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Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses as Biological Weapons
Zoonotic aspects of arenavirus
infections.Vet Microbiol. 2010 Jan 27;140(3-4):213-20. Epub 2009 Aug
28.
To date, the International
Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses recognizes that the family
Arenaviridae contains a unique genus Arenavirus that includes 22 viral
species. There are nine additional arenaviruses that either have been
discovered recently, or which taxonomic status remains pending.
Arenaviruses have been classified according to their antigenic
properties into two groups, the Lassa-Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
(LCM) serocomplex and the Tacaribe serocomplex which has been further
divided into four evolutionary lineages. Each arenavirus is more or
less tightly associated with a mammal host. The distribution of the
host dictates the distribution of the virus. Humans may become
infected by arenaviruses through direct contact with infected rodents,
including bites, or through inhalation of infectious rodent excreta
and secreta. Lassa, Junin, Machupo, Guanarito, and Sabia viruses are
known to cause a severe hemorrhagic fever, in western Africa,
Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil, respectively. Infection by
LCM virus can result in acute central nervous system disease,
congenital malformations, and infection in organ transplantation
recipients. Detection of arenaviruses in their animal host can be
achieved by virus isolation, and has recently taken advantage of PCR-based
techniques. The approach based on consensus degenerate primers has
shown efficient for both detection of known arenaviruses, and
discovery of new arenaviruses. |
