Heartland virus (HRTV), the first pathogenic Phlebovirus (Family: Bunyaviridae) discovered in the United States, was recently described from two Missouri farmers. In 2012, we collected 56,428 ticks representing three species at 12 sites including both patients' farms. Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis accounted for nearly all ticks collected. Ten pools composed of deplete nymphs of A. americanum collected at a patient farm and a nearby conservation area were reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction positive, and eight pools yielded viable viruses. Sequence data from the nonstructural protein of the Small segment indicates that tick strains and human strains are very similar, ≥ 97.6% sequence identity. This is the first study to isolate HRTV from field-collected arthropods and to implicate ticks as potential vectors. Amblyomma americanum likely becomes infected by feeding on viremic hosts during the larval stage, and transmission to humans occurs during the spring and early summer when nymphs are abundant and actively host seeking.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3771279 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.13-0209 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
We report a patient in North Carolina, USA, with Heartland virus infection whose diagnosis was complicated by previous Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection. We identified E. ewingii-infected and Bourbon virus-infected tick pools at the patient's residence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecular mechanism and structure-guided humanization of a broadly neutralizing antibody against SFTSV.
PLoS Pathog
September 2024
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Article Synopsis
- Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a new tick-borne virus with a high mortality rate (up to 30%) that causes severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS).
- The study focuses on a monoclonal antibody, mAb 40C10, which can neutralize various SFTSV genotypes; researchers identified a specific binding epitope within the virus's glycoprotein N, enhancing understanding of how the antibody works.
- The researchers also humanized mAb 40C10 to make it less likely to provoke an immune response in humans, resulting in antibodies that maintained strong efficacy; one exhibited significant therapeutic potential in mouse models, paving the
Rational design of a multi-epitope vaccine against heartland virus (HRTV) using immune-informatics, molecular docking and dynamics approaches.
Acta Trop
November 2024
Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Article Synopsis
- Heartland virus (HRTV) is a virus that can affect humans, and right now, there are no medicines to treat it, so doctors provide care to help patients feel better.
- Researchers are trying to create a new type of vaccine that can protect people from getting infected with HRTV by using special technology to design it.
- They made a vaccine that includes key parts of the virus, which can help the body build a defense against it, but more tests on animals and in labs are needed to check how well it works and if it's safe.
Current insights into human pathogenic phenuiviruses and the host immune system.
Virulence
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Article Synopsis
- Phenuiviruses are segmented RNA viruses known for their pathogenic strains, including RVFV in Africa, SFTSV in Asia, and HRTV in the U.S., posing significant public health challenges.
- The innate immune system serves as the first line of defense against these viruses, with research ongoing to understand viral virulence factors and host-pathogen interactions.
- Advanced technologies like metagenomics and gene editing are aiding in exploring viral immune evasion and developing treatment options, particularly for RVFV and SFTSV infections.
N-glycosylation of viral glycoprotein is a novel determinant for the tropism and virulence of highly pathogenic tick-borne bunyaviruses.
PLoS Pathog
July 2024
Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan.
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, a tick-borne bunyavirus, causes a severe/fatal disease termed SFTS; however, the viral virulence is not fully understood. The viral non-structural protein, NSs, is the sole known virulence factor. NSs disturbs host innate immune responses and an NSs-mutant SFTS virus causes no disease in an SFTS animal model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!