PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Lassa Fever”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

No evidence for increased risk of Lassa fever infection in hospital staff.

A prospective serological study was undertaken in hospital personnel who care for Lassa fever (LF) patients in an endemic region of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Among personnel from three hospitals where barrier nursing is practised, antibody prevalence and seroconversion by age and sex were consistently equal to or lower than those of persons in nearby village populations. No group among hospital personnel evaluated by age, sex, contact, or occupational exposure was at higher risk than another. Hospital staff in Sierra Leone who care for LF patients using simple barrier nursing methods have no higher risk of infection than the local population. These findings support the proposal that patients with LF in non-endemic countries need not be confined to isolators.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Characterization of the interaction of lassa fever virus with its cellular receptor alpha-dystroglycan.

The cellular receptor for the Old World arenaviruses Lassa fever virus (LFV) and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) has recently been identified as alpha-dystroglycan (alpha-DG), a cell surface receptor that provides a molecular link between the extracellular matrix and the actin-based cytoskeleton. In the present study, we show that LFV binds to alpha-DG with high affinity in the low-nanomolar range. Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotyped with LFV glycoprotein (GP) adopted the receptor binding characteristics of LFV and depended on alpha-DG for infection of cells. Mapping of the binding site of LFV on alpha-DG revealed that LFV binding required the same domains of alpha-DG that are involved in the binding of LCMV. Further, LFV was found to efficiently compete with laminin alpha1 and alpha2 chains for alpha-DG binding. Together with our previous studies on receptor binding of the prototypic immunosuppressive LCMV isolate LCMV clone 13, these findings indicate a high degree of conservation in the receptor binding characteristics between the highly human-pathogenic LFV and murine-immunosuppressive LCMV isolates.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1987

Vaccinia recombinant expressing Lassa-virus internal nucleocapsid protein protects guineapigs against Lassa fever.

The Lister strain of vaccinia virus was used to construct a recombinant that expressed the nucleocapsid gene of Lassa virus. Guineapigs immunised with the recombinant virus were protected against challenge with Lassa virus, whereas control animals showed the usual disease course, including pyrexia, anorexia, viraemia, and death. These data indicate not only that protective immunity to Lassa fever can be evoked by an experimental vaccine, but also that this response can be mediated by an internal protein component of the virus.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The therapeutic efficacy of ribamidil and virazole in experimental Lassa fever in monkeys].

The therapeutic efficacy of ribamydil and virasol was evaluated in experimental Lassa fever in monkeys which received these drugs at various intervals after the onset of the clinical illness. Ribamydil or virasol administered in the first day of fever protected from death 60% to 66% of the infected animals, but when the drugs were given 2 days after the onset of fever the number of survivors declined to 0.20%. When the treatment was started 4 days after the onset of fever none of the drugs prevented deaths of Lassa virus-infected baboons.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Lassa fever: review of virology, immunopathogenesis, and algorithms for control and therapy.

Lassa fever is an acute viral illness which causes consideration morbidity and mortality in the West African subregion. Recent studies have revealed that platelet and endothelial dysfunction might play a central role in the pathophysiology of this disease. Guidelines for the management of cases of the disease have recently been revised by the Centres for Disease Control, recommending care in local hospitals with use of meticulous barrier nursing techniques. This article reviews the epidemiology, immunology, pathogenesis and pathology, and current algorithms for prevention and therapy.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1992

Lassa fever encephalopathy: clinical and laboratory findings.

Clinical and laboratory findings are reported in nine patients who developed acute encephalopathy during the course of Lassa fever. The encephalopathy manifested 3-17 days after disease onset with confusion, followed rapidly by tremor (seven patients), grand mal convulsions (seven), abnormal posturing (three) and coma (eight); focal neurological signs and evidence of raised intracranial pressure were not seen. Eight patients died, most commonly from respiratory arrest following a protracted fit. Development of encephalopathy did not correlate with the presence of virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), nor with virus antibodies in CSF and/or serum; thus, neither direct cytopathic nor immune-mediated mechanisms seem to be involved in its pathogenesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Clinical laboratory, virologic, and pathologic changes in hamsters experimentally infected with Pirital virus (Arenaviridae): a rodent model of Lassa fever.

The clinical laboratory, virologic, and pathologic changes occurring in hamsters after infection with Pirital virus (Arenaviridae) are described. Pirital virus infection in the hamsters was characterized by high titered viremia, leukocytosis, coagulopathy, pulmonary hemorrhage and edema, hepatocellular and splenic necrosis, and marked elevation of serum transaminase levels. All of the animals died within 9 days. The clinical and histopathological findings in the Pirital virus-infected hamsters were very similar to those reported in severe human cases of Lassa fever, suggesting that this new animal model could serve as a low-cost and relatively safe alternative for studying the pathogenesis and therapy of Lassa fever.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Handling patients with suspected Lassa fever entering Great Britain.

A special isolation unit has been created at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, for the reception of patients arriving in Great Britain from West Africa with suspected Lassa fever. The management of such patients and the operation of the unit are described. Experience during the first eighteen months of operation has been very satisfactory and valuable lessons have been learned concerning the diagnosis and treatment of Lassa fever and the nursing of patients.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed1982

A case of Lassa fever: clinical and virological findings.

Five days after arriving in London from Jos a young Nigerian women developed a severe and prolonged illness that proved to be Lassa fever. Virus was not detected in urine during the first three weeks but then appeared and reached a peak during the sixth week, with continuing excretion for 67 days after the onset of illness. Laboratory investigations showed evidence of extensive tissue damage and disturbance of clotting, but there was no serious bleeding and she eventually made a complete recovery despite a high sustained viraemia and severe liver damage. Convalescent serum was used in treatment but it was difficult to assess its contribution to the favourable outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Lassa fever: response to an imported case.

In February, 1976, a Peace Corps worker returned to the United States from Sierra Leone with an undiagnosed illness later recognized as Lassa fever. To assess the risk of transmission and to contain a potential outbreak, we identified 552 contacts as having had exposure to the patient before the start of strict isolation procedures, and maintained intensive surveillance on these contacts for 21 days. At the end of the surveillance period, no illness had developed in contacts. One month later, a serologic survey among 29 of the contacts judged to be at high risk gave no evidence of infection. In response to the importation of this communicable and highly fatal disease, procedures for the isolation of the patient, the identification, surveillance and management of contacts and the handling of laboratory specimens were developed and implemented. These procedures could be adapted to future introductions of highly contagious diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

A serological survey of Lassa fever in Liberia.

A serological survey was undertaken at four Liberian hospitals in 1974 in which serum samples were taken from 104 health workers and 61 patients. Six persons had Lassa fever antibodies: four midwives and two students of midwifery. Of those persons who had lived in Loffa County, 4 of 22 midwives were seropositive whereas none of the other 39 residents were positive (P = 0.014).

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Murine immune responses to mucosally delivered Salmonella expressing Lassa fever virus nucleoprotein.

Arenaviruses are emerging pathogens known to infect via the mucosa, however no formal attempts to make mucosal vaccines have been undertaken. Here we describe a recombinant aroA attenuated Salmonella typhimurium that expresses the nucleoprotein (NP) gene of Lassa fever virus (LAS). The complete NP gene was cloned downstream of the bacterial groEL promotor and integrated into the aroA locus of S. typhimurium. Lassa NP protein was detected in whole cell extracts from the recombinant Salmonella by immunoblot analysis with serum from Lassa-infected people. Mice were inoculated by intragastric intubation with 5 x 10(9) S. typhimurium and boosted with the same recombinant Salmonella 21 days after the primary inoculation. Both local mucosal IgA and serum immunoglobulins against Lassa NP were observed. Splenic cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to LAS NP were detected after the boost and they cross-reacted with target cells infected with the related arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Recombinant Salmonella elicits humoral and cell mediated immune responses against Lassa fever virus in mice and should be considered as a potential vaccine strategy in man.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Lassa fever].

UNLABELLED: A 22-year-old female German student was admitted with fever of unknown origin for 5 days to the hospital of her hometown immediately after returning from a 7-week journey under simple conditions through 4 West African countries. After exclusion of malaria and typhoid and nonrespondence to antibiosis, she was transferred on the 4th day to the Department of Tropical Medicine in Würzburg. After the clinical assumption of Lassa fever, the virus was confirmed by PCR within 3 hours (Bernhard Nocht Institute, Hamburg) on the 10th day of her illness. The assumption was based on travel history, continuous fever, cough, pharyngitis, thoracic pain, and exclusion of other acute infections. From the beginning, the patient was cared for with barrier nursing and after diagnosis under strict isolation in an intensive care unit reserved for her alone by a team of doctors and nurses specialized in tropical medicine and intensive care. The staff was protected through isolation suits with filters. Monitoring and therapy entailed all methods of intensive care and intravenous administration of ribavirin 16 mg/kg body weight = 900 mg every 6 hours. The patient died on the 14th day of her illness in a volume deficiency shock due to uncontrollable heavy hemorrhage from all organs including the skin, a so-called "leakage syndrome". CONCLUSION: Conclusions are drawn regarding training in tropical medicine, diagnostics of highly contagious infections, intensive care of patients affected with them under isolation, contact tracing, psychological crisis intervention for personnel, media information, care of the infectious corpse and disposal of infectious waste.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Lassa fever in Onitsha, East Central State, Nigeria in 1974.

Three cases of Lassa fever occurred in Onitsha, East Central State, Nigeria, in January and February 1974. The first case was a 19-year-old Nigerian; the other 2 cases were German missionary physicians at St Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, one of whom cared for the patient who was the first case. Thus, 2 of the 3 cases were hospital acquired. Investigations failed to discover a village outbreak or the source of virus for the first case. A serosurvey of 258 hospital staff members and contacts of the 3 cases showed no other persons with antibody to Lassa virus. The absence of Lassa virus antibody in a high-risk group indicates a low or nonexistent level of past Lassa virus activity in southeastern Nigeria.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Endemic Lassa fever in Liberia. I. Clinical and epidemiological aspects at Curran Lutheran Hospital, Zorzor, Liberia.

In a study to assess the epidemiological and clinical aspects of endemic Lassa fever (LF) in Liberia at Curran Lutheran Hospital (CLH), 44 cases were diagnosed by virological and serological techniques over a 22-month period. During one calendar month, testing of febrile patients admitted to the medical-surgical ward revealed six cases of LF, 13% of all febrile cases and 17% of those who were tested. As the study progressed the diagnostic skills of the hospital staff improved. The most common mistake was the diagnosis of a case of LF as pneumonia; the most potentially serious diagnostic problem was differentiating LF from typhoid fever, a readily treatable infection. LF may also mimic other diseases such as aseptic meningitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, gastroenteritis or arbovirus infection. We found a previously unreported symptom of LF, rib tenderness typical of costochondritis. The mortality rate in the medical-surgical ward was 5.4%; the over-all case-fatality rate was 13.6%. Women outnumbered men by nearly three to one, and had a higher mortality particularly noted in the pregnant. LF is common at CLH, and as many as 100 cases may occur annually at this hospital.

Adolescent↗