title: Laboratory Diagnosis of Lassa Fever.
abstract: Lassa virus remains an important cause of illness in West Africa and among the travelers returning from this region with an acute febrile illness. The symptoms of Lassa fever can be nonspecific and mimic those of other endemic infections, especially early in illness, making a clinical diagnosis difficult; therefore, laboratory testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis. An early identification of Lassa fever is crucial for maximizing the benefit of available antiviral therapy, as treatment efficacy rapidly decreases following the clinical onset of the disease. This minireview provides an overview of the currently available diagnostic tests for Lassa fever and their strengths and weaknesses.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Adult and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA vanessa.raabe@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raabe
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koehler
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007835:Lassa Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Lassa fever