Non-primate hepacivirus infection with apparent hepatitis in a horse — Short communication

Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) is a recently identified hepacivirus (family Flaviviridae) in dog and horse; however, the disease associations remain unknown. This study reports the detection of natural NPHV infection in a horse with apparent hepatitis, liver damage and high-level viraemia. NPHV could be hepatotropic and associated with hepatitis in horses

Seroprevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis A virus in the pre-vaccine era in South Transdanubia, Hungary (2010-2020).

In this study, the age-related seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection was investigated in the population in South-Transdanubia, Southwest Hungary (Central Europe) between years 2010 and 2020. Up to the age of 40, the HAV seropositivity was less than 18% in all age groups indicating a low level of HAV endemicity in this part of the country in the covered study period. The HAV seropositivity started to increase at the age group 41-45 years, reaching the ∼50% at age group 56-60, and 75-80% at age group 66-70, respectively. A total of 43 (0.2%) of the 21,106 tested sera were HAV IgM-positive (the annual percentage range of HAV IgM-positivity was 0.046-0.6%). Total of 24 (55.8%) of the 43 HAV IgM-positive samples tested RT-PCR-positive confirmed as HAV sub-genotypes IA (N = 17; 70.8%) and IB (N = 7; 29.2%), respectively. Imported HAV infections (three cases from Romania, and one-one case from Austria and Italy), two small outbreaks and 11 cases of a genetically identical sub-genotype IA strain (GenBank number of the prototype strain: KM657825) from 2012 to 2014 were identified later connected directly to the enormous HAV outbreak initiated among men who have sex with men (MSM) at the end of 2011 in the capital Budapest. In summary, low endemicity but high and increased susceptibility for HAV infection was found in the population in Southwest Hungary, where repeated introduction of sub-genotypes IA and IB HAV strains were identified between 2010 and 2020

Nonsuppurative (Aseptic) Meningoencephalomyelitis Associated with Neurovirulent Astrovirus Infections in Humans and Animals

Astroviruses are thought to be enteric pathogens. Since 2010, a certain group of astroviruses has increasingly been recognized, using up-to-date random amplification and high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, as potential neurovirulent (Ni) pathogens of severe central nervous system (CNS) infections, causing encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, and meningoencephalomyelitis. To date, neurovirulent astrovirus cases or epidemics have been reported for humans and domesticated mammals, including mink, bovines, ovines, and swine. This comprehensive review summarizes the virology, epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, therapy, and future perspective related to neurovirulent astroviruses in humans and mammals, based on a total of 30 relevant articles available in PubMed (searched by use of the terms "astrovirus/encephalitis" and "astrovirus/meningitis" on 2 March 2018). A paradigm shift should be considered based on the increasing knowledge of the causality-effect association between neurotropic as-troviruses and CNS infection, and attention should be drawn to the role of astroviruses in unknown CNS diseases

Nonsuppurative (Aseptic) Meningoencephalomyelitis Associated with Neurovirulent Astrovirus Infections in Humans and Animals

Astroviruses are thought to be enteric pathogens. Since 2010, a certain group of astroviruses has increasingly been recognized, using up-to-date random amplification and high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods, as potential neurovirulent (Ni) pathogens of severe central nervous system (CNS) infections, causing encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, and meningoencephalomyelitis. To date, neurovirulent astrovirus cases or epidemics have been reported for humans and domesticated mammals, including mink, bovines, ovines, and swine. This comprehensive review summarizes the virology, epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, therapy, and future perspective related to neurovirulent astroviruses in humans and mammals, based on a total of 30 relevant articles available in PubMed (searched by use of the terms "astrovirus/encephalitis" and "astrovirus/meningitis" on 2 March 2018). A paradigm shift should be considered based on the increasing knowledge of the causality-effect association between neurotropic as-troviruses and CNS infection, and attention should be drawn to the role of astroviruses in unknown CNS diseases

Genetically highly divergent RNA virus with astrovirus-like (5′-end) and hepevirus-like (3′-end) genome organization in carnivorous birds, European roller (Coracias garrulus)

Astroviruses (family Astroviridae) and hepeviruses (family Hepeviridae) are small, non-enveloped viruses with genetically diverse +ssRNA genome thought to be enteric pathogens infecting vertebrates including humans. Recently, many novel astro- and hepatitis E virus-like +ssRNA viruses have been described from lower vertebrate species. The non-structural proteins of astro- and hepeviruses are highly diverse, but the structural/capsid proteins represent a common phylogenetic position shed the light of their common origin by inter-viral recombination. In this study, a novel astrovirus/hepevirus-like virus with +ssRNA genome (Er/SZAL5/HUN/ 2011, MK450332) was serendipitously identified and characterized from 3 (8.5%) out of 35 European roller (Coracias garrulus) faecal samples by RT-PCR in Hungary. The complete genome of Er/SZAL5/HUN/2011 (MK450332) is 8402 nt-long and potentially composed three non-overlapping open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1a (4449 nt/1482aa), ORF1b (1206 nt/401aa) and ORF2 (1491 nt/496aa). The ORF1ab has an astroviruslike genome organization containing the non-structural conserved elements (TM, CC, NLS, VPg) and enzyme residues (trypsine-like protease, RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase) with low amino acid sequence identity, 15% (ORF1a) and 44% (ORF1b), to astroviruses. Supposedly the ORF2 is a capsid protein but neither the astroviruslike subgenomic RNA promoter (sgRNA) nor the astrovirus-like capsid characteristics have been identifiable. However, the predicted capsid protein (ORF2) showed 26% identity to the corresponding protein of hepeviruslike novel Rana hepevirus (MH330682). This novel +ssRNA virus strain Er/SZAL5/HUN/2011 with astroviruslike genome organization in the non-structural genome regions (ORF1a and ORF1b) and Rana hepevirus-related capsid (ORF2) protein represent a potentially recombinant virus species and supports the common origin hypothesis, although, the taxonomic position of the studied virus is still under discussion

Nonsuppurative (Aseptic) Meningoencephalomyelitis Associated with Neurovirulent Astrovirus Infections in Humans and Animals

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Ujjon lévő cystosus elváltozás hátterében diagnosztizált dirofilariosis | An unusual cause of the hand cyst: finger dirofilariasis

Absztrakt A dirofilariosis egy fonalféreg által okozott fertőző betegség. A humán fertőzésekért leggyakrabban a Dirofilaria repens a felelős. A fonalféreg kutyáról, ritkábban macskáról, szúnyog közvetítésével terjed át az emberre, és a parazita által okozott helyi gyulladás miatt csomó alakulhat ki. A szerzők 13 éves fiúgyermek jobb kéz középső ujján kialakult ciszta hátterében diagnosztizált dirofilariosis esetét mutatják be. A gyermeknél a fizikális vizsgálat során a jobb kéz középső ujj középpercén a feszítőfelszínen elhelyezkedő subcutan csomót észleltek. Lágyrész-ultrahangvizsgálat a cisztikus elváltozásban féreg jelenlétét vetette fel. A ciszta helyi érzéstelenítésben történő eltávolítását követően a parazitológiai vizsgálat a Dirofilaria repens fonalféreg általi fertőzést igazolt. A gyermek a ciszta eltávolítását követően panasz- és szövődménymentesen gyógyult. A kéz ujjain megjelenő szoliter elváltozás sokszor jelent differenciáldiagnosztikai problémát. A preoperatív diagnózis felállításában nagy segítséget nyújthat az ultrahangvizsgálat. A szerzők felhívják a figyelmet, hogy a jelentett humán dirofilariás esetek száma az elmúlt években hazánkban emelkedik. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(39), 1571–1574. | Abstract Dirofilariasis is a zoonosis affecting dogs and cats. It can be transmitted to human by mosquito bites. Because of the local inflammation caused by the parasite, a lump may develop. The authors present a case of a 13-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with dirofilariasis in association with a cyst located on the middle finger of the right hand. During physical examination, a lump on the extensor surface of the middle phalanx of the right middle finger was found. Soft tissue ultrasound was performed, which indicated the presence of a worm in the cyst. The cyst was surgically removed under local anesthesia and with parasitology test Dirofilaria repens infection was confirmed. The child had no complains or symptoms during recovery after the surgery. A solitary growth developing on the fingers of the hand often presents a differential diagnostic problem. Ultrasound can be greatly helpful in the preoperative diagnosis. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(39), 1571–1574

Analysis of a novel RNA virus in a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)

Tombusviruses are generally considered plant viruses. A novel tombus-/carmotetravirus-like RNA virus was identified in a faecal sample and blood and muscle tissues from a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). The complete genome of the virus, called H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN (GenBank accession number MN044446), is 4,118 nucleotides in length with a readthrough stop codon of type/group 1 in ORF1 and lacks a poly(A) tract at the 3' end. The predicted ORF1-RT (RdRp) and the capsid proteins had low (31-33%) amino acid sequence identity to unclassified tombus-/noda-like viruses (Hubei tombus-like virus 12 and Beihai noda-like virus 10), respectively, discovered recently in invertebrate animals. An in vivo experimental plant inoculation study showed that an in vitro-transcribed H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN viral RNA did not replicate in Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, or Chenopodium murale, the most susceptible hosts for plant-origin tombusviruses

A novel passerivirus (family Picornaviridae) in an outbreak of enteritis with high mortality in estrildid finches (Uraeginthus sp.)

An enteric outbreak with high mortality (34/52, 65.4%) was recorded in 2014 in home-reared estrildid finches (Estrildidae) in Hungary. A novel passerivirus was identified in a diseased violet-eared waxbill using viral metagenomics and confirmed by RT-(q)PCR. The complete genome of finch picornavirus strain waxbill/DB01/HUN/2014 (MF977321) showed the highest amino acid sequence identity of 38.9%, 61.6%, 69.6% in P1cap, 2Chel and 3CproDpol, respectively, to passerivirus A1 (GU182406). A high viral load (6.58 × 1010 genomic copies/ml) was measured in a cloacal specimen and in the tissues (spinal cord, lung, and the intestines) of two additional affected finches. In addition to intestinal symptoms (diarrhoea), the presence of extra-intestinal virus suggests a generalized infection in this fatal disease, for which the passerivirus might be a causative agent