From ancient to emerging infections: the odyssey of viruses in the male genital tract

The authors review here how viruses, from ancient viruses that integrated the germ line during evolution through old viruses (e.g. papillomaviruses originating from Neanderthals) and more modern sexually-transmitted infections (e.g. simian zoonotic HIV) to emerging viruses (e.g. Ebola and Zika) take advantage of genital tract colonization for horizontal dissemination, viral persistence, vertical transmission and endogenization.

Never shy from infectious-disease mysteries: Nature Medicine interviews Patrícia Brasil

Robustness of Serologic Investigations for Chikungunya and Mayaro Viruses following Coemergence

In this study the authors' data provide a convenient and practicable solution to ensure robust differentiation of CHIKV- and MAYV-specific antibodies.

A new class of broadly neutralizing antibodies that target the glycan loop of Zika virus envelope protein

Results showed in this article have strong implications for developing anti-ZIKV vaccines and therapeutic mAbs.

Identification of animal hosts of Fort Sherman virus, a New World zoonotic orthobunyavirus

Findings in this study highlight the occurrence of the Fort Sherman virus (FSV) across a geographic range exceeding 7,000 km, surprising genomic conservation across a time span exceeding 50 years, M gene‐based reassortment events, and the existence of multiple animal hosts of FSV.

Uncertainty in times of medical emergency: Knowledge gaps and structural ignorance during the Brazilian Zika crisis

Uncertainty was a defining feature of the Brazilian Zika crisis of 2015–2016. This article identifies three forms of uncertainty: global health, public health and clinical uncertainty, and it suggests that “emergency research” was effective in tackling global health uncertainty.    

Recombination of B- and T-cell epitope-rich loci from Aedes- and Culex-borne flaviviruses shapes Zika virus epidemiology

Findings from this article explain why explosive ZIKV epidemics occurred in DENV-endemic regions of Micronesia, Polynesia and the Americas where Culex-borne flavivirus outbreaks are infrequent, and why ZIKV did not cause major epidemics in Asia where Culex-borne flaviviruses are widespread.

Zika seroprevalence declines and neutralizing antibodies wane in adults following outbreaks in French Polynesia and Fiji

Data from this study suggest that immunity against the Zika virus may not last as long as previously thought, which could affect the chances of future outbreaks.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Population Risk of Congenital Microcephaly in Pernambuco State, Brazil

This study emphasizes the burden of microcephaly during the outbreak in Pernambuco, with estimates higher than in some previous studies, and with high risk in an inland region of the state for reasons which are yet to be clarified.

A literary history of Zika: Following Brazilian state responses through documents of emergency

Book chapter in Locating Zika Social Change and Governance in an Age of Mosquito Pandemics; Edited by Kevin Bardosh  

Viral emergence and immune interplay in flavivirus vaccines

Comment

Low vector competence in sylvatic mosquitoes limits Zika virus to initiate an enzootic cycle in South America

These results suggest that genetically determined tissue barriers, especially in the midgut, play a vital role in inhibiting ZIKV for transmission in the tested sylvatic mosquito species. Thus, an independent enzootic transmission cycle for ZIKV in South America is very unlikely.

Study protocol for the multicentre cohorts of Zika virus infection in pregnant women, infants, and acute clinical cases in Latin America and the Caribbean: the ZIKAlliance consortium

Results of large cohort studies will provide better risk estimates for birth defects and other developmental abnormalities associated with ZIKV infection including possible co-factors for the variability of risk estimates between other countries and regions. Additional outcomes include incidence and transmission estimates of ZIKV during and after pregnancy, characterization of short and long-term clinical course following infection and viral kinetics of ZIKV.

Yellow fever virus re-emergence and spread in Southeast Brazil, 2016-2019

This study provides an understanding of how YFV initiates transmission in new Brazilian regions and illustrates that genomics in the field can augment traditional approaches to infectious disease surveillance and control.

Estimating the risk of arbovirus transmission in Southern Europe using vector competence data

Based on vector competence data and vector distribution, the auhtors generate a prediction risk map for CHIKV stressing the fear of CHIKV and to a lesser extent, of other arboviruses for Europe, calling us for new public health strategies.

Typical epidemiology of respiratory virus infections in a Brazilian slum

For this study researchers collected nasopharyngeal specimens from 282 children aged ≤5 years with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) during 2005 to 2006 in one of the largest Brazilian slums.

Zika virus threshold determines transmission by European Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

Results in this study stress the poor ability of Ae. albopictus to sustain a local transmission of ZIKV in Europe and provide a promising tool to evaluate the risk of ZIKV transmission in future outbreaks.

Differential Roles of Lipin1 and Lipin2 in the Hepatitis C Virus Replication Cycle

This study reveals distinctive functions of lipin1 and lipin2 in cells of hepatic origin, a context in which they are often considered functionally redundant.

Zika Virus Outbreak on Curaçao and Bonaire, a Report Based on Laboratory Diagnostics Data

ZIKV cases confirmed by qRT-PCR indicate that the virus was circulating on Curaçao between at least December 2015 and March 2017, and on Bonaire between at least October 2016 and February 2017, with peak cases occurring in November 2016.

Management of insecticide resistance in the major Aedes vectors of arboviruses: Advances and challenges

Based on a plan developed for malaria vectors, here the authors propose some key activities to establish a global plan for insecticide resistance management in Aedes species.