Time to reconsider the role of ribavirin in Lassa fever

2021/07/08 by Alex P. Salam, Hung‐Yuan Cheng, Tansy Edwards +3 · 1 citation
Medicine · Health Professions · #Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research #Disaster Response and Management #Hepatitis B Virus Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0009522

openalex publication_date 2021/07/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Ribavirin is the only available Lassa fever treatment. The rationale for using ribavirin is based on one clinical study conducted in the early 1980s. However, reanalysis of previous unpublished data reveals that ribavirin may actually be harmful in some Lassa fever patients. An urgent reevaluation of ribavirin is therefore needed.

Citations

• Lassa Fever
• A Case-Control Study of the Clinical Diagnosis and Course of Lassa Fever
• Ribavirin for the treatment of Lassa fever: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by

• Lassa fever [wikipedia]

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