Lassa fever (LF), caused by Lassa virus (LASV), is one of the most dangerous diseases to public health. Homologous recombination (HR) is a basic genetic power driving biological evolution. However, as a negative-stranded RNA virus, it is unknown whether HR occurs between LASVs and its influence on the outbreak of LF. In this study, after analyzing 575 S and 433 L segments of LASV collected in Africa, we found that LASV can achieve HR in both of its segments. Interestingly, although the length of S segment is less than half of the L segment, the proportion of LASVs with S recombinants is significantly higher than that with L recombinants. These results suggest that HR may be a feature of LASV, which can be set by natural selection to produce beneficial or eliminate harmful mutations for the virus, so it plays a role in LASV evolution during the outbreak of LF.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11144899 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1411537 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Current perspectives on vaccines and therapeutics for Lassa Fever.
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 PDFDescriptive epidemiology of Lassa fever, its trend, seasonality, and mortality predictors in Ebonyi State, South- East, Nigeria, 2018-2022.
BMC Public Health
December 2024
Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Background: Nigeria is an epicenter for Lassa fever. Ebonyi state is located in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria where a high burden of Lassa fever has been reported. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the epidemiology of Lassa fever, its seasonality, trend, and mortality predictors in Ebonyi state, South-East, Nigeria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSystematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Female Reproductive Health Following Ebola Virus Disease.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
The viral hemorrhagic fevers Lassa fever (LF) and Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been documented to cause long-term health problems in survivors. Limited studies have noted the presence of adverse reproductive health outcomes, including menstrual irregularities and pregnancy loss, after recovery from infection. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize existing knowledge surrounding reproductive health in female survivors of LF and EVD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFU-73122, a phospholipase C inhibitor, impairs lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus virion infectivity.
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 PDFFatal Lassa fever in cynomolgus monkeys is associated with systemic viral dissemination and inflammation.
PLoS Pathog
December 2024
Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Lyon, France.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explores how Lassa fever develops and the factors that determine whether it results in a mild or severe illness, using a monkey model to replicate different disease outcomes.
- - It finds that lymphoid organs are key early sites for the replication of the Lassa virus, which can enter through lymph node structures regardless of whether the infection is fatal or not.
- - The severity of the disease correlates with how the virus spreads; in nonfatal cases, it largely stays within lymphoid tissues, while fatal outcomes see the virus invade multiple organs, triggering a strong immune inflammatory response.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!