Lassa fever and danger…..

There was some relief from the third wave of Corona that the viral fever named Lassa fever knocked. At present, three cases have been reported in the UK.  The three men had traveled to West African countries some time back.  According to experts, Lassa fever is a disease spread by rats. It is especially found in rats of West Africa. This is a fever caused by a virus. There is a place called Lasa in the country of Nigeria, where the first case of this disease came in 1969. Hence this fever was named Lassa fever and the virus was named Lassa virus.  

Soon, the disease had spread to countries like Benin, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. However, now the disease has reached the endemic stage in these countries. This means the people here have learned to live with Lassa fever and this fever has become normal now. According to an estimate, there are 1 to 3 lakh cases of Lassa fever in West Africa every year, of which 5 thousand die. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality rate due to Lassa fever is just 1%, that is, very low. It can prove to be fatal for women in the last months of pregnancy. In 80% of its cases, people do not have any symptoms, due to which the virus is not detectable. 

Some people have to be admitted to the hospital because if not treated at the right time, this disease can become serious. If severe, this fever can attack organs such as the kidney and liver, which is fatal. The risk of death from Lassa fever in hospitalized patients may be up to 15%. At present, not a single case has been reported in India, but international travel has increased this concern. 

This disease is spread by rats when humans eat food contaminated with feces or urine. Apart from this, this disease can also come in humans when the infected rat comes in contact with household items. You can also get a fever if you come into contact with fluids that come out of an infected person's eyes, nose, or mouth. However, this thing has been seen in very few cases. There is no evidence that this disease is spread through hugging, shaking hands, or sitting together. 

Symptoms appear in the body 2 to 3 weeks after being exposed to Lassa fever. However, 8 out of every 10 people do not have any symptoms. 

Mild symptoms:  fever, fatigue, headache, weakness.

Severe symptoms: Vomiting, facial swelling, bleeding, chest, back, and abdominal pain and tremors. 

According to the US health agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most serious complication of Lassa fever is deafness. About a third of infected people have at least one or more deafness. In many cases, people become permanently deaf.

If Lassa fever is diagnosed on time, it can be cured with the current treatment. An antiviral drug called ribavirin is used against this disease. According to the CDC, avoid contact with rats to avoid Lassa fever. Do not allow rats to enter your house.

Stay healthy, stay safe...