Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus nucleoprotein suppresses IFN-beta-promoter-mediated gene expression.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a member of the family Bunyaviridae and is a causative agent of severe hemorrhagic disease. Knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of CCHFV is limited due to the requirement for high-containment laboratories and the lack of an immunocompetent animal host. Previous studies have shown that CCHFV delays the activation of the human innate immune response, specifically, the type I interferon response. Our study results show that antagonism of the interferon-beta promoter is mediated by the nucleoprotein of CCHFV strain Hoti, while strains IbAr10200 and AP92 do not suppress the activity of the IFN-beta promoter. Our results also suggest that several viral factors may provide antagonistic action against the type I interferon response.

Molecular evidence and high genetic diversity of shrew-borne Seewis virus in Slovenia.

Seewis virus, the shrew-borne hantavirus from Sorex araneus, has been molecularly detected in reservoir hosts in many different central European countries and Russia. Slovenia is a known endemic country for rodent-borne hantaviruses, therefore the aim of the study was to investigate the presence of shrew-borne hantaviruses in insectivores. Viral L, S and M segment have been recovered only from tissue samples of 7 S. araneus, despite several shrew species were tested. Phylogenetic analysis showed high genetic diversity of SWSV in Slovenia, ranging from 3 to 19.4% for different viral segments. The most divergent were M segment sequences, with 19.4% nucleotide divergence among Slovenian strains. Above that, different SWSV strains from Slovenia do not group into separate geographic clusters. While three separate genetic clades were determined, two of them were simultaneously present in one location at the same time.