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Besides mosquitoes, ticks are regarded as the primary source of vector-borne infectious diseases. Indeed, a wide variety of severe infectious human diseases, including those involving viruses, are transmitted by ticks in many parts of the world. To date, there are no published reports on the use of next-generation sequencing for studying viral diversity in ticks or discovering new viruses in these arthropods from China. Here, Ion-torrent sequencing was used to investigate the presence of viruses in three Rhipicephalus spp. tick pools (NY-11, NY-13, and MM-13) collected from the Menglian district of Yunnan, China. The sequencing run resulted in 3,641,088, 3,106,733, and 3,871,851 reads in each tick pool after trimming. Reads and assembled contiguous sequences (contigs) were subject to basic local alignment search tool analysis against the GenBank database. Large numbers of reads and contigs related to known viral sequences corresponding to a broad range of viral families were identified. Some of the sequences originated from viruses that have not been described previously in ticks. Our findings will facilitate better understanding of the tick virome, and add to our current knowledge of disease-causing viruses in ticks living under natural conditions.

Ticks are crucial vectors for various pathogens associated with human and animal diseases, including viruses. Nevertheless, significant knowledge gaps prevail in our understanding of tick-borne viruses (TBVs). We here examined existing studies on TBVs, uncovering 870 documented virus species across 28 orders, 55 families, and 66 genera. The discovery history, vector ticks, and hosts of TBVs, as well as the clinical characteristics of TBV-induced diseases, are summarized. In total, 176 tick species from nine tick genera were confirmed as vectors for TBVs. Overall, 105 TBVs were associated with infection or exposure to humans and animals. Of them, at least 40 were identified to cause human or animal diseases. This review addresses the current challenges associated with TBV research, including the lack of knowledge about the identification of novel and emerging TBVs, the spillover potentials from ticks to hosts, and the pathogenicity and infection mechanisms of TBVs. It is expected to provide crucial insights and references for future studies in this field, while specifically focusing on expanding surveys, improving TBV identification and isolation, and enhancing the understanding of TBV–vector–host interactions. All of these findings will facilitate the preparation for preventing and treating diseases caused by emerging and novel TBVs.

Tick-borne viruses (TBVs) capable of transmitting between ticks and hosts have been increasingly recognized as a global public health concern. In this study, Hyalomma ticks and serum samples from camels were collected using recorded sampling correlations in eastern Kenya. Viromes of pooled ticks were profiled by metagenomic sequencing, revealing a diverse community of viruses related to at least 11 families. Five highly abundant viruses, including three novel viruses (Iftin tick virus, Mbalambala tick virus [MATV], and Bangali torovirus [BanToV]) and new strains of previously identified viruses (Bole tick virus 4 [BLTV4] and Liman tick virus [LMTV]), were characterized in terms of genome sequences, organizations, and phylogeny, and their molecular prevalence was investigated in individual ticks. Moreover, viremia and antibody responses to these viruses have been investigated in camels. MATV, BLTV4, LMTV, and BanToV were identified as viral pathogens that can potentially cause zoonotic diseases. The transmission patterns of these viruses were summarized, suggesting three different types according to the sampling relationships between viral RNA-positive ticks and camels positive for viral RNA and/or antibodies. They also revealed the frequent transmission of BanToV and limited but effective transmission of other viruses between ticks and camels. Furthermore, follow-up surveys on TBVs from tick, animal, and human samples with definite sampling relationships are suggested. The findings revealed substantial threats from the emerging TBVs and may guide the prevention and control of TBV-related zoonotic diseases in Kenya and in other African countries.

Human herpes simplex virus (HSV), a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Herpesviridae family and alpha herpesvirus subfamily, is one of the most epidemic pathogens in the population. Cell-to-cell spread is a special intercellular transmission mechanism of HSV that indicates the virulence of this virus. Through numerous studies on mutant HSV strains, many viral and host proteins involved in this process have been identified; however, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the effect of the membrane protein genes US7 and UL56 on cell-to-cell spread in vitro between two HSV-1 (HB94 and HN19) strains using a plaque assay, syncytium formation assay, and the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. US7 knockout resulted in the inhibition of viral cell-to-cell spread; additionally, glycoprotein I (US7) of the HB94 strain was found to promote cell-to-cell spread compared to that of the HN19 strain. UL56 knockout did not affect plaque size and syncytium formation; however, the gene product of UL56 from the HN19 strain inhibited plaque formation and membrane infusion. This study presents preliminary evidence of the functions of US7 and UL56 in the cell-to-cell spread of HSV-1, which will provide important clues to reveal the mechanisms of cell-to-cell spread, and contributes to the clinical drugs development.

Tick tissues (salivary glands, ovaries, and midguts) are critical for the development of ticks and virus transmission. This study analyzed viromes in these tissues across six tick genera, thereby revealing the viral heterogeneity in tick tissues and suggesting differential transmission advantages among the examined genera. The results provide a novel insight into the understanding of the competence for virus transmission by ticks, based on viral populations, and into the mechanisms underlying virus dissemination within tick bodies, as well as those of vertical or horizontal transmission of viruses linked to the biological functions of tick tissues. The findings also suggest the importance of a more in-depth investigation into viral transmission, with a particular focus on the viromes of tick eggs, saliva, and hemolymph. All these would serve as a crucial foundational framework, establishing a robust foundation for the future development of strategies aimed at the control of viral transmission by ticks.

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of sinus removal combined with vacuum‐assisted closure in the treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus. From January 2019 to May 2022, 62 patients with sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus were treated and their information was collected at our hospital. These patients were randomly divided into two groups: an observation group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 30). The control group underwent a simple sinus resection and suture, while the observation group received a sinus resection combined with closed negative pressure drainage of the wound. A retrospective analysis of the data obtained was conducted. Perioperative indicators, clinical efficacy, postoperative pain, complications, aesthetic effects, and satisfaction scores at six months after the operation were compared between the two groups, and the recurrence rate at six months after the operation was recorded. Through this study, we found that the observation group had significantly shorter surgery time, hospital stay, and return time compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the observation group had a higher overall recurrence rate (ORR) of 100.00%, which was significantly better than the control group's ORR of 86.67% (P < 0.05). The visual analog scale (VAS) score at 6, 12, and 24 h after the operation was significantly lower in the observation group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Although the differences were not significant (P > 0.05), the observation group had decreased white blood cell, neutrophil, and C‐reactive protein levels after the operation. Moreover, the total occurrence rate of postoperative complications in the observation group was significantly lower (6.25%) than that of the control group (26.67%; P < 0.05). The observation group also had significantly lower scores on the postoperative scar scale and higher satisfaction scores than the control group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the postoperative recurrence rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). Our study demonstrated that sinus resection combined with vacuum‐assisted closure was more effective in treating sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus compared with simple sinus resection and suture. This approach significantly reduced surgery time, hospital stay, and return time. It also effectively relieved postoperative pain, reduced the occurrence of postoperative complications, resulted in smaller postoperative scars, and yielded better aesthetic outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.

Budgerigar fledgling disease is an acute viral infectious disease caused by avian polyomavirus (APV). In this study, 34 liver tissue samples of young, dead budgerigar with typical symptoms were collected in 2004. All the samples had positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test based on the VP1 specific primers. VP1 genes of these samples were sequenced and had high similarities to each other (99%–100%). A strain (HBYM02) was isolated and sequenced. As shown in the phylogenetic tree, there are two branches. One branch was composed by strains isolated from Passeriformes, and the other was composed only by one strain isolated from Falconiformes. The genome similarities between our isolate and other reported isolates were very high (>99%), and the evolution distances in the phylogenetic tree were very short (<0.005), which suggests that APV in China has the same genotype as those in other regions. The results will be useful for the diagnoses of, and vaccine development for, APV. Abbreviations: APV = avian polyomavirus; BFD = budgerigar fledgling disease; CEF = chicken embryo fibroblast; ORF = open reading frame; PCR = polymerase chain reaction; VP = viral protein Caracterización molecular de un poliomavirus aviar aislado de pericos Australianos en China. La enfermedad de polluelos de perico es una enfermedad viral aguda causada por un poliomavirus aviar. En el presente estudio, 34 muestras de tejido hepático provenientes de pericos Australianos jóvenes muertos con signos típicos de la enfermedad se colectaron durante el año 2004. Todas las muestras resultaron positivas a la prueba de reacción en cadena por la polimerasa basada en iniciadores específicos para la proteína viral 1. Se secuenciaron los genes de la proteína viral 1 de estas muestras mostrando altas similitudes entre sí (99 a 100 %). Se aisló y secuenció una cepa identificada como HBYMO2. Como se muestra en el árbol filogenético, existen dos ramas. Una rama compuesta por cepas aisladas de paseriformes y la otra compuesta por una cepa aislada de falconiformes. Las similitudes genéticas entre nuestro aislamiento y otros aislamientos reportados fue muy alta (>99%) y las distancias evolutivas en el árbol filogenético muy corta (<0.005), lo que sugiere que los poliomavirus de China tienen el mismo genotipo que los de otras regiones. Estos resultados serán útiles para el diagnóstico y desarrollo de vacunas contra poliomavirus aviar.

The current circulating influenza B viruses can be divided into two major phylogenetic lineages: the Victoria and Yamagata lineages. We conducted a survey of influenza B viruses in Hubei and Zhejiang provinces during 2009–2010. Out of 341 throat swabs, 18 influenza B viruses were isolated. Five isolates were selected for genetic and phylogenetic analysis. The molecular analyses revealed that all the isolates had similar antigenic characteristics to B/Brisbane/60/2008. However, in the three viruses isolated from Zhejiang, a single asparagine to aspartic acid substitution in position 197 was observed, thereby eliminating the glycosylation at that site and possibly causing an antigenic change. None of the viruses had amino acid mutations at positions 116, 149, 152, 198, 222, 250, 291, and 402 of the neuraminidase (NA) gene, predicting that the viruses would still be sensitive to NA inhibitors. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all five isolates were closely related to B/Brisbane/60/2008—the 2010 vaccine strain—and contained Victoria-like hemagglutinin and Yamagata-like NA genes, suggesting that reassortment may had occurred. In addition, similar phylogenetic patterns among the acidic polymerase, nucleoprotein and matrix protein genes, as well as between the basic polymerase 1 and basic polymerase 2 genes, were observed, suggesting possible functional interactions among these proteins. All the results highlighted the importance of molecular monitoring of influenza B viruses for reassortment and antigenic drift.

Besides mosquitoes, ticks are regarded as the primary source of vector-borne infectious diseases. Indeed, a wide variety of severe infectious human diseases, including those involving viruses, are transmitted by ticks in many parts of the world. To date, there are no published reports on the use of next-generation sequencing for studying viral diversity in ticks or discovering new viruses in these arthropods from China. Here, Ion-torrent sequencing was used to investigate the presence of viruses in three Rhipicephalus spp. tick pools (NY-11, NY-13, and MM-13) collected from the Menglian district of Yunnan, China. The sequencing run resulted in 3,641,088, 3,106,733, and 3,871,851 reads in each tick pool after trimming. Reads and assembled contiguous sequences (contigs) were subject to basic local alignment search tool analysis against the GenBank database. Large numbers of reads and contigs related to known viral sequences corresponding to a broad range of viral families were identified. Some of the sequences originated from viruses that have not been described previously in ticks. Our findings will facilitate better understanding of the tick virome, and add to our current knowledge of disease-causing viruses in ticks living under natural conditions.

Although the fates of microplastics (0.1–5 mm in size) and nanoplastics (<100 nm) in marine environments are being increasingly well studied1,2, little is known about the behaviour of nanoplastics in terrestrial environments3–6, especially agricultural soils7. Previous studies have evaluated the consequences of nanoplastic accumulation in aquatic plants, but there is no direct evidence for the internalization of nanoplastics in terrestrial plants. Here, we show that both positively and negatively charged nanoplastics can accumulate in Arabidopsis thaliana. The aggregation promoted by the growth medium and root exudates limited the uptake of amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics with positive surface charges. Thus, positively charged nanoplastics accumulated at relatively low levels in the root tips, but these nanoplastics induced a higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species and inhibited plant growth and seedling development more strongly than negatively charged sulfonic-acid-modified nanoplastics. By contrast, the negatively charged nanoplastics were observed frequently in the apoplast and xylem. Our findings provide direct evidence that nanoplastics can accumulate in plants, depending on their surface charge. Plant accumulation of nanoplastics can have both direct ecological effects and implications for agricultural sustainability and food safety.The accumulation of nanoplastics in terrestrial plants is directly linked to the nanoparticles’ charge and can have ecological effects and implications for agricultural sustainability and food safety.