[The therapeutic efficacy of ribamidil and virazole in experimental Lassa fever in monkeys].

The therapeutic efficacy of ribamydil and virasol was evaluated in experimental Lassa fever in monkeys which received these drugs at various intervals after the onset of the clinical illness. Ribamydil or virasol administered in the first day of fever protected from death 60% to 66% of the infected animals, but when the drugs were given 2 days after the onset of fever the number of survivors declined to 0.20%. When the treatment was started 4 days after the onset of fever none of the drugs prevented deaths of Lassa virus-infected baboons.