The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently shed light on a rare illness similar to the Ebola virus, which seems to have originated in rural Bolivia in 2004. The disease, known as the Chapare virus, is named after the province where it was first spotted. This article delves into the key points about this virus, its transmission, symptoms, treatment, and more.
About the Chapare Virus
The Chapare virus belongs to the Arenavirus family, responsible for diseases such as the Ebola virus disease (EVD), and causes Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF). It is primarily carried by rats and can be transmitted through direct contact with the infected rodent, its urine and droppings, or via an infected individual.
Symptoms of Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever (CHHF)
Similar to Ebola, CHHF is a severe, life-threatening illness that affects multiple organs and damages blood vessel walls. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin rash, and pain behind the eyes.
Transmission of the Chapare Virus
Unlike the coronavirus, the Chapare virus cannot be contracted via the respiratory route. Instead, it spreads only through person-to-person contact with bodily fluids. Notably, fragments of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) found in one survivor’s semen 168 days post-infection suggest the possibility of sexual transmission.
Diagnosis and Treatment of the Chapare Virus
New sequencing tools are being developed to create an RT-PCR test—similar to the one used for Covid-19—to help detect Chapare. As there are no specific drugs for this disease, the treatment mainly involves supportive care such as intravenous fluids, shock management through fluid resuscitation, maintenance of hydration, pain relief medicines, and transfusions.
People at Risk and Mortality Rate
The Chapare virus is most commonly transmitted in tropical regions, particularly in parts of South America where the small-eared pygmy rice rat is prevalent. Owing to the scarcity of documented cases, the mortality rate and risk factors associated with this illness remain largely unknown. However, in the 2019 outbreak, three out of five documented cases proved fatal, a case-fatality rate of 60%.
Recent Outbreak
In 2019, the largest known outbreak of the Chapare virus occurred when three healthcare workers contracted the disease from two patients in the Bolivian capital of La Paz.
About Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), or Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever impacting humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. In terms of transmission, fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural hosts for the Ebola virus. It can be spread to human populations via close contact with blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, etc. It can also spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or objects contaminated by these fluids. Thankfully, an experimental vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV has shown promising protection against EVD.
