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Viruses 2019 Feb 16;11(2). Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Integrated Research Facility, Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 8200 Research Plaza, Frederick, MD 27102, USA.

Following the largest Ebola virus disease outbreak from 2013 to 2016, viral RNA has been detected in survivors from semen and breast milk long after disease recovery. However, as there have been few cases of sexual transmission, it is unclear whether every RNA positive fluid sample contains infectious virus. Virus isolation, typically using cell culture or animal models, can serve as a tool to determine the infectivity of patient samples. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):11-17

H. Dele Davies, MD, is Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE.

During the outbreak of Ebola virus disease that struck West Africa during 2014-2016, a small handful of expatriate patients were evacuated to specialized high-level containment care units, or biocontainment units, in the United States and Western Europe. Given the lower mortality rate (18% versus 40% for those treated in Africa) among these patients, it is likely that high-level containment care will be used in the future with increasing frequency. It is also likely that children infected with Ebola and other highly hazardous communicable diseases will someday require such care. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):54-61

Christopher J. Kratochvil, MD, is Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Vice President for Research, Nebraska Medicine; and Chief Medical Officer, UNeHealth, National Ebola Training and Education Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

The use of investigational therapeutics in the care of patients with Ebola virus disease was documented in the literature following the 2013-2016 outbreak. In order to access these types of therapeutics, facilities must have processes in place to quickly and efficiently activate study protocols, obtain the medications, and administer them in a timely manner. Testing these procedures in advance of a real-world event is crucial to ensuring successful implementation and execution. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):27-34

Brian T. Garibaldi, MD, MEHP, is Director, Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit, and Associate Professor, Medicine and Physiology, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

High-consequence pathogens create a unique problem. To provide effective treatment for infected patients while providing safety for the community, a series of 10 high-level isolation units have been created across the country; they are known as Regional Ebola and Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs). The activation of a high-level isolation unit is a highly resource-intensive activity, with effects that ripple across the healthcare system. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):35-45

Christopher J. Kratochvil, MD, is Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

The 2013-2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that originated in West Africa underscored many of the challenges to conducting clinical research during an ongoing infectious disease epidemic, both in the most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well as in the United States and Europe, where a total of 27 patients with EVD received care in biocontainment units. The Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN) was established in the United States in November 2016 to provide an organizational structure to leverage the expertise of the 10 Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs); it was intended to develop and support infrastructure to improve readiness to conduct clinical research in the United States. The network enables the rapid activation and coordination of clinical research in the event of an epidemic and facilitates opportunities for multicenter research when the RESPTCs are actively caring for patients requiring a biocontainment unit. Read More

Mol Inform 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Laboratory of Chemoinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67081, France.

Recent outbreaks of dangerous viral infections, such as Ebola virus disease, Zika fever, etc., are forcing the search for new antiviral compounds. Preferably, such compounds should possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity, as the development of drugs for the treatment of dozens of viral infections lacking specific treatment would require significant resources. Read More

Lancet 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Ebolaviruses are pathogenic agents associated with a severe, potentially fatal, systemic disease in man and great apes. Four species of ebolaviruses have been identified in west or equatorial Africa. Once the more virulent forms enter the human population, transmission occurs primarily through contact with infected body fluids and can result in major epidemics in under-resourced settings. Read More

Clin Proteomics 2019 7;16. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

1Molecular and Translational Sciences Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702 USA.

Background: In-depth examination of the plasma proteomic response to infection with a wide variety of pathogens can assist in the development of new diagnostic paradigms, while providing insight into the interdependent pathogenic processes which encompass a host's immunological and physiological responses. Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a highly lethal infection termed Ebola virus disease (EVD) in primates and humans. The Gram negative non-spore forming bacillus () causes melioidosis in primates and humans, characterized by severe pneumonia with high mortality. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

UK Public Health Rapid Support Team, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Lancet Infect Dis 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Recherches translationnelles sur le VIH et les maladies infectieuses, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. Electronic address:

Background: The prevalence of Ebola virus infection among people who have been in contact with patients with Ebola virus disease remains unclear, but is essential to understand the dynamics of transmission. This study aimed to identify risk factors for seropositivity and to estimate the prevalence of Ebola virus infection in unvaccinated contact persons.

Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional observational study, we recruited individuals between May 12, 2016, and Sept 8, 2017, who had been in physical contact with a patient with Ebola virus disease, from four medical centres in Guinea (Conakry, Macenta, N'zérékoré, and Forécariah). Read More

Front Public Health 2018 29;6:385. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Point-of-Care Testing Center for Teaching and Research, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.

To develop awareness of benefits of point-of-care testing (POCT) education in schools of public health, to identify learning objectives for teaching POCT, to enable public health professionals and emergency responders to perform evidence-based diagnosis and triage effectively and efficiently at points of need, and to better improve future standards of care for public health practice, including in limited-resource settings and crisis situations. We surveyed all U.S. Read More

Cell Rep 2019 Feb;26(7):1841-1853.e6

Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address:

The Ebola virus glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) forms GP-containing microvesicles, so-called virosomes, which are secreted from GP-expressing cells. However, determinants of GP-virosome release and their functionality are poorly understood. We characterized GP-mediated virosome formation and delineated the role of the antiviral factor tetherin (BST2, CD317) in this process. Read More

Cell Rep 2019 Feb;26(7):1718-1726.e4

Division of Biotechnology Review and Research-III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA. Electronic address:

Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV) survivors experience visual and CNS sequelae that suggests the ZEBOV glycoprotein can mediate neurotropism. Replication-competent rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine candidate is generally well tolerated; however, its potential neurotropism requires careful study. Here, we show that a single inoculation of rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP virus in neonatal C57BL/6 mice results in transient viremia, neurological symptoms, high viral titers in eyes and brains, and death. Read More

Health Policy Plan 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

GroundWork, Hintergass 1, Fläsch, Switzerland.

There are important lessons learned from the 2014-16 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa. However, there has not been a systematic documentation of nutrition lessons specifically. Therefore, this study sought to generate multiple stakeholder perspectives for understanding the nutrition challenges faced during the Ebola virus disease outbreak, as well as for consensus building around improved response strategies. Read More

J Public Health Manag Pract 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta Georgia. (Ms Lemmings); and Communicable Disease Branch, Division of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina (Dr Maillard). Dr Perrotta is Independent, Consulting Epidemiologist, Smithville, Texas.

Context: In late 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested the support of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to enhance epidemiologic capacity in the West African countries impacted or threatened by an outbreak of Ebola virus disease. In response, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists recruited 36 senior epidemiologists who, collectively, made 45 deployments to West Africa, averaging 42 days each.

Objective: To assess the self-reported experiences and contributions of the deployed epidemiologists, as well as the role of nonprofit public health organizations in large-scale emergency response. Read More

J Med Microbiol 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

3 NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

The liver-expressed pattern recognition receptors mannose-binding lectin (MBL), ficolin-2 and ficolin-3 contribute to the innate immune response by activating complement. Binding of soluble ficolin-2 to viral pathogens can directly neutralize virus entry. We observed that the human hepatoma cell line HuH7. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2019 May 17;25(5). Epub 2019 May 17.

Circumstances exist that call for the aeromedical evacuation high-level containment transport (AE-HLCT) of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases. A small number of organizations maintain AE-HLCT capabilities, and little is publicly available regarding the practices. The time is ripe for the development of standards and consensus guidelines involving AE-HLCT. Read More

Anal Chem 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Aptamers of Ebola virus (EBOV) offer a powerful means for the prevention and diagnostics. Unfortunately, few of aptamers for EBOV are discovered yet. Herein, assisted by magnetism-controlled selection chip to strictly manipulate selection conditions, a highly efficient aptamer selection platform for EBOV is proposed. Read More

Nature 2019 Feb;566(7743):190-191

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 7;9(1):1653. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

School of Mathematics Science, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaiyin, 223300, P. R. China.

The outbreak of the Ebola virus has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality in the affected areas, and Ebola virus RNA has been found in the semen of the survivors after 9 months of symptom onset. However, the role that sexual transmission played in the transmission is not very clear. In this paper, we developed a compartmental model for Ebola virus disease (EVD) dynamics, which includes three different infectious routes: contact with the infectious, contact with dead bodies, and transmission by sexual behaviour with convalescent survivors. Read More

Lancet 2019 Feb 4;393(10172):620-621. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.

ACS Omega 2019 Jan 30;4(1):2353-2361. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States.

We have previously described the first Bayesian machine learning models from FDA-approved drug screens, for identifying compounds active against the Ebola virus (EBOV). These models led to the identification of three active molecules in vitro: tilorone, pyronaridine, and quinacrine. A follow-up study demonstrated that one of these compounds, tilorone, has 100% in vivo efficacy in mice infected with mouse-adapted EBOV at 30 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal. Read More

J Virol 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Departments of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Pediatrics, and The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

The human B cell response to natural filovirus infections early after recovery is poorly understood. Previous serologic studies suggest that some Ebola virus survivors exhibit delayed antibody responses with low magnitude and quality. Here, we sought to study the population of individual memory B cells induced early in convalescence. Read More

Health Secur 2019 Jan/Feb;17(1):3-10. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Shelly Schwedhelm, MSN, is Executive Director, Emergency Management & Biopreparedness, Nebraska Medicine, Omaha.

The Ebola epidemic of 2014 demonstrated that outbreaks of high-consequence infectious diseases, even in remote parts of the world, can affect communities anywhere in the developed world and that every healthcare facility must be prepared to identify, isolate, and provide care for infected patients. The Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU), located at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, cared for 3 American citizens exposed in West Africa and confirmed with Ebola virus disease (EVD). Symptom monitoring of healthcare workers caring for these patients was implemented, which included twice daily contact to document the absence or presence of signs of fever or illness. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 22;9:3071. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.

Marburg virus (MARV) is the causative agent of hemorrhagic fever outbreaks with high case fatality rates. Closely related to Ebola virus, MARV is a filamentous virus with a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome. Although extensive studies on filovirus countermeasures have been conducted, there are no licensed treatments against MARV infections. Read More

Viruses 2019 Feb 3;11(2). Epub 2019 Feb 3.

Sealy Institute for Vaccine Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.

The 2014 Ebolavirus outbreak in West Africa highlighted the need for vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat filovirus infections. A well-characterized small animal model that is susceptible to wild-type filoviruses would facilitate the screening of anti-filovirus agents. To that end, we characterized knockout mice lacking α/β and γ interferon receptors (IFNAGR KO) as a model for wild-type filovirus infection. Read More

Infect Dis Clin North Am 2019 Mar;33(1):247-264

Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care, University of Toronto, 209 Victoria Street, 4th Floor, Room 411, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, 300112e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Québec J1H 5N4, Canada. Electronic address:

The 2014 to 2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak underscored the threat posed by hemorrhagic fevers. Filoviral outbreaks have been identified since 1967, but data collection has remained sparse, limiting current knowledge of these illnesses. Documentation of objective physical signs and laboratory parameters and appropriate clinical management are connected and interdependent. Read More

Rev Med Virol 2019 Jan 31:e2036. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

School of Science, Monash University, Sunway Campus, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.

Tetherin, an interferon-inducible gene was first discovered to be an antiviral factor in 2008. A vast range of viruses, such as influenza A virus (IAV), dengue virus, Ebola virus, HIV, and RSV, have been reported to be susceptible to the antiviral activity of tetherin. Multiple reports have been published encompassing the role of tetherin in the IAV life cycle. Read More

Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Objectives: To examine Ebola virus disease (EVD) symptom prevalence and EVD status among pregnant women in Ebola isolation units in Sierra Leone.

Methods: In an observational study, data were obtained for pregnant women admitted to Ebola isolation units across four districts in Sierra Leone from June 29, 2014, to December 20, 2014. Women were admitted to isolation units if they had suspected EVD exposures or fever (temperature >38°C) and three or more self-reported symptoms suggestive of EVD. Read More

BMC Public Health 2019 Jan 31;19(1):136. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa that has been experiencing outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Marburg and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fevers. In 2017 Uganda experienced a Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak with case fatality rate of 100% in Kween district. Although hunting for wild meat was linked to the MVD outbreak in Kween district, less was reported on the land use changes, especially the changing animal grazing practices in Kween district. Read More

Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2019 Mar 28;136:213-220. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States. Electronic address:

No United States Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccines protective against Ebola virus (EBOV) infections are currently available. EBOV vaccine candidates currently in development, as well as most currently licensed vaccines in general, require transport and storage under a continuous cold chain in order to prevent potential decreases in product efficacy. Cold chain requirements are particularly difficult to maintain in developing countries. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2018 ;63(6):372-375

Federal State Budgetary Establishment «48 Central Scientific Research Institute» of the Ministry of the Defens of the Russian Federation, 141306, Sergiev Posad, Russian Federation.

The reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction method (RT-PCR) has leading position on diagnostic infections, caused by RNA-containing viruses. This method presents severe requirements to carrying out of everybody stages of analysis (extraction of nucleic acid, carry out reverse transcription, amplification of DNA). It is necessary to account the possibility of false positive or false negative results appearance. Read More

J Glob Health 2019 Jun;9(1):010406

Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Deptartment of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: Beyond their direct effects on mortality, outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) might disrupt the provision of health care services in affected countries, possibly resulting in an increase in the number of deaths from non-EVD causes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies documenting the impact of EVD outbreaks on health care utilization.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Global Health, Pascal and grey literature to identify observational studies that compared indicators of health care utilization before and during the outbreak. Read More

J Virol 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Microbiology and Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22908

Antiviral therapies that impede virus entry are attractive because they act on the first phase of the infectious cycle. Drugs that target pathways common to multiple viruses are particularly desirable when laboratory-based viral identification may be challenging, e.g. Read More

Lancet 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Background: mAb114 is a single monoclonal antibody that targets the receptor-binding domain of Ebola virus glycoprotein, which prevents mortality in rhesus macaques treated after lethal challenge with Zaire ebolavirus. Here we present expedited data from VRC 608, a phase 1 study to evaluate mAb114 safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity.

Methods: In this phase 1, dose-escalation study (VRC 608), conducted at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD, USA), healthy adults aged 18-60 years were sequentially enrolled into three mAb114 dose groups of 5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Feb 23;37(8):1101-1108. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK; Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK. Electronic address:

Health care workers (HCW) are at high risk of Ebola virus disease (EVD) infection during epidemics and may contribute to onward transmission, and therefore HCW-targeted prophylactic vaccination strategies are being considered as interventions. To assess the feasibility of preventive HCW vaccination, we conducted a pilot survey on staff turnover and vaccine acceptance amongst 305 HCW in Freetown and Kambia districts of Sierra Leone. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated which demographic and behavioural factors were associated with acceptance of a hypothetical new vaccine. Read More

Microbes Infect 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

University of Copenhagen, BRIC Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, Lund Group, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Jan 24;19(1):81. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Center for International Health, University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.

Background: The West Africa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014-2016 was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) a public health emergency of international concern. Most of the previous studies done in Sierra Leone relating to the clinical and epidemiological features of EVD during the 2014-2016 West African outbreak focused on adult EVD patients. There have been conflicting reports about the effects of EVD on children during previous outbreaks. Read More

Vaccines (Basel) 2019 Jan 22;7(1). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Institute of Human Virology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) are a group of clinically similar diseases that can be caused by enveloped RNA viruses primarily from the families , , , and . Clinically, this group of diseases has in common fever, fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches, and other associated symptoms that can progress to vascular leakage, bleeding and multi-organ failure. Most of these viruses are zoonotic causing asymptomatic infections in the primary host, but in human beings, the infection can be lethal. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

TransVIHMI, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France.

The ecology of Ebola virus (EBV) remains largely unknown, but the previous detection of viral RNA and anti-EBV antibodies in African bats suggests that they might play a role in the EBV reservoir. Moreover, African bats also carry other potentially zoonotic agents such as Henipah-like viruses, coronaviruses and lyssaviruses. Today only little information is available on interactions between humans and bats. Read More

Nature 2019 01;565(7740):419-421

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 22;9(1):267. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics, Lehigh University, 19 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA.

Since the most recent outbreak, the Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic remains one of the world's public health and safety concerns. EBOV is a negative-sense RNA virus that can infect humans and non-human primates, and causes hemorrhagic fever. It has been proposed that the T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) family proteins act as cell surface receptors for EBOV, and that the interaction between TIM and phosphatidylserine (PS) on the surface of EBOV mediates the EBOV-host cell attachment. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2019 Feb;25(2):290-298

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is associated with elevated cytokine levels, and hypercytokinemia is more pronounced in fatal cases. This type of hyperinflammatory state is reminiscent of 2 rheumatologic disorders known as macrophage activation syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which are characterized by macrophage and T-cell activation. An evaluation of 2 cohorts of patients with EVD revealed that a marker of macrophage activation (sCD163) but not T-cell activation (sCD25) was associated with severe and fatal EVD. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2019 Feb;25(2):205-211

Recent years have seen unprecedented investment in research and development for countermeasures for high-threat pathogens, including specific and ambitious objectives for development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. The inadequate availability of biological reference materials for these pathogens poses a genuine obstacle in pursuit of these objectives, and the lack of a comprehensive and equitable framework for developing reference materials is a weakness. We outline the need for internationally standardized biological materials for high-threat pathogens as a core element of global health security. Read More

Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2019 Feb;3(2):55

Brain Res Bull 2019 Feb 15;145:2-17. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Neuroscience, USUHS, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA. Electronic address:

Viral infections are a major cause of human central nervous system infection, and may be associated with significant mortality, and long-term sequelae. In Africa, the lack of effective therapies, limited diagnostic and human resource facilities are especially in dire need. Most viruses that affect the central nervous system are opportunistic or accidental pathogens. Read More

Math Biosci 2019 Jan 15;309:34-41. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Ruth-Moufang-Straße 1, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany. Electronic address:

Multiscale models that link within-host infection to between-host transmission are valuable tools to progress understanding of viral infectious diseases. In this paper, we present two multiscale models that couple within-host infection to a susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model. A disease-induced transmission rate bridges the scales from within to between-host. Read More

J Infect Dis 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

TransVIHMI/INSERM1175, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.

Bats are considered a reservoir species for Ebola viruses, but non-human primates (NHP) have represented a source of infection in several outbreaks in humans. Here we report serological screening of blood or fecal samples from monkeys (n=2,322) and apes (n=2,327). Thirty-six NHP species from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast were tested with a sensitive and specific Luminex-based assay for IgG antibodies to four Ebolavirus species. Read More

Nat Commun 2019 01 17;10(1):285. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS G-14, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.

There are no approved therapies for Ebola virus infection. Here, to find potential therapeutic targets, we perform a screen for genes essential for Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. We identify GNPTAB, which encodes the α and β subunits of N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase. Read More

Viruses 2019 Jan 16;11(1). Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham 2131, South Africa.

We generated genome sequences from 218 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone (SLE) during 2014⁻2015 to complement available datasets, particularly by including cases from a period of low sequence coverage during peak transmission of Ebola virus (EBOV) in the highly-affected Western Area division of SLE. The combined dataset was utilized to produce phylogenetic and phylodynamic inferences, to study sink⁻source dynamics and virus dispersal from highly-populated transmission hotspots. We identified four districts in SLE where EBOV was introduced and transmission occurred without onward exportation to other districts. Read More