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The ecology of emerging neurotropic viruses

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Abstract

The authors review common themes in the ecology of emerging viruses that cause neurological disease. Three issues emerge. First, 49% of emerging viruses are characterized by encephalitis or serious neurological clinical symptoms. Second, all of these viruses are driven to emerge by ecological, environmental, or human demographic changes, some of which are poorly understood. Finally, the control of these viruses would be enhanced by collaborative multidisciplinary research into these drivers of emergence. The authors highlight this review with a case study of Nipah virus, which emerged in Malaysia due largely to shifts in livestock production and alterations to reservoir host habitat. Collaboration between virologists, ecologists, disease modelers and wildlife biologists has been instrumental in retracing the factors involved in this virus’s emergence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology & Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

    Kevin J. Olival

  2. Consortium for Conservation Medicine, 460 w. 34 st., 10001, New York, NY, USA

    Peter Daszak

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  1. Kevin J. Olival
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  2. Peter Daszak
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Correspondence to Peter Daszak.

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Olival, K.J., Daszak, P. The ecology of emerging neurotropic viruses. Journal of NeuroVirology 11, 441–446 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1080/13550280591002450

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