Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV), members of the viral family

Background: Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines have the advantage of being morphologically and antigenically similar to the live virus from which they are derived. Expression of the glycoprotein and VP40 matrix protein from Lake Victoria marburgvirus (MARV) results in spontaneous production of VLPs in mammalian cells. Guinea pigs vaccinated with Marburg virus VLPs (mVLPs) or inactivated MARV (iMARV) develop homologous humoral and T-cell responses and are completely protected from a lethal homologous MARV challenge. Aims & methods:To determine whether mVLPs based on the Musoke (aka Lake Victoria) isolate of MARV could broadly protect against diverse isolates of MARV, guinea pigs were vaccinated with mVLPs or iMARV-Musoke and challenged with MARV-Musoke, -Ravn orCi67. Results: Prior to challenge, the mVLP-and iMARV-vaccinated guinea pigs had high levels of homologous MARV-Musoke and heterologous MARV-Ravn and -Ci67 antibodies. The Musoke-based mVLPs and iMARV vaccines provided complete protection in guinea pigs against viremia, viral replication and pathological changes in tissues, and lethal disease following challenge with MARV-Musoke, -Ravn or -Ci67. Guinea pigs vaccinated with RIBI adjuvant alone and infected with guinea pig-adapted MARV-Musoke, -Ravn or -Ci67 had histopathologic findings similar to those seen in the nonhuman primate model for MARV infection. Based on the strong protection observed in guinea pigs, we next vaccinated cynomolgus macaques with Musoke-based mVLPs and showed the VLP-vaccinated monkeys were broadly protected against three isolates of MARV (Musoke, Ravn and Ci67). Conclusion: Musoke mVLPs are effective at inducing broad heterologous immunity and protection against multiple MARV isolates.

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Beginning in October 2000, subadult loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta showing clinical signs of a neurological disorder were found in waters off south Florida, USA. Histopathology indicated generalized and neurologic spirorchiidiasis. In loggerhead sea turtles (LST) with neurospirorchiidiasis, adult trematodes were found in the meninges of the brain and spinal cord of 7 and 3 affected turtles respectively, and multiple encephalic intravascular or perivascular eggs were associated with granulomatous or mixed leukocytic inflammation, vasculitis, edema, axonal degeneration and occasional necrosis. Adult spirorchiids were dissected from meningeal vessels of 2 of 11 LST brains and 1 of 10 spinal cords and were identified as Neospirorchis sp. Affected LST were evaluated for brevetoxins, ciguatoxins, saxitoxins, domoic acid and palytoxin. While tissues from 7 of 20 LST tested positive for brevetoxins, the levels were not considered to be in a range causing acute toxicosis. No known natural (algal blooms) or anthropogenic (pollutant spills) stressors co-occurred with the turtle mortality. While heavy metal toxicosis and organophosphate toxicosis were also investigated as possible causes, there was no evidence for their involvement. We speculate that the clinical signs and pathologic changes seen in the affected LST resulted from combined heavy spirorchiid parasitism and possible chronic exposure to a novel toxin present in the diet of LST.KEY WORDS: Spirorchiidiasis · Brain · Spinal cord · Neuropathy · Loggerhead sea turtle · Caretta caretta Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 70: [139][140][141][142][143][144][145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154] 2006 be under-diagnosed rather than being a rare occurrence.Digenetic trematodes of the family Spirorchiidae utilize freshwater turtles and sea turtles as their definitive hosts, and are known to cause neurologic complications. At least 8 genera and 20 species of spirorchiids infect the loggerhead Caretta caretta, green Chelonia mydas and hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata sea turtles (Lauckner 1985), and are the most pathogenic of sea turtle parasites (George 1997). Spirorchiids are vascular system generalists, with a preference for the heart and arterial system of their turtle hosts (Platt & Brooks 1997). Adult parasites may cause endocarditis, arteritis and thrombosis of the blood vessels (Gordon et al. 1998). In addition to direct pathological effects induced by the adult parasite, eggs released within the vascular system may be transported to remote areas, such as the central nervous system (CNS), where they lodge in small vessels, often initiating a mild to severe granulomatous inflammatory response. The eggs can also migrate through blood vessel walls, causing tissue damage and inflammation in adjacent tissues (Gordon et al. 1998). Spirorchiid parasitism may promote secondary gram-negative bacterial infections (Raidal et al. 1998). Meningitis and encephalitis have been reported in green...

Lung-eye-trachea disease-associated herpesvirus (LETV) is linked with morbidity and mortality in mari-These results are the first to suggest that wild Florida green turtles are exposed to LETV or to an antigenically closely related herpesvirus(es) other than FPHV and that FPHV and LETV infections are most likely independent events. This is the first ELISA developed to detect antibodies for a specific herpesvirus infection of marine turtles. The specificity of this ELISA for LETV (ability to distinguish LETV from FPHV) makes it valuable for detecting exposure to this specific herpesvirus and enhances our ability to conduct seroepidemiological studies of these diseaseassociated agents in marine turtles.