Brazilian hemorrhagic fever (BzHF) is an
infectious disease caused by ''Brazilian mammarenavirus'', an
arenavirus.
''Brazilian mammarenavirus'' is one of the arenaviruses from South America to cause
hemorrhagic fever
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses in which fever and hemorrhage are caused by a viral infection. VHFs may be caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses: the families ''Filoviridae'', ''Flav ...
.
It shares a common progenitor with ''
Argentinian mammarenavirus
''Argentinian mammarenavirus'', better known as the ''Junin virus'' or ''Junín virus'' (JUNV), is an arenavirus in the ''Mammarenavirus'' genus that causes Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF). The virus took its original name from the city of Jun ...
'', ''
Machupo mammarenavirus
Bolivian hemorrhagic fever (BHF), also known as black typhus or Ordog Fever, is a hemorrhagic fever and zoonotic infectious disease originating in Bolivia after infection by ''Machupo mammarenavirus''.Public Health Agency of Canada: ''Machupo Vir ...
'', ''
Tacaribe mammarenavirus'', and ''
Guanarito mammarenavirus
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 ''Guanarito mammarenavirus'' (GTOV) which belongs to the Arenavir ...
''.
It is an
enveloped RNA virus
An RNA virus is a virusother than a retrovirusthat has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material. The nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA ( ssRNA) but it may be double-stranded (dsRNA). Notable human diseases caused by RNA viruses ...
and is highly infectious and lethal.
Very little is known about this disease, but it is thought to be transmitted by the excreta of
rodents.
This virus has also been implicated as a means for
bioterrorism, as it can be spread through
aerosol
An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be natural or Human impact on the environment, anthropogenic. Examples of natural aerosols are fog o ...
s.
As of 2019, there had only been four documented infections of ''Brazilian mammarenavirus'': two occurred naturally, and the other two cases occurred in the clinical setting.
The first naturally occurring case was in 1990, when a female agricultural engineer who was staying in the neighborhood of Jardim Sabiá in the municipality of
Cotia, a suburb of
São Paulo,
Brazil contracted the disease (The virus is also known as "Sabiá Virus"). She presented with hemorrhagic fever and died.
Her
autopsy
An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
showed liver
necrosis
Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...
.
A
virologist
Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...
who was studying the woman's disease contracted the virus but survived.
was not given in these first two cases.
Four years later, in 1994, a researcher was exposed to the virus in a
level 3 biohazard facility at
Yale University when a
centrifuge bottle cracked, leaked, and released aerosolized virus particles.
He was successfully treated with
ribavirin.
A fifth case, also naturally acquired in upstate São Paulo, was reported in January 2020. The patient died 12 days after the onset of symptoms.
Treatment
Ribavirin is thought to be effective in treating the illness, similar to other arenaviruses.
Compared to the patients who did not receive ribavirin, the patient who was treated with it had a shorter and less severe clinical course.
Symptomatic control such as fluids to address dehydration and bleeding may also be required.
''Brazilian mammarenavirus'' is a
biosafety Level 4 pathogen.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q51929772, from2=Q24719340, from3=Q18966455
Arenaviridae
Animal viral diseases
Hemorrhagic fevers