Emerging and re-emerging viruses: A global challenge illustrated by Chikungunya virus outbreaks

Abstract

In recent decades, the issue of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, especially those related to viruses, has become an increasingly important area of concern in public health. It is of significance to anticipate future epidemics by accumulating knowledge through appropriate research and by monitoring their emergence using indicators from different sources. The objective is to alert and respond effectively in order to reduce the adverse impact on the general populations. Most of the emerging pathogens in humans originate from known zoonosis. These pathogens have been engaged in long-standing and highly successful interactions with their hosts since their origins are exquisitely adapted to host parasitism. They developed strategies aimed at: (1) maximizing invasion rate; (2) selecting host traits that can reduce their impact on host life span and fertility; (3) ensuring timely replication and survival both within host and between hosts; and (4) facilitating reliable transmission to progeny. In this con- Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, followed by several outbreaks in other parts of the world, such as India and Southern Europe, has attracted the attention of medical and state authorities about the risks linked to this re-emerging mosquito-borne virus. This is an excellent model to illustrate the issues we are facing today and to improve how to respond tomorrow.

Vector Competence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus (Diptera: Culicidae) from Senegal and Cape Verde Archipelago for West African Lineages of Chikungunya Virus

“…31,32 None of the CHIKV strains analyzed in this study had a valine subsititution at position 226 in the E1 protein, which has been associated with major recent epidemics in Asia and the Indian Ocean. 33 This finding suggests genetic stability and low rates of molecular evolution of the enzootic strains circulating in West Africa. However, the presence of WAF II in the ECSA lineage suggests the epidemic potential of this subgroup.…”

Chikungunya Outbreak in Kedougou, Southeastern Senegal in 2009–2010

“…Several studies have reported CHIKV circulation in West Africa, especially in Nigeria between 1963 and 1977 [ 6 , 7 ]. Major CHIKV epidemics were recently reported in Africa and Asia [ 8 ]. A significant outbreak occurred in Italy in 2007, and numerous imported cases have been detected elsewhere in Europe and the United States of America [ 9–13 ], emphasizing CHIKV as a re-emerging public health threat worldwide.…”

A CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre/Lox system-based express vaccine development strategy against re-emerging Pseudorabies virus

“…Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent viral infectious diseases, which saves millions of lives every year, yet the current long and laborious journey to develop antiviral vaccines is very inefficient 5 . More challengingly, virus evolves rapidly to escape the old vaccine-induced immunity by changing its genome architect 6 . Therefore, new biotechnologies to facilitate and accelerate vaccine development against novel emerging and re-emerging viruses are desperately needed, for the endless arms race with the dynamically evolving virus.…”