Search Results (99)

Background: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus transmitted predominantly by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Infection is characterized by an acute febrile illness accompanied by debilitating polyarthralgia, myalgia, and cutaneous manifestations. Although the acute syndrome is usually self-limited, a substantial proportion of patients experience persistent musculoskeletal symptoms that may progress to chronic inflammatory arthritis, resulting in prolonged disability and impaired quality of life. Objective: To summarize current evidence on the epidemiology, virology, immunopathogenesis, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis, prevention, and vaccine development of CHIKV, with particular emphasis on its implications for public health policy and immunization strategies in Mexico. Methods: This position paper was developed through a structured narrative review of the scientific literature. Publications indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, together with documents issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and European Medicines Agency (EMA), were critically reviewed. Evidence was selected according to its scientific quality and relevance to Mexico and Latin America. Because this work represents an expert consensus rather than a systematic review, no formal risk-of-bias assessment was performed. Results: CHIKV circulates through both urban and sylvatic transmission cycles and continues to expand into regions where competent mosquito vectors are established. Disease progression is driven by complex innate and adaptive immune responses, with exaggerated inflammatory activation contributing to chronic rheumatologic sequelae. Laboratory confirmation relies primarily on molecular assays during the viremic phase and serological testing thereafter. Recent advances in vaccine development—including live-attenuated and virus-like particle (VLP) platforms—have demonstrated favorable immunogenicity and acceptable safety profiles. However, vaccination should be considered one component of an integrated prevention strategy that also includes vector surveillance, environmental control, and rapid outbreak detection. Conclusions: Chikungunya remains an emerging global public health challenge because of its expanding geographic distribution, epidemic potential, and long-term clinical consequences. Incorporating vaccination into comprehensive arboviral control programs, together with strengthened surveillance and integrated vector management, may substantially reduce disease burden. This position paper provides evidence-based recommendations to support future chikungunya prevention and vaccination policies in Mexico. Full article

Medemia argun is a rare desert palm rich in phenolic compounds with promising biological activities; however, the instability and poor compatibility of phenols in dairy systems limit their functional application. This study characterized the phenolic composition and biological activities of M. argun phenolic extract (MAPE), developed sodium alginate–whey protein concentrate (SAlg/WP) hydrogel beads for phenolic encapsulation, and evaluated their application in fortified yoghurt. HPLC identified quercetin and gallic acid as the predominant phenolic compounds. Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and molecular docking analyses were performed, while SAlg/WP–MAPE beads were characterized by encapsulation efficiency analysis, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy. Fortified yoghurt containing different concentrations of encapsulated MAPE was evaluated for color, syneresis, pH, and antioxidant activity during 14 days of refrigerated storage. MAPE exhibited strong antioxidant and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against bacterial and fungal strains, as well as promising antiviral activity against hepatitis A virus (HAV), with an IC₅₀ of 104.89 μg/mL and a selectivity index of 1.6. Molecular docking revealed favorable interactions of rutin, chlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid with the HAV 3C protease. SAlg/WP beads achieved 78.92% encapsulation efficiency, while FTIR and SEM confirmed successful phenolic entrapment. Encapsulation effectively preserved MAPE functionality and significantly enhanced yoghurt antioxidant activity during storage, demonstrating its potential for functional dairy applications. Full article

Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a livestock-amplified, mosquito-borne zoonosis caused by Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). Continental Europe has no established RVFV transmission, but a rare introduction could have major consequences if susceptible ruminants amplify infection before detection. Methodology: This critical narrative review synthesizes 69 scientific and institutional sources identified through structured PubMed/MEDLINE and Europe PMC searches, citation verification, and qualitative appraisal. Findings: European preparedness should distinguish probability from impact and weight evidence by decision value. Direct virological or acute animal evidence has the highest escalation value; serology, vector competence, environmental suitability, and pathway models mainly indicate where investigation should intensify. The main vulnerability is delayed recognition when animal movement or transported vector exposure coincides with seasonal receptivity and uneven surveillance capacity. Conclusions: The review develops a conditional convergence framework linking evidence strength to baseline vigilance, targeted investigation, and emergency response. Preparedness should prioritize differential diagnosis of livestock abortions and neonatal deaths, pathway-specific risk reduction, trigger-based sampling, occupational protection, and predefined vaccination and movement control decisions. Full article

The use of environmental nucleic acid (eNA), both DNA and RNA, as a means for surveillance has been a fixture in the scientific literature for many years. The application of environmental screening for genomic signatures of organisms of interest—particularly those of diagnostic concern—is a promising yet still under-utilised tool for sample screening. While the literature tends to focus on the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to detect organisms of interest using metagenomic or metatranscriptomic sampling, this approach is not cost-competitive with more traditional targeted molecular test methods. Consequently, eNA sampling still has not gained significant traction in practical settings despite its popularity in ecological research. To address these issues in a biosecurity context, we report here the development of a testing protocol to monitor irrigation water for the presence of pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) that also includes an endogenous Sphingomonas control. We employed passive sampling through the immersion of filtering devices into the water system at three commercial growing operations at two time points to collect samples with minimal hands-on effort, while simultaneously developing and validating molecular methods for the recovery of RNA competent for both PCR and high-throughput sequencing. We demonstrate not only the ability to detect PepMV from water collections, but also that the method is robust to the accumulation of non-target material and does not lose signal if viruses are only transiently present in the water system. Finally, we developed a capsid-integrity pre-treatment protocol for differentiating between intact and denatured (non-viable) virus particles during PCR testing. This work presents a low-cost and low-effort technique for proactive screening of commercial greenhouse facilities to facilitate early detection of harmful crop pests and pathogens. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative tool in virology, offering new opportunities for the detection, classification, and surveillance of viral pathogens. Recent advances in machine learning, deep neural networks, and multimodal data analysis now enable the identification of viral signatures from genomic sequences, medical images, environmental samples, and social-media-derived epidemiological signals. This review provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art AI methodologies applied to viral pathogen research, with a particular focus on image-based diagnostics, automated quality assessment of virology-related digital content, and predictive modelling for outbreak monitoring. We discuss how convolutional and transformer-based architectures are being used to classify infected tissues, detect viral particles, and support laboratory workflows. Furthermore, we highlight the emerging role of AI in evaluating the reliability of user-generated images and short videos related to infectious diseases, an area increasingly relevant in the age of misinformation. Challenges such as dataset bias, limited annotated virological images, ethical concerns, and the need for standardized quality-assessment pipelines are critically examined. Finally, we outline future research directions, including hybrid AI–biological models, AI-supported viral surveillance in healthcare environments, and the integration of explainable AI to enhance clinical trust. Full article

Apnea is a potentially life-threatening complication of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in early infancy; however, its determinants remain incompletely understood. Between 2011 and 2013, we conducted a population-based, cross-sectional, multicenter study in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We examined epidemiological, clinical, virological, and immunological factors associated with apnea in a population-based cohort of 2376 infants younger than five months hospitalized due to SARI. Using hierarchical multivariable logistic regression, we identified preterm birth, cesarean section, previous NICU admission, age under two months, and severe household crowding as independent predictors of apnea. RSV infection was inversely associated with apnea, and IL-5 levels in respiratory secretions were significantly lower among infants with apnea, suggesting a qualitatively different immune response in this group. Taken together, these findings indicate that apnea during SARI in early infancy is primarily driven by biological immaturity and adverse environmental conditions. Full article

The 9th National Congress of the Italian Society for Virology (SIV-ISV), entitled “One Virology—One Health”, took place in Turin at the Centro Congressi Lingotto from 22 to 24 June 2025. The meeting highlighted recent multidisciplinary and translational developments in virology, with a strong focus on the integration of the One Health perspective. Major themes included viral emergence and surveillance, genomic sequencing and bioinformatics, virus–host interactions, viral immunology and vaccines, structural and physical virology, environmental and food virology, zoonoses and animal infections, diagnostics and antiviral therapy, virus-based biotechnology and plant virology. The Congress aimed to: (i) bring together clinicians, basic researchers, veterinarians, environmental microbiologists, bioinformaticians, public-health professionals and industry to share methodologies and best practices; (ii) provide an interactive scientific environment promoting discussion and collaboration between senior investigators and trainees through plenaries, joint society sessions, invited talks, oral communications selected from abstracts, poster sessions, and mentoring panels; and (iii) identify priorities and inspire new research directions at the interface of human, animal and environmental health. More than 400 participants from national and international institutions attended the meeting, featuring distinguished plenary speakers, joint sessions with global networks, and numerous presentations of original unpublished data. This report summarizes the meeting’s scientific highlights, cross-disciplinary discussions, and proposed actions to strengthen One Health surveillance, computational infrastructures, and translational applications of viral biology. Full article

Dengue Virus (DENV) circulates as four antigenically distinct serotypes whose dominance fluctuates over time in many endemic regions, a phenomenon known as serotype shift that is frequently associated with large outbreaks and increased disease severity. This review, through a synthesis of epidemiological, virological, immunological, entomological, and environmental evidence, observes that serotype shift likely arises from the interaction of multiple determinants rather than solely from viral evolution, with population immunity playing a central role. The accumulation of serotype-specific herd immunity, together with short-lived cross-protection and Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE), reshapes population susceptibility and creates ecological space for heterologous serotypes with higher transmission potential. The synthesis of global dengue studies indicates that these immune dynamics interact with viral genetic diversity, vector competence, climate variability, and human factors such as demography, socioeconomic status, population density and mobility to drive cyclical and sometimes abrupt changes in serotype dominance. Notably, the review indicates that serotype changes often precede or coincide with more clinical severity and patterns of outbreaks, with direct implications for the process of forecasting outbreaks, vaccine performance, and preparedness to respond with appropriate health measures. On the whole, this review confirms the opinion that the change of dengue serotype occurrence becomes a consequence of interconnected biological and ecological processes involved in the transmission of dengue serotype shifts in hyperendemic areas. Full article

Effective hand washing takes time and hand sanitizers that contain alcohol have a number of drawbacks, and frequent use of alcohol may cause skin damage. The objective of this study is to formulate nanostructured lipid carrier systems containing chlorhexidine digluconate to be applied topically for hand hygiene, especially for people sensitive to alcohol. A cytotoxicity experiment was conducted to ascertain the safe dosage for each of the three nano-cream formulas (F1, F2 and F3). Following each treatment, the viral titer was assessed using tissue culture infectious dose₅₀ and standard plaque assays. The selected formulation was characterized rheologically. Furthermore, fifteen volunteers of various ages and genders participated in the vivo antimicrobial test of the selected formulation as a hand sanitizer. All of the formulas were found to be safe. Using the disc diffusion method, the three formulations exhibited in vitro antimicrobial effects against different microbes. F1 showed biphasic release, reasonable skin deposition and spherical droplets under a microscope. F1 exhibited a non-Newtonian shear thinning flow behavior. After 30 min, the reduction values for rotavirus and Phix-174 were 21 and 4%, respectively. Additionally, the impact of F1 was assessed on the infectivity of simian rotavirus sa-11 (ds RNA) and Phix-174 (ss DNA) bacteriophage. According to the findings of the in vivo study, the percentage of total bacterial counts that were removed varied from 91 to 100%. Moreover, the range of the removal percentage of total fungi was 95.38 to 100%. In summary, F1 can be used as an economic, safe, and effective hand antiseptic. It can also completely replace alcohol in the market. Full article

Hantaviruses are emerging rodent-borne pathogens that pose increasing global public health concerns due to their association with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), both of which can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Environmental change, climate variability, urbanization, and land-use transformation are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of hantavirus emergence and transmission. This review summarizes current evidence regarding hantavirus virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostics, surveillance systems, prevention strategies, and One Health preparedness approaches. Emphasis is placed on the influence of climate change and ecological disruption on rodent reservoir dynamics and spillover risk, as well as major surveillance and diagnostic gaps in tropical and Caribbean regions where hantavirus circulation may be underrecognized. Advances in molecular diagnostics, genomic surveillance, vaccine development, monoclonal antibody therapies, and climate-based early warning systems are also discussed. Existing evidence highlights the importance of integrated One Health surveillance systems that combine human, animal, and environmental monitoring to improve early detection and outbreak preparedness. Strengthening laboratory capacity, ecological surveillance, regional collaboration, and public health infrastructure will be essential for reducing the global burden of hantavirus infections and improving preparedness for future zoonotic disease threats. Full article

Polysaccharides derived from cyanobacteria and microalgae have attracted increasing interest as natural virucidal agents. Among them, polysaccharides from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (A. platensis), and the green microalgae Dunaliella salina (D. salina) have shown virucidal activities, mainly against enveloped viruses, while evidence on non-enveloped viruses is still limited. In this study, the virucidal activity of purified polysaccharides extracted from A. platensis (APPs) and from D. salina (DSPs) was evaluated in vitro against human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV5), a non-enveloped pathogenic virus with high persistence in the environment and resistance to disinfection. The in vitro assays were carried out at concentrations previously verified as non-toxic by morphological evaluation of A549 cells after 24 and 48 h of incubation, testing two viral loads, namely, 10³ and 10⁴ tissue culture infectious dose 50% per milliliter (TCID₅₀/mL). For APPs, a possible time-dependent effect was also assessed at different contact times (15, 30 and 60 min). DSPs showed a limited virucidal effect related to the starting viral concentration, while APPs induced a consistent viral reduction (up to 98.8%) at both viral concentrations. The virucidal effect of APPs occurred rapidly and was not significantly influenced by contact time, thus suggesting that prolonged exposure is not a determining factor for polysaccharide virucidal activity. These findings demonstrate the virucidal activity of APPs against a highly resistant non-enveloped virus and provide preliminary in vitro evidence of their potential application as natural virucidal agents, particularly for environmental disinfection purposes. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action and to optimize their practical use. Full article

Oropouche fever (OF), caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), has expanded beyond its Amazonian range into Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, raising concern about transmission in extra-Amazonian Atlantic Forest landscapes. Critical gaps persist regarding Culicoides vector communities, anthropophily, and climate-sensitive transmission risk in these newly affected regions. We conducted targeted entomological surveys outbreak-driven by human OF cases, standardized across five MG communities using CDC light traps and Protected Human Attraction (PHA) to characterize Culicoides composition. Females of Culicoides underwent RT-qPCR for OROV (n = 819) and physiological assessment (n = 312). We developed an entomological alert framework that integrates blood-fed abundance, minimum infection rate (MIR) upper confidence bounds, and environmental drivers (i.e., mean temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) via generalized additive mixed models, which explained 68% of the variability in Culicoides abundance and the alert index across communities. We collected 1171 Culicoides individuals representing five species (C. leopoldoi, C. paraensis, C. pusillus, C. foxi, and C. limai). C. leopoldoi (79.1%) and C. paraensis (20.3%) were the predominant species; notably, C. paraensis is recognized as the primary vector of OROV in the Americas. C. paraensis was documented for the first time in all five outbreak areas and dominated PHA captures (90%), suggesting anthropophily. Although no specimens tested OROV-positive (consistent with expected field infection rates of 0.01–1%), MIR upper bounds reached 132/1000 in low-sample settings and humidity and temperature strongly modulated abundance. This operational baseline and alert index transform virologically negative, sparse surveillance data into prioritized targets for intensified sampling and vector control during early, low-prevalence phases, when containment of OROV’s extra-Amazonian spread is still achievable. Full article

Plastic pollutants, including phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics (MPs), are increasingly recognized as emerging environmental cofactors that intersect with infectious disease dynamics. These compounds, once considered inert, can alter immune function, reshape host–pathogen interactions, and directly influence viral survival and transmission. In this review, we compile current evidence on the chemistry, environmental occurrence, and biological activity of major plastic-associated pollutants with emphasis on their role in viral infections. Phthalates such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and its metabolite MEHP modulate innate immune signaling and have been shown to exacerbate infections, including Dengue and Coxsackievirus B3. Other DEHP-like phthalates, such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), exhibit consistent infection-enhancing effects, while high molecular weight or cyclical phthalates such as polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP) display conflicting results in their modulation of viral infections. BPA, widely detected in human tissues, acts through endocrine and immune disruption, worsening viral myocarditis, and altering influenza outcomes. PFAS, persistent “forever chemicals,” reshape adaptive immune responses and are associated with increased susceptibility, viral persistence, or severity of infection of herpesvirus (HCMV, EBV, HSV-1), hepatitis virus, and influenza infection. Microplastics represent a distinct risk by acting as physical carriers for viruses and bacteria, stabilizing viral RNA, enhancing host cell uptake, and skewing immune responses. Together, these pollutants extend beyond toxicology into virology, providing novel insights into how environmental exposures converge with viral pathogenesis. We highlight mechanistic advances and critical knowledge gaps and propose future directions for integrating environmental health and infectious disease research. Full article

Betanodavirus infection poses a significant threat to marine fish species in the Mediterranean, affecting both aquaculture and wild populations. Despite increasing evidence of viral circulation in farmed and wild fish, data on natural outbreaks in wild groupers remain limited. This study investigated mortality episodes in wild dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus) within two marine protected areas (MPAs): Portofino MPA (Liguria, Italy) and Larvotto MPA (Principality of Monaco) during 2018–2019. Pathological examinations and virological diagnostics confirmed that the causative agents were betanodavirus strains belonging to the RGNNV genotype. Phylogenetic analyses revealed high genetic similarity among viral strains detected at geographically distant sites and across host species, suggesting potential regional connectivity mediated by mobile vectors or environmental transport. Seawater temperature analysis indicated that extreme and prolonged high-water temperatures were prodromal and coincided with observed outbreaks, supporting a role for thermal stress in triggering outbreak onsets. These findings highlight the susceptibility of wild dusky grouper populations to betanodavirus and underscore the interplay between host behavior, environmental conditions, and pathogen dynamics. The study emphasizes the importance of integrated health surveillance strategies within and around MPAs to monitor fish health and environmental parameters, thereby conserving wild fish populations and biodiversity. Full article

Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) remain the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children in low- and middle-income countries. In Brazil, the oral attenuated RVA vaccine (Rotarix^®), monovalent genotype G1P[8], is distributed by the national immunization program and has drastically reduced morbidity and mortality associated with RVA etiology. In this study, Rotarix^® G1P[8] was detected using specific qRT-PCR from the fecal shedding of children living in the Amazon region, and 18.3% (29/158) were positive and 75.8% (22/29) presented with AGE. The VP4 (VP8*) gene of these sheddings, submitted to Sanger nucleotide sequencing, showed an occurrence of mutations, including the silent mutation at 144C > G (one child) and the following missense mutations— 499T > C (F167L) (two children), 644G > C (C215S) (one child), and 787G > A (E263K) (one child). These mutations had no impact on the protein model structure in silico deduced from the VP4 (VP8*) mutants. The in silico protein model deduced from the VP4 (VP8*) nucleotide sequences, bound to type 1H sugar antigens (H1) and its precursor Lac-para-N-biose (LNB), had a stronger binding to the G1P[8] genotype, when compared to G3P[8]. Rotarix^® shedding was higher in HBGA secretors than in non-secretors (79.3%; 23/29). A total of 11.4% (18/158) of children with Rotarix^® G1P[8] shedding were unvaccinated, indicating the occurrence of indirect protection. Stability evidence of Rotarix^® VP4 (VP8*) spike protein from samples collected in vivo is presented. Full article