Guanarito virus causes hemorrhagic fever in Venezuela. This virus inhabits a rodent host, in which it reproduces. It infects humans by contact with the saliva or urine of the infected rodents. Another way to get infected is by inhalation of the virus. The virus then grows in the affected individual's lymph nodes and from there spreads to the rest of the body, causing a viremia. The incubation period is about one to two weeks.
General Symptoms
Patients infected with the Guanarito virus exhibit fever, headache, body and muscle aches and abdominal pain. Other nonspecific, early symptoms of the disease include vomiting, diarrhea and sore throat.
Hematologic Symptoms
The Guanarito virus causes hemorrhagic fever. It does so by causing thrombocytopenia, a condition in which the platelets--the blood cells that help with clotting--are depleted, therefore reducing the body's ability to clot off bleeding. Other effects from the virus that predispose the patient to bleeding include damage to the vascular system (arteries, capillaries and veins) and inability of the platelets that are not destroyed to function properly. Patients with hemorrhagic fever bleed easily and can do so from all mucous membranes, including the eyes, mouth, nose and anus. Injuries and trauma, like cuts and bruises, can also cause heavy bleeding. Patients can also bleed into their heads or into the abdominal cavity, especially if there is trauma to these areas.
White blood cells, which are the cells in charge of fighting off infections, can also be affected by this virus.
Other Symptoms
Patients may develop proteinuria, or passage of proteins in the urine, which can lead to edema or swelling. Liver enzymes can be elevated, and both the liver and the spleen can become enlarged. The patient may show changes in his mental status, tremors and even seizures. Severely affected individuals will eventually go into shock, either hemorrhagic shock as a result of blood loss, or hypovolemic shock, which results from severe dehydration. About 1/3 of infected individuals eventually die from complications of infection with this virus.
References
- Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
