Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Nairobi sheep disease virus from Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in Shandong Province, China.

Nairobi Sheep Disease (NSD) is a typical tick-borne syndrome characterized by severe hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, spontaneous abortion, and a high case fatality rate in small ruminants. The pathogenic agent, Nairobi sheep disease virus (NSDV), has also been associated with human infections, indicating its possible zoonotic potential. Prior to this study, NSDV has been detected from ticks collected in Jilin, Hubei, and Liaoning provinces in China. In the present study, a total of 343 ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis) were collected in Shandong province, China in 2020, and pooled into 16 libraries. Analysis of the meta-transcriptomic sequencing data identified NSDV strains SDWL07, SDWL08, and SDWL16 from three pools. The SDWL07 and SDWL16 strains were detected from unfed ticks, while SDWL08 was detected from cattle-feeding ticks. Phylogenetic analyses showed higher sequence identities between the three strains and other Chinese NSDV strains than those from India and Kenya. Phylogenetic analyses also revealed that they clustered together and fell within the China lineage, suggesting no potential genetic reassortment among them. In summary, this is the first report of the identification of NSDV in Shandong province, highlighting the continually expanding endemic regions of this pathogen. Surveillance of NSDV should be intensified in China, especially in areas where H. longicornis is endemic.

Serological Evidence of Bactrian Camel Infection with Tamdy Virus, Xinjiang, China.

Background: Tamdy Virus (TAMV) is a pathogenic nairovirus widely distributed in central Asia and northwestern China. However, the host range of TAMV remains unclear, which limits our understanding the transmission cycle and cross-species patterns of this virus. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 serum samples were collected from livestock animals of camels, cattle, and sheep in Xinjiang, China between 2018 and 2021. An indirect immunofluorescence assay for TAMV were developed in this study, and have been employed to test TAMV-specific antibodies in these serum samples. Results: TAMV IgG antibody was detectable in camel sera collected from Urumqi in 2018 (6/17, 35%) and also from the Alertai Region in 2021 (1/8, 12.5%). Conclusion: The serological results in this study provide the first evidence that TAMV is able to infect camels and that the pathogen is circulating in different regions of Xinjiang. These findings highlight the need to further increase clinical and epidemiological surveillance of TAMV in humans and livestock in northwestern China.

SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Urban Population of Wild Fallow Deer, Dublin, Ireland, 2020-2022.

SARS-CoV-2 can infect wildlife, and SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern might expand into novel animal reservoirs, potentially by reverse zoonosis. White-tailed deer and mule deer of North America are the only deer species in which SARS-CoV-2 has been documented, raising the question of whether other reservoir species exist. We report cases of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in a fallow deer population located in Dublin, Ireland. Sampled deer were seronegative in 2020 when the Alpha variant was circulating in humans, 1 deer was seropositive for the Delta variant in 2021, and 12/21 (57%) sampled deer were seropositive for the Omicron variant in 2022, suggesting host tropism expansion as new variants emerged in humans. Omicron BA.1 was capable of infecting fallow deer lung type-2 pneumocytes and type-1-like pneumocytes or endothelial cells ex vivo. Ongoing surveillance to identify novel SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs is needed to prevent public health risks during human-animal interactions in periurban settings.

Isolation and characterization of a novel rodent hepevirus in long-tailed dwarf hamsters (Cricetulus longicaudatus) in China.

Hepeviruses have been identified in a broad range of animal hosts, including mammals, birds, and fish. In this study, rodents (n=91) from seven different species and ten pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) were collected in Qinghai Province, China. Using transcriptomic sequencing and confirmatory molecular testing, hepeviruses were detected in 27 of 45 (60 %) long-tailed dwarf hamsters (Cricetulus longicaudatus) and were undetected in other rodents and pika. The complete genome sequences from 14 representative strains were subsequently obtained, and phylogenetic analyses suggested that they represent a novel species within the genus Rocahepevirus, which we tentatively designated as Cl-2018QH. The virus was successfully isolated in human hepatoma (Huh-7) and murine fibroblast (17 Cl-1) cell lines, though both exhibited limited replication as assayed by detection of negative-sense RNA intermediates. A129 immunodeficient mice were inoculated with Cl-2018QH and the virus was consistently detected in multiple organs, despite relatively low viral loads. In summary, this study has described a novel rodent hepevirus, which enhances our knowledge of the genetic diversity of rodent hepeviruses and highlights its potential for cross-species transmission.

Doxycycline inhibits neurotropic enterovirus proliferation in vitro.

Human enteroviruses (EVs) represent a global public health concern due to their association with a range of serious pediatric illnesses. Despite the high morbidity and mortality exerted by EVs, no broad-spectrum antivirals are currently available. Herein, we presented evidence that doxycycline can inhibit in vitro replication of various neurotropic EVs, including enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), and coxsackievirus (CV)-A6, in a dose-dependent manner. Further investigations indicated that the drug primarily acted at the post-entry stage of virus infection in vitro, with inhibitory effects reaching up to 89 % for EV-A71 when administered two hours post-infection. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of antiviral drugs against EV infections.

Geochemistry and magmatc evolution of explosive tephras et3 and et4 from Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

An outcrop at El Cruce, 5.7 km from the vent of Arenal volcano, exposes thick sequences of two recent tephras, ET4 (silicic) and, immediately above, ET3 (mafic). The ET4 to ET3 transition is abrupt, with no soil between the layers. Therefore, they appear to be part of one eruptive phase. A petrological model is inferred from the detailed stratigraphic record of these eruptions. The ET4 sequence can be modeled by crystal fractionation via gravity settling. ET4 is most mafic at the top of the section. The silicic tephra at the bottom of this unit is aphyric. Compatible elements increase and incompatible elements decrease moving down through the magma chamber. The percentage of phenocrysts increases through the top. Models of crystal fractionation, using the most mafic and phenocryst enriched tephra as the parent magma, produce the most silicic tephra by removal of 37

phenocrysts. The ET3 sequence shows the opposite trend of that seen in the ET4 sequence, becoming less enriched in incompatible elements down through the section. Some crystal sorting, followed by the removal of a silicic melt from the top of the magma chamber, could generate the reversed trend for the ET3 sequence.(AU)

Nuevos análisis de lavas y bombas del volcán Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica

En diversas visitas a la cima del volcán Rincón de la Vieja se recolectaron 5 muestras de productos eruptados y 7 muestras de productos de erupciones anteriores. Las 12 muestras andesitas porfiríticas, pilostaxísticas con fenocristales de plagioclasa, augita y magnetita. Aunque estas compreden un rango limitado en sus contenidos de sílica y magnesio, los análisis de las muestras sugieren cambios sistemáticos en el tiempo para algunos de los óxidos principales, elementos traza y en las razones de los elementos incompatibles, cuando se comparan las muestra entre sí. Las pocas muestras presentadas aquí sugieren que este centro volcánico puede ser adecuado pra examinar el desarrollo, en un tiempo largo, de un sistema magmático abierto (AU)