Michael B.A. Oldstone - Böcker

Ebola's Curse: 2013-2016 Outbreak in West Africa is about hemorrhagic fever viruses, especially Ebola, its initial origin in central Africa 1976, its unprecedented appearance in West Africa in 2013. The book records in sequence and detective style how the initial outbreak of Ebola from the index case in rural Guinea traveled to Sierra Leone, the work and fate of those working in the Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) isolation ward in Sierra Leone. The book provides vignettes of the three main players involved with Ebola at KGH, Sheik Khan, Pardis Sabeti, and Robert Garry.

Khan was the head of the unit, declared a national hero by his Sierra Leone government. He died fighting Ebola and was/is recognized in the USA by American societies by awards created for his historic work and death. Pardis Sabeti, a geneticist from Harvard and Broad MIT Institute, who was honored as a "Scientist of the Year" by Time Magazine and the Smithsonian Institute. Robert Garry, head of the operation to fight hemorrhagic fevers and Ebola, shuttled between Tulane University, KGH, and The White House to make aware through the press and others the dilemma and tragedy that was unfolding, and the need to obtain additional medical and health care support and supplies. Sabeti and Garry currently work with Oldstone on Ebola at KGH and thus personal communication and knowledge was/is available to the author for the book.

Includes perspectives from the 2013-2016 outbreak in West Africa Provides a detailed overview of the origins of Ebola virus through present day discoveries Written with an integrative approach, incorporating scientific research with insights from the field on Public Health and Medical History

The all new Concepts in Viral Pathogenesis III contains the widely praised format of presenting up-to-date information in pithy, easily read "mini-review" style and complements previous editions with contributions by leading international authorities on structure-function relationships, gene regulation, cell biology of viral infections, transgenic mice, expression of viral genes, retroviruses, and evolving concepts in viral diseases. Taken together, Volume I, II and III of Concepts in Viral Pathogenesis contain 145 unique chapters each representing the latest thinking in important areas of virology by the foremost investigators in the field. Clinicians, laboratory scientists, students, and others seeking authoritative overviews of current knowledge on the mechanism of viral diseases will welcome this valuable resource.

M. B. A. OLDSTONE Viruses are generally studied either because they cause significant human, animal or plant disease or for their utility as materials to probe a basic phenomenon in biology, chemistry, genetics or molecular biology. Arenaviruses are unusually interesting in that they occupy both of these categories. Arenaviruses cause severe human diseases known primarily as the hemor­ rhagic fevers occurring in South and Latin America (Bolivia: Machupo virus and Argentina: Junin virus) and in Africa (Lassa virus). Because such viruses produce profound disability and may kill the persons they infect, they are a source of economic hardship in the countries where they are prevalent. Further, they provide new problems for health care personnel owing to the narrowing of the world as visitors from many countries increasingly travel to and from these endemic areas. In addition, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) can infect humans worldwide, although the illness is most often less disabling than those elicited by other arenaviruses. Yet LCMV is likely of greater concern to non-arena-virologists and experimentalists using tissue culture or animals, i. e. , workers in molecular biology, cancer research, virology, immunobiology, etc. , because normal appearing cultured cells or tissues and animals used for research may be persistently infected with LCMV without manifesting clinical disease or cytopathology and transmit that infection to laboratory workers (reviewed OLDSTONE and PETERS 1978). For example, HINMAN et al.

Reoviruses are one of the most important viral groups for understanding the molecular and genetic basis for viral pathogenesis. These two volumes cover virtually all aspects of reovirus biology. Volume I begins with a review of reovirus structure; further chapters deal with functions of the reovirus structural proteins, the assembly of the genome, and reovirus mutants. Volume II reviews general mechanisms of reovirus persistent infection and cytopathic effects, and then discusses reovirus-induced disease in specific organ systems including the heart, nervous and endocrine systems, liver and biliary system, and intestine. Together, these two volumes provide a current and comprehensive review of the mammalian reoviruses.

Reoviruses are one of the most important viral groups for understanding the molecular and genetic basis for viral pathogenesis. These two volumes cover virtually all aspects of reovirus biology. Volume I begins with a review of reovirus structure; further chapters deal with functions of the reovirus structural proteins, the assembly of the genome, and reovirus mutants. Volume II reviews general mechanisms of reovirus persistent infection and cytopathic effects, and then discusses reovirus-induced disease in specific organ systems including the heart, nervous and endocrine systems, liver and biliary system, and intestine. Together, these two volumes provide a current and comprehensive review of the mammalian reoviruses.

Leading researchers present contemporary treatment of in situ hybridization applied to current issues in animal virus pathogenesis. The most recent methods are given for locating viral genes in whole animal section and for defining the number and type of cells surrounded by viruses. The genetic programs played out in these cells and the newer methods of hybridization at the electron microscopic level provide valuable insight into the complexities of virus-host interaction.

This volume focuses on the evidence for or against molecular mimicry as a cause of autoimmunity. Contributions from recognized experts present their original findings, and the final chapter reviews the overall perspective of molecular mimicry, how to use its principles in clinical investigation and list the conceptual traits by which autoimmune disaese can occur.

Although retroviruses have long been associated with a variety of animal diseases, active research in the field of human retroviruses dates from the discovery of human immunodefici­ ency virus (HIV) in association with acquired immunodefici­ ency syndrome (AIDS). The enormous research efforts in this field have been directed toward understanding the nature of the virus and toward its elimination through preventive vaccin­ ation and the cure of the disease. Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-l) was the first member of the human retrovirus family to be discovered. It was implicated as the cause of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) even before the association of HIV and AIDS was established. Research on HTL V -1 has, however, been lagging behind that of HIV because of the importance of AIDS. Today HTLV-1 and possibly closely related HTLV-2 are associated with a variety of human neurologic diseases, and research activities in this field may show that human retroviruses can cause a variety of human diseases in addition to those affecting the nervous system. Papers in this volume attempt to acquaint the reader with the present state of research into retrovirus infection and related diseases of the nervous system.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) control several viral infections in animals based on deletion and reconstitution experiments with CTL clones and use of CD8 genetically deficient (knock-out) mice. In this volume, data for the role that CTL play in human infectious diseases is presented. As such, this represents the first volume in which such information from several different viral and protozoan infections is brought together.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) AIDS Program is the fourth largest acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) program within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since 1983, our program's contributions have concentrated on two major areas. The first has been to develop effective strategies to prevent or reduce behaviors that place individuals at risk for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. The second has been to support and foster research to enhance our understanding of the profound impact of H IV-1 infection on the central nervous system (eNS). The brain appears to be a prime target of the virus and may serve as a reservoir for the virus. Post mortem examination of brain tissue has provided evidence of eNS cell damage in 80%-90% of people who die with AIDS. For about 10%-20% of people with AI DS, mild neuropsychological symptoms are the first signs of the disease. Approximately 20% of individuals infected with HIV-1 develop AIDS dementia complex. The symptoms include apathy, difficulty concentrat­ ing, irritability, depression, and personality changes. In the later stages of the disease, people may experience psychiatric disor­ ders. Death usually occurs within 6 months of the appearance of those more severe symptoms. Up to 90% of children infected with H IV-1 experience attention and concentration difficulties and often experience neurodevelopmental delay or regression over time.