LASSA FEVER: 11 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KILLER DISEASE
– Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa
virus and it is transmitted to humans from contacts with food or household
items contaminated with rodent excreta.
– Lassa frequently
infects people in West Africa as it results in 300,000 to 500,000 cases
annually and causes about 5,000 deaths each year.
– The primary animal
host of the Lassa virus is the Natal multimammate mouse, an animal mostly found
in sub Saharan Africa.
– After an incubation
period of six to 21 days, an acute illness with multiorgan involvement develops
as it affects several organs such as the liver, spleen and kidneys.
– Nonspecific
symptoms include fever, facial swelling, and muscle fatigue, as well as
conjunctivitis and mucosal bleeding.
– Lassa virus is
zoonotic, that is, it is transmitted from animals, in that it spreads to humans
from rodents, specifically multimammate rats.
– Infection in humans
typically occurs by exposure to animal excrement through the respiratory or
gastrointestinal tracts.
– Transmission from
person to person has also been established, presenting a disease risk for
healthcare workers.
– Ensure to keep
rodents out of homes and food supplies, as well as maintaining effective
personal hygiene. Store grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers,
disposing of garbage far from the home and maintaining clean households
– All persons
suspected of Lassa fever infection should be admitted to isolation facilities
and their body fluids and excreta properly disposed of.
– The overall
mortality rate is estimated to be 1%, but during epidemics, mortality can climb
as high as 50%.
If you didn’t know,
now you know!!!
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