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Argentine hemorrhagic fever; O'Higgins disease; stubble disease
Etiology:
- Junin virus
Epidemiology:
- Argentina
- associated with fields containing stubble after the harvest
- vector is the corn mouse
- human transmission only occurs when contact is made with excrement of an infected mouse
- commonly occurs via ingestion of contaminated food or water, inhalation of particles within urine or via direct contact of broken skin with rodent excrement
Clinical manifestations:
- incubation time of 10-12 days
- first symptoms: fever, headache, weakness, anrexia, apathy
- vascular, neurological, renal, hematological & immune system manifestations
- conjunctivitis, purpura, petechia
- occasional sepsis
- disease generally resolves or kills patient within 2-3 weeks
Complications:
- untreated, mortality is 15-30%
Management:
- infusion of plasma of recovered patients
- ribavirin may be useful
- prevention: Junin vaccine available in Argentina
Related
Junin virus
General
viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome; hemorrhagic nephroso-nephritis
References
- Wikipedia: Argentine hemorrhagic fever
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_hemorrhagic_fever