Hemorrhagic fever virus missing from BSL-4 laboratory
One of five vials of Guanarito virus is missing from the Galveston National Laboratory, which houses a BSL-4 laboratory designed to safely study the most dangerous pathogens.
Guanarito virus is a member of the family Arenaviridae, which includes enveloped viruses with a segmented, negative-strand RNA genome. It is found in Venezuela where it is transmitted to humans from rats. The natural host is believed to be the short-tailed cane mouse. In humans the virus causes hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate of 23%. The virus does not transmit among humans and is not known to replicate in US rodents. Other viruses that ...
Source: virology blog - March 26, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Information BSL-4 deadly virus galveston national laboratory guanarito virus texas biolab viral virology Source Type: blogs
