EPI Update, July 10, 2015

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, July 17, 2015

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, July 31, 2015

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

Quick Reads, July 15, 2015

IDPH Quick Reads is an electronic newsletter produced by the Director’s Office at the Iowa Department of Public Health. IDPH Quick Reads are published every three to four weeks.

Type I IFN controls chikungunya virus via its action on nonhematopoietic cells.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the causative agent of an outbreak that began in La Réunion in 2005 and remains a major public health concern in India, Southeast Asia, and southern Europe. CHIKV is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and the associated disease is characterized by fever, myalgia, arthralgia, and rash. As viral load in infected patients declines before the appearance of neutralizing antibodies, we studied the role of type I interferon (IFN) in CHIKV pathogenesis. Based on human studies and mouse experimentation, we show that CHIKV does not directly stimulate type I IFN production in immune cells. Instead, infected nonhematopoietic cells sense viral RNA in a Cardif-dependent manner and participate in the control of infection through their production of type I IFNs. Although the Cardif signaling pathway contributes to the immune response, we also find evidence for a MyD88-dependent sensor that is critical for preventing viral dissemination. Moreover, we demonstrate that IFN-alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) expression is required in the periphery but not on immune cells, as IFNAR(-/-)-->WT bone marrow chimeras are capable of clearing the infection, whereas WT-->IFNAR(-/-) chimeras succumb. This study defines an essential role for type I IFN, produced via cooperation between multiple host sensors and acting directly on nonhematopoietic cells, in the control of CHIKV.

The Update, July 2015

The Update is web newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Public Health's Bureau of Family Health. It provides useful job resource information for departmental health care professionals, information on training opportunities, interdepartmental reports and meetings, and additional information pertinent to health care professionals.

Respostas fenológicas de cultivares brasileiras de trigo à vernalização e ao fotoperíodo

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes combinações de vernalização e fotoperíodo no desenvolvimento de cinco cultivares brasileiras de trigo. O experimento foi realizado em Passo Fundo, RS, em três épocas de semeadura: 23/6, 25/7 e 27/8 de 2003. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso com parcelas subsubdivididas e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de: três regimes fotoperiódicos - fotoperíodo natural (FN), fotoperíodo estendido em quatro horas (FE 4) e fotoperíodo estendido até completar vinte horas de luz (FE 20) - locados na parcela principal; dois regimes de vernalização - não vernalizado (NV) e vernalizado com 30 dias (V) -, na subparcela; e cinco cultivares de trigo - BRS 179, BRS 194, BRS 207, BRS Figueira e BRS Umbu, avaliadas nas subsubparcelas. Houve interação entre fotoperíodo e cultivar (semeadura em 23/6), e todas as cultivares tiveram o ciclo reduzido com o aumento do fotoperíodo, enquanto nas plantas com épocas de semeadura 25/7 e 27/8, houve interação entre fotoperíodo e cultivar e entre vernalização e cultivar. Essas variáveis aceleraram o ciclo de desenvolvimento da cultura e interferiram na duração dos subperíodos importantes para a formação dos componentes do rendimento de grãos.