TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 4 32 F or the first time, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) researchers were able to predict further adaptations of the chikungunya virus that recently spread from Africa to several continents that will likely result in even more efficient transmission and infection of more people by this virus strain. A key factor in a viruses' potential to sustain its circulation and ultimately cause disease is its ability to adapt to new host environments. The number and complexity of these adaptations is shaped by how hospitable the new host is to a certain virus. Since 2005, one in 1,000 chikun- gunya virus infections has resulted in a fatal disease. "A typical infection involves very severe arthritic symp- toms, leaving the sufferer severely afflicted by pain to the point where people can't work or function nor- mally," said UTMB Professor Scott Study Shows Chikungunya Virus Mutation Places Several Countries at Risk of Epidemic Circulation Weaver, Ph.D., lead author of this paper that will be published in Nature Communications. "Chikungunya continues to be a major threat to public health around the world." A UTMB team previously found that a recently emerged lineage strain of the chikungunya virus has adapted itself to be hosted by not only the Aedes aegypti mosquito that lives mainly in the tropics but also to the Asian tiger mosquito, A. albopictus, which can currently be found on all continents except Antarctica. This mutation in the Indian Ocean lineage occurred through a single adaptive change in the virus' genetic code that alters one protein in the envelope surrounding the virus. Their newest investigation ana- lyzed recent events in chikungunya virus evolution that will aid in predict- ing future trends in transmission and circulation that determine epidemic potential. Weaver and his team found that the initial adaption provided the framework for a second wave of adap- tations that can enable rapid diversi- fication of viral strains and even more efficient transmission to people. In addition, analysis of the chikungunya virus strain expressing a combination of the second-wave adaptive mutations revealed a similar pattern of changes and heightened adaptive qualities sug- gesting the future emergence of even higher transmission efficiency. The researchers concluded that the Indian Ocean lineage of chikungunya virus that has spread to the Indian Ocean Basin, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Europe continues to mutate and adapt to develop higher efficiency for transmission by the Asian tiger mosquito. "Although a different chikungunya virus strain from the Asian lineage is now circulating in the Americas, the introduction of the Indian Ocean lineage could put temperate regions where A. albopictus thrives at risk for expansion of epi- demic circulation," Weaver cautioned. Other authors of this paper include Konstantin A. Tsetsarkin, Rubing Chen, Ruimei Yun, Shannan L. Rossi, Kenneth S. Plante, Mathilde Guerbois, Naomi Forrester, Grace Leal and Jing Huang from UTMB; Guey Chuen Perng from Emory University School of Medicine and the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan; Easwaran Sreekumar from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in India; and Suchetana Mukhopadhyay from Indiana University. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Biotechnology of the Indian Government. — Donna Ramirez, UTMB SHORT TAKES If you have psoriasis, the Psoriasis Patient Advocate Program* from AbbVie is here for you. • Personalized education and support from a specially trained psoriasis patient advocate • Resources and information about psoriasis • Insights about how to have more productive conversations with your doctor Thousands of people have taken advantage of the Psoriasis Patient Advocate Program. Now you can, too. Simply visit psoriasis.com to learn more and join us. Free one-to-one education and support for psoriasis ©2013 AbbVie Inc. North Chicago, IL 60064 NC 64Y-995105 June 2013 Printed in U.S.A. *Advocates can provide you with psoriasis education and resources and offer support, but cannot provide medical advice or replace your conversations with your health care provider. ©2013 AbbVie Inc. 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