Context: One of the three persons diagnosed with Lassa fever in the UK has died on February 11. The cases have been linked to travel to west African countries.
Key takeaways
The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria.
The fever is spread by rats.
It is primarily found in countries in West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria where it is endemic.
A person can become infected if they come in contact with household items of food that is contaminated with the urine or feces of an infected rat.
Person-to-person transmission is more common in healthcare settings.
Symptoms typically appear 1-3 weeks after exposure.
Mild symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, weakness and headache.
More serious symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen and shock.
Death can occur from two weeks of the onset of symptoms, usually as a result of multi-organ failure.
How to prevent the epidemic: Maintaining hygiene to prevent rats from entering the house, keeping food in rat-proof containers and laying down rat traps.
