Publications by authors named "Luis L Rodriguez"

Here, we report the near full-length genome sequence of a isolate obtained from a naturally infected cow () in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. This sequence will support future efforts to improve our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen in endemic regions of Mexico.

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For the first time, we describe phylogenomic signatures of an epidemic lineage of vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV). We applied multiple evolutionary analyses to a dataset of 87 full-length genome sequences representing the circulation of an epidemic VSIV lineage in the US between 2019 and 2020. Based on phylogenetic analyses, we predicted the ancestral relationship of this lineage with a specific group of isolates circulating in the endemic zone of Chiapas, Mexico.

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Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a vector-borne livestock disease caused by the vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV). This study presents the first application of an SEIR-SEI compartmental model to analyze VSNJV transmission dynamics. Focusing on the 2014-2015 outbreak in the United States, the model integrates vertebrate hosts and insect vector demographics while accounting for heterogeneous competency within the populations and observation bias in documented disease cases.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzed the spatial patterns of Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) in the US during the 2014-15 outbreak, using genomic data and confirmed disease cases, alongside environmental factors.
  • Findings indicated that multiple re-invasion events of the virus may have occurred, particularly from a southern virus pool at the US-Mexico border, with implications for how the virus persists over winter.
  • Additionally, the research highlighted the importance of environmental and vector dynamics in disease spread, advocating for targeted management practices like rapid response and movement restrictions to control outbreaks.
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Background: Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a vector-borne pathogen of livestock, emerges periodically in the western US. In New Mexico (NM), US, most cases occur close to the Rio Grande River, implicating black flies (Simulium spp.) as a possible vector.

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  • Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a new virus impacting US livestock, and a specific mutant strain (rNJ0612NME6-M51R) shows reduced virulence in pigs compared to its original form.
  • Researchers used microarray analysis to compare gene expression in pig macrophages infected with the mutant strain versus the parental strain, finding that the mutant triggered a stronger immune response.
  • The study underscores the importance of type I interferon in VSV pathogenesis in pigs and provides a foundation for future research on the disease in livestock.
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Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) grading of aortic stenosis (AS) is challenging when parameters are discrepant, and four-dimensional cardiac computed tomography (4D-CCT) is increasingly utilized for transcatheter intervention workup. We compared TTE and 4D-CCT measures contributing to AS quantification. AS patients (n = 80, age 86 ± 10 years, 71% men) referred for transcatheter replacement in 2014−2017 were retrospectively studied, 20 each with high-gradient AS (HG-AS), classical and paradoxical low-flow low-gradient AS (CLFLG-AS and PLFLG-AS), and normal-flow low-gradient AS (NFLG-AS).

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Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) can persistently infect pharyngeal epithelia in ruminants but not in pigs. Our previous studies demonstrated that persistent FMDV infection in cattle was associated with under-expression of several chemokines that recruit immune cells. This report focuses on the analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified during the transitional phase of infection, defined as the period when animals diverge between becoming carriers or terminators.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infects livestock and spreads through direct contact and midge vectors, with periodic outbreaks in the U.S. stemming from endemic regions in Mexico.
  • In 2012, a more virulent lineage of VSV (1.1) successfully moved into the U.S., while a related lineage (1.2) remained in Mexico, raising questions about the factors aiding this spread.
  • Genetic analysis showed only seven amino acid differences between the lineages, but VSV 1.1 exhibited higher infection rates in midge vectors, suggesting that minor genetic variations can enhance virus-vector interactions, facilitating outbreaks beyond endemic areas.
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Introduction And Objectives: Heart failure (HF) is prevalent in advanced ages. Our objective was to assess the impact of frailty on 1-year mortality in older patients with ambulatory HF.

Methods: Our data come from the FRAGIC study (Spanish acronym for "Study of the impact of frailty and other geriatric syndromes on the clinical management and prognosis of elderly outpatients with heart failure"), a multicenter prospective registry conducted in 16 Spanish hospitals including outpatients ≥ 75 years with HF followed up by cardiology services in Spain.

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Using georeferenced phylogenetic trees, phylogeography allows researchers to elucidate interactions between environmental heterogeneities and patterns of infectious disease spread. Concordant with the increasing availability of pathogen genetic sequence data, there is a growing need for tools to test epidemiological hypotheses in this field. In this study, we apply tools traditionally used in ecology to elucidate the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in Uganda.

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Here, we report the genome of bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV-1) contaminating a continuous fetal bovine kidney cell line. The cell line (LFBK-αβ) is used for the rapid isolation and serotyping of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). The sequence contains the full polyprotein-coding sequence and partial untranslated regions (UTRs).

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Human infection with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a tick-borne pathogen in the family Nairoviridae, can result in a spectrum of outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic infection through mild clinical signs to severe or fatal disease. Studies of CCHFV immunobiology have investigated the relationship between innate and adaptive immune responses with disease severity, attempting to elucidate factors associated with differential outcomes. In this article, we begin by highlighting unanswered questions, then review current efforts to answer them.

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Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) causes a disease in susceptible livestock that is clinically indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth disease. Rapid testing is therefore critical to identify VSV and rule out FMD. We previously developed and validated a multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (mRRT-PCR) for detection of both VS New Jersey virus (VSNJV) and VS Indiana virus (VSIV).

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Background: Current recommendations for echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function (2016 guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) in patients with metabolic syndrome and overweight/obesity result in a significant number of patients with indeterminate diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The aim of this article is to study whether the use of the left atrial strain criterion (LALS) reduces the number of indeterminate patients.

Methods: 229 patients were studied with a complete echocardiographic study that included left ventricular longitudinal strain (LVLS) analysis, LALS and a maximal ergospirometry test with assessment of oxygen uptake (VO).

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Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) emerges periodically from its focus of endemic transmission in southern Mexico to cause epizootics in livestock in the US. The ecology of VSV involves a diverse, but largely undefined, repertoire of potential reservoir hosts and invertebrate vectors. As part of a larger program to decipher VSV transmission, we conducted a study of the spatiotemporal dynamics of black flies, a known vector of VSV, along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, USA from March to December 2020.

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Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is the causative agent of West Nile disease in humans, horses, and some bird species. Since the initial introduction of WNV to the United States (US), approximately 30,000 horses have been impacted by West Nile neurologic disease and hundreds of additional horses are infected each year. Research describing the drivers of West Nile disease in horses is greatly needed to better anticipate the spatial and temporal extent of disease risk, improve disease surveillance, and alleviate future economic impacts to the equine industry and private horse owners.

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The molecular mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in livestock remain poorly understood. Several studies have highlighted the relevant role of macrophages in controlling the systemic dissemination of VSV during infection in different animal models, including mice, cattle, and pigs. To gain more insight into the molecular mechanisms used by VSV to impair the immune response in macrophages, we used microarrays to determine the transcriptomic changes produced by VSV infection in primary cultures of porcine macrophages.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers collected and tested over 12,000 biting flies and grasshoppers near infected farms, identifying species capable of transmitting the virus.
  • * The study found VSNJV genetic material in black flies, with a genetic match to the virus in a horse on the same premises, marking the first documented evidence of VSNJV maintenance in black fly populations during such outbreaks.
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The continued endemicity of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) in East Africa has significant implications for livestock production and poverty reduction, yet its complex epidemiology in endemic settings remains poorly understood. Identifying FMDV dispersal routes and drivers of transmission is key to improved control strategies. Environmental heterogeneity and anthropogenic drivers (e.

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Inactivated, wild-type foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccines are currently used to control FMD around the world. These traditional FMD vaccines are produced using large quantities of infectious, virulent, wild-type FMD viruses, with the associated risk of virus escape from manufacturing facilities or incomplete inactivation during the vaccine formulation process. While higher quality vaccines produced from wild-type FMDV are processed to reduce non-structural antigens, there is still a risk that small amounts of non-structural proteins may be present in the final product.

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Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) infection is identified in the 2018 World Health Organization Research and Development Blueprint and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID) priority A list due to its high risk to public health and national security. Tick-borne CCHFV is widespread, found in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. It circulates between ticks and several vertebrate hosts without causing overt disease, and thus can be present in areas without being noticed by the public.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the persistent infection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in ruminants, focusing on differentially expressed genes (DEG) in epithelial cells of FMDV carriers compared to non-carriers.
  • Pathway analysis reveals that changes in these DEGs can impact immune cell trafficking, potentially reducing the recruitment of certain immune cells like neutrophils while increasing macrophage migration, which may contribute to the virus's persistence.
  • The research suggests that under-expression of specific chemokines and the inhibition of immune responses could hinder the ability of the body to clear the virus, providing insights for future studies on FMDV infections.
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In this study, we explore the virulence of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) in pigs and its potential relationship with the virus's ability to modulate innate responses. For this purpose, we developed a mutant of the highly virulent strain NJ0612NME6, containing a single amino acid substitution in the matrix protein (M51R). The M51R mutant of NJ0612NME6 was unable to suppress the transcription of genes associated with the innate immune response both in primary fetal porcine kidney cells and porcine primary macrophage cultures.

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