Objective: To identify immunological evidence of Zika virus transmission in Thailand. Methods: To undertake a preliminary serosurvey of possible exposure to Zika virus, 21 serum samples from cohort of acute undifferen...Objective: To identify immunological evidence of Zika virus transmission in Thailand. Methods: To undertake a preliminary serosurvey of possible exposure to Zika virus, 21 serum samples from cohort of acute undifferentiated fever patients were examined for immunoreactivity to Zika, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Chikungunya envelope antigens by Western blot analysis. Results: Twenty of the 21 serum samples showed immunoreactivity to at least one of the antigens, with seven samples showing immunoreactivity to all antigens. Of particular note, two serum samples showed immunoreactivity only to Zika envelope antigen, with no immunoreactivity to other envelope antigens. Conclusions: This study presents the first evidence of Zika virus transmission in Thailand, although as yet the relationship between transmission and possible cases of Zika fever in Thailand requires further investigation.展开更多
Different viruses transmit among hosts with different degrees of efficiency. A basic reproductive number(R0) indicates an average number of cases getting infected from a single infected case. R0 can vary widely from a...Different viruses transmit among hosts with different degrees of efficiency. A basic reproductive number(R0) indicates an average number of cases getting infected from a single infected case. R0 can vary widely from a little over 1 to more than 10. Low R0 is usually found among rapidly evolving viruses that are often under a strong positive selection pressure, while high R0 is often found among viruses that are highly stable. The reason for the difference between antigenically diverse viruses with low R0, such as influenza A virus, and antigenically stable viruses with high R0, such as measles virus, is not clear and has been a subject of great interest. Optimization of transmissibility fitness considering intra-host dynamics and inter-host transmissibility was shown to result in strategies for tradeoff between transmissibility and diversity. The nature of transmission, targeting either a na?ve children population or an adult population with partial immunity, has been proposed as a contributing factor for the difference in the strategies used by the two groups of viruses. The R0 determines the levels of threshold heard immunity. Lower R0 requires lowerherd immunity to terminate an outbreak. Therefore, it can be assumed that the outbreak saturation can be reached more readily when the R0 is low. In addition, one may assume that when the outbreak saturation is reached, herd immunity may provide a strong positive selection pressure that could possibly result in an occurrence of escape mutants. Studies of these hypotheses will give us an important insight into viral evolution. This review discusses the above hypotheses as well as some possible mechanistic explanation for the difference in transmission efficiency of展开更多
Objective:To understand the cause for the differences between potentially mild Southeast Asian and the more pathogenic ZIKV in South America.Methods:A comparative genomic analysis was performed to determine putative c...Objective:To understand the cause for the differences between potentially mild Southeast Asian and the more pathogenic ZIKV in South America.Methods:A comparative genomic analysis was performed to determine putative causations stemming from ZIKV.Results:Phylogcnctic analyses integrating geographical and time factors revealed that Southeast Asian ZIKV might not be the direct source of South American outbreaks as previously speculated.Amino acid residues unique to South American ZIKV isolates at the envelope,pr and NS1 proteins are listed and shown in the structural context.These unique residues on external viral proteins are not found in Southeast Asian ZIKV and could be responsible for the ongoing outbreak either via an intrinsic property of the virus or interactions with human immunity.Only a selected few primer/probe sets currently in clinical use were identified of being capable of detecting ZIKV strains worldwide.The envelope proteins of dengue virus(DENV) and ZIKV also showed a remarkable degree of similarity especially at the surface residues.Conclusions:findings that may help explain the cross-reactivity of DENV antibodies to ZIKV.Thus,major caveats must be exercised in using existing diagnostic tools for ZIKV.展开更多
AIM: To characterise neuraminidase(NA) substrate specificity of avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds comparing to seasonal influenza virus.METHODS: Avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds were...AIM: To characterise neuraminidase(NA) substrate specificity of avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds comparing to seasonal influenza virus.METHODS: Avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds were recruited for characterising their NA substrate specificity by using a modified commercial fluorescence Amplex Red assay. This method can identify the preference of α2,6-linked sialic acid or α2,3-linked sialic acid. Moreover, to avoid the bias of input virus, reverse genetic virus using NA gene from human isolated H5N1 were generated and used to compare with the seasonal influenza virus. Lastly, the substrate specificity profile was further confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis of the enzymatic product. RESULTS: The H5N1 NA showed higher activity on α2,3-linked sialic acid than α2,6-linked(P < 0.0001). To compare the NA activity between the H5N1 and seasonal influenza viruses, reverse genetic viruses carrying the NA of H5N1 viruses and NA from a seasonal H3N2 virus was generated. In these reverse genetic viruses, the NA activity of the H5N1 showed markedly higher activity against α2,3-linked sialic acid than that of the H3N2 virus, whereas the activities on α2,6-linkage were comparable. Interestingly, NA from an H5N1 human isolate that was previously shown to have heamagglutinin(HA) with dual specificity showed reduced activity on α2,3-linkage. To confirm the substrate specificity profile, HPLC analytic of enzymatic product was performed. Similar to Amplex red assay, H5N1 virus showed abundant preference on α2,3-linked sialic acid.CONCLUSION: H5N1 virus maintains the avian specific NA and NA changes may be needed to accompany changes in HA receptor preference for the viral adaptation to humans.展开更多
基金supported by Mahidol University and the Thailand Research Fund(RTA5780009 and IRG5780009)supported by a Mahidol University Post-Doctoral Fellowship
文摘Objective: To identify immunological evidence of Zika virus transmission in Thailand. Methods: To undertake a preliminary serosurvey of possible exposure to Zika virus, 21 serum samples from cohort of acute undifferentiated fever patients were examined for immunoreactivity to Zika, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Chikungunya envelope antigens by Western blot analysis. Results: Twenty of the 21 serum samples showed immunoreactivity to at least one of the antigens, with seven samples showing immunoreactivity to all antigens. Of particular note, two serum samples showed immunoreactivity only to Zika envelope antigen, with no immunoreactivity to other envelope antigens. Conclusions: This study presents the first evidence of Zika virus transmission in Thailand, although as yet the relationship between transmission and possible cases of Zika fever in Thailand requires further investigation.
基金Supported by The Office of the Higher Education Commission and Mahidol University under the National Research Universities Initiative
文摘Different viruses transmit among hosts with different degrees of efficiency. A basic reproductive number(R0) indicates an average number of cases getting infected from a single infected case. R0 can vary widely from a little over 1 to more than 10. Low R0 is usually found among rapidly evolving viruses that are often under a strong positive selection pressure, while high R0 is often found among viruses that are highly stable. The reason for the difference between antigenically diverse viruses with low R0, such as influenza A virus, and antigenically stable viruses with high R0, such as measles virus, is not clear and has been a subject of great interest. Optimization of transmissibility fitness considering intra-host dynamics and inter-host transmissibility was shown to result in strategies for tradeoff between transmissibility and diversity. The nature of transmission, targeting either a na?ve children population or an adult population with partial immunity, has been proposed as a contributing factor for the difference in the strategies used by the two groups of viruses. The R0 determines the levels of threshold heard immunity. Lower R0 requires lowerherd immunity to terminate an outbreak. Therefore, it can be assumed that the outbreak saturation can be reached more readily when the R0 is low. In addition, one may assume that when the outbreak saturation is reached, herd immunity may provide a strong positive selection pressure that could possibly result in an occurrence of escape mutants. Studies of these hypotheses will give us an important insight into viral evolution. This review discusses the above hypotheses as well as some possible mechanistic explanation for the difference in transmission efficiency of
基金supported by Thailand Research Fund-Mahidol University(RSA5880062)by the Office of the Higher Education Commission and Mahidol University under the National Research Universities Initiativesupported by the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D.Program (Grant No.PHD/0204/2552)
文摘Objective:To understand the cause for the differences between potentially mild Southeast Asian and the more pathogenic ZIKV in South America.Methods:A comparative genomic analysis was performed to determine putative causations stemming from ZIKV.Results:Phylogcnctic analyses integrating geographical and time factors revealed that Southeast Asian ZIKV might not be the direct source of South American outbreaks as previously speculated.Amino acid residues unique to South American ZIKV isolates at the envelope,pr and NS1 proteins are listed and shown in the structural context.These unique residues on external viral proteins are not found in Southeast Asian ZIKV and could be responsible for the ongoing outbreak either via an intrinsic property of the virus or interactions with human immunity.Only a selected few primer/probe sets currently in clinical use were identified of being capable of detecting ZIKV strains worldwide.The envelope proteins of dengue virus(DENV) and ZIKV also showed a remarkable degree of similarity especially at the surface residues.Conclusions:findings that may help explain the cross-reactivity of DENV antibodies to ZIKV.Thus,major caveats must be exercised in using existing diagnostic tools for ZIKV.
基金Supported by Thailand Research Fund,the Office of the Higher Education Commission and Mahidol University under the National Research Universities Initiative
文摘AIM: To characterise neuraminidase(NA) substrate specificity of avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds comparing to seasonal influenza virus.METHODS: Avian influenza H5N1 strains from humans and birds were recruited for characterising their NA substrate specificity by using a modified commercial fluorescence Amplex Red assay. This method can identify the preference of α2,6-linked sialic acid or α2,3-linked sialic acid. Moreover, to avoid the bias of input virus, reverse genetic virus using NA gene from human isolated H5N1 were generated and used to compare with the seasonal influenza virus. Lastly, the substrate specificity profile was further confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis of the enzymatic product. RESULTS: The H5N1 NA showed higher activity on α2,3-linked sialic acid than α2,6-linked(P < 0.0001). To compare the NA activity between the H5N1 and seasonal influenza viruses, reverse genetic viruses carrying the NA of H5N1 viruses and NA from a seasonal H3N2 virus was generated. In these reverse genetic viruses, the NA activity of the H5N1 showed markedly higher activity against α2,3-linked sialic acid than that of the H3N2 virus, whereas the activities on α2,6-linkage were comparable. Interestingly, NA from an H5N1 human isolate that was previously shown to have heamagglutinin(HA) with dual specificity showed reduced activity on α2,3-linkage. To confirm the substrate specificity profile, HPLC analytic of enzymatic product was performed. Similar to Amplex red assay, H5N1 virus showed abundant preference on α2,3-linked sialic acid.CONCLUSION: H5N1 virus maintains the avian specific NA and NA changes may be needed to accompany changes in HA receptor preference for the viral adaptation to humans.
