Lassa fever is an acute, viral disease carried by a type of rat that is common in West Africa. It can be life-threatening.
It is a hemorrhagic virus, which means it can cause bleeding, although 8 out of every 10 people with the virus have no symptoms. If it affects the liver, kidneys, or spleen, it can be fatal.
The disease is endemic to a number of West African countries. Rough estimates suggest there are between 100,000 and 300,000 cases of Lassa fever each year in West Africa, and approximately 5,000 deaths due to the disease.
An estimated 80 percent of infections do not produce significant symptoms, although there may be a general malaise, headache, and a slight fever.
In the remaining 20 percent of cases, Lassa fever becomes serious.
Symptoms can include: bleeding in the gums, nose, eyes, or elsewhere, difficulty breathing, a cough, swollen airways, vomiting and diarrhea, both with blood, difficulty swallowing, hepatitis, swollen face, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen shock, hearing loss, which may be permanent, abnormal heart rhythms, high or low blood pressure, pericarditis, a swelling of the sac that surrounds the heart, tremors, encephalitis, meningitis, seizures
The main focus of prevention is “community hygiene,” to control the rat population.
This includes: regular hand-washing, storing foods in rodent-proof containers, keeping garbage away from the home, keeping pet cats, avoiding blood and other bodily fluids when caring for sick relatives, following safe burial procedures, using protective equipment in a healthcare setting, including masks and eyewear.
