Arenaviruses and Hemorrhagic Fevers: From Virus Discovery to Molecular Biology, Therapeutics, and Prevention in Latin America.

ROMANOWSKI VÍCTOR; GOÑI SANDRA E; LOZANO MARIO E; PIDRE MATIAS LUIS

Human Virology in Latin America: From Biology to Control

Springer International Publishing

Año: 2017; p. 1 - 25

Arenaviruses are enveloped viruses and have a bi-segmented negative stranded RNA genome. The genomic RNA segments, large (L) and small (S), use an ambisense coding strategy to encode two open reading frames in opposite orientation, separated by a non-coding intergenic region. Several arenaviruses are etiologic agents of emerging diseases. At present, they are responsible for up to 500,000 zoonotic infections per year in endemic areas of Africa and South America and can lead to severe and lethal hemorrhagic fever as well as neurological symptoms. Arenaviridae represents the largest group of hemorrhagic fever (HF) causing viruses: five of the South American arenaviruses (CHPV, GTOV, JUNV, MACV, and SABV) are associated with HF in humans.The only locally licensed vaccine available is based on a live attenuated virus to prevent Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF). Immune therapy has been implemented to reduce AHF mortality rate significantly, and studies on small synthetic and natural chemicals have met variable success as antiviral agents. Rapid diagnosis and early treatment are essential to this end. In this chapter we review studies on virus discovery, molecular and cell biology of infection, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment totally or partially conducted by Latin American scientists and medical personnel.