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Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

Nigeria Expands Research into Lassa Fever with Groundbreaking Study

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Scientists in Nigeria are leading a pioneering research study into the deadly Lassa fever, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the variation in disease symptoms and how these compare to malaria and other worrisome infections in the region. Led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and local study sites, the research is part of the world's largest Lassa fever study, Enable, created by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and partners.

The study will focus on five thousand healthy participants, including children and infants, who will be monitored for Lassa fever for a 12-month period through biweekly home visits, diagnostic tests, and blood sample collections. The data collected will be anonymized and shared with local health officials and vaccine developers to inform Lassa case definitions and help plan for future vaccine clinical trials.

Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Nigeria, emphasized the importance of the research in deepening the understanding of the Lassa virus and enhancing the work being undertaken to develop the first-ever Lassa vaccine. "The new Enable research will deepen our understanding of the virus and enhance the work being undertaken to develop the first-ever Lassa vaccine to safeguard the health of our communities," he said.

The research aims to improve scientific understanding of how commonly Lassa fever occurs, how rates of infection and symptoms vary across selected locations, ages, sex, and previous exposure to the virus. Scientists will also examine the extent of post-infection symptoms like hearing loss and the co-infection of Lassa fever and malaria. Insights gained from the study will guide future late-stage vaccine trials and help determine priority groups for receiving the Lassa vaccine.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study aims to recruit 5,000 healthy participants, including children and infants, from five sites in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
  • Local community leaders and on-the-ground teams will support participant enrollment.
  • Research sites were selected due to their connections to healthcare facilities specialized in diagnosing and treating Lassa fever.
  • Participants will be monitored for 12 months through biweekly home visits, diagnostic tests, and blood sample collections.
  • Data collected will be anonymized and shared with local health officials and vaccine developers to inform Lassa case definitions and help plan for future vaccine clinical trials.
  • The study is approved by Sierra Leone's National Ethics Committee and Nigeria's National Health Research Ethics Committee.
  • Lassa fever is a potentially deadly disease primarily spread by infected Mastomys rats and can lead to serious symptoms, including in pregnant women and their babies.
  • The World Health Organization has identified Lassa fever as a priority pathogen in urgent need of R&D.
  • CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens.

Statistics:

  • 5,000 participants will be recruited for the study.
  • The research will be conducted at 5 sites: Phebe Hospital in Liberia, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, Federal Medical Centre Owo in Nigeria, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki in Nigeria, and Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone.
  • 200 participants aged 0-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-17 years, 18-50 years, and over 50 years old will be recruited in equal numbers.
  • 1% of Lassa fever cases are fatal.
  • 23,000 participants have taken part in the Enable research to date.
  • Initial data collected up to 2024 is expected to be published in upcoming months.
  • Lassa fever is estimated to infect hundreds of thousands of people annually.

Sources:

  • Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
  • Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
  • World Health Organization
  • Nigeria Health Watch
  • CEPI's Lassa fever research program
  • Enable, the world's largest Lassa fever study
  • Universities of Oxford and Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
  • West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
  • Nigerian Ministry of Health
  • National Lassa Vaccine Task Team
  • CEPI's "100 Days Mission" to develop a vaccine against a future Disease X

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