A vaccine for Lassa fever was found only now - 50 years later

A vaccine for Lassa fever was found only now - 50 years later
A vaccine for Lassa fever was found only now - 50 years later
Anonim

50 years ago, scientists tried to cope with the deadly Lassa fever and began developing a vaccine. And only today they began to test it in humans.

In January 1969, an unknown virus was first isolated from the serum of two nurses who died … An infection called Lassa fever affects almost every organ in the body. Until now, doctors suspect that the disease was transmitted from an animal, but from which it is not known. It is believed that patients can catch this infection from each other only through contact.

Named after the Nigerian village where cases were first reported, the Lassa virus causes hemorrhagic fever and kills about 5,000 of the hundreds of thousands of people infected each year in West Africa. The virus, spread by the rat Mastomys natalensis, can be transmitted through human body fluids.

The World Health Organization considers the creation of a vaccine a top priority. Of the nearly 30 vaccines in development, only one has been tested in humans. One clinical trial on the safety and efficacy of this vaccine began in the United States in May 2019, and another trial is scheduled for Liberia, Nigeria, and Ghana this month.

This is a prime example of how long it may take to develop a vaccine, for example, against the same coronavirus.

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