title: Viruses that cross borders: factors responsible for global dissemination of viral infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pandemic viral infections as emerging infectious diseases are of a great global concern. However, for some viruses, particular strains are endemic to specific areas and can be genetically distinguished from strains in other regions. In contrast, for some other viruses, genetically similar strains can spread and circulate all over the world. This study addresses global dissemination of various viral infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  We classified 34 viruses as per their ability to cross borders by review. We also described factors responsible for and the dynamics of global dissemination. We examined biological characteristics of viruses, manners or routes of transmission, host responses and epidemiological factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factors required for viruses to cross borders include 'non-blood infection', 'short incubation period', 'short infectious period', 'frequent re-infection', 'small basic reproductive number (R(0))' and 'high annual incidence'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowing the factors responsible for global dissemination of pathogens is useful for controlling and/or containing both classic and emerging infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furuse
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamigaki
authors.forename: Emmanuel Abraham
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mpolya
authors.forename: Irona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khandaker
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshitani
mesh_terms: D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D058873:Pandemics; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D014780:Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity*