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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Viruses
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Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Viruses

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Virology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 15508

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sasha R. Azar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Interests: vectors; arboviruses; virus ecology; animal models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Interests: zoonotic viral spillover; wildlife reservoirs; field-forward diagnostics; non-human primates

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging and re-emerging viral zoonoses pose an increasing risk to human and animal health. For example, the recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has led to one of the largest global pandemics of a zoonotic pathogen in modern history. This pandemic, however, represents only the most recent emergence of a zoonotic virus into the human population. The past decade has been marked with multiple outbreaks of zoonotic viruses, such as the West African Ebola outbreaks in 2013–2016; Chikungunya and Zika in the Americas in 2014 and 2016, respectively; further and ongoing Ebola outbreaks starting in 2018; and one of the largest recorded outbreaks of Eastern equine encephalitis in 2019. Given the current trends in global climate change, human destruction of and encroachment on various ecological niches, and global travel, it is likely that emerging zoonotic viruses will continue to be one of the greatest threats to public health worldwide. A fundamental component in our ability to anticipate and respond to disease emergence is a better understanding of the ecology of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including their reservoir hosts, transmission cycles, and drivers of zoonotic spillover, for viruses that are well characterized as well as under-investigated and novel pathogens.

As such, the aim of this Special Issue is to facilitate a multidisciplinary exchange of cutting-edge laboratory, computational/modeling, and field research on the ecology and emergence of zoonotic viruses. In this Special Issue, we earnestly invite our colleagues to contribute both basic and applied original research articles, as well as reviews, on any subject pertaining to the evolution, ecology, dynamics, and emergence of zoonotic viruses.

Dr. Sasha R. Azar

Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Emergence
  • Zoonoses
  • Reservoirs
  • Vectors
  • Viral Ecology
  • Transmission
  • Evolution

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1416 KiB  
Article
Investigations on Vector-Borne and Aerosol Transmission Potential of Kaeng Khoi Virus in Cave-Dwelling Wrinkle-Lipped Free-Tailed Bats (Chaerephon plicatus) in Thailand
by William A. Neill and Rebekah C. Kading
Microorganisms 2021, 9(10), 2022; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9102022 - 24 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4597
Abstract
Kaeng Khoi virus (KKV; Order: Bunyavirales, Family: Peribunyaviridae, Genus: Orthobunyavirus), is an endemic viral infection of the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (Chaerephon plicatus; also known as Tadarida plicata plicata). Viral isolates from bat bugs (Family: Cimicidae) suggest [...] Read more.
Kaeng Khoi virus (KKV; Order: Bunyavirales, Family: Peribunyaviridae, Genus: Orthobunyavirus), is an endemic viral infection of the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (Chaerephon plicatus; also known as Tadarida plicata plicata). Viral isolates from bat bugs (Family: Cimicidae) suggest vector-borne transmission, but in general little is known about the ecology of KKV and seroprevalence in the local human and animal populations. Transmission studies and a serosurvey were carried out in Kaeng Khoi cave, Saraburi province, Thailand, during 1973–1974. Experimental transmission studies were performed with bat bugs captured within the cave to determine the potential for vector-borne transmission, and sentinel laboratory mice placed inside arthropod-proof cages within the cave to assess the potential for aerosolized transmission. Antibodies to KKV were detected in roof rats (Rattus rattus) inhabiting the cave, in dogs living in the valley, and in humans. Freshly collected cimicids were positive for KKV, but the virus did not replicate in laboratory-inoculated bugs. Sentinel mice placed in Kaeng Khoi cave in open cages consistently became infected with KKV, as determined by the development of neutralizing antibodies. Mice placed in arthropod-proof cages also developed antibodies, indicating the possibility of airborne transmission of KKV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Viruses)
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Review

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16 pages, 1112 KiB  
Review
Yellow Fever: Roles of Animal Models and Arthropod Vector Studies in Understanding Epidemic Emergence
by Divya P. Shinde, Jessica A. Plante, Kenneth S. Plante and Scott C. Weaver
Microorganisms 2022, 10(8), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10081578 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3910
Abstract
Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus circulating throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and South America. It is responsible for an estimated 30,000 deaths annually, and while there is a highly successful vaccine, coverage is incomplete, and there is [...] Read more.
Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus circulating throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and South America. It is responsible for an estimated 30,000 deaths annually, and while there is a highly successful vaccine, coverage is incomplete, and there is no approved treatment for YFV infection. Despite advancements in the field, animal models for YFV infection remain scarce, and care must be taken to select an appropriate model for a given hypothesis. Small animal models require either adapted YFV strains or immunocompromised hosts. Non-human primates (NHPs) recapitulate human disease, but they require specialized facilities and training, are often in short supply and cost-prohibitive, and can present ethical concerns. The limitations in studying the mosquito vectors for YFV infection include inconsistency in the laboratory environment, the requirement for a high containment insectary, and difficulty in maintaining sylvatic mosquitoes. In this review, we discuss the roles of animal models and arthropod vector studies in understanding epidemic emergence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Viruses)
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12 pages, 23266 KiB  
Review
Ecology of Powassan Virus in the United States
by Erin M. Hassett and Saravanan Thangamani
Microorganisms 2021, 9(11), 2317; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9112317 - 09 Nov 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4748
Abstract
Zoonotic viruses threaten the lives of millions of people annually, exacerbated by climate change, human encroachment into wildlife habitats, and habitat destruction. The Powassan virus (POWV) is a rare tick-borne virus that can cause severe neurological damage and death, and the incidence of [...] Read more.
Zoonotic viruses threaten the lives of millions of people annually, exacerbated by climate change, human encroachment into wildlife habitats, and habitat destruction. The Powassan virus (POWV) is a rare tick-borne virus that can cause severe neurological damage and death, and the incidence of the associated disease (Powassan virus disease) is increasing in the eastern United States. The mechanisms by which POWV is maintained in nature and transmitted to humans are complex and only partly understood. This review provides an overview of what is known about the vector species, vector-host transmission dynamics, and environmental and human-driven factors that may be aiding the spread of both the vector and virus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Viruses)
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