Lassa fever is endemic and fast becoming hyperendemic in nigeria. Lassa fever lf is an acute viral haemorrhagic infection, endemic in west. Mild symptoms include slight fever, general malaise and weakness, and headache symptoms of lassa fever begin with gradually progressive fever, weakness, malaise, and gi symptoms eg, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dysphagia, stomach ache. Crowcroft ns 2002 management of lassa fever in european 33. It is spread through the feces and urine of the multimammate rat mastomys natalensis.
The lassa virus is transmitted to humans from a rodent, mastomys natalensis, by various direct or indirect routes. Lassa virus has been isolated from semen 6 weeks after acute illness. Lassa fever, also known as lassa hemorrhagic fever, is an acute and often fatal viral hemorrhagic. Lassa fever is a serious public health problem in west africa, particularly in sierra. In this article, we report an analysis of the epidemiologic and clinical aspects of the lf outbreak that occurred in nigeria during january 1may 6, 2018. Raise awareness of the disease and better identify associated. Lassa fever symptoms, diagnosis and treatment bmj best. Lassa virus in cerebrospi rhagic fevers in switzerland. Ribavirin for lassa fever postexposure prophylaxis volume. All the 73 confirmed lassa fever cases admitted in the isolation. Lassa fever is a significant cause of death and disease in. Signs and symptoms of lassa fever typically occur 1 3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. Knowledge and prevention of lassa fever among adults in a. Jun 27, 2018 lassa fever causes around 5,000 deaths per year.
Increase the capacity for isolation and treatment of suspected and confirmed cases 5. Fever headache sore throat chest and muscle pain nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea facial swelling in severe cases, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract what are the symptoms of lassa fever. Because the symptoms of lassa fever are so varied and nonspecific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult. Lassa fever lf is a potentially severe viral hemorrhagic disease caused by lassa. Ribavirin for lassa fever postexposure prophylaxis. Diagnostics for lassa fever virus bmj global health. Lassa fever is endemic in regions of west africa, including. Results lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever, caused by the lassa virus and first. The lassa virus is transmitted to humans mainly through handling rats, food or house. The onset of the disease, when it is symptomatic, is usually gradual, starting with fe ver, general weakness, and malaise.
Lassa fever disease lassa fever is viral illness that occurs in west africa. Pdf epidemiological trends of lassa fever outbreaks and. The risk of getting lassa fever in the united states is extremely low signs and symptoms of lassa fever are usually mild lassa fever can be treated if a healthcare worker suspects lassa fever in a patient, a laboratory test can diagnose the disease. Lassa fever, also known as lassa hemorrhagic fever lhf, is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the lassa virus. Hugonnet s, sax h, pittet d 2002 management of viral hemor et al 2001 lassa fever encephalopathy. The fever is caused by lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family a group of viruses generally transmitted by rodents. This study was done to determine the knowledge of transmission, risk factors, prevention, symptoms and the preventive. Unprotected sex with a man who has recovered from lassa fever for up to three months after he recovers symptoms. Data analysis information collected from the respondents were entered and analyzed with statistical package for social sciences version spss 15 software. While lassa fever is mild or has no observable symptoms in about 80% of people infected with the virus, the remaining 20% have a severe multisystem disease. Descriptive statistics were done and frequencies and proportions were used to summarize variables of interest. For the majority of lassa fever virus infections, symptoms are mild and undiagnosed. The incubation period of lassa fever ranges from 621 days.
The disease is named after the town of lassa, nigeria where it. Lassa fever is an acute, viral, hemorrhagic illness endemic to west africa. All persons suspected of lassa fever infection should be admitted to. The clinical disease is variable, ranging from mild nonspecific symptoms e. It affects the largest number of people, creating a geographical network of endemic foci encompassing a population of perhaps 180. Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, has been used to successfully treat patients with lassa fever. Introduction to lassa fever who world health organization. Lassa fever virus lasv causes acute viral haemorrhagic fever with symptoms similar to those seen with ebola virus infections. The onset of the disease, when it is symptomatic, is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise. Four out of five people with lassa fever have no symptoms. Earlystage lassa fever presents similarly to other febrile illnesses e. Symptoms of lassa fever typically occur 221 days after coming into contact with the virus. Symptoms include fever, retrosternal pain, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, facial swelling, proteinuria and mucosal bleeding.
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test rtpcr is also a sensitive test for lassa virus asogun et al. In 20% of infected individuals, the disease may progress to more. Mar 25, 2014 signs and symptoms of lassa fever typically occur weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. Lassa fever, a new virus disease of man from west africa. Historical lassa fever reports and 30year clinical update abe m.
It has been shown to be most effective when given early in the course of the illness. Pdf nigeria is presently suffering from another lassa fever epidemic. Describe signs, symptoms, and transmission of lassa fever. The initial symptoms of lassa fever are nonspecific and may include fever, malaise, headache, sore throat, myalgia, cough, chest pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea 4, 8, 9. The symptoms of lassa fever develop about 21 days after the infection with acute illness involving multi organs. Jul 25, 2020 the symptoms of lassa fever usually develop within 6 to 21 after the contraction of this infection. Symptoms of lassa fever lassa fever can be mild and has no observable symptoms in about 80% of infected people while the remaining 20% have severe multi system disease. Lassa fever lf is a viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the.
Specific symptoms include fever, facial swelling, muscle fatigue. Lassa fever is a disease of public health importance with high mortality and morbidity especially among rural dwellers. Specific symptoms include fever, facial swelling, muscle fatigue, vomiting, cough, meningitis, and hypertension. Arenaviruses known to cause vhf include lassa virus lassa fever, junin virus argentine hemorrhagic fever, machupo and chapare viruses bolivian hemorrhagic fever, guanarito virus. Lesson learned from the investigation and response of lassa. Lassa fever is an acute, viral illness typically found in the west african countries of guinea, liberia, sierra leone, and nigeria. Epidemiologic and clinical features of lassa fever. Pdf international journal of recent innovations in medicine and clinical research the dilemma in the management of an asymptomatic patient with confirmed lassa fever viremia a case report. Environmental, personal hygiene key to prevention of lassa. Historical lassa fever reports and 30year clinical update. It is endemic in parts of west africa including sierra leone, liberia, guinea and nigeria. Brian sullivan lassa fever is a disease thats caused by the arenavirus, lassa virus. It is most common in sierra leone, liberia, guinea, and.
Lassa fever lf is endemic to nigeria, where the disease causes substantial rates of illness and death. Starts with fever, general weakness and feeling unwell. Wolfe five cases of lassa fever have been imported from west africa to the united states since 1969. Mar 25, 2014 ribavirin, an antiviral drug, has been used with success in lassa fever patients.
Investigation of a crossborder case of lassa fever in. The symptoms of lassa fever can be nonspecific and mimic those of other endemic. Lassa fever reporting information report immediately. During outbreaks, oral ribavirin is often considered for postexposure prophylaxis pep, but no systematically collected data exist for this indication of drug use 15. Lassa fever diagnostic is challenging based on clinical signs and symptoms alone. Neighboring countries are also at risk, as the animal vector for lassa virus, the multimammate rat mastomys natalensis is distributed throughout the region. In some patients neurological problems, including hearing loss which may be transient or permanent, tremors, and. It is usually characterized by fever, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, abdominal and chest pains. Pdf earlyonset sensorineural hearing loss in lassa.
Clinical description after an incubation period of weeks range 321 days, patients. Many of those infected by the virus do not develop symptoms. Factors supporting the diagnosis of lassa fever in returning travelers include relevant epidemiologic exposure travel to rural west africa, signs and symptoms consistent with lassa fever, and. Intravenous ribavirin drastically reduces deaths from lassa fever. Lassa fever virus infections approximately 80%, symptoms are mild and are undiagnosed. Strengthen lassa fever case management and infection prevention and control in health facilities in priority areas, including safe burials 6. Prevention, symptoms of lassa fever and risk factors of lassa fever. Lassa fever among residents of a community in ilorin, north central nigeria. Mild symptoms include slight fever, general malaise. We therefore conducted a retrospective followup study to.
Symptoms of lassa fever can include fever, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal and back pain, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctivitis red eyes, and facial swelling. Epidemiologic and clinical features of lassa fever outbreak. Feb 07, 2020 signs and symptoms of lassa fever typically occur weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. Lassa fever presents signs and symptoms indistinguishable from those of febrile illnesses such as malaria and other viral haemorrhagic fevers. A significant number of individuals infected by the lassa virus 80% do not appear to develop symptoms. The fever is caused by lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family. Endotheliopathy and platelet dysfunction as hallmarks of. Symptoms in children are similar to those in adults, but infant infection can.
Headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and stomach pain may follow. Humantohuman transmission is mainly reported in a nosocomial context houlihan and behrens, 2017. Omilabu explained that signs and symptoms of lassa fever include fever, headache and general malaise, followed by a sore throat, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea in some cases. Lassa fever is also associated with occasional epidemics, during which the casefatality rate can reach 50%. The pattern of lassa fever outbreaks in nigeria over the years is worrisome and increasingly becoming more challenging with frequent and widening geographical spread. Lassa fever is a rodentborne illness that is endemic to parts of subsaharan africa, including sierra leone, nigeria, and guinea. Sarah gregory endotheliopathy and platelet dysfunction are outcomes of lassa fever.
She died approximately one week after the onset of symptoms. Patients should also receive supportive care consisting of maintenance of appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance, oxygenation and blood pressure, as well as treatment of any. The majority of infections are asymptomatic and mild, but in rare cases, severe multiorgan failure may result in fatal outcome. After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow. For the majority of lassa fever virus infections approximately 80%, symptoms are mild and are undiagnosed. May 26, 2015 frame jd, baldwin jm, gocke dj, et al. The margibi county health team of liberia received a report of an unidentified febrile illness case from the kakata district. Jan 21, 2020 lassa fever is one of the hemorrhagic fevers and may appear with signs and symptoms like ebola or marburg hemorrhagic fever viruses, and until these viruses are ruled out, suspected cases must be managed with infection control precautions to prevent contact with blood, body fluids, and contaminated surfaces. The lassa fever virus lfv was named after the town where the first cases occurred. Molecular diagnostics for lassa fever at irrua specialist. Environmental, personal hygiene key to prevention of lassa fever. Describe why lassa fever is a public health concern in. Patients thus were managed onsite based on clinical suspicion alone, posing risks to patients and health care workers and exhausting. Lassa fever is an animalborne, or zoonotic, acute viral illness.
Symptoms of lassa fever typically occur 221 days after coming into contact. Lassa fever is a viral illness that typically occurs in west africa. The virus is spread through contact with rodent secretions and persontoperson transmission is possible through direct contact. Laboratory diagnosis of lassa fever journal of clinical. The lassa virus is transmitted to humans mainly through food or household items contaminated by infected rats urine and faeces and by handling infected rats. Lassa fever lf is a viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the lassa virus lasv and endemic in west african countries with an estimation of 300,000 to 500,000 cases and 5,000 deaths annually. Evolution of lassa fever symptoms headache severe sore throat diarrhoea vomiting fever extreme fatigue general weakness face swelling low blood pressure nose bleeding 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 days infectivity evolution of lassa fever disease from symptom onset. We report symptoms of the patient with the second imported case and the symptoms and longterm followup on the patient with the third case. Constraints in the diagnosis and treatment of lassa fever and the.
The spectrum of lassa fever can run from asymptomatic seroconversion to severe hemorrhagic fever with multiple organ failure and death 1,2,6. The reservoir of the lassa virus is a rodent of the genus mastomys known as multimammate rat. The illness was discovered in 1969 when two missionary nurses died of it in nigeria. It is named after the nigerian town where it was first detected in 1969. Lassa fever is an acute viral illness that occurs in west africa. Apr 25, 2014 agenda 3 lassa fever disease importance of topic. Lassa fever accounts for an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 cases and 5000 deaths yearly in west africa, particularly in sierra leone, nigeria, liberia and r epublic of guinea. Mar 01, 2020 lassa fever lf is an endemic viral hemorrhagic fever in west africa.
Investigation of a crossborder case of lassa fever in west. Awareness of lassa fever in a rural community in south. Mild symptoms include slight fever, general malaise and weakness, and headache. Signs and symptoms of lassa fever typically occur weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. These include fever, retrosternal pain pain behind the. Still, there could be general discomforts such as headache, slight fever, and malaise. Lassa fever is a potentially fatal viral infection that primarily occurs in west africa. When symptoms occur they typically include fever, weakness, headaches, vomiting, and muscle pains. Laboratory diagnosis of lassa fever journal of clinical microbiology. Awareness of lassa fever in a rural community in south west. Symptoms typically begin 7 21 days after the patient comes in contact with lfv.
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