Paramyxoviruses: Pathogenesis, Vaccines, Antivirals, and Prototypes for Pandemic Preparedness

Many paramyxoviruses cause a wide range of mild to severe human and animal diseases. Based on recent discoveries, the family Paramyxoviridae infects a variety of hosts around the world, including the measles virus, mumps virus, parainfluenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. The high rate of human-to-human transmission of paramyxoviruses like measles virus, the high case fatality rate associated with other family members like Nipah virus, and the presence of poorly characterized zoonotic pathogens all raise concerns that known and unknown paramyxoviruses have significant pandemic potential. Transmission occurs through direct touch or droplets. The virus attacks the respiratory mucosa's ciliated epithelial cells and spreads locally. immunopathologic antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity contributes to disease. In terms of biological features, the antigenic distance and, in particular, the low homology of available sequences. However, there are no effective licensed antiviral therapies or vaccines to treat the bulk of paramyxoviral infections, and we are woefully unprepared if a respiratory paramyxovirus emerges and spreads in humans with no prior immunization.
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