The ENABLE 1.5 Lassa Research Programme has continued in West Africa to address knowledge gaps on Lassa fever, its connection to malaria, and community readiness for forthcoming vaccines.

The study, funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, commenced in late 2024 and will run until mid-2026 across Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, with significant scientific and public health goals.

The prospective cohort study recruited 5,000 participants, with at least 1,000 per site, and monitored them closely for a year to measure Lassa virus incidence, malaria co-infection, and long-term complications, including permanent hearing loss.

This phase of the study builds on ENABLE 1.0 (2021–2023), which enrolled over 23,000 participants in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, yielding important data on Lassa virus exposure and distribution patterns.

The study reported that the earlier phase had an overall Lassa virus seroprevalence of approximately 30 percent, with Edo recording the highest incidence rate of 1.9 cases per 1,000 persons, as indicated in the surveillance findings.

It disclosed that children were as vulnerable to Lassa fever as adults.

“Mild cases are often missed, while malaria coinfection rates in Lassa patients remain poorly studied, necessitating targeted data gathering and analysis.

“ENABLE 1.5 will determine symptomatic infection rates confirmed by RT-PCR testing, measure malaria co-infection among Lassa patients, and assess sensorineural hearing loss incidence in survivors to inform vaccine trials and health interventions,” it said.

The study would also evaluate community perceptions of Lassa vaccination and willingness to participate in future clinical trials, using participatory approaches to enhance acceptance and foster trust in targeted populations.

To reduce participant dropout, the study proposed that researchers involve community health workers and survivors as advocates, alongside sensitization campaigns on rodent control, environmental sanitation, and insecticide-treated mosquito net usage in high-risk communities.

Communities from ENABLE 1.0 will receive updates on past findings, ensuring transparency and strengthening local relationships. Meanwhile, random household selection in Lassa hotspots will ensure balanced representation across five age categories.

The study said that participants would undergo regular check-ups, blood tests, and hearing assessments.

It stated that suspected cases would be tested for both diseases, and confirmed cases would be referred promptly to treatment centers following national health guidelines.

It said that survivors would be followed for months to monitor recovery progress, detect delayed complications, and collect valuable information about the long-term health and socioeconomic impact of the disease on affected individuals.

CEPI said that ENABLE 1.5 would generate robust evidence for late-stage vaccine trials, inform delivery strategies, and strengthen regional outbreak preparedness and response for Lassa fever and associated health challenges.

(NAN)