Publications by authors named "Georg Joachim Eibner"

Wesselsbron virus (WSLV) is a neglected mosquito-borne virus within the yellow fever subgroup in the genus of the family. Despite being primarily a veterinary pathogen able to cause stillbirths, congenital malformations, and mortality in ruminants, WSLV also infects humans, causing a usually self-limiting febrile illness, or may lead to neurological complications in rare cases. WSLV causes sporadic outbreaks in Southern Africa, but findings in mosquitoes from other African countries suggest a wider distribution.

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Article Synopsis
  • Most knowledge about alphavirus diversity comes from studying those that infect humans and livestock during outbreaks, mainly focusing on mosquitoes that are attracted to humans.
  • Research on alphavirus strains in wildlife settings, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has been limited compared to those studied in outbreak scenarios.
  • In a new study conducted in southwestern Uganda, researchers found two alphaviruses, Sindbis virus (SINV) and Middelburg virus (MIDV), indicating their widespread presence in local mosquitoes and suggesting ongoing transmission in the region.
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Anthropogenic disturbance may increase the emergence of zoonoses. Especially generalists that cope with disturbance and live in close contact with humans and livestock may become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, whether anthropogenic disturbance modifies host-pathogen co-evolutionary relationships in generalists is unknown.

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Ngari virus (NRIV) is a mosquito-borne reassortant orthobunyavirus that causes severe febrile illness and hemorrhagic fever in humans and small ruminants. Due to limited diagnostics and surveillance, NRIV has only been detected sporadically during Rift Valley fever virus outbreaks. Little is known on its interepidemic maintenance and geographic distribution.

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Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a human hepatitis-causing RNA virus, unrelated to any other taxonomic group of RNA viruses. Its occurrence as a satellite virus of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a singular case in animal virology for which no consensus evolutionary explanation exists. Here we present a mammalian deltavirus that does not occur in humans, identified in the neotropical rodent species The rodent deltavirus is highly distinct, showing a common ancestor with a recently described deltavirus in snakes.

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