학술논문

Influence of Landscape Patterns on Exposure to Lassa Fever Virus, Guinea
Document Type
article
Source
Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol 29, Iss 2, Pp 304-313 (2023)
Subject
Lassa virus
seroepidemiology
IgG responses
fragmentation
land use land cover change
Guinea
Medicine
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Language
English
ISSN
1080-6040
1080-6059
Abstract
Lassa fever virus (LASV) is the causative agent of Lassa fever, a disease endemic in West Africa. Exploring the relationships between environmental factors and LASV transmission across ecologically diverse regions can provide crucial information for the design of appropriate interventions and disease monitoring. We investigated LASV exposure in 2 ecologically diverse regions of Guinea. Our results showed that exposure to LASV was heterogenous between and within sites. LASV IgG seropositivity was 11.9% (95% CI 9.7%–14.5%) in a coastal study site in Basse-Guinée, but it was 59.6% (95% CI 55.5%–63.5%) in a forested study site located in Guinée Forestière. Seropositivity increased with age in the coastal site. We also found significant associations between exposure risk for LASV and landscape fragmentation in coastal and forested regions. Our study highlights the potential link between environmental change and LASV emergence and the urgent need for research on land management practices that reduce disease risks.