Field and Laboratory Investigations into Highly Pathogenic Rodent-borne Viruses

Date/Time: 30 November 2011, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Speaker: David Safronetz, Ph.D.
Speaker Affiliation: Visiting Fellow, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana
Venue: John A. Burns School of Medicine, Kaka’ako, MEB Auditorium (Room 315)

For more info: Cori Watanabe (808) 692-1654
Description: The majority of emerging / re-emerging viral pathogens are zoonotic agents, many of which utilize rodents as a reservoir and/or vector. Two prime examples of these are Lassa virus (family Arenaviridae, genus Arenavirus), which recent data suggests has a larger region of endemicity in Western Africa than previously recognized, and Andes virus (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus), the most prominent cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the Americas. This seminar will focus on recent ecological studies which have identified a hot spot for Lassa virus activity in southern Mali, as well as assessing potential differences in virulence of a Malian isolate of Lassa virus compared with historic isolates in two animal models of Lassa fever. In addition, we will discuss recent advances in animal models of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which have allowed for unprecedented analysis of pathogenic mechanisms of disease progression, as well as evaluating potential medical interventions.