Virus Hunters by McCormick & Fischer-Hoch
Ref: McCormick & Fischer-Hoch (1996). Virus Hunters of the CDC. Turner Publishing.
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Summary
An inside look at the virus hunters of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and their history fighting outbreaks around the globe.
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Human Body
Kidneys: Cleans waste from the blood and removes excess water from the body.
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Disease
Respiratory Disease: Disease spread through aerosols.
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Treatments
Steroids: Raises Blood Pressure (BP).
Anti-Viral: Intravenous Ribavarin.
Prostacyclin: Inhibits platelet aggregation and reduces shock by strengthening lung cells.
Shock: Systolic Blood Pressure <90mmHg.
Edema: fluid in the lungs; can cause Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
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Epidemiology
Viruses: ~50-250nm in length.
Arbovirus: Virus’ spread mainly by mosquitoes.
To study viruses, human tissue cells are grown or cloned in a culture and then virus cells are added. Under the right conditions, the virus attacks the cells and replicates on a massive scale.
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Arenaviruses
Type: Negative Strand RNA virus.
Lassa Fever
Transmission: Spread by the urine of the common village rat (Mastomys Natalanensis).
Incubation: 7 days- 3 weeks.
Method: Effect the platelets and endothelial cells.
Sx: Shock; Slow onset with gradually increasing fever, headaches, body pains. Many patients recover at this point but others go on to develop vomiting, diarrhea, gum bleeding, small hemorrhages in the whites of the eyes. Serious drop in BP with shock with severe edema (fluid in the lunges) which causes adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Tx: Intravenous Ribavarin, Prostacyclin.
History: Originated in Lassa, Nigeria in 1969 when an American Missionary Nurse died.
Argentina Hemorrhagic Fever (AHF)
Bolivia Hemmorhagic Fever (BHF)
Venezuelan Hemmohagic Fever (CHF)
Sabia Virus from Brazil
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Filoviruses
Filo: Thread (Latin); long, thin, snakelike.
Type: Negative- strand RNA Viruses.
Ebola
Incubation: 3-10 days.
Method: Effect the platelets and endothelial cells.
Sx: Acute onset with severe headaches and muscle/body pains and high fever. Very painful sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, BP drops precipitously, surgical shock.
History: Originated simultaneously in 1976 in Yambuku, Zaire & Nzara, Southern Sudan. It’s named after a river in Zaire.
Marburg Fever (Green Monkey Disease)
Method: Effect the platelets and endothelial cells.
History: Originated in 1967 in N. Lake Victoria Region of Uganda and Mt. Elgon Cave Areas of Kenya.
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Bunyaviruses
Type: Negative strand RNA Virus.
Spread by animals
Hantavirus (aka Korean Hemmorhagic Fever).
Transmission: Rats; caused by the common striped blonde field mouse (Apodemus agrarius).
Incubation Period: 10-35 days.
Method: Causes Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS)
Sx: Slow onset with fever, headache, and malaise after petechial rash (tiny red spots on skin). Shock and death due to buildup of fluid in the lungs.
History: Originated in the Hantaan River Valley, Korea.
Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF)
Transmission: Ticks
Incubation Period: 2-9 days.
Sx: Sudden onset with crippling headaches, body aches, and high fever with Petechial rash (tiny red spots on skin) and ecchymoses (large black areas on the skin caused by bleeding). Blood Pressure drops resulting in surgical shock and usually causes death, something as a result of vomiting of blood.
History: First described at the end of WWII when outbreaks afflicted Soviet Soldiers sent to help with the harvest on the Crimean Peninsula. First isolated in a Congolese boy in 1956.
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Retroviruses
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Method: Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
History: Potentially traced to a British Sailor in 1958, otherwise was rampant in Kinsasha, Zaire as early as 1976.
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Misc Quotes
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): British version of the Peace Corps.
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Chronology
2005: A Marburg Fever Outbreak strikes Uganda, Angola, and Uige Province.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1996: An Ebola Outbreak strikes Gabon.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1995: An Ebola Outbreak strikes Kikwit, Zaire.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1994: An Ebola outbreak strikes the Ivory Coast.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1993: Hantavirus is first reported in the USA as Sin Nombre Virus in NM and AZ.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
Nov, 1989: Ebola Reston is imported to the USA from the Philippines; kills scores of Monkeys in a holding facility in Reston, VA and infects one human without causing disease.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1980: Marburg Fever Virus kills a Frenchmen who visited Kitum Cave at Mt Elgon, Kenya.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1979: An Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Virus outbreak strikes Zaire.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1976: Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Outbreaks strike simultaneously in Yambuku, Zaire and Nzara, Southern Sudan. In Zaire Ebola killed 318 (88% fatality rate) and killed 151 in Sudan with 151 ( 53% fatality rate).-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1969: Lassa Fever virus is first reported in Lassa, Nigeria when an American Missionary Nurse dies.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1967: Marburg Fever is first reported in labs in Marburg, W. Germany & Belgrade, Yugoslavia.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
1956: Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is first isolated in Congolese Boy.-Virus Hunters by McCormick.
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