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Lassa fever — the road ahead

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 21, pages 87–96 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Lassa virus (LASV) is endemic in the rodent populations of Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. Spillover to humans occurs frequently and results in Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) associated with a high case fatality rate. Despite advances, fundamental gaps in knowledge of the immunology, epidemiology, ecology and pathogenesis of Lassa fever persist. More frequent outbreaks, the potential for further geographic expansion of Mastomys natalensis and other rodent reservoirs, the ease of procurement and possible use and weaponization of LASV, the frequent importation of LASV to North America and Europe, and the emergence of novel LASV strains in densely populated West Africa have driven new initiatives to develop countermeasures for LASV. Although promising candidates are being evaluated, as yet there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for human use. This Review discusses the virology of LASV, the clinical course of Lassa fever and the progress towards developing medical countermeasures.

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Fig. 1: Lassa fever endemic zone of West Africa.
Fig. 2: Lassa virus transmission.
Fig. 3: Lassa virus structure, genome organization and replication strategy.
Fig. 4: Immune responses to Lassa virus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Robert F. Garry

  2. Zalgen Labs, Frederick, MD, USA

    Robert F. Garry

  3. Global Viral Network, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Robert F. Garry

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  1. Robert F. Garry
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Correspondence to Robert F. Garry.

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R.F.G. is the co-founder of Zalgen Labs, a biotechnology company developing countermeasures for Lassa virus (LASV) and other emerging viruses.

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Nature Reviews Microbiology thanks Judith White and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Garry, R.F. Lassa fever — the road ahead. Nat Rev Microbiol 21, 87–96 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00789-8

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