Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Viruses. 2022 Jul 21;14(7):1584. doi: 10.3390/v14071584.
Powassan virus (POWV) is a tick-borne neuroinvasive flavivirus endemic to North America. It is generally transmitted by the tick, . This species also transmits , the causative agent of Lyme disease. Infection with can result in arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis. These pathogens experience sylvatic overlap. To determine the risk of human exposure to coinfected ticks, the interactions between POWV and are assessed in laboratory-infected . Adult male and female ticks are orally inoculated with either both pathogens, POWV only, only, or uninfected media. After twenty-one days, the ticks are dissected, and RNA is extracted from their midguts and salivary glands. In infected midguts, the quantity of POWV in coinfected ticks was elevated compared to those with only POWV. In addition, the salivary glands of ticks with infected midguts had increased POWV dissemination to those with only POWV. RNA sequencing is performed to identify the potential mechanism for this pattern, which varies between the organs. ticks are found to be capable of harboring both POWV and with a benefit to POWV replication and dissemination.
波瓦桑病毒（POWV）是一种流行于北美的蜱传神经侵袭性黄病毒。它通常由蜱传播。这种物种也传播伯氏疏螺旋体，即莱姆病的病原体。感染伯氏疏螺旋体可导致关节炎、心内膜炎和神经伯氏疏螺旋体病。这些病原体在森林地区重叠存在。为了确定人类接触合并感染蜱的风险，研究人员在实验室感染的硬蜱中评估了 POWV 和 之间的相互作用。成年雄性和雌性硬蜱通过口服接种两种病原体、仅 POWV、仅 或未感染的介质。二十一天后，解剖蜱，并从它们的中肠和唾液腺中提取 RNA。在感染的中肠中，与仅感染 POWV 的蜱相比，合并感染蜱中的 POWV 数量增加。此外，感染中肠的蜱的唾液腺中 POWV 的传播增加了，与仅感染 POWV 的蜱相比。进行 RNA 测序以确定这种模式的潜在机制，该机制在器官之间有所不同。硬蜱能够同时携带 POWV 和 ，这对 POWV 的复制和传播有益。
