This section is dedicated to viruses causing severe mass and zoonotic (natural focal) diseases. The focus is on the family Bunyaviridae, whose members are infamous for causing hemorrhagic fevers with high mortality.
The materials cover the general characteristics of bunyaviruses, a detailed study of the pathogenesis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and hantaviruses (pathogens of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, HFRS). In addition, this module includes rotavirus infection—the main culprit of severe viral diarrhea in children. Although rotaviruses belong to the family Reoviridae, in the educational process they are often studied alongside other segmented RNA genome viruses.
During classes and exams, you will certainly be asked about transmission routes: while for hantaviruses these are murine rodents, for Crimean-Congo fever they are ticks. Furthermore, instructors love questions about the fragmented genome (and associated genetic reassortment) and rapid diagnostic methods. Learn the infection reservoirs, mechanisms of hemorrhagic syndrome development, and dehydration—this is the foundation for passing successfully!