The Power of We

Abstract

"The Power of We" is a personal tribute to the individuals and organizations that collaborated in the discovery and advancement of knowledge of the hantaviruses following the original isolation of Hantaan virus by Ho Wang Lee. It focuses on the work done primarily at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases during the decade of the 1980s under the leadership of Joel Dalrymple, who worked in close partnership with Ho Wang Lee. These early studies helped define the global distribution of Seoul virus and provided seminal information on its maintenance and transmission among urban rats. Other collaborations involved partners in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and resulted in the isolation of novel hantaviruses, a better understanding of their global distribution, and validation of diagnostics and therapeutic interventions for treatment of human diseases. By working in partnership, scientists from around the world made critical discoveries that led to a better understanding of the hantaviruses. "The Power of We" demonstrates that we all benefit when we work together with a shared vision, a common commitment to excellence, and mutual respect.

Keywords: Puumala virus; Seoul virus; diagnosis; ecology; epidemiology; hantaviruses; hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; transmission.

Figure 1

Dado Sarvecic, Tom Ksiazek, and Alemka Markotic in Sarajevo, 1989, setting up hantavirus diagnostic testing for planned ribavirin efficacy trial.

Figure 2

Joel Dalrymple and Ho Wang Lee. Their mutual respect and admiration created a foundation of collaboration that has benefited the entire field of hantavirology.