MRCE Project Abstract

2009

Discovery and Characterization of Emerging, Engineered and Unrecognized Pathogens

David Wang, PhD

The overall goals of this project are to identify novel pathogens responsible for human disease and to create a flexible and highly effective system for the rapid identification and molecular analysis of emerging or engineered agents. This will serve four purposes: (i) improve regional and national preparedness for an outbreak, (ii) characterize new viruses that we have already discovered in specimens from acutely ill patients, (iii) identify additional new viruses that potentially cause human disease, and (iv) provide new understanding of the human virome at the fundamental level. To these ends, we have assembled an international collaborative team to systematically address the etiologies of a number of acute human illnesses using cutting edge molecular genomic approaches combined with classical immunological, virologic and epidemiologic methods.

MRCE Publications

Quaranfil, Johnston Atoll and Lake Chad viruses are novel members of the family Orthomyxoviridae. Presti RM, Zhao G, Beatty WL, Mihindukulasuriya KA, Travassos da Rosa AP, Popov VL, Tesh RB, Virgin HW, Wang D. J Virol. 2009 Sep 2.

Identification of a novel astrovirus (Astrovirus VA1) associated with an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis. Finkbeiner SR, Li Y, Ruone S, Conrardy C, Gregoricus N, Toney D, Virgin HW, Anderson LJ, Vinjé J, Wang D, Tong S. J Virol. 2009 Aug 12.

Klassevirus 1, a previously undescribed member of the family Picornaviridae, is globally widespread. Holtz LR, Finkbeiner SR, Zhao G, Kirkwood CD, Girones R, Pipas JM, Wang D. Virol J: 2009 Jun 24;6:86.

Nyamanini and midway viruses define a novel taxon of RNA viruses in the order Mononegavirales. Mihindukulasuriya KA, Nguyen NL, Wu G, Huang HV, da Rosa AP, Popov VL, Tesh RB, Wang D. J Virol: 2009 May;83(10):5109-16.

Detection of newly described astrovirus MLB1 in stool samples from children. Finkbeiner SR, Le BM, Holtz LR, Storch GA, Wang D. Emerg Infect Dis.

Clinical and Epidemiologic Characterization of WU Polyomavirus Infection, St. Louis, Missouri. Binh-Minh Le, Lee M Demertzis, Guang Wu, Robert J Tibbets, Richard Buller, Max Q Arens, anne M Gaynor, Gregory A Storch, and David Wang. Emerging Infectious Diseases: 2007;13(12):1936-1938.

Identification of a novel polyomavirus from patients with respiratory tract infections . Gaynor Anne M, Nissen Michael D, Whiley David M, Mackay Ian M, Lambert Stephen B, Wu Guang, Brennan Daniel C, Storch Gregory A, Sloots Theo P, Wang David. PLoS Pathog: 2007;3(5):0595-0604.

Tickborne arbovirus surveillance in market livestock, Nairobi, Kenya. Sang R, Onyango C, Gachoya J, Mabinda E, Konongoi S, Ofula V, Dunster L, Okoth F, Coldren R, Tesh R, da Rossa AT, Finkbeiner S, Wang D, Crabtree M, Miller B. Emerg Infect Dis: 2006 Jul;12(7):1074-80.

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