BoDV-1 can cause severe encephalitis in humans but the transmission routes remain elusive. In a previous study, we demonstrated that BoDv-1 infection caused severe encephalitis in rhesus macaques following intracerebral inoculation. Furthermore, one third of BoDV-1 animals inoculated by a combination of peripheral routes had to be euthanized.
In a follow-up study we aimed to better define the...
Animal sarbecoviruses closely related to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 have been identified in bats and other animal species at the genomic level, however their zoonotic potential is unclear. Here, we used pseudoviruses bearing sarbecovirus spike (S) proteins to investigate species tropism, host cell factor usage, and inhibition by SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Our findings reveal that S...
Rustrela virus (RusV; species Rubivirus strelense) is a recently discovered relative of the human rubella virus and causes fatal non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis in various domestic, wild and zoo animal species in Germany, Austria and Sweden. Based on its reportedly broad range of susceptible hosts, a zoonotic potential of RusV cannot be excluded. Apparently healthy yellow-necked...
Zoonotic transmission of animal sarbecoviruses threatens public health, as evidenced by the SARS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. The attenuated Omicron variant dominates the COVID-19 pandemic since winter 2021 and attenuation is believed to be at least partially due to inefficient infection of lung cells. Here, we investigated whether reduced capacity to spread in the lung has been...
The food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni causes campylobacteriosis which is the most frequently reported bacterial diarrheal disease in industrialized nations. Given that campylobacteriosis cases are rising globally and antibiotic treatment is not recommended, infected patients would substantially benefit from alternative therapies. The short-chain fatty acid butyrate is known for...
Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are a global health problem in human and veterinary medicine. Low hygiene conditions and young age the risk for systemic dissemination. We applied our previously established neonatal mouse model to examine S. Typhimurium pathogenesis and systemic distribution. Within host cells, NTS typically reside in a specialized membrane-bound compartment, the...
