MODES OF TRANSMISSION: Human exposure to Junin virus is believed to occur mainly through inhalation of aerosolised body fluids (blood, saliva) or excretions (urine, faeces) of infected rodents, typically during agricultural work(1,3,4,11,13).
What type of virus is an arenavirus?
An arenavirus is a bisegmented ambisense RNA virus that is a member of the family Arenaviridae. These viruses infect rodents and occasionally humans.
How is Machupo virus spread?
Transmission: Machupo virus is spread through aerosolized, food-borne, or direct contact of virus particles. These particles result from the saliva, urine, or feces of Calomys callosus, the field mouse reservoir of the virus.
What causes arenavirus?
VHFs caused by Arenaviruses. Argentine hemorrhagic fever. Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. Chapare hemorrhagic fever. Sabia-associated hemorrhagic fever.
Where is Junin virus found?
Junín virus, the etiological agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever, causes significant morbidity and mortality. The virus is spread through the aerosolization of host rodent excreta and endemic to the humid pampas of Argentina.
How many Filoviruses are there?
There are currently five genera in the filovirus family: Ebolavirus, Marburgvirus, Cuevavirus, Striavirus, and Thamnovirus, with the proposal of a sixth genus, Dianlovirus.
Where is Machupo virus located?
Machupo virus is only found in Bolivia and was first described in 1959, although cases have been described in other neighboring Central American countries (Acha and Szyfres, 2003).
Are Alphaviruses enveloped?
Alphavirus particles are enveloped, have a 70 nm diameter, tend to be spherical (although slightly pleomorphic), and have a 40 nm isometric nucleocapsid.
How do you treat arenavirus?
What is the treatment? There is no specific treatment for most of these illnesses. Some of the illnesses, such as Lassa fever, respond to anti-viral therapies if they are treated during the first week of illness. Supportive therapy, including managing secondary bacterial infections, may also help reduce mortality.
When was the Junin virus discovered?
Junín virus was discovered in 1958 in remote agricultural regions of Argentina. Its clinical syndrome was appropriately named Argentine hemorrhagic fever.
What family is the Marburg virus in?
MVD is caused by the Marburg virus, a genetically unique zoonotic (or, animal-borne) RNA virus of the filovirus family.
What is The Guanarito virus in Venezuela?
Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever (VHF) is a zoonotic human illness first identified in 1989. The disease is most prevalent in several rural areas of central Venezuela and is caused by the Guanarito virus (GTOV) which belongs to the Arenaviridae family.
What is the biosafety level of Guanarito arena virus?
The Guanarito arena virus belongs to clade B and is the cause of VHF. On the biosafety level scale of one to four, with four causing the most risk, the viruses causing hemorrhagic fevers have been assigned a four by the CDC.
What is the Pirital virus (Pirv) in Venezuela?
The Tacaribe serocomplex viruses (family Arenaviridae, genus Arenavirus) known to occur in Venezuela are Guanarito virus (GTOV) and Pirital virus (PIRV) ( 1,2 ). GTOV is the etiologic agent of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever (VHF) ( 1 ). The human health significance of PIRV has not been rigorously investigated ( 3 ).
Do rodent hosts get infected with new arenaviruses?
Since then, new arenaviruses have been discovered regularly. While rodent hosts are chronically infected with an arenavirus, they do not appear to become ill. Most infections spread among adult rodents through scratches and bites, although for certain arenaviruses, the virus passes from mother to offspring during pregnancy.
