Animal models for highly pathogenic emerging viruses.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Pathogenesis
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Emerging viral pathogens like Lujo virus, Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome virus, and SARS-like coronaviruses cause high morbidity and mortality.
• The sporadic nature of these infections hinders disease understanding and the development of medical countermeasures.
• Animal models are essential tools for studying disease pathogenesis and evaluating interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of animal disease models for highly pathogenic and emerging viral pathogens.
• To emphasize the importance of animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease for predictive data.
• To identify potential targets for intervention and evaluate therapeutics and vaccines.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing animal models for emerging viral pathogens.
• Analysis of the ability of models to mimic human disease conditions.
• Evaluation of model utility in understanding pathogenesis and testing countermeasures.

Main Results:

• The article provides an overview of current animal models for various emerging viral diseases.
• It highlights the challenges in developing and validating these models.
• The review underscores the critical role of well-chosen animal models in advancing research.

Conclusions:

• Accurate animal models are imperative for understanding emerging viral pathogens and developing effective medical countermeasures.
• Continued development and validation of predictive animal models are necessary for public health preparedness.
• These models are vital for assessing the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics against novel viral threats.