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Trends in Microbiology Jul 2021Ecological and evolutionary processes govern the fitness, propagation, and interactions of organisms through space and time, and viruses are no exception. While... (Review)
Review
Ecological and evolutionary processes govern the fitness, propagation, and interactions of organisms through space and time, and viruses are no exception. While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research has primarily emphasized virological, clinical, and epidemiological perspectives, crucial aspects of the pandemic are fundamentally ecological or evolutionary. Here, we highlight five conceptual domains of ecology and evolution - invasion, consumer-resource interactions, spatial ecology, diversity, and adaptation - that illuminate (sometimes unexpectedly) the emergence and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We describe the applications of these concepts across levels of biological organization and spatial scales, including within individual hosts, host populations, and multispecies communities. Together, these perspectives illustrate the integrative power of ecological and evolutionary ideas and highlight the benefits of interdisciplinary thinking for understanding emerging viruses.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Chiroptera; Disease Reservoirs; Ecology; Evolution, Molecular; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33893024
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.03.013 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Sep 2019Dose is the nexus between exposure and all upstream processes that determine pathogen pressure, and is thereby an important element underlying disease dynamics.... (Review)
Review
Dose is the nexus between exposure and all upstream processes that determine pathogen pressure, and is thereby an important element underlying disease dynamics. Understanding the relationship between dose and disease is particularly important in the context of spillover, where nonlinearities in the dose-response could determine the likelihood of transmission. There is a need to explore dose-response models for directly transmitted and zoonotic pathogens, and how these interactions integrate within-host factors to consider, for example, heterogeneity in host susceptibility and dose-dependent antagonism. Here, we review the dose-response literature and discuss the unique role dose-response models have to play in understanding and predicting spillover events. We present a re-analysis of dose-response experiments for two important zoonotic pathogens (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Nipah virus), to exemplify potential difficulties in differentiating between appropriate models with small exposure experiment datasets. We also discuss the data requirements needed for robust selection between dose-response models. We then suggest how these processes could be modelled to gain more realistic predictions of zoonotic transmission outcomes and highlight the exciting opportunities that could arise with increased collaboration between the virology and epidemiology disciplines. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dynamic and integrative approaches to understanding pathogen spillover'.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Coronavirus Infections; Disease Reservoirs; Environment; Henipavirus Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Nipah Virus
PubMed: 31401955
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0016 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Apr 2021The ongoing global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease has once again demonstrated the role of the family Coronaviridae in causing human disease outbreaks. Because... (Review)
Review
The ongoing global pandemic caused by coronavirus disease has once again demonstrated the role of the family Coronaviridae in causing human disease outbreaks. Because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was first detected in December 2019, information on its tropism, host range, and clinical manifestations in animals is limited. Given the limited information, data from other coronaviruses might be useful for informing scientific inquiry, risk assessment, and decision-making. We reviewed endemic and emerging infections of alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses in wildlife, livestock, and companion animals and provide information on the receptor use, known hosts, and clinical signs associated with each host for 15 coronaviruses detected in humans and animals. This information can be used to guide implementation of a One Health approach that involves human health, animal health, environmental, and other relevant partners in developing strategies for preparedness, response, and control to current and future coronavirus disease threats.
Topics: Alphacoronavirus; Animals; Animals, Wild; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs; Host Specificity; Humans; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33770472
DOI: 10.3201/eid2704.203945 -
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira de... 2020This review focuses on reports of hepatitis E virus, hantavirus, rotavirus, coronavirus, and arenavirus in synanthropic rodents (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, and... (Review)
Review
This review focuses on reports of hepatitis E virus, hantavirus, rotavirus, coronavirus, and arenavirus in synanthropic rodents (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, and Mus musculus) within urban environments. Despite their potential impact on human health, relatively few studies have addressed the monitoring of these viruses in rodents. Comprehensive control and preventive activities should include actions such as the elimination or reduction of rat and mouse populations, sanitary education, reduction of shelters for the animals, and restriction of the access of rodents to residences, water, and food supplies.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae Infections; Coronavirus Infections; Disease Reservoirs; Hantavirus Infections; Hepatitis E; Mice; Rats; Rotavirus Infections; Urban Population
PubMed: 32049206
DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0486-2019 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology 2021Lyme disease (LD) is an emerging zoonotic infection that is increasing in incidence in North America, Europe, and Asia. With the development of safe and efficacious...
Lyme disease (LD) is an emerging zoonotic infection that is increasing in incidence in North America, Europe, and Asia. With the development of safe and efficacious vaccines, LD can potentially be prevented. Vaccination offers a cost-effective and safe approach for decreasing the risk of infection. While LD vaccines have been widely used in veterinary medicine, they are not available as a preventive tool for humans. Central to the development of effective vaccines is an understanding of the enzootic cycle of LD, differential gene expression of in response to environmental variables, and the genetic and antigenic diversity of the unique bacteria that cause this debilitating disease. Here we review these areas as they pertain to past and present efforts to develop human, veterinary, and reservoir targeting LD vaccines. In addition, we offer a brief overview of additional preventative measures that should employed in conjunction with vaccination.
Topics: Animals; Borrelia burgdorferi; Disease Reservoirs; Disease Susceptibility; Global Health; Humans; Lyme Disease; Lyme Disease Vaccines; Population Surveillance; Vaccination
PubMed: 33289681
DOI: 10.21775/cimb.042.191 -
Viruses Jun 2021There is a growing number of perinatally HIV-1-infected children worldwide who must maintain life-long ART. In early life, HIV-1 infection is established in an... (Review)
Review
There is a growing number of perinatally HIV-1-infected children worldwide who must maintain life-long ART. In early life, HIV-1 infection is established in an immunologically inexperienced environment in which maternal ART and immune dynamics during pregnancy play a role in reservoir establishment. Children that initiated early antiretroviral therapy (ART) and maintained long-term suppression of viremia have smaller and less diverse HIV reservoirs than adults, although their proviral landscape during ART is reported to be similar to that of adults. The ability of these early infected cells to persist long-term through clonal expansion poses a major barrier to finding a cure. Furthermore, the effects of life-long HIV persistence and ART are yet to be understood, but growing evidence suggests that these individuals are at an increased risk for developing non-AIDS-related comorbidities, which underscores the need for an HIV cure.
Topics: Anti-Retroviral Agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Child; DNA, Viral; Disease Reservoirs; Female; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Pregnancy; Proviruses; Viral Load; Viremia
PubMed: 34204740
DOI: 10.3390/v13061134 -
Trends in Microbiology Nov 2023Orthohantaviruses present a global public health threat; there are 58 distinct viruses currently recognized and case fatality of pathogenic orthohantaviruses ranges from... (Review)
Review
Orthohantaviruses present a global public health threat; there are 58 distinct viruses currently recognized and case fatality of pathogenic orthohantaviruses ranges from <0.1% to 50%. An Old World versus New World dichotomy is frequently applied to distinguish human diseases caused by orthohantaviruses. However, this geographic grouping masks the importance of phylogeny and virus-host ecology in shaping orthohantavirus traits, especially since related arvicoline rodents and their orthohantaviruses are found in both regions. We argue that orthohantaviruses can be separated into three phylogenetically based rodent host groups with differences in key functional traits, including human disease, transmission route, and virus-host fidelity. This framework can help understand and predict traits of under-studied and newly discovered orthohantaviruses and guide public health and biosafety policy.
Topics: Humans; Hantavirus Infections; Orthohantavirus; Phylogeny; Disease Reservoirs; RNA Viruses
PubMed: 37277284
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.004 -
Trends in Parasitology Feb 2021Because most emerging human pathogens originate in mammals, many studies aim to identify host traits that determine the risk of sourcing zoonotic outbreaks. Studies... (Review)
Review
Because most emerging human pathogens originate in mammals, many studies aim to identify host traits that determine the risk of sourcing zoonotic outbreaks. Studies regularly assert that 'fast-lived' mammal species exhibiting greater fecundity and shorter lifespans tend to host more zoonoses; however, the causes of this association remain poorly understood and they cover a range of immune and nonimmune mechanisms. We discuss these drivers in the context of evolutionary ecology and wildlife-human interactions. Ultimately, differentiating these mechanisms will require linking interspecific variation in life history with immunity, pathogen diversity, transmissibility, and zoonotic risk, and critical data gaps currently limit our ability to do so. We highlight sampling and analytical frameworks to address this gap and to better inform zoonotic reservoir prediction.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Biological Evolution; Disease Reservoirs; Host-Parasite Interactions; Human-Animal Interaction; Humans; Longevity; Parasitic Diseases; Risk; Time Factors; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33214097
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.012 -
Virologie (Montrouge, France) Oct 2023Shortly after primary infection, HIV hides in cellular reservoirs from which it becomes difficult or almost impossible to dislodge. In the absence of effective... (Review)
Review
Shortly after primary infection, HIV hides in cellular reservoirs from which it becomes difficult or almost impossible to dislodge. In the absence of effective antiretroviral therapy, there is almost invariably resurgence of productive infection leading to a decline in CD4+ T cell counts and progression of HIV disease. The course of HIV infection in adults (horizontal transmission) differs significantly from that acquired in children following perinatal transmission: steady-state viral load is higher in children, adherence issues make it more difficult to control viral load using antiretroviral therapy, and the life expectancy of HIV-infected children in absence of treatment is markedly shorter than that of adults. Compared to the situation in adults, we know very little about the nature of the cellular reservoir in children, about its importance at the quantitative level, about its persistence over time, about its evolution during infancy, childhood and adolescence, and about its influence on the pathogenesis of pediatric HIV-AIDS. Some reported cases of spontaneous remission of HIV infection in children in the absence of treatment have also fueled the hopes of discovering avenues leading to a functional cure for HIV-AIDS in both children and adults.
Topics: Humans; HIV-1; Child; HIV Infections; Adolescent; Viral Load; Virus Latency; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Child, Preschool; Infant; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Disease Reservoirs
PubMed: 38708802
DOI: 10.1684/vir.2023.1039 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Apr 2022SignificanceThe clear need to mitigate zoonotic risk has fueled increased viral discovery in specific reservoir host taxa. We show that a combination of viral and...
SignificanceThe clear need to mitigate zoonotic risk has fueled increased viral discovery in specific reservoir host taxa. We show that a combination of viral and reservoir traits can predict zoonotic virus virulence and transmissibility in humans, supporting the hypothesis that bats harbor exceptionally virulent zoonoses. However, pandemic prevention requires thinking beyond zoonotic capacity, virulence, and transmissibility to consider collective "burden" on human health. For this, viral discovery targeting specific reservoirs may be inefficient as death burden correlates with viral, not reservoir, traits, and depends on context-specific epidemiological dynamics across and beyond the human-animal interface. These findings suggest that longitudinal studies of viral dynamics in reservoir and spillover host populations may offer the most effective strategy for mitigating zoonotic risk.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Disease Reservoirs; Virulence; Viruses; Zoonoses
PubMed: 35349342
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113628119