In vitro study of co-infection of tick-borne encephalitis virus (Flavivirus) with tick-borne orbiviruses in ruminant immune cells.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV; Flavivirus) and tick-borne orbiviruses (TBO) are endemically occurring zoonotic arboviruses. Ruminants can be repeatedly infested with ticks and infected with tick-borne pathogens, e.g. TBEV is secreted in milk. In recent years, there has been a remarkable increase in alimentary TBEV infections in Europe. Slovakia is currently the world leader in the epidemics of alimentary TBE. The immune response influences the replication and excretion of viruses from the host. In addition, host co-infections can modulate virulence, cell death and antiviral response, modifying the course of infection and epidemiology. Knowledge of the effect of TBEV on ruminant immune cells is limited and completely absent in the case of TBO. This project aims to investigate the impact of TBEV and TBO co-infection on ruminant immune cells, emphasising the interaction of viral replication and the immune response of antigen-presenting cells under conditions of mono- and co-infection.