title: Arenaviruses and hantaviruses: from epidemiology and genomics to antivirals.
abstract: The arenaviruses and hantaviruses are segmented genome RNA viruses that are hosted by rodents. Due to their association with rodents, they are globally widespread and can infect humans via direct or indirect routes of transmission, causing considerable human morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, despite their obvious and emerging importance as pathogens, there are currently no effective antiviral drugs (except ribavirin which proved effective against Lassa virus) with which to treat humans infected by any of these viruses. The EU-funded VIZIER project (Comparative Structural Genomics of Viral Enzymes Involved in Replication) was instigated with an ultimate view of contributing to the development of antiviral therapies for RNA viruses, including the arenaviruses and bunyaviruses. This review highlights some of the major features of the arenaviruses and hantaviruses that have been investigated during recent years. After describing their classification and epidemiology, we review progress in understanding the genomics as well as the structure and function of replicative enzymes achieved under the VIZIER program and the development of new disease control strategies.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Virus Emergents UMR190, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. remi.charrel@univmed.fr
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Charrel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coutard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baronti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Canard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nougairede
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frangeul
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamal
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilgenfeld
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klempa
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: de Lamballerie
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018050:Arenavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends*; D023281:Genomics; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014764:Viral Proteins