A New Orthonairovirus Associated with Human Febrile Illness.

BACKGROUND: In June 2019, a patient presented with persistent fever and multiple organ dysfunction after a tick bite at a wetland park in Inner Mongolia. Next-generation sequencing in this patient revealed an infection with a previously unknown orthonairovirus, which we designated Wetland virus (WELV). METHODS: We conducted active hospital-based surveillance to determine the prevalence of WELV infection among febrile patients with a history of tick bites. Epidemiologic investigation was performed. The virus was isolated, and its infectivity and pathogenicity were investigated in animal models. RESULTS: WELV is a member of the orthonairovirus genus in the Nairoviridae family and is most closely related to the tickborne Hazara orthonairovirus genogroup. Acute WELV infection was identified in 17 patients from Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, China, by means of reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assay. These patients presented with nonspecific symptoms, including fever, dizziness, headache, malaise, myalgia, arthritis, and back pain and less frequently with petechiae and localized lymphadenopathy. One patient had neurologic symptoms. Common laboratory findings were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated d-dimer and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Serologic assessment of convalescent-stage samples obtained from 8 patients showed WELV-specific antibody titers that were 4 times as high as those in acute-phase samples. WELV RNA was detected in five tick species and in sheep, horses, pigs, and Transbaikal zokors (Myospalax psilurus) sampled in northeastern China. The virus that was isolated from the index patient and ticks showed cytopathic effects in human umbilical-vein endothelial cells. Intraperitoneal injection of the virus resulted in lethal infections in BALB/c, C57BL/6, and Kunming mice. The Haemaphysalis concinna tick is a possible vector that can transovarially transmit WELV. CONCLUSIONS: A newly discovered orthonairovirus was identified and shown to be associated with human febrile illnesses in northeastern China. (Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences.).

Host immune response to A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccination and infection: a one-year prospective study on six cohorts of subjects.

BACKGROUND: The long-term immunogenicity after novel vaccine against A(H1N1)pdm09 administration or natural infection has not been well investigated. METHODS: Six cohorts of subjects were followed up for over one year: one-dose A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine recipient, A(H1N1)pdm09-seasonal trivalent vaccine recipients in different orders, confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 patients without vaccination, with previous A(H1N1)pdm09 or seasonal influenza vaccination. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and sera samples were collected at baseline and month 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14 after vaccination (infection). The immunogenicity was determined by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and B cell enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays. RESULTS: Single dose of A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine elicited antibody titer of greater than 1:40 in 40% adults for 1 year and mean live of this adequate antibody was determined as 8.35 months. In contrast, responses after natural infections had lower peaking level and a relatively longer antibody duration, with estimated mean lives of 11.8 months. Pre-vaccination with the seasonal flu vaccine led to a significant reduction in HI titer to A(H1N1)pdm09 one month after vaccination, while pre-vaccination with A(H1N1)pdm09 had no effect on seasonal influenza vaccination. Seasonal flu vaccination followed by A(H1N1)pdm09 infection elicited boosting effect on antibody response against A(H1N1)pdm09. A similar memory B cell response was elicited from both vaccination and infection by ELISPOT assay. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term decay of immunity for A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine and natural infection indicates the need of revaccination after the host lose protection acquired from either vaccination or infection. Prior infection, rather than the pre-vaccination with seasonal influenza could act on the host immunity to elicit boosting effect on the A(H1N1)pdm09.