High seroprevalence of IgM antibodies against chikungunya among patients with acute febrile illness seeking healthcare in a malaria-endemic area in the Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia.

Objective: Chikungunya is a disease caused by mosquito-borne chikungunya virus infection. This disease is becoming one of the emerging/re-emerging viral diseases in tropical and subtropical countries but is neglected by public health systems. This study assessed the seroprevalence of chikungunya virus infection among patients with acute febrile illness seeking healthcare in a malaria-endemic area in the Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia.

Seroprevalence and Co-Circulation of Rift Valley Fever Virus and West Nile Fever Virus in Livestock Population of Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia.

The distribution, epidemiology, and socioeconomic impact of Rift Valley fever (RVF) and West Nile (WN) viruses are poorly known in areas of sub-Saharan countries like Ethiopian pastoral region. The human and livestock density in the area has increased greatly in recent years, but little work has been done on arboviral diseases and their potential impact on human and livestock health. The aim of this study was to detect the circulation of zoonotic arboviruses such as Rift Valley fever virus and West Nile viruses in the livestock population and to estimate seroprevalence in Afar pastoral area northeast Ethiopia.

Electroencephalographic and Behavioral Effects of Intranasal Administration of a Na, K-ATPase-Activating Antibody after Status Epilepticus.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical emergency associated with high mortality and morbidity. Na, K-ATPase, is a promising therapeutic target for SE, given its critical role in regulation of neuron excitability and cellular homeostasis. We investigated the effects of a Na, K-ATPase-activating antibody (DRRSAb) on short-term electrophysiological and behavioral consequences of pilocarpine-induced SE.

Protective Efficacy of Novel Engineered Human ACE2-Fc Fusion Protein Against Pan-SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro and in Vivo.

Enduring occurrence of severe COVID-19 for unvaccinated, aged, or immunocompromised individuals remains an urgent need. Soluble human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been used as a decoy receptor to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is limited by moderate affinity. We describe an engineered, high-affinity ACE2 that is consistently effective in tissue cultures in neutralizing all strains tested, including Delta and Omicron.