Monongahela virus explained

Monongahela virus (MGLV) is a single-stranded, negative-sense Orthohantavirus virus of zoonotic origin that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.^[1]

Discovery of virus

Monongahela virus was first detected in Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae (Cloudland deer mice) captured in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia in 1985.^[2]

Transmission

This member virus of Sin Nombre orthohantavirus has not been shown to transfer from person to person. Transmission by aerosolized rodent excreta still remains the only known way the virus is transmitted to humans. In general, droplet and/or fomite transfer has not been shown in the hantaviruses in either the hemorrhagic or pulmonary forms.^{[3] [4]}

In two cases in Pennsylvania, the patients were living in rural areas and had recent exposure to rodent excreta prior to the onset of symptoms. Both patients developed rapid onset of respiratory distress and pulmonary edema, believed to be the result of cytokine storm, and both expired within 5 days of onset of symptoms.

See also

• 1993 Four Corners hantavirus outbreak
• New York orthohantavirus

External links

• Sloan Science and Film / Short Films / Muerto Canyon by Jen Peel 29 minutes
• "Hantaviruses, with emphasis on Four Corners Hantavirus" by Brian Hjelle, M.D., Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico
• CDC's Hantavirus Technical Information Index page
• Viralzone: Hantavirus
• Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Bunyaviridae
• Occurrences and deaths in North and South America

Notes and References

1. Luther V. Rhodes, Cinnia Huang, Angela J. Sanchez, Stuart T. Nichol§, Sherif R. Zaki§, Thomas G. Ksiazek, J.G. Humphreys¶, James J. Freeman*, and Kenneth R. Knecht. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Associated with Monongahela Virus, Pennsylvania. Research. Volume 6, Number 6—December 2000.
2. Song JW, Baek LJ, Nagle JW, Schlitter D, Yanagihara R . 1996 . Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of hantaviral sequences amplified from archival tissues of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae) captured in the eastern United States . Arch Virol . 141 . 5. 959–67 . 10.1007/bf01718170. 8678841 . 12434313 . free .
3. Peters. C.J.. 2006. Emerging Infections: Lessons from the Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. 117. 189–197. 1500910. 18528473.
4. Web site: Ebola and Marburg Virus Genomic Structure, Comparative and Molecular Biology. Crowley. J.. Crusberg. T.. Dept. of Biology & Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131015055654/http://www.mcb.uct.ac.za/ebola/ebolagen.html. 2013-10-15.