Emergence Of Viral Infections Research Articles

Evaluation of the antiviral activity of different extracts of Gliricidia sepium and Xylopia aethiopica on enteroviruses isolated in Côte d'Ivoire

Objective : The emergence of viral infections has highlighted the need for new antiviral molecules. This study is part of an exploration into finding new antiviral compounds from medicinal plants used in traditional pharmacopoeia in Côte d'Ivoire. The aim is to determine which of the extracts from Gliricidia sepium leaves and Xylopia aethiopica fruits (hydroalcoholic, hexane/water, ethyl acetate/water, aqueous) exhibits the best antiviral activity. Methodology: The cytotoxicity of each partition P1 (hydroalcoholic), P2 (hexane/water), P3 (ethyl acetate/water), P4 (aqueous) of Gliricidia sepium leaves and P1' (hydroalcoholic), P2' (hexane/water), P3' (ethyl acetate/water), P4' (aqueous) of Xylopia aethiopica fruits is determined on RD cells. The antiviral activity of these partitions was then evaluated against a type 1 enterovirus. Results: The hexane-water partition showed high antiviral activity against type 1 enterovirus, with an inhibition of 65.78±9.21% at a concentration of 1 μg/mL for Gliricidia sepium leaves, compared to a non-significant inhibition of 86.84±5.26% at 31.25 μg/mL for Xylopia aethiopica fruits. Additionally, the aqueous partition of Gliricidia sepium induced an inhibition of 50±0.01% at a concentration of 1.95 μg/mL. Conclusion: Hexane-water and aqueous partitions of Gliricidia sepium showed́ potent antiviral activitý against enterovirus 1 than those of Xylopia. aethiopica. Keywords: plant partition, RD cells, enterovirus type 1.

The Impact and Effects of Host Immunogenetics on Infectious Disease Studies Using Non-Human Primates in Biomedical Research.

Understanding infectious disease pathogenesis and evaluating novel candidate treatment interventions for human use frequently requires prior or parallel analysis in animal model systems. While rodent species are frequently applied in such studies, there are situations where non-human primate (NHP) species are advantageous or required. These include studies of animals that are anatomically more akin to humans, where there is a need to interrogate the complexity of more advanced biological systems or simply reflect susceptibility to a specific infectious agent. The contribution of different arms of the immune response may be addressed in a variety of NHP species or subspecies in specific physiological compartments. Such studies provide insights into immune repertoires not always possible from human studies. However, genetic variation in outbred NHP models may confound, or significantly impact the outcome of a particular study. Thus, host factors need to be considered when undertaking such studies. Considerable knowledge of the impact of host immunogenetics on infection dynamics was elucidated from HIV/SIV research. NHP models are now important for studies of emerging infections. They have contributed to delineating the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, which identified differences in outcomes attributable to the selected NHP host. Moreover, their use was crucial in evaluating the immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 and establishing putative correlates of vaccine protection. More broadly, neglected or highly pathogenic emerging or re-emergent viruses may be studied in selected NHPs. These studies characterise protective immune responses following infection or the administration of candidate immunogens which may be central to the accelerated licensing of new vaccines. Here, we review selected aspects of host immunogenetics, specifically MHC background and TRIM5 polymorphism as exemplars of adaptive and innate immunity, in commonly used Old and New World host species. Understanding this variation within and between NHP species will ensure that this valuable laboratory source is used most effectively to combat established and emerging virus infections and improve human health worldwide.

VESICULOVIRUSES AS A TOOL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Vesiculoviruses are widely used in various fields of biotechnology. This article analyzes the results of published experimental works devoted to the development of oncolytic and recombinant vaccines against emergent viral infections based on vesiculoviruses. The use of genetic engineering methods makes it possible to strengthen their immunogenicity and oncolytic potential. Aim. Analysis and summarization of available information devoted to the development of oncolytic and other vaccines based on vesiculoviruses. Materials and methods. Publications were selected based on the PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/) databases published in 2010–2023. They include information on development of oncolytic and other vaccines based on vesiculoviruses. Resalts. The article describes in detail the use of vesiculoviruses as a tool for creating highly active recombinant viral vaccines. These vaccines are able to protect people from emergent viral infections in various countries and may find application in anticancer therapy.

Targeted Application of Functional Foods as Immune Fitness Boosters in the Defense against Viral Infection.

In recent times, the emergence of viral infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the monkeypox virus, and, most recently, the Langya virus, has highlighted the devastating effects of viral infection on human life. There has been significant progress in the development of efficacious vaccines for the prevention and control of viruses; however, the high rates of viral mutation and transmission necessitate the need for novel methods of control, management, and prevention. In recent years, there has been a shift in public awareness on health and wellbeing, with consumers making significant dietary changes to improve their immunity and overall health. This rising health awareness is driving a global increase in the consumption of functional foods. This review delves into the benefits of functional foods as potential natural means to modulate the host immune system to enhance defense against viral infections. We provide an overview of the functional food market in Europe and discuss the benefits of enhancing immune fitness in high-risk groups, including the elderly, those with obesity, and people with underlying chronic conditions. We also discuss the immunomodulatory mechanisms of key functional foods, including dairy proteins and hydrolysates, plant-based functional foods, fermentates, and foods enriched with vitamin D, zinc, and selenium. Our findings reveal four key immunity boosting mechanisms by functional foods, including inhibition of viral proliferation and binding to host cells, modulation of the innate immune response in macrophages and dendritic cells, enhancement of specific immune responses in T cells and B cells, and promotion of the intestinal barrier function. Overall, this review demonstrates that diet-derived nutrients and functional foods show immense potential to boost viral immunity in high-risk individuals and can be an important approach to improving overall immune health.

Knowledge, Attitude and Conspiracy Beliefs of Healthcare Workers in Lebanon towards Monkeypox.

The emergence of a monkeypox (MPOX) outbreak in 2022 represented the most recent recognizable public health emergency at a global level. Improving knowledge and attitude towards MPOX, particularly among healthcare workers (HCWs), can be a valuable approach in public health preventive efforts aiming to halt MPOX virus spread. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of HCWs in Lebanon towards MPOX and to assess their conspiratorial attitude towards emerging virus infections (EVIs). The current study was based on a cross-sectional online survey distributed via Google Forms during September-December 2022 implementing a convenience sampling approach. The final study sample comprised a total of 646 HCWs: physicians (n = 171, 26.5%), pharmacists (n = 283, 43.8%), and nurses (n = 168, 26.0%), among others (n = 24, 3.7%). Variable defects in MPOX knowledge were detected, with a third of the participants having MPOX knowledge above the 75th percentile (n = 218, 33.7%). Satisfactory attitude towards MPOX (>75th percentile) was observed in less than a third of the participants (n = 198, 30.7%), while a quarter of the study sample endorsed conspiracy beliefs towards EVIs at a high level (>75th percentile, n = 164, 25.4%). Slightly more than two thirds of the participants agreed that MPOX vaccination should be used in disease prevention (n = 440, 68.1%). Better levels of MPOX knowledge and attitude were significantly associated with postgraduate education and older age. Physicians had significantly higher MPOX knowledge compared to other occupational categories. Less endorsement of conspiracies towards EVIs was significantly associated with male sex, occupation as a physician, and postgraduate education. Higher MPOX knowledge was associated with better attitude towards the disease. The current study showed unsatisfactory MPOX knowledge among Lebanese HCWs. Educational efforts can be valuable to improve the attitude towards the disease. Despite the relatively low level of embracing conspiracy beliefs regarding EVIs among HCWs in this study compared to previous studies, this area should be considered based on its potential impact on health-seeking behavior.

Viral Vaccine Strategies

Background: Lately, many viruses emerged or re-emerged from the obscurity and became considerable threats to the global health, raising alarms concerning their constant epidemic transmissions. A very important public health concern of those viruses is the continuous circulation amongst the population of the immunologically naive, susceptible hosts. With each one of the new viral emergences or re-emergences, there appears a call for a fast development of a vaccination and induction of a protective immunity thus could be one of the most powerful tools for the prevention of that concern through conferring the protection to the endangered population.
 Vaccinations have been considered one of the crucial components of disease preventions towards the emerging virus infections due to the fact that, often, other options for the medical solutions are non-existent or limited. Whereas the conventional methods for developing a vaccination remain amenable to the emerging viruses, advents of the newest technologies in the molecular methods have a profound influence on the understanding of the biology of the viruses, as well as immune responses and methods of vaccination that are based upon attenuated, replicating, and non-replicating virus vector methods became beneficial platforms for vaccination.
 Conclusion: In combination with a continuous understanding in biology of the newly appearing viral illnesses, a many different recent strategies of vaccination have been developed for protecting from the re-emerging and new viruses could become possible. It was found that the biggest challenge in all strategies used in the preparation of viral vaccines is to find vaccines that have a low cost, are highly specialized, and have high efficiency for the purpose of confronting emerging viral diseases. In this paper we focus on different viral vaccines strategies.

Conspiratorial Attitude of the General Public in Jordan towards Emerging Virus Infections: A Cross-Sectional Study Amid the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak.

Conspiracy theories accompany the emergence of infectious diseases and the 2022 multi-country monkeypox (MPX) outbreak is no exception. It is possible that the adoption of conspiracy beliefs negatively impacts health behavior. We aimed to assess the prevalence of conspiratorial attitudes towards emerging virus infections (EVIs) and the response measures aiming to control these infections among the general public in Jordan. In addition, we assessed MPX knowledge and the belief in the role of men who have sex with men (MSM) in virus spread. The online survey data were collected during 24 May 2022-28 June 2022. The survey instrument was based on previously published scales designed to measure MPX knowledge and EVI conspiracies. A total of 611 respondents formed the final study sample, with a mean age of 44 years and a majority of females (n = 433, 70.9%). On a scale ranging from -10 to +10, the median MPX knowledge score in the study sample was +3 (interquartile range: +1 to +5). Educational level was a determinant of MPX knowledge in multivariate analysis. More than 50% of the participants agreed at least to some extent with 9 out of 12 of the EVI conspiracy items. Multivariate analysis showed that embracing conspiracy beliefs about EVIs was associated with being female, and agreeing with or having no opinion regarding the role of MSM in MPX spread. The current study revealed the high prevalence of belief in conspiracies surrounding EVIs, and its accompanying intervention measures, among the general public in Jordan. In addition, a lower level of MPX knowledge was observed compared to previous studies among university students and health professionals in the country. We recommend evaluating the impact of the widely prevalent conspiracy beliefs on health aspects in future studies. This aim is particularly relevant in the Middle Eastern countries where embracing specific conspiracy ideas is a common occurrence.

Assessing Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Their Confidence in the Diagnosis and Management of Human Monkeypox: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Middle Eastern Country.

The ongoing multi-country human monkeypox (HMPX) outbreak was declared as a public health emergency of international concern. Considering the key role of healthcare workers (HCWs) in mitigating the HMPX outbreak, we aimed to assess their level of knowledge and their confidence in diagnosis and management of the disease, besides the assessment of their attitude towards emerging virus infections from a conspiracy point of view. An online survey was distributed among HCWs in Jordan, a Middle Eastern country, during May–July 2022 using a questionnaire published in a previous study among university students in health schools in Jordan. The study sample comprised 606 HCWs, with about two-thirds being either physicians (n = 204, 33.7%) or nurses (n = 190, 31.4%). Four out of the 11 HMPX knowledge items had <50% correct responses with only 33.3% of the study respondents having previous knowledge that vaccination is available to prevent HMPX. A majority of study respondents (n = 356, 58.7%) strongly agreed, agreed or somewhat agreed that the spread of HMPX is related to a role of male homosexuals. Confidence in the ability of diagnosis based on the available monkeypox virus diagnostic tests was reported by 50.2% of the respondents, while the confidence levels were lower for the ability to manage (38.9%) and to diagnose (38.0%) HMPX cases based on their current level of knowledge and skills. Higher confidence levels for HMPX diagnosis and management were found among physicians compared to nurses. The endorsement of conspiracy beliefs about virus emergence was associated with lower HMPX knowledge, the belief in the role of male homosexuals in HMPX spread, and with lower diagnosis and management confidence levels. The current study highlighted the gaps in knowledge regarding HMPX among HCWs in Jordan as well as the lack of confidence to diagnose and manage cases among physicians and nurses. Raising the awareness about the disease is needed urgently considering the rapid escalation in the number of cases worldwide with reported cases in the Middle East. The attitude towards male homosexuals’ role in HMPX spread necessitates proper intervention measures to prevent stigma and discrimination among this risk group. The adoption of conspiratorial beliefs regarding virus emergence was widely prevalent and this issue needs to be addressed with proper and accurate knowledge considering its potential harmful impact.

Monkeypox Knowledge and Confidence in Diagnosis and Management with Evaluation of Emerging Virus Infection Conspiracies among Health Professionals in Kuwait.

As the 2022 human monkeypox (HMPX) multi-country outbreak is spreading, the response of healthcare workers (HCWs) is central to mitigation efforts. The current study aimed to evaluate HMPX knowledge and confidence in diagnosis and management among HCWs in Kuwait. We used a self-administered questionnaire distributed in July–August 2022 through a snowball sampling approach. The survey items evaluated HMPX knowledge, confidence in diagnosis and management of the disease, and the belief in conspiracies regarding emerging virus infections (EVIs). The sample size was 896 HCWs: nurses (n = 485, 54.1%), pharmacists (n = 154, 17.2%), physicians (n = 108, 12.1%), medical technicians/allied health professionals (MT/AHP, n = 96, 10.7%), and dentists (n = 53, 5.9%). An overall low level of HMPX knowledge was noticed for items assessing virus transmission and non-cutaneous symptoms of the disease, with higher knowledge among physicians. Approximately one-fifth of the study sample agreed with the false notion that HMPX is exclusive to male homosexuals (n = 183, 20.4%), which was associated with lower knowledge with higher frequency among MT/AHP compared to nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. Confidence levels were low: confidence in diagnosis based on diagnostic tests (n = 449, 50.1%), confidence in the ability to manage the HMPX (n = 426, 47.5%), and confidence in the ability to diagnose HMPX clinically (n = 289, 32.3%). Higher confidence levels were found among nurses and participants with postgraduate degrees. Higher embrace of conspiracy beliefs regarding EVIs was noticed among participants with lower knowledge, and among those who agreed or were neutral/had no opinion regarding the false idea of HMPX exclusive occurrence among male homosexuals, while lower levels of belief in conspiracies were noticed among physicians, dentists, and pharmacists compared to MT/AHP. Variable levels of HMPX knowledge were observed in this study per item, with low level of knowledge regarding virus transmission. Differences in knowledge and confidence levels in diagnosis and management of HMPX should be considered in education and training aiming to prepare for outbreak response. The relatively high prevalence of embracing conspiratorial beliefs regarding EVIs is worrisome and needs proper interventions. The attitude towards male homosexuals’ role in monkeypox spread should be evaluated in future studies considering the possibility of stigma and discrimination in this most-at-risk group.

Knowledge of Human Monkeypox and Its Relation to Conspiracy Beliefs among Students in Jordanian Health Schools: Filling the Knowledge Gap on Emerging Zoonotic Viruses.

Background and Objective: The recent multi-country outbreak of human monkeypox (HMPX) in non-endemic regions poses an emerging public health concern. University students in health schools/faculties represent a core knowledgeable group that can be helpful to study from a public health point of view. As future healthcare workers, assessment of their knowledge and attitude towards emerging zoonotic viral infections can be helpful to assess their taught material and courses with potential improvement if gaps in knowledge were identified. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the level of HMPX knowledge, conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections, as well as their associated determinants among university students studying Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Rehabilitation in Jordanian health schools/faculties. In addition, we sought to evaluate the correlation between HMPX knowledge and the extent of holding conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging viral infection. Materials and Methods: A convenient sample of university students was obtained through an electronic survey distributed in late May 2022 using the chain-referral approach. Assessment of HMPX knowledge and general attitude towards emerging virus infections was based on survey items adopted from previously published literature. Results: The study sample comprised 615 students with a mean age of 20 years and a majority of females (432, 70.2%) and medical students (n = 351, 57.1%). Out of eleven monkeypox knowledge items, three were identified correctly by >70% of the respondents. Only 26.2% of the respondents (n = 161) knew that vaccination to prevent monkeypox is available. Age was significantly associated with better HMPX knowledge for a majority of items. Older age, females, and affiliation to non-medical schools/faculties were associated with harboring higher levels of conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections. Our data also indicate that lower levels of HMPX knowledge were associated with higher levels of conspiracy beliefs. Conclusion: The current study pointed to generally unsatisfactory levels of knowledge regarding the emerging HMPX among university students in Jordanian health schools/faculties. Conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections were widely prevalent, and its potential detrimental impact on health behavior should be evaluated in future studies.

Viruses of cucurbit crops: current status in the Mediterranean Region

Cucurbits are among the most cultivated crops, and the most economically important species are melon (Cucumis melo L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thumb.), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), and pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.). These crops have become important income sources providing export and local consumption commodities in many Mediterranean countries. Increased area of cucurbits has led to the emergence of several viral diseases, which can have impacts on crop production and threaten agricultural sustainability. An overview of the most damaging cucurbit viruses in the Mediterranean area is provided to improve understanding of the diseases they cause and to emphasize effective disease management strategies. An updating of the geographical distribution of these viruses, the symptoms they cause and their means of transmission is also provided. Disease management methods and measures by farmers and phytosanitary authorities to address the virus outbreaks are outlined, including diagnostics, use of tolerant cultivars, and chemical and biological vector control. Mediterranean region farmers have learned many lessons from the damaging pandemics caused by cucurbit viruses, through the extensive published research, and this review provides a basis for managing future outbreaks of newly emerging virus infections.

Emerging viral diseases

Emerging viral diseases encompass two types, those of new appearance in the population and those that we previously knew about or re-emerging, but that at a certain moment present an exponential increase in incidence or geographic distribution in the form of epidemics or outbreaks. These emerging and re-emerging viruses share a series of characteristics that establish the emerging virus model, such as having an RNA genome, being zoonotic, transmitted by vectors and transmissible to humans, that the virus is able to recognize and provoke a response in receptors. Conserved in several species and inhabiting ecosystems that undergo ecological, demographic or social changes that favor the spread of the virus. There are different factors that contribute to facilitating the emergence of viral infections, although this is made up of three fundamental aspects such as the susceptible population, the virus itself and the environment where both can interact.

Requirement of Fc-Fc Gamma Receptor Interaction for Antibody-Based Protection against Emerging Virus Infections.

Identification of therapeutics against emerging and re-emerging viruses remains a continued priority that is only reinforced by the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Advances in monoclonal antibody (mAb) isolation, characterization, and production make it a viable option for rapid treatment development. While mAbs are traditionally screened and selected based on potency of neutralization in vitro, it is clear that additional factors contribute to the in vivo efficacy of a mAb beyond viral neutralization. These factors include interactions with Fc receptors (FcRs) and complement that can enhance neutralization, clearance of infected cells, opsonization of virions, and modulation of the innate and adaptive immune response. In this review, we discuss recent studies, primarily using mouse models, that identified a role for Fc-FcγR interactions for optimal antibody-based protection against emerging and re-emerging virus infections.

Identification of Novel Antiviral Compounds Targeting Entry of Hantaviruses.

Hemorrhagic fever viruses, among them orthohantaviruses, arenaviruses and filoviruses, are responsible for some of the most severe human diseases and represent a serious challenge for public health. The current limited therapeutic options and available vaccines make the development of novel efficacious antiviral agents an urgent need. Inhibiting viral attachment and entry is a promising strategy for the development of new treatments and to prevent all subsequent steps in virus infection. Here, we developed a fluorescence-based screening assay for the identification of new antivirals against hemorrhagic fever virus entry. We screened a phytochemical library containing 320 natural compounds using a validated VSV pseudotype platform bearing the glycoprotein of the virus of interest and encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). EGFP expression allows the quantitative detection of infection and the identification of compounds affecting viral entry. We identified several hits against four pseudoviruses for the orthohantaviruses Hantaan (HTNV) and Andes (ANDV), the filovirus Ebola (EBOV) and the arenavirus Lassa (LASV). Two selected inhibitors, emetine dihydrochloride and tetrandrine, were validated with infectious pathogenic HTNV in a BSL-3 laboratory. This study provides potential therapeutics against emerging virus infection, and highlights the importance of drug repurposing.

Inclusive Review on Common emerging viral infections affecting quail

Nowadays, the quails are documented as alternative species over other poultry species. The rapid growth rate, low feed necessities, high nutritional value of meat & eggs, and short production periods are all advantages of the quail. Quail are being held in greater numbers and varieties for food production, research, and other purposes. However, there are some challenges facing the quail industry as quails are susceptible to some viral diseases that have harmful effects as quail bronchitis, avian influenza, Newcastle disease, coronavirus infection, avian encephalomyelitis, Marek's disease, lymphoid leukosis, reticuloendotheliosis tumors, and avian pox. These viral diseases are causing significant financial losses due to poor feed conversion, decreased hatchability, and increased mortality in the quail industry, and so on. Therefore, the aim of the existing manuscript is intended to present a review about the extremely vital emergent viral infections upsetting quails all over the world accompanied by information on their prevention and control.

Functional Profiling of Antibody Immune Repertoires in Convalescent Zika Virus Disease Patients.

The re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) caused widespread infections that were linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and congenital malformation in fetuses, and epidemiological data suggest that ZIKV infection can induce protective antibody responses. A more detailed understanding of anti-ZIKV antibody responses may lead to enhanced antibody discovery and improved vaccine designs against ZIKV and related flaviviruses. Here, we applied recently-invented library-scale antibody screening technologies to determine comprehensive functional molecular and genetic profiles of naturally elicited human anti-ZIKV antibodies in three convalescent individuals. We leveraged natively paired antibody yeast display and NGS to predict antibody cross-reactivities and coarse-grain antibody affinities, to perform in-depth immune profiling of IgM, IgG, and IgA antibody repertoires in peripheral blood, and to reveal virus maturation state-dependent antibody interactions. Repertoire-scale comparison of ZIKV VLP-specific and non-specific antibodies in the same individuals also showed that mean antibody somatic hypermutation levels were substantially influenced by donor-intrinsic characteristics. These data provide insights into antiviral antibody responses to ZIKV disease and outline systems-level strategies to track human antibody immune responses to emergent viral infections.

U.S.-Japan cooperative medical sciences program: 22nd International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim

This review summarizes the presentations given at the 22nd International conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim. The purpose of this annual meeting is to foster international collaborations and address important public health issues in the Asia-Pacific region. This meeting was held in Bangkok in February 2020 and focused on emerging virus infections. Unexpectedly, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was in the initial stages leading to a special session on COVID-19 in addition to talks on dengue, influenza, hepatitis, AIDS, Zika, chikungunya, rabies, cervical cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Microscopy-based assay for semi-quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in human sera: A semi-quantitative, high throughput, microscopy-based assay expands existing approaches to measure SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody levels in human sera.

Emergence of the novel pathogenic coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 and its rapid pandemic spread presents challenges that demand immediate attention. Here, we describe the development of a semi‐quantitative high‐content microscopy‐based assay for detection of three major classes (IgG, IgA, and IgM) of SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibodies in human samples. The possibility to detect antibodies against the entire viral proteome together with a robust semi‐automated image analysis workflow resulted in specific, sensitive and unbiased assay that complements the portfolio of SARS‐CoV‐2 serological assays. Sensitive, specific and quantitative serological assays are urgently needed for a better understanding of humoral immune response against the virus as a basis for developing public health strategies to control viral spread. The procedure described here has been used for clinical studies and provides a general framework for the application of quantitative high‐throughput microscopy to rapidly develop serological assays for emerging virus infections.

Emergent Viral Infections of the CNS.

Biological evolution of the microbiome continually drives the emergence of human viral pathogens, a subset of which attack the nervous system. The sheer number of pathogens that have appeared, along with their abundance in the environment, demand our attention. For the most part, our innate and adaptive immune systems have successfully protected us from infection; however, in the past 5 decades, through pathogen mutation and ecosystem disruption, a dozen viruses emerged to cause significant neurologic disease. Most of these pathogens have come from sylvatic reservoirs having made the energetically difficult, and fortuitously rare, jump into humans. But the human microbiome is also replete with agents already adapted to the host that need only minor mutations to create neurotropic/toxic agents. While each host/virus symbiosis is unique, this review examines virologic and immunologic principles that govern the pathogenesis of different viral CNS infections that were described in the past 50 years (Influenza, West Nile Virus, Zika, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Hendra/Nipah, Enterovirus-A71/-D68, Human parechovirus, HIV, and SARS-CoV). Knowledge of these pathogens provides us the opportunity to respond and mitigate infection while at the same time prepare for inevitable arrival of unknown agents.

Emergence of Viral Infections through Food Supply Chain: A Review

All living organisms may act as host to a wide range of viruses, and can infect the human body causing severe illness or even death. Viruses have often been important in burdening infections and other illnesses and require special attention because of their different behaviour as compared to bacteria. Two highly pathogenic corona-viruses—severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)—supposed to be emerged from an wet market in china resulted in a global epidemic which took a tool on human lives and currently also the world is fighting a deadliest viral infection caused by a small pathogen possibly transmitted through the food chain in a wet market again in china. The environment is the reservoirs for many of these viruses and any human handling of animals carrying such viruses finds an easy route into human body. Besides, there had been various food borne outbreaks throughout the world due to contaminated agricultural produce, packaging, processed foods or through infected food handlers. Such incidents have prioritized the need for effective control measures, intensified research and risk assessment measures in controlling such outbreaks. This review highlights a brief description of viral transmissions, virus and human gut response and preventable strategies in the food chain to contain such infections.