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Infections
Published in Evelyne Jacqz-Aigrain, Imti Choonara, Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology, 2021
Evelyne Jacqz-Aigrain, Imti Choonara
Ribavarin is a guanine analogue and has a large spectrum of activity in vitro on both DNA viruses (adenovirus, herpes) and RNA viruses (VRS, influenza, paramyxovirus, arenavirus, bunyavirus, and reovirus). The molecule is triphosphorylated by cellular kinases; it inhibits viral and cellular transcription, which explains its toxicity towards bone marrow and its teratogenic effect [38]. It is prescribed in cases of hepatitis C in association with alpha interferon in doses of 800 mg to 1200 mg per day for adults; it is prescribed for children over the age of 16 years orally. A trial using this drug to treat severe forms of adenovirus disease was carried out in 5 immunodepressed children; two of the children were cured of the infection after intravenous treatment [39]. It has been used on a trial basis for chronic infections of the central nervous system measles virus, with only modest results. Some positive results have been obtained in the treatment of Lassa fever after intravenous injections of 1 g/day. It has been prescribed in aerosol form for serious infections of RS V and measles interstitial pneumonia.
Determination of Antiviral Activity
Published in Adorjan Aszalos, Modern Analysis of Antibiotics, 2020
It is the purpose of this chapter to consider methods for determining antiviral activity against those viruses that are especially considered of clinical importance. Listed in Table 1 are the important human viruses responsible for infections of major public health significance and that are at present not readily controllable by vaccines. An earlier review [2] included a similar list of viruses, but that list has been considerably expanded now because information on the viruses has increased markedly since that time. The rotaviruses, for example, have been subjected to recent intensive study that has elucidated clearly their major role as a cause of severe gastroenteritis, especially in infants and children [3]. The increasing incidence and serious nature of Lassa fever has similarly been recently outlined [4]. It was with some hesitation that the oncoviruses were added to the list, since definitive studies linking them to human cancer [5—7] are only beginning to appear.
Lassa Fever
Published in James H. S. Gear, CRC Handbook of Viral and Rickettsial Hemorrhagic Fevers, 2019
J. H. S. Gear, Margaretha Isaäcson
Lassa fever is caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus group, which is transmitted to human beings from the rodent reservoir host, Mastomys natalensis, by direct contact with infected tissues or indirectly, possibly by food contaminated with excreta, and possibly by aerosols arising from these animals. Health care personnel attending patients may also acquire the infection by contact with blood or blood-stained excretions from the patient and by needle prick while collecting blood.
Managing Viral Emerging Infectious Diseases via current Molecular Diagnostics in the Emergency Department: the Tricky Cases
Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2022
The first case of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection was identified in 1960s [2]. Afterward, hantaviruses were described as the etiological agent of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome [3]. Sporadic cases of Lassa fever, Argentine hemorrhagic fever, and Bolivian hemorrhagic fever had also been a major concern for public health [4]. Since the emergence of the Nipah virus (NiV), this virus has reappeared on different occasions causing severe infections [5]. In 2002, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was identified, and, in 2009, the H1N1 influenza virus showed high community transmission yet low mortality [6,7]. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was firstly identified in 2012 and has also caused outbreaks, with its severe cases possibly to succumb to fatal outcomes [8]. The 2013–2015 West African epidemic has been characterized as the most geographically extensive, most fatal, and longest lasting epidemic in Ebola’s history [9]. Zika virus was evident from 2007, but resulted to a Brazilian pandemic outbreak in 2015 [10]. In 2019, SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified and led to the current pandemic, while nowadays the Monkeypox virus is again evident [11].
Infodemic, social contagion and the public health response to COVID-19: insights and lessons from Nigeria
Published in Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 2022
Bridget O. Alichie, Nelson Ediomo-Ubong, Blessing Nonye Onyima
As with the other zoonotic viral diseases, there is no treatment for LF. In the absence of any licensed LF vaccines, however, reports show that anti-LF therapy draws on an off-label combination of a chronic hepatitis C drug (Interferin) and an antiviral drug (the nucleoside analog Ribavirin) with uncertain efficacy [39,42]. Despite this acclaimed treatment model, Nigeria’s clinical measures in recent years since its resurgence, mainly favors the isolation and management of suspected infected cases against the human viral spread. Lassa fever did not escape the scourge of misinformation, Saka et al. [44] ‘noted that epidemiological reports negate the premise that the infection could have arisen through consumption of rat, which is a common delicacy among the Idoma and Tiv people of Benue State, but rather from rat-infected food stuff and from human-to-human transmission.’
A review on favipiravir: the properties, function, and usefulness to treat COVID-19
Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2021
Seyed MohammadReza Hashemian, Tayebeh Farhadi, Ali Akbar Velayati
In 2017, two cases with Lassa fever were treated using a combination of ribavirin and favipiravir [49]. Ribavirin was previously introduced as the only antiviral therapy in the patients undergoing Lassa fever. In both subjects, the viremia lowered upon the treatment. However, levels of the liver transaminases increased after 5 days of favipiravir administration because of the drug adverse effect or underlying disease. Decreasing of the ribavirin dosage and the stop of favipiravir led to reduction of the aminotransferase levels [49]. Due to the lack of historical viral load data and control groups, the results cannot be certainly related to the combined therapy [12]. More clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined therapy [12,49]. Administration of antivirals shortly after onset of the clinical symptoms can shorten the course of the disease and reduce the infectiousness to others by decreasing the viral shedding [71,72].