Hantavirus: Ecology and Disease in US, Chile, and Panama
Since 1993, MSB has been a leader in pathogen discovery and monitoring, fostering global collaborations with agencies and researchers. Museum collections, like MSB, are vital for studying emerging pathogens, and must be incorporated further into this research. These collections, which include specimens and associated tissue samples accumulated over decades, offer key insights into disease ecology, evolution, and transmission. They provide baseline data on species distribution and interactions, helping researchers track how pathogens evolve, adapt, and spread – especially in response to environmental changes, host shifts, and human activity. By combining museum collections with genomic and epidemiological tools, researchers can better detect, monitor, and prevent future outbreaks, making these collections invaluable for both ecological research and public health efforts.
Selected sources for further learning:
- We Were There – Hantavirus (CDC video)
- Interview with Karl Johnson (ASTMNH video)
- Solving a Medical Mystery With Oral Traditions
- Genetic Identification of a Hantavirus Associated with an Outbreak of Acute Respiratory Illness
- Ecology and Evolutionary History of an Emergent Disease: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Hantavirus and the Navajo Nation – A Double Jeopardy Disease
- Mammal collections of the Western Hemisphere: a survey and directory of collections
- Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies
- Integrating Biodiversity Infrastructure into Pathogen Discovery and Mitigation of Emerging Infectious Diseases
- A Brief History of Bunyaviral Family Hantaviridae
- Complex History of Codiversification and Host Switching of a Newfound Soricid-borne Orthohantavirus in North America
- Arctos: Community-driven innovations for managing natural and cultural history collections
- Leveraging natural history biorepositories as a global, decentralized pathogen surveillance network
- Two Decades of Wildlife Pathogen Surveillance: Case Study of Choclo orthohantavirus and Its Wild Reservoir Oligoryzomys costaricensis
- Living in Health, Harmony, and Beauty: The Diné (Navajo) Hózhó Wellness Philosophy
