The Chapare virus (CHAV), an emerging Bolivian arenavirus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever, offers an important case study for redesigning pandemic preparedness amid escalating zoonotic threats. With a fatality rate exceeding 60% and documented human-to-human transmission, CHAV exemplifies the convergence of natural spillover risks and potential bioterrorism concerns, justifying its classification alongside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Category A priority pathogens. This article explores how military-developed chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) frameworks, including syndromic surveillance networks and advanced biodetection technologies, could transform preparedness for severe arenaviruses. Climate-driven rodent migration in South America exacerbates outbreak risks, and the absence of point-of-care diagnostics and approved therapeutics weakens global health systems. We demonstrate how conflict-proven tools such as portable genome sequencers and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-style biosurveillance protocols could be repurposed for real-time CHAV monitoring in endemic areas.
The analysis identifies urgent gaps in biosecurity policy, particularly concerning rodent-borne viruses, and proposes a dual strategy to bolster One Health surveillance while integrating biodefense infrastructure to curb both natural outbreaks and intentional releases. This work underscores the need to bridge civilian and military preparedness paradigms for emerging zoonoses with pandemic potential.
DOI: 10.15212/ZOONOSES-2025-0039
