Viral Bioweapon Threats

Question 1

Category A

Answer 1

Viral agents of highest concern

• Smallpox
• VHF
  
  • Filoviruses (Ebola/Marburg)
  • Arenaviruses (Lassa)

Question 2

Category B

Answer 2

Viral encephalitic agents

Alphaviruses (e.g., VEE)

Question 3

Category C

Answer 3

Emerging pathogens

CCHF

Yellow Fever

Question 4

Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses

Answer 4

Filoviruses: Ebola/Marburg

Bunyaviruses: CCHF (Congo-Crimean)

Arenaviruses: Lassa Fever

Question 5

What is VHF?

Answer 5

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

A severe multisystem syndrome in which the vascular system is damaged (body cannot regulate itself)

Usually accompanied by hemorrhage

Question 6

What are the important Bunyaviruses

Answer 6

Hantavirus (transmitted by rodents)

CCHF (transmitted by the Hyalomma tick)

Question 7

Genome of Filoviruses (Ebola/Marburg)

Answer 7

-ssRNA

Remember: All VHF viruses are enveloped RNA

Question 8

Important Flavivirus

Answer 8

Yellow Fever

Weaponized by North Korea

Question 9

VHF Tx

Answer 9

Supportive care is essential

Ribavirin (+ IFN-α): especially for arenaviruses and bunyaviruses

Question 10

Are vaccines available for any of the VHFs?

Answer 10

Only 2:

Argentine HF (Junin Virus)

Yellow Fever

Question 11

How many subtypes are there of the Ebola Virus

Answer 11

5

Zaire, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Bundibugyo, and *Reston

*Reston is not pathologic to humans (infects monkeys)

Question 12

Is there a carrier state for Ebola?

Answer 12

NO

Acute illness only (still have to worry about nosocomial spread)

Question 13

What does ambisense mean?

Answer 13

That the genoma has both + and - stranded DNA

Examples: CCHF and Lassa Fever

(Bunyavirus and Arenavirus, respectively)

Question 14

Genome:

Circular, ambisense RNA in 3 parts (small, medium, large)

Answer 14

Bunyavirus:

CCHF

Question 15

Genome

Ambisense RNA in 2 strands (small and large)

Answer 15

Arenavirus

Lassa Fever

South American HF

LCMV

Question 16

Where do arenaviruses get their name from?

Answer 16

Arena means “sand”

Virions are enveloped and have grainy appearance caused by ribosomes of the host cell

Question 17

How do we get infected with arenaviruses?

Answer 17

Contact with rodent excreta (aerosol transmission)

Question 18

Which group of people is Lassa Fever the most severe in?

Answer 18

Pregnant women (especially 3rd trimester = 95% mortality)

Question 19

Most common complication of Lassa Fever

Answer 19

Deafness

Question 20

Swollen Baby Syndrome

Answer 20

Think Lassa Fever

Give supportive care + Ribavirin

Question 21

Big, brick-shaped

Complex capsid

dsDNA (linear)

Answer 21

Pox

Question 22

Only DNA virus that replicates in the cytoplasm

Answer 22

Pox

Question 23

Appearance of smallpox vs chickenpox

Answer 23

Smallpox is denser on extremities (including palms and soles) and face

Chickenpox is the opposite

Question 24

Guarnieri bodies

Egg inoculation

Answer 24

Smallpox

Question 25

No animal reservoir

1 serotype

Answer 25

Smallpox

Question 26

Have to give vaccine with a bifurcated needle

Answer 26

Smallpox

Question 27

Human Vaccinia Immune Globulin (hVIG)

Answer 27

Used to treat adverse rxns to the smallpox vaccine

Question 28

MVA

Answer 28

Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara

Replaced older smallpox vaccine

Stockpiled in the U.S. in case of an outbreak