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Genomic sequencing is essential to track the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2, optimize molecular tests, treatments, vaccines, and guide public health responses. To investigate the global SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, we used sequences shared via GISAID to estimate the impact of sequencing intensity and turnaround times on variant detection in 189 countries. In the first two years of the pandemic, 78% of high-income countries sequenced >0.5% of their COVID-19 cases, while 42% of low- and middle-income countries reached that mark. Around 25% of the genomes from high income countries were submitted within 21 days, a pattern observed in 5% of the genomes from low- and middle-income countries. We found that sequencing around 0.5% of the cases, with a turnaround time

Bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) is recognized as a major cause of economic losses in cattle. Vaccination has been widely applied to minimize losses induced by BoHV-1 infections. We have previously reported the development of a differential BoHV-1 vaccine, based on a recombinant glycoprotein E (gE)-deleted virus (265gE-). In present paper the efficacy of such recombinant was evaluated as an inactivated vaccine. Five BoHV-1 seronegative calves were vaccinated intramuscularly on day 0 and boostered 30 days later with an inactivated, oil adjuvanted vaccine containing an antigenic mass equivalent to 10(7.0) fifty per cent cell culture infectious doses (CCID50) of 265gE-. Three calves were kept as non vaccinated controls. On day 60 post vaccination both vaccinated and controls were challenged with the virulent parental strain. No clinical signs or adverse effects were seen after or during vaccination. After challenge, 2/5 vaccinated calves showed mild clinical signs of infection, whereas all non vaccinated controls displayed intense rhinotracheitis and shed virus for longer and to higher titres than vaccinated calves. Serological responses were detected in all vaccinated animals after the second dose of vaccine, but not on control calves. Following corticosteroid administration in attempting to induce reactivation of the latent infection, no clinical signs were observed in vaccinated calves, whereas non vaccinated controls showed clinical signs of respiratory disease. In view of its immunogenicity and protective effect upon challenge with a virulent BoHV-1, the oil adjuvanted preparation with the inactivated 265gE- recombinant was shown to be suitable for use as a vaccine. O Herpesvírus bovino tipo 1 (BoHV-1) é reconhecido como um importante agente de perdas econômicas em bovinos. Vacinação tem sido amplamente empregada para minimizar as perdas conseqüentes a infecções com o BoHV-1. Reportamos previamente o desenvolvimento de uma vacina diferencial para BoHV-1, baseada em um recombinante do qual a glicoproteína gE (gE) foi deletada (265gE-). No presente trabalho foi realizada a avaliação da eficácia de tal recombinante como vacina inativada. Cinco bovinos soronegativos para BoHV-1 foram vacinadas por via intramuscular no dia 0 e revacinadas 30 dias após com uma vacina inativada com adjuvante oleoso, contendo massa antigênica equivalente a 10(7.0) doses infectantes para 50% dos cultivos celulares (DICC50) de 265gE-. Três animais foram mantidos como controles não vacinados. No dia 60 pós-vacinação, os animais vacinados e controles foram desafiados com a amostra virulenta parental. Nenhum sinal clínico ou efeito adverso foi observado após ou durante a vacinação. Após o desafio, 2 dos 5 animais vacinados apresentaram sinais leves de infecção, enquanto que todos os animais não vacinados apresentaram intensa rinotraqueíte e disseminaram vírus por mais tempo e em títulos mais elevados do que os animais vacinados. Respostas sorológicas foram detectadas em todos os animais vacinados depois da segunda dose de vacina, mas não nos animais do grupo controle. Após a administração de corticosteróide visando a reativação de infecções latentes, não foram observados sinais clínicos em nenhum dos 5 animais vacinados, enquanto os animais não vacinados apresentaram sinais leves de doença respiratória. Em vista de sua imunogenicidade e efeito protetor frente ao desafio com BoHV-1 virulento, a preparação oleosa com o recombinante 265gE- inativado foi demonstrada ser adequada para uso como vacina.

This study aimed the in vitro growth characterization of a previously constructed Brazilian bovine herpesvirus 1.2a with a deletion in the glycoprotein E gene (BHV-1.2a gE-). The plaque sizes, penetration and growth kinetics of the Brazilian BHV-1.2a gE- were studied and compared with the parental virus, as well as with a BHV-1.1 gE- recombinant derived from an European BHV-1.1 strain. No statistical differences were observed between the gE- recombinants and the respective parental viruses penetration assays were performed. When single step growth curves were studied, no statistical differences were observed between gE- and parental viruses. However, it was observed that both gE- viruses were excreted from cells in significantly higher titres at 11 hours post infection in comparison with parental viruses. No statistical differences were observed when plaque sizes of parental viruses or gE- viruses we analyzed separately in each cell type. However, both gE- recombinants displayed a significantly reduced plaque areas on three different cell cultures, in comparison with parental viruses, indicating that the lack of gE had the same effect on both BHV-1 subtypes, manifested by a restricted cell-to-cell spread in infected cells. O presente estudo teve como objetivo a caracterização das propriedades de crescimento in vitro de uma amostra brasileira de herpesvírus bovino tipo 1.2a que apresenta uma deleção no gene que codifica a glicoproteína E (BHV-1.2a gE-). Os tamanhos de placa, cinética de penetração e cinética de multiplicação do vírus BHV-1.2a gE- foram estudados e comparados com o vírus parental, bem como com um vírus BHV-1.1 gE- recombinante, o qual é derivado de uma amostra européia de BHV-1.1. Em termos de cinética de penetração, não foram observadas diferenças significativas quando comparados os vírus gE- com os parentais. A determinação da cinética de multiplicação não demonstrou diferenças significativas entre os quatro vírus estudados. Foi entretanto observado que 11 horas pós infecção os dois vírus gE- foram excretados das células em títulos significativamente maiores do que os vírus parentais. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas quando comparados os diâmetros de placas formadas pelos dois vírus parentais. Da mesma forma, os diâmetros de placas dos vírus gE- foram semelhantes nos três tipos celulares estudados. Entretanto, a comparação dos diâmetros de placas entre os vírus gE- e os parentais mostrou uma redução significativa das placas dos vírus gE- em todos os tipos celulares. Esta característica indica que a falta da gE teve o mesmo efeito em ambos os subtipos de BHV-1, representado por uma disseminação viral célula-célula reduzida.

Com o objetivo de avaliar a capacidade dos herpesvírus bovinos tipos 1 e 5 (BHV-1 e BHV-5) de invadir e replicar no sistema nervoso central (SNC) (neuroinvasividade), bem como sua capacidade de induzir doença neurológica (neurovirulência), coelhos com 30 a 35 dias de idade foram inoculados com uma amostra do Herpesvírus da Encefalite Bovina (BHV-5; amostra EVI 88/95) ou com amostras de BHV-1 (Los Angeles ou Cooper), pelas vias intratecal (IT) e intranasal (IN). A inoculação da amostra de BHV-5, tanto pela via IT como IN, induziu sinais clínicos neurológicos em 100% (12/12) dos coelhos inoculados. Os exames histopatológicos revelaram um quadro de meningoencefalite não-purulenta multifocal, caracterizada por gliose multifocal e infiltrados perivasculares. O vírus foi isolado de várias áreas do SNC desses animais. As amostras de BHV-1, quando inoculadas pela via IT, não foram neurovirulentas. A amostra Los Angeles de BHV-1, quando administrada pela via IN, induziu sinais respiratórios severos, além de sinais neurológicos em 57% (4/7) dos animais inoculados. Entretanto, o exame histopatológico destes quatro animais revelou vasculite e trombose no pulmão e cérebro, este último apresentando focos de necrose neuronal, porém sem lesões indicativas de encefalite. Isso sugere que os sinais neurológicos foram, provavelmente, conseqüentes a prejuízos no fluxo sangüíneo encefálico, e não a danos neuronais provocados pela inoculação desse vírus. A amostra Cooper de BHV-1, quando inoculada pela via IN, induziu apenas sinais leves de infecção respiratória. Estes resultados indicam que apenas a amostra de BHV-5 foi capaz de invadir e replicar no encéfalo dos coelhos quando inoculada tanto por via IN como IT, apresentando neuroinvasividade e neurovirulência. É possível que estas observações tenham relação com o fato de amostras de BHV-5 freqüentemente causarem encefalites, em contraposição a infecções pelo BHV-1, onde encefalites são raramente observadas. In order to determine the capacity of bovine herpesvirus type 1 and 5 (BHV-1 and BHV-5) to invade, multiply and spread along the central nervous system (CNS) (neuroinvasiveness), as well as their potential to induce neurological illness (neurovirulence), 30 to 35 days old rabbits were inoculated with the BHV-5 strain EVI 88 / 95 and Los Angeles and Cooper BHV-1 strains, by the intrathecal (IT) and intranasal (IN) routes. The BHV-5 strain induced severe neurological clinical signs in 100% (12/12) of the rabbits inoculated by both routes. Histopathological examination revealed multifocal non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, characterized by multifocal gliosis and perivascular cuffing. Virus was recovered from many parts of the brain. Both BHV-1 strains, when inoculated via IT route, were not neurovirulent. The strain Los Angeles, after IN inoculation, induced signs of severe respiratory disease (7/7), as well as signs of neurological impairment, indistinguishable from those induced by BHV-5, in 57% (4/7) of the infected rabbits. However, the rabbits with nervous signs revealed at histopathology vasculitis and thrombosis in lungs and brain, the latter with foci of neuronal necrosis, but no lesions indicative of encephalitis, suggesting that neural damage was probably consequent to tissue anoxia. The BHV-1 strain Cooper, after IN inoculation, induced only mild signs of respiratory disease. These findings indicate that the BHV-5 strain was both neuroinvasive and neurovirulent, since it was capable of invading, spreading and multiplying in the rabbits' brains by both routes of inoculation, yet causing neurological disease, apparently consequent to virus induced neural damage. The BHV-1 Los Angeles strain was not neuroinvasive, whereas its neurovirulence was probably consequent to tissue anoxia, which histologically seemed not to be related to direct viral pathogenic effect. The BHV-1 strain Cooper was neither neurovirulent nor neuroinvasive for rabbits. It is possible that these observations bear relationship with the frequent association of BHV-5 with encephalitis in cattle, as opposed to BHV-1 encephalitis, which is a rare event in nature.

Um ensaio imunoenzimático do tipo ELISA de bloqueio com anticorpo monoclonal (ELISA-M) foi desenvolvido e padronizado para a detecção de anticorpos contra o vírus da Rinotraqueíte Infecciosa Bovina (Herpesvírus Bovino tipo 1; BHV-1). Foram utilizadas nesta avaliação 266 amostras de soros bovinos, sendo 148 negativos e 118 positivos em testes de soroneutralização (SN). Em comparação com este último, o ELISA-M demonstrou uma sensibilidade de 92,37%, especificidade de 92,56%, valor preditivo positivo de 90,83%, valor preditivo negativo de 93,83% e precisão de 92,48%. O índice de concordância (k) entre os testes foi de 0,85. O ELISA-M apresentou como vantagens a rapidez e a praticidade de execução. Com base nestes resultados, o ELISA-M foi considerado uma alternativa apropriada para o diagnóstico sorológico de infecções pelo BHV-1. Entretanto, o teste não foi capaz de diferenciar anticorpos induzidos por BHV-1 ou BHV-5. A monoclonal antibody-based blocking enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-M) was developed and standardized for the detection of antibodies to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (Bovine Herpesvirus type 1; BHV-1). A total of 266 samples of bovine sera (148 negative and 118 positive) were tested and compared with the results of a standard serum neutralization (SN) test. The ELISA-M was adjusted to 92.37% sensitivity, 92.56% especificity, 93.83% negative predictive value, 90.83% positive predictive value and to an accuracy of 92.48%, with an agreement index (k) equal to 0.85. The main advantages presented by the ELISA-M were its practicality and rapidity in performance. This test was shown to be a suitable alternative to SN tests in the detection of BHV-1 antibodies in cattle. However, the ELISA was unable to discriminate between BHV-1 and bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BHV-5) antibodies.

Genomic sequencing provides critical information to track the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2, optimize molecular tests, treatments and vaccines, and guide public health responses. To investigate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the global SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, we estimated the impact of sequencing intensity and turnaround times (TAT) on variant detection in 167 countries. Most countries submit genomes >21 days after sample collection, and 77% of low and middle income countries sequenced <0.5% of their cases. We found that sequencing at least 0.5% of the cases, with a TAT <21 days, could be a benchmark for SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance efforts. Socioeconomic inequalities substantially impact our ability to quickly detect SARS-CoV-2 variants, and undermine the global pandemic preparedness.