Bas-Congo-Virus

The Bas -Congo virus ( BASV ) is a occurred in 2009 with three cases of hemorrhagic fever associated agents of the family Rhabdoviridae. The disease occurred in the village of Mangala on in the Democratic Republic of Congo and were characterized by a fulminant course. Two of the three patients died, the survivors, and a fourth, non-diseased Contact antibodies against BASV were detected.

Discovery

Was discovered the virus after the known causative agent of hemorrhagic fever were excluded. In the serum of patients surviving BASV was found in the form of RNA copies; the genome was largely reconstructed using deep sequencing. According to pedigree analysis BASV differs significantly from other known rhabdoviruses.

Is considered to be unusual, especially the fact that the infection apparently leads with BASV in humans hemorrhagic fever, a disease that has not occurred in the context of rhabdoviruses in humans so far. However, in fish viral haemorrhagic septicemia is known, caused by viruses of the genus Novirhabdovirus disease, which is accompanied by bleeding. Are so far above all the various members of the genus Lyssavirus that cause the symptoms of rabies are relevant for humans.

Disease progression and transmission

The one with the Bas- Congo virus associated disease in humans is characterized by an acute, severe course. However, there is also evidence that infections may be asymptomatic. The disease begins suddenly; Symptoms include high fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and fatigue. Very fast contact bleeding ( nose and gum bleeding, hematemesis, bloody diarrhea ). One patient showed bleeding in the eye. Death occurred in the two patients who died two or three days after the onset of symptoms a, in both cases by circulatory failure. A third infected survived the disease.

The first two were infected pupils, but in the days before the disease had no proven personal contact with each other, the source of the primary infection is unknown. The third sufferers was a nurse who cared for the two students until her death. This suggests that BASV to transfers by close contact via body fluids, transmission by droplet infection would probably have a greater spread result. A fourth contact person had antibodies against BASV, but not ill.