The Mississippi State Department of Health reported a case of Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) in Lamar County today. The clinical details of the case were not made available; however, symptoms of infection can vary from none to encephalitis.
JCV is endemic and widely distributed in the USA from the Rocky Mountains eastward, causing sporadic cases of febrile disease and encephalitis in humans. Cases of JCV infection occur occasionally in Mississippi; most recently in 2006.
JCV circulates among deer, horses, and other large wild and domestic mammals by way of mosquito bites. It can also be transmitted to humans by the same mechanism. The virus is relatively rare, but may be carried by several types of mosquito, including the tree hole mosquito, Ochlerotatus (Aedes) triseriatus.
JCV is one of 14 related viruses belonging to the California encephalitis virus species. This is one of a large number of species comprising the genus Bunyavirus of the family Bunyaviridae.
Oct 14, 2008
A New Deadly Virus in Africa
The deaths of three people due to a mysterious disease in Zambia and South Africa have demanded the attention of the South African government and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Preliminary tests indicated that the mystery disease was caused by a virus from the family that includes Lassa fever, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Investigations began after an office employee at a safari tour company in Zambia died on September 14 in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, two days after undergoing a medical evacuation from Zambia.
A paramedic who cared for that patient was later admitted to hospital in Johannesburg and died on October 2, and a nurse who was also involved in the care of the first patient died on October 5.
The three experienced fever, headaches, diarrhea and myalgia that developed into rash and hepatic dysfunction followed by rapid deterioration and death.
A fourth case has now been confirmed to be a nurse who had close contact with one of the earlier cases. She has been admitted to a hospital in South Africa.
Arenaviruses cause chronic infections in some wild African mice. The infected mice excrete the virus in their urine, which can then contaminate human food or house dust. Viruses similar to the Lassa fever virus have been found in rodents in Africa; but other than those in West Africa, they have not been found to cause diseases in humans. It remains to be determined whether this is a previously unrecognized member of the arenaviruses.
Preliminary tests indicated that the mystery disease was caused by a virus from the family that includes Lassa fever, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Investigations began after an office employee at a safari tour company in Zambia died on September 14 in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, two days after undergoing a medical evacuation from Zambia.
A paramedic who cared for that patient was later admitted to hospital in Johannesburg and died on October 2, and a nurse who was also involved in the care of the first patient died on October 5.
The three experienced fever, headaches, diarrhea and myalgia that developed into rash and hepatic dysfunction followed by rapid deterioration and death.
A fourth case has now been confirmed to be a nurse who had close contact with one of the earlier cases. She has been admitted to a hospital in South Africa.
Arenaviruses cause chronic infections in some wild African mice. The infected mice excrete the virus in their urine, which can then contaminate human food or house dust. Viruses similar to the Lassa fever virus have been found in rodents in Africa; but other than those in West Africa, they have not been found to cause diseases in humans. It remains to be determined whether this is a previously unrecognized member of the arenaviruses.
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