CDC - Lassa virus

The Lassa virus causes Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever that is endemic in the countries of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea and perhaps elsewhere in West Africa. To determine the degree of genetic diversity among Lassa virus strains, partial nucleoprotein (NP) gene sequences were obtained from 54 strains and analyzed. Lassa virus is a virulent and highly transmissible RNA virus that belongs to the arenavirus group. Lassa virus was discovered in 1969 by a team led by Dr. Jordi Casals-Ariet.