Bunyavirus

Dear Colleagues,

The order of Bunyavirales is a fast growing order of negative stranded-segmented RNA viruses with an enormous host range, including nearly all kinds of vertebrates, as well as invertebrate animals and plants. Most Bunyaviruses are transmitted by either rodents or arthropods, to other vertebrate animals. Because of this, it is generally agreed to separate Bunyaviruses into arthropod-borne and rodent-borne. Arthropod-borne Bunyaviruses include, for example, the mosquito-transmitted Orthobunyaviruses, the sandfly-transmitted Phleboviruses, or the tick-transmitted Nairoviruses. On the other side, Hantaviruses represent the rodent-transmitted Bunyaviruses. Except for Hantaviruses, most Bunyaviruses have amplification cycles in invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, and are associated with disease in humans or livestock. Symptoms might range from mild flu-like disease, to severe symptoms including renal failure, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fevers [1].

In vertebrates, the interferon system plays a crucial role controlling Bunyavirus infections, whereas in arthropod’s, si- and pi-RNA pathways seem to be important. However, detailed analyses of innate and adaptive immune pathways in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts are still scare. In addition, Bunyaviruses are able to extend their genetic diversity by the re-assortment of genome segments during a mixed infection [2]. The clinical relevance of novel Orthobunyaviruses derived by re-assortment was demonstrated by a large outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in East Africa in late 1997 and early 1998, which was related to the Ngari virus (NRIV), a novel re-assortment between the Batai and Bunyamwera Orthobunyavirus [3]. In contrast to the parental viruses, which are associated with mild febrile illness in humans and animals, NRIV was found to be associated with severe symptoms, such as hemorrhagic fever in humans. Besides changes in the pathology, the newly formed viruses might extend their vector- or host-range.

In this exciting context, Pathogens will launch a Special Issue devoted to Bunyaviruses. In this Special Issue, we aim to target the diversity of Bunyaviruses in nature, their interaction with vectors and hosts, and genetic variability of Bunyaviruses, including re-assortment. Both original research and review articles are welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Transmission barriers for vector-borne Bunyavirus transmission
• Pathogenic mechanisms in vectors and hosts
• Virus reassortment and genetic diversity
• Discovery of novel Bunyaviruses

References:

[1] Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Chapter 56Bunyaviruses. Robert E. Shope. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996.

[2] Yanase, T., et al., Genetic characterization of Batai virus indicates a genomic reassortment between orthobunyaviruses in nature. Arch Virol, 2006. 151(11): p. 2253-60.

[3] Bowen, M.D., et al., A reassortant bunyavirus isolated from acute hemorrhagic fever cases in Kenya and Somalia. Virology, 2001. 291(2): p. 185-90.

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Christine Becker
Guest Editor

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