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09:02
Monitoring Influenza Virus Survival Outside the Host Using Real-Time Cell Analysis
Published on: February 20, 2021
Emergence and persistence of hantaviruses
1W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. saklein@jhsph.edu
Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
|September 13, 2007
Summary
Hantaviruses cause severe diseases like HFRS and HPS. Understanding the specific rodent host and ecological factors is crucial for reducing human infection risk.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Hantaviral diseases have a long history but were only linked to an infectious agent in 1976 with Hantaan virus isolation.
- The discovery of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the New World expanded the study of hantaviruses, which belong to the genus Hantavirus in the family Bunyaviridae.
- Hantaviruses cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) and HPS, with multiple hantaviruses implicated in each disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on hantaviruses, covering their history, taxonomy, distribution, and ecological factors.
- To explore the impact of rodent behavior and host factors on hantavirus transmission dynamics.
- To provide insights into rodent-to-human transmission and suggest future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical data on hantavirus isolation and disease association.
- Analysis of taxonomic classification and geographical distribution of known hantaviruses.
- Synthesis of research on ecological, behavioral, and host factors influencing hantavirus transmission.
Main Results:
- A specific association exists between a single hantavirus and a single rodent host.
- Ecological variables and rodent behavior significantly impact hantavirus maintenance and spread.
- Host factors influence susceptibility and transmission of hantaviruses.
Conclusions:
- Understanding rodent host idiosyncrasies and environmental influences is key to mitigating human hantavirus infection risk.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complexities of hantavirus transmission and prevention.
- The study highlights the importance of an integrated approach, combining epidemiology, virology, and ecology, for managing hantaviral diseases.
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