New World Arenaviruses: Host Reservoirs, Viral Diversity and Pathogenic Mechanisms

Introduction: Arenaviridae can cause diseases such as lymphocytic choriomeningitis, Lassa fever, Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, and Brazilian hemorrhagic fevers. Their main etiological agents are Sabiá virus, Flexal virus, Amapari virus, Juquitiba virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Lassa virus, Junin virus, and Machupo virus. Objective: Show the degree of infection of New World arenaviruses associated with rodents of the genera Calomys, Necomys, Neotoma, Oryzomys, and Sigmodon, subfamily Sigmodontinae and family Cricetidae, and Old World arenaviruses associated with rodents of the genera Mastomys and Praomys of the subfamily Murinae and family Muridae. The exception is the Tacaribe virus, which was isolated from bats of the genus Artibeus spp. Methodology: Infected urine from various rodent species and person-to-person transmission are the modes of infection for this disease. Results: Infections range from asymptomatic in all cases to fatal in some, or even febrile illness with systemic symptoms generally including headache, myalgia, weakness, sore throat, and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as hemorrhage and late neurological disease. Differential immune responses, destruction of T cells from infected cells in the central nervous system, can be observed, creating disturbances in the hemostatic system and endothelium, resulting in bleeding and shock. Isolation of the virus from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or tissues, with evaluation of IgG and IgM antibodies, are specific for virus recognition. Conclusion: LCM occurs throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. All result from contact with infected rodent urine, usually through contamination of cuts and scratches on the skin.