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Exploiting the Legacy of the Arbovirus Hunters

Vasilakis N 1 , Tesh RB 2 , Popov VL 3 , Widen SG 4 , Wood TG 5 , Forrester NL 6 Show all authors , Gonzalez JP 7 , Saluzzo JF 8 , Alkhovsky S 9 , Lam SK 10 , Mackenzie JS 11 , Walker PJ 12

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. nivasila@utmb.edu
  • 2 Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. rtesh@utmb.edu
  • 3 Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. vpopov@utmb.edu
  • 4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77555, USA. sgwiden@utmb.edu
  • 5 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77555, USA. tgwood@utmb.edu
  • 6 Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. naforres@utmb.edu
  • 7 Center of Excellence for Emerging & Zoonotic Animal Disease, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA. jpgonzalez@vet.k-state.edu
  • 8 Oncovita, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France. jfsaluzzo@gmail.com
  • 9 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. salkh@yandex.ru
  • 10 Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. lamsk@nipahvirus.org
  • 11 Faculty of Medical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia 6102, Australia. J.Mackenzie@curtin.edu.au
  • 12 School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. peter.walker@uq.edu.au
Viruses, 2019 05 23;11(5).
PMID: 31126128 DOI: 10.3390/v11050471

Abstract

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.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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