Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1974 Jul 19;185(4147):263-5.
doi: 10.1126/science.185.4147.263.

Lassa virus isolation from Mastomys natalensis rodents during an epidemic in Sierra Leone

T P Monath, V F Newhouse, G E Kemp, H W Setzer, A Cacciapuoti

Lassa virus isolation from Mastomys natalensis rodents during an epidemic in Sierra Leone

T P Monath et al. Science. .

Abstract

Lassa fever is a severe febrile illness of man, first recognized in West Africa in 1969. During an epidemic in Sierra Leone, Lassa virus was isolated for the first time from wild rodents of Mastomys natalensis. A high prevalence of infected Mastomys was found in houses occupied by patients with Lassa fever. The data presented provide the first demonstration of an extra-human cycle of Lassa virus transmission and suggest that rodent control may be an effective method of limiting the disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources