RESPIRATORY VIRUS UNIT


Overview



The Respiratory virus unit focuses on research, surveillance and training on respiratory viruses associated with Influenza like illness and Severe Acute Respiratory infections such as pneumonia as well as zoonotic diseases.

Influenza surveillance and research:

The Unit houses the National Influenza Centre (NIC) which is a World Health Organization (WHO) reference laboratory and the Regional WHO Influenza Reference laboratory for Southern Africa and plays a key role in pandemic preparedness and response in Southern Africa. This Unit regularly characterises influenza viruses obtained from a network of sentinel physicians” and hospitals that participate in the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance network. This information is shared with the WHO annually to assist in making decisions regarding the composition of the annual influenza vaccines for the southern hemisphere. Monitoring of the resistance to influenza antiviral drugs is conducted annually to determine the effectiveness of treatment with these drugs. The Unit has played a leading role in the country to detect and deal with the current novel H1N1 Influenza A pandemic.

The avian influenza threat has also been addressed at the NIC. Laboratory capacity has been strengthened for the rapid diagnosis of suspected cases of novel influenza viruses. The Unit has been involved in the Rapid Response Training for Avian and Pandemic Influenza for the provinces and in providing support to a number of SADC countries for pandemic preparedness.

Influenza research entails characterizing the molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of Influenza and other causes of SARI identified in the surveillance programme. Scientist in the Unit has developed real-time multiplex PCRs assays for detecting the major causes of SARI and is in the process of screening specimens from hospitalised patients to determine the importance of the different viruses in SARI in South Africa. The Unit identified the first Oseltamivir resistant H1N1 strains in Africa in 2008 which had been published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. The unit is currently charactering the molecular epidemiology of pandemic Influenza A H1N1 outbreak in South Africa and investigating pathogenic markers in cases of severe disease.

Respiratory and zoonotic disease research

The Respiratory Virus Unit is affiliated to the Respiratory and Zoonosis programme at the Department Medical Virology University of Pretoria. www.up.ac.za/medicalvirology

Postgraduate research students and postdoctoral fellows in this department that are part of the Respiratory and Zoonotic disease Programme are involved in research on the pathogenesis, molecular epidemiology, host genetics, immune response and development of novel diagnostic tools to detect respiratory and zoonotic diseases under mentorship of Prof M. Venter head of the Respiratory Virus Unit at NICD. The main focus of the respiratory virus group is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well as newly described respiratory viruses while the zoonosis group looks at diseases in animals associated with encephalitis and respiratory syndromes that may cause zoonotic infections in humans. The main focus of the group is West Nile Virus and virus discovery.

Contact Us

Staff

Publications

Meetings and Conferences

Awards and Highlights

Useful Links

Vacancies

Contact us
Respiratory Virus Unit
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Private bag x 4
Sandringham
2131

Tel: +27 (0)11 555-0488
Fax: +27 (0)11 386-6455
Or
Virology queries: Prof M. Venter: +27 (0)11 555-0478 ; emergency : +27 (0)829020412;
Influenza surveillance or diagnostic issues: +27 (0)11 555-0488 Dhamari Naidoo: ;
SARI surveillance: Marthi Nieuwoudt

Diagnostic results please contact Amelia Buys in the Viral Isolation Unit +27 (0)11 386 6373:
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Staff


Head: Respiratory Virus Unit and Director National Influenza Centre
  • Prof Marietjie Venter (PhD) (Associate Professor, University of Pretoria)
  • Deputy: Senior Scientist (PhD), post vacant

SARI surveillance and research
  • Marthi Nieuwoudt (MSc)( Medical Scientist)
  • Medical Scientist post (vacant)

Influenza Surveillance:
  • Dhamari Naidoo (MSc) (Medical Scientist)
  • Medical Scientist post (vacant)

Data Clerk: Sindi Gumede

Students in the unit:
  • Dr Tina Kresfelder (PhD) (Postdoctoral fellow, respiratory viruses)
  • Dewald Zaayman (MSc) (PhD student) zoonosis programme)
  • Charmaine van den Eeden (MSc) (PhD student, zoonosis programme)
  • Ria Lassauniére (BSc(Hons) (MSc student respiratory virus programme; research assistant)
  • Stacey Human (BSc(Hons) (MSc student zoonosis programme)
  • Yvette Westerberg (BSc(Hons)(MSc student)
  • Juliet Mentoor (BSc(Hons) (MSc student)
  • Stephanie Smit (BSc(Hons) (MSc student; research assistant)
  • Other students in the group:
    • Nicksy Gumede (PhD student, head Polio virus unit, NICD)
    • Dr Adele Visser, MMed student, Registrar, Clinical Virology (Respiratory virus group)
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Publications

Publications in 2008-2009 by members of the unit

  1. Venter M * , Lassauniére R, Kresfelder T. Visser A . Contribution and disease association of common and newly described viruses to acute respiratory tract infections in hospitals in South Africa experiencing a high HIV-AIDS burden. (Submitted, J. Clin. Virol).
  2. Venter M . and Swanepoel R. Review: Pathogenesis of West Nile Virus lineage 2 as a cause of zoonotic neurological disease in humans and horses in Southern Africa. (Submitted: Vector born and zoonotic diseases.)
  3. Berkley J.A, Munywoki P, Ngama M, Kazungu S, Abwao J, Bett A., Lassauniére R ,Kresfelder T., Cane P, Venter M, Scott J.A and Nokes D.J . .Viral etiology of severe pneumonia among Kenyan young infants and children. (Submitted JAMA)
  4. Lassauniére R., Kresfelder T., Venter M . A Novel Multiplex Real-Time Rt-Pcr Assay With Fret Hybridization Probes For The Detection And Quantification Of 13 Traditional And Newly Identified Respiratory Viruses. (Submitted J. Virol Methods).
  5. Glass AJ, Venter M. Improved detection of JC virus in AIDS patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy by T-antigen specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probe real-time PCR: evidence of diverse JC virus genotypes associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in Southern Africa. J Med Virol. 2009 Nov;81 (11):1929-37 (Impact factor 2.8)
  6. Archer BN, Cohen C, Naidoo D, Thomas J, Makunga C, Blumberg L, Venter M, Timothy GA, Puren A, McAnerney JM, Cengimbo A, Schoub BD. Interim report on pandemic H1N1 influenza virus infections in South Africa, April to October 2009: Epidemiology and factors associated with fatal cases. Euro Surveill.2009;14 (42):pii=19369.
  7. Venter M, Blumberg L. The practitioners guide for dealing with the novel Influenza A, H1N1 pandemic. SA Family Practice 2009;51:276-278.
  8. Venter M * , Styel J, Wyers J, Blumberg L, Human S, Zaayman, R. Swanepoel. Zoonotic transmission of West Nile virus to a veterinarian during postmortem investigation of a horse with neurological symptoms. Emerging Infectious Diseases (in Press) (Impact factor 6)
  9. Briese, T , Lamson D, Zhai , J, Fan L, Renwick N, Siemetzki U, Vishal Kapoor, Palacios, G, Street,G A. Hoegh, M, Dominguez S, Venter, M, Jarman R.G., Ghosh, D, Mandeep S. Chadha 7, A. C. Mishra, Robert V. Gibbons, Kristian Schønning 3, Brunhilde Schweiger,. Holmes, KV, St. George , K, and Lipkin WI. Genetic lineages of Human rhinovirus C, Submitted to PLOS Pathogen (Impact Factor 9.3)
  10. Venter M, Human S, Zaayman D, Gerdes G.H,. Williams, J, Steyl, J, Leman, PA, Paweska J.T, Setzkorn, H, Rous G, Murray S, Parker R, Donnellan Cynthia, and Swanepoel, R. Lineage 2 West Nile Virus as Cause of Fatal Neurologic Disease in Horses, South Africa. Emerging Infectious Diseases. Volume 15, Number 6–June 2009; ) (Impact factor 6)
  11. Venter M* ; Burt F.J, Leman P.A, Blumberg L, Fikl H, Paweska, J, Swanepoel R. Cytokine expression in the blood of a patient with meningo-encephalitis following laboratory acquired lineage II West Nile virus infection.. ( New England Journal of Medicine . 2009 Mar 19;360(12) :1260-2.). (Impact factor 51.2)
  12. Venter, M* Visser A, Van den Bergh R. Human polyomaviruses, WU and KI in HIV exposed children with acute lower respiratory tract infections in hospitals in South Africa. Journal of Clinical Virology, 44 (2009) 230–234 , (Impact Factor 3.4)
  13. Zaayman D, Human S, Venter M*. A Highly Sensitive Method for the Detection and Genotyping of West Nile Virus by Real-Time PCR. J Virol Methods . 2009 May;157 (2):155-60. Epub 2009 Jan 10. . (Impact factor 1.9)
  14. Briese T, Renwick N, Venter M, Jarman RG, Ghosh D, Köndgen S, Sanjaya K, Shrestha A, Hoegh M, Casas Flecha I, Adjogoua EV, Akoua-Koffi C, Myint KS, Williams DT, Chidlow G, Van den Berg R, Calvo C, Koch O, Palacios G, Kapoor V, Villari J, Harnett G, Smith D, Mackenzie J, Ellerbrok H, Schweiger B, Schønning K, Chadha, MS, Leendertz FH, Mishra AC, Gibbons RV, Holmes EC, Lipkin WI. A recently identified picornavirus genotype contributes to acute respiratory disease worldwide. Journal of Emerging Infectious diseases, 2008, June). (Impact Factor 5.1).
  15. Besselaar TG, Naidoo D , Buys A, Gregory V, McAnerney J, Manamela JM, Blumberg L, Schoub BD. Widespread oseltamivir resistance in influenza A viruses (H1N1), South Africa. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Nov;14 (11):1809-10.
  16. Rakoto-Andrianarivelo M, Gumede NH, Balanant JJ, Seta N. Rabemanantsoa RS, Birmingham M, Randriamanalina B, Nkolomoni L, Venter M, Schoub BD, Delpeyroux F, and Reynes JM. Re-emergence of Recombinant Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Outbreak in Madagascar. 2008, J Infect Dis. 2008 Apr 11 . (Impact factor, 5.3)

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS:
Schoub BD, Venter M. Flaviviruses. In: Zuckerman AJ, Banatvala JE, Schoub B, Griffiths PD, Mortimer P, editors. Principles and Practice of Clinical Virology, 6th ed., Chichester:Wiley-Blackwell; 2009. p. 669-698
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Meetings and Conferences

Recent conferences presentations:

  • M Venter, A. Visser, Ria van den Bergh . Higher frequency of detection of the new human polyomavirus, WU but not KI in HIV exposed South African children with acute lower respiratory tract infections. To be presented at the 13th International Conference on Infectious Diseases in Kuala Lumpur from the 19th to the 22nd of June 2008
  • Botha EM, Markotter W, Wolfaardt M, Paweska JT, Swanepoel R, Palacios G, Nel LH, Venter M.* Genetic determinants of virulence in pathogenic lineage 2 west nile virus strains. International Virology Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 10-16 August 2008.
  • Venter M ;Human S; Gerdes T, Williams J, Leman P; Kemp A; Paweska J; Setzkorn H; Rous G, Stroebel JC, Steyl, J, Murray S, Parker R , Donnellan, C. Investigation of the pathogenesis of West Nile virus and other zoonotic Flavi and alpha viruses in humans and horses in South Africa. Conference proceedings paper: South African Society of veterinary epidemiology and preventative medicine, 2008 annual conference, 20 – 22 August 2008, Kopanong hotel & conference centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Human S , Gerdes T, Stroebel JC, Venter M. Molecular epidemiology and characterization of Wesselsbron virus and co-circulating alphaviruses in sentinel animals in South Africa [Oral Presentation]. ISVEE Conference XII, 2009: Epidemiology Unplugged - Providing power for better health: The Twelfth conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics. 10-14 August 2009: International Conference Centre, City of Durban, South Africa.
  • van Eeden C , Williams JH, Gerdes T, Swanepoel R, Venter M. Molecular characterization of novel flavi- and other vector-borne viruses in horses in South Africa: Shuni virus, isolated from a horse displaying neurological symptoms [Oral Presentation]. ISVEE Conference XII, 2009: Epidemiology Unplugged - Providing power for better health: The Twelfth conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics. 10-14 August 2009: International Conference Centre, City of Durban, South Africa
  • Venter M , Human S, Gerdes T, Williams J, Steyl J, Leman P, Blumberg L, Paweska J, Swanepoel R. West Nile virus lineage 2 as a cause of zoonotic neurological disease in humans and horses in Souh Africa: Importance and potential treatments [Oral Presentation]. ISVEE Conference XII, 2009: Epidemiology Unplugged - Providing power for better health: The Twelfth conference of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics. 10-14 August 2009: International Conference Centre, City of Durban, South Africa.
  • Kresfelder TL , Jansen R., Bont L., Venter M. Identification of specific polymorphisms associated with RSV-related disease in young children in South Africa [Oral Presentation]. FIDSSA III 2009 : 3 rd joint Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Congress 20-23 August 2009 Sun City, North West Province.
  • Lassauniere R , Kresfelder TM., Visser A., Venter M. Viral aetiological agents associated with acute respiratory tract infections [Oral Presentation]. FIDSSA III 2009 : 3 rd joint Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Congress 20-23 August 2009 Sun City, North West Province.
  • Rakgantso AM , Venter M. Conformational changes in the major surface glycoprotein of different genotypes of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subtypes A and B [Poster/Presentation]. FIDSSA III 2009 : 3 rd joint Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Congress 20-23 August 2009 Sun City, North West Province. (Won Best Poster presentation)
  • Smit S , Venter M. Association of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) structural and non-structural protein differences with disease severity in children [Poster/Presentation]. FIDSSA III 2009 : 3 rd joint Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Congress 20-23 August 2009 Sun City, North West Province.
  • Zaayman D, Swanepoel R, Venter M. Development of a micro-array based multiplex PCR assay for the differential diagnosis of meningitis and encephalitis [Oral Presentation]. FIDSSA III 2009 : 3 rd joint Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa Congress 20-23 August 2009 Sun City, North West Province.
  • Venter M , Human S, Gerdes T, Williams J, Steyl J, Stroebel J Leman P, Paweska J, Donnellan C, Swanepoel R, Horses as sentinel animals to detect zoonotic flavi and alphaviruses in Southern Africa. 5 th  European Meeting on Viral Zoonoses , Saint-Raphaël, France, September 26 to September 29 .
  • Dr M Venter: Molecular Epidemiology of the 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak in South Africa [oral presentation] Influenza in Africa conference hosted by the CDC 7 - 9 December 2009 National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg
  • Dhamari Naidoo: Identification of H1N1 Oseltamivir Resistant Viruses in South Africa using a PCR based Detection Method: [oral presentation] Influenza in Africa conference hosted by the CDC 7 - 9 December 2009 National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg
  • Marthi Nieuwoudt: Validation and Development of an in-house Multiplex PCR for the Detection of Respiratory Viruses, [oral presentation] Influenza in Africa conference hosted by the CDC 7 - 9 December 2009 National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg
  • Dhamari Naidoo, Surveillance of Genetic Markers for Resistance and Virulence in Pandemic H1N1 Viruses from South Africa, [oral presentation] Influenza in Africa conference hosted by the CDC 7 - 9 December 2009 National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, Johannesburg


Prof Marietjie Venter and Ms Dhamari Naidoo in Dakar Senekal at the Multinational Influenza Seasonal Mortality study meeting, Apr 21-25, 2009

MISMS Africa Meeting

Dakar, Senegal, Apr 21-25, 2009
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Awards and Highlights
Awards and Highlights for 2009
    • Dr M Venter received the University of Pretoria’s Outstanding Young Researchers award at an awards ceremony to recognize Exceptional Academic Achievers which took place on 25 March 2009 : Edoardo Villa Museum, Hatfield Campus, University of Pretoria.
    • Dr M Venter received a travel award from the Fogarty International Centre (FIC) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), to give a oral presentation at the regional Multinational Influenza Seasonal Mortality Study (MISMS) meeting for Africa 21-25 April 2009 Dakar, Senegal.
    • Dr M Venter was awarded funding from the Department of Education to establish a new high containment (BSL-3) laboratory in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria to facilitate research on arboviruses.
    • Dr M Venter was invited to give a lecture at European Arbonet meeting 30 September 2009 St Raphael, France .
    • Post-graduate students in our group awarded prizes at the Faculty of Health Sciences Faculty Day 18-19 August 2009:

Ms S Human (MSc student) received third prize in the category Junior Researcher: Basic Sciences [Oral] for her presentation entitled “Molecular epidemiology and characterization of Wesselsbron virus in sentinel animals in South Africa” and

Ms C van Eeden (PhD student) received first prize in the category Junior Researcher: Basic Sciences [Posters] for her poster/presentation entitled “Serological and molecular characterization of flavi- and novel zoonotic vector-borne viruses associated with neurological disease in South Africa”. Ms A Rakgantso (BSc [Hons])was awarded a prize for the best poster/presentation at the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa (FIDSSA) III Congress 2009, Sun City, North West Province 20-23 August 2009 for her poster entitled “Conformational changes in the major surface glycoprotein of different genotypes of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subtypes A and B”.

Dr A Visser , was awarded a Faculty of Health Sciences’ merit certificate for a publication in the category "Non-clinical publication by a Junior Researcher (<35 years)" in the Faculty in 2008 for the publication: Visser A, Delport S, Venter M. Molecular epidemiological analysis of a nosocomial outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus associated pneumonia in a kangaroo mother care unit, South Africa. J Med Virol 2008;80:724-732.
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Useful Links
Influenza Information:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/?s_cid=internal1;
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
http://www.who.int/topics/influenza/en/
http://www.nicd.ac.za/

Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria: www.up.ac.za/medicalvirology

Zoonotic Diseases:
http://www.who.int/topics/zoonoses/en/
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Vacancies
We currently have 1 full time position available for a senior PhD Research Scientist and 2 contract positions for junior Medical Scientists with at least a BSc(Hons) as part of the Influenza and SARI surveillance programmes sponsored by CDC. Interested individuals can contact Prof Venter for further information.
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