UMN researchers combat deadly family of viruses

team of researchers from the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Medical School has been awarded two five-year grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) totaling $6.7 million to study how certain viruses cause severe disease in pregnant individuals, and how to develop vaccines against these deadly and emerging viruses. The crucial work is focused on arenaviruses, such as Lassa virus and Junin virus, which are potentially pandemic pathogens and are particularly dangerous for pregnant individuals.

While Lassa and Junin viruses cause endemic infections in West Africa and South America, respectively, their potential for global spread is a significant concern. The World Health Organization has placed them on its "Blueprint" list of diseases requiring urgent research and development. Lassa virus is especially virulent during pregnancy, with maternal mortality rates reaching as high as 50% in the final trimester and causing exceptionally high rates of pregnancy loss.

Despite this, there is no established animal model to study the disease in pregnant individuals and, as a result, no approved vaccines or treatments. Find the full story here.