Rabies surveillance in Senegal 2001 to 2015 uncovers first infection of a honey-badger.

Despite the establishment of Rabies surveillance in animals and humans since 2008, there is a lack of data on its circulation, dynamic of transmission and real burden in Senegal. To better understand the molecular epidemiology of rabies virus in Senegal, we investigated the genetic diversity of 18 new characterized Senegalese rabies virus sequences collected over 14 years, including a honey-badger-related isolate. Phylogeographic analyses demonstrated that the Senegalese isolates belong to a monophyletic cluster into the Africa-2 clade and supported two RABV introductions in Senegal from West-African neighbour countries, 36-40 years ago.

A Model for the Production of Regulatory Grade Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Exposure Stocks: From Field Surveillance to Advanced Characterization of SFTSV.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging human pathogen, endemic in areas of China, Japan, and the Korea (KOR). It is primarily transmitted through infected ticks and can cause a severe hemorrhagic fever disease with case fatality rates as high as 30%. Despite its high virulence and increasing prevalence, molecular and functional studies in situ are scarce due to the limited availability of high-titer SFTSV exposure stocks.

Persistence and Intra-Host Genetic Evolution of Zika Virus Infection in Symptomatic Adults: A Special View in the Male Reproductive System.

We followed the presence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in four healthy adults (two men and two women), for periods ranging from 78 to 298 days post symptom onset. The patients were evaluated regarding the presence of the virus in different body fluids (blood, saliva, urine and semen), development of immune responses (including antibodies, cytokines and chemokines), and virus genetic variation within samples collected from semen and urine during the infection course. The analysis was focused primarily on the two male patients who shed the virus for up to 158 days after the initial symptoms.