Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dec 2006)

Mastomys natalensis and Lassa Fever, West Africa

  • Emilie Lecompte,
  • Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet,
  • Stéphane Daffis,
  • Kékoura Koulémou,
  • Oumar Sylla,
  • Fodé Kourouma,
  • Amadou Doré,
  • Barré Soropogui,
  • Vladimir Aniskin,
  • Bernard K. Allali,
  • Stéphane Kouassi Kan,
  • Aude Lalis,
  • Lamine Koivogui,
  • Stephan Günther,
  • Christiane Denys,
  • Jan ter Meulen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1212.060812
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 12
pp. 1971 – 1974

Abstract

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PCR screening of 1,482 murid rodents from 13 genera caught in 18 different localities of Guinea, West Africa, showed Lassa virus infection only in molecularly typed Mastomys natalensis. Distribution of this rodent and relative abundance compared with M. erythroleucus correlates geographically with Lassa virus seroprevalence in humans.

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