Infectious Disease Commons^™

A Single Amino Acid Substitution In Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Glycoprotein 2 Significantly Impairs Its Infectivity In Macrophages, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Raquel Arruda Leme, Kassandra Durazo-Martinez, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Aspen M. Workman, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a restricted tropism for macrophages and CD163 is a key receptor for infection. In this study, the PRRSV strain NCV1 was passaged on MARC-145 cells for 95 passages, and two plaque-clones (C1 and C2) were randomly selected for further analysis. The C1 virus nearly lost the ability to infect porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), as well as porcine kidney cells expressing porcine CD163 (PK15-pCD163), while the C2 virus replicates well in these two cell types. Pretreatment of MARC-145 cells with an anti-CD163 antibody nearly blocked C1 virus infection, indicating that the virus still …

Polyphenolics, Glucosinolates And Isothiocyanates Profiling Of Aerial Parts Of Nasturtium Officinale (Watercress), Sotiris Kyriakou, Kyriaki Michailidou, Tom Amery, Kyle Stewart, Paul G. Winyard, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a rich source of secondary metabolites with disease-preventing and/or health-promoting properties. Herein, we have utilized extraction procedures to isolate fractions of polyphenols, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates to determine their identification, and quantification. In doing so, we have utilized reproducible analytical methodologies based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry by either positive or negative ion mode. Due to the instability and volatility of isothiocyanates, we followed an ammonia derivatization protocol which converts them into respective ionizable thiourea derivatives. The analytes’ content distribution map was created on watercress flowers, leaves and stems. We have demonstrated that …

Sars-Cov-2 Incubation Period According To Vaccination Status During The Fifth Covid-19 Wave In A Tertiary-Care Center In Spain: A Cohort Study, Jordi Cortés Martínez, Daewoo Pak, Gabriela Abelenda-Alonso, Klaus Langohr, Jing Ning, Alexander Rombauts, Mireia Colom, Yu Shen, Guadalupe Gómez Melis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The incubation period of an infectious disease is defined as the elapsed time between the exposure to the pathogen and the onset of symptoms. Although both the mRNA-based and the adenoviral vector-based vaccines have shown to be effective, there have been raising concerns regarding possible decreases in vaccine effectiveness for new variants and variations in the incubation period.

Methods: We conducted a unicentric observational study at the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, using a structured telephone survey performed by trained interviewers to estimate the incubation period of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a cohort of Spanish hospitalized patients. The …

The “Big Six”: Hidden Emerging Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens, Mona G. Alharbi, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Ahmed Esmael, Ibrahim A. Alotibi, Sheren A. Azhari, Mazen S. Alseghayer, Addisu D. Teklemariam

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are emerging serogroups that often result in diseases ranging from diarrhea to severe hemorrhagic colitis in humans. The most common non-O157 STEC are O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. These serogroups are known by the name “big six” because they cause severe illness and death in humans and the United States Department of Agriculture declared these serogroups as food contaminants. The lack of fast and efficient diagnostic methods exacerbates the public impact of the disease caused by these serogroups. Numerous outbreaks have been reported globally and most of these outbreaks were caused by …

Clinical Impact Of Ceftriaxone Resistance In Escherichia Coli Bloodstream Infections: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study, Pranita D Tamma, Lauren Komarow, Lizhao Ge, Julia Garcia-Diaz, Erica S Herc, Yohei Doi, Cesar A Arias, Owen Albin, Elie Saade, Loren G Miller, Jesse T Jacob, Michael J Satlin, Martin Krsak, W Charles Huskins, Sorabh Dhar, Samuel A Shelburne, Carol Hill, Keri R Baum, Minal Bhojani, Kerryl E Greenwood-Quaintance, Suzannah M Schmidt-Malan, Robin Patel, Scott R Evans, Henry F Chambers, Vance G Fowler, David Van Duin, Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Ceftriaxone-resistant (CRO-R) Escherichia coli bloodstream infections (BSIs) are common.

Methods

This is a prospective cohort of patients with E coli BSI at 14 United States hospitals between November 2020 and April 2021. For each patient with a CRO-R E coli BSI enrolled, the next consecutive patient with a ceftriaxone-susceptible (CRO-S) E coli BSI was included. Primary outcome was desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) at day 30, with 50% probability of worse outcomes in the CRO-R group as the null hypothesis. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to reduce confounding.

Results

Notable differences between patients infected with CRO-R and CRO-S …

Neurodevelopment And Recovery From Wasting, Harriet M. Babikako, Celine Bourdon, Emmie Mbale, Peace Aber, Annet Birabwa, Josephine Chimoyo, Wieger Voskuijl, Zaubina Kazi, John Mukisa, Ali Faisal Saleem

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background and objectives: Acute illness with malnutrition is a common indication for hospitalization among children in low- and middle-income countries. We investigated the association between wasting recovery trajectories and neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children 6 months after hospitalization for an acute illness.
Methods: Children aged 2 to 23 months were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort of the Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition Network, in Uganda, Malawi, and Pakistan between January 2017 and January 2019. We grouped children on the basis of their wasting recovery trajectories using change in mid-upper arm circumference for age z-score. Neurodevelopment was assessed with the …

Sars-Cov-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) Variant: Structural Features, Biological Characteristics, Impact On Scientific Research, General Precautions And Protective Procedures; A Systematic Review, Prithivi Nagarajan, Anitha Vetrivel, Jayanthi Kumar, Anusheela Howlader, Kumar Rangarajalu, Satheesh Kumar Sabapathy, Muthu Gopal, Saravanaavel Kumar

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The SARS-CoV-2 mutations that have occurred have alarmed the entire medical community. Thus, global concerns have been expressed regarding the transmission, pathogenicity and immune evasion of the Omicron strain, which shares mutations with the variants of concern Alpha, Beta, and Gamma strains. Still, Omicron transmission has crossed numerous borders worldwide compared to other types of SARS-CoV-2. The number of confirmed cases has increased and is reappearing in India. Given the worrisome situation created by the Omicron outbreak, scientists and postgraduates have had to make decisions about current research programs at institutions around the globe. The Omicron variants under development have …

Proteômica Plasmática Quantitativa De Pacientes Sobreviventes E Não Sobreviventes De Covid-19 Internados No Hospital Revela Potenciais Biomarcadores Prognósticos E Alvos Terapêuticos, D C. Flora, A D. Valle, H Abs Pereira, T F. Garbieri, L. T. Grizzo, T J. Dionisio, A L. Leite, D Mc Rosa, C F. Santos, M Ar Buzalaf

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

O desenvolvimento de novas abordagens que permitam a avaliação precoce de quais casos de COVID-19 provavelmente se tornarão críticos e a descoberta de novos alvos terapêuticos são importantes. Neste estudo de coorte, foi avaliado o perfil proteômico e laboratorial do plasma de 163 pacientes internados no Hospital Estadual de Bauru (Bauru, SP, Brasil) entre 4 de maio e 4 de julho de 2020, que foram diagnosticados com COVID-19 por RT-PCR a partir de amostras de swab nasofaríngeo amostras. Amostras de plasma foram coletadas na admissão para análises laboratoriais de rotina e análise proteôomica quantitativa shotgun livre de marcadores. De acordo …

Efficacy And Safety Of A Single Dose Of Casirivimab And Imdevimab For The Prevention Of Covid-19 Over An 8-Month Period: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Gary A Herman, Meagan P O'Brien, Eduardo Forleo-Neto, Neena Sarkar, Flonza Isa, Peijie Hou, Kuo-Chen Chan, Katharine J Bar, Ruanne V Barnabas, Dan H Barouch, Myron S Cohen, Christopher B Hurt, Dale R Burwen, Mary A Marovich, Bret J Musser, John D Davis, Kenneth C Turner, Adnan Mahmood, Andrea T Hooper, Jennifer D Hamilton, Janie Parrino, Danise Subramaniam, Alina Baum, Christos A Kyratsous, A Thomas Dicioccio, Neil Stahl, Ned Braunstein, George D Yancopoulos, David M Weinreich, Covid-19 Phase 3 Prevention Trial Team

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: There is an unmet need for COVID-19 prevention in patient populations who have not mounted or are not expected to mount an adequate immune response to complete COVID-19 vaccination. We previously reported that a single subcutaneous 1200 mg dose of the monoclonal antibody combination casirivimab and imdevimab (CAS + IMD) prevented symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections by 81·4% in generally healthy household contacts of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals over a 1-month efficacy assessment period. Here we present additional results, including the 7-month follow-up period (months 2-8), providing additional insights about the potential for efficacy in pre-exposure prophylaxis settings.

METHODS: This was a randomised, …

Gastrointestinal Microbiome Disruption And Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea In Children Receiving Antibiotic Therapy For Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Jiye Kwon, Yong Kong, Martina Wade, Derek J Williams, Clarence Buddy Creech, Scott Evans, Emmanuel B Walter, Judy M Martin, Jeffrey S Gerber, Jason G Newland, Meghan E Hofto, Mary Allen Staat, Henry F Chambers, Vance G Fowler, W Charles Huskins, Melinda M Pettigrew

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common side effect of antibiotics. We examined the gastrointestinal microbiota in children treated with β-lactams for community-acquired pneumonia. Data were from 66 children (n = 198 samples), aged 6-71 months, enrolled in the SCOUT-CAP trial (NCT02891915). AAD was defined as ≥1 day of diarrhea. Stool samples were collected on study days 1, 6-10, and 19-25. Samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to identify associations between patient characteristics, microbiota characteristics, and AAD (yes/no). Nineteen (29%) children developed AAD. Microbiota compositional profiles differed between AAD groups (permutational multivariate analysis of variance, P < .03) and across visits (P < .001). Children with higher baseline relative abundances of 2 Bacteroides species were less likely to experience AAD. Higher baseline abundance of Lachnospiraceae and amino acid biosynthesis pathways were associated with AAD. Children in the AAD group experienced prolonged dysbiosis (P < .05). Specific gastrointestinal microbiota profiles are associated with AAD in children.

Frequency Of Bystander Exposure To Antibiotics For Enteropathogenic Bacteria Among Young Children In Low-Resource Settings, Elizabeth T. Rogawski Mcquade, Stephanie A. Brennhofer, Sarah E. Elwood, Timothy L. Mcmurry, Joseph A. Lewnard, Estomih R. Mduma, Sanjaya Shrestha, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Pascal O. Bessong, Gagandeep Kang

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Children in low-resource settings carry enteric pathogens asymptomatically and are frequently treated with antibiotics, resulting in opportunities for pathogens to be exposed to antibiotics when not the target of treatment (i.e., bystander exposure). We quantified the frequency of bystander antibiotic exposures for enteric pathogens and estimated associations with resistance among children in eight low-resource settings. We analyzed 15,697 antibiotic courses from 1,715 children aged 0 to 2 y from the MAL-ED birth cohort. We calculated the incidence of bystander exposures and attributed exposures to respiratory and diarrheal illnesses. We associated bystander exposure with phenotypic susceptibility of E. coli isolates in …

Igg Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 In Asymptomatic Blood Donors At Two Time Points In Karachi, Muhammad Hasan, Bushra Moiz, Shama Qaiser, Kiran I. Masood, Zara Ghous, Areeba Hussain, Natasha Bahadur Ali, Syed Hani Abidi, Kulsoom Ghias, Erum Khan, Zahra Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Introduction: An estimated 1.5 million cases were reported in Pakistan until 23 March, 2022. However, SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing capacity has been limited and the incidence of COVID-19 infections is unknown. Volunteer healthy blood donors can be a control population for assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in the population. We determined COVID-19 seroprevalence during the second pandemic wave in Karachi in donors without known infections or symptoms in 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
Materials and methods: We enrolled 558 healthy blood donors at the Aga Khan University Hospital between December 2020 and February 2021. ABO blood groups were determined. Serum IgG reactivity …

Practical Approaches To Improve Vancomycin-Related Patient Outcomes In Pediatrics- An Alternative Strategy When Auc/Mic Is Not Feasible, Kashif Hussain, Muhammad Sohail Salat, Shahzad Rauf, Manoj Rathi, Midhat Khan, Fizzah Naz, Wasif Ahmed Khan, Rahila Ikram, Gul Ambreen

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Anecdotal experience and studies have shown that most pediatric patients fail to reach target therapeutic vancomycin trough levels (VTLs) and required higher total daily doses (TDD). This retrospective study aims to evaluate the frequency of hospitalized children who achieved target VTLs with a vancomycin (VNCO) dosing regimen of 40-60 mg/kg/d q6h and to assess the VNCO-TDD required to attain the target and their effects on clinical outcomes in pediatric patients.
Methods: After ethical approval, patients of 3 month-12 years were evaluated in this chart review study who received ≥ 3 intravenous-VNCO doses and appropriately drawn blood samples of VTLs …

Microplastics In Freshly Fallen Snow: How May It Adversely Impact Human Health And Exacerbate The Covid-19 Crisis?, Ayesha Liaquat, Aleena Kashif, Sushma Rathi, Alishba Raza

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Origins Of High Latitude Introductions Of Aedes Aegypti To Nebraska And Utah During 2019, Andrea Gloria-Soria, Ary Faraji, Jeff Hamik, Gregory White, Shanon Amsberry, Matthew Donahue, Bryan Buss, Evlyn Pless, Luciano Veiga Cosme, Jeffrey R. Powell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Aedes aegypti (L.), the yellow fever mosquito, is also an important vector of dengue and Zika viruses, and an invasive species in North America. Aedes aegypti inhabits tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world and in North America is primarily distributed throughout the southern United States states and Mexico. The northern range of Ae. aegypti is limited by cold winter months and establishment in these areas has been mostly unsuccessful. However, frequent introductions of Ae. aegypti to temperate, non-endemic areas during the warmer months can lead to seasonal activity and disease outbreaks. Two Ae. aegypti incursions were …

Viral Infections In Pakistan: Prevalence, Factors Affecting Spread, And Recommendations For Control, Zehra Naseem, Maaha Ayub, Sharaf Ali Shah, Syed Asad Ali, Syed Hani Abidi

Medical College Documents

Pakistan is endemic to a number of viral infections, owing to its humid climate, topographical variation, soaring population, and lack of education and awareness. These viruses may have several different modes of transmission, including respiratory or airborne transmission, sexual transmission, blood-borne, fecal-oral transmission, vector-borne transmission, and transmission following an organ transplant. Although several different microorganisms are responsible for causing these infections, a few viruses are found more commonly in Pakistan and are primarily responsible for causing infections. In this study, we present a review of the most recent studies on different viruses, transmitted through various transmission routes, found commonly in …

How Environmental Change Will Impact Mosquito-Borne Diseases, Arsal Khan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Mosquitos, the most lethal species throughout human history, are the most prevalent source of vector-borne diseases and therefore a major global health burden. Mosquito-borne disease incidence is expected to shift with environmental change. These changes can be predicted using species distribution models. With the wide variety of methods used for models, consensus for improving accuracy and comparability is needed. A comparative analysis of three recent modeling approaches revealed that integrating modeling techniques compensates for trade-offs associated with a singular approach. An area that represents a critical gap in our ability to predict mosquito behavior in response to changing climate factors, …

The Racial Divide: A Follow Up Study On Racial Disparity Amongst Covid-19 Survivors In An Urban Community, Christopher Millet, Emily Racoosin, Spandana Narvaneni, George Horani, Sherif Roman, Alisa Farokhian, Arslan Chaudhry, Sohail Chaudhry, Yezin Shamoon, Humberto Jimenez, Patrick Michael, Jin Suh

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background Studies have shown that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on minority groups in both the clinical and social settings in America. We conducted a follow up study on patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 one year ago in an urban community in New Jersey. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 as well as assess for receptiveness towards COVID-19 vaccination amongst various ethnic groups.

Methods This was a prospective cohort study consisting of patients who had recovered from COVID-19 one year prior. The patients included in the study had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis …

Physician's Attitudes On Pulmonary Rehabilitation Following Covid-19: A Brief Perspective From A Developing Country, Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda, Emanuel Vanegas, Miguel Felix, María José Farfán Bajaña, Azza Sarfraz, Zouina Sarfraz, Genesis Camacho, Alanna Barrios-Ruiz, Jack Michel

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Despite the uncertainty about the follow up of COVID-19 survivors, there is a growing body of evidence supporting specific interventions including pulmonary rehabilitation, which may lead to a reduced hospital stay and improved overall respiratory function. The aim of this short report was to assess the attitudes toward pulmonary rehabilitation following COVID-19 among Ecuadorian physicians. A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which a 5-question survey was used to assess the level of agreement to specific statements with a 5-point Likert scale. Out of the 282 participants, 48.2% (n=136) were male, with a mean of 12.6 (SD=11.3) years of experience. More …

Characterisation Of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Mutations And Transmission In Pakistan, Gary Napier, Anwar Sheed Khan, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Sajid Ali, Muhammad Qasim, Noor Mohammad, Rumina Hasan, Zahra Hasan, Susana Campino

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a high-burden disease in Pakistan, with multi-drug (MDR) and extensive-drug (XDR) resistance, complicating infection control. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of M. tuberculosis is being used to infer lineages (strain-types), drug resistance mutations, and transmission patterns-all informing infection control and clinical decision making. Here we analyse WGS data on 535 M. tuberculosis isolates sourced across Pakistan between years 2003 and 2020, to understand the circulating strain-types and mutations related to 12 anti-TB drugs, as well as identify transmission clusters. Most isolates belonged to lineage 3 (n = 397; 74.2%) strain-types, and were MDR (n = …

Evaluation Of Protective Efficacy Of Viral Vector Based Swine Influenza Vaccine And A Method For B Cell Culture For Monoclonal Antibody Generation, Sushmita Kumari

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Influenza A virus of the swine (IAV-S) is an economically important swine pathogen that has the potential to spread to humans, thus posing an ongoing public health concern due to its zoonotic potential. Hemagglutinin (HA), the most abundant viral envelope protein, is known to be the key protective antigen. Anti-HA antibodies alone, have been shown to prevent IAV infection. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of a recombinant tri segmented Pichinde virus (PICV) as a viral vector to deliver IAV-S hemagglutinin antigen in pigs. Four groups of weaned pigs (T01-04) were immunized twice with PBS, rPICV-GFP as a vector …

The Large And Small Of It: The Microbiome And Metagenomics, Austin Hopkins, Elaina Gollmar, Jessica Fernandez, Shawn Wolf, Austin Hilverding, Andrew M. Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Metagenomics, the analysis of the microbial genome, permits scientists to understand the influences of external sources including diet, metabolism and antibiotics on the human microbiome. Research has revealed the possibility of a core symbiosis between humans and bacteria. The main role of the human microbiome is to aid in digestion, but identified ancillary roles include immunologic homeostasis and infection prevention. Quantifying the composition and variability of the microbiome will help lead to future treatments or preventive strategies against unhealthy change. A variety of methods may be used to define the microbiome, and 16S amplicon sequencing is primarily utilized today. Probiotics …

Implementation Of A Drive-Through Covid-19 Mass Vaccination Site: Experiences From Louvax–Broadbent In Louisville, Kentucky, Ruth Carrico, Sarah Beth Hartlage, Valenchia Brown Msn, Aprn, Fnp-C, Sarah M. Bishop, Luanne Didelot, William Hayden, Beverly Williams Coleman, Sarah Tan, Delanor Manson, Kellie Kane, Dawn Balcom, Paul Kern

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Response to the COVID-19 pandemic has required innovative approaches to vaccination, including methods to rapidly and safely immunize communities. A major challenge to such a response involved access to untapped healthcare worker resources. The Louisville, Kentucky, response involved the use of a large volunteer workforce to supplement local public health employees in planning and implementing a large-scale drive-through vaccination event. The objective of this manuscript was to outline processes involved in training a mass immunization workforce and implementating a large-scale COVID-19 community vaccination.

Approach: Competency-based and standardized training was provided for every volunteer before working their shift. Volunteers worked …

Lymphoma With Tuberculous Granulomas, Jyoti Mohan Lal, Anila Rashid

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Chronic granulomatous inflammation is a common finding in lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), but it is important to exclude coexisting mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) especially in patients from areas of high endemicity. This case emphasizes the relevance of performing MTB culture on bone marrow exhibiting LPD and concomitant granulomas

Serotype-Specific Effectiveness Against Pneumococcal Carriage And Serotype Replacement After Ten-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (Pcv10) Introduction In Pakistan, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Fyezah Jehan, Shahira Shahid, Sheraz Ahmed, Sadia Shakoor, Furqan Kabir, Aneeta Hotwani, Sahrish Muneer, Farah Khalid, Sajid Muhammad, Asad Ali, Najeeha Talat Iqbal

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: Pakistan was one of the first South-Asian countries to introduce the ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) at the national level, using a 3+0 schedule without catchup, in 2013.
Methods: From 2014-18, fifteen children Matiari, Sindh, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected. The samples were cultured, and pneumococcus was further serotyped through multiplex PCR at the Aga Khan University Hospital as per the method described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.
Results: Pneumococcus was detected in 2370/3140 (75%) children. Vaccine type (VT) and non-vaccine type (NVT) serotypes were carried by 379 and 1990 children. There was a significant …

Adenoviral-Vectored Centralized Consensus Hemagglutinin Vaccine Provides Broad Protection Against H2 Influenza A Virus, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Brianna L. Bullard, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Several influenza pandemics have occurred in the past century, one of which emerged in 1957 from a zoonotic transmission of H2N2 from an avian reservoir into humans. This pandemic caused 2–4 million deaths and circulated until 1968. Since the disappearance of H2N2 from human populations, there has been waning immunity against H2, and this subtype is not currently incorporated into seasonal vaccines. However, H2 influenza remains a pandemic threat due to consistent circulation in avian reservoirs. Here, we describe a method of pandemic preparedness by creating an adenoviral-vectored centralized consensus vaccine design against human H2 influenza. We also assessed the …

Expanding Mouse-Adapted Yamagata-Like Influenza B Viruses In Eggs Enhances In Vivo Lethality In Balb/C Mice, Matthew J. Pekarek, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Adam Rubrum, Richard J. Webby, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the yearly global impact of influenza B viruses (IBVs), limited host range has been a hurdle to developing a readily accessible small animal disease model for vaccine studies. Mouseadapting IBV can produce highly pathogenic viruses through serial lung passaging in mice. Previous studies have highlighted amino acid changes throughout the viral genome correlating with increased pathogenicity, but no consensus mutations have been determined. We aimed to show that growth system can play a role in mouse-adapted IBV lethality. Two Yamagata-lineage IBVs were serially passaged 10 times in mouse lungs before expansion in embryonated eggs or Madin–Darby canine kidney cells …

Determinants Of Virus Variation, Evolution, And Host Adaptation, Katherine Latourrette, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Virus evolution is the change in the genetic structure of a viral population over time and results in the emergence of new viral variants, strains, and species with novel biological properties, including adaptation to new hosts. There are host, vector, environmental, and viral factors that contribute to virus evolution. To achieve or fine tune compatibility and successfully establish infection, viruses adapt to a particular host species or to a group of species. However, some viruses are better able to adapt to diverse hosts, vectors, and environments. Viruses generate genetic diversity through mutation, reassortment, and recombination. Plant viruses are exposed to …

Methodology To Estimate Natural- And Vaccine-Induced Antibodies To Sars-Cov-2 In A Large Geographic Region, Stacia M Desantis, Luis G León-Novelo, Michael D Swartz, Ashraf S Yaseen, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Yashar Talebi, Frances A Brito, Jessica A Ross, Harold W Kohl, Sarah E Messiah, Steve H Kelder, Leqing Wu, Shiming Zhang, Kimberly A Aguillard, Michael O Gonzalez, Onyinye S Omega-Njemnob, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate estimates of natural and/or vaccine-induced antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are difficult to obtain. Although model-based estimates of seroprevalence have been proposed, they require inputting unknown parameters including viral reproduction number, longevity of immune response, and other dynamic factors. In contrast to a model-based approach, the current study presents a data-driven detailed statistical procedure for estimating total seroprevalence (defined as antibodies from natural infection or from full vaccination) in a region using prospectively collected serological data and state-level vaccination data. Specifically, we conducted a longitudinal statewide serological survey with 88,605 participants 5 years or older with 3 prospective blood draws beginning …

The Application Of The Skin Virome For Human Identification, Ema H. Graham, Jennifer Clarke, Samodha Fernando, Joshua Herr, Michael Adamowicz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The use of skin virome offers a unique approach for human identification purposes in instances where a viable and statistically relevant human DNA profile is unavailable. The skin virome may act as an alternative DNA profile and/or an additional form of probative genetic material. To date, no study has attempted to investigate the human virome over a time series across various physical locations of the body to identify its diagnostic potential as a tool for human identification. For this study, we set out to evaluate the stability, diversity, and individualization of the human skin virome. An additional goal was to …