Lassa virus (LASV) is an emerging zoonotic virus endemic in West Africa that can cause severe haemorrhagic Lassa fever (LF) in humans. LF recently gained international attention as a prominent infectious disease, leading to increasingly severe outbreaks in Nigeria over the past three years. Morbidity and mortality associated with LF disease in Nigeria continue to rise with 106 deaths reported in 2016, 143 in 2017 and 562 in 2018. Despite the significant health impact LF imposes on West Africa there are currently no FDA-approved therapeutics or vaccines available for treatment and prevention. This review focuses on the assessment and current state of LF antiviral therapeutics in animal models and their potential role in reducing disease burden throughout West Africa.

拉沙病毒（LASV）是西非一种新兴的人畜共患病毒，可导致人类严重出血性拉沙热（LF）。LF最近作为一种重要的传染病而受到国际关注，导致过去三年来尼日利亚的疫情日趋严重。尼日利亚与LF病相关的发病率和死亡率继续上升，2016年报告有106例死亡，2017年为143例，2018年为562例。尽管LF对西非造成了重大健康影响，但目前尚无FDA批准的疗法或疫苗可用于治疗和预防。这篇综述着重于动物模型中LF抗病毒疗法的评估和当前状态，以及它们在减轻整个西非疾病负担方面的潜在作用。