Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Re-Emerging Lassa Fever Outbreaks: Epidemiological Analysis, Preparedness, and Prevention

Version 1 : Received: 11 April 2023 / Approved: 12 April 2023 / Online: 12 April 2023 (02:52:58 CEST)

How to cite: Malik, S.; Deep, A.; Dhasmana, A.; Nag, S.; Hazra, R.; Mondal, S.; Agrawal, S.; Bora, J.; Rustagi, S.; Rabaan, A.A.; Bouafia, N.A.; Alshehri, A.A.; Alqahtani, A.S.; Yousuf, A.M.; Mohanty, A.; Padhi, B.K.; Rodriguez-Morales, A.J.; Barboza, J.J.; Sah, R. Re-Emerging Lassa Fever Outbreaks: Epidemiological Analysis, Preparedness, and Prevention. Preprints 2023, 2023040228. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202304.0228.v1 Malik, S.; Deep, A.; Dhasmana, A.; Nag, S.; Hazra, R.; Mondal, S.; Agrawal, S.; Bora, J.; Rustagi, S.; Rabaan, A.A.; Bouafia, N.A.; Alshehri, A.A.; Alqahtani, A.S.; Yousuf, A.M.; Mohanty, A.; Padhi, B.K.; Rodriguez-Morales, A.J.; Barboza, J.J.; Sah, R. Re-Emerging Lassa Fever Outbreaks: Epidemiological Analysis, Preparedness, and Prevention. Preprints 2023, 2023040228. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202304.0228.v1

Abstract

Lassa fever, commonly known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever (LHF), is one of the progressive illnesses invading a large population of two to three million individuals in West Africa. The infection transmitted through the rodents severely impacts the local population and the medical professionals in surrounding areas, which were also the primary target of LHF. In epidemic areas, Lassa fever causes a public health threat since it poses a significant morbidity and fatality Case rate (CFR) ≥ 50%). The disease is widespread in West Africa and has developed into one of the most common and life-threatening viral hemorrhagic fevers. Monitoring and preventing persistent disease outbreaks has been challenging in affected regions due to insufficient healthcare facilities, diagnostics labs, care centers, and low socioeconomic conditions. An absence of public awareness and the emergence of an ecological niche is advantageous for the survival and multiplication of the mouse (Mastomys natalensis) inhabiting the Lassa virus serving as the disease's natural host and reservoir. The current review focuses on early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, highlighting the immediate requirement of clinically approved vaccines for LHF, causing preventative and control actions more difficult in the present era.

Keywords

Lassa fever; epidemic; epidemiological analysis; pathogenesis; prevention

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases

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