A deadly virus that has surfaced twice in Bolivia can spread from person to person in health care settings, raising concerns of future outbreaks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC researchers determined that a 2019 outbreak of the Chapare virus, a hemorrhagic fever syndrome first discovered in 2004, was spread through human transmission from victims to health care workers who treated them. The 2004 outbreak killed one person, while the 2019 outbreak killed a farmworker and two of the three medical professionals involved in his case. The Chapare virus could have been circulating in Bolivia for years because infected patients may have been wrongly diagnosed as suffering from dengue fever, a common regional disease that can produce similar symptoms. Symptoms of the Chapare virus include fevers, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding gums, skin rash and pain behind the eyes. Since there is no specific treatment, patients are treated mainly with intravenous fluids and other supportive care.
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