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(IANS)
Last week the UK detected a case of the deadly haemorrhagic fever—Lassa fever. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has placed this virus under the list of priority pathogens alongside Ebola and dengue. The UK’s health officials say that it has the potential to be a pandemic. Now, the death of the reported individual has heightened the fear of the disease spreading.
What is this disease?
Lassa fever is an acute Ebola-like viral haemorrhagic illness. The virus was named after the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria, where it was first identified in 1969.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Lassa fever has been imported to the UK for the first time in a decade. Previously, eight cases of Lassa fever have been imported to the UK since 1980, with the last two cases occurring in 2009.
How does it spread?
Data suggests that cases of Lassa fever tend to spike during the dry spells of the year. It spreads mainly through direct contact with rodents.
An individual may be infected with the virus through exposure to food or other items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. Human to human transmission can happen through exposures to blood, tissue, secretions, or excretions. Reports also suggest that sharing needles may also spread the virus, and it can even infect individuals through sexual transmission.
What are the symptoms?
While 80% of the cases are asymptomatic, 20% have reported symptoms like flu, headaches, sore throat, muscle pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. It can also cause bleeding from the vagina, mouth, nose, and severe facial swelling in severe cases.
One in four patients who have survived the disease may experience shock, seizures, a tremor, disorientation, coma, and hearing loss. However, partial hearing returns over the course of one to three months.
Is there a treatment?
While there is no effective, targeted treatment or vaccine, two jab companies entered phase one trials in 2019, and another started human trials last year.
WHO suggests the following to curb the disease from spreading:
Promote good community hygiene to avoid rodents from entering homes.
Effective measures include storing foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from home, maintaining clean households, and keeping cats.
Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves chances of survival.
What is the fatality rate?
WHO data has confirmed that the overall case-fatality rate is 1%. Among the patients hospitalised with a severe level of Lassa fever, the case fatality is estimated to be around 15%.
While new Lassa fever cases are always a concern, experts believe that the world thankfully won’t have to see the transmission of such diseases to the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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