Recently, a case of Lassa fever was reported in West Africa, in which one person died. This person was in isolation at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center in Iowa City and died on the afternoon of October 29. Lassa fever is a serious viral infection, which is mostly found in parts of West Africa. Let us know about it in detail.

What is Lassa fever?

Lassa fever is a dangerous viral disease caused by the Lassa virus. The virus is transmitted by contact with a specific type of rat called Mastomys natalensis. These rats are mostly found in West African countries such as Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. The first case of this disease was found in Nigeria in 1969, and it is named after that.

How dangerous is Lassa fever?

Lassa fever typically has a mortality rate of 1% among infected individuals, but in severe cases this rate can rise to 15%. The disease is considered even more dangerous for pregnant women, especially in the last stages of pregnancy, where the risk to the fetus and mother increases.

Symptoms of Lassa Fever

The initial symptoms of Lassa fever are general fever, weakness, and tiredness. But after a few days, these symptoms can become more severe, such as:

Headache
Throat pain
Muscle pain
Chest pain
Vomiting, diarrhea
Cough
Stomach pain

In more severe cases, the patient may also have symptoms such as swelling of the face, fluid accumulation in the lungs, bleeding from the nose and mouth. Low blood pressure may also occur in some cases. The disease has an incubation period of 6 to 21 days, and in fatal cases, death may occur within 14 days of the appearance of symptoms.

Treatment and prevention of Lassa fever

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is currently no definite cure for this disease. However, scientists are researching it and trying to develop some new potential treatments.