Arenaviridae
| Arenavirus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Lassa virus | |
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group V ((-)ssRNA) |
| Order: | Unassigned |
| Family: | Arenaviridae |
| Genera | |
An arenavirus is a virus which is a member of the family Arenaviridae. These viruses infect rodents and occasionally humans; arenaviruses have also been discovered which infect snakes. At least eight arenaviruses are known to cause human disease. The diseases derived from arenaviruses range in severity. Aseptic meningitis, a severe human disease that causes inflammation covering the brain and spinal cord, can arise from the Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. Hemorrhagic fever syndromes are derived from infections such as Guanarito virus (GTOV), Junin virus (JUNV), Lassa virus (LASV), Lujo virus (LUJV),Machupo virus (MACV), Sabia virus (SABV), or Whitewater Arroyo virus (WWAV). Arenaviruses are divided into two groups: the Old World and the New World viruses. The differences between these groups are distinguished geographically and genetically. Because of the epidemiological association with rodents, some arenaviruses and bunyaviruses are designated as roboviruses.
Viewed in cross-section, arenaviruses contain grainy particles that are ribosomes acquired from their host cells. It is from this characteristic that they acquired the name arena, from the Latin root meaning sand. The ribosomal structures are not believed to be essential for virus replication. Virus particles, or virions, are pleomorphic (variable in shape) but are often spherical, with a diameter of 60–300 nm, and are covered with surface glycoprotein spikes.
The virus contains a beaded nucleocapsid with two single-stranded RNA segments. The nucleocapsid consists of a core of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein coat. Although they are often miscategorized as negative-sense viruses, arenaviruses are ambisense. This confusion stems from the fact that while sections of their genome are considered negative sense, and encode genes in the reverse direction, other sections encode genes in the opposite (forward/positive sense) direction. This complex gene expression structure is theorized to be a primitive regulatory system, allowing the virus to control what proteins are synthesized at what point in the life cycle. The life cycle of the arenavirus is restricted to the cell cytoplasm.
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