About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Hemorrhagic Fever: Outsmarting The Tick Virus Can Help Find a Treatment

by Rishika Gupta on January 8, 2019 at 10:39 PM
Hemorrhagic Fever: Outsmarting The Tick Virus Can Help Find a Treatment

Two Hidden mechanisms of a Tick Virus that cause Hemorrhagic Fever have been discovered.

These discoveries by USC researchers could lead to medications and a vaccine to treat or prevent a hemorrhagic fever transmitted by a new tick species before it spreads across the United States.

Advertisement


In the Jan. 7 Nature Microbiology, researchers describe the molecular mechanisms used by the virus to infect and sicken humans, a puzzle that has stumped scientists since the disease emerged in rural China in 2009.

In a related discovery published in Nature Microbiology last month, researchers at USC and in Korea found that aged ferrets with the virus exhibit symptoms similar to those seen in older humans, while young ferrets show no clinical symptoms. An animal model in which to study the virus, a crucial tool in a vaccine or drug discovery, has been elusive, until now.
Advertisement

"The ticks are already in the United States. If they start spreading the virus, it will be a major problem," said Jae Jung, the study's senior author and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. "I started studying this virus five years ago because once it appeared in China, I knew it would eventually appear in the United States."

The findings come at a time when health officials are increasingly concerned about the growing danger of tick-borne illnesses. In the United States, Lyme disease accounts for most cases, but other illnesses are on the rise. The total number of reported cases has more than doubled in the past 13 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new threat comes in the form of a bug new to North America -- the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. It's a tiny, parasitic arachnid that's a major livestock pest in East and Central Asia, where it thrives under temperate conditions. After a blood meal, females drop off their host to produce 2,000 eggs at a time, with or without the help of a male.

It can transmit severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an illness that causes nausea, diarrhea and muscle pain. The illness is often lethal, killing up to 30 percent of hospitalized patients. The virus depletes blood platelets as it replicates, which prevents clotting and leads to hemorrhage similar to Ebola virus infection.

The disease has spread to Japan and Korea since it appeared in China. The SFTS virus has not been detected in the United States yet, but the Asian longhorned tick was found in nine states during the past two years, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The CDC considers the presence of the Asian longhorned tick in the United States an "emerging disease threat" and is recommending ongoing surveillance efforts and testing for pathogens. A virus was genetically similar to SFTS virus, Heartland virus, and causing similar human illness was also recently discovered in the United States. Globally, the SFTS disease has caused infection of thousands of people a year in China.

Jung and his colleagues found that the virus targets a gene called TPL2, which is involved in the body's inflammatory response. In a healthy person, the body's natural inflammatory response helps fight off an infection. With SFTS infection, the virus directs the TPL2 gene to switch off that protective inflammatory response at the site of the tick bite - creating a protected spot in which the virus can amass copies of itself and spread throughout the body.

In animals, the researchers disabled TPL2 with an inhibitor; as a result, the body's healthy immune function kept viral replication in check, resulting in a milder infection - and suggesting that the TPL2 gene's signaling pathway presents a potential target for a therapy.

"We're very optimistic that these findings will help us get a vaccine up and running within several years," said Younho Choi, a post-doctoral researcher in the Jung lab and the study's first author. "We're already developing various vaccine candidates in mouse and ferret animal models. The idea behind the vaccine is to outsmart the virus by putting a roadblock, allowing the body's immune system to keep doing its job."

Source: Eurekalert
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Research News

New Statement to Protect Athletes' Health Published
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport syndrome is overlooked by athletes and can be worsened by 'sports culture' due to its perceived short-term performance benefits.
Brain Circuits That Shape Bedtime Rituals in Mice
New study sheds light on the intrinsic, yet often overlooked, role of sleep preparation as a hardwired survival strategy.
NELL-1 Protein Aids to Reduce Bone Loss in Astronauts
Microgravity-induced bone loss in space, can be reduced by systemic delivery of NELL-1, a protein required for bone growth and its maintenance.
Connecting Genetic Variants to the Alzheimer's Puzzle
Researchers establish connections between Alzheimer's-linked genetic alterations and the functioning of brain cells.
Gene Therapy Sparks Spinal Cord Regeneration
Team at NeuroRestore introduces a groundbreaking gene therapy that has effectively promoted nerve regrowth and reconnection, post spinal cord injury.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Hemorrhagic Fever: Outsmarting The Tick Virus Can Help Find a Treatment Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests