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Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis:
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Viral weapon acting on humans. |
Synopsis,Diagnosis, Symptoms,
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Safety Precautions for Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Casualties |
Standard Precautions defined by the 1996 CDC guidelines should be adopted for handling patients.Biosafety level 2 practices should be adopted
for handling of samples.
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| Causative organism: (Systematic name in 1997) | Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus |
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| ICTV Acronym | LCMV |
| Alternative disease names: |
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| Virus classification: | An Old World Arenavirus An enveloped spherical virus with two
subgenomic single-stranded RNAs. Click here for a detailed description of Arenaviruses |
| Vector involvement: | None. |
| Epidemiology of natural outbreaks: | The disease is carried by rodents, especially mice and hamsters, who may never show symptoms but secrete the virus in urine and stool throughout their lives. It has a spotty but worldwide distribution. In temperate regions cases are commonest in the fall when mice start moving into human shelters. |
Differential DiagnosisOther disease or conditions that need to be eliminated |
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| Other infectious diseases | Other problems |
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After an incubation of 3-21 days (typically 10-14 days), an influenza-like disease that often does not warrant medical attention develops. There is often stiffness and myalgia (muscle aches), headache, light-headedness, loss of appetite, sore throat and cough. In severe cases an aseptic meningitis may develop. Pain and inflammation are found in about 25% of cases with tissues in the chest and abdomen and the testes (orchitis) affected. Hair loss has also been seen.
The disease can last 5 days to 3 weeks and may involve cycles of recovery and relapse. Protracted cases may include more generalized inflammation.
Medical and Physical Countermeasures.
Vaccination (Immunoprophylaxis)
A vaccine is not available.
Specific Therapy
No specific therapies are available.
Supportive care
Symptoms are treated, e.g. with analgesics. The disease is often sub-clinical in severity with only those cases developing a meningitis requiring medical attention.
Decontamination
The virus is killed by common disinfectants, moist heat and drying.
Agent Properties and Potential Uses
The agent is relatively robust and can survive outside its host. It is quite widespread in nature and can form a reservoir in rodents, notably mice and hamsters. It is infective by inhalation. The low-level infection that is commonest is often not brought to medical attention and this makes it more useful as a military weapon, lowering the staffing or level of alertness of people at site, rather than as a terrorist weapon.
Terrorist Acquisition and Attempted Use.
| Disease | ICD-9-CM | ICD-10 |
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| Non-arthropod-borne Lymphocytic choriomeningitis |
063.8 | |
| Lymphocytic choriomeningitis |
A87.2 |
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