Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of Machupo virus
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Machupo virus: a virus of the Arenaviridae family of viruses that was discovered in 1963 as the cause of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in Bolivia. Symptoms of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever include pain, high fever, and bleeding from multiple body sites. The illness can be rapidly fatal. Since discovery of the Machupo virus in the 1960s there have been isolated outbreaks of the illness in Bolivia, where the virus is endemic.