Systems Biology-Based Platforms to Accelerate Research of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Oh, Soo-Jin; Choi, Young-Ki; Shin, Ok Sarah

In South Korea, there are currently several major EIDs, such as HPAI infection, SFTSV infection, MERS-CoV infection, and DENV/ZIKV-associated diseases, that could pose great risks to public health in the near future. Since 2003, outbreaks of HPAI virus have been alarming, because they have caused significant economic loss and public health concerns. 32 The HPAI virus can undergo rapid evolution by gene mutation, reassortment, and homologous recombination in avian species and vertebrate reservoir hosts. 33 Although there is no evidence thus far to suggest a direct transmission of HPAI virus to humans in Korea, concerns remain due to the potential for avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry to become transmissible between species and to directly infect humans. In addition, due to the recent increase in zoonotic infections in poultry and persistent human infections in China, influenza A (H7N9) virus has remained a public health threat. Moreover, in February 2013, cases of human infection with a novel, lowly pathogenic H7N9 virus were reported in the Anhui and Shanghai regions of eastern China, and as of April 2017, the total number of H7N9 cases has exceeded 1344, with 511 deaths. 34, 35 Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection SFTS infection is an emerging tick-borne hemorrhagic fever that was first described in rural areas of China. The causative agent, SFTSV, is a novel phlebovirus in the Bunyaviridae family. SFTS cases were first reported in China (2009), Japan (2012), and Korea (2013). [36] [37] [38] [39] The major clinical signs and symptoms of SFTS include high fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and multi-organ dysfunction, with an average case-fatality rate of 10-30%. Moreover, bone marrow suppression and hemophagocytic histiocytes are commonly found in Korean patients with SFTS infection. 40 Despite no available treatment for SFTS infection yet, early plasma exchange implementation has proved to be beneficial. 41 Moreover, SFTSV is believed to be transmitted through tick bites; however, there are a few suspected cases of human-to-human transmission in China and Korea. [42] [43] [44] [45] Although human-to-human transmission is considered very rare, it is urgently necessary to develop effective diagnostic and preventative tools to protect against SFTSV and maintain continuous surveillance, because the virus is thought to spread via blood or mucosal secretions.