Ezeomah Chiomah, Adoga Adeyi, Ihekweazu Chikwe, Paessler Slobodan, Cisneros Irma, Tomori Oyewale, Walker David
Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Galveston National Laboratory, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Dec 3;6(12):ofz512. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz512. eCollection 2019 Dec.
Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease endemic in some West African countries. It is exported to countries in America, Asia, and Europe. Antivirals against Lassa fever are important to provide a cure in patients with the disease and provide protection against it. In addition, due to the potential utilization of Lassa virus as a bioterrorism agent, vaccines against the disease can be utilized as a counterterrorism measure. Developing antiviral compounds and vaccines against the disease requires understanding of the pathogenesis of Lassa fever and its disease course, including the signs, symptoms, complications, and sequelae. An important sequela of Lassa fever is ataxia. A few cases of postviral ataxia following Lassa fever have been described in the literature. This review focuses on highlighting these cases, the gaps in scientific knowledge where further research is needed, and possible ways of diagnosing postviral ataxia after Lassa fever in resource-limited settings.
拉沙热是一种在一些西非国家流行的人畜共患病。它传播到了美洲、亚洲和欧洲的国家。抗拉沙热病毒药物对于治疗该疾病患者和预防该疾病都很重要。此外,由于拉沙病毒有可能被用作生物恐怖主义制剂,针对该疾病的疫苗可作为反恐措施使用。研发针对该疾病的抗病毒化合物和疫苗需要了解拉沙热的发病机制及其病程,包括体征、症状、并发症和后遗症。拉沙热的一个重要后遗症是共济失调。文献中描述了几例拉沙热后病毒感染性共济失调的病例。本综述着重强调这些病例、科学知识方面需要进一步研究的空白,以及在资源有限的环境中诊断拉沙热后病毒感染性共济失调的可能方法。