AI Article Synopsis
- Lassa virus (LASV) is a significant pathogen in West Africa, primarily spread by infected rodents and can cause serious illness known as Lassa fever, which has high morbidity and mortality rates.
- Recent studies show that LASV is expanding beyond its typical regions, prompting global health organizations like WHO and the FDA to prioritize vaccine development and therapeutic measures against it.
- The article discusses advancements in LASV vaccine research, emphasizing how the virus’s genetic and biological diversity influences the creation of effective vaccine candidates that align with WHO standards.
Article Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) is a highly prevalent mammarenavirus in West Africa and is maintained in nature in a persistently infected rodent host, , which is widely spread in sub-Saharan Africa. LASV infection of humans can cause Lassa fever (LF), a disease associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. Recent evidence indicates an LASV expansion outside its traditional endemic areas. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) included LASV in top-priority pathogens and released a Target Product Profile (TPP) for vaccine development. Likewise, in 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration added LF to a priority review voucher program to encourage the development of preventive and therapeutics measures. In this article, we review recent progress in LASV vaccine research and development with a focus on the impact of LASV genetic and biological diversity on the design and development of vaccine candidates meeting the WHO's TPP for an LASV vaccine.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6357994 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.16989.1 | DOI Listing |
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