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An updated review and current challenges of Guanarito virus infection, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever.Archives of Virology Sep 2022Guanarito virus (GTOV) is a member of the family Arenaviridae and has been designated a category A bioterrorism agent by the US Centers for Disease Control and... (Review)
Review
Guanarito virus (GTOV) is a member of the family Arenaviridae and has been designated a category A bioterrorism agent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is endemic to Venezuela's western region, and it is the etiological agent of "Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever" (VHF). Similar to other arenaviral hemorrhagic fevers, VHF is characterized by fever, mild hemorrhagic signs, nonspecific symptoms, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. Patients with severe disease usually develop signs of internal bleeding. Due to the absence of reference laboratories that can handle GTOV in endemic areas, diagnosis is primarily clinical and epidemiological. No antiviral therapies are available; thus, treatment includes only supportive analgesia and fluids. GTOV is transmitted by contact with the excreta of its rodent reservoir, Zygodontomys brevicauda. The main reasons for the emergence of the disease may be the increase in the human population, migration, and changes in land use patterns in rural areas. Social and environmental changes could make VHF an important cause of underdiagnosed acute febrile illnesses in regions near the endemic areas. Although there is evidence that GTOV circulates among rodents in different Venezuelan states, VHF cases have only been reported in the states of Portuguesa and Barinas. However, due to the increased frequency of invasions by humans into wildlife habitats, it is probable that VHF could become a public health problem in the nearby regions of Colombia and Brazil. The current Venezuelan political crisis is causing an increase in the migration of people and livestock, representing a risk for the redistribution and re-emergence of infectious diseases.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae; Arenaviridae Infections; Arenaviruses, New World; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral; Humans; Rodentia; Sigmodontinae
PubMed: 35579715
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05453-3 -
Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983) Jan 2005The majority of haemorrhagic fever viruses are responsible for various clinical manifestations, the mutual characteristics of which are fever and haemorrhage in 5 to 70%... (Review)
Review
The majority of haemorrhagic fever viruses are responsible for various clinical manifestations, the mutual characteristics of which are fever and haemorrhage in 5 to 70% of cases. All degrees of severity can be observed, ranging from isolated fever to multi-organ failure and death. These viruses belong to one of the following families: filoviridae, arenaviridae, bunyaviridae, and flaviviridae. They must be considered as dangerous biological weapons that could potentially be used. Most of the viruses responsible for haemorrhagic fever can be transmitted to humans through the air in spray form, except the dengue virus and the agents of haemorrhagic fever from the Congo Crimea and the haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome that are difficult to handle in cell culture. In the event of a bioterrorist act, the management of persons infected or suspected of being so will be made by the referent departments of infectious diseases, defined by the French Biotox plan. Management includes isolation, confirmation or invalidation of the diagnosis and rapid initiation of treatment with ribavirin. Ribavirin is recommended for the treatment and prophylaxis of arenavirus and bunyavirus infections; it is not effective for the other families of virus. Except for yellow fever, there is no vaccination for the other forms of viral haemorrhagic fever.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Arenaviridae; Bioterrorism; Bunyaviridae; Communicable Disease Control; Disaster Planning; Emergency Medical Services; Filoviridae; Flaviviridae; France; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral; Humans; Ribavirin; Severity of Illness Index; Vaccination
PubMed: 15687968
DOI: 10.1016/s0755-4982(05)83898-9 -
Thrombosis and Haemostasis Dec 2009Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) caused by arenaviruses are among the most devastating emerging human diseases. The most important pathogen among the arenaviruses is... (Review)
Review
Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) caused by arenaviruses are among the most devastating emerging human diseases. The most important pathogen among the arenaviruses is Lassa virus (LASV), the causative agent of Lassa fever that is endemic to West Africa. On the South American continent, the New World arenavirus Junin virus (JUNV), Machupo (MACV), Guanarito (GTOV), and Sabia virus (SABV) have emerged as causative agents of severe VHFs. Clinical and experimental studies on arenavirus VHF have revealed a crucial role of the endothelium in their pathogenesis. However, in contrast to other VHFs, haemorrhages are not a salient feature of Lassa fever and fatal cases do not show overt destruction of vascular tissue. The functional alteration of the vascular endothelium that precede shock and death in fatal Lassa fever may be due to more subtle direct or indirect effects of the virus on endothelial cells. Haemorrhagic disease manifestations and vascular involvement are more pronounced in the VHF caused by the South American haemorrhagic fever viruses. Recent studies on JUNV revealed perturbation of specific endothelial cell function, including expression of cell adhesion molecules, coagulation factors, and vasoactive mediators as a consequence of productive viral infection. These studies provided first possible links to some of the vascular abnormalities observed in patients, however, their relevance in vivo remains to be investigated.
Topics: Arenaviridae Infections; Arenavirus; Endothelium, Vascular; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Junin virus; Lassa Fever; Lassa virus
PubMed: 19967131
DOI: 10.1160/TH09-06-0357 -
Reviews of Infectious Diseases 1989Monocytes play a central role in protection against many viruses. In some infections they are target cells for viral replication. There is increasing evidence that these... (Review)
Review
Monocytes play a central role in protection against many viruses. In some infections they are target cells for viral replication. There is increasing evidence that these cells may also be important in regulation of hemostasis. The part played by monocytic cells in the pathogenesis of hemorrhage in the viral hemorrhagic fevers is presently uncertain. Monocytes and monocytic cell lines have been used to investigate the ability of viruses to infect these cells in vitro. Several factors may affect the ability of a particular virus to infect monocytic cells, including specific antiserum to virus and the degree of cellular maturation. The effect of cellular maturation on the replication of Rift Valley fever virus in the U937 cell line is discussed in light of studies on the infectivity of other viruses for monocytic cells. Data supporting the ability of specific antibody to enhance the infectivity of Pichinde virus and Lassa fever virus for U937 cells are presented.
Topics: Antibodies, Viral; Arenaviridae; Bunyaviridae; Cell Line; Hemostasis; Humans; Lassa virus; Monocytes; Rift Valley fever virus; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Virus Replication
PubMed: 2665010
DOI: 10.1093/clinids/11.supplement_4.s736 -
The Journal of Infectious Diseases Oct 1999Chronic infections in specific rodents appear to be crucial to the long-term persistence of arenaviruses in nature. The cane mouse, Zygodontomys brevicauda, is a natural...
Experimental infection of the cane mouse Zygodontomys brevicauda (family Muridae) with guanarito virus (Arenaviridae), the etiologic agent of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever.
Chronic infections in specific rodents appear to be crucial to the long-term persistence of arenaviruses in nature. The cane mouse, Zygodontomys brevicauda, is a natural host of Guanarito virus (family Arenaviridae), the etiologic agent of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the natural history of Guanarito virus infection in Z. brevicauda. Thirty-nine laboratory-reared cane mice each were inoculated subcutaneously with 3.0 log10 plaque-forming units of the Guanarito virus prototype strain INH-95551. No lethality was associated with infection in any animal, regardless of age at inoculation. The 13 newborn, 14 weanling, and 8 of the 12 adult animals developed chronic viremic infections characterized by persistent shedding of infectious virus in oropharyngeal secretions and urine. These findings indicate that Guanarito virus infection in Z. brevicauda can be chronic and thus support the concept that this rodent species is the natural reservoir of Guanarito virus.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Arenaviridae; Arenaviruses, New World; Hemorrhagic Fever, American; Muridae; Oropharynx; Spleen; Venezuela
PubMed: 10479119
DOI: 10.1086/315029 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2014
Review
Topics: Arenaviridae Infections; Central Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
PubMed: 25015511
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-53488-0.00033-X -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Apr 2013Interferons must balance antiviral actions against immunosuppressive effects during acute and chronic infections.
Interferons must balance antiviral actions against immunosuppressive effects during acute and chronic infections.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae Infections; Female; Interferon Type I; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; Male; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 23580520
DOI: 10.1126/science.1237568 -
Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery May 2024Mammarenaviruses are negative-sense bisegmented enveloped RNA viruses that are endemic in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Several are highly virulent, causing acute... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Mammarenaviruses are negative-sense bisegmented enveloped RNA viruses that are endemic in Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Several are highly virulent, causing acute human diseases associated with high case fatality rates, and are considered to be significant with respect to public health impact or bioterrorism threat.
AREAS COVERED
This review summarizes the status quo of treatment development, starting with drugs that are in advanced stages of evaluation in early clinical trials, followed by promising candidate medical countermeasures emerging from bench analyses and investigational animal research.
EXPERT OPINION
Specific therapeutic treatments for diseases caused by mammarenaviruses remain limited to the off-label use of ribavirin and transfusion of convalescent sera. Progress in identifying novel candidate medical countermeasures against mammarenavirus infection has been slow in part because of the biosafety and biosecurity requirements. However, novel methodologies and tools have enabled increasingly efficient high-throughput molecular screens of regulatory-agency-approved small-molecule drugs and led to the identification of several compounds that could be repurposed for the treatment of infection with several mammarenaviruses. Unfortunately, most of them have not yet been evaluated . The most promising treatment under development is a monoclonal antibody cocktail that is protective against multiple lineages of the Lassa virus in nonhuman primate disease models.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Antiviral Agents; Drug Development; Arenaviridae Infections; Arenaviridae; Virulence; Drug Design
PubMed: 38606475
DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2340494 -
Current Topics in Microbiology and... 2002
Review
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae Infections; Arenavirus; Disease Models, Animal; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Mice
PubMed: 11987823
DOI: No ID Found -
Current Molecular Medicine Dec 2005Arenaviruses merit significant attention both as tractable model systems to study acute and persistent viral infections, and as clinically important human pathogens.... (Review)
Review
Arenaviruses merit significant attention both as tractable model systems to study acute and persistent viral infections, and as clinically important human pathogens. Evidence indicates that LCMV remains present in the USA and Europe and capable of causing significant morbidity in infected individuals, likely being a neglected human pathogen. Moreover, new arenaviruses are being discovered in the Americas on the average of one every three years, with some of them causing severe hemorrhagic fever. In addition, weaponized forms of these viruses pose a real threat as agents of bioterrorism. Therefore, it is important to develop effective vaccines and better antiviral drugs to combat the dual threats of naturally occurring and intentionally introduced Arenavirus infections. The development of arenavirus reverse genetic systems is allowing investigators to conduct a detailed molecular characterization of the viral cis-acting signals and trans-acting factors that control each of the steps of the Arenavirus life cycle, including RNA synthesis, packaging and budding. We will discuss how this new knowledge is facilitating the establishment of novel assays to identify and characterize compounds capable of interfering with specific steps of the virus life cycle. Likewise, the ability to generate predetermined specific mutations within the arenavirus genome, and analyze their phenotypic expression, would significantly contribute to the elucidation of arenavirus-host interactions, including the bases of their ability to persist, as well as to cause severe HF (hemorrhagic fever) disease in humans. These approaches could also lead to the development of novel potent and safe Arenavirus vaccines.
Topics: Antibodies, Viral; Antiviral Agents; Arenaviridae; Arenaviridae Infections; Humans; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; Viral Vaccines
PubMed: 16375709
DOI: 10.2174/156652405774962353