TY - JOUR AU - Woolhouse, Mark E.J. AU - Brierley, Liam AU - McCaffery, Chris AU - Lycett, Sam T1 - Assessing the Epidemic Potential of RNA and DNA Viruses T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2016 VL - 22 IS - 12 SP - 2037 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Many new and emerging RNA and DNA viruses are zoonotic or have zoonotic origins in an animal reservoir that is usually mammalian and sometimes avian. Not all zoonotic viruses are transmissible (directly or by an arthropod vector) between human hosts. Virus genome sequence data provide the best evidence of transmission. Of human transmissible virus, 37 species have so far been restricted to self-limiting outbreaks. These viruses are priorities for surveillance because relatively minor changes in their epidemiologies can potentially lead to major changes in the threat they pose to public health. On the basis of comparisons across all recognized human viruses, we consider the characteristics of these priority viruses and assess the likelihood that they will further emerge in human populations. We also assess the likelihood that a virus that can infect humans but is not capable of transmission (directly or by a vector) between human hosts can acquire that capability. KW - emerging viruses KW - epidemic potential KW - RNA viruses KW - DNA viruses KW - viruses KW - outbreaks KW - transmission KW - zoonoses DO - 10.3201/eid2212.160123 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/12/16-0123_article ER - End of Reference