Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Infections: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Emerging and re-emerging viral infections pose a constant threat, especially in healthcare settings. Viral infections can be thought of as an ecological system, like a forest or a pond, with different species competing for resources. Pandemics tend to occur when there is a disruption to this ecosystem, such as introducing a strain of virus into humans or animals that they have no immunity against. Around 60% of human infectious diseases and 75% of emerging infections are zoonotic, with two-thirds originating in wildlife. There is an ongoing risk of viral diseases as the human population continues to grow and the rate of urbanization increases. The emergence and re-emergence of viral diseases are influenced by a variety of virologic and environmental factors. These factors can be roughly categorized as affecting humans, the environment and/or ecology, and viruses. The spread of zoonotic diseases among humans can be prevented by reducing the transmission risk associated with wildlife and exotic pets through education, legislation, and behavioral change programs that target individuals at risk for exposure.

Considerations for Clinician-Educators Developing Online Educational Content: A Narrative Review

“…Synchronous education refers to live teaching, where the student and teacher are in the same online environment, whereas asynchronous learning refers to the student engaging with learning materials in a self-paced manner without the presence of an instructor. A recent comprehensive literature review by Bankar et al demonstrated that various online modalities have been utilized in medical education, including videos, online quizzes, simulation, and virtual reality [ 10 ]. The review highlighted multiple benefits of online education, including ease of access, cost-effectiveness, utilization of interactive and personalized learning, and potential for improved sustainability with the reduced need for in-person presence and classroom infrastructure.…”

“…The review also noted several limitations of digital education, such as inconsistent quality control and inadequate teacher training in online education delivery [ 10 ]. Indeed, many educators need more experience and expertise in online course design and content creation [ 11 - 13 ].…”

Bioprocessing and the Production of Antiviral Biologics in the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infectious Disease

“…Viral adaptability resultant from genetic mutation, recombination and reassortment allows them to adapt to new hosts and ecological niches [ 7 ]. The high mutation rate observed in ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses in particular allows them to evolve rapidly, adapting to environmental and hosts niches [ 8 ]. Zoonotic diseases have a greater economic impact and higher rate of mortality than non-zoonotic viruses [ 8 ].…”

“…The high mutation rate observed in ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses in particular allows them to evolve rapidly, adapting to environmental and hosts niches [ 8 ]. Zoonotic diseases have a greater economic impact and higher rate of mortality than non-zoonotic viruses [ 8 ].…”

Dangerous Risk Group-4 (RG-4) emergent viruses

“…These virus families include Arena-, Filo-, Flavi-, Herpes-, Nairo-, Paramyxo-, and Pox- viridae . [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]…”