Abstract: Arenavirus infection in humans can lead to viral hemorrhagic fever, which is often fatal and poses a significant threat to public health. Currently, no effective therapeutic drugs or licensed vaccines are available for arenavirus infections, underscoring the urgency to strengthen the basic research on these viruses and develop novel antiviral therapies. This article summarizes the advancements of research on the structure, life cycle, pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, detection methods and newly discovered mammalian arenaviruses. Focusing on Lassa virus, multiple candidate strategies for treatment of arenaviruses are explored, with expectations to provide references for the development of novel anti-arenaviral drugs.