Lassa virus replicon particle vaccine protects strain 13/N guinea pigs against challenge with geographically and genetically diverse viral strains.

Lassa virus (LASV) causes mild to severe hemorrhagic fever disease in humans. Strain 13/N guinea pigs are highly susceptible to infection with LASV strain Josiah (clade IV), providing a critical model system for therapeutics and vaccine development. To develop additional models of disease, we detail the clinical course in guinea pigs infected with 5 geographically and genetically diverse LASV strains. Two of the developed models (LASV clades II and III) were then used to evaluate efficacy of a virus replicon particle (VRP) vaccine against heterologous LASV challenge, demonstrating complete protection against clinical disease after a single vaccination dose. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2022. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.