Viral Zoonoses

Abstract

Human infection by zoonotic viruses—pathogens that normally infect animals—may result in no obvious illness, a nonspecific viral syndrome, or more severe illness typically characterized by hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or rash arthralgia. Transmission usually occurs by direct contact with or a bite from an infected animal or arthropod. Viral families discussed include Flaviviridae, Bunyaviridae, Arenaviridae, Filoviridae, Togaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Reoviridae, with consideration given to the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of specific viruses. Hemorrhagic fevers addressed include dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Rift Valley fever; hantavirus infections; and the Marburg and Ebola viruses. Encephalitic fever–causing viruses discussed include La Crosse; Japanese; Murray Valley; St. Louis; tick-borne; West Nile; Powassan; eastern, western, and Venezuelan equine; rabies; Nipah; Barmah Forest; and Colorado tick fever. Rash arthralgia may be caused by the Barmah Forest, Chikungunya, Mayaro, O’nyong-nyong, Ross River, and dengue viruses. Other viral zoonoses considered include monkey B virus, ruminant and primate poxvirus, Newcastle, and foot-and-mouth diseases, as well as vesicular stomatitis virus infection. A diagram depicts the generalized arbovirus maintenance cycle. Tables list the important viral zoonoses that cause human disease, the principal hantaviruses that cause human disease, the arenaviruses that cause significant human illness, and the viral zoonoses endemic in the United States. This review contains 1 figure, 32 tables, and 80 references. Key words: dengue, diagnosis, encephalitis, epidemic, epidemiology, infection, rabies, virus, vaccine