Lassa Virus News and Research

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Lassa virus or Lassa viral haemorrhagic fever is an acute illness of 1-4 weeks duration that occurs in West Africa. Though first described in the 1950s, the virus causing the disease was not identified until 1969. The virus is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the virus family Arenaviridae. Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Sierra Leone and parts of Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.

Tracking Lassa fever survivors provides crucial clues for future vaccines

The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), has announced the launch of a research study to understand how Lassa fever survivors fight and overcome Lassa virus infection.

14 Jul 2026

Experimental two‑in‑one vaccine shows success in human LASSARAB trial

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have reported encouraging results from the first human clinical trial of LASSARAB, an experimental vaccine designed to protect against Lassa fever and rabies in a single formulation.

9 Jun 2026

Cross-reactive T cells target measles and dangerous Nipah viruses

T cells are some of the immune system's most important warriors. They can stop tumor growth and even fight off severe infections.

2 Jun 2026

New vaccine approach targets broad protection against arenavirus infections

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that combining key vaccine ingredients could give the body the tools it needs to fight the entire family of arenaviruses with a single vaccine.

21 May 2026

New nanoparticle vaccines show promise against multiple deadly filoviruses

Filoviruses get their name from the Latin word "filum," meaning thread-a reference to their long, filamentous shape. This virus family contains some of the most dangerous pathogens known to science, including Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo and Marburg viruses.

18 Dec 2025

New research pipeline fuels the development of universal vaccines

Most vaccines are designed to provide immunity against just one pathogen. Vaccines for chicken pox (caused by varicella-zoster virus) were only developed to fight that one disease, for example.

7 Aug 2025

New AI tool predicts viral mutations to help future-proof COVID vaccines

A novel AI-driven method helps scientists stay ahead of viral evolution by engineering synthetic spike proteins that anticipate future SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations, offering a powerful tool to test and strengthen next-generation vaccines.

11 May 2025

Clinical trial of vaccine candidate to prevent Lassa fever begins enrollment

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored clinical trial of a candidate vaccine to prevent Lassa fever has begun enrolling participants at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

17 Mar 2025

F446L mutation in Lassa virus offers clues for new therapeutic approaches

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Lassa virus (LASV) glycoprotein complex (GPC) contains retained stable-signal peptide (SSP), glycoprotein 1 (GP1), and glycoprotein 2 (GP2).

19 Feb 2025

The growing list of human viruses: Are we prepared for the next outbreak?

Researchers review the ever-growing list of human viruses, examining their diversity, transmission pathways, and the urgent need for prevention and global surveillance.

12 Feb 2025

New vaccine candidate shows promise for protecting against Lassa fever

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland Baltimore, in collaboration with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the Geneva Foundation, have developed a promising new vaccine candidate that protects against Lassa fever.

12 Sep 2024

CEPI and University of Oxford launch new project to initiate vaccine development against Junín virus

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the University of Oxford today announced the launch of a new project to initiate early development of prototype vaccines against the Junín virus, selected as an exemplar of the Arenavirus family which is responsible for multiple deadly hemorrhagic fevers with epidemic and pandemic potential.

6 Nov 2023

UTMB research potentially points to an effective treatment for Lassa fever

New research out of the University of Texas Medical Branch potentially points to an effective treatment for Lassa fever, a dangerous, often fatal disease common to much of West Africa but considered a major threat to global health.

24 Aug 2023

Potential of COVID-19 convalescent plasma for future monoclonal antibodies against severe SARS-CoV-2 inflammation

Researchers report that convalescent plasma treatment is most effective in treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

17 Aug 2023

CEPI and HMRI partner to accelerate development of pandemic vaccines

CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI), have today announced a partnership to combine cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology with established laboratory techniques to speed up development of future vaccines against novel viral threats (also known as Disease X).

18 Jul 2023

Lassa virus vaccine induces rapid protection in an animal model

Scientists have developed a novel Lassa vaccine using a recombinant measles virus and tested its protective efficacy against Lassa fever. A single vaccine dose has been found to induce a rapid and robust immune response in monkeys with pre-existing immunity against the measles virus.

14 Mar 2023

Study suggests bats are an underrecognized arenavirus reservoir

Researchers reported the detection of arenavirus RNA from various species of bats sampled between 2007 and 2011 from Brazil.

21 Nov 2022

Study provides a guide to neutralizing Lassa virus using a trio of rare antibodies

A new study from scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) gives researchers a guide to neutralizing Lassa virus using a trio of rare antibodies isolated from survivors of Lassa virus infection.

26 Oct 2022

Areas hospitable to Lassa virus spread may extend in the next several decades

In the study, which appeared on September 27 in Nature Communications, scientists analyzed decades of environmental data associated with Lassa virus outbreaks, revealing temperature, rainfall and the presence of pastureland areas as key factors contributing to viral transmission.

27 Sep 2022