A systematic review of epidemiological modelling in response to lumpy skin disease outbreaks.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease currently spreading worldwide and poses a serious global threat. However, there is limited evidence and understanding to support the use of models to inform decision-making in LSD outbreak responses. This review aimed to identify modelling approaches that can be used before and during an outbreak of LSD, examining their characteristics and priorities, and proposing a structured workflow.

Comment on Shah et al. Genetic Characteristics and Phylogeographic Dynamics of Lagoviruses, 1988-2021. 2023, , 815.

Shah and colleagues [...

First Detection and Circulation of RHDV2 in New Zealand.

Rabbit haemorrhage disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a highly pathogenic lagovirus that causes lethal disease in rabbits and hares (lagomorphs). Since its first detection in Europe in 2010, RHDV2 has spread worldwide and has been detected in over 35 countries so far. Here, we provide the first detailed report of the detection and subsequent circulation of RHDV2 in New Zealand.

Complete Mitochondrial Genome for (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from the Northern Territory, Australia.

The Australian sheep blowfly, , is a major sheep ectoparasite causing subcutaneous myiasis (flystrike), which can lead to reduced livestock productivity and, in severe instances, death of the affected animals. It is also a primary colonizer of carrion, an efficient pollinator, and used in maggot debridement therapy and forensic investigations. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of from the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, where sheep are prohibited animals, unlike the rest of Australia.

Utilizing Molecular Epidemiology and Citizen Science for the Surveillance of Lagoviruses in Australia.

Australia has multiple lagoviruses with differing pathogenicity. The circulation of these viruses was traditionally determined through opportunistic sampling events. In the lead up to the nationwide release of RHDVa-K5 (GI.

Attenuated IL-2 muteins leverage the TCR signal to enhance regulatory T cell homeostasis and response .

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), along with T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling, are required to control regulatory T cell (Treg) homeostasis and function . Due to the heightened sensitivity to IL-2, Tregs retain the ability to respond to low-dose or attenuated forms of IL-2, as currently being developed for clinical use to treat inflammatory diseases. While attenuated IL-2 increases Treg selectivity, the question remains as to whether a weakened IL-2 signal sufficiently enhances Treg suppressive function(s) toward disease modification.

A quantitative risk assessment for the incursion of lumpy skin disease virus into Australia via long-distance windborne dispersal of arthropod vectors.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease of cattle and water buffalo caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). It is primarily transmitted mechanically by biting insects. LSDV has spread from Africa to the Middle-East, the Balkans, Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Asia and India, suggesting that a wide variety of arthropod vectors are capable of mechanical transmission.

Hepatobiliary organoids derived from leporids support the replication of hepatotropic lagoviruses.

The genus of the family contains some of the most virulent vertebrate viruses known. Lagoviruses infect leporids, such as rabbits, hares and cottontails. Highly pathogenic viruses such as (RHDV1) cause a fulminant hepatitis that typically leads to disseminated intravascular coagulation within 24-72 h of infection, killing over 95 % of susceptible animals.

Sustained Impact of RHDV2 on Wild Rabbit Populations across Australia Eight Years after Its Initial Detection.

Following the arrival of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) in Australia, average rabbit population abundances were reduced by 60% between 2014 and 2018 based on monitoring data acquired from 18 sites across Australia. During this period, as the seropositivity to RHDV2 increased, concurrent decreases were observed in the seroprevalence of both the previously circulating RHDV1 and RCVA, a benign endemic rabbit calicivirus. However, the detection of substantial RHDV1 seropositivity in juvenile rabbits suggested that infections were continuing to occur, ruling out the rapid extinction of this variant.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 from Singapore 2020 outbreak revealed an Australian recombinant variant.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a significant and debilitating viral disease affecting lagomorphs. In September 2020, Singapore reported its first cases of RHD virus (RHDV) infection in domesticated rabbits. The initial findings reported that the outbreak strain belonged to genotype GI.

Cohorting children in a childcare setting: a strategy to reduce SARS-CoV-2 Delta transmission, August-September 2021.

Background: Childcare centres can be high-risk settings for SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to age, vaccination status, and infection control challenges. We describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of a childcare SARS-CoV-2 Delta outbreak. When the outbreak occurred, little was known about the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 ancestral and Delta strains among children.

Public health interventions successfully mitigated multiple incursions of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the Australian Capital Territory.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to understand how real-time pathogen genomics can be used for large-scale outbreak investigations. On 12 August 2021, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) detected an incursion of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.

Does 2x2 airplane passenger contact tracing for infectious respiratory pathogens work? A systematic review of the evidence.

We critically appraised the literature regarding in-flight transmission of a range of respiratory infections to provide an evidence base for public health policies for contact tracing passengers, given the limited pathogen-specific data for SARS-CoV-2 currently available. Using PubMed, Web of Science, and other databases including preprints, we systematically reviewed evidence of in-flight transmission of infectious respiratory illnesses. A meta-analysis was conducted where total numbers of persons on board a specific flight was known, to calculate a pooled Attack Rate (AR) for a range of pathogens.

Comparative Epidemiology of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Strains from Viral Sequence Data.

Since their introduction in 1859, European rabbits () have had a devastating impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in Australia, with competition and land degradation by rabbits being one of the key threats to agricultural and biodiversity values in Australia. Biocontrol agents, with the most important being the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 1 (RHDV1), constitute the most important landscape-scale control strategies for rabbits in Australia. Monitoring field strain dynamics is complex and labour-intensive.

Lagovirus Non-structural Protein p23: A Putative Viroporin That Interacts With Heat Shock Proteins and Uses a Disulfide Bond for Dimerization.

The exact function(s) of the lagovirus non-structural protein p23 is unknown as robust cell culture systems for the (RHDV) and other lagoviruses have not been established. Instead, a range of and models have been used to study p23, revealing that p23 oligomerizes, accumulates in the cytoplasm, and possesses a conserved C-terminal region with two amphipathic helices. Furthermore, the positional homologs of p23 in other caliciviruses have been shown to possess viroporin activity.

Pathogen profiling of Australian rabbits by metatranscriptomic sequencing.

Australia is known for its long history of using biocontrol agents, such as myxoma virus (MYXV) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), to manage wild European rabbit populations. Interestingly, while undertaking RHDV surveillance of rabbits that were found dead, we observed that approximately 40% of samples were negative for RHDV. To investigate whether other infectious agents are responsible for killing rabbits in Australia, we subjected a subset of these RHDV-negative liver samples to metatranscriptomic sequencing.

Immunological Cross-Protection between Different Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Viruses-Implications for Rabbit Biocontrol and Vaccine Development.

The use of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) as a biocontrol agent to control feral rabbit populations in Australia, in combination with circulating endemic strains, provides a unique environment to observe the interactions between different lagoviruses competing for the same host. Following the arrival of RHDV2 (GI.2) in Australia, it became necessary to investigate the potential for immunological cross-protection between different variants, and the implications of this for biocontrol programs and vaccine development.

Cross-protection, infection and case fatality rates in wild European rabbits experimentally challenged with different rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is now the dominant calicivirus circulating in wild rabbit populations in Australia. This study compared the infection and case fatality rates of RHDV2 and two RHDVs in wild rabbits, as well as their ability to overcome immunity to the respective other strains. Wild rabbits were allocated to groups either blindly or based on pre-screening for RHDV/RHDV2 antibodies at capture.

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis E Virus in Wild and Domestic Rabbits in Australia.

In 2020, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) was detected for the first time in Australian rabbits. To improve our understanding of the genetic diversity and distribution of the virus, 1635 rabbit liver samples from locations across Australia were screened via RT-qPCR for HEV. HEV genomes were amplified and sequenced from 48 positive samples.

Outcome of dogs with bone marrow suppression secondary to Sertoli cell tumour.

Sertoli cell tumours are one of the most common canine testicular neoplasia. These tumours are significantly more likely to arise in cryptorchid dogs and are often functional, oestrogen-secreting tumours which can lead to fatal myelotoxicity. The goal of this study was to describe the outcome of dogs with oestrogen-induced bone marrow suppression secondary to Sertoli cell tumours in seven client-owned dogs.

Frequent intergenotypic recombination between the non-structural and structural genes is a major driver of epidemiological fitness in caliciviruses.

The diversity of lagoviruses () in Australia has increased considerably in recent years. By the end of 2017, five variants from three viral genotypes were present in populations of Australian rabbits, while prior to 2014 only two variants were known. To understand the evolutionary interactions among these lagovirus variants, we monitored their geographical distribution and relative incidence over time in a continental-scale competition study.

Passive Immunisation against RHDV2 Induces Protection against Disease but Not Infection.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a lagovirus in the family . The closely related Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV, termed RHDV1 throughout this manuscript for clarity) has been used extensively as a biocontrol agent in Australia since the mid-1990s to manage wild rabbit populations, a major economic and environmental pest species. Releasing RHDV1 into populations with a high proportion of rabbits less than 8-10 weeks of age leads to non-lethal infection in many of these young animals, with subsequent seroconversion and long-term immunity against reinfection.