Pfaudler Lecture: How Ranavirus Diseases are a Threat to Our World's Biodiversity

Presented by University of Rochester Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacques Robert, Ph.D. Ranavirus (large DNA virus of the family Iridoviridae) are emerging viral pathogens that cause devastating infections in amphibians, fish, and reptiles worldwide. Because of their alarming expansion and ability to cross species barriers of numerous ectothermic vertebrates, these viral pathogens have become a threat to global biodiversity. We use the African Clawed Frog as an animal model to better understand how ranaviruses have evolved to evade immune defenses for disseminating and persisting in their hosts.