Lassa fever causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Causes
Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the Arenaviridae family; it is an enveloped, single-stranded, bisegmented RNA virus.
Replication for Lassa virus is very rapid, while also demonstrating temporal control in replication. There are two genome segments. The first step involved is making mRNA copies of the - sense genome. This ensures that there is adequate proteins, which are required for replication. The N and L proteins are made from the mRNA produced. The - sense genome then makes vcRNA copies of itself which are + sense. The vcRNA is a template for producing - sense progeny but mRNA is also synthesized from it. The mRNA synthesized from vcRNA translate the G (spike) proteins and Z proteins. Thus, with this temporal control, the spike proteins are produced last, making the infection further undetected by the host immune system.
Lassa virus will infect just about every tissue in the human body. It starts with the mucosa, intestine, lungs and urinary systems, and then progresses to the vascular system.