Special Issue "Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics"

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 17 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gregory Tannock
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Interests: influenza viruses; influenza vaccines; respiratory viruses; virus evolution
Dr. Hyunsuh Kim
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Reaserch Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
Interests: influenza viruses; influenza vaccines; vaccine production; B cells; antibodies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The first viral epidemic/pandemic of the 21st century due to the 2002–2004 SARS CoV-1 outbreak was followed by the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and MERS-CoV outbreaks. Smaller, more localized outbreaks of West Nile, Ebola, enterovirus D68, Zika and Chikungunya viruses have occurred since 2005. However, all have been dwarfed—both in terms of their capacity to spread rapidly and to be the cause of life-threatening respiratory illnesses—by the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Many emerging viruses have zoonotic origins and rapid detection is essential to determine their likely epidemic and pandemic potential; novel surveillance systems have been established and maintained in many countries. The sheer significance of COVID-19 as a respiratory pathogen has led to hitherto unprecedented attempts to develop vaccines for general worldwide use by large numbers of manufacturers and associated research groups. Hopefully, all this activity will bear fruit despite clear evidence that vaccines against most human respiratory viral diseases constitute one of the greatest areas of need in human preventive medicine. The accelerated development of new diagnostic techniques is essential not only for their use in epidemiological studies but also for the development and use of antiviral drugs for the targeted inhibition of viral replication.

This Special Issue will gladly welcome articles pertaining to any of novel viruses and all viruses with epidemic and pandemic potential, such as influenza viruses, coronaviruses, Chikungunya viruses, Dengue viruses, Ebola viruses, Hantaviruses, Hendra viruses, Lassa viruses, Nipah viruses, West Nile viruses, Enteroviruses, Zika viruses and SFTSV, and comprising strategies and techniques to mitigate the epidemic and pandemic potential of viruses.

Prof. Dr. Gregory Tannock
Dr. Hyunsuh Kim
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 papers will be 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 2200 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

  • novel viruses
  • surveillance
  • discovery
  • diversity
  • variation
  • mutation
  • reassortment
  • resistance
  • geographic differences
  • epidemic
  • pandemic
  • diagnosis
  • antiviral drug
  • vaccine
  • antibody

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Article
Virucidal Efficacy of Blue LED and Far-UVC Light Disinfection against Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus as a Model for SARS-CoV-2
Viruses 2021, 13(8), 1436; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081436 - 23 Jul 2021
Viewed by 847
Abstract
Transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurs through respiratory droplets passed directly from person to person or indirectly through fomites, such as common use surfaces or objects. The aim of this study was to determine the virucidal efficacy of [...] Read more.
Transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurs through respiratory droplets passed directly from person to person or indirectly through fomites, such as common use surfaces or objects. The aim of this study was to determine the virucidal efficacy of blue LED (405 nm) and far-UVC (222 nm) light in comparison to standard UVC (254 nm) irradiation for the inactivation of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) on different matrices as a model for SARS-CoV-2. Wet or dried FIPV on stainless steel, plastic, or paper discs, in the presence or absence of artificial saliva, were exposed to various wavelengths of light for different time periods (1–90 min). Dual activity of blue LED and far-UVC lights were virucidal for most wet and dried FIPV within 4 to 16 min on all matrices. Individual action of blue LED and far-UVC lights were virucidal for wet FIPV but required longer irradiation times (8–90 min) to reach a 4-log reduction. In comparison, LED (265 nm) and germicidal UVC (254 nm) were virucidal on almost all matrices for both wet and dried FIPV within 1 min exposure. UVC was more effective for the disinfection of surfaces as compared to blue LED and far-UVC individually or together. However, dual action of blue LED and far-UVC was virucidal. This combination of lights could be used as a safer alternative to traditional UVC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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Article
Comparison and Sensitivity Evaluation of Three Different Commercial Real-Time Quantitative PCR Kits for SARS-CoV-2 Detection
Viruses 2021, 13(7), 1321; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13071321 - 08 Jul 2021
Viewed by 783
Abstract
Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is the most sensitive and specific assay and, therefore, is the “gold standard” diagnostic method for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to compare and analyze the detection performance of three [...] Read more.
Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is the most sensitive and specific assay and, therefore, is the “gold standard” diagnostic method for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to compare and analyze the detection performance of three different commercially available SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection kits: Sansure Biotech, GeneFinderTM, and TaqPathTM on 354 randomly selected samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients. All PCR reactions were performed using the same RNA isolates and one real-time PCR machine. The final result of the three evaluated kits was not statistically different (p = 0.107), and also had a strong positive association and high Cohen’s κ coefficient. In contrast, the average Ct values that refer to the ORF1ab and N gene amplification were significantly different (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), with the lowest obtained by the TaqPathTM for the ORF1ab and by the Sansure Biotech for the N gene. The results show a high similarity in the analytical sensitivities for SARS-CoV-2 detection, which indicates that the diagnostic accuracy of the three assays is comparable. However, the SanSure Biotech kit showed a bit better diagnostic performance. Our findings suggest that the imperative for improvement should address the determination of cut-off Ct values and rapid modification of the primer sets along with the appearance of new variants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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Article
Superiority of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry over Real-Time PCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection
Viruses 2021, 13(5), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13050730 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1562
Abstract
At present, the RT-PCR test remains the gold standard for early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence demonstrating that this technique may generate false-negative results. Here, we aimed to compare the new mass spectrometry-based assay MassARRAY® SARS-CoV-2 Panel with the [...] Read more.
At present, the RT-PCR test remains the gold standard for early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence demonstrating that this technique may generate false-negative results. Here, we aimed to compare the new mass spectrometry-based assay MassARRAY® SARS-CoV-2 Panel with the RT-PCR diagnostic test approved for clinical use. The study group consisted of 168 suspected patients with symptoms of a respiratory infection. After simultaneous analysis by RT-PCR and mass spectrometry methods, we obtained discordant results for 17 samples (10.12%). Within fifteen samples officially reported as presumptive positive, 13 were positive according to the MS-based assay. Moreover, four samples reported by the officially approved RT-PCR as negative were positive in at least one MS assay. We have successfully demonstrated superior sensitivity of the MS-based assay in SARS-CoV-2 detection, showing that MALDI-TOF MS seems to be ideal for the detection as well as discrimination of mutations within the viral genome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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Review

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Review
Targeting Antigens for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development
Viruses 2021, 13(6), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13060973 - 24 May 2021
Viewed by 850
Abstract
Traditional influenza vaccines generate strain-specific antibodies which cannot provide protection against divergent influenza virus strains. Further, due to frequent antigenic shifts and drift of influenza viruses, annual reformulation and revaccination are required in order to match circulating strains. Thus, the development of a [...] Read more.
Traditional influenza vaccines generate strain-specific antibodies which cannot provide protection against divergent influenza virus strains. Further, due to frequent antigenic shifts and drift of influenza viruses, annual reformulation and revaccination are required in order to match circulating strains. Thus, the development of a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) is critical for long-term protection against all seasonal influenza virus strains, as well as to provide protection against a potential pandemic virus. One of the most important strategies in the development of UIVs is the selection of optimal targeting antigens to generate broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies or cross-reactive T cell responses against divergent influenza virus strains. However, each type of target antigen for UIVs has advantages and limitations for the generation of sufficient immune responses against divergent influenza viruses. Herein, we review current strategies and perspectives regarding the use of antigens, including hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, matrix proteins, and internal proteins, for universal influenza vaccine development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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Review
Evaluating the Virucidal Activity of Disinfectants According to European Union Standards
Viruses 2021, 13(4), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13040534 - 24 Mar 2021
Viewed by 809
Abstract
The disinfection of surfaces in medical facilities is an important element of infection control, including the control of viral infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Preparations used for surface disinfection are typically characterized via their activity against test organisms [...] Read more.
The disinfection of surfaces in medical facilities is an important element of infection control, including the control of viral infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Preparations used for surface disinfection are typically characterized via their activity against test organisms (i.e., viruses, bacteria and fungi) in the laboratory. Typically, these methods use a suspension of the test organism to assess the bactericidal, fungicidal or virucidal activity of a given preparation. However, such suspension methods do not fully imitate real-life conditions. To address this issue, carrier methods have been developed, in which microorganisms are applied to the surface of a carrier (e.g., stainless steel, glass and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) and then dried. Such methods more accurately reflect the applications in real-life clinical practice. This article summarizes the available methods for assessing the virucidal activity of chemical disinfectants for use in medical facilities based on the current European standards, including the activity against coronaviruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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Other

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Commentary
Effective Communication at Different Phases of COVID-19 Prevention: Roles, Enablers and Barriers
Viruses 2021, 13(6), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13061058 - 03 Jun 2021
Viewed by 1179
Abstract
In an age of globalisation and hyperconnectivity, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented and sustained impact worldwide. This article discusses issues related to (science) communication at different phases of the COVID-19 epidemic timeline. We consider the role of communication for prevention from the [...] Read more.
In an age of globalisation and hyperconnectivity, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented and sustained impact worldwide. This article discusses issues related to (science) communication at different phases of the COVID-19 epidemic timeline. We consider the role of communication for prevention from the ecological perspective, taking into consideration that many emerging pathogens, including COVID-19, likely arise in part due to anthropogenic changes to natural environments. Communication forms part of the early response setting the scene for public buy-in of public health interventions at the start of an outbreak, as well as to maintain precautions over time. Finally, communication is a key element in increasing acceptance for new tools that require mass uptake to be effective, as seen with roll-out challenges for the COVID-19 vaccines, which faced heightened concerns of efficacy and safety while mired with rampant misinformation. Ultimately, strategies for prevention of viral epidemics such as COVID-19 must include communication strategies at the forefront to reduce the risk of the emergence of new diseases and enhance efforts to control their spread and burden. Despite key themes emerging, what constitutes effective communication strategies for different people and contexts needs to be investigated further. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies for Preventing Viral Epidemics and Pandemics)
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