and (vector: ticks; amplifying hosts and vector: small mammals, domestic mammals; family: Nairoviridae); Rift Valley fever (reservoir: bats; vector: mosquitoes; amplifying hosts: small and domestic mammals; family: Phenuiviridae); Bwamba Fever (reservoir: monkeys; vector: mosquitoes; amplifying hosts: donkeys; family: Peribunyaviridae); Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (vector: ticks); Lassa fever and Argentine hemorrhagic fever (reservoir: rodents; vector: aerosolized excreta from these mammals; family: Arenaviridae). Bunyaviruses have segmented genomes, making them capable of rapid recombination and increasing the risk of outbreak. The bunyavirus that causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome can undergo recombination both by reassortment of genome segments and by intragenic homologous recombination. Bunyaviridae are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods including mosquitoes, midges, flies, and ticks. The viral incubation period is about 48 hours. Symptomatic infection typically causes non-specific flu-like symptoms with fever lasting for about three days. Because of their non-specific symptoms, Bunyavirus infections are frequently mistaken for other illnesses. For example, Bwamba fever is often mistaken for malaria. Prevention Prevention depends on the reservoir, amplifying hosts and how the viruses are transmitted, i.e. the vector, whether ticks or mosquitoes and which animals are involved. Preventive measures include general hygiene, limiting contact with vector saliva, urine, feces, or bedding. There is no licensed vaccine for bunyaviruses. As precautions Cache Valley virus and Hantavirus research are conducted in BSL-2 (or higher), Rift Valley Fever virus research is conducted in BSL-3 (or higher), Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever virus research is conducted in BSL-4 laboratories. Timeline 1940s: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever is discovered in Russia 1951: 3,000 cases of Hantavirus were reported in South Korea in 1951, a time when UN forces were fighting on the 38th parallel during the Korean War 1956: Cache Valley virus isolated in Culiseta inornata mosquitoes in Utah 1960: La Crosse virus was first recognized in a fatal case of encephalitis in La Crosse, Wisconsin 1977: Rift Valley Fever virus caused approximately 200,000 cases and 598 deaths in Egypt 2017: Bunyavirales order is created References External links Viralzone: Bunyaviridae ICTVdb Index of Viruses—Bunyaviridae The Big Picture Book of Viruses: Bunyaviridae Bunyaviridae Genomes—database search results from the Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Bunyaviridae Hemorrhagic fevers Virus orders