Diversity of novel arenaviruses in South Africa

Abstract

A surprisingly high diversity of arenaviruses was detected in this study and further characterisation efforts are ongoing. The identification of arenaviruses by our group and others in Southern Africa suggests that they are more widely distributed than previously thought. The distribution and pathogenicity (or not) for humans is yet to be defined. The outbreak of Lujo virus in 2008 is a reminder that there may be horrible surprises out there.