Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and its pathogen SFTSV

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging hemorrhagic fever in East Asia with case fatality up to 50%. SFTS is caused by SFTSV, a tick borne bunyavirus. In endemic area in China 1%–3% population was infected with SFTSV, but age is critical risk factor for hospitalization and death of SFTS patients.     

Control of phlebotomine sandflies

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) transmit many zoonotic diseases (arboviruses, bartonelloses and especially leishmaniases) of importance to human health in at least 80 countries. Measures used to control adult sandflies (Lutzomyia and Phlebotomus) include the use of insecticides (mostly pyrethroids) for residual spraying of dwellings and animal shelters, space-spraying, insecticide-treated nets, impregnated dog-collars and personal protection through application of repellents/insecticides to skin or fabrics. Because the breeding-sites of sandflies are generally unknown, control measures that act specifically against immatures are not feasible, although the effectiveness of a few biological and chemical agents has been demonstrated in laboratory evaluations. Reports of insecticide-resistance refer to only three sandfly species (P. papatasi, P. argentipes and S. shorttii) against DDT in one country (India), although there are reports of DDT-tolerance in several countries. Current knowledge of sandfly susceptibility to various insecticides is summarized. Constraints and advantages of different compounds, formulations and delivery methods for sandfly control under different environmental conditions are discussed.     

RT—PCR方法扩增白蛉热病毒M片段的研究

为建立扩增未知序列白蛉热病毒M片段的RT—PCR方法,本研究选取7个血清组成员和8个未分组血清型,共42株白蛉热病毒为RT—PCR检测对象。通过排列GenBank中已知的4型白蛉热病毒M片段氨基酸序列,选择保守区设计引物。根据保守区各已知病毒的cDNA特异序列合成寡核苷酸,将相同区的寡核苷酸等量混合成为“鸡尾酒”引物,用于RT—PCR。扩增产物经电泳检测,纯化后直接测序。引物对Ph—M—2FM和Ph—M—3RM扩增产物长度约为600bp,从42株病毒中扩增出34株,阳性率为81．0％。另一引物对Ph—M—2FM和Ph—M—4R2M扩增产物长度约为1400bp,扩增出22株病毒,阳性率为52．3％。测出序列经BLAST检索,与GenBank中已知白蛉热病毒同源。本研究首次成功地应用RT—PCR扩增不同血清型未知序列白蛉热病毒的部分M片段,并测出扩增产物序列,为白蛉热病毒属成员的基因鉴定和种系发生关系分析提供了实验手段,并将有助于白蛉热病毒感染的基因诊断。     

Re-isolation of Wuxiang Virus from Wild Sandflies Collected from Yangquan County,China

Virologica Sinica - We previously isolated a new species of the genus Phlebovirus from wild sandflies collected from Wuxiang County in central China, which named the Wuxiang virus (WUXV). In this...