Iranian Journal of Virology
Volume:14 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2020

Infectious Laryngotrachitis (ILT) is an acute respiratory disease with high morbidity and low mortality in poultry. ILT is caused by Gallid herpesvirus 1 (GaHV-1), a member of the Iltovirus genus and family Herpesviridae. It causes in notable economic losses due to decreasing the growth rates, egg production, and increasing the mortality in commercial poultry, especially layer flocks, and usually, outbreaks are more severe in older birds than in younger flocks. However, Infectious Laryngotrachitis has been reported in broiler as well. Multicausal respiratory diseases are prevalent diseases in Iranian broiler flocks and caused a high rate of mortality and considerable economic losses. Field and vaccine strains of Infectious Laryngotrachitis virus are circulating in layer flocks in some geographical locations.

To detect seroprevalence of the Infectious Laryngotrachitis virus in broiler flocks, a total of 180 sera samples were collected in slaughterhouses from 15 broiler flocks (12 sera from each flock) of four provinces in Iran containing Golestan, West Azerbaijan, Qazvin and Tehran during autumn 2018. Infectious Laryngotrachitis virus antibodies were determined using a commercial ELISA test kit.

Based on the results, the seroprevalence of the Infectious Laryngotrachitis virus was found to be 13 % of flocks. Also, our finding showed that 33% and 25% of flocks were seropositive to ILTV collected from Tehran and West Azerbaijan respectively.

The results revealed that Infectious Laryngotrachitis viruses are circulating in broiler flocks in different parts of Iran.  This is the first report of ILT Seroprevalence in broiler flocks in Iran and in future, the molecular studies on ILT would be nessaccery in respiratory disease syndrome.

The BK virus a member of the Polyomaviruses family was first isolated from the urine of the kidney recipient. Infection with this virus and infection usually occurs in childhood [5-9 years] but most of the time [90%] of sera are positive and without symptoms. Polyomaviruses including the BK virus have also been suggested to be a contributing factor to some cancers in humans such as brain tumors, bone tumors, Kaposi’s sarcoma, adrenal tumors, renal carcinoma, prostate cancer, urinary tumors, genital tumors etc. However, the topic still remains controversial.

In this study, we report the presence of BK specific DNA sequences in bladder cancer by PCR and Nested PCR methods.

Our study results confirmed the presence of BK in 13.7% of the samples by Nested PCR method.

In conclusion, 51 samples 13.7% of paraffin-embedded bladder cancer sample were confirmed by Nested PCR method.

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the contagious viral diseases in avian species. Recently, several ND outbreaks in pigeon caused by pigeon paramyxovirus serotype-1 (PPMV-1) have been reported in limited numbers from Iran and phylogenetic studies have been conducted on partial sequence of NDV fusion (F) gene. In the present study, ten PPMV-1, named Pigeon_paramyxovirus1_isolate_pigeon/Iran/UT_EGV1-10/2018, isolated from infected pigeons, were subjected to partial sequencing. All isolates showed MDT of 74-80 hours, thus categorizing them as mesogenic. The phylogenetic analysis based on the F gene sequence revealed the isolates belong to XXI.1.1 subgenotype. According to BLAST results, the partial genome of UT-EGV1-10 had high homology with some Russian and Egyptian strains (the highest was 96.55%). The information obtained from this study can be useful in preventive measures for ND caused by PPMV-1 in pigeons.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease is one of the most important viral infections in sheep and goats that is caused by a morbillivirus from the paramixoviridae family, causing lesions in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract.

In the present study, 250 blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of the apparently healthy and diseased sheep with common symptoms of PPR in Shabestar Region, Iran. Samples were randomly divided into different age groups (under 6, 6 to 12, and 12 to 24 and over 24 months). Serum samples were tested using PPR kit by ELISA antibody method to determine the prevalence.

The overall rate of PPR seroprevalence in Shabestar Region sheep was 28%, which was 20% in the age groups under 6 months, 37% in the 6-12 months, 26% in the 12-24 months and 17% in the above 24 months.

According to the results,Our results revealed that the PPR seroprevalence high in sheeps of shabestar region and preventive proceeding need to control and eradication of the disease in that region. The severity of the disease was also reported in the age group of 6 to 12 months, which can be adviced as a best time for vaccination in the region.

The emergence of drug-resistant influenza viruses has become a serious threat for human and animal populations. Glycyrrhiza glabra (Gg) is a traditional medicine clinically used for the treatment of viral respiratory infection symptoms in most countries. We evaluated the effects of the herb on influenza virus replication in human lung cultured cells (A549) following the determination of cytotoxic concentration 50 of Gg for the cell in culture.

Suspensions of influenza virus-infected A549 cells were examined for infectivity up to 48 h after the addition of Gg at various concentrations before and after adsorption of the virus. The possible anti-influenza activity of Gg was also determined using apoptosis detection.

At concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 μg/ml, Gg did not cause a cytotoxic effect against the cells. The increase in viral titers before adsorption and a dose-dependent inhibitory action of Gg after virus adsorption indicated that the herb did not affect influenza virus replication in human epithelial respiratory cells. DNA fragmentation showed that Gg protected cells from influenza virus-induced apoptosis before and after adsorption of the virus.

The findings suggest that Gg cannot directly affect viral HA activity during virus replication. A decrease in virus titer after-treatment of the infected cells with higher concentrations of Gg may interact with cellular signaling factors either involved in viral entry or budding.

Coronaviridae family cause respiratory diseases ranging from common cold to severe Respiratory diseases such as SARS, MERS and new emerging coronavirus disease COVID-19.  Also the family including four other human coronaviruses (HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43) with flu likes symptoms. Coronaviruses cannot be distinguished clinically from other respiratory infectious agents. Based on the health importance and widespread distribution of respiratory infections, the current study was designed for diagnosis of Pancoronaviruses.  

Nasopharyngeal swabs from 200 patient suspected viral upper respiratory tract infection analyzed using optimized RT-PCR assay.  The constructive specific degenerate primers were used for amplification of rep1b ORF from coronaviruses genome. The 354bp DNA fragment related to 229E coronavirus polymerase gene was amplified from Amplirun Total Respiratory Viral Panel Control (Vircell) template by RT-PCR. Amplified product ligated into T-easy vector (Promega). Plasmid then transformed to Top 10 Fchr('39') strain by chemical method and Positive colonies were selected using colony PCR with gene specific primers. Diagnostic restriction enzyme digestion was done with EcoRI restriction enzyme. Vector was linearized by SacI restriction enzyme and In-vitro transcription was performed using TranscriptAid T7 High Yield Transcription Kit. DNA was removed with DNase I treatment. Then the detection limit of the specific Rep1b primers was determined by Two- Step RT-PCR with synthetic RNA concentration gradient. All of samples were negative for Pancoronavirus.

All of these samples were negative for Pancoronavirus.

Larger sample sizes and proper sampling procedure may improve the chances of viral RNA detection.

Coronaviruses, pathogens with a zoonotic potential, are positive sense single-stranded RNA viruses. SARS Coronavirus-2, the cause of Covid-19 infection, is from the betacoronavirinea subfamily, which has close genomic and proteomic similarity to SARS Coronavirus-1(1). Given the genomic proximity of these two viruses, studies on SARS Coronavirus-1 can be used to control or detect SARS Coronavirus-2. The cellular receptor of the virus is ACE-II, which virus binds to it through protein S (2). Protein S plays a major role in the pathogenesis of the virus by reducing the levels of the ACE-II receptor in the infected cells, disrupting the renin-angiotensin system as well as by affecting the tropism. Therefore, protein S is one of the important proteins in the pathogenesis of the virus and is a suitable target for treatment. (3,4)Protein S is a trimer spike on the virion surface, which consists of S1 and S2. The virus binds to the cell receptor via the surface globule (S1) and then enters the cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Cathepsin-L enzyme is an important cysteine ​​peptidase in the endosome. Within the endosome (lysosome) with the effect of Cathepsin-L enzyme, protein S is cleaved in S1/S2 junction. As a result, the fusion peptide at the S2 is exposed to the lysosomal membrane which is Followed by the virus nucleocapsid release to the cytosol and beginning of the viral replication. The higher the affinity of the protein S to the receptor, the higher the severity of the disease. (4,5)Important Notes: It appears at least some of the treatment strategies provided for Covid-19 are based on preventing the virus from being released from the endosome by inhibiting the cleavage of the S protein within the endosome. The Cathepsin-L enzyme, which is important in the process of virus replication, functions at pH = 4.7 and is inactivated at higher pH. (5,6) In SARS Coronavirus-1, inhibition of S1/ 2 cleavage, prevents the virus replication. (5,6)  S1/S2 cleavage can be prevented in several ways:4.1. Lysosomotropic agents, which are weak bases, increase the lysosomes pH upon their entry into the lysosomes. As a result of increased pH, the Cathepsin-L enzyme is deactivated, preventing the fusion of the endosome membrane and the virus envelope which prevents the release of the virus nucleocapsid. These drugs include Chloroquine and Ammonium Chloride. In clinical trial, the efficacy of Chloroquine in the management of Covid-19 infection has been confirmed and this drug has been widely used to treat this infection in China and Iran. On the other hand, many experiments have confirmed the effectiveness of Ammonium Chloride. (7,8)4.2. Cathepsin-L protease inhibitors can prevent the cleavage of S1/S2 by two manner:4.2.1 . Competitive inhibitors such as peptides. Cathepsin-L can be inhibited by different types of peptides that have the enzyme cleavage site. (9)4.2.2. Non-competitive inhibitors such as viral protease inhibitors. These drugs have also been used to treat Covid-19 infection in hospitalized patients, and their efficacy has been confirmed, e.g. Kaletra.(9) SARS coronavirus-1 virions infectivity reduce significantly in the weak acidic environment. (1,10)5.1 . When Ammonium Chloride is metabolized in the liver, acidosis occurs in the lungs (11). Acidosis in the intracellular environment could inactivate the virus after proliferation and inhibit the initiation of the next cycle of infection in the patient (severity of the disease) or its infectivity (transmission and spread of the infection among individuals). Thus, besides the treatment of the disease, it could be effective in the control of Covid -19 infection. The severity of the infection in cases of reinfection and the mildness of the disease in children indicate that immune responses play an important role in complicating the infection. (12)Diphenhydramine compound is a generic drug used to control the clinical symptoms of respiratory infections. This drug has diphenhydramine, competitive inhibitor of histamine-1, which has a positive effect on the treatment of respiratory diseases. It also contains Ammonium Chloride. Ammonium Chloride will be effective in the control and treatment of Covid-19 infection in the following ways: By increasing the lysosomal pH and inhibiting the Cathepsin-L enzyme, it prevents the initiation of the virus replication cycle in the cell. By decreasing the pH of the intracellular environment in the patientchr('39')s lung and causing acidosis, it could inactivate new viruses which replicated in the host, in addition to controlling infection in the patient, will likely reduce the spread of infection in the community. Covid-19 is associated with dry cough. Increased sputum is also effective pneumonia management, which greatly helps to relieve the symptoms. Ammonium Chloride as a sputter can also help in this matter.Therefore, given the availability of the drug, its safety in a variety groups of patients, diphenhydramine compound is suggested as a potential candidate for the treatment of Covid-19 infection as well as the control of its epidemy.

Over the past few decades, the race against the treatment strategies of infectious HCV has gained a lot of momentum. These treatments include several therapies like Ribavirin, INF-α, DAA based pro-drugs, vaccines, and even naturally occurring compounds like herbal extracts as well as scorpion venom. All of these drugs have their specialized techniques and methodologies of administration such as combinatorial therapies of several of these drugs combined but still, there is no efficient and ultimate cure. The basic and main reasons include the phenomenon of drug resistance and highly diverse genotypes of HCV. In this review, we have tried to discuss the overall research on these treatment methods and their basic ups and downsides in a nutshell.