A5025294063- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Malaria Research and Control
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Dengue and Mosquito Control Research
- Cancer Mechanisms and Therapy
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Mollusks and Parasites Studies
- Respiratory viral infections research
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Shoulder and Clavicle Injuries
- Brucella: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Retinal and Optic Conditions
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
University of Nevada, Reno
2020-2025
Colorado State University
2016-2023
The Pirbright Institute
2015-2016
Roslin Institute
2016
University of Edinburgh
2014-2016
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus that causes congenital abnormalities and Guillain-Barré syndrome. ZIKV infection also results in severe eye disease characterized by optic neuritis, chorioretinal atrophy, blindness newborns conjunctivitis uveitis adults. We evaluated of the using recently developed mouse models pathogenesis. ZIKV-inoculated mice conjunctivitis, panuveitis, cornea, iris, nerve, ganglion bipolar cells retina. This phenotype was independent entry receptors Axl or...
Abstract The recent emergence of both chikungunya and Zika viruses in the Americas has significantly expanded their distribution thus increased possibility that individuals may become infected by more than one Aedes aegypti -borne virus at a time. Recent clinical data support an increase frequency coinfection human patients, raising likelihood mosquitoes could be exposed to multiple arboviruses during feeding episode. impact on ability relevant vector species transmit any these (that is,...
In 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV; Flaviviridae; Flavivirus) emerged in the Americas, causing millions of infections dozens countries. The rapid spread and association with disease outcomes such as Guillain-Barré syndrome microcephaly make understanding transmission dynamics essential. Currently, there are no reports vector competence (VC) American mosquitoes for ZIKV isolates from Americas. Further, it is not clear whether strains other genetic lineages can be transmitted by Aedes aegypti...
Epidemiological synergy between outbreaks of viruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses, has resulted in coinfection humans with multiple viruses. Despite the potential impact on public health, we know only little about occurrence consequences coinfections. Here, review clinical disease humans, discuss possibility for co-transmission from mosquito to human, describe a role modeling transmission dynamics at various levels co-transmission....
Zika virus (ZIKV; family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) is a rapidly expanding global pathogen that has been associated with severe clinical manifestations, including devastating neurological disease in infants. There are currently no molecular clones of New World ZIKV available lack significant attenuation, hindering progress toward understanding determinants transmission and pathogenesis. Here we report the development characterization novel reverse genetics system based on 2015 isolate...
A rapid, specific, sensitive, and inexpensive method has been developed that detects RNA from a Zika virus strain associated with the current outbreak.
ABSTRACT Orthoflaviviruses are positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that hijack host proteins to promote their own replication. Zika virus (ZIKV) is infamous among orthoflaviviruses for its association with severe congenital birth defects, notably microcephaly. We previously mapped ZIKV-host protein interactions and identified the interaction between ZIKV non-structural 4A (NS4A) microcephaly ankyrin repeat LEM domain-containing 2 (ANKLE2). Using a fruit fly model, we showed NS4A...
Significance Due to difficulty in obtaining relevant samples and low levels of dengue virus (DENV) present patients, it has been difficult characterize the properties virions circulating humans. We characterized DENV1 directly from early acute primary their cell culture isolates. observed that humans are more infectious mature as compared with isolates were hypersensitive neutralization by human antibodies. Cross-reactive fusion loop antibodies heterotypic immune sera poorly neutralized...
Highlights•Individual mosquitoes can transmit distinct virus populations during each bloodmeal•The are largely shaped by genetic drift•Strong selection in birds purges most nonsynonymous mutations•West Nile evolution is characterized cycles of diversification and selectionSummaryArthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as Zika virus, chikungunya West (WNV), pose continuous threats to emerge cause large epidemics. Often, these events associated with novel variants optimized for local...
AbstractStarting in 2013-2014, the Americas have experienced a massive outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) which has now reached at least 49 countries. Although most cases occurred South America and Caribbean, imported autochthonous United States. Aedes aegypti albopictus mosquitoes are known vectors ZIKV. Little is about potential for temperate to transmit vexans worldwide distribution, highly abundant particular localities, aggressively bites humans, competent vector several arboviruses....
RNA interference is a crucial antiviral mechanism in arthropods, including mosquito vectors of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Although the exogenous small interfering (siRNA) pathway constitutes an efficient response mosquitoes, virus-derived P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have been implicated to alpha-, bunya- and flaviviruses Aedes spp. mosquitoes. Culex mosquitoes transmit several medically important West Nile virus (WNV), but are considerably less...
Background/Objectives: Culex species mosquitoes are globally distributed and transmit several pathogens that impact animal public health, including West Nile virus, Usutu Plasmodium relictum. Despite their relevance, less widely studied than Aedes Anopheles mosquitoes. To expand the genetic tools used to study mosquitoes, we previously developed an optimized plasmid for transient Cas9 single-guide RNA (sgRNA) expression in quinquefasciatus cells generate gene knockouts. Here, established a...
Arthropod-borne RNA viruses exist within hosts as heterogeneous populations of viral variants and, a result, possess great genetic plasticity. Understanding the micro-evolutionary forces shaping these can provide insights into how they emerge, adapt, and persist in new changing ecological niches. While considerable attention has been directed toward studying population dynamics mosquito-borne viruses, little is known about tick-borne virus populations. Therefore, using mouse Ixodes...
Background ZIKV is a new addition to the arboviruses circulating in New World, with more than 1 million cases since its introduction 2015. A growing number of studies have reported vector competence (VC) Aedes mosquitoes from several areas world for transmission. Some used World disparate regions and concluded that these variable but relatively low Asian lineage ZIKV. Methodology/Principal findings Ten aegypti (L) three Ae. albopictus (Skuse) collections made 2016 throughout Mexico were...
In urban settings, chikungunya, Zika, and dengue viruses are transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Since these co-circulate in several regions, coinfection humans vectors may occur, human coinfections have been frequently reported. Yet, little is known about the molecular aspects of virus interactions within hosts how they contribute to arbovirus transmission dynamics. We previously shown that exposed chikungunya Zika same blood meal can become coinfected transmit both simultaneously....
Mosquito cell lines have been used extensively in research to isolate and propagate arthropod-borne viruses understand virus-vector interactions. Despite their utility as an vitro tool, these are poorly defined may harbor insect-specific viruses. Accordingly, we screened four commonly-used mosquito lines, C6/36 U4.4 cells from Aedes albopictus, Aag2 aegypti, Hsu Culex quinquefasciatus, for the presence of adventitious (i.e. exogenous) All stained positive double-stranded RNA, indicative RNA...
The magnitude and duration of vertebrate viremia is a critical determinant arbovirus transmission, geographic spread, disease severity. We find that multiple alphaviruses, including chikungunya (CHIKV), Ross River (RRV), o'nyong 'nyong (ONNV) viruses, are cleared from the circulation mice by liver Kupffer cells, impeding viral dissemination. Clearance was independent natural antibodies or complement factor C3, instead relied on scavenger receptor SR-A6 (MARCO). Remarkably, lysine to arginine...
Tudor staphylococcal nuclease (Tudor-SN) and Argonaute (Ago) are conserved components of the basic RNA interference (RNAi) machinery with a variety functions including immune response gene regulation. The RNAi has been characterized in tick vectors human animal diseases but information is not available on role Tudor-SN other cellular processes. Our hypothesis that part may be involved innate To address this hypothesis, Ixodes scapularis I. ricinus ticks and/or cell lines were used to...
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) are arthropod-borne viruses transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These have become endemic in large parts of North, Central, South America. Arboviruses persistently infect mosquitoes throughout their life span infectious (i.e., expectorate saliva) after a period time called the extrinsic incubation (EIP). The duration this infectiousness, however, is not well characterized. This an important shortcoming because many epidemiological models...