Search

The second volume of the book Emerging Human Viral Diseases discusses pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutic strategies against viral encephalitis, gastroenteritis, and human immunodeficiency viral infections. The chapters discuss symptoms, diagnostics, and preventive strategies against viral infections. The book also reviews the epidemiology and evolution of viruses causing these infections. It also examines symptoms and strategies for developing novel diagnostics and the vaccine against these viruses. Toward the end, it discusses various biosafety principles for handling emerging viruses and reviews various bioinformatics tools and databases in virology research. This timely book offers valuable resource for the scientists working in the field of emerging viral infections and those involved in preventing, controlling, and managing viral diseases. Inclusively this book will be valuable guide covering most recent scientific progress in emerging human viral diseases and management and will serve as the best resource for undergraduates, graduates, medical professionals, researchers, public health physicians, and national and international health authorities.

The second edition of this book provides a completely updated account of the structure, dynamics, and physics of viral particles: from the moment they emerge by self-assembly from viral components produced in the infected cell, through their extracellular stage, until they recognize and infect a new host cell and cease to exist as they lose their physical integrity to initiate a new infectious cycle. New insights into the structure of viruses, their physical properties, and mechanisms of action, derived from results obtained in the last decade, have been included, as well as other (bio)physical techniques to study the structure or dynamics of virus particles and components. These include, among many others, new advances in high-resolution electron cryomicroscopy; novel approaches in the use of electron cryotomography or the application of soft X-ray tomography to study viruses in the infected cell; high-speed atomic force microscopy to study virus assembly and dynamics; and the development of new antiviral drugs and vaccines. as well as of many nanomedical and nanotechnological applications of virus particles. New chapters on the study of viruses inside infected cells and on technological applications of modified viral particles have been included in this second edition. The book is still aimed primarily at Master's students, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral researchers with degrees in biology, chemistry, physics or related scientific disciplines who have an interest in or are working with viruses. It provides an up-to-date overview of many important concepts, techniques, studies and applications in structural and physical virology for specialized researchers working with viruses, regardless of their field of specialization, covering the latest research together with fundamental concepts and well-established facts. In short, this book is basic enough to be used by undergraduate and Ph.D. students, but advanced and up-to-date enough for experienced scientists with an interest in structural and/or physical virology.

Latin America has extensive microbial diversity and is endemic for a wide array of infectious agents including dengue, chikungunya, malaria and tuberculosis. In 2014, the WHO cited 93 public health events of potential international concern in the Latin American region where over half (47 events) were caused specifically by chikungunya and other zoonotic pathogens, causing geographically widespread impact affecting 27 countries and territories. Arena, alpha and flaviviruses are RNA viruses, many of which are endemic in South America, are diverse in nature, and can adapt easily to new hosts, creating zoonotic threats. Since more than 70% of emerging diseases are caused by zoonotic agents, it is of great importance to enhance the capacity for detection and diagnosis in the areas where they are most likely to emerge. COVID-19 provided an opportunity to reinforce public health capacities, improve reporting transparency, and enhance regional coordination. Limited but consistent research has been carried out in the region to address the viral threats that account for a significant portion of health concerns. This book describes relevant examples of these achievements and discusses ongoing limitations in the region.

This volume provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the various aspects of Lassa virus (LASV), the causative agent of Lassa fever, a frequently fatal zoonotic disease endemic to West Africa. Compiled by world-leading experts in the field, this book provides an introduction to the 50-year history of Lassa fever research, the genetic diversity of LASV, and its geographic distribution. Subsequent chapters focus on the ecology and epidemiology of LASV, discussing in-depth the interactions of the virus with its hosts - multimammate mice and other rodents - and the interactions between these animal reservoirs and humans. The book also details the many advances in understanding the structural biology and replication of LASV, including new insights into the structure and function of its proteins. These advances in the basic understanding of LASV biology have enabled the development of LASV countermeasures, including sensitive and specific diagnostic assays. Promising drugcandidates, including monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines are also discussed. A final and essential chapter addresses current and future clinical practice for clinical management of Lassa fever. This volume is intended for researchers and clinicians in the fields of virology, epidemiology, and microbiology.

This book highlights key findings generated during the past years from the main disciplines that constitute Physical Virology, from theoretical physics and simulations to material sciences and vaccines development to structural biology. Each chapter is written by world-class scientists from these areas and is a comprehensive review of where this field stands, as well as the future of Physical Virology. The diversity in the formal training of these scientists results in solving common problems using very distinct approaches, which can produce surprising findings. The multi- and interdisciplinary nature of this field has created a remarkable community that aims at understanding how viruses work and how they can be used in material sciences, chemistry, and biomedicine. Furthermore, the development of Physical Virology has resulted in technological advances that have shaped other fields; for example, it would be impossible to think about the development of Cryo-EM to solve the structure of complex viruses with atomic resolution without the contribution of scientists that created the field of Physical Virology. In the past decade, there has been a great success in the generation of viral systems that can encapsulate drugs, non-viral genetic material, or nanoparticles, as well as in the chemical and genetical modification of virions. Without any doubt in the immediate future, some of these technologies will jump from the bench to the market, creating a revolution in translational and biomedical sciences. The book provides key perspectives for the field, derived from expert´s opinions.

This volume provides a comprehensive review of programmed cell death pathways and their fundamental role in antiviral host defense. The book deep-dives into the molecular functions and regulation of necroptosis and discusses how viruses induce and manipulate this potent innate cellular sensing system. Initially, understanding of necroptosis emerged from studies on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling that showed the key role of receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) in the activation of receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) which then phosphorylates mixed lineage kinase domain like pseudokinase (MLKL) to execute cells via plasma membrane leakage of cytosolic contents. Since its discovery, multiple facets of the RIPK3-dependent necroptotic machinery have evolved where the requirements for execution of death varies depending on the stimulus. Virus-induced necroptosis was discovered over 10 years ago in studies on murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV)where a virus-encoded inhibitor was shown to prevent the recruitment of RIPK3 (RIP3). This transformative evidence identified a novel pathway acting independent of TNF, interferon or RIPK1 that can stop virus from infecting its natural mouse host by killing off infected cells to halt replication. Over the past decade influenza A virus (IAV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and poxvirus vaccinia (VACV) have all been shown to trigger the pathway. Herpesviruses and poxviruses also encode inhibitors of caspase-8 whose elaboration unleashes the necroptosis pathway. IAV and other RNA viruses do not encode programmed cell death inhibitors. RIPK3 is also known to induce apoptosis by recruiting RIPK1 as shown nearly a decade ago and this dual apoptosis/necroptosis induction occurs naturally during influenza A virus infection. RIPK3 is also able to induce an inflammatory response independently of programmed cell death that can predominate to drive inflammatory disease outcomes. This volume is a must-read for researchers and advanced students in immunology and virology.

In December 2019, the world witnessed the occurrence of a new coronavirus to humanity. The disease spread quickly and became known as a pandemic globally, affecting both society and the health care system, both the elderly and young groups of people, and both the men's and women's groups. It was a universal challenge that immediately caused a surge in scientific research. Be a part of a world rising in fighting against the pandemic, the Coronavirus Disease - COVID-19 was depicted in the early days of the pandemic, but updated by more than 200 scientists and clinicians to include many facets of this new infectious pandemic, including i, characteristics, ecology, and evolution of coronaviruses; ii, epidemiology, genetics, and pathogenesis (immune responses and oxidative stress) of the disease; iii, diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical manifestations of the disease in pediatrics, geriatrics, pregnant women, and neonates; iv, challenges of co-occurring the disease with tropical infections, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and cancer and to the settings of dentistry, hematology, ophthalmology, and pharmacy; v, transmission, prevention, and potential treatments, ranging from supportive ventilator support and nutrition therapy to potential virus- and host-based therapies, immune-based therapies, photobiomodulation, antiviral photodynamic therapy, and vaccines; vi, the resulting consequences on social lives, mental health, education, tourism industry and economy; and vii, multimodal approaches to solve the problem by bioinformatic methods, innovation and ingenuity, globalization, social and scientific networking, interdisciplinary approaches, and art integration. We are approaching December 2020 and the still presence of COVID-19, asking us to call it COVID (without 19).

Global Virology, Volume III: Virology in the 21st Century examines work that has been undertaken, or is planned, in several fields of virology, in an effort to promote current and future work, research, and health. Fields and methods addressed include virology, immunology, space research, astrovirology/astrobiology, plasmids, swarm intelligence, bioinformatics, data-mining, machine learning, neural networks, critical equations, and advances in biohazard biocontainment. Novel and forward-looking methods, techniques, and approaches in research and development are presented by experts in the field.

Advances in Virus Research, Volume 98, the latest in a series first published in 1953, covers a diverse range of in-depth reviews, providing a valuable overview of the current field of virology. Topics in this new release include Zoonotic Potential of Emerging Paramyxoviruses: Knowns and Unknowns, Metabolomics: Strategies to Define the Role of Metabolism in Virus Infection and Pathogenesis, The Envelope Proteins of the Bunyavirales, and Insect-Specific Viruses: A Historical Overview and Recent Developments. The series is a valuable resource for information on all topics of virus research, from bacteriophages, to human viruses. - Contains contributions from leading authorities - Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field - Features a diverse range of virology topics

This volume brings together recent developments in quasispecies theory extended to variable environments and practical applications in elucidating viral dynamics and treatment designs. In particular, the existence of an error threshold in rugged fitness landscapes has opened the way to a new antiviral strategy termed lethal mutagenesis, which is now under intensive theoretical, experimental and clinical investigation. As such the book explains how an understanding of quasispecies dynamics within infected organisms has increased our knowledge of viral disease events. From a clinical perspective, population dynamics highlights important problems for viral disease control, such as the selection of drug-resistant mutants that often accompanies treatment failures, and suggests means of increasing the effectiveness of antiviral treatments. The book is intended for students and scientists interested in basic and applied aspects of biophysics, chemistry, biology, evolution and medical virology.

Principles of Virology is the leading virology textbook because it does more than collect and present facts about individual viruses. Instead, it facilitates an understanding of basic virology by examining the shared processes and capabilities of viruses. Using a set of representative viruses to present the complexity and diversity of a myriad of viruses, this rational approach enables students to understand how reproduction is accomplished by known viruses and provides the tools for future encounters with new or understudied viruses. This fully updated edition represents the rapidly changing field of virology. A major new feature is the inclusion of 26 video interviews with leading scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of virology. Applicable courses: undergraduate courses in virology and microbiology as well as graduate courses in virology and infectious diseases.

Principles of Virology is the leading virology textbook because it does more than collect and present facts about individual viruses. Instead, it facilitates an understanding of basic virology by examining the shared processes and capabilities of viruses. Using a set of representative viruses to present the complexity and diversity of a myriad of viruses, this rational approach enables students to understand how reproduction is accomplished by known viruses and provides the tools for future encounters with new or understudied viruses. This fully updated edition represents the rapidly changing field of virology. A major new feature is the inclusion of 26 video interviews with leading scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of virology. Applicable courses: undergraduate courses in virology and microbiology as well as graduate courses in virology and infectious diseases.

During the last 5 years, major advances have been made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease and in the development of new potent antiviral agents. With regard to HIV pathogenesis, several recent observations have not only changed our perspectives of HIV disease, but have been critical for the design of therapeutic strategies.

Since the first observations of viral interference with antigen presentation in the MHC class-I pathway, the field has advanced to a detailed analysis. We know numerous genes and for some of them we have profound information on their mechanistic function. The antigen presentation pathway is affected at all stages starting from proteasomal degradation of an antigenic viral protein, as shown for EBV, transfer of the proteasomal cleavage products as peptides in the ER by specific transporters, the loading of the nascent MHC class-I molecule, and finally the transport of the complex to the surface and presentation in a normal or deranged form. All these different steps of the MHC class-I antigen presentation pathway are targets for viral proteins. Not only MHC class-I but also MHC class-II proteins are a target of viral influence either by direct downregulation and degradation of proteins or by interference of signal transduction pathways.

Retroviruses have been of great importance to biomedical science for the past half century. Initially, studies on oncogenic animal retroviruses provided important insights into molecular processes in carcinogenesis – most notably the existence and mechanisms of action of oncogenes and proto-oncogenes. Moreover, several human diseases are caused by retroviruses, including AIDS, adult T-cell leukemia and the neurological disease HAM/TSP. The topic of this volume is a relatively unknown animal retrovirus, jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus, the causative agent of transmissible lung cancer in sheep –ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The disease was first documented in South Africa in the 1800s, it has a wide geographical distribution, and it is of economic importance in high endemic regions. However, until very recently the nature of the etiologic agent was unclear, and relatively few laboratories actively studied the disease.

This book will contain a series of solicited chapters that concern with the molecular machines required by viruses to perform various essential functions of virus life cycle. The first three chapters (Introduction, Molecular Machines and Virus Architecture) introduce the reader to the best known molecular machines and to the structure of viruses. The remainder of the book will examine in detail various stages of the viral life cycle. Beginning with the viral entry into a host cell, the book takes the reader through replication of the genome, synthesis and assembly of viral structural components, genome packaging and maturation into an infectious virion. Each chapter will describe the components of the respective machine in molecular or atomic detail, genetic and biochemical analyses, and mechanism. Topics are carefully selected so that the reader is exposed to systems where there is a substantial infusion of new knowledge in recent years, which greatly elevated the fundamental mechanistic understanding of the respective molecular machine. The authors will be encouraged to simplify the detailed knowledge to basic concepts, include provocative new ideas, as well as design colorful graphics, thus making the cutting-edge information accessible to broad audience.