Lassa Fever in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, 1970–1972

Fraser, David W.; Campbell, Carlos C.; Monath, Thomas P.; Goff, Paul A.; Gregg, Michael B.

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1974.23.1131

Cited by 94 publications

(37 citation statements)

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“…The virus is present in the throat of infected patients, but perhaps only in small quantities. However, when acquired from its natural rodent host in West Africa, it causes only a mild febrile disease in most individuals [40]. Even HIV appears to be able to infect epithelium, albeit inefficiently, by uncertain mechanisms, and with low yield [41].…”

Section: Examples Of Possible Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virology research and virulent human pandemics

Mims

1995

Epidemiol. Infect.

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SPECIAL ARTICLEVirology research and virulent human pandemics SUMMARY The possibility that a devastating human pandemic could arise, causing massive loss of human life, is discussed. Such a major threat to the human species is likely to be a virus, and would spread by the respiratory route. It need not necessarily cause massive loss of life, but if it caused serious illness or incapacity it would still have a major impact. A possible source is from an existing respiratory pathogen, but it would more probably arise from an infection that is maintained in an arthropod or vertebrate host, but which at present either does not infect humans, or if it does it fails to be effectively transmitted between them. More research should therefore focus on the pathogenetic factors and the viral determinants that promote respiratory transmission.

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Section: Examples Of Possible Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virology research and virulent human pandemics

Mims

1995

Epidemiol. Infect.

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“…Each infection with Lassa fever virus, Rift Valley Fever virus [13], Chlamydia psittaci, or Rickettsia prowazeki results from an encounter with an infected animal or arthropod. The disease in humans is sometimes severe, and with Lassa fever [14] (as with Ebola virus infection) there can be limited spread to hospital staff following contact with infected blood or tissue fluids. Yet if any of these microorganisms produced extensive infection of respiratory epithelium, then effective human-to-human transmission and rapid global spread could occur, as with rhinoviruses or measles virus.…”

Section: Possible Future Developmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin of major human infections and the crucial role of person-to-person spread

Mims

1991

Epidemiol. Infect.

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In discussions of the origin of new infectious diseases, prominence is usually given to dramatic infections acquired from animals (Lassa fever, Marburg and Ebola viruses) or from the environment (legionellosis). But these infections do not spread from human to human, and their impact on mankind can never be catastrophic. If a new infectious agent is to pose a major threat to the human species, it will need to kill tens or hundreds of millions of people over a short period of time (a few years), before vaccines and antimicrobial agents can be developed or effective blocks to transmission established. The 1918 influenza pandemic (total deaths about 20 million) almost came into this world-shaking category, but many of the deaths were presumably due to secondary bacterial pneumonia and this was the pre-antibiotic era. A similar airborne pandemic occurring today could spread globally within weeks by air transport and would have a greater impact. Smallpox arose long before the world became one from an infectious disease point of view, and although it caused devastating epidemics it did not have the opportunity to develop into the ‘major threat’ category. A significant proportion of people recovered, less virulent strains of virus (variola minor) appeared, and an effective vaccine not only kept it under control in many continents but finally eliminated it from the world. The plague (Yersinia pestis) influenced the course of history in Asia and Europe [1] but oven in its respiratory form could not in those days be transferred rapidly from continent to continent.

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“…Previous investigations had indicated that the region where Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia join was highly endemic for Lassa virus infections (3, 4,8), and the political situation in Liberia appeared to be such that the investigations in Liberia did in fact demonstrate that Lassa virus infections were highly prevalent in Lofa County in its West; Lassa virus antibody prevalences among indigenous hospital personnel in the area were from 10 to 23% (7). Prevalences in other parts of Liberia, in the range of 4 to 7%, were not negligible, but Lofa County was selected as the main area of investigation.…”

Section: Approach To the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since its discovery in Nigeria in 1969, Lassa fever has been identified in a number of hospital outbreaks, with case fatality rates in the range of 35-40% (1,2,3,4). Subsequently, serological evidence of viral activity has been found to be widespread throughout West Africa (5), though some investigations have suggested that the disease is not as uniformly severe as the experience of hospital outbreaks indicated (6,7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lassa Fever Immune Plasma

Frame¹

1990

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Lassa Fever in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, 1970–1972

Cited by 94 publications

References 0 publications

Virology research and virulent human pandemics

Virology research and virulent human pandemics

The origin of major human infections and the crucial role of person-to-person spread

Lassa Fever Immune Plasma

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