Hantaviruses Overview and Analysis

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Introduction

The identified Critique Paper gives a detailed analysis of Hantaviruses and how they can cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in human beings. The writer has succeeded in identifying some key observations that can guide scientists, medical experts, and researchers to learn more about this microorganism and guide human beings to protect themselves against these diseases. This review offers a personal opinion and analysis of the information the selected student presents.

Analysis of the Critique: Background

The work is worth reading because it gives a brief overview of Hantaviruses and the possible diseases they can cause, such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). The unique symptoms associated with the illnesses are evident from the article, including head and muscle aches, shortness of breath, fatigue, and fever (Tian & Stenseth, 2019). The reviewer realizes that the author focused mainly on the nature of transmission of the Andes Virus (ANDV) Hantavirus from one person to another. The outstanding observation was that there were higher chances of transmitting the virus from one individual to another.

The common strains of this microorganism include Sin Nombre Hantavirus (SNV) and the Andes Virus (ANDV). The latter formed the basis of the selected study and analysis. Rodents belonging to different subfamilies, such as Arvicolinae, Sigmodontinae, and Murinae, were found to carry such viral strains. They were capable of releasing them in their saliva, droppings, and even urine. Human beings who inhaled such materials had higher chances of becoming infected. The article is written professionally, focuses on the terminologies studied in class, and seeks to offer timely and meaningful information to the reader.

Lessons Learned

On top of the background information presented above, it is agreeable that the piece equipped me with new information about the ANDV. Firstly, I observed that it was capable of being spread from person A to B before getting this kind of information, I realized that a new form of staining technique was known as immunocytochemical staining was considered. This method will induce an antibody into the selected sample in such a way that it will bind the targeted antigen, thereby allowing researchers to examine it further (Buranda et al., 2018). The use of immunoperoxidase staining is a common procedure whereby scientists will immerse the required samples in high pH solutions and then microwave them for around 5 minutes (Tian & Stenseth, 2019). The immunofluorescence approach was also conducted on the identified samples to ensure that the multiple antigens could be studied and observed using fluorescent dyes with different colors. Such studies were essential to learning more about the dispersion of such viruses and their respective immune responses.

Second, the piece explains how there was no antibody production in the bronchioles and bronchi cells. For the studied rodents, it was evident that there was no noticeable activity in the ducts and alveolar sacs (Tian & Stenseth, 2019). However, the lungs presented different results since virus fragments were observed in the alveolar wars and the alveolar septa (Brocato et al., 2018). Third, similar results were observed in the lungs of human beings and submandibular glands of the analyzed rodents. The evident activity of Hantavirus was a clear indication such viruses were capable of triggering diseases in these creatures (Buranda et al., 2018). Within the human mucous producing system of the salivary glands, a lot of the virus activity was also recorded.

Potential Questions

The insights and ideas presented in this critique are worth analyzing since they examine a topic that is of interest today. The emergence of unknown viruses from rodents and other wild animals is troublesome for humanity (Buranda et al., 2018). From these studies and experimentations, it becomes possible for researchers to understand how these new viruses are transmitted from animals and eventually cause diseases in human beings. With this form of understanding, human beings can be informed and be ready to take the relevant precautions. Zheng (2020) believes that the global community is at risk of encountering additional viral diseases shortly if evidence-based initiatives are ignored. Several questions are worth considering that are associated with this study.

The first one is how the current information regarding the viral activity of ANDV in the human pulmonary system could guide future researchers and scientists to develop drugs or vaccines against such microorganisms. This issue is worth considering since the studied article has revealed that the illnesses associated with ANDV have a fatality rate of around 40 percent (Buranda et al., 2018). Without the introduction of reliable remedies to deal with these conditions, chances are high that they will continue to affect many people and make it impossible for them to lead better lives.

The second one is the possible reasons why more human beings are presently at risk of suffering from illnesses associated with these unknown viruses. In the recent past, scholars have been presenting their views regarding the problematic nature of environmental destruction and the subsequent challenges of climate change and global warming (Zheng, 2020). With these predicaments, more people have been forced to coexist or interact with wild animals in the recent past. Some rodents have been finding refuge or food from inhabited areas, thereby increasing the risk of contracting some of these viruses. Their contact with human beings increases the possibility of developing identified pulmonary illnesses (Di Gennaro et al., 2020). Additional studies would be needed in this area and present superior recommendations to protect more lives.

The third question emerging from this discussion is how scientists could collaborate and succeed in studying most of the unknown viruses in the wild, including the Puumala virus. Experts have been convinced that there are millions of viruses that are yet to be discovered. Some of these microorganisms have the potential to bind human cells and trigger various diseases as the body tries to produce antibodies (Di Gennaro et al., 2020). If the global scientific community could consider this understanding, chances of learning more about such viruses would increase and guide human beings to protect themselves accordingly.

Analysis of Research Outcomes and Conclusions

The research outcomes and conclusions of the selected article offer meaningful ideas for studying Hantaviruses and guiding human beings to protect themselves against the diseases they cause. Through the use of genomics, scientists and scholars have the potential to track the spread of viruses, such as Hantaviruses and the West Nile virus. With such an approach, professionals can uncover and develop appropriate control measures to minimize the health burden associated with them (Hadfield et al., 2019). The article’s conclusion can therefore become the foundation for studying all viral microorganisms, understanding how they infect animals and human beings and identifying the best strategies to target their points of entry.

Before Nextstrain, scientists and researchers used to study viruses and their genomes from scratch. They considered the available published information to pursue their analyses and deliver the intended results. Unfortunately, such a process was quite challenging due to the absence of background information and data. Consequently, public health workers and medical professionals encountered numerous problems trying to find cures and preventative measures to the diseases associated with such viruses. Today, Nextstrain has become an evidence-based method for real-time tracking of different pathogens and their evolutionary processes (Hadfield et al., 2019). This achievement is making it easier for the global society to learn more about emerging microorganisms and how to overcome them.

Additionally, this discussion is related to the current coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) that is affecting millions of people in different parts of the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is known to cause this pulmonary disease and it belongs to a family called coronaviruses (Zheng, 2020). It is believed to have originated from bats and eventually found its way into human beings. Most of these studies conducted on Hantaviruses could become helpful in guiding scientists to learn more about this new strain and collaborate to find a vaccine.

Conclusion

The selected critique is informative since it explains the behavior, origin, and viral activities of ANDV. The outlined ideas and observations could guide future scientists to develop a vaccine and be prepared against some of the common microorganisms that have the potential to trigger similar antibody reactions. The ideas could empower human beings to address the problem of environmental degradation and minimize the level of conflict with wild animals. The application of these concepts will make it easier for more communities to fight unknown viruses more efficiently.

References

Brocato, R. L., Wahl, V., Hammerbeck, C. D., Josleyn, M. D., McElroy, A. K., Smith, J. M., & Hooper, J. W. (2018). Innate immune responses elicited by Sin Nombre virus or type I IFN agonists protect hamsters from lethal Andes virus infections. Journal of General Virology, 99, 1359-1366. 

Buranda, T., Gineste, C. G., Bondu, V., Perez, D., Lake, K. R., Edwards, B. S., & Sklar, L. A. (2018). A high-throughput flow cytometry screen identifies molecules that inhibit hantavirus cell entry. SLAS DISCOVERY: Advancing the Science of Drug Discovery, 23(7), 634-645. 

Di Gennaro, F., Pizzol, D., Marotta, C., Antunes, M., Racalbuto, V., Veronese, N., & Smith, L. (2020). Coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) current status and future perspectives: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2690-2700. Web.

Hadfield, J., Brito, A. F., Swetnam, D. M., Vogels, C. B. F., Tokarz, R. E., Andersen, K. G., Smith, R. C., Bedford, T., & Grubaugh, N. D. (2019). Twenty years of West Nile virus spread and evolution in the Americas visualized by Nextstrain. PLoS Pathogens, 15(10), e1008042. Web.

Tian, H., & Stenseth, N. C. (2019). The ecological dynamics of Hantavirus diseases: From environmental variability to disease prevention largely based on data from China. PLoS: Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(2), e0006901. 

Zheng, J. (2020). SARS-CoV-2: An emerging coronavirus that causes a global threat. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 16(10), 1678-1685. Web.

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