Genetic diversity among Bolivian arenaviruses

Machupo virus and Chapare virus are members of the Tacaribe serocomplex (virus family Arenaviridae) and etiological agents of hemorrhagic fever in humans in Bolivia. The nucleotide sequences of the complete Z genes, a large fragment of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes, the complete glycoprotein precursor genes, and the complete nucleocapsid protein genes of 8 strains of Machupo virus were determined to increase our knowledge of the genetic diversity among the Bolivian arenaviruses. The results of analyses of the predicted amino acid sequences of the glycoproteins of the Machupo virus strains and Chapare virus strain 200001071 indicated that immune plasma from hemorrhagic fever cases caused by Machupo virus may prove beneficial in the treatment of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever but not hemorrhagic fever caused by Chapare virus.