Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C1175175 (SARS)
 19,188 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In the Netherlands, the risk of an outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) appears to be limited, if people in contact with a possibly imported case observe strict measures to prevent contamination. SARS may well be a zoonosis. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and outbreaks of virus infections in the bioindustry, such as swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and classical avian influenza, have led to massive killing of cattle, swine and fowl in the Netherlands. The possibility that the bioindustry constitutes a risky microbiological 'experiment' makes a discussion as to its future in the Netherlands urgent.
 ...
PMID:[ 'Severe acute respiratory syndrome' (SARS) in perspective]. 1275 74

Since the Prehistoric times hunting has been a vital activity for man. However, this may account for the contamination of the hunter, his family and relatives. Infections may occur by direct contact with blood or tissues of infected animal during handling and cutting up preys and when preparing or eating meat, or also when bitten by injured animal. Apes and antelopes hunting in sub-Saharan Africa proves to be particularly important since it has been well established that the recent or previous emergence of some viral zoonosis (Ebola, Aids, T lymphotropic viruses and Monkeypox) resulted from hunting and poaching. Moreover predation among different species of non human primates such as that practised by chimpanzees against monkeys, has led to the construction of recombinant simian Lentiviruses, such as SIV cpz able to infect man and then spread over the entire mankind as it was the case with HIV-1. SARS is another possible example of the zoonotic risks represented by the sale, handling and cutting up Chinese wild animals such as Himalayan civets for culinary purposes.
 ...
PMID:[Bacterial and viral epidemics of zoonotic origin; the role of hunting and cutting up wild animals]. 1546 4

Zoonosis is the cause of the vast majority of emerging diseases. Bats that occupy the second place in the mammal class play an important role. Whether they belong to the microchiroptera suborder or to the megachiroptera suborder, bats on all five continents have been implicated in transmission of numerous pathogens including not only viruses such as Lyssavirus (e.g. rabies), Hepanivirus (e.g. Hendra and Nipah virus) and recently coronavirus (e.g. SARS-like coronavirus and Ebola virus) but also fungus such as histoplasmosis. By modifying environmental conditions and encroaching on their biotope, human intervention has probably contributed to the introduction of chiropteras into an epidemiologic chain in which they previously had no place, thus promoting the emergence of new pathogens.
 ...
PMID:[Chiroptera and zoonosis: an emerging problem on all five continents]. 1677 33

In February 2003, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in humans in Guangdong Province, China, and caused an epidemic that had severe impact on public health, travel, and economic trade. Coronaviruses are worldwide in distribution, highly infectious, and extremely difficult to control because they have extensive genetic diversity, a short generation time, and a high mutation rate. They can cause respiratory, enteric, and in some cases hepatic and neurological diseases in a wide variety of animals and humans. An enormous, previously unrecognized reservoir of coronaviruses exists among animals. Because coronaviruses have been shown, both experimentally and in nature, to undergo genetic mutations and recombination at a rate similar to that of influenza viruses, it is not surprising that zoonosis and host switching that leads to epidemic diseases have occurred among coronaviruses. Analysis of coronavirus genomic sequence data indicates that SARS-CoV emerged from an animal reservoir. Scientists examining coronavirus isolates from a variety of animals in and around Guangdong Province reported that SARS-CoV has similarities with many different coronaviruses including avian coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-like viruses from a variety of mammals found in live-animal markets. Although a SARS-like coronavirus isolated from a bat is thought to be the progenitor of SARS-CoV, a lack of genomic sequences for the animal coronaviruses has prevented elucidation of the true origin of SARS-CoV. Sequence analysis of SARS-CoV shows that the 5' polymerase gene has a mammalian ancestry; whereas the 3' end structural genes (excluding the spike glycoprotein) have an avian origin. Spike glycoprotein, the host cell attachment viral surface protein, was shown to be a mosaic of feline coronavirus and avian coronavirus sequences resulting from a recombination event. Based on phylogenetic analysis designed to elucidate evolutionary links among viruses, SARS-CoV is believed to have branched from the modern Group 2 coronaviruses, suggesting that it evolved relatively rapidly. This is significant because SARS-CoV is likely still circulating in an animal reservoir (or reservoirs) and has the potential to quickly emerge and cause a new epidemic.
 ...
PMID:The relationship of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus with avian and other coronaviruses. 1703 27

Amongst the 60 viral species reported to be associated with bats, 59 are RNA viruses, which are potentially important in the generation of emerging and re-emerging infections in humans. The prime examples of these are the lyssaviruses and Henipavirus. The transmission of Nipah, Hendra and perhaps SARS coronavirus and Ebola virus to humans may involve intermediate amplification hosts such as pigs, horses, civets and primates, respectively. Understanding of the natural reservoir or introductory host, the amplifying host, the epidemic centre and at-risk human populations are crucial in the control of emerging zoonosis. The association between the bat coronaviruses and certain lyssaviruses with particular bat species implies co-evolution between specific viruses and bat hosts. Cross-infection between the huge number of bat species may generate new viruses which are able to jump the trans-mammalian species barrier more efficiently. The currently known viruses that have been found in bats are reviewed and the risks of transmission to humans are highlighted. Certain families of bats including the Pteropodidae, Molossidae, Phyllostomidae, and Vespertilionidae are most frequently associated with known human pathogens. A systematic survey of bats is warranted to better understand the ecology of these viruses.
 ...
PMID:Bats as a continuing source of emerging infections in humans. 1704 30

Bats classified in the order Chiroptera are the most abundant and widely distributed non-human mammalian species in the world. Several bat species are reservoir hosts of zoonotic viruses and therefore can be a public health hazard. Lyssaviruses of different genotypes have emerged from bats in America (Genotype 1 rabies virus; RABV), Europe (European bat lyssavirus; EBLV), and Australia (Australian bat lyssavirus; ABLV), whereas Nipah virus is the most important recent zoonosis of bat origin in Asia. Furthermore, some insectivorous bat species may be important reservoirs of SARS coronavirus, whereas Ebola virus has been detected in some megachiropteran fruit bats. Thus far, European bat lyssavirus (EBLV) is the only zoonotic virus that has been detected in bats in Europe. New zoonotic viruses may emerge from bat reservoirs and known ones may spread to a wider geographical range. To assess future threats posed by zoonotic viruses of bats, there is a need for accurate knowledge of the factors underlying disease emergence, for an effective surveillance programme, and for a rapid response system. In Europe, primary efforts should be focussed on the implementation of effective passive and active surveillance systems for EBLVs in the Serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus, and Myotis species (i.e., M. daubentonii and M. dasycneme). Apart from that, detection methods for zoonotic viruses that may emerge from bats should be implemented. Analyses of data from surveillance studies can shed more light on the dynamics of bat viruses, (i.e., population persistence of viruses in bats). Subsequently, studies will have to be performed to assess the public health hazards of such viruses (i.e., infectivity and risk of infection to people). With the knowledge generated from this kind of research, a rapid response system can be set up to enhance public health awareness of emerging zoonotic viruses of bats.
 ...
PMID:Public health awareness of emerging zoonotic viruses of bats: a European perspective. 1718 65

As a critical adaptive mechanism, amino acid replacements on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike protein could alter the receptor-binding specificity of this envelope glycoprotein and in turn lead to the emergence or reemergence of this viral zoonosis. Based on the X-ray structures of SARS-CoV spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) in complex with its functional receptor (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2), we perform computational simulations of interactions between three representative RBD mutants and four host species-specific receptors. The comparisons between computational predictions and experimental evidences validate our structural bioinformatics approaches. And the predictions further indicate that some viral prototypes might utilize the rat ACE2 while rats might serve as a vector or reservoir of SARS-CoV.
 ...
PMID:Computational simulation of interactions between SARS coronavirus spike mutants and host species-specific receptors. 1736 4

The concept of new and emerging diseases has captured the public interest and has revitalized the public health infectious disease research community. This interest has also resulted in competition for funding and turf wars between animal health and public health scientists and public officials and, in some cases, has delayed and hindered progress toward effective prevention, control and biodefense. There is a dynamic list of outbreaks causing substantial morbidity and mortality in humans and often in the reservoir animal species. Some agents have the potential to grow into major epidemics. There are many determinants that influence the emergence of diseases of concern that require the use of current understanding of the nature of agent persistence and spread. Additional factors that are global must be added to plans for prevention and control. To this complex mix has been added the potential for accidental or malicious release of agents. The nature of emerging infectious agents and their impact is largely unpredictable. Models that strive to predict the dynamics of agents may be useful but can also blind us to increasing disease risks if it does not match a specific model. Field investigations of early events will be critical and should drive prevention and control actions. Many disease agents have developed strategies to overcome extremes of reservoir qualities like population size and density. Every infectious agent spreads easier when its hosts are closer together. Zoonoses must be dealt with at the interface of human and animal health by all available information. Lessons learned from the emergence of and response to agents like West Nile virus, H5N1 avian influenza, SARS and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the cause of new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, must be used to create better plans for response and meet the challenge for public health and biodefense.
 ...
PMID:Emerging zoonoses: the challenge for public health and biodefense. 1837 40

In the last years emerging infections represent an important problem of public health and occupational medicine. Biological agents and their hosts exist in a precariously balanced and continuously evolving relationship, influenced by their environment. RNA viruses are responsible for most of the emerging diseases. Epidemics that recently affected the world of work are zoonoses, such as cases of SARS in healthcare staff Dutch poultry workers infected with the avian virus A/H7N7 in 2003, the current threat of avian flu A/H5N1 to poultry workers. Workers at risk include those who are in contact with live or dead infected animals, with aerosols, dust or surfaces contaminated by animal secretions, persons engaged in animal breeding and trade, veterinaries, and others. Pigs are at risk of acquiring many viral and bacterial diseases and, consequently, could be able to transmit some of these infections to occupationally exposed subjects. The aim of our study is to set out some emerging zoonosis that could affect swine workers, an occupational sector where a proper assessment of biological risks is difficult to perform.
 ...
PMID:[Emerging infectious diseases among swine workers]. 1840 45

Today most emerging infectious diseases, such as West Nile virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), arise in the natural environment as zoonoses and are often imported into the United States (US). The most common helminthic infections that can cause eosinophilic meningitis (EoM) in the US, neuroangiostrongyliasis and baylisascariasis, share many of the characteristics of emerging infectious diseases. Neuroangiostrongyliasis, a rodent zoonosis caused by the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is now endemic in the US following the importation of infected rats on container ships and African land snails, the parasite's intermediate hosts, as biological controls and exotic pets. Baylisascariasis, a raccoon zoonosis, caused by the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, has extended its US distribution range from suburban neighborhoods in the northern US to the Southeast and West Coast since the 1980s. Both A. cantonensis and B. procyonis are now enzootic in Louisiana and have caused EoM in humans. This review analyzes scientific articles selected by MEDLINE search, 1966-2008, in order to assess the evolving epidemiology of EoM in the US, and specifically in Louisiana; and to alert Louisiana clinicians to populations at increased risk of helminthic EoM as a result of age, ethnicity, lifestyle, food choices, location of permanent residence, or recent travel in the Americas or Caribbean. Most parasitic diseases causing EoM are no longer confined to tropical countries; they are now endemic in the US and in Louisiana and more cases may be anticipated.
 ...
PMID:Helminthic eosinophilic meningitis: emerging zoonotic diseases in the South. 1928 82


1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>