Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa
Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2013
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613845852258304 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika |
| author2 | Preiser, Wolfgang |
| author_browse | Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika Preiser, Wolfgang |
| author_facet | Preiser, Wolfgang Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika |
| author_sort | Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85771 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:37.450Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85771 Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika Preiser, Wolfgang Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Pathology, Division of Medical Virology. Emerging viral zoonoses Bats -- Research Rodents -- Research Zoonoses -- Transmission -- South Africa -- Research Animals as carriers of disease -- South Africa -- Research Communicable diseases between animals and human beings -- South Africa -- Research Theses -- Medicine Dissertations -- Medicine Theses -- Medical virology Dissertations -- Medical virology Thesis (PhD)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence and re-emergence of viral human pathogens from wildlife sources in the recent past has led to increased studies and surveillance of wildlife for potentially zoonotic agents in order to gain a better understanding of the pathogens, their sources as well as events that may lead to viral emergence. Of the >1407 known human pathogens, 13% are classified as emerging or re-emerging, and 58% as zoonotic; 37% of the (re-)emerging and 19% of the zoonotic pathogens are RNA viruses, accounting for the majority of recently emerged infectious diseases with a zoonotic origin, such as HIV, Ebola, Hendra, Nipah, Influenza and SARS. This study focusses on potentially zoonotic viruses hosted by rodents (Muridae family), shrews (order previously known as Insectivora/Soricomorpha, now reclassified as Eulipotyphla) and bats (order Chiroptera). Rodents and bats represent the largest (~40%) and second largest (~25%) mammalian orders and both occur on every continent except Antarctica. Together, the three mammalian orders investigated represent the most relevant potential sources of new zoonoses. In this study I investigated the occurrence of astroviruses, arenaviruses, coronaviruses and hantaviruses in South African small mammal species belonging to the orders mentioned above. These viruses have either been implicated in recent emerging zoonotic events or are considered to have the potential to cause cross-species transmissions resulting in a zoonotic event. In the first part of the study specimens collected from various bat, rodent and shrew species were screened for viral sequences by broadly reactive PCRs; positive samples were characterised by sequencing and sequence analysis. A separate part of the study focussed on hantavirus disease in humans: a seroprevalance survey was conducted to determine the presence of hantavirus antibodies in the local population. Additionally, acutely ill patients with potential hantavirus disease were tested in an attempt to identify possible acute infections and define clinical hantavirus disease in South Africa. Screening of rodent and shrew specimens resulted in the identification of eight novel arenavirus sequences. Seven of the sequences are related to Merino Walk virus, a recently identified South African arenavirus, and the eighth sequence represents a novel lineage of Old World arenaviruses. Screening of bat specimens resulted in the identification of highly diverse novel astrovirus and coronavirus sequences in various South African bat species, including the identification of a viral sequence closely related to the recently emerged Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus. While the study did not identify hantavirus infections in any of the acutely ill patients, it found seroprevalences similar to those observed in Europe and West Africa. The results obtained highlight the importance of small mammals in the emergence of potential zoonoses and further reinforce the importance of viral surveillance of relevant wildlife species. Further in-depth studies of naturally infected reservoir host populations are required in order to gain a better understanding of virus-host dynamics and the events that lead to virus emergence. German Research Foundation (DFG) (project number: KR1293/9-1/13-1) The Polio Research Foundation and the NHLS Research Harry Crossley Foundation, the Polio Research Foundation and Stellenbosch University for granting scholarships and bursaries for PhD. Doctoral 2013-11-28T13:24:15Z 2013-12-13T16:18:05Z 2013-11-28T13:24:15Z 2013-12-13T16:18:05Z 2013-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85771 Stellenbosch University xvii, 202 p. : ill. (some col.) application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Emerging viral zoonoses Bats -- Research Rodents -- Research Zoonoses -- Transmission -- South Africa -- Research Animals as carriers of disease -- South Africa -- Research Communicable diseases between animals and human beings -- South Africa -- Research Theses -- Medicine Dissertations -- Medicine Theses -- Medical virology Dissertations -- Medical virology Ithete, Ndapewa Laudika Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title | Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title_full | Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title_short | Investigation of small mammal-borne viruses with zoonotic potential in South Africa |
| title_sort | investigation of small mammal borne viruses with zoonotic potential in south africa |
| topic | Emerging viral zoonoses Bats -- Research Rodents -- Research Zoonoses -- Transmission -- South Africa -- Research Animals as carriers of disease -- South Africa -- Research Communicable diseases between animals and human beings -- South Africa -- Research Theses -- Medicine Dissertations -- Medicine Theses -- Medical virology Dissertations -- Medical virology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85771 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ithetendapewalaudika investigationofsmallmammalborneviruseswithzoonoticpotentialinsouthafrica |