The public health threat of emerging phenuiviruses

Phenuiviruses, a group of arthropod-borne RNA viruses, have the capacity to emerge unexpectedly in human beings, resulting in a spectrum of clinical manifestations, including hemorrhagic disease, hepatitis, shock, encephalitis, congenital abnormalities, as well as more common symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, myalgia, and arthralgia. The epidemiological patterns have unfolded over recent decades, marked by epidemics such as Rift Valley fever virus in Africa and Toscana virus in Europe, as well as the most recent Dabie bandavirus epidemic in Asia. These viruses possess the potential for continuous geographical expansion, which poses substantial public health concerns. Moreover, less thoroughly studied phenuiviruses have caused human clinical diseases across various regions worldwide, and their potential for sustained transmission among humans remains poorly understood. We reviewed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of medically important phenuiviruses, and draw attention to newly identified viruses and some of the unanswered questions surrounding these viruses.