Natural history of viruses of the intestine in contrasting ecosystems: implications for health
Abstract
Many different viruses have the capacity for infecting and replicating in
micro-habitats of the intestinal tract. Eons of interaction between intestinal
viruses and the intestinal mucosa have lead to a variety of host-parasite interrelationships,
most of which are superficially known or hitherto unsuspected.
Our knowledge has been determined in great part by advances in biotechnology and
its capacity to recognize and study such viruses. On the other hand, changes in
scientific interest and in funding have shifted research interest from the
enteroviruses to the rotaviruses at a paint where our understanding of the first
was still insufficient. This is unfortunate because information for contrasting
ecosystems, for instance, within developing countries is even more incomplete
than for industrial countries. Enteroviruses and adenoviruses still play
important role in disease causation everywhere. From an evolutionary perspective, the intestinal tract can be considered
invagination of external integuments, and, therefore, thousands of years
evolutionary adaptations led to specialization and development of myriads
bacteria, protozoa, yeasts and viruses in the intestinal habitats. Such changes
explain the varying pathogenicity of agents and, in some Instances, their coexistence
within the human host.
Mención de responsabilidad: Luis M. De LA Maza and Ellena M. Peterson (editores)