Age- and sex-associated differences in Lujo hemorrhagic fever pathogenesis in strain 13/N guinea pigs.

ABSTRACT: Lujo virus (LUJV) is a highly pathogenic zoonotic arenavirus first identified during a 2008 viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) outbreak in Southern Africa, exhibiting an 80% case fatality rate. Despite its public health significance, LUJV remains poorly understood, with no approved treatments, vaccines, or known reservoir. Existing small animal models have shown limited disease recapitulation, with strain 13/N guinea pigs emerging as a promising model for LUJV pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluate the influence of age and sex on LUJV disease progression in strain 13/N guinea pigs. We show that young females exhibit markedly improved survival, while all young males, as well as juvenile and adult animals of both sexes, succumbed to infection. Despite similar high titers of LUJV detected in the

SUBMITTER: Tailor N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12551956 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature