An updated review and current challenges of Guanarito virus infection, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever

Abstract

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.

A review of emerging health threats from zoonotic New World mammarenaviruses

“…Seropositivity and virus isolation from VHF’s primary rodent reservoir host, Zygodontomys brevicauda (Short-tailed Cane Mouse), points to an endemic area of 9,000 km 2 located in the southern and southwestern areas of Venezuela (Fig. 1 ; [ 33 ]). Both GTOV in rodents and human cases of VHF have been reported in the states of Portuguesa and Barinas [ 33 ].…”

“…1 ; [ 33 ]). Both GTOV in rodents and human cases of VHF have been reported in the states of Portuguesa and Barinas [ 33 ]. Isolates of GTOV have also been found in Oligoryzomys delicatus (Delicate Pygmy Rice Rat) and Sigmodon alstoni (Groove-toothed Cotton Rat) within these states [ 34 ].…”

“…Given Z. brevicauda’s limited range, GTOV infection is thought to be limited to the rural plains area of western Venezuela [ 33 ]. Between 1989 and 2006, there have been 618 reported cases of VHF in Portuguesa, with a reported case-fatality rate of 23.1%.…”

Vaccine Candidates against Arenavirus Infections

“…The vaccine platforms and strategies outlined in this review will mainly focus on LF and AHF. Incidents of other mammarenavirus infections are rare compared to LF and AHF, although the development of vaccines against them remains crucial, as cases of VHF, BzHF, and CHF were reported recently [ 20 , 48 , 49 ]. Various vaccine platforms have been investigated, ranging from live-attenuated vaccines, artificially modified recombinant viruses, the use of other viruses as vectors, as well as proteins, DNA, and mRNA [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 11 ].…”

Antiviral foods in the battle against viral infections: Understanding the molecular mechanism

“…Caffeine may decrease endotoxins' lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced inflammatory reactions according to in vitro findings (Hwang et al, 2016). A recent human investigation in obese females found that caffeine suppressed LPS (Silva‐Ramos et al, 2022). The study also discovered that caffeine reduces obesity‐related metabolic side effects such as increased LPS, insulin action, glucose homeostasis, and testosterone levels after a high‐intensity exercise lifestyle intervention.…”