Knowledge of the survival and stability of a pathogen is important for understanding its risk, reducing its transmission, and establishing control measures. Lassa virus is endemic in West Africa, causes severe disease, and is an emerging pathogen of concern. Our study examined the survival of Lassa virus in blood and tissue culture media at two different temperatures. The stability of Lassa virus held within a small particle aerosol was also measured. In liquids, Lassa virus was found to decay more quickly at 30 °C compared to room temperature. Sealed samples protected from environmental desiccation were more stable than samples open to the environment. In a small particle aerosol, the decay rate of Lassa virus was determined at 2.69% per minute. This information can contribute to risk assessments and inform mitigation strategies in the event of an outbreak of Lassa virus.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9090680 | DOI Listing |
Virol J
December 2024
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Lassa virus, the cause of deadly Lassa fever, is endemic in West Africa, where thousands of cases occur on an annual basis. Nigeria continues to report increasingly severe outbreaks of Lassa Fever each year and there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of Lassa Fever. Given the high burden of disease coupled with the potential for further escalation due to climate change the WHO has listed Lassa virus as a priority pathogen with the potential to cause widespread outbreaks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Trop Med Hyg
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
J Gen Virol
December 2024
Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Lassa virus (LASV) is an Old World (OW) mammarenavirus that causes Lassa fever, a life-threatening acute febrile disease endemic in West Africa. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a worldwide-distributed, prototypic OW mammarenavirus of clinical significance that has been largely neglected as a human pathogen. No licensed OW mammarenavirus vaccines are available, and the current therapeutic option is limited to the off-label use of ribavirin, which offers only partial efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Pathog
December 2024
Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Lyon, France.
BMC Infect Dis
December 2024
Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) belong to a group of viral infectious diseases that interfere with the blood's clotting mechanism. VHF has a wide host range, including bats, rodents, or arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks. Most VHFs emerge suddenly as outbreaks, making it difficult to predict occurrence.
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