Lassa virus

Lassa virus
	TEM micrograph of Lassa virus virions
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Riboviria
Kingdom:	Orthornavirae
Phylum:	Negarnaviricota
Class:	Bunyaviricetes
Order:	Hareavirales
Family:	Arenaviridae
Genus:	Mammarenavirus
Species:	Mammarenavirus lassaense
Synonyms
	Lassa mammarenavirus;

Lassa virus (LASV) is an arenavirus that causes Lassa hemorrhagic fever,^[2] a type of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), in humans and other primates. Lassa virus is an emerging virus and a select agent, requiring Biosafety Level 4-equivalent containment. It is endemic in West African countries, especially Sierra Leone, the Republic of Guinea, Nigeria, and Liberia, where the annual incidence of infection is between 300,000 and 500,000 cases, resulting in 5,000 deaths per year.^[3]

As of 2012 discoveries within the Mano River region of west Africa have expanded the endemic zone between the two known Lassa endemic regions, indicating that LASV is more widely distributed throughout the tropical wooded savannah ecozone in west Africa.^[4] There are no approved vaccines against Lassa fever for use in humans.^[5]

^ "History of the taxon: Species: Mammarenavirus lassaense (2024 Release, MSL #40)". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
^ Frame JD, Baldwin JM, Gocke DJ, Troup JM (July 1970). "Lassa fever, a new virus disease of man from West Africa. I. Clinical description and pathological findings". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 19 (4): 670–6. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1970.19.670. PMID 4246571.
^ "Lassa fever". www.who.int.
^ Sogoba N, Feldmann H, Safronetz D (September 2012). "Lassa fever in West Africa: evidence for an expanded region of endemicity". Zoonoses and Public Health. 59 Suppl 2 (59): 43–7. doi:10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01469.x. PMID 22958249. S2CID 27063493.
^ Yun NE, Walker DH (October 2012). "Pathogenesis of Lassa fever". Viruses. 4 (10): 2031–48. doi:10.3390/v4102031. PMC 3497040. PMID 23202452.

[1] "History of the taxon: Species: Mammarenavirus lassaense (2024 Release, MSL #40)". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 18 March 2025.

[Frame_1970-2] Frame JD, Baldwin JM, Gocke DJ, Troup JM (July 1970). "Lassa fever, a new virus disease of man from West Africa. I. Clinical description and pathological findings". The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 19 (4): 670–6. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1970.19.670. PMID 4246571.

[3] "Lassa fever". www.who.int.

[4] Sogoba N, Feldmann H, Safronetz D (September 2012). "Lassa fever in West Africa: evidence for an expanded region of endemicity". Zoonoses and Public Health. 59 Suppl 2 (59): 43–7. doi:10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01469.x. PMID 22958249. S2CID 27063493.

[Yun_2012-5] Yun NE, Walker DH (October 2012). "Pathogenesis of Lassa fever". Viruses. 4 (10): 2031–48. doi:10.3390/v4102031. PMC 3497040. PMID 23202452.

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