Abstract / Summary
This study presents an integrated hypothesis that conceptualizes human exposure to Lassa fever not solely in terms of direct transmission from Mastomys rodents, but as an environmental system in which multiple factors—including climate, rainfall, wind, topography, soil, agriculture, food, household environments, and sanitation infrastructure—interact with one another. In particular, the study focuses on the relationships among Mastomys ecology, agricultural land, residential environments, and food management, and outlines the potential for testing this hypothesis using GIS, epidemiological data, and meteorological data. The environmental factors discussed in this study do not constitute newly established transmission routes; rather, they represent a research hypothesis that extends the examination of known transmission dynamics to upstream environmental conditions. Future research should make use of non-experimental data to investigate not only infection prevention but also the effects of outbreaks on society, the economy, and community recovery.