Conversely, inoculated bees presented to groups of bees from other colonies experienced reduced aggression compared with dsRNA-immunostimulated bees, facilitating entry into susceptible colonies. This reduction was associated with a shift in cuticular hydrocarbons, the chemical signatures used by bees to discriminate colony members from intruders. These responses were specific to IAPV infection, suggestive of pathogen manipulation of the host. Emerging bee pathogens may thus shape host phenotypes to increase transmission, a strategy especially well-suited to the unnaturally high colony densities of modern apiculture. These findings demonstrate how anthropogenic changes could affect arms races between human-managed hosts and their pathogens to potentially affect global food security.Extreme climate events such as droughts, cold snaps, and hurricanes can be powerful agents of natural selection, producing acute selective pressures very different from the everyday pressures acting on organisms. However, it remains unknown whether these infrequent but severe disruptions are quickly erased by quotidian selective forces, or whether they have the potential to durably shape biodiversity patterns across regions and clades. Here, we show that hurricanes have enduring evolutionary impacts on the morphology of anoles, a diverse Neotropical lizard clade. We first demonstrate a transgenerational effect of extreme selection on toepad area for two populations struck by hurricanes in 2017. Given this short-term effect of hurricanes, we then asked whether populations and species that more frequently experienced hurricanes have larger toepads. Using 70 y of historical hurricane data, we demonstrate that, indeed, toepad area positively correlates with hurricane activity for both 12 island populations of Anolis sagrei and 188 Anolis species throughout the Neotropics. Extreme climate events are intensifying due to climate change and may represent overlooked drivers of biogeographic and large-scale biodiversity patterns.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel human coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first discovered in December 2019 as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 is fairly non-specific, and symptoms overlap with other seasonal respiratory infections concurrently circulating in the population. Furthermore, it is estimated that up to 80% of infected individuals experience mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, confounding efforts to reliably diagnose COVID-19 empirically. To support infection control measures, there is an urgent need for rapid and accurate molecular diagnostics to identify COVID-19 positive patients. In the present study, we have evaluated the analytical sensitivity and clinical performance of four SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostic assays granted Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA using nasopharyngeal swabs from symptomatic patients the New York SARS-CoV-2 Real-time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR Diagnostic Panel (Modified CDC), the Simplexa COVID-19 Direct (Diasorin Molecular), GenMark ePlex SARS-CoV-2 assay (GenMark) and the Hologic Panther Fusion® SARS-CoV-2 assay (Hologic). This information is crucial for both laboratories and clinical teams, as decisions on which testing platform to implement are made. Copyright © 2020 Zhen et al.In the race to contain SARS-CoV-2, efficient detection and triage of infected patients must rely on rapid and reliable testing. ND646 In this work we performed the first evaluation of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel (QIAstat-SARS) for SARS-CoV-2 detection. This assay is the first rapid multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay including SARS-CoV-2 detection, and is fully compatible with a non-PCR trained laboratory or point-of-care (POC) testing.This evaluation was performed using 69 primary clinical samples (66 NPS, 1 BAL and 1 tracheal aspirate and 1 bronchial aspirate) comparing the SARS-CoV-2 detection with the currently WHO recommended RT-PCR (WHO-PCR) workflow. Additionally, a comparative limit of detection (LoD) assessment was performed between QIAstat-SARS and the WHO-PCR using a quantified clinical sample. Compatibility of sample pre-treatment for viral neutralisation or viscous samples with the QIAstat-SARS system were also tested.The QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel demonstrated a comparable sensitivity to the WHO recommended assay with a limit of detection at 1000 copies/mL. The overall percent agreement between QIAstat-Dx SARS and WHO-PCR on 69 clinical samples was 97% with a sensitivity at 100% (40/40) and specificity at 93% (27/29). No cross reaction was encountered for any other respiratory viruses or bacteria included in the panel.The QIAstat-SARS rapid multiplex-PCR panel provides a highly sensitive, robust and accurate assay for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. This assay allows rapid decisions even in non-PCR trained laboratory or point-of-care testing, allowing innovative organisation. Copyright © 2020 Visseaux et al.The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide shortage of viral transport media and raised questions about specimen stability. The objective of this study was to determine the stability of SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in specimen transport media under various storage conditions. Transport medium tested included VCM, UTM®-RT, ESwab™, M4 and saline (0.9% NaCl). Specimen types tested included Nasopharyngeal/Oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs in the above transport media, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and Sputum. A high-titer SARS-CoV-2 remnant patient specimen was spiked into pooled SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative specimen remnants for the various media types. Aliquots of samples were stored at 18°C to 25°C, 2°C to 8°C and -10°C to -30°C and then tested at time points up to 14 days. Specimens consistently yielded amplifiable RNA with mean Ct differences of less then 3 over the various conditions assayed, thus supporting the use and transport of alternative collection media and specimen types under a variety of temperature storage conditions. Copyright © 2020 Rogers et al.