Circulation of mosquito-borne viruses in large-scale sheep farms in eastern Slovakia

Samples of blood sera collected from 608 sheep in large farms of the districts of Trebisov, Michalovce, Vranov nad Toplou and Humenné were investigated in hemagglutination-inhibition test for the presence of mosquito-borne viruses Sindbis, West Nile, Tahyna and Calovo. Antibodies to arboviruses Tahyna (11.5%) and Calovo (10.9%) were detected most frequently, while a lower sero-positivity was recorded to the Sindbis (2.3%) and West-Nile (1.0%) viruses. Certain differences were found in the infection rates in the respective districts: the highest frequency of antibodies to Tahyna and Calovo viruses was recorded in sheep of the district of Trebisov and the lowest one in animals of the district of Humenné.     

A serological survey for Bhanja and tick-borne encephalitis viruses in sheep of eastern Slovakia

755 sheep from 41 farms in the districts of Trebisov, Michalovce, Humenné and Roznava in the East Slovakian region were investigated on the presence of antibodies to Bhanja (neutralization test) and tick-borne encephalitis (haemagglutination-inhibition test) viruses. In respective districts 2.2%, 0.4%, 1.7% and 26.7% of animals (total 5.3%) were found to be positive on Bhanja virus, 4.4%, 1.5%, 1.7% and 5.0% (total 2.6%) on tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus. The considerable infection rate in sheep with Bhanja virus in the district of Roznava (mean 26.7%-on one farm as high as 63.9% serologically positive animals) can be explained by the local occurrence of the tick Haemaphysalis punctata, the main vector of this virus in Europe. The serologic screening conducted indicates a low activity of natural foci of TBE in eastern Slovakia today, and confirms the existence of a natural focus of infection with Bhanja virus in the district of Roznava. Recent circulation of Bhanja virus is indicated by antibodies detected in several one-year-old sheep.     

Probability models of the rate of infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes persulcatus ticks.

A total of 3,254 adults of Ixodes persulcatus tick were collected in a taiga forest habitat situated in the Amgun river basin (Khabarovsk region, the Far East, USSR) and examined individually for the presence and amount of tick-borne encephalitis virus. The over-all proportion of infected ticks was 6.6% and it varied between 3.4% and 9.4% in the years 1982 to 1985. The amount of virus per tick was approximated by the gamma distribution determining a probability that the number of plaque-forming units (PFU) per tick is not greater than a selected value. The frequency distribution of infected ticks followed a model of the negative binomial distribution, enabling the estimation of probability of the occurrence of a given number of infected ticks in the area. However, the parameters of both probability models (i.e., the PFU content per tick, and the frequency of infected ticks) varied for particular years.     

Haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against arboviruses of the families Togaviridae and Bunyaviridae in birds caught in southern Moravia, Czechoslovakia

A total of 295 birds belonging to 19 species of 7 families of wild Passeriformes were examined by haemagglutination-inhibition test. The birds were caught for an international research program "Balt" at the time of autumn migration (August-September 1984). Their blood sera were examined for antibodies against 6 arbovirus antigens of the genera Alphavirus (Sindbis-SIN) and Flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis-TBE, West Nile-WN) and family Bunyaviridae (Tahyna-TAH, Calovo-CVO and Bhanja-BHA). Antibodies against all studied viruses were detected at different frequencies: SIN 6.4%, TBE 7.1%, WN 9.7%, TAH 16.3%, CVO 12.1%, and BHA 1.0%.     

Experimental infection of pheasants with Lednice (Yaba 1) virus.

Young pheasants (24-hour- and 7-day-old) are capable of producing viraemia and antibodies after experimental infection with Lednice virus even after low doses of virus (0.7-0.9 log mouse LD50/g). Viraemia lasts approximately 3 days, but the titres of virus in the blood are low. The possible role of young pheasants in the circulation of virus in nature is discussed.     

Experimental infection of ticks Ixodes ricinus with tick-borne encephalitis virus under different microclimatic conditions

The influence of environmental temperature and relative air humidity on the development of ticks Ixodes ricinus and their infection rate with tick-borne encephalitis virus was studied. It was found that the temperature influenced significantly the development of ticks, but it did not influence their infection rate. To the contrary, the relative air humidity influenced the infection rate. It is assumed that the intrinsic factors play a primary role in the infection of ticks, while extrinsic factors have a secondary role; they are probably important at border values only.     

Studies on viremia and antibody formation in ducklings and goslings after experimental infection with Lednice (Yaba 1) virus.

A very low virus level was found for a short time in the blood of ducklings and goslings after experimental Lednice (Yaba 1) virus infection by subcutaneous (scut) and intranasal (inas) route and in blood of ducklings also after infection by intracerebral (icer) route. Subsequently virus neutralizing antibody formation was examined. Antibody formation was found in most of animals. In goslings onset of antibody formation seems to be slower than in ducklings after the same virus infection dose; vice versa, in ducklings antibody titer decreased after 6 weeks. Using low infection virus dose, neutralizing antibody level in ducklings was lower than in the former case. On examining the blood and the organs, the virus was detected in a very low amount and for a very short time in blood and spleen of goslings and only in blood of ducklings.     

Rapid serological diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis by means of enzyme immunoassay

A system of IgM-capture EIA made up from Czechoslovak immunopreparations (SEVAC) was developed for a rapid serological diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The method was tested on clinical material. The total IgM antibody titres were detected using pig antiserum and the selection of specific IgM antibodies was made with TBE antigen with following indirect way of detection. The antibody analysis made by means of this method is sensitive and fully conforms to the clinical picture of the disease.     

Viruses and virus diseases of grapevine in Egypt

Surveys for virus and virus-like diseases were carried out in commercial vineyards of the main grapevine-growing areas of Egypt along the river Nile and in recently reclaimed desert lands. The only symptoms observed and identified with reasonable confidence in the field were those of leafroll disease in red-berried cultivars. No virus was transmitted to herbaceous hosts by mechanical inoculation from glasshouse-forced cuttings of about 300 vines (40% of total samples). By contrast, ELISA tests showed that 78% of the assayed European vines (521 out of 664) were infected by one (29%) or more (49%) viruses. Grapevine virus A (GVA) was the most widespread virus (67.9% infection), followed by Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) (55.9% infection). All the other viruses tested for were scarcely represented, i.e. Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) 1.8% infection, Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2) 1.4% infection, Grapevine virus B (GVB) (0.6% infection) and Grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) (0.2% infection), or, like Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), were totally absent. The infection rate of native cultivars (86%) was particularly heavy. 'Banaty Abiad' and 'Romy Ahmer', the two major Egyptian cultivars, had infection levels of 78% and 89%, respectively, and 'Fayoumy', the most important cultivar in the Fayoum area, had 96% infection. Totally infected were the tested samples of several minor native cultivars such as 'Farg El-Tair', 'Siwi Abiad', 'Ta'afi', 'Romy Abiad', 'Eswid El-Wady', 'Edkawy' and 'Bez El-Anza'. Slightly better was the sanitary situation of imported European grapevine cultivars (60% infection) and of American rootstocks (11.5% infection). In rootstocks, infection rate by GVA and GLRaV-3 was 5.5%, whereas GVB and GLRaV-1 were only sporadically detected.     

Results of arbovirological examination of birds of the family Hirundinidae in Czechoslovakia

Migratory birds (swallow, Hirundo rustica; sand martin, Riparia riparia; house martin, Delichon urbica) caught in southern Moravia (Czechoslovakia) in 1984-87 were examined for arbovirus infections. Isolation experiments were carried out using blood samples of 183 birds (52 swallows, 107 sand martins, and 24 house martins). The results were negative. Serological examinations of 136 birds (36 swallows, 86 sand martins, and 14 house martins) were made by haemagglutination-inhibition test (HIT) using 6 arboviral antigens of the genera Alphavirus (Sindbis--SIN) and Flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis--TBE, West Nile--WN) and of the family Bunyaviridae (Tahyna--TAH, Calovo, CVO, and Bhanja--BHA). Antibodies against all of the tested viruses were detected at different rates: SIN 2.9%, TBE 1.5%, WN 1.5%, TAH 4.4%, CVO 1.5%, and BHA 2.2%. The titres ranged from 1.20 to 1.80.     

Immune response of the long-tailed field mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) to tick-borne encephalitis virus infection.

The immune response following infection with a virulent strain of Central European encephalitis (CEE) virus in a natural host, long-tailed field mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus L.) and white laboratory-bread ICR mouse, was compared. Viraemia was demonstrated in ICR mice after intraperitoneal infection with a dose of 10(5) LD50/0.5 ml. The virus titres were high in the spleen and, particularly, in the brain. In A. sylvaticus the virus was detected in the blood and spleen, but not in the brain. CEE virus multiplied in peritoneal macrophages from ICR mice, but not from A. sylvaticus. The infection induced a strong interferon response in both hosts. The natural killer (NK) cell activity increase was twice as high in A. sylvaticus compared to ICR mice. The neutralization antibodies appeared sooner in A. sylvaticus and reached higher titres in the early phases of infection.     

Public safety aspects of pyrethroid insecticides used in West Nile virus-carrying mosquito control

West Nile virus is becoming increasingly prevalent in the USA, causing fever, encephalitis, meningitis and many fatalities. Spread of the disease is reduced by controlling the mosquito vectors by a variety of means, including the use of pyrethroid insecticides, which are currently under scrutiny for potential carcinogenic effects in humans. Pyrethrins and resmethrin, a pyrethroid, have been shown to cause tumours in rat and mouse models respectively. However, the tumours appear to be caused by liver enzyme induction and hypertrophy rather than genotoxicity, and the results are therefore unlikely to be applicable to humans. Nonetheless, for resmethrin, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that there is a likely risk of carcinogenicity in humans, requiring the manufacturers to provide more detailed data to prove that it can be used safely in vector control. Reproductive toxicity of resmethrin in the rat is also discussed.     

Arbovirus isolations from mosquitoes in South Slovakia.

In the years 1973 and 1975 mosquitoes and some other Diptera (Tabanidae, Simuliidae, Hippoboscidae) were tested for virus. 13,924 mosquitoes, 75 horseflies and 60 blackflies were processed in 1973. Five strains of Tahyna virus were isolated from mosquito species Aedes vexans. 3,378 mosquitoes and 12 sheep keds were tested for virus in 1975. Twelve strains of Calovo virus were isolated from Anopheles maculipennis and one strain of Tahyna virus was obtained from Aedes vexans mosquitoes.     

流行性乙型脑炎与三带喙库蚊的防控

流行性乙型脑炎(乙脑)在我国广泛流行。三带喙库蚊是主要媒介,依据如下:(1)三带喙库蚊是乙脑流行区的优势蚊种;(2)该种蚊的季节消长与乙脑的季节分布相一致;(3)该种蚊有乙脑病毒的自然感染,带菌率高;(4)该种蚊能叮刺和经卵传递乙脑病毒。防控方法:(1)环境治理;(2)管理宿主动物(猪等);(3)灭蚊降低密度;(4)做好个人防护;(5)接种疫苗。     

Occurrence of ixodid ticks--the main vectors of tick-borne encephalitis virus in urbanized territory

The influence of urbanization on ticks I. ricinus and I. persulcatus--the main vectors of tick-borne encephalitis virus is discussed on the basis of concrete examples. It has been revealed that under favourable conditions the populations of these tick species can exist for a long time not only in towns and new housing estates, but in the old residential districts as well. The necessity of studying the ecology of urban populations of ixodid ticks is pointed out.     

国家种质广州甘薯圃病毒种类鉴定及分析

为明确引起国家种质广州甘薯资源圃中病毒病的病毒种类及优势种,为甘薯种质安全保存提供支持,2017年从甘薯资源圃中未脱毒更新的盆栽苗和大田苗中采集155份具有不同病毒病症状的甘薯资源样品,利用PCR和RT-PCR检测技术对这些样品进行了17种病毒的分子检测.155份样品均有病毒检出,包括甘薯羽状斑驳病毒Sweet pot...     

Sequence analysis and classification of apparent recombinant begomoviruses infecting tomato in the nile and mediterranean basins

ABSTRACT Numerous whitefly-transmitted viral diseases of tomato have emerged in countries around the Nile and Mediterranean Basins the last 20 years. These diseases are caused by monopartite geminiviruses (family Gemini viridae) belonging to the genus Begomovirus that probably resulted from numerous recombination events. The molecular biodiversity of these viruses was investigated to better appreciate the role and importance of recombination and to better clarify the phylogenetic relationships and classification of these viruses. The analysis partitioned the tomato-infecting begomoviruses from this region into two major clades, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus. Phylogenetic and pairwise analyses together with an evaluation for gene conversion were performed from which taxonomic classification and virus biodiversity conclusions were drawn. Six recombination hotspots and three homogeneous zones within the genome were identified among the tomatoinfecting isolates and species examined here, suggesting that the recombination events identified were not random occurrences.     

京郊番茄主要病毒病毒原鉴定

近年来, 番茄病毒病, 特别是番茄黄化曲叶病毒（TYLCV）病在北京地区空前暴发, 给番茄生产造成严重威胁, 使番茄的产量和品质显著降低。2012-2013年在北京周边7个区县, 采集疑似感染病毒的番茄植株样品325份, 分别针对TYLCV、烟草花叶病毒（TMV）、黄瓜花叶病毒（CMV）3种病毒进行了PCR或ELISA 检测。检测结果表明, 目前在北京地区大棚或温室内发生的番茄病毒病以TYLCV为主; 露地番茄病毒复合侵染现象比较普遍, 病毒检出率100%, 其中TYLCV检出率达到75%以上。在TYLCV侵染的样品中, TYLCV和CMV复合侵染占20%左右, TYLCV和TMV复合侵染占15%左右。部分样品检测到TYLCV、CMV 和TMV 3种病毒复合侵染的现象。     

广西局地西番莲病毒病的病原鉴定及优势病毒分析

 在广西采集表现斑驳、花叶症状疑似病毒病的西番莲叶片样品,利用小RNA测序技术,结合生物信息学分析,鉴定侵染西番莲的病毒种类。参考测序结果采用DAS-ELISA和RT-PCR方法对2015~2018年间采集的385份疑似病毒病样品进行检测,分析引发广西西番莲病毒病的优势病毒种类。结果显示:小RNA共获得20 921 061 clean reads,拼接获得560个contigs,其中99个contigs被注释为夜来香花叶病毒(telosma mosaic virus,TeMV),97个contigs被注释为黄瓜花叶病毒(cucumber mosaic virus,CMV),69个contigs被注释为东亚西番莲病毒(East Asian passiflora virus,EAPV),12个contigs被注释为大豆花叶病毒(soybean mosaic virus,SMV)。提取送测序的同批样品叶片的总RNA进行RT-PCR验证,可检测出TeMV、EAPV和CMV 3种病毒,未检出SMV。采用DAS-ELISA和RT-PCR对采集的样品进行检测,结果发现284份样品为阳性样品,检出率为73.76%,其中TeMV的检出率最高为64.16%,其次为EAPV和CMV,检出率分别为41.30%和11.43%;3种病毒存在复合侵染现象,其中TeMV+EAPV的检出率最高为24.94%,TeMV+CMV的检出率为4.16%,EAPV+CMV的检出率为0.26%,3种病毒复合侵染的检出率为4.94%。     

Epidemiology of tomato yellow leaf curl begomovirus in the Fayium area, Egypt

Tomato yellow leaf curl begomovirus (TYLCV) severely invaded tomato plantations in Egypt (Lower and Middle Egypt) in 1989. This study aimed to discover the relationship between TYLCV and other epidemic-associated factors in the Fayium area. The rate of TYLCV infection was inspected visually for three successive years (1994/1996) in the Fayium area. During the same period, whiteflies were collected for virus detection using bait-plant and DNA hybridization techniques. DAS-ELISA was used to detect mixed virus infections in tomato plants. TYLCV infection was prevalent (60–68%) and severe (2.1–3.0) in the Fayium fields. Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) was found in some fields (5–28%) with moderate severity (1.0–20). Potato Y potyvirus (PVY) and potato leaf roll polerovirus (PLRV) were found in few fields (5–19% and 5% respectively) at very low severity. There was a negative correlation between TYLCV occurrence and distance from the source of infection, and a positive correlation (98%) between TYLCV intensity and percentage of viruliferous whiteflies in 1994 and 1995. There was no positive correlation between TYLCV and the total population of whiteflies caught during the same period. Five percent of viruliferous whiteflies, as proved by cDNA hybridization, led to 46% TYLCV infection. The same percentage of whiteflies, as shown by bioassay, led to 68% TYLCV infection. Monitoring of viruliferous whiteflies could be used for early prediction of TYLCV infection.