Bas-Congo Virus: An Emerging Human Pathogen associated with Acute Hemorrhagic Fever in Central Africa

A novel rhabdovirus, Bas-Congo virus (BASV) has been discovered very recently and associated with a 2009 outbreak of 3 human cases of deadly acute hemorrhagic fever in Mangala village in Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa (Grard et al. 2012). The cases, presenting over a 3-week period, were characterized by abrupt disease onset, high fever and mucosal hemorrhage. The disease killed two patients while one person became gravely ill. The natural animal reservoir host or arthropod vector and precise mode of transmission for the virus remain unclear. The study suggests that BASV may be spread by human-to-human contact.

Source: Grard G, Fair JN, Lee D, Slikas E, Steffen I et al. (2012) A Novel Rhabdovirus Associated with Acute Hemorrhagic Fever in Central Africa. PLoS Pathogens 8(9): e1002924. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002924