Tiago Gräf

Interesting point: the viruses in both studies may belong to the same subgenus — their phylogenetic positions are compatible, even though not analyzed together.
However, Wallau et al. found no FCS at S1/S2 and reported a highly divergent S1 but a conserved S2 region when compared to other betacovs

Ambecovirus, a novel Betacoronavirus subgenus circulating in neotropical bats sheds new light on bat-borne coronaviruses evolution Understanding the viral diversity harboured by wildlife is essential for effective prediction and prevention of future zoonotic outbreaks. Bats, in particular, are recognized as natural reservoirs for...

Since the topic of the moment is the new betacoronavirus with FCS found in Brazil, I would like to draw attention to this preprint. It describes two new betacoronaviruses found in the same genus of bats as Takada et al, and propose a new subgenus, the ambecoviruses.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Both were found in the same genus of bats, but in different locations in Brazil. The phylogenies, although analyzing different regions of the genome, are compatible with the hypothesis that both preprints are referring to very similar viruses.

Ambecovirus, a novel Betacoronavirus subgenus circulating in neotropical bats sheds new light on bat-borne coronaviruses evolution Understanding the viral diversity harboured by wildlife is essential for effective prediction and prevention of future zoonotic outbreaks. Bats, in particular, are recognized as natural reservoirs for...

This new virus may be part of a new subgenus of betacoronaviruses, described in this preprint and tentatively called ambecovirus (American betacoronavirus)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Esse achado é muito importante, mas tem um cheiro Helicopter Science ...

“Furin cleavage site”, that is. Just casually, and naturally, sitting there in one of the most evolutionarily active parts of the genome.

Mystery solved.

A divergent betacoronavirus with a functional furin cleavage site in South American bats Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of RNA viruses. Members of the genus Betacoronavirus, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome...

We’ve identified a highly divergent betacoronavirus from South American bat that encodes a functional furin cleavage site.
Another fascinating reminder of how diverse coronavirus evolution is in wildlife reservoirs.
#Virology #VirusEvolution #Bats #Coronavirus

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Inteligência artificial: a brasileira em lista dos 100 mais influentes de IA que oferece solução gratuita ao SUS — 'Nunca quisemos ser milionários' - BBC News Brasil Ana Helena Ulbrich aparece em lista da revista Time ao lado de líderes como Elon Musk e Sam Altman.

www.bbc.com/portuguese/a...

Viro3D: a comprehensive database of virus protein structure predictions | Molecular Systems Biology imageimageViro3D provides proteome-level, high confidence AI-protein structure predictions for >4,400 viruses, allowing mapping of form and function across the human and animal virosphere. Viro3D i...

Viro3D paper is out! We predicted 85,000 protein structures from human & animal viruses. 1/5 🧵

📑 Paper doi.org/10.1038/s443...
🔭 Explore virosphere viro3d.cvr.gla.ac.uk

Heterogeneity in inhibition of genetically diverse dengue virus strains by Wolbachia The release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transinfected with the virus-inhibiting Wolbachia bacterium has the potential to reduce the burden caused by dengue virus (DENV). However, the robustness of thi...

📢New preprint on the impact of dengue virus genetic diversity on inhibition by Wolbachia 🦟🦠🧬

Project led by Afeez Sodeinde, @emiliefinch.bsky.social, and @keli5734.bsky.social! ✨

Key findings in thread below 👇

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.

The 16th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new spillover event from an unknown reservoir host Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing concurrent outbreaks including mpox, cholera and malaria (1-4). The Ministry of Public Health, DRC has declared the 16th Ebola...

Sequence data from the new Ebola outbreak in DRC suggests it is indeed a new spillover.

And just incredible to see the virus sequenced and the data publicly shared less than 24 hours after confirmation of the outbreak.
#IDsky 🧪

virological.org/t/the-16th-e...

I’m thrilled to share my first review about microbial ecology + mosquito-borne disease control! Bacteria block pathogen development in the mosquito gut, but which bacteria will produce long-lasting results in the field? Let’s think about colonization and persistence in the mosquito gut! (1/4)

Handy to keep up with the ICTV's changes to virus taxonomy and species names:
taxonomy.onecodex.com/taxon/694009...
vs:
taxonomy.onecodex.com/taxon/694009...
or
taxonomy.onecodex.com/taxon/11676/...
vs
taxonomy.onecodex.com/taxon/11676/...

Provavelmente os casos brasileiros de HPAI em 2025 devem ser devido a esta nova linhagem recombinante. Muito importante sequenciar e analisar o genoma do vírus circulando atualmente no país.

SA universities face funding crisis as US federal agencies freeze research grants | News24 An investigation into the impact of the US aid freeze on research funding to South African universities has found that 44 programmes worth R2.5 billion were affected.

A not very happy Friday. CERI had 6 NIH grants canceled, which will impact operations, surveillance and response to epidemics. We are working to try to minimize disturbance but not easy with 6 grants terminated at the same moment. A crisis is unfolding in SA www.news24.com/southafrica/...

Frustrated that MCMCtree does not have complex substitution models? The IQ-tree team has now developed IQ2MC, an interface for seamless integration of IQ-tree's substitution models with MCMCtree's fast Bayesian pipeline for clock dating. Read the preprint here: ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...

Vector competence for Oropouche virus: A systematic review of pre-2024 experiments Oropouche virus has recently become an urgent threat to public health in Central and South America. OROV is mainly transmitted by biting midges; however, some public health agencies and scientific sou...

🦟🦠 NEW! We looked at every experiment going back to the 1960s, and found that mosquitoes are almost certainly not primary or secondary vectors of Oropouche virus - a common claim in both the scientific literature and public health communication. #EpiSky #IDSky 😷🧪

journals.plos.org/plosntds/art...

We celebrated the 100th anniversary of HR Carter's seminal lecture on YF's potential threat to Asia-Pacific area with a perspective to draw attention to the potential reasons why YF epidemics have not occurred in urban centers in the region. @sbvirologia.bsky.social @mauriciolnogueira.bsky.social

“Funding by the CDC for two monthly peer-reviewed journals, Emerging Infectious Diseases and Preventing Chronic Disease, will be cut.”

EID has published novel, important work that brings #IDSky issues to light. Its loss will hurt.

A Laboratory-Adapted and a Clinical Isolate of Dengue Virus Serotype 4 Differently Impact Aedes aegypti Life-History Traits Relevant to Vectorial Capacity Dengue virus cases are on the rise globally, and strategies to reduce new infections by controlling its primary vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti , represent a promising biotechnological approach. Ho...

Our latest preprint demonstrates that two strains of DENV4 have distinct impacts on Aedes aegypti vector competence and life-history traits.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

On the verge: outbreak risk after two years of record-breaking dengue epidemics in Brazil Over the last seasons of dengue, the disease has reached record-breaking numbers of confirmed cases both globally and in the Americas.1 That is speculated to be a consequence of two-fold climate drive...

On the verge: outbreak risk after two years of record-breaking dengue epidemics in Brazil - The Lancet Regional Health – Americas www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Hantavirus global map

Hantavirus:
Global emerging disease with 2 major syndromes

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) – Americas:
130 cases/year, 30-60% mortality, depending on type

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) – Asia/Europe:
100K cases/year, 5-10% fatality rate

Spread by rodents primarily 🧵

Increasing dengue outbreaks in temperate Brazil is linked to Aedes aegypti invasion and infestation level driving widespread virus transmission Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), is the most important mosquito-borne disease impacting human health globally, it is particularly prevalent in tropical regions where Aedes vectors thri...

This is my first post here and I would like to share this important work that I collaborated on.
We analyzed some of the factors impacting the spread of dengue in the Brazilian southern most state, where outbreaks are getting larger each year.

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…

PLOS has issued a statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity.

We are determined to stand firmly behind our mission, our values and our principles, and against any attempt at censorship or undermining of the core principles of scientific inquiry.

plos.io/3D4O8cH

I have insomnia a lot lately so may as well share what’s literally keeping me up at night.

It’s a long list but tonight it’s flu. Yes, H5N1, but also seasonal flu. Firing federal scientists brings a flu-filled future.

Have you ever wondered how flu vaccine strains are chosen?

The entire archive of CDC datasets can be found here.

HUGE shoutout to data archivists- this work is important 👏🙌🏻

archive.org/details/2025...

Panama: Dozens of Oropouche cases detected in Darien province The Panama Ministry of Health (Minsa) through the Epidemiology Department of the General Directorate of Public Health, informs the population of the detection of an outbreak of the Oropouche virus in ...

🦟🪰" #Panama 🇵🇦: Dozens of #Oropouche cases detected in Darien province" via @outbreaknewstoday.substack.com.web.brid.gy
outbreaknewstoday.substack.com/p/panama-doz...

This is bad news. It suggests reassortment of circulating H5N1 viruses with viruses containing N9 NA.

Although this indicates reassortment with avian viruses, it's still bad. Reassortment makes pandemics. The last 3/4 flu pandemics (and likely 1918 too) were reassortant viruses.

IAS statement: PEPFAR freeze threatens millions of lives 25 January 2025 (

The immediate halting of funding to #PEPFAR places millions of lives in jeopardy. The IAS urgently calls on policy makers and stakeholders to restore the funding lifeline to this pivotal programme.

Lives depend on it, right now.

Read our full statement: