Hemorrhagic Fevers: Countering Inflammation to Prevent Circulatory Failure
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Hemorrhagic fevers are severe viral diseases that are often fatal. Researchers from the University of Basel have now identified messenger substances of the immune system, which in infected mice lead to the development of shock. These results, published in the scientific journal Cell Host & Microbe, open up new possibilities for the development of life-saving therapies. Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family, is transmitted from rodents to humans. In West Africa, it causes several tens of thousands of deaths from hemorrhagic fevers every year, in a similar way to Ebola virus. The terminal stage is often characterized by shock. However, little was known about the mechanisms underlying fatal circulatory failure.
