Emerging Microbes and Infections (Jan 2020)
Lassa fever in Benin: description of the 2014 and 2016 epidemics and genetic characterization of a new Lassa virus
- Anges Yadouleton,
- Caroline Picard,
- Toni Rieger,
- Frederic Loko,
- Daniel Cadar,
- Emile Cossi Kouthon,
- Emmanuel Obolli Job,
- Honoré Bankolé,
- Lisa Oestereich,
- Fernand Gbaguidi,
- Meike Pahlman,
- Beate Becker-Ziaja,
- Alexandra Journeaux,
- Delphine Pannetier,
- Stéphane Mély,
- Stéphanie Mundweiler,
- Damien Thomas,
- Leon Kohossi,
- Raoul Saizonou,
- Clement Glele Kakaï,
- Magloire Da Silva,
- Sonia Kossoubedie,
- André Lukusa Kakonku,
- Pierre M’Pelé,
- Stephan Gunther,
- Sylvain Baize,
- Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Affiliations
- Anges Yadouleton
- Laboratoire des Fièvres Hémorragiques Virales, Cotonou, Benin
- Caroline Picard
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur CNR des fièvres hémorragiques virales (CNR FHV), Lyon, France
- Toni Rieger
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Frederic Loko
- Ministry of Health, Cotonou, Benin
- Daniel Cadar
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Emile Cossi Kouthon
- Hospital St Martin de Papané, Papané, Benin
- Emmanuel Obolli Job
- Sanitary Coordination, Tchaourou, Benin
- Honoré Bankolé
- Ministry of Health, Cotonou, Benin
- Lisa Oestereich
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Fernand Gbaguidi
- University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
- Meike Pahlman
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Beate Becker-Ziaja
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Alexandra Journeaux
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur CNR des fièvres hémorragiques virales (CNR FHV), Lyon, France
- Delphine Pannetier
- INSERM – Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
- Stéphane Mély
- INSERM – Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
- Stéphanie Mundweiler
- INSERM – Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
- Damien Thomas
- INSERM – Jean Mérieux BSL4Laboratory, CNR FHV, Lyon, France
- Leon Kohossi
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- Raoul Saizonou
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- Clement Glele Kakaï
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- Magloire Da Silva
- Ministry of Health, Cotonou, Benin
- Sonia Kossoubedie
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- André Lukusa Kakonku
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- Pierre M’Pelé
- World Health Organization, Cotonou, Benin
- Stephan Gunther
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Sylvain Baize
- Virology Department, Institut Pasteur CNR des fièvres hémorragiques virales (CNR FHV), Lyon, France
- Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet
- Virology Department, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1796528
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 1
pp. 1761 – 1770
Abstract
ABSTRACTWe report two outbreaks of Lassa fever that occurred in Benin in 2014 and 2016 with 20 confirmed cases and 50% (10/20) mortality. Benin was not previously considered to be an endemic country for Lassa fever, resulting in a delay to diagnose the disease and its human transmission. Molecular investigations showed the viral genomes to be similar to that of the Togo strain, which is genetically very different from other known strains and confirms the existence of a new lineage. Endemic circulation of Lassa virus in a new territory and the genetic diversity thus confirm that this virus represents a growing threat for West African people. Given the divergence of the Benin strain from the prototypic Josiah Sierra Leone strain frequently used to generate vaccine candidates, the efficacy of vaccine candidates should also be demonstrated with this strain.
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