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Spring, 2004 Lecture Outline

5/13 NEW & EMERGING VIRUSES [& RE-EMERGING]


What is a new or emerging virus?

previously unknown virus; "benign" virus becomes "hot"; known virus appears in new host or in new areas; recombination/mutation leads to a truly new virus

What is a re-emerging virus?

known virus increasing rate after period of control or natural decrease

Epidemic outbreaks- new areas or new hosts

may be sudden onset- Ebola: stays in limited area
slow onset- HIV: distributed

*difference due to incubation & Sx- hot viruses are easier to contain than latent ones

E.g.: canine parvo- sudden appearance in 1978

influenza- ongoing emergence of new strains due to recombination

view of recent human outbreaks- emerging & re-emerging

A good way to learn how to look forward is to look back:

what factors play a role? of those factors, which are as a result of human activity?

E.g.: Rift Valley fever in Africa

Dengue fever in Central America, Caribbean, SE Asia

Emergence isn't just for humans & pets: plant virus outbreaks have also occurred

E.g.: cocoa trees; tomato & corn dz; lettuce wilt dz

rabbits in Australia

So how can you tell if a virus is really new or just newly discovered?

use epidemiological techniques: look for distribution, variant strains; look for Ab titers in population

E.g.: HHV-8 & Kaposi's sarcoma vs. HHV-6 & HHV-7

 

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 Updated 1/25/04 by thatcher@sonoma.edu