Understanding the biology of the LCMV model virus will help in advancing the understanding of this important class of viruses and more specifically will give insight into the biology of the Lassa virus which proves to be a growing threat around the world. Furthermore, the United States National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has appointed the family of arenaviridae to be "Category A Priority Pathogens". This translates to the highest level of importance for the high potential for morbidity and mortality from an infectious agent which is relatively easy to produce and transmit. Footnotes
References
ICTVdB-The Universal Virus Database, version 4. [2]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Fact Sheet
CBWInfo (1999). "Safety Precautions for Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Casualties". Archived from the original on 14 May 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2006. "Rodent virus now linked to six deaths—PetSmart in Rhode Island testing animals for rare disease". NBC News. Microsoft. Associated Press. 25 May 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2006. "Australian scientists discover new virus". The Age. Fairfax. Australian Associated Press. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007. Marrie TJ, Saron MF (January 1998). "Seroprevalence of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in Nova Scotia". Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 58 (1): 47–9. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1998.58.47. PMID 9452291. Bauers, Sandy. "House vs. Mouse: The Latest Ideas in Humanely Showing Our Disease-Ridden Fall Visitors the Door." Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Nov. 2006: n.p. Web. "choriomeningitis." The American Heritage Medical Dictionary. 2009. Web. Craighead, John E. MD. Pathology and Pathogenesis of Human Viral Disease. San Diego, California: Academic, 2000. Print. Lasker, Jill S. "Lymphocytic choriomeningitis."
More severe disease is likely to occur in people who are immunosuppressed.More than 50 infants with congenital LCMV infection have been reported worldwide. The probability that a woman will become infected after being exposed to rodents, the frequency with which LCMV crosses the placenta, and the likelihood of clinical signs among these infants are still poorly understood. In one study, antibodies to LCMV were detected in 0.8% of normal infants, 2.7% of infants with neurological signs and 30% of infants with hydrocephalus. In Argentina, no congenital LCMV infections were reported among 288 healthy mothers and their infants. However, one study found that two of 95 children in a home for people with severe mental disabilities had been infected with this virus. The prognosis for severely affected infants appears to be poor. In one series, 35% of infants diagnosed with congenital infections had died by the age of 21 months.Transplant-acquired lymphocytic choriomeningitis proves to have a very high morbidity and mortality rate. In the three clusters reported in the U.S. from 2005 to 2010, nine of the ten infected recipients died. One donor had been infected from a recently acquired pet hamster while the sources of the virus in the other cases were unknown. Epidemiology
LCMV has been isolated from fleas, ticks, cockroaches, Culicoides and Aedes mosquitoes. Ticks, lice and mosquitoes have been shown to transmit this virus mechanically in the laboratory. The presence of LCMV in laboratories may cause serious long-term repercussions to worker safety.