ARENAVIRUS

'''Arenavirus''' is a genus of virus. The type species is ''Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)''; it also includes the species responsible for Lassa fever.
''Arena'' comes from the Latin root meaning ''sand''.
Arenaviruses can be divided into two serogroups, which differ genetically and by geographical distribution:

★ LCMV-Lassa virus (Old World) complex:

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★ Ippy virus

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★ Lassa virus

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★ Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

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★ Mobala virus

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★ Mopeia virus

★ Tacaribe virus (New World) complex:

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★ Amapari virus

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★ Flexal virus

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★ Guanarito virus

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★ Junin virus

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★ Latino virus

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★ Machupo virus

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★ Oliveros virus

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★ Paraná virus

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★ Pichinde virus

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★ Pirital virus

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★ Sabiá virus

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★ Tacaribe virus

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★ Tamiami virus

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★ Whitewater Arroyo virus
Some arenaviruses are zoonotic pathogens and are generally associated with rodent-transmitted disease in humans. Each virus usually is associated with a particular rodent host species in which it is maintained. The virus particles are spherical and have an average diameter of 110-130 nanometers. All are enveloped in a lipid membrane. Viewed in cross-section, they show grainy particles that are ribosomes acquired from their host cells. It is this characteristic that gave them their name, derived from the Latin "arena," which means "sandy." Their genome, or genetic material, is composed of RNA only, and while their replication strategy is not completely understood, we know that new viral particles, called virions, are created by budding from the surface of their hosts’ cells.

'Arenavirus diseases and vectors'

Virus	Disease	Vector	Distribution
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus	Lymphocytic choriomeningitis	House mouse	Worldwide
Lassa virus	Lassa fever	Rat (''Mastomys natalensis'')	West Africa
Junin virus	Argentine hemorrhagic fever	Corn mouse (''Calomys musculinus'')	Argentina
Machupo virus	Bolivian hemorrhagic fever	Vesper mouse (''Calomys callosus'')	Bolivia
Guanarito virus	Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever	Cane mouse (''Zygodontomys brevicauda'')	Venezuela
Sabiá virus	Brazilian hemorrhagic fever	Unknown	Brazil
Tacaribe virus		Bat (''Artibeus'')	Trinidad
Flexal virus	Influenza-like illness	Rice rat (''Oryzomys'')	Brazil
Whitewater Arroyo virus	Hemorrhagic fever	Woodrat (''Neotoma'')	Southwestern USA

Contents

External links

External links

★ Detailed genomic and bioinformatic information about Arenaviridae at NIH-funded database.