Your browser doesn't support javascript.
Why are there so few (or so many) circulating coronaviruses?
Rice, Benjamin L; Douek, Daniel C; McDermott, Adrian B; Grenfell, Bryan T; Metcalf, C Jessica E.
  • Rice BL; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. Electronic address: b.rice@princeton.edu.
  • Douek DC; Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
  • McDermott AB; Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA.
  • Grenfell BT; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
  • Metcalf CJE; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
Trends Immunol ; 42(9): 751-763, 2021 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1306396
ABSTRACT
Despite vast diversity in non-human hosts and conspicuous recent spillover events, only a small number of coronaviruses have been observed to persist in human populations. This puzzling mismatch suggests substantial barriers to establishment. We detail hypotheses that might contribute to explain the low numbers of endemic coronaviruses, despite their considerable evolutionary and emergence potential. We assess possible explanations ranging from issues of ascertainment, historically lower opportunities for spillover, aspects of human demographic changes, and features of pathogen biology and pre-existing adaptive immunity to related viruses. We describe how successful emergent viral species must triangulate transmission, virulence, and host immunity to maintain circulation. Characterizing the factors that might shape the limits of viral persistence can delineate promising research directions to better understand the combinations of pathogens and contexts that are most likely to lead to spillover.
Subject(s)
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Coronavirus Language: English Journal: Trends Immunol Journal subject: Allergy and Immunology Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

Similar

MEDLINE

...
LILACS

LIS


Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Coronavirus Language: English Journal: Trends Immunol Journal subject: Allergy and Immunology Year: 2021 Document Type: Article