Explained: Lassa fever, that is slowly taking the shape of a global endemic
On 11th February, the news of a new disease called Lassa fever surfaced when one among the three people diagnosed in the UK succumbed to it. Since then, this new-found disease has been associated to travel to west African countries and have been spreading in other European nations as well. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, about 80 per cent of the cases are asymptomatic. They remain undiagnosed. In fact, the death rate linked with the disease is low as well. However, pregnant women, especially the ones who are in their third trimester, are prone to hospitalisation and fatality due to multi-organ failure. Reports further suggest that 15 per cent of hospitalised patients may also succumb. Here’s what’s known so far about this moderately deadly disease.
What is Lassa fever and how did it originate?
The Lassa fever originated in West Africa and is a rarely known viral fever that was first discovered in 1969 in the town of Lassa, in Nigeria. The disease was identified right after two Nigerian nurses died in the early 1970s. The fever is spread by rodents, predominantly rats, and is found in several West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria, where it has already been declared as an epidemic.
How does the infection spread?
As mentioned above, Lassa fever is spread by rats and when a person comes in contact with household items such as food and water that are left contaminated with urine or faeces of an infected rat, they in turn get infected. Human transmission is also possible through the body fluids of a sick person: Mucus released through eyes, nose or mouth. Fortunately, Lassa fever hasn’t been known to spread through casual physical contact such as hugging, shaking hands or sharing space with someone. Therefore, in simple terms, Lassa fever isn’t a highly contagious disease, unlike COVID-19.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of Lassa fever manifest a lot late, almost 1 to 3 weeks after exposure to the rat virus. The mild symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, weakness, headache; while the more severe symptoms include bleeding through mouth or nose, breathing difficulty, vomiting, facial swelling, chest pain, back and abdomen pain and severe brain shock.
What are the after-effects?
As mentioned before, death can occur in rare cases and from two weeks post the onset of symptoms. It happens due to multi-organ failure. Apart from fatality, another common yet severe complication post Lassa fever is deafness. In fact, nearly one-third of people with this condition report many degrees of hearing loss. In some cases, this may be permanent. Surprisingly, deafness has been observed in both mild and severely affected patients.
How to stay protected?
In order to stay safe from Lassa fever, one must try and avoid direct or indirect contact with rats and stay away from rat-prone areas. Laying done rattraps and using rat repellents are also recommended. Another important precaution is to maintain basic hygiene