Division of Virology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-263 138, India.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the XVIII National Conference of Indian Virological Society at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, December 11–13, 2008.
New pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant forms of older pathogens continue to emerge, some with the potential for rapid and global spread with high morbidity and mortality and are of public health importance. In recent past, many infectious diseases that emerged are of mostly viral origin. Periodic discovery of ‘‘new’’ zoonoses suggest that the known viruses are only a fraction of the total number that exist in nature.The complex interaction between environment/ecology, social, health care, human demographics and behavior influence the emergence and re-emergence of viral zoonosis. The RNA viruses are capable of faster adaptation to changing environmental conditions and are among the most prominent emerging pathogens as mutations are more common in RNA viruses (ex: Influenza) than DNA viruses (ex: Pox). In addition to these, movement of population, birds, role of wildlife, vectors, pathogens and trade contribute to the global spread of emerging infectious diseases (ex: influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome). Other factors viz., human migration, change in land use, mining (disturbance of ecosystem), coastal land degradation, wetland modification, construction of buildings, habitat fragmentation, deforestation, expansion of agents’ host range, human intervention in wild life resources like hiking, camping and hunting also influence on acquiring zoonotic infections from wildlife. Cessation of vaccination against smallpox during 1980, emergence of some genetically related orthopoxviruses has been reported throughout the world i.e. buffalo pox and monkey pox. Several other infectious viral agents (DNA and RNA viral families) have been emerged as zoonotic agents which are associated with flu-like signs (ex: Alkhumra virus infection, influenza) to respiratory (SARS), pox lesions (ex: buffalopox, Orf), hepatitis (ex: Hepatitis E virus), hemorrhagic fevers (ex: Ebola and Marburg & hanta infections) and encephalitis (ex: Henipa virus complex). Despite successful eradication of some viral diseases (small pox and almost polio in humans and rinderpest in cattle) due to intensive research and dedicated efforts, modern medicine has failed to control many infectious diseases resulting from emerging and reemerging viruses because of inadequate/incomplete data available about new or reemerging viral pathogens. Some of them are transmitted directly or indirectly by aerosol droplets (Avian Influenza and SARS) posing great containment challenges. Rapid screening tests with high reliability for quick detection of these pathogens is the need of the hour. The importance of vigilance in the detection and control of newly recognized infectious threats also important. Treatment/prophylaxis is not available to many of these infections. Emerging pathogens will continue to be a reality requiring the collaborative efforts of public health and individual healthcare providers worldwide to contain outbreaks and prevent transmission. Quick, decisive action to detect and control novel pathogens, and thereby contain outbreaks and prevent further transmission is needed for these a new or re-emerging pathogen in near future.
