Exploiting the Legacy of the Arbovirus Hunters
by
Nikos Vasilakis 1,2,3,4,*, Robert B. Tesh 1,2,3,4, Vsevolod L. Popov 1,2,3,4, Steve G. Widen 5, Thomas G. Wood 5, Naomi L. Forrester 1,2,3,4,†, Jean Paul Gonzalez 6
, Jean Francois Saluzzo 7, Sergey Alkhovsky 8, Sai Kit Lam 9, John S. Mackenzie 10 and Peter J. Walker 11,*
, Jean Francois Saluzzo 7, Sergey Alkhovsky 8, Sai Kit Lam 9, John S. Mackenzie 10 and Peter J. Walker 11,*
1
Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
2
Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
3
Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
4
Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
5
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77555, USA
6
Center of Excellence for Emerging & Zoonotic Animal Disease, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
7
Oncovita, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
8
Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, 123098, 18 Gamaleya str., Moscow, Russia
9
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
10
Faculty of Medical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6102, Australia
11
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Current affiliation: Department of Vector Ecology, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BB, UK; [email protected]
Viruses 2019, 11(5), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/v11050471
Received: 26 March 2019 / Revised: 15 May 2019 / Accepted: 21 May 2019 / Published: 23 May 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 6th Pan-American Dengue Research Network Meeting)
In recent years, it has become evident that a generational gap has developed in the community of arbovirus research. This apparent gap is due to the dis-investment of training for the next generation of arbovirologists, which threatens to derail the rich history of virus discovery, field epidemiology, and understanding of the richness of diversity that surrounds us. On the other hand, new technologies have resulted in an explosion of virus discovery that is constantly redefining the virosphere and the evolutionary relationships between viruses. This paradox presents new challenges that may have immediate and disastrous consequences for public health when yet to be discovered arboviruses emerge. In this review we endeavor to bridge this gap by providing a historical context for the work being conducted today and provide continuity between the generations. To this end, we will provide a narrative of the thrill of scientific discovery and excitement and the challenges lying ahead.
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Keywords:
arbovirus history; arbovirus discovery; next generation sequencing; electron microscopy; metagenomics; taxonomy
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MDPI and ACS Style
Vasilakis, N.; Tesh, R.B.; Popov, V.L.; Widen, S.G.; Wood, T.G.; Forrester, N.L.; Gonzalez, J.P.; Saluzzo, J.F.; Alkhovsky, S.; Lam, S.K.; Mackenzie, J.S.; Walker, P.J. Exploiting the Legacy of the Arbovirus Hunters. Viruses 2019, 11, 471.
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