ECOLOGY OF EMERGING ARENAVIRUSES IN SOUTHWESTERN U.S.

描述(改编自申请人的摘要)： 拟议的研究是为了增进我们对竞技场流行病学的了解 与原产于美国南部的啮齿动物有关的病毒。知识 啮齿动物的宿主关系(包括病毒的持续时间和大小 受感染啮齿动物的脱落)和受感染啮齿动物的地理分布 对于准确地理解由竞技场引起的人类疾病是必不可少的 病毒。最近的研究提供了第一个明确的证据，竞技场 在美国南部，病毒在地理上分布广泛 与Neotome属、Permyscus属和 西格莫登。拟议研究的具体目的是：1)扩展我们的 关于地理范围、啮齿动物宿主关系、基因分型的知识 与西诺齿类啮齿动物天然相关的竞技场病毒的多样性 美国南部；2)完善我们对白水阿罗约生态的了解 (3)研究WWA和BCN病毒的致病机理。 BCN病毒侵入它们的主要啮齿动物宿主(新瘤目和Permyscus啮齿动物， 分别)；4)评估是否了解北方的系统发育历史 美国啮齿动物可以用来准确预测地理范围和 南方地区不同地区病毒的啮齿动物宿主协会 美国；以及，5)进一步调查北方对人类健康的意义 美国啮齿动物传播的竞技场病毒。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): The broad objective of the proposed research is to advance our knowledge on the epidemiology of arena viruses associated with rodents native to the southern United States. Knowledge of the rodent host relationship (including duration and magnitude of virus shedding in infected rodents) and geographical distribution of infected rodents is essential to an accurate understanding of the human diseases caused by arena viruses. Recent studies provided the first unequivocal evidence that arena viruses are geographically widely distributed u the southern U.S. in associateion with rodents belonging to the genera Neotome, Peromyscus and Sigmodon. The specific aims of the proposed research are to: 1) Extend our knowledge on the geographic range, rodent host relationship, genotypic diversity off arena viruses naturally associated with signodontine rodents in the southern U.S.; 2) refine our knowledge on the ecology of Whitewater Arroyo (WWA) and Bear Canyon (BCN) viruses; 3) investigate the pathogenesis of WWA and BCN viruses inb their principal rodent hosts (Neotoma and Permyscus rodents, respectively); 4) assess whether knowledge of the phylogenetic history of North American rodents can be used to accurately predict the geographic range and rodent host associations of the various area viruses indigenous to the southern U.S.; and, 5) investigate further the human health significance of North American rodent-borne arena viruses.