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LASV infection in human respiratory epithelial cells

The main rodent host reservoir of LASV is the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis. Humans are primarily infected through mucosal exposure to virus-containing aerosols of rodent excretions. Thus, the respiratory tract is the major entry site of LASV. We utilize differentiated primary cultures of airway epithelial cells grown under air-liquid interface conditions as an in vitro cell culture model to analyse replication kinetics and the polarity of viral entry and release of LASV in the bronchial epithelium. Our findings contribute to our understanding of the relevance of the human respiratory tract as a LASV replication site and its potential role in human-to-human transmission via airway secretions.