It was first described after an outbreak of a novel zoonotic mammarenavirus infection occurred in the village of Samuzabeti, Chapare Province, Bolivia, in January 2003.

Nosocomial and human-to-human transmission of the virus occurred in at least three of the cases which resulted in the death of a medical intern and a gastroenterologist.

Like other members of the Arenavirus family, the specific zoonotic reservoir and primary transmission vector is suspected to be a rodent, probably the small-eared pygmy rice rat.

[2][5] After an incubation period of around 9–19 days, initial symptoms include fever, malaise, headache, myalgia, back pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

[2][5] Chapare virus RNA was detected in the blood, urine, conjunctiva, semen and in broncho-alveolar and nasopharyngeal samples of the infected patients.