Fluctuation of Abundance and Lassa Virus Prevalence in Mastomys natalensis in Guinea, West Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet ◽  
Emilie Lecompte ◽  
Lamine Koivogui ◽  
Barré Soropogui ◽  
Amadou Doré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Virus Prevalence

scholarly journals The Impact of Human Conflict on the Genetics of Mastomys natalensis and Lassa Virus in West Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e37068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aude Lalis ◽  
Raphaël Leblois ◽  
Emilie Lecompte ◽  
Christiane Denys ◽  
Jan ter Meulen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Human Conflict ◽  
The Impact

Reproductive Characteristics ofMastomys natalensisand Lassa Virus Prevalence in Guinea, West Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet ◽  
Emilie LeCompte ◽  
Lamine Koivogui ◽  
Stéphane Daffis ◽  
Jan Ter Meulen
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Reproductive Characteristics ◽  
Virus Prevalence

scholarly journals Establishment of a Genetically Confirmed Breeding Colony of Mastomys natalensis from Wild-Caught Founders from West Africa

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 590
Author(s):  
David Safronetz ◽  
Kyle Rosenke ◽  
Robert J. Fischer ◽  
Rachel A. LaCasse ◽  
Dana P. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Fever ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Breeding Colony ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Laboratory Breeding

Mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-Saharan Africa. Importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including Lassa virus (LASV), the etiological agent of Lassa fever in humans. Lassa-infected rodents have been documented across West Africa and coincide with regions where annual outbreaks occur. Zoonotic transmission to humans most often occurs directly from infected rodents. Little is known about LASV infection kinetics and transmissibility in M.natalensis, primarily due to available animals. Here, we describe the establishment of a laboratory breeding colony of genetically confirmed M.natalensis from wild-captured rodents. This colony will provide a convenient source of animals to study LASV and other emerging pathogens that utilize M. natalensis in their enzootic lifecycles.

Determining Ancestry between Rodent- and Human-Derived Lassa Virus Sequences in Endemic Foci within West Africa: Indications of Reverse Zoonosis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodeji Olayemi ◽  
Adetunji Samuel Adesina ◽  
Thomas Strecker ◽  
N’Faly Magassouba ◽  
Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Lassa Virus

scholarly journals Experimental Morogoro Virus Infection in Its Natural Host, Mastomys natalensis

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 851
Author(s):  
Chris Hoffmann ◽  
Stephanie Wurr ◽  
Elisa Pallasch ◽  
Sabrina Bockholt ◽  
Toni Rieger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Persistent Infection ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Natural Host ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Natural Hosts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Morogoro Virus ◽  
The Impact

Natural hosts of most arenaviruses are rodents. The human-pathogenic Lassa virus and several non-pathogenic arenaviruses such as Morogoro virus (MORV) share the same host species, namely Mastomys natalensis (M. natalensis). In this study, we investigated the history of infection and virus transmission within the natural host population. To this end, we infected M. natalensis at different ages with MORV and measured the health status of the animals, virus load in blood and organs, the development of virus-specific antibodies, and the ability of the infected individuals to transmit the virus. To explore the impact of the lack of evolutionary virus–host adaptation, experiments were also conducted with Mobala virus (MOBV), which does not share M. natalensis as a natural host. Animals infected with MORV up to two weeks after birth developed persistent infection, seroconverted and were able to transmit the virus horizontally. Animals older than two weeks at the time of infection rapidly cleared the virus. In contrast, MOBV-infected neonates neither developed persistent infection nor were able to transmit the virus. In conclusion, we demonstrate that MORV is able to develop persistent infection in its natural host, but only after inoculation shortly after birth. A related arenavirus that is not evolutionarily adapted to M. natalensis is not able to establish persistent infection. Persistently infected animals appear to be important to maintain virus transmission within the host population.

Lassa Virus Isolation from Mastomys natalensis Rodents during an Epidemic in Sierra Leone

Science ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 185 (4147) ◽  
pp. 263-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Monath ◽  
V. F. Newhouse ◽  
G. E. Kemp ◽  
H. W. Setzer ◽  
A. Cacciapuoti
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Virus Isolation ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis

scholarly journals Identification of Common CD8+ T Cell Epitopes from Lassa Fever Survivors in Nigeria and Sierra Leone

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saori Sakabe ◽  
Jessica N. Hartnett ◽  
Nhi Ngo ◽  
Augustine Goba ◽  
Mambu Momoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Lassa Fever ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Virus Surface ◽  
Cell Responses

ABSTRACT Early and robust T cell responses have been associated with survival from Lassa fever (LF), but the Lassa virus-specific memory responses have not been well characterized. Regions within the virus surface glycoprotein (GPC) and nucleoprotein (NP) are the main targets of the Lassa virus-specific T cell responses, but, to date, only a few T cell epitopes within these proteins have been identified. We identified GPC and NP regions containing T cell epitopes and HLA haplotypes from LF survivors and used predictive HLA-binding algorithms to identify putative epitopes, which were then experimentally tested using autologous survivor samples. We identified 12 CD8-positive (CD8+) T cell epitopes, including epitopes common to both Nigerian and Sierra Leonean survivors. These data should be useful for the identification of dominant Lassa virus-specific T cell responses in Lassa fever survivors and vaccinated individuals as well as for designing vaccines that elicit cell-mediated immunity. IMPORTANCE The high morbidity and mortality associated with clinical cases of Lassa fever, together with the lack of licensed vaccines and limited and partially effective interventions, make Lassa virus (LASV) an important health concern in its regions of endemicity in West Africa. Previous infection with LASV protects from disease after subsequent exposure, providing a framework for designing vaccines to elicit similar protective immunity. Multiple major lineages of LASV circulate in West Africa, and therefore, ideal vaccine candidates should elicit immunity to all lineages. We therefore sought to identify common T cell epitopes between Lassa fever survivors from Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where distinct lineages circulate. We identified three such epitopes derived from highly conserved regions within LASV proteins. In this process, we also identified nine other T cell epitopes. These data should help in the design of an effective pan-LASV vaccine.

scholarly journals Phylogeography of Lassa Virus in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah U. Ehichioya ◽  
Simon Dellicour ◽  
Meike Pahlmann ◽  
Toni Rieger ◽  
Lisa Oestereich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Lassa Fever ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Southeastern Part ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virus Strains

ABSTRACT Lassa virus is genetically diverse with several lineages circulating in West Africa. This study aimed at describing the sequence variability of Lassa virus across Nigeria and inferring its spatiotemporal evolution. We sequenced and isolated 77 Lassa virus strains from 16 Nigerian states. The final data set, including previous works, comprised metadata and sequences of 219 unique strains sampled between 1969 and 2018 in 22 states. Most of this data originated from Lassa fever patients diagnosed at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, Nigeria. The majority of sequences clustered with the main Nigerian lineages II and III, while a few sequences formed a new cluster related to Lassa virus strains from Hylomyscus pamfi. Within lineages II and III, seven and five sublineages, respectively, were distinguishable. Phylogeographic analysis suggests an origin of lineage II in the southeastern part of the country around Ebonyi State and a main vector of dispersal toward the west across the Niger River, through Anambra, Kogi, Delta, and Edo into Ondo State. The frontline of virus dispersal appears to be in Ondo. Minor vectors are directed northeast toward Taraba and Adamawa and south toward Imo and Rivers. Lineage III might have spread from northern Plateau State into Kaduna, Nasarawa, Federal Capital Territory, and Bauchi. One sublineage moved south and crossed the Benue River into Benue State. This study provides a geographic mapping of lineages and phylogenetic clusters in Nigeria at a higher resolution. In addition, we estimated the direction and time frame of virus dispersal in the country. IMPORTANCE Lassa virus is the causative agent of Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate of approximately 30% in Africa. Previous studies disclosed a geographical pattern in the distribution of Lassa virus strains and a westward movement of the virus across West Africa during evolution. Our study provides a deeper understanding of the geography of genetic lineages and sublineages of the virus in Nigeria. In addition, we modeled how the virus spread in the country. This knowledge allows us to predict into which geographical areas the virus might spread in the future and prioritize areas for Lassa fever surveillance. Our study not only aimed to generate Lassa virus sequences from across Nigeria but also to isolate and conserve the respective viruses for future research. Both isolates and sequences are important for the development and evaluation of medical countermeasures to treat and prevent Lassa fever, such as diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.

Case-Control Study of Mastomys Natalensis and Humans in Lassa Virus-Infected Households in Sierra Leone *

1983 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 829-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Keenlyside ◽  
Karl M. Johnson ◽  
Patricia A. Webb ◽  
Ethleen Smith ◽  
Luanne Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Control Study
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