THE GUARDIAN
Clinical trials for the first new treatment for Lassa fever in almost 40 years are planned to be held in Nigeria this year.
The neglected tropical disease kills about 5,000 people a year and is endemic in west Africa.
The trials will begin in September at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo (FMCO), in Ondo state, which has high rates of the rodent-carried virus. It is the first work on a new treatment since ribavirin was approved for use in 1986. The drug’s efficacy has recently been questioned.
Dr Femi Ayodeji, FMCO’s head of infection control and research, said: “It’s important to get new treatments to avoid severe cases. By having new drugs that treat the Lassa fever virus better, the need for supportive treatments for some patients who develop acute kidney injury, and cardiovascular respiratory complications, will be reduced.”
Lassa fever is designated an epidemic threat to global health and a priority for research by the World Health Organization. Between 300,000 and 500,000 cases are recorded annually in west Africa. The fatality rate is about 1%, but that rises to 15% among people hospitalised with severe cases. Symptoms include fever, coughing, vomiting and diarrhoea, and it can affect the liver, spleen and kidneys.
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