Yellow fever vaccine-associated neurologic and viscerotropic disease: a 10-year case series of the French National Reference Center for Arboviruses with clinical and immunological insights.

BACKGROUND: Immunization against the Yellow fever virus (YFV) with the 17D live-attenuated vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the disease. However, unexpected severe adverse events can occur. They consist in a neurological impairment - neurological disease (YEL-AND), a YF-like illness - viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD) or anaphylaxis. In this article, we describe the epidemiology, clinical and biological features of YEL-AND and YEL-AVD cases reported to the French National Reference Center for Arboviruses (NRCA) in the past 10 years. METHODS: We conducted a national, retrospective study using the database of the NRCA from June 2012 to June 2022. All patients whose biological samples were sent to the NRCA for detection of YFV by serology and/or RT-qPCR for a suspected vaccine-associated adverse event were included. We collected data by reading medical records and conducted complementary neuro-immunological analysis, followed by a search for autoimmunity against type-1-interferon when samples were available at the NRCA. RESULTS: There were 10 cases of YEL-AND and 2 cases of YEL-AVD reported to the NRCA in the past 10 years, which represented an overall incidence of 0.6 for 100 000 doses. A total of 6/12 cases were previously healthy patients (50%, mean age 31 years), and 4/12 cases had cardiovascular co-morbidities (42%, mean age 56 years). The majority of YEL-AND had a favourable outcome at 6 months of follow up. One YEL-AVD patient passed. In secondary analyses, we evidenced a significant blood cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier dysfunction, without intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulin and without argument for a neuron damage. We further detected a significant rate of anti-type-1alpha interferon antibodies in 3/10 tested patients (2 YEL-AND and 1 YEL-AVD). CONCLUSION: YEL-AND and YEL-AVD are rare events that can underlie defect in the innate immunity of apparently healthy or mild co-morbid subjects. Outcome was generally favourable in the YEL-AND cases of our series, but still life-threatening or even fatal in the YEL-AVD cases.

Vector-Borne Transmission of the Zika Virus Asian Genotype in Europe.

Three autochthonous cases of Zika virus occurred in southern France in August 2019. Diagnosis relied on serology and transcription-mediated amplification. Attempts for virus isolation and ZIKV genome RT-PCR detection remained negative. Since the index case was not identified, we addressed the issue of genotyping and geographical origin by performing hemi-nested PCR and sequencing in the Pr gene. Analysis of 16 genotype-specific Single Nucleotides Polymorphisms identified the Asian genotype and suggested a Southeast Asia origin.

Viscerotropic disease and acute uveitis following yellow fever vaccination: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Yellow fever vaccine exists for over 80 years and is considered to be relatively safe. However, in rare cases it can produce serious neurotropic and viscerotropic complications. We report a case of a patient who presented both viscerotropic and neurological manifestations after yellow fever vaccination. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 37 years old man who developed after the yellow fever vaccination a yellow fever vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease followed by acute uveitis. Prolonged detection of yellow fever RNA in blood and urine was consistent with yellow fever vaccine-associated adverse event. The final outcome was good, although with persistent fatigue over a few months. CONCLUSIONS: Even if the yellow fever vaccine is relatively safe, physicians should be aware of its possible serious adverse effects.

Noncontiguous finished genome sequence and description of Intestinimonas massiliensis sp. nov strain GD2T , the second Intestinimonas species cultured from the human gut.

Intestinimonas massiliensis sp. nov strain GD2T is a new species of the genus Intestinimonas (the second, following Intestinimonas butyriciproducens gen. nov., sp. nov). First isolated from the gut microbiota of a healthy subject of French origin using a culturomics approach combined with taxono-genomics, it is strictly anaerobic, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped, with catalase- and oxidase-negative reactions. Its growth was observed after preincubation in an anaerobic blood culture enriched with sheep blood (5%) and rumen fluid (5%), incubated at 37°C. Its phenotypic and genotypic descriptions are presented in this paper with a full annotation of its genome sequence. This genome consists of 3,104,261 bp in length and contains 3,074 predicted genes, including 3,012 protein-coding genes and 62 RNA-coding genes. Strain GD2T significantly produces butyrate and is frequently found among available 16S rRNA gene amplicon datasets, which leads consideration of Intestinimonas massiliensis as an important human gut commensal.

Blautia massiliensis sp. nov., isolated from a fresh human fecal sample and emended description of the genus Blautia.

The strain GD9T is the type strain of the newly proposed species Blautia massiliensis sp. nov., belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae. It was isolated from a fresh stool sample collected from a healthy human using the culturomics strategy. Cells are Gram-negative rods, oxygen intolerant, non-motile and non-spore forming. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that strain GD9T was closely related to Blautia luti, with a 97.8% sequence similarity. Major fatty acids were C14:0 (19.8%) and C16:0 (53.2%). Strain GD9T exhibits a genome of 3,717,339 bp that contains 3,346 protein-coding genes and 81 RNAs genes including 63 tRNAs. The features of this organism are described here, with its complete genome sequence and annotation. Compared with other Blautia species which are Gram positive, the strain was Gram negative justifying an emended description of the genus Blautia.