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06:02
Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
Published on: September 13, 2018
7.5K
Viral evolution and epidemiology
Katrin Leitmeyer1, Rebeca Rico-Hesse1
1Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, Department of Virology and Immunology, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
|August 18, 2015
Summary
Recent advancements in viral sequencing and computational analysis reveal how viral evolution impacts disease spread and severity. Understanding these evolutionary patterns is key to developing effective disease control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Viral evolution significantly influences disease pathogenesis and epidemiology.
- Technological advancements have increased the availability of viral sequence data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent research on viral evolution.
- To explore the application of viral evolution in understanding disease.
- To highlight the impact of viral evolution on disease control.
Main Methods:
- Enzymatic amplification of viral genomes.
- Automated sequencing of viral RNA and DNA.
- Bioinformatic analysis of viral sequences to generate phylogenies.
- Correlation of viral genotype with phenotype.
Main Results:
- A dramatic increase in sequence information from clinical samples.
- Generation of evolutionary trees (phylogenies) for natural virus variants.
- Potential to correlate viral genotype with observable traits (phenotype).
Conclusions:
- Understanding viral evolution is crucial for disease pathogenesis and epidemiology.
- Advanced sequencing and computational methods facilitate evolutionary analysis.
- Knowledge of viral evolution rates and types informs disease control strategies.
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