SPECIAL_ Lassa Fever-what You Should Know
INTRODUCTION
It was first described in the 1950s, however the
virus causing the disease was not identified until
1969, when it's discovered in two missionary
hospitals in the Lassa town of Borno State, the
virus is a single-stranded RNA. Most of the
people infected (about 80%) usually are not
symptomatic. In severe cases, it can result in
multi-organ damage.
Lassa fever is mainly found in Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria and is spread by
rats. Other neighbouring countries are also at
risk because the type of rat that spreads the
virus is also found throughout the West African
region.
Because the clinical course of the disease is so
variable, detection of the disease in affected
patients has been difficult. However, when
presence of the disease is confirmed in a
community, prompt isolation of affected patients,
good infection protection and control practices
and rigorous contact tracing can stop outbreaks.
TRANSMISSION
It is, 'zoonotic,' or a...