Pathogenesis of Arbovirus Infections

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 6599

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: infectious diseases; laboratory diagnostics; molecular epidemiology; pathogenesis; immune responses; phylogeny
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Interests: tick-borne viruses; flaviviruses; bunyaviruses; hemorrhagic fever viruses; ticks

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) include members of several virus families that are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by hematophagus arthropod vectors, and many arboviruses have significant implications for public and animal health. Although numerous studies have been conducted to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of arboviral diseases, our current knowledge is still limited.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collect reviews and research articles that will provide insights into the pathogenesis of arbovirus infections, from the first step of virus entrance into the body and attachment to specific cells, to vector–pathogen–host interactions, host immune responses, and factors that play a role in the outcome of the disease. The scope of the Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

  • factors affecting the probability of contracting an arbovirus infection;
  • genetic background of pathogenesis;
  • host immune response;
  • animal models;
  • potential targets for drug and vaccine development.

Prof. Dr. Anna Papa
Prof. Dr. Dennis Bente
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • arboviral disease
  • pathogenesis
  • vector–pathogen–host interactions
  • animal models
  • immune response

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
The Dissemination of Rift Valley Fever Virus to the Eye and Sensory Neurons of Zebrafish Larvae Is Stat1-Dependent
by Sebastiaan ter Horst, Aleksandra Siekierska, Ann-Sofie De Meulemeester, Arno Cuvry, Laura Cools, Johan Neyts, Peter de Witte and Joana Rocha-Pereira
Viruses 2025, 17(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17010087 - 11 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1391
Abstract
The Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes haemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and permanent blindness and has been listed by the WHO as a priority pathogen. To study RVFV pathogenesis and identify small-molecule antivirals, we established a novel In Vivo model using zebrafish larvae. Pericardial [...] Read more.
The Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes haemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and permanent blindness and has been listed by the WHO as a priority pathogen. To study RVFV pathogenesis and identify small-molecule antivirals, we established a novel In Vivo model using zebrafish larvae. Pericardial injection of RVFV resulted in ~4 log10 viral RNA copies/larva, which was inhibited by the antiviral 2′-fluoro-2′-deoxycytidine. The optical transparency of the larvae allowed detection of RVFVeGFP in the liver and sensory nervous system, including the optic tectum and retina, but not the brain or spinal cord. Thus, RVFV-induced blindness likely occurs due to direct damage to the eye and peripheral neurons, rather than the brain. Treatment with the JAK-inhibitor ruxolitinib, as well as knockout of stat1a but not stat1b, enhanced RVFV replication to ~6 log10 viral RNA copies/larva and ultra-bright livers, although without dissemination to sensory neurons or the eye, thereby confirming the critical role of stat1 in RVFV pathogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis of Arbovirus Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2833 KiB  
Article
Aedes aegypti Mosquito Probing Enhances Dengue Virus Infection of Resident Myeloid Cells in Human Skin
by Priscila M. S. Castanha, Sasha R. Azar, Jason Yeung, Megan Wallace, Gwenddolen Kettenburg, Simon C. Watkins, Ernesto T. A. Marques, Nikos Vasilakis and Simon M. Barratt-Boyes
Viruses 2024, 16(8), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16081253 - 5 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1992
Abstract
The most prevalent arthropod-borne viruses, including the dengue viruses, are primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes. However, the dynamics of dengue virus (DENV) infection and dissemination in human skin following Aedes aegypti probing remain poorly understood. We exposed human skin explants to adult female [...] Read more.
The most prevalent arthropod-borne viruses, including the dengue viruses, are primarily transmitted by infected mosquitoes. However, the dynamics of dengue virus (DENV) infection and dissemination in human skin following Aedes aegypti probing remain poorly understood. We exposed human skin explants to adult female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes following their infection with DENV-2 by intrathoracic injection. Skin explants inoculated with a similar quantity of DENV-2 by a bifurcated needle were used as controls. Quantitative in situ imaging revealed that DENV replication was greatest in keratinocytes in the base of the epidermis, accounting for 50–60% of all infected cells regardless of the route of inoculation. However, DENV inoculation by Ae. aegypti probing resulted in an earlier and increased viral replication in the dermis, infecting twice as many cells at 24 h when compared to needle inoculation. Within the dermis, enhanced replication of DENV by Ae. aegypti infected mosquitoes was mediated by increased local recruitment of skin-resident macrophages, dermal dendritic cells, and epidermal Langerhans cells relative to needle inoculation. An enhanced but less pronounced influx of resident myeloid cells to the site of mosquito probing was also observed in the absence of infection. Ae. aegypti probing also increased recruitment and infection of dermal mast cells. Our findings reveal for the first time that keratinocytes are the primary targets of DENV infection following Ae. aegypti inoculation, even though most of the virus is inoculated into the dermis during probing. The data also show that mosquito probing promotes the local recruitment and infection of skin-resident myeloid cells in the absence of an intact vasculature, indicating that influx of blood-derived neutrophils is not an essential requirement for DENV spread within and out of skin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis of Arbovirus Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 951 KiB  
Review
The Role of Nucleocapsid Protein (NP) in the Immunology of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV)
by Aysegul Pirincal and Mehmet Z. Doymaz
Viruses 2024, 16(10), 1547; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16101547 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an orthonairovirus from the Bunyavirales order that is widely distributed geographically and causes severe or fatal infections in humans. The viral genome consists of three segmented negative-sense RNA molecules. The CCHFV nucleocapsid protein (CCHFV NP) is encoded [...] Read more.
Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an orthonairovirus from the Bunyavirales order that is widely distributed geographically and causes severe or fatal infections in humans. The viral genome consists of three segmented negative-sense RNA molecules. The CCHFV nucleocapsid protein (CCHFV NP) is encoded by the smallest segment of the virus. CCHFV NP, the primary function of which is the encapsidation of viral RNA molecules, plays a critical role in various mechanisms important for viral replication and pathogenesis. This review is an attempt to revisit the literature available on the highly immunogenic and highly conserved CCHFV NP, summarizing the multifunctional roles of this protein in the immunology of CCHFV. Specifically, the review addresses the impact of CCHFV NP on innate, humoral, and cellular immune responses, epitopes recognized by B and T cells that limit viral spread, and its role as a target for diagnostic tests and for vaccine design. Based on the extensive information generated by many research groups, it could be stated that NP constitutes a significant and critical player in the immunology of CCHFV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis of Arbovirus Infections)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop