Evolution and Emergence of Pathogenic Viruses: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Incidences of emerging/re-emerging deadly viral infections have significantly affected human health despite extraordinary progress in the area of biomedical knowledge. The best examples are the recurring outbreaks of dengue and chikungunya fever in tropical and sub-tropical regions, the recent epidemic of Zika in the Americas and the Caribbean, and the SARS, MERS, and influenza A outbreaks across the globe. The established natural reservoirs of human viruses are mainly farm animals, and, to a lesser extent, wild animals and arthropods. The intricate “host-pathogen-environment” relationship remains the key to understanding the emergence/re-emergence of pathogenic viruses. High population density, rampant constructions, poor sanitation, changing climate, and the introduction of anthropophilic vectors create selective pressure on host-pathogen reservoirs. Nevertheless, the knowledge and understanding of such zoonoses and pathogen diversity in their known non-human reservoirs are very limited. Prevention of arboviral infections using vector control methods has not been very successful. Currently, new approaches to protect against food-borne infections, such as consuming only properly cooked meats and animal products, are the most effective control measures. Though significant progress in controlling human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis viruses has been achieved, the unpredictable nature of evolving viruses and the rare occasions of outbreaks severely hamper control and preventive modalities.

New threat: 2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection and Infection Control Perspective in Turkey

“…All these refer to ' one health concept,' which means human health is closely linked to the health of animals and the environment. It is essential to embed this strategy into the health care systems of countries [17].…”

Mapping the evolutionary landscape of Zika virus infection in immunocompromised mice

“…mammals, birds, plants) (Weaver, Charlier, Vasilakis, & Lecuit, 2017). It is within these disparate hosts that arboviruses replicate and undergo genomic evolution, which plays an essential role in transmission and pathogenesis (Parvez & Parveen, 2017; Weaver, 2006). To date, we understand little of how arboviruses evolve, are transmitted, or cause disease in nature and thus it is crucial to study these aspects of virus biology in a controlled laboratory setting.…”

Codon adaptation biases among sylvatic and urban genotypes of Dengue virus type 2

“…Inferred evolutionary relationships of DENV suggest that the urban genotypes evolved from sylvatic lineages due to several crossspecies transmission events into humans, followed by the recent (i.e., early 20th century) evolution of urban forms (Messina et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2000;Wei and Li, 2017). Notably, environmental and social factors such as the introduction of the anthropophilic vector, urbanization, deforestation and the increased human travel and trade have facilitated the emergence, spread and evolution of DENV into human populations (Mayer et al, 2017;Parvez and Parveen, 2017). Elements such as genetic composition and pathogen-host interaction are believed to be involved in different patterns of transmissibility (Jenkins and Holmes, 2003;Lara-Ramírez et al, 2014;Lequime et al, 2016;Lobo et al, 2009).…”