Argentine Haemorragic fever (Junin virus-arenaviridae) a review on clinical, epidemiological, ecological, treatmentand preventive aspects of the disease

RESUMO

Argentine Haemorrhagic Fever (AHF) is a severe systemic viral disease caused by Junin virus. The etiologic agent of AHF belongs to the family Arenaviridae and is associated with cricetine rodents, which arethe natural reservoirs. Epidemics of the disease were first recognized in the 1950 decade, although retrospective analysis concluded that there have been previous outbreaks of a similar disease beginning in the early forties. The endemic are is located in the human pampa, the most fertile farming land of Argentina. Since 1958, annual outbreaksof the disease have been registered without interruption, and a progressive extension of the endemic region has been documented. The disease is characterized by haematologic, neurologic, cardiovascular, renal and immunologic alterations, with a case-fatality rate as high as 30 percent. A especific therapy is a available for AHF, and consists of the early administration of immune plasma. Therapy with immune plasma in standarized doses of neutralizing antibodies reduces the case-fatality rate to less than 1 percent. An attenuated live vaccine (Candid 1) is a available for AHF. After completion of all preclinical testing, the safety, immunogeneticity and efficacy of Candid 1 in human volunteers were clearly established. This vaccine is currently being used in the population exposed to the higher risk of infection