37 results on '"Anna C, Fagre"'
Search Results
2. A minimum data standard for vector competence experiments
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Velen Yifei Wu, Binqi Chen, Rebecca Christofferson, Gregory Ebel, Anna C. Fagre, Emily N. Gallichotte, Amy R. Sweeny, Colin J. Carlson, and Sadie J. Ryan
- Subjects
Science - Abstract
Abstract The growing threat of vector-borne diseases, highlighted by recent epidemics, has prompted increased focus on the fundamental biology of vector-virus interactions. To this end, experiments are often the most reliable way to measure vector competence (the potential for arthropod vectors to transmit certain pathogens). Data from these experiments are critical to understand outbreak risk, but – despite having been collected and reported for a large range of vector-pathogen combinations – terminology is inconsistent, records are scattered across studies, and the accompanying publications often share data with insufficient detail for reuse or synthesis. Here, we present a minimum data and metadata standard for reporting the results of vector competence experiments. Our reporting checklist strikes a balance between completeness and labor-intensiveness, with the goal of making these important experimental data easier to find and reuse in the future, without much added effort for the scientists generating the data. To illustrate the standard, we provide an example that reproduces results from a study of Aedes aegypti vector competence for Zika virus.
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- 2022
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3. SARS-CoV-2 infects multiple species of North American deer mice and causes clinical disease in the California mouse
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Juliette Lewis, Shijun Zhan, Allison C. Vilander, Anna C. Fagre, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Hippokratis Kiaris, and Tony Schountz
- Subjects
SARS-CoV-2 ,Peromyscus ,cricetid ,zoonosis ,deer mouse ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China and its rapid global spread has resulted in millions of deaths. An important public health consideration is the potential for SARS-CoV-2 to establish endemicity in secondary animal reservoirs outside of Asia or acquire adaptations that result in new variants with the ability to evade the immune response and reinfect the human population. Previous work has shown that North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are susceptible and can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to naïve conspecifics, indicating its potential to serve as a wildlife reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 in North America. In this study, we report experimental SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of two additional subspecies of the North American deer mouse and two additional deer mouse species, with infectious virus and viral RNA present in oral swabs and lung tissue of infected deer mice and neutralizing antibodies present at 15 days post-challenge. Moreover, some of one species, the California mouse (P. californicus) developed clinical disease, including one that required humane euthanasia. California mice often develop spontaneous liver disease, which may serve as a comorbidity for SARS-CoV-2 severity. The results of this study suggest broad susceptibility of rodents in the genus Peromyscus and further emphasize the potential of SARS-CoV-2 to infect a wide array of North American rodents.
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- 2023
- Full Text
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4. Subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) associated with Asian lineage Zika virus identified in three species of Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae)
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Anna C. Fagre, Juliette Lewis, Megan R. Miller, Eric C. Mossel, Julius J. Lutwama, Luke Nyakarahuka, Teddy Nakayiki, Robert Kityo, Betty Nalikka, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Brian Foy, Tony Schountz, John Anderson, and Rebekah C. Kading
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Serological cross-reactivity among flaviviruses makes determining the prior arbovirus exposure of animals challenging in areas where multiple flavivirus strains are circulating. We hypothesized that prior infection with ZIKV could be confirmed through the presence of subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR), which persists in tissues due to XRN-1 stalling during RNA decay. We amplified ZIKV sfRNA but not NS5 from three experimentally-infected Jamaican fruit bats, supporting the hypothesis of sfRNA tissue persistence. Applying this approach to 198 field samples from Uganda, we confirmed presence of ZIKV sfRNA, but not NS5, in four bats representing three species: Eidolon helvum (n = 2), Epomophorus labiatus (n = 1), and Rousettus aegyptiacus (n = 1). Amplified sequence was most closely related to Asian lineage ZIKV. Our results support the use of sfRNA as a means of identifying previous flavivirus infection and describe the first detection of ZIKV RNA in East African bats.
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- 2021
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5. The Global Virome in One Network (VIRION): an Atlas of Vertebrate-Virus Associations
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Colin J. Carlson, Rory J. Gibb, Gregory F. Albery, Liam Brierley, Ryan P. Connor, Tad A. Dallas, Evan A. Eskew, Anna C. Fagre, Maxwell J. Farrell, Hannah K. Frank, Renata L. Muylaert, Timothée Poisot, Angela L. Rasmussen, Sadie J. Ryan, and Stephanie N. Seifert
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data synthesis ,ecological networks ,global virome ,host-virus interactions ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
ABSTRACT Data that catalogue viral diversity on Earth have been fragmented across sources, disciplines, formats, and various degrees of open sharing, posing challenges for research on macroecology, evolution, and public health. Here, we solve this problem by establishing a dynamically maintained database of vertebrate-virus associations, called The Global Virome in One Network (VIRION). The VIRION database has been assembled through both reconciliation of static data sets and integration of dynamically updated databases. These data sources are all harmonized against one taxonomic backbone, including metadata on host and virus taxonomic validity and higher classification; additional metadata on sampling methodology and evidence strength are also available in a harmonized format. In total, the VIRION database is the largest open-source, open-access database of its kind, with roughly half a million unique records that include 9,521 resolved virus “species” (of which 1,661 are ICTV ratified), 3,692 resolved vertebrate host species, and 23,147 unique interactions between taxonomically valid organisms. Together, these data cover roughly a quarter of mammal diversity, a 10th of bird diversity, and ∼6% of the estimated total diversity of vertebrates, and a much larger proportion of their virome than any previous database. We show how these data can be used to test hypotheses about microbiology, ecology, and evolution and make suggestions for best practices that address the unique mix of evidence that coexists in these data. IMPORTANCE Animals and their viruses are connected by a sprawling, tangled network of species interactions. Data on the host-virus network are available from several sources, which use different naming conventions and often report metadata in different levels of detail. VIRION is a new database that combines several of these existing data sources, reconciles taxonomy to a single consistent backbone, and reports metadata in a format designed by and for virologists. Researchers can use VIRION to easily answer questions like “Can any fish viruses infect humans?” or “Which bats host coronaviruses?” or to build more advanced predictive models, making it an unprecedented step toward a full inventory of the global virome.
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- 2022
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6. A Novel Glucocorticoid and Androgen Receptor Modulator Reduces Viral Entry and Innate Immune Inflammatory Responses in the Syrian Hamster Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
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Savannah M. Rocha, Anna C. Fagre, Amanda S. Latham, Jason E. Cummings, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Philip Reigan, Devin A. Aldaz, Casey P. McDermott, Katriana A. Popichak, Rebekah C. Kading, Tony Schountz, Neil D. Theise, Richard A. Slayden, and Ronald B. Tjalkens
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COVID-19 ,SARS – CoV – 2 ,glucocorticoid receptor ,androgen receptor ,innate immunity ,inflammation ,Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,RC581-607 - Abstract
Despite significant research efforts, treatment options for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain limited. This is due in part to a lack of therapeutics that increase host defense to the virus. Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung tissue is associated with marked infiltration of macrophages and activation of innate immune inflammatory responses that amplify tissue injury. Antagonists of the androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors have shown efficacy in models of COVID-19 and in clinical studies because the cell surface proteins required for viral entry, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2), are transcriptionally regulated by these receptors. We postulated that the GR and AR modulator, PT150, would reduce infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent inflammatory lung injury in the Syrian golden hamster model of COVID-19 by down-regulating expression of critical genes regulated through these receptors. Animals were infected intranasally with 2.5 × 104 TCID50/ml equivalents of SARS-CoV-2 (strain 2019-nCoV/USA-WA1/2020) and PT150 was administered by oral gavage at 30 and 100 mg/Kg/day for a total of 7 days. Animals were examined at 3, 5 and 7 days post-infection (DPI) for lung histopathology, viral load and production of proteins regulating the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results indicated that oral administration of PT150 caused a dose-dependent decrease in replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung, as well as in expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Lung hypercellularity and infiltration of macrophages and CD4+ T-cells were dramatically decreased in PT150-treated animals, as was tissue damage and expression of IL-6. Molecular docking studies suggest that PT150 binds to the co-activator interface of the ligand-binding domain of both AR and GR, thereby acting as an allosteric modulator and transcriptional repressor of these receptors. Phylogenetic analysis of AR and GR revealed a high degree of sequence identity maintained across multiple species, including humans, suggesting that the mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy observed in Syrian hamsters would likely be predictive of positive outcomes in patients. PT150 is therefore a strong candidate for further clinical development for the treatment of COVID-19 across variants of SARS-CoV-2.
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- 2022
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7. Exploring the Mosquito–Arbovirus Network: A Survey of Vector Competence Experiments
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Binqi Chen, Amy R. Sweeny, Velen Y. Wu, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Gregory Ebel, Anna C. Fagre, Emily Gallichotte, Rebekah C. Kading, Sadie J. Ryan, and Colin J. Carlson
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Infectious Diseases ,Virology ,Parasitology - Abstract
Arboviruses receive heightened research attention during major outbreaks or when they cause unusual or severe clinical disease, but they are otherwise undercharacterized. Global change is also accelerating the emergence and spread of arboviral diseases, leading to time-sensitive questions about potential interactions between viruses and novel vectors. Vector competence experiments help determine the susceptibility of certain arthropods to a given arbovirus, but these experiments are often conducted in real time during outbreaks, rather than with preparedness in mind. We conducted a systematic review of reported mosquito–arbovirus competence experiments, screening 570 abstracts to arrive at 265 studies testing in vivo arboviral competence. We found that more than 90% of potential mosquito–virus combinations are untested in experimental settings and that entire regions and their corresponding vectors and viruses are undersampled. These knowledge gaps stymie outbreak response and limit attempts to both build and validate predictive models of the vector–virus network.
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- 2023
8. A Potent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibody That Reduces Viral Burden and Disease Severity in Syrian Hamsters
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Anna C. Fagre, John Manhard, Rachel Adams, Miles Eckley, Shijun Zhan, Juliette Lewis, Savannah M. Rocha, Catherine Woods, Karina Kuo, Wuxiang Liao, Lin Li, Adam Corper, Dilip Challa, Emily Mount, Christine Tumanut, Ronald B. Tjalkens, Tawfik Aboellail, Xiaomin Fan, and Tony Schountz
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COVID ,monoclonal Ab ,SARS-CoV-2 ,therapeutic antibodies ,coronavirus ,Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,RC581-607 - Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 has led to a pandemic that has caused millions of cases of disease, variable morbidity and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Currently, only remdesivir and dexamethasone have demonstrated limited efficacy, only slightly reducing disease burden, thus novel approaches for clinical management of COVID-19 are needed. We identified a panel of human monoclonal antibody clones from a yeast display library with specificity to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain that neutralized the virus in vitro. Administration of the lead antibody clone to Syrian hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2 significantly reduced viral load and histopathology score in the lungs. Moreover, the antibody interrupted monocyte infiltration into the lungs, which may have contributed to the reduction of disease severity by limiting immunopathological exacerbation. The use of this antibody could provide an important therapy for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
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- 2020
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9. Coronavirus sampling and surveillance in bats from 1996–2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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Lily E. Cohen, Anna C. Fagre, Binqi Chen, Colin J. Carlson, and Daniel J. Becker
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Microbiology (medical) ,Immunology ,Genetics ,Cell Biology ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Microbiology - Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 highlights a need for evidence-based strategies to monitor bat viruses. We performed a systematic review of coronavirus sampling (testing for RNA positivity) in bats globally. We identified 110 studies published between 2005 and 2020 that collectively reported positivity from 89,752 bat samples. We compiled 2,274 records of infection prevalence at the finest methodological, spatiotemporal and phylogenetic level of detail possible from public records into an open, static database named datacov, together with metadata on sampling and diagnostic methods. We found substantial heterogeneity in viral prevalence across studies, reflecting spatiotemporal variation in viral dynamics and methodological differences. Meta-analysis identified sample type and sampling design as the best predictors of prevalence, with virus detection maximized in rectal and faecal samples and by repeat sampling of the same site. Fewer than one in five studies collected and reported longitudinal data, and euthanasia did not improve virus detection. We show that bat sampling before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was concentrated in China, with research gaps in South Asia, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa, and in subfamilies of phyllostomid bats. We propose that surveillance strategies should address these gaps to improve global health security and enable the origins of zoonotic coronaviruses to be identified.
- Published
- 2023
10. Three Immunocompetent Small Animal Models That Do Not Support Zika Virus Infection
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Megan R. Miller, Anna C. Fagre, Taylor C. Clarkson, Erin D. Markle, and Brian D. Foy
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ZIKV ,animal models ,flavivirus ,Medicine - Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. ZIKV causes disease in infected humans with added complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome and birth defects in infants born to mothers infected during pregnancy. There are several large immunocompetent animal models for ZIKV including non-human primates (NHPs). NHP models closely reflect human infection; however, due to sample size restrictions, investigations into the effects of transmission route and the impacts on disease dynamics have been understudied. Mice have been widely used for modeling ZIKV infection, yet there are few ZIKV-susceptible immunocompetent mouse models and none of these have been used to investigate sexual transmission. In an effort to identify a small immunocompetent animal model to characterize sexual transmission of ZIKV, we attempt experimental infection of multimammate mice, New Zealand white rabbits, and Hartley guinea pigs. The multimammate mouse is the natural reservoir of Lassa fever virus and has been identified to harbor other human pathogens. Likewise, while NZW rabbits are susceptible to West Nile virus, they have not yet been examined for their susceptibility to infection with ZIKV. Guinea pigs have been successfully used as models for ZIKV infection, but only in immunocompromised life stages (young or pregnant). Here, it was found that the multimammate mouse and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits are not susceptible ZIKV infection as determined by a lack viral RNA in tissues and fluids collected. Sexually mature male Hartley guinea pigs were inoculated subcutaneously and by mosquito bite, but found to be refractory to ZIKV infection, contrary to findings of other studies in young and pregnant guinea pigs. Interestingly, here it is shown that adult male guinea pigs are not susceptible to ZIKV infection, even when infected by natural route (e.g., mosquito bite). Although a new small animal model for the sexual transmission for ZIKV was not established through this study, these findings provide information on outbred animal species that are not permissive to infection (NZW rabbits and multimammate mice) and new information surrounding limitations of a previously established animal model (guinea pigs).
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- 2021
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11. Assessing the risk of human‐to‐wildlife pathogen transmission for conservation and public health
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Anna C. Fagre, Lily E. Cohen, Evan A. Eskew, Max Farrell, Emma Glennon, Maxwell B. Joseph, Hannah K. Frank, Sadie J. Ryan, Colin J Carlson, and Gregory F. Albery
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Mammals ,Primates ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Animals ,COVID-19 ,Humans ,Animals, Wild ,Public Health ,Pandemics ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to increased concern over transmission of pathogens from humans to animals, and its potential to threaten conservation and public health. To assess this threat, we reviewed published evidence of human-to-wildlife transmission events, with a focus on how such events could threaten animal and human health. We identified 97 verified examples, involving a wide range of pathogens; however, reported hosts were mostly non-human primates or large, long-lived captive animals. Relatively few documented examples resulted in morbidity and mortality, and very few led to maintenance of a human pathogen in a new reservoir or subsequent "secondary spillover" back into humans. We discuss limitations in the literature surrounding these phenomena, including strong evidence of sampling bias towards non-human primates and human-proximate mammals and the possibility of systematic bias against reporting human parasites in wildlife, both of which limit our ability to assess the risk of human-to-wildlife pathogen transmission. We outline how researchers can collect experimental and observational evidence that will expand our capacity for risk assessment for human-to-wildlife pathogen transmission.
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- 2022
12. SARS-CoV-2 infects multiple species of North American deer mice and causes clinical disease in the California mouse
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Juliette, Lewis, Shijun, Zhan, Allison C, Vilander, Anna C, Fagre, Hippokratis, Kiaris, and Tony, Schountz
- Subjects
Article - Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China and its rapid global spread has resulted in millions of deaths. An important public health consideration is the potential for SARS-CoV-2 to establish endemicity in a secondary animal reservoir outside of Asia or acquire adaptations that result in new variants with the ability to evade the immune response and reinfect the human population. Previous work has shown that North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are susceptible and can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to naïve conspecifics, indicating its potential to serve as a wildlife reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 in North America. In this study, we report experimental SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of two additional subspecies of the North American deer mouse and two additional deer mouse species, with infectious virus and viral RNA present in oral swabs and lung tissue of infected deer mice and neutralizing antibodies present at 15 days post-challenge. Moreover, some of one species, the California mouse (P. californicus) developed clinical disease, including one that required humane euthanasia. California mice often develop spontaneous liver disease, which may serve as a comorbidity for SARS-CoV-2 severity. The results of this study suggest broad susceptibility of rodents in the genus Peromyscus and further emphasize the potential of SARS-CoV-2 to infect a wide array of North American rodents.ImportanceA significant concern is the spillback of SARS-CoV-2 into North American wildlife species. We have determined that several species of peromyscine rodents, the most abundant mammals in North America, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and that infection is likely long enough that the virus may be able to establish persistence in local rodent populations. Strikingly, some California mice developed clinical disease that suggests this species may be useful for the study of human co-morbidities often associated with severe and fatal COVID-19 disease.
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- 2022
13. Viral diversity and zoonotic risk in endangered species
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Kayla Nikc, Gregory F. Albery, Daniel J. Becker, Evan A. Eskew, Anna C. Fagre, Sadie J. Ryan, and Colin J. Carlson
- Abstract
A growing body of evidence links zoonotic disease risk, including pandemic threats, to biodiversity loss and other upstream anthropogenic impacts on ecosystem health. However, there is little current research assessing viral diversity in endangered species. Here, combining IUCN Red List data on 5,876 mammal species with data on host-virus associations for a subset of 1,273 extant species, we examine the relationship between endangered species status and viral diversity, including the subset of viruses that can infect humans (zoonotic viruses). We show that fewer total viruses and fewer zoonotic viruses are known to infect more threatened species. After correcting for sampling effort, zoonotic virus diversity is mostly independent of threat status, but endangered species—despite a higher apparent research effort—have a significantly lower diversity of viruses, a property that is not explained by collinearity with host phylogeography or life history variation. Although this pattern could be generated by real biological processes, we suspect instead that endangered species may be subject to additional sampling biases not captured by the total volume of scientific literature (e.g., lower rates of invasive sampling may decrease viral discovery). Overall, our findings suggest that endangered species are no more or less likely to host viruses that pose a threat to humans, but future zoonotic threats might remain undiscovered in these species. This may be concerning, given that drivers of endangered species’ vulnerability such as habitat disturbance, wildlife trade, or climate vulnerability may increase virus prevalence in reservoirs and risk of spillover into humans.
- Published
- 2022
14. Sampling strategies and pre-pandemic surveillance gaps for bat coronaviruses
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Lily E. Cohen, Anna C. Fagre, Binqi Chen, Colin J. Carlson, and Daniel J. Becker
- Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, and the challenge of pinpointing its ecological and evolutionary context, has highlighted the importance of evidence-based strategies for monitoring viral dynamics in bat reservoir hosts. Here, we compiled the results of 93,877 samples collected from bats across 111 studies between 1996 and 2018, and used these to develop an unprecedented open database, with over 2,400 estimates of coronavirus infection prevalence or seroprevalence at the finest methodological, spatiotemporal, and phylogenetic level of detail possible from public records. These data revealed a high degree of heterogeneity in viral prevalence, reflecting both real spatiotemporal variation in viral dynamics and the effect of variation in sampling design. Phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis revealed that the most significant determinant of successful viral detection was repeat sampling (i.e., returning to the same site multiple times); however, fewer than one in five studies longitudinally collected and reported data. Viral detection was also more successful in some seasons and from certain tissues, but was not improved by the use of euthanasia, indicating that viral detection may not be improved by terminal sampling. Finally, we found that prior to the pandemic, sampling effort was highly concentrated in ways that reflected concerns about zoonotic risk, leaving several broad geographic regions (e.g., South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and most of Sub-Saharan Africa) and bat subfamilies (e.g., Stenodermatinae and Pteropodinae) measurably undersampled. These gaps constitute a notable vulnerability for global health security and will likely be a future barrier to contextualizing the origin of novel zoonotic coronaviruses.
- Published
- 2022
15. Exploring the mosquito-arbovirus network: a survey of vector competence experiments
- Author
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Binqi Chen, Amy R. Sweeny, Velen Yifei Wu, Rebecca Christofferson, Gregory Ebel, Anna C. Fagre, Emily Gallichotte, Rebekah Kading, Sadie J. Ryan, and Colin J. Carlson
- Abstract
Arboviruses receive heightened research attention during major outbreaks, or when they cause unusual or severe clinical disease, but are otherwise under-characterized. Global change is also accelerating the emergence and spread of arboviral diseases, leading to time sensitive questions about potential interactions between viruses and novel vectors. Vector competence experiments help determine the susceptibility of certain arthropods to a given arbovirus, but these experiments are often conducted in real-time during outbreaks, rather than with preparedness in mind. We conducted a systematic review of reported mosquito-arbovirus competence experiments, screening 570 abstracts to arrive at 265 studies testing in vivo arboviral competence. We found that over 90% of potential mosquito-virus combinations are untested in experimental settings, and that entire regions and their corresponding vectors and viruses are undersampled. These knowledge gaps stymie outbreak response, and limit attempts to both build and validate predictive models of the vector-virus network.
- Published
- 2022
16. Discovery and Characterization of Bukakata orbivirus (Reoviridae:Orbivirus), a Novel Virus from a Ugandan Bat
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Anna C. Fagre, Justin S. Lee, Robert M. Kityo, Nicholas A. Bergren, Eric C. Mossel, Teddy Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Luke Nyakarahuka, Amy T. Gilbert, Julian Kerbis Peterhans, Mary B. Crabtree, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Amy J. Schuh, Stuart T. Nichol, Julius J. Lutwama, Barry R. Miller, and Rebekah C. Kading
- Subjects
arbovirus ,bat ,orbivirus ,next-generation sequencing ,surveillance ,Reoviridae ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
While serological and virological evidence documents the exposure of bats to medically-important arboviruses, their role as reservoirs or amplifying hosts is less well-characterized. We describe a novel orbivirus (Reoviridae:Orbivirus) isolated from an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus leachii) trapped in 2013 in Uganda and named Bukakata orbivirus. This is the fifth orbivirus isolated from a bat, however genetic information had previously only been available for one bat-associated orbivirus. We performed whole-genome sequencing on Bukakata orbivirus and three other bat-associated orbiviruses (Fomede, Ife, and Japanaut) to assess their phylogenetic relationship within the genus Orbivirus and develop hypotheses regarding potential arthropod vectors. Replication kinetics were assessed for Bukakata orbivirus in three different vertebrate cell lines. Lastly, qRT-PCR and nested PCR were used to determine the prevalence of Bukakata orbivirus RNA in archived samples from three populations of Egyptian fruit bats and one population of cave-associated soft ticks in Uganda. Complete coding sequences were obtained for all ten segments of Fomede, Ife, and Japanaut orbiviruses and for nine of the ten segments for Bukakata orbivirus. Phylogenetic analysis placed Bukakata and Fomede in the tick-borne orbivirus clade and Ife and Japanaut within the Culicoides/phlebotomine sandfly orbivirus clade. Further, Bukakata and Fomede appear to be serotypes of the Chobar Gorge virus species. Bukakata orbivirus replicated to high titers (106–107 PFU/mL) in Vero, BHK-21 [C-13], and R06E (Egyptian fruit bat) cells. Preliminary screening of archived bat and tick samples do not support Bukakata orbivirus presence in these collections, however additional testing is warranted given the phylogenetic associations observed. This study provided complete coding sequence for several bat-associated orbiviruses and in vitro characterization of a bat-associated orbivirus. Our results indicate that bats may play an important role in the epidemiology of viruses in the genus Orbivirus and further investigation is warranted into vector-host associations and ongoing surveillance efforts.
- Published
- 2019
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17. Can Bats Serve as Reservoirs for Arboviruses?
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Anna C. Fagre and Rebekah C. Kading
- Subjects
arboviruses ,bats ,reservoir ,wildlife ,zoonoses ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Bats are known to harbor and transmit many emerging and re-emerging viruses, many of which are extremely pathogenic in humans but do not cause overt pathology in their bat reservoir hosts: henipaviruses (Nipah and Hendra), filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg), and coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV). Direct transmission cycles are often implicated in these outbreaks, with virus shed in bat feces, urine, and saliva. An additional mode of virus transmission between bats and humans requiring further exploration is the spread of disease via arthropod vectors. Despite the shared ecological niches that bats fill with many hematophagous arthropods (e.g. mosquitoes, ticks, biting midges, etc.) known to play a role in the transmission of medically important arboviruses, knowledge surrounding the potential for bats to act as reservoirs for arboviruses is limited. To this end, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken examining the current understanding and potential for bats to act as reservoirs for viruses transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods. Serosurveillance and viral isolation from either free-ranging or captive bats are described in relation to four arboviral groups (Bunyavirales, Flaviviridae, Reoviridae, Togaviridae). Further, ecological associations between bats and hematophagous viral vectors are characterized (e.g. bat bloodmeals in mosquitoes, ingestion of mosquitoes by bats, etc). Lastly, knowledge gaps related to hematophagous ectoparasites (bat bugs and bed bugs (Cimicidae) and bat flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae)), in addition to future directions for characterization of bat-vector-virus relationships are described.
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- 2019
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18. Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in Colorado equids and association with clinical disease
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Gabriele A. Landolt, Kristy L. Pabilonia, Christie E. Mayo, and Anna C. Fagre
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General Veterinary ,biology ,040301 veterinary sciences ,business.industry ,030231 tropical medicine ,Cross reactions ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Seroepidemiologic Studies ,biology.organism_classification ,Clinical disease ,Virology ,Serology ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Leptospira ,Seroprevalence ,Medicine ,business ,Leptospira interrogans - Abstract
Detection of Leptospira interrogans is difficult as a result of intermittent leptospiruria and brief leptospiremia. Hence, diagnosis relies heavily on serologic testing, the reference method of which is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). In horses, clinical leptospirosis has been associated with abortion, recurrent uveitis, and sporadic cases of hepatic and renal disease. Little information exists on the seroprevalence of antibodies to L. interrogans in equids in the United States; past nationwide studies suggest that the seroprevalence in some areas is as high as 77% (reciprocal titer ≥ 100). We tested sera from 124 apparently healthy horses previously submitted for equine infectious anemia (EIA) serology using MAT for 6 serovars—Bratislava, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Hardjo, Icterohaemorrhagiae, and Pomona. When using a reciprocal MAT titer cutoff of ≥ 100, 102 of 124 (82%) of the samples were positive for at least one serovar. Seropositivity was significantly associated with increasing age. Query of specimens from clinical cases submitted to the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for MAT since 2010 indicated significantly greater seroprevalence ( p = 0.015) of pathogenic serovar Pomona in clinical cases compared to sera submitted from healthy equids for routine EIA testing. Information from our diagnostic laboratory submission forms also suggests a correlation between uveitis or other ophthalmic problems and serovar Pomona.
- Published
- 2020
19. Optimising predictive models to prioritise viral discovery in zoonotic reservoirs
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Daniel J Becker, Gregory F Albery, Anna R Sjodin, Timothée Poisot, Laura M Bergner, Binqi Chen, Lily E Cohen, Tad A Dallas, Evan A Eskew, Anna C Fagre, Maxwell J Farrell, Sarah Guth, Barbara A Han, Nancy B Simmons, Michiel Stock, Emma C Teeling, and Colin J Carlson
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,Infectious Diseases ,Virology ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Review ,Microbiology - Abstract
Despite the global investment in One Health disease surveillance, it remains difficult and costly to identify and monitor the wildlife reservoirs of novel zoonotic viruses. Statistical models can guide sampling target prioritisation, but the predictions from any given model might be highly uncertain; moreover, systematic model validation is rare, and the drivers of model performance are consequently under-documented. Here, we use the bat hosts of betacoronaviruses as a case study for the data-driven process of comparing and validating predictive models of probable reservoir hosts. In early 2020, we generated an ensemble of eight statistical models that predicted host-virus associations and developed priority sampling recommendations for potential bat reservoirs of betacoronaviruses and bridge hosts for SARS-CoV-2. During a time frame of more than a year, we tracked the discovery of 47 new bat hosts of betacoronaviruses, validated the initial predictions, and dynamically updated our analytical pipeline. We found that ecological trait-based models performed well at predicting these novel hosts, whereas network methods consistently performed approximately as well or worse than expected at random. These findings illustrate the importance of ensemble modelling as a buffer against mixed-model quality and highlight the value of including host ecology in predictive models. Our revised models showed an improved performance compared with the initial ensemble, and predicted more than 400 bat species globally that could be undetected betacoronavirus hosts. We show, through systematic validation, that machine learning models can help to optimise wildlife sampling for undiscovered viruses and illustrates how such approaches are best implemented through a dynamic process of prediction, data collection, validation, and updating. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- Published
- 2022
20. Comparison of detection methods for Salmonella enterica shedding among reptilian patients at a veterinary teaching hospital
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Anna C. Fagre, Matthew S Johnston, Brandy A. Burgess, Kristy L. Pabilonia, and Paul S. Morley
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Thesaurus (information retrieval) ,Salmonella ,General Veterinary ,biology ,040301 veterinary sciences ,business.industry ,Public health ,010401 analytical chemistry ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Teaching hospital ,0403 veterinary science ,Salmonella enterica ,Family medicine ,medicine ,Infection control ,business - Abstract
In the United States, ~1.4 million sporadic human Salmonella enterica infections occur annually, with an estimated 6% attributable to reptile exposure. Detection of Salmonella in reptiles can be challenging given the limitations among detection methods. We evaluated sampling and detection methods for S. enterica in a cross-sectional study of reptilian patients ( n = 45) over the course of 13 mo. Two sampling methods (cloacal swabs, electrostatic cloth body-feet samples) and 3 detection methods (enriched culture, lateral flow immunoassay [LFI], real-time PCR) were compared using McNemar and Fisher exact tests. Results varied by species, sample type, and detection method. In total, 14 of 45 (33%) patients were positive by culture, 10 of 45 (22%), and/or 13 of 45 (29%) by rtPCR. Among rtPCR-positive results, cloacal swabs (12 of 45 [27%]) resulted in a higher detection than body-feet wipes (4 of 45 [9%]; p = 0.01). Among culture-positive results, shedding was most commonly detected after additional incubation at room temperature when testing cloacal swabs (9 of 45 [20%]). However, there was significant disagreement between sampling methods (cloacal vs. body-feet; p = 0.03). No samples were positive by LFI. In general, cloacal swabs yielded the highest test-positive rates, irrespective of testing method. Our study highlights the importance of using detection methods optimized for the sample being tested.
- Published
- 2019
21. The science of the host–virus network
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Timothée Poisot, Angela L. Rasmussen, Benjamin A. Neely, Sadie J. Ryan, Rebecca C. Christofferson, Stephanie N. Seifert, Liam Brierley, Erin M. Sorrell, Anna R Sjodin, Maxwell J. Farrell, Evan A. Eskew, Emma E. Glennon, Nardus Mollentze, Cara E. Brook, Gregory F. Albery, Daniel J. Becker, Maxwell B. Joseph, Lily E. Cohen, Anna C. Fagre, Colin J. Carlson, Sarah Guth, and Tad A. Dallas
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0106 biological sciences ,Microbiology (medical) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Ecology (disciplines) ,Immunology ,Network science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology ,Microbiology ,Virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Zoonoses ,Pandemic ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Human virome ,030304 developmental biology ,QR355 ,0303 health sciences ,Transmission (medicine) ,Public health ,Cell Biology ,Data science ,3. Good health ,Geography ,Virus Diseases ,Host-Pathogen Interactions ,Viruses ,Host (network) ,Virus Physiological Phenomena - Abstract
Better methods to predict and prevent the emergence of zoonotic viruses could support future efforts to reduce the risk of epidemics. We propose a network science framework for understanding and predicting human and animal susceptibility to viral infections. Related approaches have so far helped to identify basic biological rules that govern cross-species transmission and structure the global virome. We highlight ways to make modelling both accurate and actionable, and discuss the barriers that prevent researchers from translating viral ecology into public health policies that could prevent future pandemics.
- Published
- 2021
22. The future of zoonotic risk prediction
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Michelle Rourke, David M. Brett-Major, Noam Ross, Gregory F. Albery, Maxwell J. Farrell, Evan A. Eskew, Kevin J. Olival, Joseph Ogola, Felicia B. Nutter, Kishana Taylor, Anna C. Fagre, Stephanie N. Seifert, Marietjie Venter, Bernard K. Bett, Renata L. Muylaert, Paul W. Webala, Nardus Mollentze, Alexandra Phelan, Colin J. Carlson, Lily E. Cohen, Sadie J. Ryan, Sam F. Halabi, Rory Gibb, Tad A. Dallas, Angela L. Rasmussen, Barbara A. Han, Rebecca Katz, Claire J. Standley, Tarja Sironen, Kristian M. Forbes, Jason Kindrachuk, Zoe Grange, Charlotte C. Hammer, Carlson, Colin J. [0000-0001-6960-8434], Farrell, Maxwell J. [0000-0003-0452-6993], Han, Barbara A. [0000-0002-9948-3078], Brett-Major, David M. [0000-0002-7583-8495], Dallas, Tad [0000-0003-3328-9958], Eskew, Evan A. [0000-0002-1153-5356], Fagre, Anna C. [0000-0002-0969-5078], Forbes, Kristian M. [0000-0002-2112-2707], Gibb, Rory [0000-0002-0965-1649], Hammer, Charlotte C. [0000-0002-8288-0288], Ryan, Sadie J. [0000-0002-4308-6321], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Helsinki One Health (HOH), Viral Zoonosis Research Unit, Emerging Infections Research Group, Department of Virology, Veterinary Biosciences, Medicum, Carlson, Colin J [0000-0001-6960-8434], Farrell, Maxwell J [0000-0003-0452-6993], Han, Barbara A [0000-0002-9948-3078], Brett-Major, David M [0000-0002-7583-8495], Eskew, Evan A [0000-0002-1153-5356], Fagre, Anna C [0000-0002-0969-5078], Forbes, Kristian M [0000-0002-2112-2707], Hammer, Charlotte C [0000-0002-8288-0288], and Ryan, Sadie J [0000-0002-4308-6321]
- Subjects
Disease reservoir ,viral ecology ,EBOLA ,global health ,Animals, Wild ,Airborne transmission ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,access and benefit sharing ,03 medical and health sciences ,Risk Factors ,Political science ,Zoonoses ,PART III: ZOONOTIC DISEASE RISK AND IMPACTS ,Pandemic ,SURVEILLANCE ,Global health ,Animals ,SPILLOVER ,Pandemics ,Opinion piece ,030304 developmental biology ,Disease Reservoirs ,11832 Microbiology and virology ,0303 health sciences ,Equity (economics) ,epidemic risk ,Ecology ,030306 microbiology ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION ,COVID-19 ,HUMANS ,zoonotic risk ,Public relations ,3142 Public health care science, environmental and occupational health ,3. Good health ,Open data ,machine learning ,Infectious disease (medical specialty) ,DISEASES ,Viruses ,HIV-1 ,VIRUS ,HOST-RANGE ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,business ,Laboratories - Abstract
In the light of the urgency raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, global investment in wildlife virology is likely to increase, and new surveillance programmes will identify hundreds of novel viruses that might someday pose a threat to humans. To support the extensive task of laboratory characterization, scientists may increasingly rely on data-driven rubrics or machine learning models that learn from known zoonoses to identify which animal pathogens could someday pose a threat to global health. We synthesize the findings of an interdisciplinary workshop on zoonotic risk technologies to answer the following questions. What are the prerequisites, in terms of open data, equity and interdisciplinary collaboration, to the development and application of those tools? What effect could the technology have on global health? Who would control that technology, who would have access to it and who would benefit from it? Would it improve pandemic prevention? Could it create new challenges? This article is part of the theme issue ‘Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe’.
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- 2021
23. Three Immunocompetent Small Animal Models That Do Not Support Zika Virus Infection
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Anna C. Fagre, Megan R. Miller, Erin D. Markle, Taylor C. Clarkson, and Brian D. Foy
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0301 basic medicine ,Microbiology (medical) ,Sexual transmission ,030231 tropical medicine ,Human pathogen ,Disease ,Article ,Zika virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,flavivirus ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,Immunology and Allergy ,Natural reservoir ,Molecular Biology ,ZIKV ,Pregnancy ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,biology ,Transmission (medicine) ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Virology ,animal models ,Flavivirus ,030104 developmental biology ,Infectious Diseases ,Medicine - Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. ZIKV causes disease in infected humans with added complications of Guillain-Barré syndrome and birth defects in infants born to mothers infected during pregnancy. There are several large immunocompetent animal models for ZIKV including non-human primates (NHPs). NHP models closely reflect human infection, however, due to sample size restrictions, investigations into the effects of transmission route and the impacts on disease dynamics have been understudied. Mice have been widely used for modeling ZIKV infection, yet there are few ZIKV-susceptible immunocompetent mouse models and none of these have been used to investigate sexual transmission. In an effort to identify a small immunocompetent animal model to characterize sexual transmission of ZIKV, we attempt experimental infection of multimammate mice, New Zealand white rabbits, and Hartley guinea pigs. The multimammate mouse is the natural reservoir of Lassa fever virus and has been identified to harbor other human pathogens. Likewise, while NZW rabbits are susceptible to West Nile virus, they have not yet been examined for their susceptibility to infection with ZIKV. Guinea pigs have been successfully used as models for ZIKV infection, but only in immunocompromised life stages (young or pregnant). Here, it was found that the multimammate mouse and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits are not susceptible ZIKV infection as determined by a lack viral RNA in tissues and fluids collected. Sexually mature male Hartley guinea pigs were inoculated subcutaneously and by mosquito bite, but found to be refractory to ZIKV infection, contrary to findings of other studies in young and pregnant guinea pigs. Interestingly, here it is shown that adult male guinea pigs are not susceptible to ZIKV infection, even when infected by natural route (e.g., mosquito bite). Although a new small animal model for the sexual transmission for ZIKV was not established through this study, these findings provide information on outbred animal species that are not permissive to infection (NZW rabbits and multimammate mice) and new information surrounding limitations of a previously established animal model (guinea pigs).
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- 2021
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24. SARS-CoV-2 infection, neuropathogenesis and transmission among deer mice: Implications for spillback to New World rodents
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Brian J. Geiss, Gregory D. Ebel, Nicole R Sexton, Shijun Zhan, Savannah M. Rocha, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Rebekah C. Kading, Tony Schountz, Todd A. Bass, Juliette Lewis, Joel Rovnak, Olve B. Peersen, Bradly Burke, Anna C. Fagre, Ronald B. Tjalkens, and Miles Eckley
- Subjects
Male ,RNA viruses ,Disease reservoir ,Viral Diseases ,Pulmonology ,Coronaviruses ,Virus Replication ,medicine.disease_cause ,Rodent Diseases ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medical Conditions ,Deer mouse ,030212 general & internal medicine ,medicine.vector_of_disease ,Enzyme-Linked Immunoassays ,Biology (General) ,Pathology and laboratory medicine ,Coronavirus ,Mammals ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Eukaryota ,Brain ,Ruminants ,Animal Models ,Medical microbiology ,Olfactory Bulb ,Infectious Diseases ,Experimental Organism Systems ,Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ,Vertebrates ,Viruses ,Female ,Disease Susceptibility ,SARS CoV 2 ,Pathogens ,Anatomy ,Research Article ,Peromyscus ,SARS coronavirus ,QH301-705.5 ,Immunology ,Mouse Models ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Microbiology ,Rodents ,Virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Respiratory Disorders ,Immune system ,Model Organisms ,Viral entry ,Virology ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Immunoassays ,Molecular Biology ,Disease Reservoirs ,030304 developmental biology ,Medicine and health sciences ,Innate immune system ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Deer ,Organisms ,Viral pathogens ,Biology and Life Sciences ,COVID-19 ,Covid 19 ,RC581-607 ,biology.organism_classification ,Microbial pathogens ,Disease Models, Animal ,Amniotes ,Respiratory Infections ,Animal Studies ,Immunologic Techniques ,Parasitology ,Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,Zoology - Abstract
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) emerged in late 2019 in China and rapidly became pandemic. As with other coronaviruses, a preponderance of evidence suggests the virus originated in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) and may have infected an intermediate host prior to spillover into humans. A significant concern is that SARS-CoV-2 could become established in secondary reservoir hosts outside of Asia. To assess this potential, we challenged deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with SARS-CoV-2 and found robust virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, lungs and intestines, with detectable viral RNA for up to 21 days in oral swabs and 6 days in lungs. Virus entry into the brain also occurred, likely via gustatory-olfactory-trigeminal pathway with eventual compromise to the blood-brain barrier. Despite this, no conspicuous signs of disease were observed, and no deer mice succumbed to infection. Expression of several innate immune response genes were elevated in the lungs, including IFNα, IFNβ, Cxcl10, Oas2, Tbk1 and Pycard. Elevated CD4 and CD8β expression in the lungs was concomitant with Tbx21, IFNγ and IL-21 expression, suggesting a type I inflammatory immune response. Contact transmission occurred from infected to naive deer mice through two passages, showing sustained natural transmission and localization into the olfactory bulb, recapitulating human neuropathology. In the second deer mouse passage, an insertion of 4 amino acids occurred to fixation in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that is predicted to form a solvent-accessible loop. Subsequent examination of the source virus from BEI Resources determined the mutation was present at very low levels, demonstrating potent purifying selection for the insert during in vivo passage. Collectively, this work has determined that deer mice are a suitable animal model for the study of SARS-CoV-2 respiratory disease and neuropathogenesis, and that they have the potential to serve as secondary reservoir hosts in North America., Author summary A significant concern is that SARS-CoV-2 could establish in natural wildlife populations that could lead to transmission events to humans. We have determined that deer mice are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and that virus can persist for up to 21 days. Moreover, efficient transmission to other deer mice occurred, suggesting the potential for sustained persistence in natural populations of deer mice. The pathology observed in the respiratory tract resembles that which occurs in human COVID-19 patients, including robust inflammation and infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages, and neurological manifestations in the olfactory bulb and tongue that could impact senses of smell and taste, respectively. Collectively, the work suggests deer mice could serve as secondary reservoir hosts of SARS-CoV-2 and as an animal model for COVID-19 disease studies.
- Published
- 2021
25. Subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) associated with Asian lineage Zika virus identified in three species of Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae)
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Juliette Lewis, Teddy Nakayiki, Jonathan S. Towner, Megan R. Miller, Betty Nalikka, Anna C. Fagre, Eric C. Mossel, John R. Anderson, Tara K. Sealy, Julius J. Lutwama, Brian D. Foy, Luke Nyakarahuka, Robert Kityo, Rebekah C. Kading, Tony Schountz, and Brian R. Amman
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Untranslated region ,Viral epidemiology ,Science ,RNA Stability ,viruses ,030231 tropical medicine ,Viral transmission ,Genome, Viral ,Virus Replication ,Arbovirus ,Article ,Zika virus ,Viral reservoirs ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Chiroptera ,Chlorocebus aethiops ,medicine ,Animals ,Cell Lineage ,Uganda ,Vero Cells ,Subgenomic mRNA ,Ecological epidemiology ,Multidisciplinary ,biology ,Zika Virus Infection ,virus diseases ,RNA ,Zika Virus ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Virology ,Eidolon helvum ,Flavivirus ,030104 developmental biology ,Host-Pathogen Interactions ,Medicine ,RNA, Viral ,Female ,Molecular ecology ,Rousettus - Abstract
Serological cross-reactivity among flaviviruses makes determining the prior arbovirus exposure of animals challenging in areas where multiple flavivirus strains are circulating. We hypothesized that prior infection with ZIKV could be confirmed through the presence of subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR), which persists in tissues due to XRN-1 stalling during RNA decay. We amplified ZIKV sfRNA but not NS5 from three experimentally-infected Jamaican fruit bats, supporting the hypothesis of sfRNA tissue persistence. Applying this approach to 198 field samples from Uganda, we confirmed presence of ZIKV sfRNA, but not NS5, in four bats representing three species: Eidolon helvum (n = 2), Epomophorus labiatus (n = 1), and Rousettus aegyptiacus (n = 1). Amplified sequence was most closely related to Asian lineage ZIKV. Our results support the use of sfRNA as a means of identifying previous flavivirus infection and describe the first detection of ZIKV RNA in East African bats.
- Published
- 2021
26. A novel glucocorticoid and androgen receptor modulator reduces viral entry and innate immune inflammatory responses in the Syrian Hamster model of SARS-CoV-2
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Savannah M. Rocha, Anna C. Fagre, Amanda S. Latham, Katriana A. Popichak, Casey P. McDermott, Clinton C. Dawson, Jason E. Cummings, Juliette Lewis, Philip Reigan, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Rebekah C. Kading, Tony Schountz, Neil D. Theise, Richard A. Slayden, and Ronald B. Tjalkens
- Subjects
Androgen receptor ,Innate immune system ,Viral entry ,Immunology ,medicine ,Hamster ,Lung injury ,Biology ,Receptor ,TMPRSS2 ,Glucocorticoid ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Since its initial discovery in late 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of COVID19, has spread worldwide and despite significant research efforts, treatment options remain limited. Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung is associated with marked infiltration of macrophages and activation of innate immune inflammatory responses triggered, in part, by heightened production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) that recruits lymphocytes to the site of infection that amplify tissue injury. Antagonists of the glucocorticoid and androgen receptors have shown promise in experimental models of COVID19 and in clinical studies, because cell surface proteins required for viral entry, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), are transcriptionally regulated by these receptors. We therefore postulated that the glucocorticoid (GR) and androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, PT150, would reduce infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent inflammatory lung injury in the Syrian golden hamster model of COVID19. Animals were infected intranasally with 2.5 × 104 TCID50/ml equivalents of SARS-CoV-2 (strain 2019-nCoV/USA-WA1/ 2020) and PT150 was administered by oral gavage at 30 and 100 mg/Kg/day for a total of 7 days. Animals were then examined at days 3, 5 and 7 post-infection (DPI) for lung histopathology, viral load and production of proteins regulating the initiation and progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results of these studies indicated that oral administration of PT150 decreased replication of SARS-CoV-2 in lung, as well as expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein. Hypercellularity and inflammatory cell infiltration driven by macrophage responses were dramatically decreased in PT150-treated animals, as was tissue damage and expression of IL-6. Molecular modeling suggested that PT150 binds to the co-activator interface of the ligand binding domain of both AR and GR and thereby acts as an allosteric modulator and transcriptional repressor of these receptors. Phylogenetic analysis of AR and GR across multiple species permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed a high degree of sequence identity maintained across species, including human, suggesting that the mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy observed in Syrian hamsters would likely be predictive of positive outcomes in patients. PT150 is therefore a strong candidate for further clinical development for the treatment of COVID19 across variants of SARS-CoV-2.
- Published
- 2021
27. Parallel pandemics illustrate the need for One Health solutions
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Tracy L. Webb, Edward Okoth Abworo, George Wittemyer, Claire Tucker, Sue VandeWoude, and Anna C. Fagre
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Microbiology (medical) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Climate change ,bepress|Medicine and Health Sciences|Translational Medical Research ,Microbiology ,bepress|Life Sciences|Immunology and Infectious Disease ,bepress|Life Sciences ,disease surveillance and control ,Development economics ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Global health ,bepress|Life Sciences|Immunology and Infectious Disease|Other Immunology and Infectious Disease ,One Health ,African Swine Fever ,Parallels ,business.industry ,Public health ,public health ,COVID-19 ,bepress|Medicine and Health Sciences|Public Health|Environmental Public Health ,bepress|Medicine and Health Sciences ,bepress|Medicine and Health Sciences|Public Health ,QR1-502 ,Intervention (law) ,Perspective ,Livestock ,Business - Abstract
African Swine Fever (ASF) was reported in domestic pigs in China in 2018. This highly contagious viral infection with no effective vaccine reached pandemic proportions by 2019, substantially impacting protein availability in the same region where the COVID-19 pandemic subsequently emerged. We discuss the genesis, spread, and wide-reaching impacts of an epidemic in a vital livestock species, noting parallels and potential contributions to ignition of COVID-19. We speculate about follow-on impacts of these pandemics on global public health infrastructure and suggest intervention strategies using a cost: benefit approach for low-risk, massive-impact events. We note that substantive changes in how the world reacts to potential threats will be required to overcome catastrophes driven by climate change, food insecurity, lack of surveillance infrastructure and other gaps. We note that a One Health approach creating collaborative processes connecting expertise in human, animal, and environmental health is essential for combating future global health crises.
- Published
- 2021
28. A Potent SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibody That Reduces Viral Burden and Disease Severity in Syrian Hamsters
- Author
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Tony Schountz, Wuxiang Liao, Xiaomin Fan, Tawfik Aboelleil, Catherine Woods, Adam Corper, Dilip Challa, Savannah M. Rocha, Christine Tumanut, John Manhard, Karina Kuo, Shijun Zhan, Juliette Lewis, Emily Mount, Lin Li, Rachel Adams, Ronald B. Tjalkens, Miles Eckley, and Anna C. Fagre
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Exacerbation ,coronavirus ,therapeutic antibodies ,Disease ,Antibodies, Viral ,medicine.disease_cause ,Severity of Illness Index ,Immunoglobulin G ,0302 clinical medicine ,Chlorocebus aethiops ,Immunology and Allergy ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Original Research ,COVID ,Coronavirus ,biology ,Antibodies, Monoclonal ,Viral Load ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Antibody ,Viral load ,medicine.drug ,lcsh:Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,medicine.drug_class ,Immunology ,Monoclonal antibody ,Article ,Virus ,monoclonal Ab ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Vero Cells ,Dexamethasone ,Mesocricetus ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Monocyte ,COVID-19 ,biology.organism_classification ,Antibodies, Neutralizing ,COVID-19 Drug Treatment ,030104 developmental biology ,biology.protein ,lcsh:RC581-607 ,business - Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 has led to a pandemic that has caused millions of cases of disease, variable morbidity and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Currently, only remdesivir and dexamethasone have demonstrated limited efficacy, only slightly reducing disease burden, thus novel approaches for clinical management of COVID-19 are needed. We identified a panel of human monoclonal antibody clones from a yeast display library with specificity to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain that neutralized the virus in vitro. Administration of the lead antibody clone to Syrian hamsters challenged with SARS-CoV-2 significantly reduced viral load and histopathology score in the lungs. Moreover, the antibody interrupted monocyte infiltration into the lungs, which may have contributed to the reduction of disease severity by limiting immunopathological exacerbation. The use of this antibody could provide an important therapy for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
- Published
- 2020
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29. SARS-CoV-2 infection, neuropathogenesis and transmission among deer mice: Implications for reverse zoonosis to New World rodents
- Author
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Gregory D. Ebel, Savannah M. Rocha, Anna C. Fagre, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Juliette Lewis, Joel Rovnak, Olve B. Peersen, Bradly Burke, Rebekah C. Kading, Tony Schountz, Nicole R Sexton, Ronald B. Tjalkens, Miles Eckley, Shijun Zhan, and Brian J. Geiss
- Subjects
Innate immune system ,Peromyscus ,biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,biology.organism_classification ,Virology ,Article ,Virus ,Immune system ,Viral replication ,Viral entry ,medicine ,Deer mouse ,medicine.vector_of_disease ,Coronavirus - Abstract
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) emerged in November, 2019 in China and rapidly became pandemic. As with other coronaviruses, a preponderance of evidence suggests the virus originated in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) and likely underwent a recombination event in an intermediate host prior to entry into human populations. A significant concern is that SARS-CoV-2 could become established in secondary reservoir hosts outside of Asia. To assess this potential, we challenged deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with SARS-CoV-2 and found robust virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, lungs and intestines, with detectable viral RNA for up to 21 days in oral swabs and 14 days in lungs. Virus entry into the brain also occurred, likely via gustatory-olfactory-trigeminal pathway with eventual compromise to the blood brain barrier. Despite this, no conspicuous signs of disease were observed and no deer mice succumbed to infection. Expression of several innate immune response genes were elevated in the lungs, notably IFNα, Cxcl10, Oas2, Tbk1 and Pycard. Elevated CD4 and CD8β expression in the lungs was concomitant with Tbx21, IFNγ and IL-21 expression, suggesting a type I inflammatory immune response. Contact transmission occurred from infected to naive deer mice through two passages, showing sustained natural transmission. In the second deer mouse passage, an insertion of 4 amino acids occurred to fixation in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that is predicted to form a solvent-accessible loop. Subsequent examination of the source virus from BEI Resources indicated the mutation was present at very low levels, demonstrating potent purifying selection for the insert during in vivo passage. Collectively, this work has determined that deer mice are a suitable animal model for the study of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, and that they have the potential to serve as secondary reservoir hosts that could lead to periodic outbreaks of COVID-19 in North America.
- Published
- 2020
30. Teaching Wildlife Disease Outbreak Response Through a Collaborative One Health Workshop
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Jennifer L. Malmberg, Margot Stuchin, Ben D. Golas, Anna C. Fagre, Justin S. Lee, Elliott S. Chiu, Nicholas G. Dannemiller, and Kathryn P. Huyvaert
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Outbreak response ,Colorado ,020205 medical informatics ,040301 veterinary sciences ,media_common.quotation_subject ,education ,02 engineering and technology ,Wildlife disease ,Experiential learning ,Article ,Education ,Disease Outbreaks ,0403 veterinary science ,Realm ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Animals ,Humans ,Sociology ,One Health ,Function (engineering) ,Students ,Complex problems ,media_common ,Medical education ,General Veterinary ,Teaching ,Outbreak ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,Education, Veterinary - Abstract
Issues in the fields of wildlife disease and One Health are often difficult to address by single research groups because of the many disciplines and areas of expertise required to effectively solve complex problems. Although collaborations are becoming increasingly prevalent in the professional realm, many undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are merely introduced to the idea of collaboration without fully understanding how team-based approaches function. In this report, we describe the framework for a one-day workshop hosted by the Colorado State University student chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association (CSU WDA), where we gathered students and professionals to collectively investigate a simulated wildlife disease outbreak. CSU WDA student members designed the workshop and recruited professionals who are experts in their respective fields to run an outbreak simulation during the event. Based on pre- and post-event evaluation responses, this workshop was effective in increasing participants’ knowledge of disease ecology, pathology, genetics, and microbiology, as well as the importance of collaboration among disciplines as it pertains to wildlife disease outbreaks.
- Published
- 2019
31. Entomological risk factors for potential transmission of Rift Valley fever virus around concentrations of livestock in Colorado
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Erin M. Borland, Colleen T. Webb, Daniel A. Hartman, Nicholas A. Bergren, Lucy L. Robb, Lauren M. Rice, Rebekah C. Kading, Justin deMaria, and Anna C. Fagre
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animal structures ,Colorado ,Livestock ,Rift Valley Fever ,040301 veterinary sciences ,animal diseases ,Zoology ,Cattle Diseases ,Sheep Diseases ,Mosquito Vectors ,Cattle feeding ,law.invention ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,law ,Aedes ,parasitic diseases ,Animals ,Animal Husbandry ,Relative species abundance ,030304 developmental biology ,Aedes vexans ,0303 health sciences ,Sheep ,General Veterinary ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,biology ,business.industry ,Host (biology) ,food and beverages ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,biology.organism_classification ,Rift Valley fever virus ,Human morbidity ,Culex ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Vector (epidemiology) ,Cattle ,business - Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) poses a major threat of introduction to several continents, including North America. Such an introduction could cause significant losses to the livestock industry, in addition to substantial human morbidity and mortality. Because of the opportunistic blood host selection of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes, we hypothesized that this species could be an important bridge vector of RVFV near feedlots in the event of an introduction. We investigated the mosquito community composition at livestock feedlots and surrounding natural and residential areas to determine differences in mosquito relative abundance and blood feeding patterns attributed to cattle feeding operations. DNA extracted from abdomens of blood-fed mosquitoes were sequenced to determine host identity. Multivariate regression analyses revealed differences between mosquito community assemblages at feedlots and non-feedlot sites (p
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- 2019
32. The Expectations and Challenges of Wildlife Disease Research in the Era of Genomics: Forecasting with a Horizon Scan-like Exercise
- Author
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Wendy C. Turner, Josephine Braun, Steven V. Kubiski, Jill Pecon-Slattery, Katherine E. L. Worsley-Tonks, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, W. Chris Funk, Marie L. J. Gilbertson, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Meredith C. VanAcker, Wray Grimaldi, Anna C. Fagre, Mónica Páez-Vacas, Sue VandeWoude, Dibesh Karmacharya, Bruno M. Ghersi, Sara E. Heisel, Dagan A. Loisel, Christopher P. Kozakiewicz, Caitlin N Ott-Conn, Jennifer D. Antonides, Mark D. Stenglein, Robert R. Fitak, Cait A. McDonald, Simona Kraberger, Claire M. Jardine, Steven C. Miller, Roderick B. Gagne, David Forgacs, Alison J. Peel, Devon O'Rourke, Pauline L. Kamath, Elliott S. Chiu, Eric J. Baitchman, Daryl R. Trumbo, Robert J. Dusek, Elisa Bonaccorso, and Justin S. Lee
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Exploit ,Best practice ,Big data ,Wildlife ,Genomics ,Animals, Wild ,Biology ,Wildlife disease ,Environment ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Animal Diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Genetics ,Animals ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Genetics (clinical) ,Wildlife conservation ,2. Zero hunger ,Comparative genomics ,Genome ,Ecology ,business.industry ,Research ,Computational Biology ,Biodiversity ,Data science ,Biological Evolution ,030104 developmental biology ,Host-Pathogen Interactions ,Disease Susceptibility ,business ,Biotechnology - Abstract
The outbreak and transmission of disease-causing pathogens are contributing to the unprecedented rate of biodiversity decline. Recent advances in genomics have coalesced into powerful tools to monitor, detect, and reconstruct the role of pathogens impacting wildlife populations. Wildlife researchers are thus uniquely positioned to merge ecological and evolutionary studies with genomic technologies to exploit unprecedented “Big Data” tools in disease research; however, many researchers lack the training and expertise required to use these computationally intensive methodologies. To address this disparity, the inaugural “Genomics of Disease in Wildlife” workshop assembled early to mid-career professionals with expertise across scientific disciplines (e.g., genomics, wildlife biology, veterinary sciences, and conservation management) for training in the application of genomic tools to wildlife disease research. A horizon scanning-like exercise, an activity to identify forthcoming trends and challenges, performed by the workshop participants identified and discussed 5 themes considered to be the most pressing to the application of genomics in wildlife disease research: 1) “Improving communication,” 2) “Methodological and analytical advancements,” 3) “Translation into practice,” 4) “Integrating landscape ecology and genomics,” and 5) “Emerging new questions.” Wide-ranging solutions from the horizon scan were international in scope, itemized both deficiencies and strengths in wildlife genomic initiatives, promoted the use of genomic technologies to unite wildlife and human disease research, and advocated best practices for optimal use of genomic tools in wildlife disease projects. The results offer a glimpse of the potential revolution in human and wildlife disease research possible through multi-disciplinary collaborations at local, regional, and global scales.
- Published
- 2018
33. Intake Procedures in Colorado Animal Shelters
- Author
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Francisco Olea-Popelka, Anna C. Fagre, and Rebecca Ruch-Gallie
- Subjects
040301 veterinary sciences ,infectious disease ,Dirofilaria immitis ,medicine.medical_treatment ,animal shelters ,intake procedures ,gastrointestinal endoparasites ,natural disasters ,transfer ,030231 tropical medicine ,Animal-assisted therapy ,Article ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Medicine ,Routine screening ,General Veterinary ,biology ,business.industry ,Risk of infection ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,Risk perception ,Young age ,Infectious disease (medical specialty) ,HUBzero ,Animal Science and Zoology ,business - Abstract
Simple Summary Many animal shelters receive animals from different regions of the United States; particularly following natural disasters or other mass displacements. After Hurricane Katrina; Colorado experienced a surge of animal intakes from regions of the country possessing higher parasitic burden. Little is known about the extent to which shelters tailor their infectious disease screening procedures and other intake protocols based on animal origin. Using a questionnaire; shelter personnel from across the state of Colorado provided information on shelter characteristics including where they receive animals from; general intake procedures; and perceptions on infectious disease risk. We found that more shelters that take dogs in from out of state screen for heartworm and other parasitic diseases than do shelters that only take animals from within the state. No difference was seen for feline screening procedures. We also found that few shelters use widespread screening protocols and instead screen based on suspicion. Lastly; many vaccination protocols in shelters do not comply with The Association of Shelter Veterinarians Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. This study highlights the importance of tailoring animal intake procedures based on where the animal was transferred from. Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe intake procedures in Colorado animal shelters, compare infectious disease screening protocols in shelters taking in animals from out-of-state to shelters only accepting animals from Colorado, and analyze perceived risk of diseases in Colorado by responding shelter personnel. A questionnaire was designed and administered to shelter personnel across the state of Colorado via the survey tool SurveyMonkey© (http://www.surveymonkey.com) or a mailed hard copy. Information collected concerned general shelter characteristics and intake procedures performed in various circumstances as reported by responding shelter personnel. Only 12.5% (5/40) of respondents reported providing core vaccines to all animals upon intake at their shelter, with young age (65.0%; 26/40), pregnancy (55.0%; 22/40), and mild existing illness (40.0%; 16/40) being cited as the top reasons for not administering core vaccines. A significantly larger proportion of shelters taking animals in from around the U.S. screened for Dirofilaria immitis than shelters taking in animals only from within the state of Colorado (p = 0.001), though a majority of respondents considered cats and dogs to be at risk of heartworm and endoparasitic infection in the state of Colorado. Based on the results of this questionnaire, relatively few shelters test dogs and cats for infectious diseases and some of those utilize tests for diagnostic purposes rather than routine screening. Additionally, vaccination protocols in several shelters are not consistent with The Association of Shelter Veterinarians Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. This study provides important information on intake procedures in Colorado animal shelters and highlights the importance of educating shelter staff on varying risk of infection based on the history and origin of the animal being taken in.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Discovery and Characterization of Bukakata orbivirus (Reoviridae:Orbivirus), a Novel Virus from a Ugandan Bat
- Author
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Robert Kityo, Barry R. Miller, Mary B. Crabtree, Betty Nalikka, Rebekah C. Kading, Eric C. Mossel, Amy T. Gilbert, Jonathan S. Towner, Nicholas A. Bergren, Teddy Nakayiki, Luke Nyakarahuka, Brian R. Amman, Justin S. Lee, Julius J. Lutwama, Tara K. Sealy, Julian C. Kerbis Peterhans, Amy J. Schuh, Stuart T. Nichol, and Anna C. Fagre
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,030106 microbiology ,Population ,lcsh:QR1-502 ,Reoviridae ,bat ,Biology ,Arbovirus ,lcsh:Microbiology ,orbivirus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Virology ,medicine ,Clade ,education ,Virus classification ,education.field_of_study ,Orbivirus ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Culicoides ,arbovirus ,030104 developmental biology ,Infectious Diseases ,Novel virus ,surveillance ,next-generation sequencing - Abstract
While serological and virological evidence documents the exposure of bats to medically-important arboviruses, their role as reservoirs or amplifying hosts is less well-characterized. We describe a novel orbivirus (Reoviridae:Orbivirus) isolated from an Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus leachii) trapped in 2013 in Uganda and named Bukakata orbivirus. This is the fifth orbivirus isolated from a bat, however genetic information had previously only been available for one bat-associated orbivirus. We performed whole-genome sequencing on Bukakata orbivirus and three other bat-associated orbiviruses (Fomede, Ife, and Japanaut) to assess their phylogenetic relationship within the genus Orbivirus and develop hypotheses regarding potential arthropod vectors. Replication kinetics were assessed for Bukakata orbivirus in three different vertebrate cell lines. Lastly, qRT-PCR and nested PCR were used to determine the prevalence of Bukakata orbivirus RNA in archived samples from three populations of Egyptian fruit bats and one population of cave-associated soft ticks in Uganda. Complete coding sequences were obtained for all ten segments of Fomede, Ife, and Japanaut orbiviruses and for nine of the ten segments for Bukakata orbivirus. Phylogenetic analysis placed Bukakata and Fomede in the tick-borne orbivirus clade and Ife and Japanaut within the Culicoides/phlebotomine sandfly orbivirus clade. Further, Bukakata and Fomede appear to be serotypes of the Chobar Gorge virus species. Bukakata orbivirus replicated to high titers (106&ndash, 107 PFU/mL) in Vero, BHK-21 [C-13], and R06E (Egyptian fruit bat) cells. Preliminary screening of archived bat and tick samples do not support Bukakata orbivirus presence in these collections, however additional testing is warranted given the phylogenetic associations observed. This study provided complete coding sequence for several bat-associated orbiviruses and in vitro characterization of a bat-associated orbivirus. Our results indicate that bats may play an important role in the epidemiology of viruses in the genus Orbivirus and further investigation is warranted into vector-host associations and ongoing surveillance efforts.
- Published
- 2019
35. A Review of Infectious Agents in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) and Their Long-Term Ecological Relevance
- Author
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Anna C. Fagre, Colleen Duncan, Todd C. Atwood, Kelly A. Patyk, Karsten Hueffer, and Pauline Nol
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,education.field_of_study ,Ecology ,biology ,Ursus maritimus ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Public health ,Population ,Endangered species ,Animals, Wild ,Disease ,Environment ,Communicable Diseases ,Infectious disease (medical specialty) ,Animal ecology ,biology.animal ,Threatened species ,medicine ,Animals ,education ,Ursidae - Abstract
Disease was a listing criterion for the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2008; it is therefore important to evaluate the current state of knowledge and identify any information gaps pertaining to diseases in polar bears. We conducted a systematic literature review focused on infectious agents and associated health impacts identified in polar bears. Overall, the majority of reports in free-ranging bears concerned serosurveys or fecal examinations with little to no information on associated health effects. In contrast, most reports documenting illness or pathology referenced captive animals and diseases caused by etiologic agents not representative of exposure opportunities in wild bears. As such, most of the available infectious disease literature has limited utility as a basis for development of future health assessment and management plans. Given that ecological change is a considerable risk facing polar bear populations, future work should focus on cumulative effects of multiple stressors that could impact polar bear population dynamics.
- Published
- 2014
36. Assessing the rabies control and surveillance systems in Brazil: an experience of measures toward bats after the halt of massive vaccination of dogs and cats in Campinas, Sao Paulo
- Author
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Diego Vinicius De Nadai, Guilherme Basseto Braga, Claudio Luiz Castagna, Fernando Ferreira, Camila Marinelli Martins, Ana Julia Silva e Alves, Aline Gil Alves Guilloux, Ricardo Conde Alves Rodrigues, Ricardo Augusto Dias, Marcos Amaku, Tosca de Lucca, Anna C. Fagre, and Douglas Presotto
- Subjects
Veterinary medicine ,Rabies ,medicine.disease_cause ,Cat Diseases ,CAMPINAS (SP) ,Dogs ,Food Animals ,Environmental health ,Chiroptera ,medicine ,Vaccination of dogs ,Animals ,Dog Diseases ,Molossidae ,Disease Reservoirs ,biology ,Transmission (medicine) ,Rabies virus ,Vaccination ,Insectivore ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Cats ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Mammal ,Brazil - Abstract
Bats are less vulnerable to forest fragmentation than any other mammal, and for that reason, some species can disperse to peri-urban or urban areas. Insectivorous bats are abundant in urban areas due to the density of artificial roosts and insects attracted by city lights. Inter-species transmission of the rabies virus between bats can occur, and this is the most probable mechanism of virus circulation in bat populations. Bats can also transmit the rabies virus to other mammal species, like dogs and cats. With the halt of dog and cat vaccination campaigns in 2010, the importance of rabies surveillance in bats has increased in Brazil. A cross-sectional study performed in Campinas, Sao Paulo State, using data from the passive surveillance system for bats showed that rabies-positive bats from the families Molossidae, Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae were found in a peri-urban area. In these areas, dog and cat emergency vaccination (vaccination blockage) was recommended after the halt of the massive vaccination campaign in 2010. This control strategy was able to increase the proportion of vaccinated animals around a critical value of 50% and even with a higher probability of infectious contact between bats and dogs or cats in the vaccination blockage areas, no dog or cat rabies case was observed, evidencing the importance of the implementation of strategic rabies control measures in this new epidemiological scenario.
- Published
- 2012
37. Erratum to: A Review of Infectious Agents in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) and Their Long-Term Ecological Relevance
- Author
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Colleen Duncan, Karsten Hueffer, Kelly A. Patyk, Pauline Nol, Anna C. Fagre, and Todd C. Atwood
- Subjects
Ecology ,Animal ecology ,Ursus maritimus ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,biology.animal ,Zoology ,Biology - Published
- 2015
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