A Prospective Study of the Epidemiology and Ecology of Lassa Fever

In studies of Lassa fever in Sierra Leone, the prevalence. of human antibody to Lassa virus ranged from 8% to 52%. Mastomys natalensis, the reservoir of Lassa virus, constituted 50%–60% of the rodents captured in houses but only 10%–20% of those captured in surrounding agriculture and bush areas (χ2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1987-03, Vol.155 (3), p.437-444
Main Authors: McCormick, Joseph B., Webb, Patricia A., Krebs, John W., Johnson, Karl M., Smith, Ethleen S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Viral - analysis
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Reservoirs
Disease transmission
Diseases
Epidemiology
Female
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Lassa fever
Lassa Fever - epidemiology
Lassa Fever - transmission
Lassa Fever - veterinary
Lassa fever and arenovirus diseases
Lassa virus
Lassa virus - immunology
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Muridae - microbiology
Original Articles
Prospective Studies
Rodent Diseases - epidemiology
Rodents
Sierra Leone
Tropical medicine
Tropical viral diseases
Villages
Viral cardiopathies
Viral diseases
Viruses
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Description
Summary:In studies of Lassa fever in Sierra Leone, the prevalence. of human antibody to Lassa virus ranged from 8% to 52%. Mastomys natalensis, the reservoir of Lassa virus, constituted 50%–60% of the rodents captured in houses but only 10%–20% of those captured in surrounding agriculture and bush areas (χ2 = 90.2, P < 10−6 , dƒ = 1), a finding suggesting that houses are the most-important location for transmission of Lassa virus. Viral infection of Mastomys from houses ranged from 0% to 80%. The incidence of seroconversions in susceptible persons ranged from 5% to 22% per year; the ratio of illness to infection ranged from 9% to 26%, and the proportion of febrile illness associated with seroconversion was 5%–14%. Eightfold rises in titer of antibody occurred in 1%–18% of the antibody-positive population, a result suggesting reinfection. We estimate the ratio of fatalities to infection to be 1%–2%, a rate lower than estimates based on hospitalized cases. The high incidence of Lassa fever makes it a major problem in West Africa.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/155.3.437