Serological Evidence of Lassa Virus Exposure in Non-Mastomys Small Mammal Within a Hyperendemic Region of North-Central Nigeria: A Pilot Study
Rattachement africain : Nigéria, Maroc. Niveau de preuve : code pays fourni par la source.
Le résumé fourni par la source
Lassa fever (LF), a severe hemorrhagic disease endemic to West Africa, is primarily transmitted by rodents of the genus Mastomys, particularly Mastomys natalensis, which serve as the main reservoirs of Lassa virus (LASV). There have been reports of high preva-lence of LF in Nigeria, and outbreaks tend to be recurrent yet geographically restricted, implying that additional ecological or epidemiological factors influence the distribution of the disease beyond the mere presence of M. natalensis. However, national-scale data on LASV prevalence in rodent populations remain scarce. To address this gap, a targeted small mammals survey was conducted over a four-month period (May to August 2024) in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, north-central Nigeria. Rodents and other small mammals were trapped across three purposively selected wards identified as high-risk areas based on prior reports of occurrence of such small mammals in the areas as well the informal settlements in which the selected wards in Otukpo LGA. Analysis of the samples revealed no statistically significant variation in LASV prevalence among the study sites, indicating a relatively uniform, low-level exposure risk across the LGA and region. However, a marginally significant difference in LASV detection between plasma and serum samples suggests that sample type and storage conditions may influence se-rological sensitivity. These findings highlight the importance of refining diagnostic pro-tocols, broadening surveillance to include additional rodent hosts, and integrating eco-logical data with public health strategies to improve early warning systems and strengthen Lassa fever control efforts.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Serological Evidence of Lassa Virus Exposure in Non-Mastomys Small Mammal Within a Hyperendemic Region of North-Central Nigeria: A Pilot Study
- Date Crossref
- 04/08/2025
- Éditeur
- MDPI AG
- Type
- posted-content
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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Federal University of Health Sciences Institute for Global Health and Health Security Nigéria (code pays fourni par la source)Université ou école supérieure
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Abdelmalek Essaâdi University Maroc (code pays fourni par la source)Université ou école supérieure
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University of Jos Department of Pediatrics University of Jos, Nigéria (code pays fourni par la source)Université ou école supérieure
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Faculty of Sciences LESCB URL-CNRST N° 18 Tétouan, Maroc (pays nommé en fin d’affiliation)Université ou école supérieure
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College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nigéria (pays nommé en fin d’affiliation)Université ou école supérieure
Institute for Global Health and Health Security — Federal University of Health Sciences (Nigéria), Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (Maroc) et Department of Pediatrics — University of Jos (University of Jos, Nigéria), avec 2 autres affiliations. Pays d’affiliation : Nigéria, Maroc.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.