Soil Availability of Dietary Selenium Possible Etiological Determinant of Some Viral Infectious Diseases (VIDs).

A preliminary map indicating regions low in geologic Se bioavailability was overlain with etiological origins of various diseases.  Resulting correlations were stark: pandemic influenzas (1918 “Spanish” flu, 1957 Asian flu, 1968 Hong Kong flu, Avian H5N1 flu)  and SARS originated in east central China “Guangdong” and Hubei Provinces, respectively; whereas, HIV and Ebola hemorrhagic fever originated in west central Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon and Gabon, respectively.  Each of these diseases is viral in origin and infectious. Sparse data from literature indicate dietary Se in these regions, derived primarily from plants, can fall substantially below 47 mcg Se/d required to achieve metabolic 1 µMol Se/L blood for full expression of immunocompetence; these data indicate individual Se blood values range as low as 0.15-0.7 µMol/L.  
   Se, an essential micronutrient, is a physiologic antioxidant which contributes to immune system regulation.  Others found Se-deficient individuals were susceptible to enterovirus, and that benign forms of the virus mutated to virulence under Se-deficient host conditions. Furthermore, individuals with blood values <1 µMol Se susceptible to poliovirus, had decreased immune response to poliovirus vaccination, and that the poliovirus strain had increased mutations rates under low-Se host conditions; Se supplementation of the low Se status population raised immune response and lowered number of viral mutations.  Subsequent researchers are identifying biomolecular mechanisms which contribute to viral virulence and infectivity under Se-deficient host conditions.  Thus, determinations of geochemical bioavailability of Se to food crops in these geographic regions may help ameliorate and abate probable nutrient Se-deficiencies – and potential subsequent viral infectious diseases (VIDs).