According to British media reports, on February 11, local time, the British Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced the confirmed third case of Lassa fever in the country, and one of the patients has died.
Lassa fever virus
Lassa fever is an acute, highly contagious international infectious disease caused by Lassa virus. Lassa fever is mainly endemic in Nigeria, Libya, Sierra Leone, Guinea and other West African countries. It is named after the first case discovered in 1969 in the town of Lassa in the northeastern region of Nigeria.
UKHSA confirmed on Wednesday that two other cases of Lassa fever infection similar to Ebola had been detected in the east of England. All three cases were members of the same family who had travelled to West Africa.
In some parts of West Africa, acute viral diseases transmitted by animals are endemic. Lassa fever is usually contracted through contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine or feces of infected mice.
It can also be transmitted through infected bodily fluids.
Symptoms of Lassa fever infection include fever, weakness, headache, and vomiting. It can also cause bleeding from the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, or vagina, and ultimately lead to death, but its mortality rate is significantly lower than that of Ebola.
About a quarter of patients survive the infection, but deafness may occur. In these cases, half of them will regain hearing after a few months.
More than a decade has passed since The last time Lhasa fever was discovered in the UK. At the time in 2009, two people returning to the UK were confirmed to be infected with Lassa fever.
In West Africa, there are hundreds of thousands of cases of Lassa fever every year.