• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Lassa fever detected in the UK – here’s what you need to know

February 21, 2022
in Article
0
Lassa fever detected in the UK – here’s what you need to know
file 20220221 28 mieeq
Around 20% of patients may experience severe illness from the Lassa fever virus. Kateryna Kon/ Shutterstock

Three people in the UK have tested positive for Lassa fever – including a newborn infant, who has unfortunately died as a result. Hundreds of close-contact healthcare workers are now in isolation as a precaution. This is the first time since 2009 that cases of the virus have been reported in the UK.

The patients are said to have contracted the virus in west Africa, where there has been a wave of infections reported in Nigeria. Many people are understandably concerned about this virus, especially given no vaccines exist against it and there are limited antiviral medicines to treat the infection it causes. But in the UK, given the small number of people that have been affected, the threat to the wider community is low.

Despite the recent news coverage, we’ve actually known about Lassa fever for over 50 years – though it’s likely been around much longer. The Lassa fever virus (which causes Lassa fever disease) was first discovered in 1969 during an outbreak in Nigeria. It was named after the town Lassa in the north east near Cameroon, where the outbreak first began.

Lassa fever is what is called a “viral haemorrhagic fever”, similar to Ebola. But while it can cause problems with how you control the movement of fluids through your body (meaning fluid may sometimes leak out of the blood vessels), this rarely happens. Thankfully, around 80% of people don’t get very sick when they contract Lassa fever, and usually only experience flu-like symptoms, such as a headache, sore throat and fever.

But in around 20% of patients, severe illness can happen. This can affect the body’s organs, including the liver, brain, gut and lungs. If you manage to survive this severe form of the disease, it’s highly likely you may experience long term disability – such as hearing loss.

For around 1%-3% of cases, Lassa fever is fatal. Unfortunately, we don’t yet understand why some people get severe disease and no clear risk factors are established.

Rat-borne virus

Lassa fever causes an estimated 5,000 deaths a year, and up to 300,000 infections throughout west Africa, where the disease in endemic.

Lassa fever is a zoonotic virus, meaning it comes from animals. It’s naturally found in a type of common wild mouse-like mammal called a multimammate rat that can live in close contact with humans. While the virus doesn’t usually cause illness in these rats, it can be excreted in their urine and saliva.

Close-up of multimammate rat's head and upper body.
The virus is spread in the urine and saliva of wild rats.
Marek Velechovsky/ Shutterstock

After coming in contact with affected urine or saliva, a person can be exposed to the virus if they touch their eyes, mouth or any scratches they may have. You can also inhale it through contaminated dust particles. Infection is most common during the west African dry season, between December and April.

Given its relatively long incubation period of one to two weeks, Lassa can easily hitch a ride in people across the world from its home in west Africa. But once a person has been exposed, they typically don’t pass it along to other people.

However, it has sometimes been known to spread when people are in close contract, especially if they’re exposed to contaminated fluids. While such contact between carers and contaminated fluid from patients is uncommon, great care is still taken in treating patients sick with the disease. You’re most likely to spread Lassa if you become severely ill from it.

Given how dangerous Lassa fever disease is, work with the virus must be carried out at the highest level of biological safety. Only a handful of labs are capable of working with Lassa fever virus, which may be why so few antiviral drugs have been developed. No vaccine has currently been developed for Lassa Virus, and so health authorities have named it a priority disease for researchers developing ways to combat infection.

Lassa virus already causes considerable burden across Africa. We should expect to see more cases of Lassa outside the area as international travel takes off after the pandemic. However, with the right precautions, it’s unlikely major outbreaks will take place outside of endemic areas. This is because people outside of these regions have little contact with the infected animals.

The UK patients who contracted the virus will be cared for until they recover. Close contacts will continue to be closely monitored and tested for infection. If further positives are detected, they too will be isolated and contacts quarantined – similar to what occurs with COVID. But it’s unlikely that there’s much of a cause for concern for the wider public, except for those who may travel to the affected countries.

The Conversation

Connor Bamford receives funding from Wellcome-Trust, UKRI and BMA Foundation.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Omitting indoor air quality from COVID-19 guidance for shelters and long-term care homes is a grave mistake

Next Post

Have hybrid coronaviruses already been made? We simply don’t know for sure, and that’s a problem

Next Post

Have hybrid coronaviruses already been made? We simply don't know for sure, and that's a problem

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS