Check out the new paper from our group:
Environmental Persistence and Disinfection of Lassa Virus
This paper led by PhD candidate Marlee Shaffer showed that Lassa virus strains exhibit varying stability in different environments. Virus strains were more stable in deionized water than in primary influent wastewater. This difference was highlighted by the first-order rate constants: 0.23 days for Josiah and 0.34 days for Sauerwald in deionized water, compared to 1.3 days for Josiah and 1.9 days for Sauerwald in primary influent wastewater. Furthermore, they lingered on surfaces such as high-density polyethylene and stainless steel. Understanding these environmental dynamics is crucial for effective disease management. This research provides crucial knowledge for Lassa fever risk assessment and offers insights to combat this deadly disease in West Africa.