Application of Animal Models to Study Infectious Diseases

Faezeh  Ramezani; Shaghayegh  Sadeghmousavi; Milad  Akbarzadehmoallemkolaei

doi:10.18502/igj.v7i4.17888

Faezeh Ramezani Division of Medical Biotechnology, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Shaghayegh Sadeghmousavi Animal Model Integrated Network (AMIN), Universal Scientific Education & Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
Milad Akbarzadehmoallemkolaei Animal Model Integrated Network (AMIN), Universal Scientific Education & Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/igj.v7i4.17888

Keywords: Infectious Disease; Animal Models; Microorganisms; Pathogen

Abstract

Infectious diseases, which are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, can be contracted from other people, the environment, animal contact, or insect bites. Infectious diseases are becoming escalating concerns, mainly due to increasing antibiotic resistance. These disorders remain one of the primary causes of human mortality. Due to the lack of human data on new emerging diseases, ethical values, and the lethal risk of these pathogens, animal models are often recommended for experimental re- search on these diseases. According to the similarities between humans and animals in physiology, genetics, anatomy, availability, ease of handling, and production rate, scientists evaluate different medical problems in animal models before applying their findings to humans. According to the recent advent of the isolation of novel microorganisms, researchers must challenge the infectious ability of microorganisms in the biological system of animal models. An infectious disease animal model attempts to mimic the host-pathogen inter- action. Accordingly, a disease model is defined by both the host and pathogen combination. In this review article, we aimed to discuss various animal models established for studying different infectious diseases.