Betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43 infections in IGROV-1 cell line require aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

The emergence of novel betacoronaviruses has posed significant financial and human health burdens, necessitating the development of appropriate tools to combat future outbreaks. In this study, we have characterized a human cell line, IGROV-1, as a robust tool to detect, propagate, and titrate betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43. IGROV-1 cells can be used for serological assays, antiviral drug testing, and isolating SARS-CoV-2 variants from patient samples.

Continued adaptation of A/H2N2 viruses during pandemic circulation in humans.

Influenza A viruses of the H2N2 subtype sparked a pandemic in 1957 and circulated in humans until 1968. Because A/H2N2 viruses still circulate in wild birds worldwide and human population immunity is low, the transmissibility of six avian A/H2N2 viruses was investigated in the ferret model. None of the avian A/H2N2 viruses was transmitted between ferrets, suggesting that their pandemic risk may be low.

Cencurut virus: A novel from Asian house shrews () in Singapore.

is a genus of viruses in the family , order with a segmented circular RNA genome. They typically infect birds and mammals and are primarily transmitted by ectoparasites such as ticks. Four of nine genogroups can infect humans, with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infections displaying case fatality rates up to 40%.

Spike-Independent Infection of Human Coronavirus 229E in Bat Cells.

Bats are the reservoir for numerous human pathogens, including coronaviruses. Despite many coronaviruses having descended from bat ancestors, little is known about virus-host interactions and broader evolutionary history involving bats. Studies have largely focused on the zoonotic potential of coronaviruses with few infection experiments conducted in bat cells.

TMEM41B and VMP1 modulate cellular lipid and energy metabolism for facilitating dengue virus infection.

Transmembrane Protein 41B (TMEM41B) and Vacuole Membrane Protein 1 (VMP1) are two ER-associated lipid scramblases that play a role in autophagosome formation and cellular lipid metabolism. TMEM41B is also a recently validated host factor required by flaviviruses and coronaviruses. However, the exact underlying mechanism of TMEM41B in promoting viral infections remains an open question.

A Look inside the Replication Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Blyth's Horseshoe Bat () Kidney Cells.

Bats are considered the natural reservoir of numerous emerging viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs). There is a need for immortalized bat cell lines to culture and investigate the pathogenicity, replication kinetics, and evolution of emerging coronaviruses. We illustrate the susceptibility and permissiveness of a spontaneously immortalized kidney cell line (Rhileki) from Blyth's horseshoe bat () to SARS-CoV-2 virus, including clinical isolates, suggesting a possible virus-host relationship.

Correction: Filovirus-reactive antibodies in humans and bats in Northeast India imply zoonotic spillover.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Factors Associated with Owner-Reported Euthanasia in Equids in France.

There is limited evidence regarding the proportion of dead equids in France that were euthanized and the factors influencing the decision-making of euthanasia. The better understanding of which could facilitate research on improvement of welfare, especially on end of life issues. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of euthanasia and identify associated factors in equids in France.

A mouse model of lethal respiratory dysfunction for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has made millions ill with COVID-19 and even more from the economic fallout of this pandemic. Our quest to test new therapeutics and vaccines require small animal models that replicate disease phenotypes seen in COVID-19 cases. Rodent models of SARS-CoV-2 infection thus far have shown mild to moderate pulmonary disease; mortality, if any, has been associated with prominent signs of central nervous system (CNS) infection and dysfunction.

Etiology of febrile respiratory infections in the general adult population in Singapore, 2007-2013.

Pathogens that cause upper respiratory infections are numerous and specific preventive and therapeutic strategies are scarce. In order to ascertain the etiological agents resulting in upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in adults in Singapore, nasal swab samples were collected from 2057 patients presenting with fever at primary healthcare clinics in Singapore from December 2007 to February 2013. Samples were tested using the Luminex NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel that includes 22 respiratory pathogen targets.

Relationship between rifampicin resistance and RpoB substitutions of Rhodococcus equi strains isolated in France.

Objectives: Study of the rifampicin resistance of Rhodococcus equi strains isolated from French horses over a 20-year period.

Methods: Rifampicin susceptibility was tested by disk diffusion (DD) and broth macrodilution methods, and rpoB gene sequencing and MLST were performed on 40 R. equi strains, 50.

COVID-19 and Beyond: Safety and Design Considerations for the Development of a Mobile Biocontainment Laboratory.

Introduction: An infectious disease outbreak like the current COVID-19 pandemic can lead to particularly high infection rates in areas where diagnostic laboratory support is limited. The deployment of mobile laboratories can help to detect pathogens, monitor the presence in a population, and inform public health authorities to take measures aimed at reducing pathogen spread.

Materials And Methods: Available layouts and operational descriptions of mobile laboratories were analyzed for their suitability for the envisioned purpose and to assure high standards of biosafety and biosecurity.

Discovery and Genomic Characterization of a 382-Nucleotide Deletion in ORF7b and ORF8 during the Early Evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

To date, limited genetic changes in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome have been described. Here, we report a 382-nucleotide (nt) deletion in SARS-CoV-2 that truncates open reading frame 7b (ORF7b) and ORF8, removing the ORF8 transcription regulatory sequence (TRS) and eliminating ORF8 transcription. The earliest 382-nt deletion variant was detected in Singapore on 29 January 2020, with the deletion viruses circulating in the country and accounting for 23.

Lack of cross-neutralization by SARS patient sera towards SARS-CoV-2.

Despite initial findings indicating that SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are genetically related belonging to the same virus species and that the two viruses used the same entry receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), our data demonstrated that there is no detectable cross-neutralization by SARS patient sera against SARS-CoV-2. We also found that there are significant levels of neutralizing antibodies in recovered SARS patients 9-17 years after initial infection. These findings will be of significant use in guiding the development of serologic tests, formulating convalescent plasma therapy strategies, and assessing the longevity of protective immunity for SARS-related coronaviruses in general as well as vaccine efficacy.

Avian influenza viruses in humans: lessons from past outbreaks.

Background: Human infections with avian influenza viruses (AIV) represent a persistent public health threat. The principal risk factor governing human infection with AIV is from direct contact with infected poultry and is primarily observed in Asia and Egypt where live-bird markets are common.

Areas Of Agreement: Changing patterns of virus transmission and a lack of obvious disease manifestations in avian species hampers early detection and efficient control of potentially zoonotic AIV.

Divergent evolutionary trajectories of influenza B viruses underlie their contemporaneous epidemic activity.

Influenza B viruses have circulated in humans for over 80 y, causing a significant disease burden. Two antigenically distinct lineages ("B/Victoria/2/87-like" and "B/Yamagata/16/88-like," termed Victoria and Yamagata) emerged in the 1970s and have cocirculated since 2001. Since 2015 both lineages have shown unusually high levels of epidemic activity, the reasons for which are unclear.

Identification of levers for improving dead equine traceability: A survey of French equine owners' perception of regulatory procedures following their animal's death.

The core of the French equine traceability system is the census database (SIRE) managed by the French horse and riding institute (IFCE). Following the death of an equine, owners are legally obliged to take charge of cadaver removal by contacting a rendering company directly or after registration on the national ATM-équidés ANGEE association (ATM) website, which proposes negotiated prices for removal and recording of the death in the SIRE database. Despite these offers, ATM notes few users.

Filovirus-reactive antibodies in humans and bats in Northeast India imply zoonotic spillover.

Bats are reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens, including filoviruses. Recent work highlights the diversity of bat borne filoviruses in Asia. High risk activities at the bat-human interface pose the threat of zoonotic virus transmission.

Genetic diversity of respiratory enteroviruses and rhinoviruses in febrile adults, Singapore, 2007-2013.

To understand the genetic diversity and patterns of circulation of rhinoviruses (RV) and enteroviruses (EV) in Singapore, we retrospectively screened 2950 nasal swab samples collected from adults presenting to primary care services with signs of febrile illness in Singapore during 2007-2013 using sequencing and phylogenetic methods. Through sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, our results show the year-round circulation of the three rhinovirus species, A, B, and C. A diverse set of RV/EV serotypes were detected in Singapore with a predominance of RV-A in all years, whereas serotypes EV-C A21 and EV-D68 were only sporadically detected.

Resumeq: A Novel Way of Monitoring Equine Diseases Through the Centralization of Necropsy Data.

The French surveillance network for causes of equine mortality (Resumeq) was created in 2015 for the qualitative surveillance of equine mortality through the centralization in a national database of necropsy data and their subsequent epidemiological analysis. It was designed to identify the causes of equine mortality, monitor their evolution over time and space, and detect emerging diseases as early as possible. Resumeq is an event-based surveillance system involving various players and structures.

The Molecular Basis for Antigenic Drift of Human A/H2N2 Influenza Viruses.

Influenza A/H2N2 viruses caused a pandemic in 1957 and continued to circulate in humans until 1968. The antigenic evolution of A/H2N2 viruses over time and the amino acid substitutions responsible for this antigenic evolution are not known. Here, the antigenic diversity of a representative set of human A/H2N2 viruses isolated between 1957 and 1968 was characterized.

Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Human Parainfluenza Viruses 1-4 in Children from Viet Nam.

HPIVs are serologically and genetically grouped into four species that account for up to 10% of all hospitalizations due to acute respiratory infection in children under the age of five. Genetic and epidemiological data for the four HPIVs derived from two pediatric cohorts in Viet Nam are presented. Respiratory samples were screened for HPIV1-4 by real-time PCR.

Serologic Evidence of Fruit Bat Exposure to Filoviruses, Singapore, 2011-2016.

To determine whether fruit bats in Singapore have been exposed to filoviruses, we screened 409 serum samples from bats of 3 species by using a multiplex assay that detects antibodies against filoviruses. Positive samples reacted with glycoproteins from Bundibugyo, Ebola, and Sudan viruses, indicating filovirus circulation among bats in Southeast Asia.