In News
- A person has died after three cases of Lassa fever were confirmed in the UK. The cases have been linked to travel to West African countries.
What is Lassa?
- About:
- The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria.
- Spread:
- The fever is spread by rats and is primarily found in countries in West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria where it is endemic.
- Human beings can transmit the virus to each other through contact with infected bodily fluids.
- Symptoms:
- Slight fever, fatigue, weakness and headache and more serious symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen and shock.
- Prevention & Treatment:
- The best way to avoid getting infected is to avoid contact with rats.
- Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, has been used to successfully treat Lassa fever in patients.
Source: IE
