it can cause neurological illness while in reptiles it can be the cause of pneumonia. In birds this virus may even cause death. Pathophysiology Members of the Orthoreovirus genus have been known to cause apoptosis in host cells, and have thus been studied fairly extensively for this very purpose. Mammalian orthoreoviruses induce apoptosis via the activation of several death receptors—TNFR, TRAIL, and Fas—while avian orthoreovirus has been found to use the up-regulation of p53 to induce apoptosis. Both of these strains have also been found to be involved in G2/M cell cycle arrest. The avian orthoreovirus has also been proven to promote autophagy of the host which could contribute to disease in a similar manner as apoptosis. The inhibition of the innate immune response has also been seen in mammalian and avian orthoreoviruses. Other strains of the orthoreoviruses have not been studied as frequently as mammalian and avian strains resulting in a lack of understanding in the pathophysiology of those strains, though it can be assumed they act in similar ways. Oncolytic properties One of the most relevant uses for the mammalian orthoreoviruses are the manipulation of their oncolytic properties for their use in cancer treatments. This particular use of reoviruses was discovered in 1995 by Dr Patrick Lee who discovered these viruses could kill those cells that contained an over-activated Ras pathway, often a hallmark of cancerous cells. These viruses are particularly ideal for these sort of therapies because they are self-limiting while simultaneously harnessing the ability to induce apoptosis in tumor cells exclusively. One of the more widely used strains for these anti-cancer clinical trials is the serotype 3 dearing strain, Resolysin, used in phase I-III trials. A variety of cancers have been treated with this therapy, either alone or in tandem with others, including multiple myeloma, ovarian epithelial, and pancreatic cancers. A recent clinical trial demonstrated that mammalian orthoreovirus was effective in inducing apoptosis in hypoxic prostate tumor cells with hopes of success in clinical trials. Diagnosis To be able to perform a proper diagnosis of this pathogen is it important to take samples from the suspected infected individuals such as a stool, throat, or nasopharyngeal sample. There are various tests that can be done on these samples to see if a person is infected. Viral antigen can be detected by performing an assay. A serological assay can also be performed on the sample to look for