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Review
. 2017 Mar;17(3):195-207.
doi: 10.1038/nri.2016.138. Epub 2017 Jan 23.

Immunobiology of Ebola and Lassa virus infections

Joseph B Prescott  1 , Andrea Marzi  1 , David Safronetz  2   3 , Shelly J Robertson  1 , Heinz Feldmann  1   3 , Sonja M Best  1
Affiliations
Review

Immunobiology of Ebola and Lassa virus infections

Joseph B Prescott et al. Nat Rev Immunol. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Two of the most important contemporary emerging viruses that affect human health in Africa are Ebola virus (EBOV) and Lassa virus (LASV). The 2013-2016 West African outbreak of EBOV was responsible for more than 11,000 deaths, primarily in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. LASV is constantly emerging in these and surrounding West African countries, with an estimate of more than 500,000 cases of Lassa fever, and approximately 5,000 deaths, annually. Both EBOV and LASV are zoonotic, and human infection often results in a severe haemorrhagic fever in both cases. However, the contribution of specific immune responses to disease differs between EBOV and LASV. This Review examines innate and adaptive immune responses to these viruses with the goal of delineating responses that are associated with protective versus pathogenic outcomes.

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