The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa
Lassa virus (LASV) is a zoonotic pathogen endemic throughout western Africa and is responsible for a human disease known as Lassa fever (LF). Historically, LASV has been emphasized as one of the greatest public health threats in West Africa, with up to 300,000 cases and 5000 associated deaths per ye...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/2/266 |
| _version_ | 1797296781328908288 |
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| author | Rachel A. Reyna Kirsten E. Littlefield Nathan Shehu Tomoko Makishima Junki Maruyama Slobodan Paessler |
| author_facet | Rachel A. Reyna Kirsten E. Littlefield Nathan Shehu Tomoko Makishima Junki Maruyama Slobodan Paessler |
| author_sort | Rachel A. Reyna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lassa virus (LASV) is a zoonotic pathogen endemic throughout western Africa and is responsible for a human disease known as Lassa fever (LF). Historically, LASV has been emphasized as one of the greatest public health threats in West Africa, with up to 300,000 cases and 5000 associated deaths per year. This, and the fact that the disease has been reported in travelers, has driven a rapid production of various vaccine candidates. Several of these vaccines are currently in clinical development, despite limitations in understanding the immune response to infection. Alarmingly, the host immune response has been implicated in the induction of sensorineural hearing loss in LF survivors, legitimately raising safety questions about any future vaccines as well as efficacy in preventing potential hearing loss. The objective of this article is to revisit the importance and prevalence of LF in West Africa, with focus on Nigeria, and discuss current therapeutic approaches and ongoing vaccine development. In addition, we aim to emphasize the need for more scientific studies relating to LF-associated hearing loss, and to promote critical discussion about potential risks and benefits of vaccinating the population in endemic regions of West Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:09:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0eba0fa94bca4fe08943835468dcac3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:09:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-0eba0fa94bca4fe08943835468dcac3e2024-02-23T15:37:39ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152024-02-0116226610.3390/v16020266The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West AfricaRachel A. Reyna0Kirsten E. Littlefield1Nathan Shehu2Tomoko Makishima3Junki Maruyama4Slobodan Paessler5Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USALassa virus (LASV) is a zoonotic pathogen endemic throughout western Africa and is responsible for a human disease known as Lassa fever (LF). Historically, LASV has been emphasized as one of the greatest public health threats in West Africa, with up to 300,000 cases and 5000 associated deaths per year. This, and the fact that the disease has been reported in travelers, has driven a rapid production of various vaccine candidates. Several of these vaccines are currently in clinical development, despite limitations in understanding the immune response to infection. Alarmingly, the host immune response has been implicated in the induction of sensorineural hearing loss in LF survivors, legitimately raising safety questions about any future vaccines as well as efficacy in preventing potential hearing loss. The objective of this article is to revisit the importance and prevalence of LF in West Africa, with focus on Nigeria, and discuss current therapeutic approaches and ongoing vaccine development. In addition, we aim to emphasize the need for more scientific studies relating to LF-associated hearing loss, and to promote critical discussion about potential risks and benefits of vaccinating the population in endemic regions of West Africa.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/2/266arenavirusLassa virussensorineural hearing loss |
| spellingShingle | Rachel A. Reyna Kirsten E. Littlefield Nathan Shehu Tomoko Makishima Junki Maruyama Slobodan Paessler The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa Viruses arenavirus Lassa virus sensorineural hearing loss |
| title | The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa |
| title_full | The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa |
| title_fullStr | The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa |
| title_short | The Importance of Lassa Fever and Its Disease Management in West Africa |
| title_sort | importance of lassa fever and its disease management in west africa |
| topic | arenavirus Lassa virus sensorineural hearing loss |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/2/266 |
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