Editing Lassa fever (section)

==Treatment==
Treatment is directed at addressing [[management of dehydration|dehydration]] and improving symptoms.<ref name=WHO2016/>

===Medications===
The [[antiviral drug|antiviral medication]] [[ribavirin]] has been recommended,<ref name=WHO2016/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Salam |first1=Alex P. |last2=Duvignaud |first2=Alexandre |last3=Jaspard |first3=Marie |last4=Malvy |first4=Denis |last5=Carroll |first5=Miles |last6=Tarning |first6=Joel |last7=Olliaro |first7=Piero L. |last8=Horby |first8=Peter W. |date=2022-03-30 |title=Ribavirin for treating Lassa fever: A systematic review of pre-clinical studies and implications for human dosing |journal=PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases |language=en |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=e0010289 |doi=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010289 |issn=1935-2735 |pmc=9000057 |pmid=35353804 |doi-access=free }}</ref>  but evidence to support its use is weak.<ref name=Eb2019/> Some evidence has found that it may worsen outcomes in certain cases.<ref name=Eb2019/> Fluid replacement, blood transfusions, and medication for low blood pressure may be required. Intravenous [[interferon]] therapy has also been used.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Adewuyi |first1=G. M. |last2=Fowotade |first2=A. |last3=Adewuyi |first3=B. T. |date=2009 |title=Lassa Fever: Another Infectious Menace |url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajcem/article/view/43407 |journal=African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology |language=en |volume=10 |issue=3 |doi=10.4314/ajcem.v10i3.43407 |issn=1595-689X |doi-access=free |access-date=28 April 2023 |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428060934/https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajcem/article/view/43407 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baize |first1=Sylvain |last2=Pannetier |first2=Delphine |last3=Faure |first3=Caroline |last4=Marianneau |first4=Philippe |last5=Marendat |first5=Ingrid |last6=Georges-Courbot |first6=Marie-Claude |last7=Deubel |first7=Vincent |date=2006-04-01 |title=Role of interferons in the control of Lassa virus replication in human dendritic cells and macrophages |journal=Microbes and Infection |language=en |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=1194–1202 |doi=10.1016/j.micinf.2006.02.002 |pmid=16621649 |issn=1286-4579|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Indirect antivirals ===
A potential novel treatment, the [[IMP-1088|NMT inhibitor]], has been shown to completely inhibit lassa infection in cells based assays by targeting [[Mammarenavirus|Z protein]] and [[Signal peptide|SSP]] for degradation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Witwit |first1=Haydar |last2=Betancourt |first2=Carlos Alberto |last3=Cubitt |first3=Beatrice |last4=Khafaji |first4=Roaa |last5=Kowalski |first5=Heinrich |last6=Jackson |first6=Nathaniel |last7=Ye |first7=Chengjin |last8=Martinez-Sobrido |first8=Luis |last9=de la Torre |first9=Juan C. |date=2024-08-26 |title=Cellular N-Myristoyl Transferases Are Required for Mammarenavirus Multiplication |journal=Viruses |language=en |volume=16 |issue=9 |pages=1362 |doi=10.3390/v16091362 |doi-access=free |pmid=39339839 |pmc=11436053 |issn=1999-4915}}</ref> [[Favipiravir]], a [[nucleoside analogue]], has been shown to be effective at treating Lassa fever in immunocompetent mouse, [[guinea pig]]s and [[macaque]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oestereich |first1=L |last2=Rieger |first2=T |last3=Lüdtke |first3=A |last4=Ruibal |first4=P |last5=Wurr |first5=S |last6=Pallasch |first6=E |last7=Bockholt |first7=S |last8=Krasemann |first8=S |last9=Muñoz-Fontela |first9=C |last10=Günther |first10=S |title=Efficacy of Favipiravir Alone and in Combination With Ribavirin in a Lethal, Immunocompetent Mouse Model of Lassa Fever. |journal=The Journal of Infectious Diseases |date=15 March 2016 |volume=213 |issue=6 |pages=934–8 |doi=10.1093/infdis/jiv522 |pmid=26531247 |pmc=4760419}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Safronetz |first1=David |last2=Rosenke |first2=Kyle |last3=Westover |first3=Jonna B. |last4=Martellaro |first4=Cynthia |last5=Okumura |first5=Atsushi |last6=Furuta |first6=Yousuke |last7=Geisbert |first7=Joan |last8=Saturday |first8=Greg |last9=Komeno |first9=Takashi |last10=Geisbert |first10=Thomas W. |last11=Feldmann |first11=Heinz |last12=Gowen |first12=Brian B. |title=The broad-spectrum antiviral favipiravir protects guinea pigs from lethal Lassa virus infection post-disease onset |journal=Scientific Reports |date=12 October 2015 |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=14775 |doi=10.1038/srep14775 |pmid=26456301 |pmc=4600983|bibcode=2015NatSR...514775S }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rosenke |first1=K |last2=Feldmann |first2=H |last3=Westover |first3=JB |last4=Hanley |first4=PW |last5=Martellaro |first5=C |last6=Feldmann |first6=F |last7=Saturday |first7=G |last8=Lovaglio |first8=J |last9=Scott |first9=DP |last10=Furuta |first10=Y |last11=Komeno |first11=T |last12=Gowen |first12=BB |last13=Safronetz |first13=D |title=Use of Favipiravir to Treat Lassa Virus Infection in Macaques. |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |date=September 2018 |volume=24 |issue=9 |pages=1696–1699 |doi=10.3201/eid2409.180233 |pmid=29882740 |pmc=6106425}}</ref> A case report showed combination favipiravir with ribavirin is effective for lassa fever, with two patients survived.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Raabe |first1=Vanessa N |last2=Kann |first2=Gerrit |last3=Ribner |first3=Bruce S |last4=Morales |first4=Andres |last5=Varkey |first5=Jay B |last6=Mehta |first6=Aneesh K |last7=Lyon |first7=G Marshall |last8=Vanairsdale |first8=Sharon |title=Favipiravir and Ribavirin Treatment of Epidemiologically Linked Cases of Lassa Fever |journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases |date=1 September 2017 |volume=65 |issue=5 |pages=855–859 |doi=10.1093/cid/cix406 |pmid=29017278 |pmc=5682919}}</ref> In vivo, the [[EC50|EC<sub>50</sub>]] of favipiravir is 2.89 μg.mL<sup>−1</sup>and doses larger than 1200&nbsp;mg twice a day should have the capability to strongly reduce the production infectious virus.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lingas |first1=Guillaume |last2=Rosenke |first2=Kyle |last3=Safronetz |first3=David |last4=Guedj |first4=Jérémie |title=Lassa viral dynamics in non-human primates treated with favipiravir or ribavirin |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |date=7 January 2021 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=e1008535 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008535 |doi-access=free |pmid=33411731 |pmc=7817048|bibcode=2021PLSCB..17E8535L }}</ref>

===Pregnancy===
When Lassa fever infects pregnant women late in their third trimester, inducing delivery is necessary for the mother to have a good chance of survival.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Price ME, Fisher-Hoch SP, Craven RB, McCormick JB |title=A prospective study of maternal and fetal outcome in acute Lassa fever infection during pregnancy |journal=BMJ |volume=297 |issue=6648 |pages=584–7 |date=September 1988 |pmid=3139220 |pmc=1834487 |doi=10.1136/bmj.297.6648.584 }}</ref> This is because the virus has an affinity for the placenta and other highly vascular tissues. The fetus has only a one in ten chance of survival no matter what course of action is taken; hence, the focus is always on saving the life of the mother.<ref name="Samuel">{{cite web|last1=Samuel|first1=Daso|title=Lassa fever... What you need to know.|url=http://www.aaua.edu.ng/a/health_centre/files/Lassa_fever_97.pdf|access-date=1 February 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625074524/http://www.aaua.edu.ng/a/health_centre/files/Lassa_fever_97.pdf|archive-date=25 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=OKOGBENIN |first=SYLVANUS |title=CLINICAL FEATURES AND MANAGEMENT OF LASSA FEVER. |url=https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/blue-print/day1_session1_1_sylvanus-okogbenin_lassa-vaccine-meeting_nigeria.pdf?sfvrsn=14a26bbf_3 |journal=World Health Organization |pages=34 |access-date=13 March 2024 |archive-date=13 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313044553/https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/blue-print/day1_session1_1_sylvanus-okogbenin_lassa-vaccine-meeting_nigeria.pdf?sfvrsn=14a26bbf_3 |url-status=live }}</ref>