wild bird migration is a mode of WNV introduction into new areas.

The first seroepidemiological survey for Angiostrongylus vasorum in domestic dogs from Romania.

Background: Angiostrongylus vasorum is a metastrongyloid nematode localized in the right heart and the pulmonary arteries of domestic dogs. The number of reports in Europe has recently increased, presumably as a consequence of a growing awareness among clinicians, animal owners and researchers, but also due to a growing incidence and territorial spread. So far, no studies have been conducted to assess the prevalence and distribution of A.

Molecular Evidence of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" in Ticks from Natural and Urban Habitats in Eastern Romania.

Ixodid ticks are competent vectors for multiple pathogens, several of which cause infections in human. The medical importance of tick-borne pathogens is well known, yet unanswered questions remain regarding the occurrence of pathogens such as Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" in questing ticks in Romania.