Genetic diversity between and within the arenavirus species indigenous to western Venezuela.
The results of analyses of Z, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, glycoprotein precursor, and nucleocapsid protein gene sequence data suggested that Guanarito virus was the most common cause of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever in a 7-year period in the 1990s and that the evolution of Pirital virus in association with Sigmodon alstoni (Alston's cotton rat) has occurred at a significantly higher rate than the evolution of Guanarito virus in association with Zygodontomys brevicauda (short-tailed cane mouse) on the plains of western Venezuela. The results of analyses of the primary structures of the glycoproteins of the 8 strains of Guanarito virus isolated from humans suggested that these strains would be highly cross-reactive in neutralization assays. Thus, passive antibody therapy may prove beneficial in the treatment of human disease caused by strains of Guanarito virus that are enzootic in the region in which Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever is endemic.
Fulhorst
Charles F
CF
University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Pathology, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA. cfulhors@utmb.edu
Cajimat
Maria N B
MN
Milazzo
Mary Louise
ML
Paredes
Hector
H
de Manzione
Nuris M C
NM
Salas
Rosa A
RA
Rollin
Pierre E
PE
Ksiazek
Thomas G
TG
D000818:Animals; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006477:Arenaviruses, New World / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D016205:Sigmodontinae / Q000821:virology; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins