Rodent-borne hemorrhagic fevers: under-recognized, widely spread and preventable - epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment

Crit Rev Microbiol. 2013 Feb;39(1):26-42. doi: 10.3109/1040841X.2012.686481. Epub 2012 Jun 7.

Abstract

This review presents an overview of the most important rodent-borne hemorrhagic fever pathogens directly transmitted from rodents to humans, namely Leptospira and hantaviruses, together with the New- and Old-World arenaviruses. These zoonotic diseases frequently share clinical symptoms, transmission routes and other epidemiological features and often have an emerging pattern. Differential diagnostics could benefit from a syndrome-based approach grouping these pathogens. In this review extensive descriptions of the epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnostics and treatment are provided including a practical overview, listing clinical features, diagnostics and risk factors for each selected rodent-borne hemorrhagic fever pathogen.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / diagnosis*
  • Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / microbiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Leptospirosis / diagnosis
  • Leptospirosis / epidemiology
  • Leptospirosis / therapy
  • Zoonoses / epidemiology