Ecology of Lassa Virus

Smither, Allison R.; Bell-Kareem, Antoinette

doi:10.1007/82_2020_231

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Temperature, precipitation and pastures/rangeland are the main determinants of ecological suitability for Lassa virus M. natalensis plays a critical role in the circulation of Lassa virus: as the main virus reservoir, but also as the source of most human infections 17,23,25 . Interestingly, while M. natalensis occupies a wide range spanning most sub-Saharan Africa 17 , Lassa virus has never been found outside of West Africa.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using a phylogeographic simulation procedure, we also show that a slow lineage dispersal velocity would likely result in a limited spatial propagation if Lassa virus was successfully introduced in a new ecologically suitable area. The slow spread of Lassa virus is likely due to the small scale of the movements of its reservoir, as suggested by genetic studies showing that M. natalensis rodents travel rarely outside of their commensal habitat and are prone to high levels of consanguinity 26,17 . However, it is surprising that Lassa virus - and by implication its reservoir - seem unrestricted by the environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most infections occur through exposure to the excreta of infected Mastomys natalensis. These rodents often live in close contact with human communities 16 and are regarded as the primary reservoir for the virus 17 . Humans likely contribute little to virus transmission and are considered dead-end hosts, based on studies of rodent biology 17 , ecology 15,20 , transmission dynamics 21,22 , and viral genomes [23][24][25] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These rodents often live in close contact with human communities 16 and are regarded as the primary reservoir for the virus 17 . Humans likely contribute little to virus transmission and are considered dead-end hosts, based on studies of rodent biology 17 , ecology 15,20 , transmission dynamics 21,22 , and viral genomes [23][24][25] . While the virus can only spread where its reservoir is present, the range of M. natalensis extends beyond that of Lassa virus, spanning most of sub-Saharan Africa 26,27 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predicting the evolution of Lassa Virus endemic area and population at risk over the next decades

Klitting

Kafetzopoulou

Thiery

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Lassa fever is listed among the diseases that pose the greatest risks to public health by the World Health Organization. This severe viral hemorrhagic fever is caused by Lassa virus, a zoonotic pathogen that repeatedly spills over to humans from its rodent reservoirs. It is currently not known how climate change, transformations in land use, and human population growth could affect the endemic area of this virus, currently limited to parts of West Africa. By exploring the environmental data associated with virus occurrence, we show how temperature, precipitation and the presence of pastures determine ecological suitability for virus circulation. We project that regions in Central and East Africa will likely become suitable for Lassa virus over the next decades and estimate that the total population living in areas suitable for Lassa virus may grow from about 100 million to 700 million by 2070. By analysing geotagged viral genomes, we find that in the event of Lassa virus being introduced into a new suitable region, its spread might remain spatially limited over the first decades. Our results highlight how the endemic area of Lassa virus may expand well beyond West Africa in the next decades due to human impact on the environment, putting hundreds of million more people at risk of infection.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predicting the evolution of Lassa Virus endemic area and population at risk over the next decades

Klitting

Kafetzopoulou

Thiery

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…For those requiring hospitalization, the suspected case fatality rate is variablebetween 20% in Nigeria to 70% in Sierra Leone [43,44]. While there are no precise data on the incidence or prevalence of Lassa fever, it has been estimated that there are tens of thousands of deaths each year in West Africa [45]. The case fatality rate among hospitalized Lassa fever (LF) patients has been reported to be 69% [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health seeking behavior after the 2013–16 Ebola epidemic: Lassa fever as a metric of persistent changes in Kenema District, Sierra Leone

et al. 2021

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Background The West African Ebola epidemic of 2013–2016 killed nearly 4,000 Sierra Leoneans and devastated health infrastructure across West Africa. Changes in health seeking behavior (HSB) during the outbreak resulted in dramatic underreporting and substantial declines in hospital presentations to public health facilities, resulting in an estimated tens of thousands of additional maternal, infant, and adult deaths per year. Sierra Leone’s Kenema District, a major Ebola hotspot, is also endemic for Lassa fever (LF), another often-fatal hemorrhagic disease. Here we assess the impact of the West African Ebola epidemic on health seeking behaviors with respect to presentations to the Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) Lassa Ward, which serves as the primary health care referral center for suspected Lassa fever cases in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Methodology/Principal findings Presentation frequencies for suspected Lassa fever presenting to KGH or one of its referral centers from 2011–2019 were analyzed to consider the potential impact of the West African Ebola epidemic on presentation patterns. There was a significant decline in suspected LF cases presenting to KGH following the epidemic, and a lower percentage of subjects were admitted to the KGH Lassa Ward following the epidemic. To assess general HSB, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 200 residents from 8 villages in Kenema District. Among 194 completed interviews, 151 (78%) of respondents stated they felt hospitals were safer post-epidemic with no significant differences noted among subjects according to religious background, age, gender, or education. However, 37 (19%) subjects reported decreased attendance at hospitals since the epidemic, which suggests that trust in the healthcare system has not fully rebounded. Cost was identified as a major deterrent to seeking healthcare. Conclusions/Significance Analysis of patient demographic data suggests that fewer individuals sought care for Lassa fever and other febrile illnesses in Kenema District after the West African Ebola epidemic. Re-establishing trust in health care services will require efforts beyond rebuilding infrastructure and require concerted efforts to rebuild the trust of local residents who may be wary of seeking healthcare post epidemic.

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Lassa Virus Structural Biology and Replication

Garry

2023

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology

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Ecology of Lassa Virus

Cited by 12 publications

References 78 publications

Predicting the evolution of Lassa Virus endemic area and population at risk over the next decades

Predicting the evolution of Lassa Virus endemic area and population at risk over the next decades

Health seeking behavior after the 2013–16 Ebola epidemic: Lassa fever as a metric of persistent changes in Kenema District, Sierra Leone

Lassa Virus Structural Biology and Replication

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