Mumbai, February 15: At the time when the world is struggling to deal with coronavirus, a new cause for concern arises after one of the three persons diagnosed with Lassa fever in the United Kingdom died on February 11. The patient died at a hospital in London’s Bedfordshire. The three affected patients -- all from the same family -- had recently returned from West Africa. What Is Yellow Fungus? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of the New Fungal Infection Found in India; Here’s All You Need To Know.

Notably, the disease is an ongoing outbreak of Lassa fever in West Africa, including Nigeria. According to reports, the death rate of Lassa fever is only one percent. However, the death rate is higher in pregnant women. Last month, Nigeria activated the national multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary Lassa fever emergency operations centre in response to the outbreak in some of its parts. More than 100 people have died in the country so far.

What Is Lassa Fever?

Lassa fever is an animal-borne, or zoonotic, acute viral hemorrhagic illness, similar to Ebola. People become infected through exposure to food or other items that have been contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. It is endemic in parts of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. It was first discovered in 1969. It is named after the town in Nigeria where the first cases were detected. Legionnaires’ Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment of the Lung Infection.

Symptoms Of Lassa Fever:

After one to three weeks of coming in contact with the virus, patients show signs and symptoms. Mild symptoms include slight fever, general malaise and weakness, and headache. Meanwhile, serious symptoms of the disease are -  hemorrhaging in gums, eyes, or nose, respiratory distress, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen, vomiting, facial swelling, and shock. Most of the patients have mild symptoms and are undiagnosed. Patients also suffer from neurological problems. Patients can die after two weeks of detection of symptoms due to multiple organ failures.

Treatment:

Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, has been used against the virus. Patients should also be given supportive care. This include maintenance of patients' appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance. Oxygen level should also be checked frequently.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 100,000 to 300,000 infections of Lassa fever occur annually, with approximately 5,000 deaths.Lassa fever could be prevented by avoiding contact with Mastomys rodents. Meanwhile, further transmission while taking care of patients can be avoided by taking preventive precautions against contact with patient secretions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 15, 2022 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).