An evaluative scientometric assessment of emerging Lassa virus research in the post-COVID era

Lassa virus is a tropical zoonotic pathogen which has become a major cause of concern in the last five decades. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive scientometric analysis of global research on Lassa virus to elucidate influential publications, authorship pattern, top contributing countries, prolific authors, key themes and most productive journals, with particular emphasis on the post-COVID-19 research landscape. Based on the observation of symptoms Lassa virus infection just like COVID-19 involves respiratory tract infection. If a previously affected COVID patient became infected with Lassa virus, the outcome may be considerably more severe due to reduced immunity. The ten most cited LASV-related papers were identified using the lens.org core database, led by Watanabe (2020) with 1,532 citations, followed by Brouwer (2020) and Yao (2020), highlighting the strong impact of studies published around the COVID-19 pandemic. Keyword co-occurrence and frequency analyses revealed dominant research themes centered on “Lassa virus,” “Lassa fever,” “Arenavirus,” “Humans,” “Animals,” and “SARS-CoV-2,” reflecting increasing attention to zoonotic transmission, host–virus interactions, and comparative viral pathogenesis. Current research trends emphasize transmission dynamics, prevalence hotspots in West Africa, vector ecology, and therapeutic interventions. The United States dominates Lassa virus research output (31%), followed by significant contributions from Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, China, Nigeria, India, and Japan. Authorship analysis identified highly prolific researchers, with Stephan Günther emerging as a leading contributor. Journal articles constitute the primary mode of dissemination (83%), complemented by preprints, datasets, and other scholarly formats. Overall, this analysis provides critical insights into the evolution, priorities, and global distribution of LASV research, offering guidance for future studies and policy development.