New Virus Discovered

[sharon sanders]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD></TD><TD width=804 colSpan=2>Sunday, 22 April 2007

RARE VIRUS LINK IN ORGAN TRANSPLANT DEATHS

A newly-identified virus may be responsible for the deaths of three Victorians who received organs from the same donor in December.

Victoria's Acting Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie said there was no evidence the virus represented a public health risk and its presence in these Victorian recipients is thought to be a world-first occurrence.

"Scientists working on both sides of the world have collaborated to find a likely cause of the deaths and had discovered a previously unknown virus," Dr Carnie said.

"The discovery of this new virus is of national and international significance. Much more work is needed to fully understand the nature and behaviour of this virus," Dr Carnie said.

"Using cutting edge molecular techniques scientists at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in Melbourne and the Greene Infectious Disease Laboratory at Columbia University in New York have collaborated to find the new, and yet to be named, virus in patient samples and sequence its genes.

"The new virus is related to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) which has been attributed with causing death in two small clusters of organ transplant patients in 2006 in the USA.

"Tissue samples kept from the three recipients who died after their transplants all have evidence of having been infected with this new virus.

"The virus has been detected in multiple samples from all three patients using molecular tests designed from the gene sequence data and has been cultured under contained conditions. Further studies to characterize the virus are underway in both Victoria and the USA," Dr Carnie said.

Dr Carnie said the kidneys and liver of the donor were transplanted in early December last year. All three recipients died in early January this year. Two of the recipients were treated at the Austin Hospital, one undergoing a liver transplant and the other a kidney transplant. The third patient received a kidney transplant at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

"Initial investigations and testing was unable to determine any common link between the donor and the three recipients. These findings are now being evaluated by virologists and public health experts.

Dr Carnie said Australia has one of the best success rates for organ transplants in the world.

"The survival rate for heart and liver transplant patients is 90 per cent at one year and 85 per cent at five years.

"The survival rate for kidney transplant recipients is 90 per cent at one year and 85 – 90 per cent at five years.

"For lung transplant recipients, the survival rate is 89 per cent at one year and 75 per cent at five years. Since 1965, more than 30,000 Australians have received organ or tissue transplants," Dr Carnie said.



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[sharon sanders]

Re: New Virus Discovered

Related to a "mouse" virus? Another animal to human possible pathogen?


[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]"The primary host is the common house mouse, Mus musculus. Infection in house mouse populations may vary by geographic location but, about 5% of mice throughout the United States carry LCMV. The virus is found in the saliva, urine, and feces of infected mice. Infected mice carry LCMV and shed it for the duration of their lives without showing any sign of illness. Other types of rodents, such as hamsters, are not the natural reservoirs but can become infected with LCMV from wild mice at the breeder, in the pet store or home environment. Humans are more likely to contract LCMV from house mice, but infections from pet rodents have also been reported." [/SIZE][/FONT]


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv/qa.htm

 

[alert]

Re: New Virus Discovered

Here is the New England Journal of Medicine report on the discovery of the novel arenavirus. I cannot find the name given to the pathogen, but this report does confirm that it is indeed an arenavirus.

It is appears not to be the Lujo arenavirus, as that virus was in its oun class of arenaviruses, and this article indicates this virus is closely related to Kodoko virus.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa073785

Results High-throughput sequencing yielded 103,632 sequences, of which 14 represented an Old World arenavirus. Additional sequence analysis showed that this new arenavirus was related to lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses. Specific PCR assays based on a unique sequence confirmed the presence of the virus in the kidneys, liver, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid of the recipients. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed arenavirus antigen in the liver and kidney transplants in the recipients. IgM and IgG antiviral antibodies were detected in the serum of the donor. Seroconversion was evident in serum specimens obtained from one recipient at two time points.

 

[alert]

Re: New Virus Discovered

And the ProMED post from the 2006-7 incident in Victoria. Obviously, there is no mention of Lujo or any relation, because Lujo was not discovered until nearly two years later. Actually, it is possible the Victorian arenavirus was never given a specific name, as it may be classified as just a new strain of LCMV.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f...,F2400_P1001_USE_ARCHIVE:1001,20070423.1325,Y

Archive Number 20070423.1325
Published Date 23-APR-2007
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Arenavirus, organ transplants - Australia (VIC)


ARENAVIRUS, ORGAN TRANSPLANTS - AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA)
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: Sun 22 Apr 2007
Source: Herald Sun online [edited]
<http://www.news.com.au/sundayheraldsun/story/0,,21598166-2862,00.html>


Australia: Novel virus responsible for deaths of organ donation recipients
-----------------------------------------------
A virus unknown to medical science was behind the deaths of 3
Victorians who received organs from the one donor. The unnamed bug
has been linked to Ebola virus, [a virus] responsible for the deaths
of thousands in central Africa since the 1970s. [This is an incorrect
statement. The organ transplant-associated virus is not related to
Ebola virus; see part [2] below. - Mod.CP]. After baffling local
scientists, experts from New York's Columbia University were called
in to help solve the mystery of the multiple transplant deaths being
investigated by the coroner.

Initial investigations and tests had been unable to determine any
common link between the donor and the 3 recipients. The presence of
the virus in the recipients is thought to be a world first. One of
the New York team said: "The discovery of this virus is of national
and international significance."

The Sunday Herald Sun revealed the deaths in February 2007. A
63-year-old woman died after receiving a kidney transplant at Austin
Hospital. A 64-year-old man died after receiving a liver transplant
there. The 3rd victim received a kidney at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The male donor whose organs carried the suspected killer bug had died
in Dandenong Hospital of a brain hemorrhage in December 2006 after
returning from overseas; it is believed most of his trip was spent in
Europe.

The virus is part of the rodent-borne arenavirus family and can cause
"old-world" diseases such as Yellow Fever, Ebola and Lymphocytic
choriomeningitis. [This statement is incorrect: yellow fever is
caused by a flavivirus and Ebola hemorrhagic fever is caused by a
filovirus; only lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is caused by an
old-world arenavirus. - Mod.CP]. Victoria's acting Chief Health
Officer, Dr John Carnie, confirmed the virus [LCM virus?] had been
detected in multiple samples from all 3 transplant patients. But
there was no evidence the virus represented a public health risk, he
said.

Health authorities are examining whether future donated organs can be
screened for [LCM?] virus. A spokesman for the Victoria Coroner's
office said families of the victims were told yesterday [21 Apr
2007]. There would be a formal inquest.

Experts from Columbia's Greene Infectious Diseases Laboratory helped
solve the mystery. Initial investigations and tests were unable to
determine any common link between the donor and the 3 recipients. Dr
Carnie said the risk to the public was minimal because "these viruses
[?] affect immunocompromised people, and it is rarely fatal in those
with normal immune systems. We have not had any indication of any
unexplained illnesses among families of the donor or recipients," he
said. "This would be the case if it was transmissible person to
person. Our supposition is it was transmitted by organ
transplantation."

Cutting edge techniques were used for the 1st time by the Greene lab
-- in collaboration with Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference
Laboratory -- to gene sequence the virus. "Our gene technology
enables unbiased sequencing of all agents present," Columbia's Prof.
Ian Lipkin said. "We found a handful (of combinations) that were
related to Lassa virus or LCM virus [both old world arenaviruses -
Mod.CP]. Using these clues we can confidently say this is a new
virus, present in the original organs and so different than anything
seen before."

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett

******
[2]
Date: Sat 21 Apr 2007
Source: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, press
release [edited]
<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-21-2007/0004570734&EDATE=>


Scientists Discover New Virus Responsible for Deaths of 3 Transplant
Recipients From Single Donor in Victoria, Australia
-----------------------------------------------
Knowledge of genetic sequence of virus will enable improvements in
screening to enhance transplantation safety. Scientists in the Greene
Infectious Disease Laboratory of Columbia University Mailman School
of Public Health and colleagues in the Victoria Infectious Diseases
Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia and 454 Life Sciences
have discovered a new virus that was responsible for the deaths of 3
transplant recipients who received organs from a single donor in
Victoria, Australia.

The previously unknown virus, which is related to lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), was found using rapid sequencing
technology established by 454 Life Sciences and bioinformatics
algorithms developed in the Greene Laboratory with support from the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Known strains
of LCMV have been implicated in a small number of cases of disease
transmission by organ transplantation [see references below],
however, the newly discovered virus is sufficiently different that it
could not be detected using existing screening methods.

Over 30 000 organ transplants are performed in the U.S. each year.
Knowledge of the genetic sequence of this virus will enable
improvements in screening that will enhance the safety of
transplantation.

Ian Lipkin, MD, director of the Greene Laboratory and Principal
Investigator of the Northeast Biodefense Center, emphasized the
importance of academic, public health, and industrial partnership in
this work. "This was a team effort. Drs. Mike Catton and Julian Druce
at the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory reached out
to us after a comprehensive state-of-the-art investigation failed to
turn up leads," stated Dr. Lipkin. "We succeeded in identifying the
virus responsible for the deaths by building on their work and
utilizing new tools for pathogen surveillance and discovery developed
in the Greene Laboratory and 454 Life Sciences."

--
Communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virtu (LCMV) is the type species of the
genus _Arenavirus_ of the _Areanviridae_ family of bipartitie genome
RNA viruses. The reservoir hosts of almost all arenaviruses are
rodents. LCMV is found in wild and laboratory mice, and other related
"old world" arenaviruses are found in African species of rodents.
Human LCMV infection may occur in rural and urban areas with high
densities of rodents. Laboratory-acquired infections occur
sporadically, and, previously, there have been a small number of
cases of LCMV transmission by organ transplantation as mentioned by
Professor Lipkin above. The virus detected by Professor Lipkin's
group appears to be an LCMV-like agent but distinct from previously
isolated strains of LCMV. It is unresolved, however, whether these
organ-transplanted viruses are merely passengers or are responsible
also for tissue-rejection illness and death. - Mod.CP]

[see also:
2005
----
LCMV, transplant recipients, fatal - USA (02) 20050526.1459
LCMV, transplant recipients, fatal - USA 20050524.1426
1995
----
LCMV & birth defects - USA 19951119.1095]
........................mpp/cp/msp/lm

 

[gsgs]

Re: New Virus Discovered

learned at Racaniello's that there are 7 groups of viruses.
So what group is it in ?

 

[alert]

Re: New Virus Discovered

The family is "Arenavirus". I don't know if all members of that family belong to the same group in Racaniello's scheme. Arenavirus classification is very complicated. I know they are classified into Old World and New World viruses based on where their genes come fron (the Americas are the New World, a la Columbus), and include a wide variety of agents. Several new members have been discovered in the past few years, including this one, Lujo from Zambia/DRC/South Africa, and Chapare from South America. Even Lassa was only discovered 40 years ago. This is an Old World arenavirus, as the donor seems to have contracted it while in Europe. While all four confirmed cases of this one are fatal, we know that at least three of the four (the recipients) we quite ill before contracting the virus, and likely on immune suppressant therapy. There is speculation in the ProMED post that this virus might not cause illness in healthy humans. LCMV itself, which this virus is related to, typically does not.

I wish a virologist here could tell us more about the classification and diversity of arenaviruses, as they are clearly one of the families of viruses in which new members are constantly being discovered.

Update: The moderator of the ProMED post says that arenaviruses are "bipartite genome RNA viruses". Is that what you are looking for?

I do think this thread title needs more information - perhaps something like "New Arenavirus Discovered in 2007 in Victoria".

 

[gsgs]

Re: New Virus Discovered

segmented RNA with budding like flu

says Wikipedia:

Their genome, or genetic material, is composed of RNA only, and while their replication strategy is not completely understood, it is known that new viral particles, called virions, are created by budding from the surface of their hosts’ cells. The RNA is in two segments, denoted L and S. Both are circular but the L strand is negative sense and the S strand is ambisense

Baltimore-system : +-DNA,+DNA,+-RNA,+RNA->-RNA,-RNA,+RNA->-DNA, 7 ?
mRNA is +


dsDNA(22)
gapped dsDNA(hepB)
ssDNA(5+1) 2kb
dsRNA(7)
ss+RNA(22) 7-33kb
ss-RNA(7)
ss+RNA with DNA intermediate


Type I: dsDNA viruses (Herpesviridae, Poxviridae, Adenoviridae and Papovaviridae)
Type II: ssDNA viruses (Circoviridae and Parvoviridae)
Type III: dsRNA viruses (Reoviridae and Birnaviridae)
Type IV: positive sense ssRNA viruses (Astroviridae, Caliciviridae, Coronaviridae, Flaviviridae, Picornaviridae, Arteriviridae and Togaviridae)
Type V: negative sense ssRNA viruses (Arenaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Bunyaviridae and Rhabdoviridae)
Type VI: diploid ssRNA viruses (Reverse transcriptase) (Retroviridae)
Type VII: (dsDNA viruses with ssRNA intermediates (Reverse transcriptase)(Hepadnaviridae)

--------------------------------


Type V: negative sense ssRNA viruses (Arenaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Bunyaviridae and Rhabdoviridae)

Influenza is Orthomyxovirus