NAVLE Guinea Pigs

Guinea Pig Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Study Guide

March 28, 2026 20 min read 11 views

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is a zoonotic viral disease caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a member of the family Arenaviridae.

Overview and Clinical Importance

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is a zoonotic viral disease caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a member of the family Arenaviridae. While the common house mouse (Mus musculus) serves as the primary reservoir host, guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) can become infected and develop disease, though they are not maintenance hosts. This disease is particularly important in laboratory animal medicine and represents a significant zoonotic concern for veterinary professionals and animal care staff.

Classification Level	Classification
Family	Arenaviridae
Genus	Mammarenavirus
Genome	Bi-segmented, ambisense RNA (L and S segments)
Virion Size	60-300 nm (pleomorphic)
Envelope	Present with glycoprotein spikes

Etiology

Viral Classification

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to:

Key Viral Characteristics

Sandy appearance: The name 'arenavirus' derives from Latin 'arena' (sand) due to the sandy/grainy appearance of ribosomes incorporated into virions during budding
Ambisense coding: Unique among negative-sense RNA viruses; both positive and negative sense genes on each segment
Four structural proteins: Nucleoprotein (NP), glycoprotein precursor (GPC cleaved to GP1/GP2), L protein (RNA polymerase), Z protein (matrix)
Strain variation: Multiple strains exist with varying virulence (e.g., Armstrong strain is avirulent in guinea pigs; WE strain causes 100% mortality)

NAVLE TipRemember 'ARENA = SAND' - Arenaviruses get their name from the sandy appearance of incorporated host ribosomes visible on electron microscopy. This is a unique morphological feature that distinguishes them from other virus families.

Host Type	Species	Role in Transmission
Primary Reservoir	House mouse (Mus musculus)	Lifelong persistent infection; continuous shedding
Maintenance Host	Hamsters (can shed 8+ months)	Can establish persistent infections; zoonotic source
Incidental Host	Guinea pigs, rats, chinchillas	Can be infected but not maintenance hosts
Highly Susceptible	Callitrichid primates (marmosets/tamarins)	Fatal callitrichid hepatitis
Dead-End Host	Humans	No human-to-human transmission (except vertical/transplant)

Epidemiology and Transmission

Host Species and Reservoir

Transmission Routes

Primary Routes of Infection:

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