What is the Difference Between Arbovirus Arenavirus and Filovirus

The main difference between arbovirus arenavirus and filovirus is that arbovirus is transmitted by arthropod vectors, and arenavirus infects rodents and occasionally humans, whereas filovirus causes severe diseases in humans and nonhuman primates in the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.

Arbovirus, arenavirus, and filovirus are three families of viruses that cause viral infections in humans and other animals.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Arbovirus
     – Definition, Infection, Method of Transmission
2. What is Arenavirus
     – Definition, Infection, Method of Transmission
2. What is Filovirus
     – Definition, Infection, Method of Transmission
3. Similarities Between Arbovirus Arenavirus and Filovirus
     – Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Arbovirus Arenavirus and Filovirus
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Arbovirus, Arenavirus, Filovirus

What is Arbovirus

Arbovirus is an informal name for the viruses that are transmitted through arthropod vectors. It infects both vertebrates and plants. Blood-feeding arthropods include flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. After exposure to the virus, it takes around 3-15 days to show the symptoms of the arbovirus. Fever, headache, and malaise, encephalitis, and viral hemorrhagic fever are the common symptoms of arbovirus. In addition, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, Tick-borne encephalitis, West Nile fever, encephalitis, and yellow fever are examples of diseases caused by arbovirus.

Figure 1: Mosquito Bite

Furthermore, the life cycle of arbovirus requires going through a host to complete it. Therefore, vectors are the organisms that carry the virus to the host. Vectors suck blood for their nutrition as a result of the developmental process.

What is Arenavirus

Arenavirus is the virus that infects rodents and occasionally humans. There are fifteen known arenaviruses, and five of them infect humans. They are the Lassa virus, Junin virus, Machupo virus, Guanarito virus, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. The multiplication of arenavirus occurs as a typical antisense RNA virus. 

Figure 2: Arenavirus

In addition, infections occur through the broken skin or through the respiratory route. The arenavirus grainy articles contain ribosomes acquired from the host cell. The hallmark of the arenavirus includes persistent silent infections.

What is Filovirus

Filovirus is a virus family that can cause severe diseases involving vomiting, diarrhea, and hemorrhagic fever. Ebola virus and Marburg virus are the most common types of filoviruses. The other genera of filovirus are Cuevavirus. It causes diseases in humans and nonhuman primates. 

Figure 3: Filovirus

The name Filovirus is given due to the filamentous appearance of the virus. It contains an envelope and negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome. The virus spreads quickly through human-human contact, and filovirus is a highly contagious virus.

Similarities Between Arbovirus Arenavirus and Filovirus

• Arbovirus, arenavirus, and filovirus are three types of virus families that infect humans and other animals.
• They cause diseases in humans and animals.
• Most viruses cause viral hemorrhagic fever.

Difference Between Arbovirus Arenavirus and Filovirus

Definition

Arbovirus refers to any group of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or other arthropods, including the virus of yellow fever. Arenavirus refers to any of a group of RNA viruses (including that causing Lassa fever) that appear under an electron microscope to contain granules that resemble sand while filovirus refers to a filamentous RNA virus of a genus that causes severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans and primates, and which includes the Ebola and Marburg viruses.

Method of Transmission

Arbovirus transmits through arthropod vectors, and arenavirus transmits through broken skin or respiratory route, while filovirus transmits through human-human contact.

Infections

Moreover, arbovirus infects both animals and plants, including humans, while arenavirus infects rodents and occasionally humans. Filovirus infects humans and nonhuman primates.

Type of Infections

Arbovirus causes fever, headache, and malaise, but encephalitis and viral hemorrhagic fever; arenavirus causes hemorrhagic fever syndromes, including Lassa fever, while filovirus causes viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Examples

Dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Tick-borne encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and Yellow fever virus are examples of arbovirus. Guanarito virus, Junin virus, Lassa virus, Lujo virus, Machupo virus, Sabia virus, and Whitewater Arroyo virus are examples of arenavirus while Ebola virus and Marburg virus are the examples of filovirus.

Conclusion

In brief, arbovirus, arenavirus, and filovirus are three types of virus families that cause infections in humans, animals, and plants. Arbovirus transmits through arthropods like mosquitoes and ticks. These arthropods infect animals and plants, including humans. Arbovirus causes fever, headache, malaise, and viral hemorrhagic fever. Examples of arbovirus include dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, and yellow fever virus. In addition, arenavirus infects rodents and occasionally humans. It causes hemorrhagic fever syndromes. Examples of arenavirus include Guanarito virus, Junin virus, Lassa virus, Lujo virus, Machupo virus, Sabia virus, and Whitewater Arroyo virus. In comparison, filovirus infects humans and nonhuman primates, causing viral hemorrhagic fevers. The Ebola virus and Marburg virus are examples of filovirus. Therefore, the main difference between arbovirus arenavirus, and filovirus is the type of infection.

References:

1. Yuill, T. M. (2023, May 16). Overview of arbovirus, arenavirus, and filovirus infections – infectious diseases. MSD Manual Professional Edition. 
2. Pfau CJ. Arenaviruses. In: Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Chapter 57.
3. Kerper M, Puckett Y. Filovirus. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Aedes Albopictus” By James Gathany/CDC – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Viruses-04-02973-g002” By Sarah Katharina Fehling, Frank Lennartz, and Thomas Strecker – Own Work (CC-BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
3. “Ijms-20-04657-g004” By Madiiha Bibi Mandary, Malihe Masomian, and Chit Laa Pooh – Own work (CC-BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia