Laboratory Diagnosis of Lassa Fever
Abstract
Lassa virus remains an important cause of illness in West Africa and among the travelers returning from this region with an acute febrile illness. The symptoms of Lassa fever can be nonspecific and mimic those of other endemic infections, especially early in illness, making a clinical diagnosis difficult; therefore, laboratory testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis. An early identification of Lassa fever is crucial for maximizing the benefit of available antiviral therapy, as treatment efficacy rapidly decreases following the clinical onset of the disease. This minireview provides an overview of the currently available diagnostic tests for Lassa fever and their strengths and weaknesses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1128/jcm.00170-17
Entities
People
- Jeffrey Koehler
- Vanessa Raabe
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Emory University