Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever

Introduction

In 1989, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever was discovered for the first time in rural areas, reportedly due to forest removal and subsequent land preparation for farming. Fewer cases have been reported since 1990 to 1991, when there were approximately 100 cases. The short-tailed cane mouse Zygodontomys brevicauda served as the reservoir rodent host for the arenavirus Guanarito virus, identified from patients.

What Is Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever?

Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever (VHF) is a human zoonotic sickness first detected in 1989. The Guanarito mammarenavirus (GTOV), a member of the Arenaviridae family, causes the illness most frequent in several rural areas of central Venezuela. The primary host for GTOV is the short-tailed cane mouse, disseminated primarily through inhaling aerosolized saliva, respiratory secretions, urine, or blood from infected rodents. Spread from person to person is unlikely yet conceivable.

What Are the Causes of Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever?

Although the specific cause of the appearance of VHF is unknown, it has been proposed that human migration and changes in land use practices in natural forest areas in the states of Portuguese and Barinas can partially explain it. Grassland rodents like Z.brevicauda flourished when agricultural fields replaced forested regions, which raised the possibility of contact between vulnerable individuals and rodents carrying the GTOV. It is possible that GTOV is a major cause of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in neighboring regions and that the number of cases has been understated due to recent social and environmental changes, such as the growing human population, deforestation, and movement.

Where Is the Disease More Prevalent?

The VHF endemic region covers roughly 9000 km in Venezuela, primarily in the state of Portuguesa, and neighboring territories, primarily in Barinas. These areas experience a tropical climate with an average mean annual temperature of 28°C, 1300 mm of precipitation, and seasonal rainfall stronger from May to November each year, with a dry spell from December to April.

What Causes Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever?

The Gunarito virus causes it. The Guanarito virus (GTOV), an agent of category A bioterrorism according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a member of the Arenaviridae family.

What Are the Symptoms of Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever?

The most typical initial symptoms, following an incubation period of three to 12 days, are as follows:

• Fever.

• Weakness.

• Joint pain.

• Headache.

• Cough.

• Sore throat.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Diarrhea.

• Bleeding from the nose.

• Bleeding gums.

• Heavy bleeding during menstruation.

• Blood in the stools.

• Leukopenia, a low white blood cell (leukocyte) count, indicating a reduction in disease-fighting cells in the body.

• Thrombocytopenia, a blood disorder characterized by unusually low amounts of platelets, also known as thrombocytes.

• Petechiae, tiny red spot on the skin.

• Rectal bleeding.

Following the commencement of severe symptoms, patients are typically acutely unwell, frequently dehydrated, and drowsy. Hemorrhagic congestion and diffuse pulmonary edema are the most common causes of death, and survivors usually recover completely. However, the recovery period lasts long and necessitates a lengthy hospital stay.

What Are the Risk Factors of Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever?

Exposure to endemic areas may be a significant risk factor for GTOV infection since all of the confirmed and probable cases of VHF have included residents of endemic regions or those who lived elsewhere but had recently visited the endemic zone. Males of reproductive age are the most vulnerable due to work exposure to infected rodents, such as short-tailed cane mice, which live in the wild and rural regions.

How Is Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever Diagnosed?

Diagnosing specific viral hemorrhagic fevers in the early stages of sickness can be challenging because the early signs and symptoms, such as high fever, muscle pains, headaches, and acute exhaustion, are shared by many other diseases.

• Tell the doctor about medical and travel history and any exposure to rodents or insects to help with diagnosis, which includes travel destinations, dates, and any contacts one may have had with potential infection sources.

• Laboratory tests are required to verify a diagnosis, typically blood samples.

• Since viral hemorrhagic fevers are especially dangerous and infectious, these tests are typically carried out under strict safety protocols in certified labs.

• The various diagnostic method includes antibody detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using recombinant viral nucleoproteins.

How Is Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever Treated?

Treatment of Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever are:

• Some medicines and supportive measures used to treat VHF are fresh convalescent plasma, platelet concentrates, fibrinogen, vitamin K, intravenous fluids, antivirals, and oxygen therapy.

• Neutralizing antibodies found in convalescent-phase plasma have been utilized to lessen the severity of VHF. In vitro studies have also shown that it may help treat VHF.

• Several studies are being conducted to test the effectiveness of medicines against VHF; new approaches for identifying small compounds and other medications that could be employed as antivirals are now available.

• In addition, strategies for finding novel cell-entry inhibitors, which are crucial resources for developing potential remedies for VHF, including arenaviral illnesses, are being developed.

How Is Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever Prevented?

Some possible ways are as follows:

• Arenavirus infection can be avoided by preventing the spread of the virus from rodents to people, from one person to another, from contaminated samples to laboratory personnel, and through passive or active immunization.

• Hospital outbreaks occasionally have been brought on by pathogenic aerosols.

• Keeping patients in single rooms with separated negative-pressure airflow wherever possible is recommended, and arm medical personnel with protective eyewear, positive-pressure air respirators, or absolute filter respirators.

• Before being removed from the patient's room, all possibly contaminated waste or specimens should be double-bagged, with the outer bag rinsed with 0.6 percent sodium hypochlorite.

• Patients should stay isolated until many blood and urine samples have tested virus-free.

• Since all arenaviruses are infectious as aerosols, laboratory-acquired infection is a significant issue and therefore, laboratory employees have reported infections, some of which have been fatal.

• Work with all arenaviruses must be done in specialized labs with biosafety level 4 containment.

Conclusion

The Guanarito virus causes Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever. It is difficult to differentiate from other viral hemorrhagic fever. Currently, specific treatments are unavailable, and studies are going on to determine the effectiveness of various antivirals against the condition.