#Kyasanur Forest #disease: an emerging #arboviral #threat

 

Summary

Kyasanur Forest disease is a neglected tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever endemic to India's Western Ghats, caused by the Kyasanur Forest disease virus, a flavivirus transmitted by Haemaphysalis spinigera ticks. The virus circulates in a sylvatic cycle among monkeys, rodents, shrews, birds, and ixodid ticks, and is transmitted to humans incidentally via tick bites. Since its discovery in 1957 in Karnataka, Kyasanur Forest disease has spread to other Indian states, driven by deforestation, forest fragmentation, and increased human incursion into wildlife habitats. Clinically, the disease manifests in a biphasic pattern, with haemorrhagic and neurotropic presentations. Although a formalin-inactivated vaccine is available, its efficacy is not promising, and no antivirals have been approved to date. Field reports indicate that mortality in monkeys might serve as an early indicator of forthcoming human outbreaks. The transmission dynamics of Kyasanur Forest disease, diagnostic gap, and ecological complexities present substantial public health challenges. In this Review, we provide an update on Kyasanur Forest disease virus, covering its epidemiology, transmission dynamics, molecular virology, virus–host interactions, immunological responses, animal models, and potential antiviral therapies and vaccines.

Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(25)00589-4/abstract?rss=yes

____

#Molecular #epidemiology of #Kyasanur Forest Disease employing ONT-NGS a field forward #sequencing

Highlights

• The present analysis addresses the paucity of genetic information available for the recently emerged KFDV strains.

• As the virus is classified as a highly dangerous pathogen, it is essential to expand the existing genetic information.

• Continuous surveillance of the virus is essential for the development of a vaccine.

• The present study presents new findings on the KFD virus strains that were introduced into circulation in the period 2018-2020.

• The nanopore sequencing technology is presented as a proof of concept for the provision of early warnings in the field.

Abstract

The future of infectious agent detection and molecular characterization lies in field-forward, on-site strategies. The lack of genomic information for recently circulating Kyasanur Forest Disease virus strains is critical. Kyasanur Forest Virus Disease virus PCR-positive samples from 2018 to 2020 were selected for sequencing. Detailed molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed. In this study, we deciphered KFDV whole genomes using the ONT-NGS technique to analyze targeted KFD surveillance from 2018-2020. This study is the first to report recently circulating KFDV strains employing a simple on-site field-forward approach for viral surveillance. Altogether, 19 KFDV genomes were sequenced, and 28 non-synonymous variants were detected in the viral strains circulating from 2018-2020 in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka state in India. The prevailing Variant was detected in more than 10 changes in 80% of the samples in the viral envelope protein. Recently, circulating KFDV has been the predominant lineage over the past years. India reports seasonal outbreaks almost every year from the Karnataka state of the KFD. The genomic sequences deciphered here belong to the period (2018-2020) that covers the KFDV sequences as the first information. This will contribute to the development and revisiting of diagnostic and vaccine strategies.

Source: Journal of Clinical Virology, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1386653225000253?dgcid=rss_sd_all

____