Authors: Michalann Harthill
Publish Date: 2011/02/12
Volume: 143, Issue: 3, Pages: 1325-1336
Abstract
Recently emerged viral infectious diseases VIDs include HIV/AIDS influenzas H5N1 and 2009 H1N1 SARS and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers Earlier research determined metabolic oxidative stress in hosts deficient in antioxidant selenium Se 1 μMol Se/L of blood induces both impaired human host immunocompetence and rapidly mutated benign variants of RNA viruses to virulence These viral mutations are consistent rather than stochastic and longlived When Sedeficient virusinfected hosts were supplemented with dietary Se viral mutation rates diminished and immunocompetence improved Herein is described the role of micronutrient Se deficiency on the evolution of some contemporary RNA viruses and their subsequent VIDs Distinguishing cellular and biomolecular evidence for several VIDs suggests that environmental conditions conducive to chronic dietary Se deprivation could be monitored for bioindicators of incipient viral virulence and subsequent pathogenesis
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