Paperback. Symposium 'Emerging Diseases', Organized by Foundation Mérieux, 28-31 October 1998, 'Les Pensières', Veyrier-du-Lac, Annecy, France.
Hantaviruses and arenaviruses are responsible, in humans, for hemorrhagic fevers with various syndromes. Rodents are the viral reservoir. Humans become infected accidentally either by direct contact with rodents or, very often, by inhaling viruses in vaporized rodent excreta or ingesting contaminated food. Though hemorrhagic fevers were described long ago, the identification of the agents responsible did not become possible until the 1950s. Furthermore, ecological modifications have favored the emergence of such new syndromes. This book is therefore aimed at better understanding the emergence and epidemiology of these viruses, their relationships with their host, as well as the control of rodent-borne diseases.
