Description
Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV), also known as Dobrava virus is a hantavirus with high fatality rates. It is one of several species of Hantavirus that is the causative agent of severe Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
It was first isolated in Slovenia and subsequently found in striped field mice in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. It has also been found in Germany but the reservoir host there is unknown. Transmission by aerosolized rodent excreta still remains the only known way the virus is transmitted to humans.
Variant DOBV genotypes have different degrees of pathogenicity. Initial symptoms begin suddenly and include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, and blurred vision. Individuals may have flushing of the face, inflammation or redness of the eyes, or a rash. Later symptoms can include low blood pressure, acute shock, vascular leakage, and acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload.
