New vaccine shows promise to fight Lassa virus
News Medical, July 19, 2022
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch have achieved success with a new vaccine developed to fight Lassa Virus, a pathogen that causes Lassa fever. Lassa fever is lethal in humans and nonhuman primates with a mortality rate as high as 70% in hospitalized cases. “Different countries have different lineages of Lassa virus, and a fast-acting vaccine that can prevent the disease is a major goal when dealing with an outbreak,” said Dr. Robert Cross, one of the lead researchers. “Several vaccine candidates to treat Lassa have been under development since 2005, but most require multiple injections and can take up to four weeks to become effective. There are no vaccines currently licensed for the prevention of Lassa fever."