Science March 10, 2022 According to researchers in Australia zoonotic diseases have been part of the human experience since the origin of our species. The key issue is not that zoonotic diseases appear in humans, but that their emergence seems to be increasing in frequency. Major changes in land use, increasing urbanization, and global connectedness will accelerate the rate of zoonotic events. A core question is whether particular animal groups are common sources of zoonotic viruses. By understanding why and how zoonotic diseases emerge in humans, as well as the barriers to this process, it is possible to be better […]
Category Archives: Zoonotic pathogens
Nipah Virus–Another Threat From the World of Zoonotic Viruses
Frontiers in Microbiology January 25, 2022 The Nipah virus (NiV) belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family was reported in Malaysia in 1998/1999. According to the researchers in Poland due to its high mortality in humans, its zoonotic nature, the possibility of human-to-human transmission, and the lack of an available vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Nipah virus as a global health problem. Depending on strain specificity, neurological symptoms and severe respiratory disorders are observed in NiV infection. In most confirmed cases of NiV epidemics, the appearance of the virus in humans was associated with the presence of various animal […]
Deadly virus’s pathway to infect cells identified
Science Daily September 23, 2021 Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic pathogen with pandemic potential. RVFV entry is mediated by the viral glycoprotein (Gn), but host entry factors remain poorly defined. An international team of researchers (USA – Washington University, University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, MIT, Canada) conducted genome-wide CRISPR screen and identified low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (mouse Lrp1/human LRP1), heat shock protein (Grp94), and receptor-associated protein (RAP) as critical host factors for RVFV infection. RVFV Gn directly binds to specific Lrp1 clusters and is glycosylation independent. Exogenous addition of murine RAP domain 3 (mRAPD3) and anti-Lrp1 […]