Comparative analysis of rodent and small mammal viromes to better understand the wildlife origin of emerging infectious diseases

Background Rodentsrepresent around 43% of all mammalian species, are widely distributed, and are the natural reservoirsof a diverse group of zoonotic viruses, including hantaviruses, Lassa viruses, and tick-borne encephalitisviruses. Thus, analyzing the viral diversity harbored by rodentscould assist efforts to predict and reduce the risk of future emergence of zoonotic viral diseases.