Explained: What is Lassa fever? Know its symptoms, other details

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 fades and the world returns to normalcy, a new virus raises concerns in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, at least three instances of Lassa Fever have been verified, one of which has resulted in death. Here's all about the fever:

Team Newsable

London, First Published Feb 15, 2022, 4:50 PM IST | Last Updated Feb 15, 2022, 4:50 PM IST

As the Omicron variant of Covid-19 fades and the world returns to normalcy, a new virus raises concerns in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, at least three instances of Lassa Fever have been verified, one of which has resulted in death. According to reports, all three instances of the virus originated in West Africa. The first fatality from the virus was recorded in Bedfordshire.

Here's everything you need to know:

What is Lassa fever?
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Pollution (CDC), the virus that causes Lassa fever is widespread in West Africa and was identified in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Pollution (CDC). This illness was discovered after two nurses died in Nigeria. The fever is mostly prevalent in West African nations such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria, where it is endemic.

How can one be infected?
A person can become sick if they come into contact with food or household objects contaminated with infected rat urine or excrement. It can also be transferred, although rarely if a person comes into touch with an infected person's body fluids or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. Person-to-person transmission is more likely in hospital settings.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms usually develop one to three weeks following exposure. Mild symptoms include a mild temperature, weariness, weakness, and headache, while severe symptoms include bleeding, trouble breathing, vomiting, face swelling, discomfort in the chest, back, and abdomen, and shock.

While serious sickness might occur, the majority of people recover completely. The WHO estimates that the general death rate is 1%, although the observed rate among patients hospitalised to hospitals with severe cases is 15%.

According to the CDC, the most common consequence connected with fever is hearing. Almost one-third of individuals afflicted have some degree of deafness. In many of these situations, the hearing loss is permanent. Significantly, deafness can develop in both moderate and severe fever presentations.

How to prevent it?
Avoiding contact with rats is the best approach to prevent infection. The CDC recommends avoiding contact with rats not just in locations where the illness is endemic but also maintaining hygiene in other areas to prevent rats from entering the house, storing food in rat-proof containers, and putting down rat traps.

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