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Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of multihost pathogens and interspecies pathogen transmission can go some way to alleviating the risks posed. In this dissertation several techniques have been employed to investigate both theoretical and applied questions relating to interspecies viral transmission.The synthesis of cross species transmission events and pathogenesis raised two main points. Firstly, the analysis suggests that distinct patterns can be observed in the pathogenesis data, particularly in spillover events involving humans. Secondly, the study emphasizes the insufficient availability of precise and comprehensive virus-host pathogen interaction data, particularly at the cellular and subcellular levels. It underscores the importance of increased collaboration and concentrated efforts among the scientific community to identify receptors and pathogenic pathways that may signal spillover risk.
Simulations of viral epizootics demonstrated that the highest transmissibility and genetic diversity occur at different stages of an epizootic. Moreover, the study suggests that viral populations may adopt a bistable strategy, wherein they either evolve into a moderately transmissible population with a slower epizootic or become maximally transmissible with a very rapid epizootic, depending on certain conditions.
Canine distemper virus (CDV) in wildlife in the southeastern USA was used as a case study to investigate the dynamics of a virus in a multihost system and the role that human development may play. Analysis revealed distinct temporal and spatial patterns of distemper cases in multiple host species. The study also showed that past cases in gray foxes and raccoons can predict the number of gray fox and raccoon cases. The final chapter draws two main conclusions. Firstly, it presents additional evidence of the widespread occurrence of CDV infection in wild mesocarnivores in the southeastern US and highlights the significant genetic diversity of CDV in the region, especially on either side of the Mississippi River. Secondly, the study suggests that human land use may be a crucial factor in the disease ecology of CDV, with wild carnivores in areas of high human development facing a greater risk of CDV infection. Ultimately, there were sufficient potential relationships in these two studies to support more targeted active surveillance for canine distemper virus in wildlife .