This study highlights the significance of zoonotic diseases, which make up almost 60% of infectious diseases in humans, and their origin from animals. Among mammalian viruses, primates, bats, and rodents have been identified as high-risk carriers. Within the rodent family Cricetidae, the species complex of Peromyscus eremicus, Peromyscus californicus, Peromyscus fraterculus, and Osgoodomys banderanus have been found to play a crucial role in disease transmission. These four species are phylogenetically related and share similar physical appearances and ecological niches. They have been identified as carriers of several zoonotic diseases, including Hantavirus, Arenavirus, Yersinia pestis, and Flavivirus, with a history of spread to humans. Despite their implications for public health, many of these species remain understudied. Thus, this study aims to provide a systematic review of the existing literature on these four species to summarize the findings on virus prevalence and distribution. The review shows that sampling efforts have been uneven and recent efforts have been lacking, with potential undiscovered zoonotic diseases. The concentration of sampling efforts in California and gaps in the literature are concerning, especially with changing agriculture and climate change potentially affecting rodent communities.

An effort to experiment on the novel Usutu virus in pure in silico methods was made to determine conformational changes with non polar point mutations in the amino acid sequence. The first method consisted of creating a Python program to exhaustively identify codons, amino acids, and dinucleotide bridges & nonbridges, including viral characteristics defined by Mollentze in 2021. The second method consisted of creating point mutations to non polar amino acids in deemed key sites of the Usutu virus envelope protein and finding the RMSD from the original structure. This resulted in one of two outcomes - either the experiment showed that the Usutu virus envelope protein is highly resistant to point mutations or in silico methods are inconsistent and biased, leading to inaccuracy.

This thesis presents a systematic review of viruses found in the Peromyscus leucopus rodent species in North America. Various viruses cause serious illness in humans through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, or inhalation of dust contaminated with the virus, with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) being the most severe manifestation. Therefore, studying their distribution in rodent populations can inform public health interventions to reduce the risk of transmission. Through a literature review and data analysis, this study found that studying the distribution of viruses in rodents can help identify areas where humans may be at higher risk of contracting the virus, inform public health interventions to reduce the risk of HPS transmissions, and better understand the ecology of the virus and its host species, which can, in turn, inform conservation efforts. Furthermore, monitoring the spread of viruses over time and across regions can help us better understand their epidemiology and potential for future outbreaks, which can inform surveillance and response efforts to mitigate the impact of the virus on human and animal health. Overall, this study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex public health and conservation issues and underscores the need for continued research in this area.

The North American deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, is the most widespread mammal on the continent. It is of interest to the public health sector as a known host of several viruses which are transmissible to humans and can cause illness, including the acute respiratory disease Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). This paper seeks to conduct a systematic review of existing literature on virus detection in wild P. maniculatus in order to develop an understanding of virus prevalence and distribution and identify potential areas of further research. Through the analysis of 22 studies published since 2010, it was found that detection effort has been concentrated on the American West with a focus on the spread of Sin Nombre virus, the causative agent of HPS. There are significant gaps in the existing literature both geographically and in regards to the types of viruses being sampled. Moving forward, a systematic approach to widespread sampling should be developed in order to better identify and minimize potential threats to human health.