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. 2016 May 3:6:25280.
doi: 10.1038/srep25280.

New Hosts of The Lassa Virus

Ayodeji Olayemi  1 , Daniel Cadar  2 , N'Faly Magassouba  3 , Adeoba Obadare  1 , Fode Kourouma  3 , Akinlabi Oyeyiola  1 , Samuel Fasogbon  4 , Joseph Igbokwe  1 , Toni Rieger  2 , Sabrina Bockholt  2 , Hanna Jérôme  2 , Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit  2 , Mutien Garigliany  5 , Stephan Lorenzen  6 , Felix Igbahenah  7 , Jean-Nicolas Fichet  8 , Daniel Ortsega  7 , Sunday Omilabu  9 , Stephan Günther  2 , Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet  2
Affiliations

New Hosts of The Lassa Virus

Ayodeji Olayemi et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Lassa virus (LASV) causes a deadly haemorrhagic fever in humans, killing several thousand people in West Africa annually. For 40 years, the Natal multimammate rat, Mastomys natalensis, has been assumed to be the sole host of LASV. We found evidence that LASV is also hosted by other rodent species: the African wood mouse Hylomyscus pamfi in Nigeria, and the Guinea multimammate mouse Mastomys erythroleucus in both Nigeria and Guinea. Virus strains from these animals were isolated in the BSL-4 laboratory and fully sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of viral genes coding for glycoprotein, nucleoprotein, polymerase and matrix protein show that Lassa strains detected in M. erythroleucus belong to lineages III and IV. The strain from H. pamfi clusters close to lineage I (for S gene) and between II &III (for L gene). Discovery of new rodent hosts has implications for LASV evolution and its spread into new areas within West Africa.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on nucleotide sequences of the complete GP, NP, L and Z segments of LASVs showing the placement of the virus strains isolated in this study in comparison to other sequences representing the members of LASV lineages I–V.
Inset is a map of West Africa showing various sites sampled. Different colours (red, green and yellow) of sequences in the phylogenies indicate the geographical origin (in the map) from which the sequences were obtained during this study. Statistical support of grouping from Bayesian posterior probabilities (clade credibilities ≥70%) is indicated at the nodes. Strain names, GenBank accession numbers are indicated on the branches. Scale bar indicates mean number of nucleotide substitutions per site. The map of West Africa was downloaded from http://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=752&lang=fr, and then modified using the software EazyDraw v 5.3.0 (http://eazydraw.com).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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