Neglected Australian Arboviruses Associated With Undifferentiated Febrile Illnesses

Gyawali, Narayan; Taylor‐Robinson, Andrew W.; Bradbury, Richard S.; Pederick, Wayne; Faddy, Helen M.; Aaskov, John

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.02818

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Different mosquito trapping techniques have differential vector specific targets, so using one particular trap type might miss key vector species. In terms of serology, there may be considerable cross reaction between some virus antibodies [ 12 ]. In this case RRV is likely to cross-react with the closely related alphavirus, Barmah Forest virus, whose epidemiology in Queensland remains significant [ 2 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One means of identifying likely vertebrate disease reservoirs is to demonstrate their historical exposure to disease by searching for virus-specific antibodies in animal sera or tissues. Development of antibody is the major immune response to infection with parasites and pathogens including arboviruses [12,13]. While such serological evidence of infection does not prove that an animal is an amplifying host or key reservoir, it does allow the generation of hypotheses about probable pathways and is especially useful when combined with information on mosquito species and their host preference.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: A useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

et al. 2020

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Introduction Many arboviruses of public health significance are maintained in zoonotic cycles with complex transmission pathways. The presence of serum antibody against arboviruses in vertebrates provides evidence of their historical exposure but reveals nothing about the vectorreservoir relationship. Moreover, collecting blood or tissue samples from vertebrate hosts is ethically and logistically challenging. We developed a novel approach for screening the immune status of vertebrates against Ross River virus that allows us to implicate the vectors that form the transmission pathways for this commonly notified Australian arboviral disease. Methods A micro-plaque reduction neutralisation test (micro-PRNT) was developed and validated on koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) sera against a standard PRNT. The ability of the micro-PRNT to detect RRV antibodies in mosquito blood meals was then tested using two mosquito models. Laboratory-reared Aedes aegypti were fed, via a membrane, on sheep blood supplemented with RRV seropositive and seronegative human sera. Aedes notoscriptus were fed on RRV seropositive and seronegative human volunteers. Blood-fed mosquitoes were harvested at various time points after feeding and their blood meals analysed for the presence of RRV neutralising antibodies using the micro-PRNT. Results There was significant agreement of the plaque neutralisation resulting from the micro-PRNT and standard PRNT techniques (R 2 = 0.65; P<0.0001) when applied to RRV antibody detection in koala sera. Sensitivity and specificity of the micro-PRNT assay were 88.2% and 96%, respectively, in comparison with the standard PRNT. Blood meals from mosquitoes fed on sheep blood supplemented with RRV antibodies, and on blood from RRV seropositive humans neutralised the virus by �50% until 48 hr post feeding. The vertebrate origin of the PLOS ONE

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: A useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

et al. 2020

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“…Among 1,920 studies identified, 41 met our inclusion criteria ( S1 Fig ) and these reported 78 serosurveys ( Table 1 ) [ 16 , 23 – 52 ]. Serosurveys spanned 66 years (1951–2017) and included 62,327 human samples.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Seroprevalence for Dengue, Ross River, and Barmah Forest viruses in Australia and the Pacific: A systematic review spanning seven decades

et al. 2022

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Background Dengue (DENV), Ross River (RRV) and Barmah Forest viruses (BFV) are the most common human arboviral infections in Australia and the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and are associated with debilitating symptoms. All are nationally notifiable in Australia, but routine surveillance is limited to a few locations in the PICTs. Understanding the level of human exposure to these viruses can inform disease management and mitigation strategies. To assess the historic and current seroprevalence of DENV, RRV and BFV in Australia and the PICTs we conducted a systematic literature review of all published quantitative serosurveys. Methodology and principal findings The Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses procedures were adopted to produce a protocol to systematically search for published studies reporting the seroprevalence of DENV, RRV and BFV in Australia and the PICTs. Data for author, research year, location, study population, serosurvey methods and positive tests were extracted. A total of 41 papers, reporting 78 serosurveys of DENV, RRV and BFV including 62,327 samples met the inclusion criteria for this review. Seroprevalence varied depending on the assay used, strategy of sample collection and location of the study population. Significant differences were observed in reported seropositivity depending on the sample collection strategy with clinically targeted sampling reporting the highest seroprevalence across all three viruses. Non-stratified seroprevalence showed wide ranges in reported positivity with DENV 0.0% -95.6%, RRV 0.0%-100.0%, and BFV 0.3% to 12.5%. We discuss some of the causes of variation including serological methods used, selection bias in sample collection including clinical or environmental associations, and location of study site. We consider the extent to which serosurveys reflect the epidemiology of the viruses and provide broad recommendations regarding the conduct and reporting of arbovirus serosurveys. Conclusions and significance Human serosurveys provide important information on the extent of human exposure to arboviruses across: (1) time, (2) place, and (3) person (e.g., age, gender, clinical presentation etc). Interpreting results obtained at these scales has the potential to inform us about transmission cycles, improve diagnostic surveillance, and mitigate future outbreaks. Future research should streamline methods and reduce bias to allow a better understanding of the burden of these diseases and the factors associated with seroprevalence. Greater consideration should be given to the interpretation of seroprevalence in studies, and increased rigour applied in linking seroprevalence to transmission dynamics.

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“…One means of identifying likely vertebrate disease reservoirs is to demonstrate their historical exposure to disease by searching for virus-specific antibodies in animal sera or tissues. Development of antibody is the major immune response to infection with parasites and pathogens including the arboviruses [12, 13]. While such serological evidence of infection does not prove that an animal is an amplifying host or key reservoir, it does allow us to generate hypotheses about probable pathways and is especially useful when combined with information on mosquito species and their host preference.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: a useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

Gyawali

Murphy

Hugo

et al. 2020

Preprint

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IntroductionMany arboviruses of public health significance are maintained in zoonotic cycles with complex transmission pathways. The presence of serum antibody against arboviruses in vertebrates provides evidence of their historical exposure but reveals nothing about the vector-reservoir relationship. Moreover, collecting blood or tissue samples from vertebrate hosts is ethically and logistically challenging. We developed a novel approach for screening the immune status of vertebrates against Ross River virus that allows us to implicate the vectors that form the transmission pathway for this commonly notified Australian arboviral disease.MethodsA micro-plaque reduction neutralisation test (micro-PRNT) was developed and validated on koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) sera against a standard PRNT. The ability of the micro-PRNT to detect RRV antibodies in mosquito blood meals was then tested using some convenient mosquito models. Laboratory-reared Aedes aegypti were fed, via a membrane, on sheep blood supplemented with RRV seropositive and seronegative human sera. Aedes notoscriptus were fed on RRV seropositive and seronegative human volunteers. Blood-fed mosquitoes were harvested at various time points after feeding and their blood meals analysed for the presence of RRV neutralizing antibodies using the micro-PRNT.ResultsThere was significant agreement of the plaque neutralization resulting from the micro-PRNT and standard PRNT techniques (R2=0.65; P<0.0001) when applied to RRV antibody detection in koala sera. Sensitivity and specificity of the micro-PRNT assay were 88.2% and 96%, respectively, in comparison with the standard PRNT. Blood meals from mosquitoes fed on sheep blood supplemented with RRV antibodies neutralised RRV by ≥50% until 60 hr post feeding. Similarly, mosquito blood meals from RRV seropositive human volunteers neutralised the virus by ≥50% until 48 hr post-blood feeding.ConclusionsThe small volumes of blood present in mosquito abdomens can be used to identify RRV antibodies and therefore host exposure to arbovirus infection. In tandem with the accurate identification of the mosquito, and diagnostics for the host origin of the blood meal, this technique has tremendous potential for exploring RRV transmission pathways. It can clearly be adapted for similar studies on other mosquito borne zoonoses.

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Neglected Australian Arboviruses Associated With Undifferentiated Febrile Illnesses

Cited by 12 publications

References 40 publications

A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: A useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: A useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

Human Seroprevalence for Dengue, Ross River, and Barmah Forest viruses in Australia and the Pacific: A systematic review spanning seven decades

A micro-PRNT for the detection of Ross River virus antibodies in mosquito blood meals: a useful tool for inferring transmission pathways

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