Word: guanarito
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Even so, the accident has raised questions about whether such dangerous disease agents are being handled carefully enough. Sabia and several related viruses -- Junin, Machupo and Guanarito in South America and Lassa in Africa, all members of the arenavirus family -- are particularly frightening because they can kill in such a grisly way. Characteristic symptoms are high fever, uncontrolled bleeding in virtually every organ and finally shock. The liver turns yellow and decomposes. Blood can leak from literally every bodily orifice, including the eyes and the pores of the skin...
...What they might have to consider, though, perhaps in consultation with the CDC, is treating Sabia virus as a so-called class 4 biohazard from now on, which means researchers will be able to handle it only inside a glove box or while wearing a space suit. Lassa and Guanarito are deemed class 4 already. The CDC might also do well to institute a rule that any unclassified infectious agent should be considered class 4 until proved otherwise...
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